PNOY, THE PINOYS’ PRESIDENT: The greatest highlight of the inaugural speech of President Benigno Aquino III Wednesday, as far as I am concerned, was his deliberate identification of himself and, by express implication, of his government, with the needs and concerns of the Filipino people.
That was a master stroke, a genuinely genius strategy that will surely endear him all the more with his “boss”, who, he said in his inauguration, are the masses who literally cleaved unto him and catapulted him to the presidency with the greatest and biggest number of votes ever for a Philippine president.
For the first time, our countrymen heard a president who is undergoing whatever they are undergoing, experiences the same inconveniences the people are experiencing, and who, because of this first-hand knowledge of what the people are going through, can respond directly and more effectively. Indeed, PNoy is now the Pinoys’ president.
All of us must therefore pray to God the Almighty Creator of the heavens and the earth that the country’s 15th president will not be sidetracked from this direction and that coupled with a sincere desire to govern using God’s Word, guidance and direction, his promises to transform this nation and our people will be achieved in the next years.
-ooo-
PNOY GETS A FIRM GRIP OF THE NEEDS OF FILIPINOS: Of course, there were references to the legacy of his mother, President Cory Aquino, and of his father and namesake, Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., in pursuing his task as chief executive, but it is undeniable that President Noynoy himself appears to have already obtained, this early, a firm grip of what Filipinos wanted for themselves, at least in their ordinary, day to day living.
He knows for instance that many of our countrymen no longer want the “tong” system to continue (or the system of paying or bribing government authorities for an easy way out of a transaction or problem), so President Noynoy says there is no more “tong” in any transaction under his administration.
He knows, too, that our countrymen are sick and tired of privileges bandied about by the high and mighty, most especially in the use of sirens and alarms (or “wang-wangs” as we refer to them), and in allowing traffic counterflows or stopping other motorists just to enable the privileged individual easy travel, so he has stopped all of these altogether.
Many would think the presidency should no longer be involved in mundane matters like this, but I understand the concern of the President to show an immediate impact on our countrymen, by a change in behavioral patterns most exposed to the public’s view. This is good, if you ask me.
-ooo-
PRESENTATION OF THE CHILD JESUS AT THE TEMPLE: The fourth Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary, as prayed by devout Roman Catholic Christians worldwide, pertains to the presentation of the Child Jesus at the Temple, a story that is found in Luke 2:21 to 40 of the Bible.
At first glance, the account of how Jesus was presented at the Temple seemed to indicate concern merely for the completion of the then existing purification process for males as mandated by the law of Moses, but, when one looks closer, it becomes apparent that this story of the presentation is actually another Biblical confirmation about who Jesus really is and what He is destined to do.
Thus, we can see two individuals, one man (the righteous and devout Simeon) and one woman (the prophetess Anna, then 84 years of age), prophesying about Jesus as Someone who will cause the rise and fall of many in Israel, and as Someone who will redeem God’s people.
Simeon in particular confirmed that he had received a revelation that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. When Simeon saw Jesus, the Holy Spirit came over him, and he said he was ready to die in peace, since he already saw the Lord.
Anna on the other hand who was widowed after being married for only seven years, spent the rest of her life, until she was 84 years old, worshipping, fasting and praying at the temple. When she saw Jesus, she spoke about Him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
What is Makati City Rep. Locsin up to?
THE JAMES-KRIS BREAK-UP COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED: The James Yap-Kris Aquino break-up sure looks to be something that could have been prevented from happening, if only the parties involved tried to bite their lips harder when they were quarelling and having a spat.
As it is, Filipino husbands and wives---and this includes James and Kris, obviously---do not really know how to control emotions and, worst of all, their tounges in times of trouble, saying many things that would scar them forever, even if they did not really mean what have been said.
Perhaps, Filipino husbands and wives---and this again includes James and Kris---should try to read what the Bible says about controlling the tounge, and thereby profit from it immensely.
-ooo-
JAMES 3:3-12 OF THE BIBLE SAYS WE MUST CONTROL OUR TOUNGES: The Bible, in its James 3:3-12, has this to say about controlling the tounge: “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.
“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water....”
-ooo-
WHAT IS REP. LOCSIN UP TO IN DISCREDING THE MAY ELECTIONS?Just what is former Makati City Rep. Teodoro “Boy” Locsin up to, in his recent remarks that theMay 2010 elections was marred by fraud and cheating, and that he would oppose the use of automation in the coming elections if loopholes in the computerized system are not remedied?
Surely, an accusation coming from him that the recent political exercise was tainted by computerized fraud can only raise doubts about the election of President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay, and all those who have been proclaimed by the Commission on Elections and are starting their terms now.
Is Locsin saying that President Aquino should not be allowed to assume the presidency because the election in which he was voted upon lacks credibility?
Is he not the same Locsin that served President Aquino’s own mother in 1986 to 1992? Why is he trying to discredit the electoral exercise that allowed the son to follow in the footsteps of the mother that Locsin also served?
-30-
As it is, Filipino husbands and wives---and this includes James and Kris, obviously---do not really know how to control emotions and, worst of all, their tounges in times of trouble, saying many things that would scar them forever, even if they did not really mean what have been said.
Perhaps, Filipino husbands and wives---and this again includes James and Kris---should try to read what the Bible says about controlling the tounge, and thereby profit from it immensely.
-ooo-
JAMES 3:3-12 OF THE BIBLE SAYS WE MUST CONTROL OUR TOUNGES: The Bible, in its James 3:3-12, has this to say about controlling the tounge: “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.
“Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water....”
-ooo-
WHAT IS REP. LOCSIN UP TO IN DISCREDING THE MAY ELECTIONS?Just what is former Makati City Rep. Teodoro “Boy” Locsin up to, in his recent remarks that theMay 2010 elections was marred by fraud and cheating, and that he would oppose the use of automation in the coming elections if loopholes in the computerized system are not remedied?
Surely, an accusation coming from him that the recent political exercise was tainted by computerized fraud can only raise doubts about the election of President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay, and all those who have been proclaimed by the Commission on Elections and are starting their terms now.
Is Locsin saying that President Aquino should not be allowed to assume the presidency because the election in which he was voted upon lacks credibility?
Is he not the same Locsin that served President Aquino’s own mother in 1986 to 1992? Why is he trying to discredit the electoral exercise that allowed the son to follow in the footsteps of the mother that Locsin also served?
-30-
Sunday, June 27, 2010
P-Noy must invite ex-presidents and ex-presidentiables
P-NOY SHOULD INVITE EX-PRESIDENTS AND 2010 PRESIDENTIABLES TO INAUGURAL: I do not know if it is too late for this, but I am urgently and earnestly proposing that all former presidents of this country who are still around---President Ramos, President Estrada and President Arroyo---and all the presidential candidates in the 2010 elections, should be invited to attend the inauguration of President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay on June 30, 2010, and then to regularly meet with them thereafter.
Regardless of political leanings and regardless of the acrimonious fight that characterized the 2010 electoral exercise, these former presidents and former presidentiables owe it to God, country and people, especially at this point in our national history, to shed off partisanship and divisiveness and aspire for unity so that, for once, the good of this country will be the overriding agenda of all leaders in the next six years.
Yes, there will be differences about what is good for the country and the people, and there will be differences about what course of action to take to achieve this good, but I am sure that a constant, regular, and open dialogue among all these leaders, initiated by President Aquino at least once a month, will go a long way in solidifying even our leaders and countrymen under one direction---to help this nation become great again.
-ooo-
AGRA SHOULD STOP RESOLVING PENDING CASES: I laud outgoing Justice SecretaryAlberto Agra for his last-minute efforts to expedite the resolution of criminal cases that have remained unresolved through the years with the Department of Justice National Prosecution Service, for indeed, justice delayed is still justice denied.
But then, if these cases could be resolved in the “last two minutes” of Agra’s term through a determined push, how come he did not resolve them when there was still plenty of time upon his appointment?
As it is, many of his own prosecutors and many lawyers practicing at the DOJ, are of the presumption that what Agra is doing is issue “midnight resolutions”, for one reason or another. I believe he should stop what he is doing now, and allow his successor to resolve the cases
-ooo-
VISIT OF MARY TO ELIZABETH CONFIRMS BLESSINGS TO MARY: “Visitation” is what Roman Catholic Christians call the second mystery in the Mysteries of Joy (or Joyful Mysteries) of the Holy Rosary, and it is an account of Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus, visiting her ageing but pregnant cousin Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah, just after Mary had an encounter with Gabriel, the Angel of God.
The account of the “Visitation” is narrated in Luke 1:39 to 45 of the Bible, and there we will see that upon Mary’s arrival at the house of Elizabeth and Zechariah, the baby which was in the womb of Elizabeth leaped inside her, with the Holy Spirit coming down upon mother and baby.
In a loud voice, Elizabeth exclaimed to Mary: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear”, confirming Mary’s status as someone blessed by God, as well as the holy status of her child.
Regardless of political leanings and regardless of the acrimonious fight that characterized the 2010 electoral exercise, these former presidents and former presidentiables owe it to God, country and people, especially at this point in our national history, to shed off partisanship and divisiveness and aspire for unity so that, for once, the good of this country will be the overriding agenda of all leaders in the next six years.
Yes, there will be differences about what is good for the country and the people, and there will be differences about what course of action to take to achieve this good, but I am sure that a constant, regular, and open dialogue among all these leaders, initiated by President Aquino at least once a month, will go a long way in solidifying even our leaders and countrymen under one direction---to help this nation become great again.
-ooo-
AGRA SHOULD STOP RESOLVING PENDING CASES: I laud outgoing Justice SecretaryAlberto Agra for his last-minute efforts to expedite the resolution of criminal cases that have remained unresolved through the years with the Department of Justice National Prosecution Service, for indeed, justice delayed is still justice denied.
But then, if these cases could be resolved in the “last two minutes” of Agra’s term through a determined push, how come he did not resolve them when there was still plenty of time upon his appointment?
As it is, many of his own prosecutors and many lawyers practicing at the DOJ, are of the presumption that what Agra is doing is issue “midnight resolutions”, for one reason or another. I believe he should stop what he is doing now, and allow his successor to resolve the cases
-ooo-
VISIT OF MARY TO ELIZABETH CONFIRMS BLESSINGS TO MARY: “Visitation” is what Roman Catholic Christians call the second mystery in the Mysteries of Joy (or Joyful Mysteries) of the Holy Rosary, and it is an account of Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus, visiting her ageing but pregnant cousin Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah, just after Mary had an encounter with Gabriel, the Angel of God.
The account of the “Visitation” is narrated in Luke 1:39 to 45 of the Bible, and there we will see that upon Mary’s arrival at the house of Elizabeth and Zechariah, the baby which was in the womb of Elizabeth leaped inside her, with the Holy Spirit coming down upon mother and baby.
In a loud voice, Elizabeth exclaimed to Mary: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear”, confirming Mary’s status as someone blessed by God, as well as the holy status of her child.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Astronomers prove hell is real; Binay’s blessing in disguise
VP BINAY’S BLESSING IN DISGUISE: If Vice President Jejomar Binay won’t be appointed to any Cabinet position under the term of President Benigno Aquino III, he would have more time to go around the country and prepare himself for bigger aspirations in the years to come.
Without any responsibilities other than the vice presidency, Binay can freely talk to all sorts of people in the four corners of the archipelago, help or assist them in one way or another with their concerns, and then galvanize their support for his future endeavors. Viewed this way, I think Jojo should consider his “alienation” from Aquino’s official family as a blessing in disguise, rather than a rebuke.
-ooo-
MICHAEL JACKSON COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED BY GOD: Indeed, turning to God and subjecting one’s self to His Word and obeying His commands and decrees will work wonders for everyone, not just for the late Michael Jackson, whose first death anniversary Friday, 25 June 2010, will be commemorated by his family and fans.
Michael’s brother, Jermaine, is actually correct in saying, during an interview with BBC Radio, that if the pop superstar only embraced God in his lifetime he would have been at peace and would not have died so soon. “God is so powerful,” Jermained said, and it is indeed true, regardless of what religious affiliation one may have, for God alone saves, not affiliations.
-ooo-
ASTRONOMERS PROVE HELL IS REAL: It was a shocking and revealing report that astronomers from the Netherlands’Leiden Observatory released the other day, confirming, as it were, that there is a place in the universe which approximates what Revelations 21:8 of the Holy Bible says is a “fiery lake of burning sulfur”---the place reserved for sinners, unbelievers, cowards, idolaters, murderers, sexually immoral, and liars.
The astronomers, led by one Ignas Snellen, identified the place as a planet named Osiris (ancient Egypt’s Lord of the Dead) in the constellation of Pegasus, 150 light years away from the Earth, and is officially named HD 209458b.
“On one side its surface is heated to a scorching 1,100 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit), although the other side is far cooler. The planet's atmosphere is laced with poisonous carbon monoxide and prey to storm winds that blow from 5,000 to 10,000 kph (3,100-6,200 mph), says the paper (as reported by the Philippine Inquirer).
This is a planet “where human beings would be simultaneously boiled, poisoned and ripped apart by superstorms”, the Inquirer said. Imagine if this is where you will be assigned for the rest of eternity?
-ooo-
LIFE OF JESUS RECOUNTED IN THE MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY: A keen study of the mysteries of the Holy Rosary will show that each of the mystery recited in praying it constitutes one important aspect of the life of Jesus.
In the Joyful Mysteries, for instance, what is recounted are the following events in the life of Christ: Annunciation, Visitation of Elizabeth by Mary, Birth of Christ, Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, and Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple.
In the Mysteries of Light, we find the following: Baptism of Jesus, Wedding at Cana, Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, Transfiguration and Institution of the Holy Eucharist through the Last Supper.
The Sorrowful Mysteries narrate these events in the life of Jesus: Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Crowning of Jesus with Thorns, Carrying of the Cross, and Crucifixion and Death of Christ.
Finally, the Glorious Mysteries make an account of the Resurrection, the Ascention, Descent of the Holy Spirit, Assumption of Mary, and the Coronation of Mary as Queeon of Heaven and Earth.
Anyone who prays the Holy Rosary, therefore, gets to remember Jesus Christ and is reminded all over again of His status as our God and Savior.
Without any responsibilities other than the vice presidency, Binay can freely talk to all sorts of people in the four corners of the archipelago, help or assist them in one way or another with their concerns, and then galvanize their support for his future endeavors. Viewed this way, I think Jojo should consider his “alienation” from Aquino’s official family as a blessing in disguise, rather than a rebuke.
-ooo-
MICHAEL JACKSON COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED BY GOD: Indeed, turning to God and subjecting one’s self to His Word and obeying His commands and decrees will work wonders for everyone, not just for the late Michael Jackson, whose first death anniversary Friday, 25 June 2010, will be commemorated by his family and fans.
Michael’s brother, Jermaine, is actually correct in saying, during an interview with BBC Radio, that if the pop superstar only embraced God in his lifetime he would have been at peace and would not have died so soon. “God is so powerful,” Jermained said, and it is indeed true, regardless of what religious affiliation one may have, for God alone saves, not affiliations.
-ooo-
ASTRONOMERS PROVE HELL IS REAL: It was a shocking and revealing report that astronomers from the Netherlands’Leiden Observatory released the other day, confirming, as it were, that there is a place in the universe which approximates what Revelations 21:8 of the Holy Bible says is a “fiery lake of burning sulfur”---the place reserved for sinners, unbelievers, cowards, idolaters, murderers, sexually immoral, and liars.
The astronomers, led by one Ignas Snellen, identified the place as a planet named Osiris (ancient Egypt’s Lord of the Dead) in the constellation of Pegasus, 150 light years away from the Earth, and is officially named HD 209458b.
“On one side its surface is heated to a scorching 1,100 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit), although the other side is far cooler. The planet's atmosphere is laced with poisonous carbon monoxide and prey to storm winds that blow from 5,000 to 10,000 kph (3,100-6,200 mph), says the paper (as reported by the Philippine Inquirer).
This is a planet “where human beings would be simultaneously boiled, poisoned and ripped apart by superstorms”, the Inquirer said. Imagine if this is where you will be assigned for the rest of eternity?
-ooo-
LIFE OF JESUS RECOUNTED IN THE MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY: A keen study of the mysteries of the Holy Rosary will show that each of the mystery recited in praying it constitutes one important aspect of the life of Jesus.
In the Joyful Mysteries, for instance, what is recounted are the following events in the life of Christ: Annunciation, Visitation of Elizabeth by Mary, Birth of Christ, Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, and Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple.
In the Mysteries of Light, we find the following: Baptism of Jesus, Wedding at Cana, Proclamation of the Kingdom of God, Transfiguration and Institution of the Holy Eucharist through the Last Supper.
The Sorrowful Mysteries narrate these events in the life of Jesus: Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Crowning of Jesus with Thorns, Carrying of the Cross, and Crucifixion and Death of Christ.
Finally, the Glorious Mysteries make an account of the Resurrection, the Ascention, Descent of the Holy Spirit, Assumption of Mary, and the Coronation of Mary as Queeon of Heaven and Earth.
Anyone who prays the Holy Rosary, therefore, gets to remember Jesus Christ and is reminded all over again of His status as our God and Savior.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Pinoys helpless amidst violence: Why?
PINOYS HELPLESS IN THE FACE OF VIOLENCE---WHY? “What’s happening to our country, general?”---a question asked by former Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez to then Brig. Gen. Tomas Karingal after Pelaez survived an ambush in Quezon City years ago---should be the question uppermost in the minds of many Filipinos nowadays with the recent spate of killings and violence accross the country.
Mediamen being killed, businessmen being fatally ambushed, lawyers and politicians and ordinary citizens suffering violent death---these and more, and we appear helpless in doing something, we are unable to stop or at least minimize all of these. Why?
-ooo-
VIOLENCE REPRESENTS CURSES FROM GOD: The real reason is that all of these violence and chaos and sufferings actually represent punishment from God. They are, as it were, God’s curses, which were promised in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 of the Holy Bible, in this manner: if you no longer listen to God, and no longer obey His commands, laws and decrees, curses upon curses will come upon you and overtake you.
If you count just the verses between Deuteronomy 28:15 and Deuteronomy 28:68, it would seem that there are 53 curses that will be visited upon a people who have turned their back on God. Then again, some of the verses are composed of two or more verses, so that it is clear that there are hundreds of curses waiting to pounce on a recalcitrant nation.
-ooo-
VIOLENCE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE ARE DESTROYED: The sad reality is that all of these will not stop, and cannot be remedied by anyone, much less the politicians and our leaders. In promising the curses to those who will not listen to Him anymore, God also promised that these curses will cause all of us to perish completely. Not even a godly president like President Benigno Aquino III can help us.
Proof that these curses are designed to destroy us? Please read Deuteronomy 28:20 (which says in part “The Lord will send you (the curses) until you are destroyed and come to suden ruin), Deuteronomy 28:21 (“...until He has destroyed you...”), Deuteronomy 28:22 (“...which will plague you until you perish...”).
Deuteronomy 28: 45 says: “...All of these curses will come upon you. They will pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you...”
-ooo-
PRAYING OF THE ROSARY IS BIBLE BASED: Roman Catholic Christians practice the praying of the Holy Rosary, which is something that is balked at by others who believe in Christianity on the argument that praying the Rosary is paganistic in origin.
I did some reading on the matter, and indeed, there is nothing in the Holy Bible that says Christians should pray the Rosary, as there is even no mention of the Rosary in any pages of that Book.
But when one looks at the mysteries of the Rosary, one begins to understand that whoever conceived and thought of this prayer, dedicated to Mary, the Virgin Mother of Christ, actually was following the examples of many leaders of the Christian faith, enshrined in many pages of the Bible, where they resort to repeating the history of the Israelites, from their exodus to their arrival at the Promised Land, as a means to strengthen their faith.
Just look at the story of Gideon, in Judges 6 and 7 of the Bible, and you will see what I mean. Before Gideon finally relented to be used as God’s chosen one to deliver his people from the Midianites who were causing them sufferings, he had to recount Israel’s story all over again.
This is what is happening when a Roman Catholic prays the Rosary: he is actually repeating a tried and tested tradition of Christian leaders, for he is reminded of the full and entire story of Christ, from the announcement of his birth by the Angel Gabriel to his Ascention to Heaven, taken directly from the Bible itself.
-30-
Mediamen being killed, businessmen being fatally ambushed, lawyers and politicians and ordinary citizens suffering violent death---these and more, and we appear helpless in doing something, we are unable to stop or at least minimize all of these. Why?
-ooo-
VIOLENCE REPRESENTS CURSES FROM GOD: The real reason is that all of these violence and chaos and sufferings actually represent punishment from God. They are, as it were, God’s curses, which were promised in Deuteronomy 28:15-68 of the Holy Bible, in this manner: if you no longer listen to God, and no longer obey His commands, laws and decrees, curses upon curses will come upon you and overtake you.
If you count just the verses between Deuteronomy 28:15 and Deuteronomy 28:68, it would seem that there are 53 curses that will be visited upon a people who have turned their back on God. Then again, some of the verses are composed of two or more verses, so that it is clear that there are hundreds of curses waiting to pounce on a recalcitrant nation.
-ooo-
VIOLENCE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE ARE DESTROYED: The sad reality is that all of these will not stop, and cannot be remedied by anyone, much less the politicians and our leaders. In promising the curses to those who will not listen to Him anymore, God also promised that these curses will cause all of us to perish completely. Not even a godly president like President Benigno Aquino III can help us.
Proof that these curses are designed to destroy us? Please read Deuteronomy 28:20 (which says in part “The Lord will send you (the curses) until you are destroyed and come to suden ruin), Deuteronomy 28:21 (“...until He has destroyed you...”), Deuteronomy 28:22 (“...which will plague you until you perish...”).
Deuteronomy 28: 45 says: “...All of these curses will come upon you. They will pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you...”
-ooo-
PRAYING OF THE ROSARY IS BIBLE BASED: Roman Catholic Christians practice the praying of the Holy Rosary, which is something that is balked at by others who believe in Christianity on the argument that praying the Rosary is paganistic in origin.
I did some reading on the matter, and indeed, there is nothing in the Holy Bible that says Christians should pray the Rosary, as there is even no mention of the Rosary in any pages of that Book.
But when one looks at the mysteries of the Rosary, one begins to understand that whoever conceived and thought of this prayer, dedicated to Mary, the Virgin Mother of Christ, actually was following the examples of many leaders of the Christian faith, enshrined in many pages of the Bible, where they resort to repeating the history of the Israelites, from their exodus to their arrival at the Promised Land, as a means to strengthen their faith.
Just look at the story of Gideon, in Judges 6 and 7 of the Bible, and you will see what I mean. Before Gideon finally relented to be used as God’s chosen one to deliver his people from the Midianites who were causing them sufferings, he had to recount Israel’s story all over again.
This is what is happening when a Roman Catholic prays the Rosary: he is actually repeating a tried and tested tradition of Christian leaders, for he is reminded of the full and entire story of Christ, from the announcement of his birth by the Angel Gabriel to his Ascention to Heaven, taken directly from the Bible itself.
-30-
Monday, June 21, 2010
The truth in the Yusoph kidnapping
WHAT IS THE TRUTH IN THE YUSOPH KIDNAPPING? I hope the authorities handling the kidnapping of Nuraldin Yusoph, the son of Commissioner Elias Yusoph of the Commission on Elections, and the good commissioner himself, would be more circumspect and careful in giving out information about the event, so that the public will not be confused.
Pardon the strong language here, but then, who would ever believe the yarn that the kidnapping was made to force Commissioner Yusoph to nullify the election results in the towns of Malabang, Pilong, Taraka and Masiu in Lanao Del Sur?
Even a grade one pupil in our elementary schools would know that Yusoph, alone by himself, cannot nullify any of the results in any town in Lanao del Sur or in any other area where he was the commissioner-in-charge. That would need a collegial decision of the entire poll body.
Now, I am imploring all those involved in this sordid incident: please tell us the truth about this abduction, no matter where it would lead us, no matter how it hurts. It is time that we be truthful, if not to the Filipino people, then to God the Almighty creator of the heavens and the earth.
-ooo-
PRESIDENT AQUINO’S MEDIA TEAM SHOULD MONITOR COMMENTS NOW: Perhaps, the media team of President Benigno Aquino III should now try to monitor radio programs dealing with news and public affairs and do something about the spate of negative commentaries that are now being sent to the media through text messaging or other modes which, indubitably, seems to indicate an erosion of the public’s fascination over Noynoy.
As I was writing this column, I chanced upon Karen Golfo (the now famous partner of the venerable Joe Taruc of DZRH, in their program “Damdaming Bayan”) reading a text message presumably, where Noynoy is pictured as creating division instead of unity among officials in government and even among the public.
What is more, this kind of a commentary seems to have become pervasive, because even in the programs of other broadcasters or anchormen in other stations, similar messages are now being publicly aired, and Noynoy has not even started his term yet!
The media team of the President must do something to counteract these commentaries, because if left unchecked, they could really escalate and could render the Aquino administration ineffective without really trying.
-ooo-
BIBLE TRIVIA, PART VIII: THE FIRST COMMANDS GIVEN BY GOD TO MAN: Do you know that God, after creating the first man and woman, gave well-defined commands that they must follow? Here are the commands, in the order that they were given, according to Genesis 1:28-30, and 2:16 of the Holy Bible.
The first command (Genesis 1:28): be fruitful, increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fist of the sea and the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves on the ground.
The second command (Genesis 1:29): eat only seed-bearing plants and every tree that has fruit with seed on it. The third command (Genesis 2:16): eat from any tree in the garden, but do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when man will eat from that tree, he will surely die.
Any comment? Please email me at batasmauricio@yahoo.com.
-30-
Pardon the strong language here, but then, who would ever believe the yarn that the kidnapping was made to force Commissioner Yusoph to nullify the election results in the towns of Malabang, Pilong, Taraka and Masiu in Lanao Del Sur?
Even a grade one pupil in our elementary schools would know that Yusoph, alone by himself, cannot nullify any of the results in any town in Lanao del Sur or in any other area where he was the commissioner-in-charge. That would need a collegial decision of the entire poll body.
Now, I am imploring all those involved in this sordid incident: please tell us the truth about this abduction, no matter where it would lead us, no matter how it hurts. It is time that we be truthful, if not to the Filipino people, then to God the Almighty creator of the heavens and the earth.
-ooo-
PRESIDENT AQUINO’S MEDIA TEAM SHOULD MONITOR COMMENTS NOW: Perhaps, the media team of President Benigno Aquino III should now try to monitor radio programs dealing with news and public affairs and do something about the spate of negative commentaries that are now being sent to the media through text messaging or other modes which, indubitably, seems to indicate an erosion of the public’s fascination over Noynoy.
As I was writing this column, I chanced upon Karen Golfo (the now famous partner of the venerable Joe Taruc of DZRH, in their program “Damdaming Bayan”) reading a text message presumably, where Noynoy is pictured as creating division instead of unity among officials in government and even among the public.
What is more, this kind of a commentary seems to have become pervasive, because even in the programs of other broadcasters or anchormen in other stations, similar messages are now being publicly aired, and Noynoy has not even started his term yet!
The media team of the President must do something to counteract these commentaries, because if left unchecked, they could really escalate and could render the Aquino administration ineffective without really trying.
-ooo-
BIBLE TRIVIA, PART VIII: THE FIRST COMMANDS GIVEN BY GOD TO MAN: Do you know that God, after creating the first man and woman, gave well-defined commands that they must follow? Here are the commands, in the order that they were given, according to Genesis 1:28-30, and 2:16 of the Holy Bible.
The first command (Genesis 1:28): be fruitful, increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fist of the sea and the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves on the ground.
The second command (Genesis 1:29): eat only seed-bearing plants and every tree that has fruit with seed on it. The third command (Genesis 2:16): eat from any tree in the garden, but do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when man will eat from that tree, he will surely die.
Any comment? Please email me at batasmauricio@yahoo.com.
-30-
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Readers’ reactions: God celebrated on the `seventh day’
READERS’ REACTIONS ARE REALLY POURING IN: I yield the totality of this column today to reactions to what we have been writing here, as well as my own reply to our readers who emailed me their commentaries. I thank God, in the name of Jesus, that we are getting these reactions from our readers. All such reactions from any of our readers are welcome, and we promise to publish them in our subsequent issues likewise. Here goes:
-ooo-
NERIO CLOMA: GOD IS CELEBRATING ON THE “SEVENTH DAY”: “Hello Atty. Batas, God may also have intended to rest on the seventh day to `celebrate’ what He has done and to teach us to celebrate as well. A life devoid of celebration, enjoyment is a dull life. Its not the life that John 10:10 is suggesting...
“Communing with God on the rest day is good. But aren’t we suppose to commune with Him daily? What's so special with the 7th day communing? Communing to Him with the other believers might be special.
“God never rests. He celebrates when He is not creating... but He never stops creating... So what is God doing on the 7th day? Thats not for us to discover...what He revealed already is what we need to follow...just rest and celebrate! Thanks for allowing me to reply. God bless and happy resting and celebrating Father's Day! Nerio Cloma”. Thanks, too, Nerio.
-ooo-
CAN WE TAKE GOD AWAY FROM THE PROBLEMS OF FILIPINOS? Here is a part of my reaction to the email by “The other John, de Zamboanga” I posted here the other day: “20 June 2010; The other John, de Zamboanga: Thank God in the name of Jesus for this reaction. But let me share some of my insights on the points you raised:
“You said: `I wish that you would take God away from Filipino’s problems. If Filipinos are struggling, having hard times making things meet, maybe he should find out why instead of blaming it on God...’
“First and foremost, I am not blaming anything on God. I have no opinion on the matter, in fact. Please take note that I merely reiterated what the Bible said in Deuteronomy 28:15, in relation to the verses until 28:68, with respect to the curses that God will send to a people who no longer sincerely and truthfully listen to (or, more appropriately now, read) and obey, the Word of God.
“And so we will understand this a little better, here is what Deuteronomy 28:15 is saying: `However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you...’ More of this next time...
-ooo-
LIFE’S DIFFICULTIES AND HARDSHIPS BROUGHT ABOUT BY MAN’S GOING AWAY FROM GOD: “Clearly, therefore, based on this, if a people, like the Filipinos are having hard times making things meet, the first thing that they should try to do is ask, as you said: why is this happening to us?
“If they read the Bible good enough, they will understand that the poverty, confusion and rebuke they are experiencing, although traceable to some problems, actually are rooted with their having stopped reading the Bible, listening to the Word of God, and then with their having refused to obey Him truthfully and sincerely.
“Now, given this kind of an insight, no one can (or must) blame God---we must blame ourselves because, if we look at what the Bible is telling us in the foregoing verse, it is us who turned our backs on God, it is us who no longer read His Word, it is us who no longer obey Him.
“If things are becoming more difficult these days, it is because we are at fault, in the manner Deuteronomy 28:15 is saying....”
-30-
-ooo-
NERIO CLOMA: GOD IS CELEBRATING ON THE “SEVENTH DAY”: “Hello Atty. Batas, God may also have intended to rest on the seventh day to `celebrate’ what He has done and to teach us to celebrate as well. A life devoid of celebration, enjoyment is a dull life. Its not the life that John 10:10 is suggesting...
“Communing with God on the rest day is good. But aren’t we suppose to commune with Him daily? What's so special with the 7th day communing? Communing to Him with the other believers might be special.
“God never rests. He celebrates when He is not creating... but He never stops creating... So what is God doing on the 7th day? Thats not for us to discover...what He revealed already is what we need to follow...just rest and celebrate! Thanks for allowing me to reply. God bless and happy resting and celebrating Father's Day! Nerio Cloma”. Thanks, too, Nerio.
-ooo-
CAN WE TAKE GOD AWAY FROM THE PROBLEMS OF FILIPINOS? Here is a part of my reaction to the email by “The other John, de Zamboanga” I posted here the other day: “20 June 2010; The other John, de Zamboanga: Thank God in the name of Jesus for this reaction. But let me share some of my insights on the points you raised:
“You said: `I wish that you would take God away from Filipino’s problems. If Filipinos are struggling, having hard times making things meet, maybe he should find out why instead of blaming it on God...’
“First and foremost, I am not blaming anything on God. I have no opinion on the matter, in fact. Please take note that I merely reiterated what the Bible said in Deuteronomy 28:15, in relation to the verses until 28:68, with respect to the curses that God will send to a people who no longer sincerely and truthfully listen to (or, more appropriately now, read) and obey, the Word of God.
“And so we will understand this a little better, here is what Deuteronomy 28:15 is saying: `However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you...’ More of this next time...
-ooo-
LIFE’S DIFFICULTIES AND HARDSHIPS BROUGHT ABOUT BY MAN’S GOING AWAY FROM GOD: “Clearly, therefore, based on this, if a people, like the Filipinos are having hard times making things meet, the first thing that they should try to do is ask, as you said: why is this happening to us?
“If they read the Bible good enough, they will understand that the poverty, confusion and rebuke they are experiencing, although traceable to some problems, actually are rooted with their having stopped reading the Bible, listening to the Word of God, and then with their having refused to obey Him truthfully and sincerely.
“Now, given this kind of an insight, no one can (or must) blame God---we must blame ourselves because, if we look at what the Bible is telling us in the foregoing verse, it is us who turned our backs on God, it is us who no longer read His Word, it is us who no longer obey Him.
“If things are becoming more difficult these days, it is because we are at fault, in the manner Deuteronomy 28:15 is saying....”
-30-
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
“Anti-foreign sentiments”? Read again! (Part I)
READER REACTS TO “ANTI-FOREIGNER SENTIMENTS” OF THIS COLUMN: I continually thank God, in the name of Jesus, that our columns here are being read by many people, and it is good to know that these columns even merit reactions from our readers.
Here is one such reaction, dwelling on our recent ideas about foreigners lording it over Filipinos. I changed the name of the writer and the places he mentioned (I put them in italics for purposes of this column today) for security reasons, and due to the writer’s own request:
“Dear Mr. Mauricio, My name is John, I am a foreigner, from abroad. I have lived here for 3 years, in Mindanao, and I have paid approximately $365.00 per year to be here, on a tourist Visa. I am married to a Philipina here, a Muslim, and a professional woman with a Masters degree that works in the service of her country.
“She has a family in Mindanao. She has an uncle that is a congressman, and an uncle that is a Supreme Court Justice.
“In the last 2 weeks you have cursed the days a foreigner set foot on the soil of the Philippines on numerous occasions. I can't help but wonder what it is that you have against the policy of the Philippine Government?
“The reason foreigners come here is because the government allows it. If you pay a fee, you can visit, if you pay a Big Fee you can stay forever. Foreigners are Commerce, just as OFW's are commerce.
“I am a poor, retired US Marine living on a meager retirement, I am not rich, I am not wanted by the police in any country.
“I have paid my taxes on a regular basis to the Philippine government (Visa Fees), Airport Passenger fees and so on. I am here because I want to be with my wife and her family, as I have no one else for family.
“Are you aware that I as a foreigner cannot even own the land I am building a house on?
Even with this lack of consideration, I still choose to stay in the Philippines. I employ a housemaid and a yard boy, I pay them cash every week.
“My payroll here in the Philippines is 52000 peso per year, and my wife's household allowance for all the bills and her pocket money is 35000 peso per month.
“My Point, what is it you have against my kind, be I American, Chinese, Korean, African, Russian, Japanese? Are you a closet Racist? or are you against Commerce? You better take a long look in the mirror of life, your past, your present.
“You quote the scripture on a regular basis. May I bring your attention to the 10 Commandments? This one comes to mind, Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. Keep up the good work and stimulating wisdom you send to All of us. Even us foreigners.
“Respectfully, John.” I already responded to this, and, God willing, I am going to print it tomorrow. Abangan (or, for our reader and other foreigners out there, watch out for it)!!!
-ooo-
BIBLE TRIVIA, PART IV: MAN WAS INTENDED TO BE VEGETARIAN? I don’t know if you noticed but, in Genesis 1:29 of the Holy Bible, there is an indication that God wanted man to be a vegetarian, not carnivorous, and not an eater of fish either.
Here is what Genesis 1:29 says as God’s instruction to man, after he had created the first male and female: “Then God said, `I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food...”
Interestingly, it would also appear that God intended even “the beasts of the earth”---all animals, if you may---to be vegetarian likewise, eathing nothing but plants. This is what we see in Genesis 1:30, which says “And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground---everything that has the breath of life in it---I give every green plant for food. And it was so.”
Does this mean that the meat-eaters among us (and even the fish-eaters likewise) have been violating God’s laws because of our predilection for meat? Agree? Disagree? Email me at batasmauricio@yahoo.com.
-ooo-
BATAS INTERNET TV, BATAS INTERNET RADIO: Please watch BATAS INTERNET TV and please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click Batas ITV for tv, and BatasRadio.com for radio). We are on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Here is one such reaction, dwelling on our recent ideas about foreigners lording it over Filipinos. I changed the name of the writer and the places he mentioned (I put them in italics for purposes of this column today) for security reasons, and due to the writer’s own request:
“Dear Mr. Mauricio, My name is John, I am a foreigner, from abroad. I have lived here for 3 years, in Mindanao, and I have paid approximately $365.00 per year to be here, on a tourist Visa. I am married to a Philipina here, a Muslim, and a professional woman with a Masters degree that works in the service of her country.
“She has a family in Mindanao. She has an uncle that is a congressman, and an uncle that is a Supreme Court Justice.
“In the last 2 weeks you have cursed the days a foreigner set foot on the soil of the Philippines on numerous occasions. I can't help but wonder what it is that you have against the policy of the Philippine Government?
“The reason foreigners come here is because the government allows it. If you pay a fee, you can visit, if you pay a Big Fee you can stay forever. Foreigners are Commerce, just as OFW's are commerce.
“I am a poor, retired US Marine living on a meager retirement, I am not rich, I am not wanted by the police in any country.
“I have paid my taxes on a regular basis to the Philippine government (Visa Fees), Airport Passenger fees and so on. I am here because I want to be with my wife and her family, as I have no one else for family.
“Are you aware that I as a foreigner cannot even own the land I am building a house on?
Even with this lack of consideration, I still choose to stay in the Philippines. I employ a housemaid and a yard boy, I pay them cash every week.
“My payroll here in the Philippines is 52000 peso per year, and my wife's household allowance for all the bills and her pocket money is 35000 peso per month.
“My Point, what is it you have against my kind, be I American, Chinese, Korean, African, Russian, Japanese? Are you a closet Racist? or are you against Commerce? You better take a long look in the mirror of life, your past, your present.
“You quote the scripture on a regular basis. May I bring your attention to the 10 Commandments? This one comes to mind, Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. Keep up the good work and stimulating wisdom you send to All of us. Even us foreigners.
“Respectfully, John.” I already responded to this, and, God willing, I am going to print it tomorrow. Abangan (or, for our reader and other foreigners out there, watch out for it)!!!
-ooo-
BIBLE TRIVIA, PART IV: MAN WAS INTENDED TO BE VEGETARIAN? I don’t know if you noticed but, in Genesis 1:29 of the Holy Bible, there is an indication that God wanted man to be a vegetarian, not carnivorous, and not an eater of fish either.
Here is what Genesis 1:29 says as God’s instruction to man, after he had created the first male and female: “Then God said, `I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food...”
Interestingly, it would also appear that God intended even “the beasts of the earth”---all animals, if you may---to be vegetarian likewise, eathing nothing but plants. This is what we see in Genesis 1:30, which says “And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground---everything that has the breath of life in it---I give every green plant for food. And it was so.”
Does this mean that the meat-eaters among us (and even the fish-eaters likewise) have been violating God’s laws because of our predilection for meat? Agree? Disagree? Email me at batasmauricio@yahoo.com.
-ooo-
BATAS INTERNET TV, BATAS INTERNET RADIO: Please watch BATAS INTERNET TV and please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click Batas ITV for tv, and BatasRadio.com for radio). We are on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Notice to lawmakers: God does not want population control
FINALLY, GOOD DEEDS ARE BEING RECOGNIZED: There is a positive message in President Benigno Aquino III’s announcement that he is likely to appoint outgoing Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo as the secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government---that good deeds and dedication to duty, coupled with a heart overflowing with concern for others, will sooner or later be rewarded.
Now, other local executives and officials and employees will have a reason to perform well, do good and strive for excellence---someone is watching and ready to give recognition. I hope President Aquino can develop a system of regularly rewarding those who are going out of their way to serve, to encourage better service to the public.
As for the rest of the Philippine bureaucracy who may not be noticed at all even if they are doing good, what they can do is to do everything for God, as the Bible said, in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”.
-ooo-
GAYS AND LESBIANS, THE BIBLE HAS A MESSAGE FOR YOU: Indeed, gays and lesbians should not be discriminated against as Chairman Francisco Duque III of the Civil Service Commission clarified, but there is something in the Bible which seems to indicate that there is a very strict rule when it comes to members of the “third” sex.
It would seem to me that, based on its Romans 1:18-32, the Bible is saying that being a gay or a lesbian is some sort of an indication of God’s wrath, against people, men and women, who do not give thanks and who do not glorify God.
Here is a part of that Biblical passage: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men... For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him...”
“...Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another....”
-ooo-
TO KILLERS OF MEDIAMEN: STOP YOUR SINFUL WAYS: It seems journalists and broadcasters and mediamen have become fair game once again, with the gangland-style killings of DZJC Laoag City anchorman Joselito Agustin and Sunrise FM Mati, Davao Oriental disc jockey Jessie Camanan happening one after the other.
There is no doubt Agustin and Camanan were killed because of their work as media personalities drumbeating negative commentaries against certain local personalities. But then, the real question here is, can the killings serve any good purpose for the killers and the masterminds aside from temporarily silencing their critics?
For one mediaman that is killed because of the exercise of his profession, there will be a host of others who will take his place, and continue the crusade against the bad guys. The real remedy here is for those who are being criticized to mend their ways and stop committing acts that invite criticism.
-ooo-
BIBLE TRIVIA, PART III: GOD DID NOT ENVISION FAMILY PLANNING OR POPULATION CONTROL: Here is one trivia from the Bible that Filipino lawmakers who are intent on passing the abortion-laced Reproductive Health Bill should always remember: God did not envision man to be undertaking family planning or population control.
Genesis 1:28 says, after man was created: “God blessed them and said to them, `Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground...”
We should note that there is no doubt at all that God wanted man to propagate himself in all of the earth. He used four phrases to underscore this point: “be fruitful”, “increase in number”, “fill the earth” and “subdue it”.
If God intended to say that man should increase in number only to a certain point or up to a certain limit only, He should have said so in the same clear manner. Therefore, anyone saying that man should limit his number by family planning or population control is going against God’s laws.
Agree? Disagree? Email me at batasmauricio@yahoo.com.
-30-
Now, other local executives and officials and employees will have a reason to perform well, do good and strive for excellence---someone is watching and ready to give recognition. I hope President Aquino can develop a system of regularly rewarding those who are going out of their way to serve, to encourage better service to the public.
As for the rest of the Philippine bureaucracy who may not be noticed at all even if they are doing good, what they can do is to do everything for God, as the Bible said, in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”.
-ooo-
GAYS AND LESBIANS, THE BIBLE HAS A MESSAGE FOR YOU: Indeed, gays and lesbians should not be discriminated against as Chairman Francisco Duque III of the Civil Service Commission clarified, but there is something in the Bible which seems to indicate that there is a very strict rule when it comes to members of the “third” sex.
It would seem to me that, based on its Romans 1:18-32, the Bible is saying that being a gay or a lesbian is some sort of an indication of God’s wrath, against people, men and women, who do not give thanks and who do not glorify God.
Here is a part of that Biblical passage: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men... For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him...”
“...Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another....”
-ooo-
TO KILLERS OF MEDIAMEN: STOP YOUR SINFUL WAYS: It seems journalists and broadcasters and mediamen have become fair game once again, with the gangland-style killings of DZJC Laoag City anchorman Joselito Agustin and Sunrise FM Mati, Davao Oriental disc jockey Jessie Camanan happening one after the other.
There is no doubt Agustin and Camanan were killed because of their work as media personalities drumbeating negative commentaries against certain local personalities. But then, the real question here is, can the killings serve any good purpose for the killers and the masterminds aside from temporarily silencing their critics?
For one mediaman that is killed because of the exercise of his profession, there will be a host of others who will take his place, and continue the crusade against the bad guys. The real remedy here is for those who are being criticized to mend their ways and stop committing acts that invite criticism.
-ooo-
BIBLE TRIVIA, PART III: GOD DID NOT ENVISION FAMILY PLANNING OR POPULATION CONTROL: Here is one trivia from the Bible that Filipino lawmakers who are intent on passing the abortion-laced Reproductive Health Bill should always remember: God did not envision man to be undertaking family planning or population control.
Genesis 1:28 says, after man was created: “God blessed them and said to them, `Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground...”
We should note that there is no doubt at all that God wanted man to propagate himself in all of the earth. He used four phrases to underscore this point: “be fruitful”, “increase in number”, “fill the earth” and “subdue it”.
If God intended to say that man should increase in number only to a certain point or up to a certain limit only, He should have said so in the same clear manner. Therefore, anyone saying that man should limit his number by family planning or population control is going against God’s laws.
Agree? Disagree? Email me at batasmauricio@yahoo.com.
-30-
Monday, June 14, 2010
Cebu tragedy bares ills in RP foreign residency training
TWO MOONS IN THE SKIES IN AUGUST 2010: Rolando Marasigan, a fellow Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Intramuros, Manila, under District 3810 of Rotary International, shared this exciting email with me on the appearance of two moons gracing the evening skies of the whole world on August 27, 2010.
The email reads: “27th August the whole world is waiting for...Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will culminate on August 27 when Mars comes within 34.65 million miles off earth.
“Be sure to watch the sky on August 27, 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has two moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again...”
-ooo-
CEBU ACCIDENT EXPOSES DISCRIMINATION IN RP MEDICAL RESIDENCY TRAINING FOR FOREIGNERS: The accident in Balamban, Cebu that claimed the lives of about 22 Iranian doctors and medical practitioners should be a cause for alarm among Filipinos not only on the sorry state of roads and highways in the country but more on the manner by which the government, particularly the Department of Health, has been flip-flopping on the entry of foreign doctors to undergo residency training in the Philippines.
Why a cause for alarm? Well, the sheer number of Iranian doctors who died in that Cebu tragedy shows that while some foreigners are liberally and generously allowed to come into the Philippines and then undergo residency training among our doctors here, some other foreign nationals are inexplicably not allowed to do so.
I shudder and refuse to think that some divine intervention caused the accident to happen, perhaps to focus our attention on this shameful malady in foreign residency training in this country at this point. Why is there a discrimination in the training program such that some foreigners are accepted while others are not? What gives? Or, perhaps, what takes?
-ooo-
BI CHIEF LIBANAN: WHY ARE THERE MANY FOREIGNERS IN RP? I have asked literally the same question already before, in this same column: why is it that there appears to be too many South Koreans, Indian nationals, and other foreigners now in this country of ours?
What, really, is the official policy now of the government, through the Bureau of Immigration, when it comes to allowing foreigners to come here and, from all indications, live in this country permanently?
Whether Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan is aware of it or not, the entry of so many foreigners to the Philippines under his watch confirms a Biblical prophesy for people who no longer listen to God and no longer obey His commands and decrees---a nation whose language we do not know will descend upon us, live an economically superior life, lend to us, and then lead us, even in politics (Deuteronomy 28:43-44 and 47, Holy Bible).
-ooo-
BIBLE TRIVIA, PART II: WATER ABOVE THE SKY? If you are a Bible reader, you will not fail to notice that under its Genesis 1:6-8, there is a part of creation which indicates that there is a place higher than the sky, which is actually water.
Here is what that part of the Bible says: “And God said, `Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse `sky’. And there was evening, and there was morning---the second day.”
Clearly, there is water below (evidently the water here on earth), and there is water beyond the sky. We must note that the sky seems to be a “middle section” separating the water below and the water above. Given this information from the Bible, is it right to say that God’s dwelling place up there beyond the sky is water?
Do you agree, or disagree? Please email me at batasmauricio@yahoo.com.
The email reads: “27th August the whole world is waiting for...Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will culminate on August 27 when Mars comes within 34.65 million miles off earth.
“Be sure to watch the sky on August 27, 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has two moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again...”
-ooo-
CEBU ACCIDENT EXPOSES DISCRIMINATION IN RP MEDICAL RESIDENCY TRAINING FOR FOREIGNERS: The accident in Balamban, Cebu that claimed the lives of about 22 Iranian doctors and medical practitioners should be a cause for alarm among Filipinos not only on the sorry state of roads and highways in the country but more on the manner by which the government, particularly the Department of Health, has been flip-flopping on the entry of foreign doctors to undergo residency training in the Philippines.
Why a cause for alarm? Well, the sheer number of Iranian doctors who died in that Cebu tragedy shows that while some foreigners are liberally and generously allowed to come into the Philippines and then undergo residency training among our doctors here, some other foreign nationals are inexplicably not allowed to do so.
I shudder and refuse to think that some divine intervention caused the accident to happen, perhaps to focus our attention on this shameful malady in foreign residency training in this country at this point. Why is there a discrimination in the training program such that some foreigners are accepted while others are not? What gives? Or, perhaps, what takes?
-ooo-
BI CHIEF LIBANAN: WHY ARE THERE MANY FOREIGNERS IN RP? I have asked literally the same question already before, in this same column: why is it that there appears to be too many South Koreans, Indian nationals, and other foreigners now in this country of ours?
What, really, is the official policy now of the government, through the Bureau of Immigration, when it comes to allowing foreigners to come here and, from all indications, live in this country permanently?
Whether Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan is aware of it or not, the entry of so many foreigners to the Philippines under his watch confirms a Biblical prophesy for people who no longer listen to God and no longer obey His commands and decrees---a nation whose language we do not know will descend upon us, live an economically superior life, lend to us, and then lead us, even in politics (Deuteronomy 28:43-44 and 47, Holy Bible).
-ooo-
BIBLE TRIVIA, PART II: WATER ABOVE THE SKY? If you are a Bible reader, you will not fail to notice that under its Genesis 1:6-8, there is a part of creation which indicates that there is a place higher than the sky, which is actually water.
Here is what that part of the Bible says: “And God said, `Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse `sky’. And there was evening, and there was morning---the second day.”
Clearly, there is water below (evidently the water here on earth), and there is water beyond the sky. We must note that the sky seems to be a “middle section” separating the water below and the water above. Given this information from the Bible, is it right to say that God’s dwelling place up there beyond the sky is water?
Do you agree, or disagree? Please email me at batasmauricio@yahoo.com.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Pinoys must give Noynoy a “honeymoon” of 2,190 days
PRESIDENT AQUINO MUST RELY ON THE BIBLE ALL THE TIME: While, indeed, President Benigno Aquino III cannot impose his religious beliefs on Filipinos, he can nevertheless be a living example, not only of a prayerful person, but of someone whose trust and confidence in God is strengthened by his constant and consistent referral to, and reliance on, His Word, the Bible, in his presidency.
This kind of reliance on the Bible on the part of the President cuts accross all religions, nourishes and instills righteousness not only on his person, but even on the persons of his officials, supporters and followers, and even of the whole citizenry as well.
In fact, that is the reason why, when President Aquino takes his oath as the 15th president of the Philippines on June 30, 2010 (just like what the other presidents before him had done), one of his hands will be resting on the Bible---as this Book is---or, should be---the one and only source of wisdom for him as he leads a nation wracked by poverty, confusion, dissension and failures.
If only Mr.Aquino will actively seek support and enlightenment from the Scriptures while he is President, he will not only make a difference as the President who followed the Bible earnestly---he will be the only President that will truly make this nation great again, for it is only God and His Word who can make a nation great and exalted (Deuteronomy 28:1 and Proverbs 14:34 Holy Bible).
-ooo-
AQUINO OFFICIALS MUST “FEAR GOD AND HATE DISHONEST GAIN”: For starters, he must carefully choose the people who will help him carry the burden of running this country for the next six years, and choose them according to what the Bible says---not according to how they helped him in his campaign, even if the pressure for him to do so is great.
What does the Bible say about choosing officials? In Exodus 18:17-26, here is how officials should be chosen: “...The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people... When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, `...Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?’
“Moses answered him, `Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws.’
“Moses' father-in-law replied, `What you are doing is not good... Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens....”
-ooo-
PRESIDENT AQUINO, THE LEADER GIVEN BY GOD, MUST HAVE A “HONEYMOON” OF 2,190 DAYS : On the other hand, Filipinos must likewise start following in earnest what the Holy Bible is saying about obedience to their leaders---even if the leaders are perceived to be no longer effective and responsive to the people’s needs.
In this light, we must not only give President Aquino a 100-day-honeymoon period---or the period during which we, in media, in particular, and we, the people, in general, should not be criticizing and contesting his actions as chief executive.
We must, as a matter of obedience to what the Bible says, give him a honeymoon period of 2,190 days, or the entirety of his six year term---for as Romans 13:1-2 says, we must always obey the authorities at all times, because there is no authority that God Himself did not establish.
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God...” is how Romans actually puts it.
This kind of reliance on the Bible on the part of the President cuts accross all religions, nourishes and instills righteousness not only on his person, but even on the persons of his officials, supporters and followers, and even of the whole citizenry as well.
In fact, that is the reason why, when President Aquino takes his oath as the 15th president of the Philippines on June 30, 2010 (just like what the other presidents before him had done), one of his hands will be resting on the Bible---as this Book is---or, should be---the one and only source of wisdom for him as he leads a nation wracked by poverty, confusion, dissension and failures.
If only Mr.Aquino will actively seek support and enlightenment from the Scriptures while he is President, he will not only make a difference as the President who followed the Bible earnestly---he will be the only President that will truly make this nation great again, for it is only God and His Word who can make a nation great and exalted (Deuteronomy 28:1 and Proverbs 14:34 Holy Bible).
-ooo-
AQUINO OFFICIALS MUST “FEAR GOD AND HATE DISHONEST GAIN”: For starters, he must carefully choose the people who will help him carry the burden of running this country for the next six years, and choose them according to what the Bible says---not according to how they helped him in his campaign, even if the pressure for him to do so is great.
What does the Bible say about choosing officials? In Exodus 18:17-26, here is how officials should be chosen: “...The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people... When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, `...Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?’
“Moses answered him, `Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws.’
“Moses' father-in-law replied, `What you are doing is not good... Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens....”
-ooo-
PRESIDENT AQUINO, THE LEADER GIVEN BY GOD, MUST HAVE A “HONEYMOON” OF 2,190 DAYS : On the other hand, Filipinos must likewise start following in earnest what the Holy Bible is saying about obedience to their leaders---even if the leaders are perceived to be no longer effective and responsive to the people’s needs.
In this light, we must not only give President Aquino a 100-day-honeymoon period---or the period during which we, in media, in particular, and we, the people, in general, should not be criticizing and contesting his actions as chief executive.
We must, as a matter of obedience to what the Bible says, give him a honeymoon period of 2,190 days, or the entirety of his six year term---for as Romans 13:1-2 says, we must always obey the authorities at all times, because there is no authority that God Himself did not establish.
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God...” is how Romans actually puts it.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
NGO wants review of the automated election system
NON-GOVERMENTAL ORGANIZATION ASKS FOR REVIEW OF THE AUTOMATED ELECTION SYSTEM: The Center for People Empowerment in Governance (or CenPEG) seems not about ready yet to simply throw in the towel over allegations that, at the very least, computer errors may have affected the results of the May 2010 elections.
Here is a press release from CenPEG that I thought would interest many of us: “The policy research institution, Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), is seeking the release of at least 22 documents related to the Automated Election System (AES) prepared and implemented for the May 10, 2010 national synchronized polls.
“CenPEG said `various stakeholders (need) to help find answers to many questions that affect the credibility of the elections, especially with regard to some unusual incidences occurring with the PCOS (precinct count optical scan) machines of the Smartmatic-propelled automated system.’
“ `An objective study can only be done if pertinent data and information, relevant to the study at hand, shall be accessible and available to researchers and scholars, so that a no-nonsense body of knowledge can be developed in the interest of public service and good governance,’ CenPEG added, as it also pledged confidentiality and a copy of the final draft of the study and recommendations.
-ooo-
CENPEG WROTE CONGRESS TO ASK FOR 22 DOCUMENTS ON THE COMPUTERIZED POLLS: “On May 21, CenPEG wrote the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) to help it gain access to needed information on the AES and to form an independent, non-partisan, and impartial citizens' body to review and assess the conduct of the May 10, 2010 automated elections, including the processes and procedures undertaken for the May 10 election.
“CenPEG and AES Watch, a multisectoral coalition of poll watchdogs, are active citizen resource groups in the JCOC.
“The documents CenPEG is asking for are: SysTest full report; source code walkthrough plan; source code of the PCOS program; source code of the CCS programs; file formats of all data files used or produced by the PCOS program; file formats of all data files used or produced by the CCS program; public keys used by all the PCOS computers.
“It is also seeking the public keys used by all the CCS computers; user manual of the PCOS program; user manual of the CCS program; Smartmatic-Comelec contract with the complete annexes; finance and budget plan of the AES-Smartmatic; copy of the Smartmatic Voters’ Education contract; contract between Smartmatic and the Dominion Voting Systems and contract on transmission and deployment plan of the transmission facilities.
-ooo-
WHAT IS COMELEC’S REACTION? “CenPEG wants also a copy of the report on the PCOS transmission on May 10 and thereafter; report on the customization; old ballot faces (national and local) matching the faulty CF cards; new ballot faces (national and local) actually used for the May 10 elections; report on the training of BEIs and technicians; inventory of compact flash cards used in the final testing and sealing; and the re-configured CF cards for May 10.
“CenPEG’s request letter was signed by Evi-Ta L. Jimenez, executive director and noted by Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera, chair of its Board of Directors.” Has the Commission on Elections, Smartmatic-TIM and all other affected parties have anything to say on this? What did Congress do to CenPEG’s request to be given copies of the foregoing documents?
About truth and its beneficial effects, let us listen to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in John 8:31-32 of the Holy Bible. This part of the Holy Book says: Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Will the Filipino people want to be free from misgivings about the credibility and accuracy and honesty of the May 2010 elections?
Here is a press release from CenPEG that I thought would interest many of us: “The policy research institution, Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), is seeking the release of at least 22 documents related to the Automated Election System (AES) prepared and implemented for the May 10, 2010 national synchronized polls.
“CenPEG said `various stakeholders (need) to help find answers to many questions that affect the credibility of the elections, especially with regard to some unusual incidences occurring with the PCOS (precinct count optical scan) machines of the Smartmatic-propelled automated system.’
“ `An objective study can only be done if pertinent data and information, relevant to the study at hand, shall be accessible and available to researchers and scholars, so that a no-nonsense body of knowledge can be developed in the interest of public service and good governance,’ CenPEG added, as it also pledged confidentiality and a copy of the final draft of the study and recommendations.
-ooo-
CENPEG WROTE CONGRESS TO ASK FOR 22 DOCUMENTS ON THE COMPUTERIZED POLLS: “On May 21, CenPEG wrote the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) to help it gain access to needed information on the AES and to form an independent, non-partisan, and impartial citizens' body to review and assess the conduct of the May 10, 2010 automated elections, including the processes and procedures undertaken for the May 10 election.
“CenPEG and AES Watch, a multisectoral coalition of poll watchdogs, are active citizen resource groups in the JCOC.
“The documents CenPEG is asking for are: SysTest full report; source code walkthrough plan; source code of the PCOS program; source code of the CCS programs; file formats of all data files used or produced by the PCOS program; file formats of all data files used or produced by the CCS program; public keys used by all the PCOS computers.
“It is also seeking the public keys used by all the CCS computers; user manual of the PCOS program; user manual of the CCS program; Smartmatic-Comelec contract with the complete annexes; finance and budget plan of the AES-Smartmatic; copy of the Smartmatic Voters’ Education contract; contract between Smartmatic and the Dominion Voting Systems and contract on transmission and deployment plan of the transmission facilities.
-ooo-
WHAT IS COMELEC’S REACTION? “CenPEG wants also a copy of the report on the PCOS transmission on May 10 and thereafter; report on the customization; old ballot faces (national and local) matching the faulty CF cards; new ballot faces (national and local) actually used for the May 10 elections; report on the training of BEIs and technicians; inventory of compact flash cards used in the final testing and sealing; and the re-configured CF cards for May 10.
“CenPEG’s request letter was signed by Evi-Ta L. Jimenez, executive director and noted by Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera, chair of its Board of Directors.” Has the Commission on Elections, Smartmatic-TIM and all other affected parties have anything to say on this? What did Congress do to CenPEG’s request to be given copies of the foregoing documents?
About truth and its beneficial effects, let us listen to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in John 8:31-32 of the Holy Bible. This part of the Holy Book says: Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Will the Filipino people want to be free from misgivings about the credibility and accuracy and honesty of the May 2010 elections?
Monday, June 7, 2010
So, how did Sen. Roxas lose?
So, how did Sen. Roxas lose?
“BINAY, WITH HIS GODLY NAME, COULD NOT HAVE LOST”: Congratulations are now in order for Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, who may have already been proclaimed as the country’s new vice president as you are reading this, on Wednesday, June 8, 2010.
There is no more doubt that he won, considering his lead of over 600,000 votes over his closest rival, and considering that only about 370,000 votes have not been officially canvassed as of Tuesday night.
Many actually prayed for his victory, and for many reasons. But for a Born Again Christian named Jun Kintanar, a member of the One Vote Movement, he prayed for Binay for a very peculiar reason, which he sent me by text message.
Here is that text message: “The main reason Binay won is God Himself made sure he wins. Binay’s first name is JEsus, JOseph, MARy (Jejomar). If he lost, Christianity will no longer be respected and Jesus will not allow it. Faith to understand this...”
-ooo-
SEN. MAR ROXAS: TIME FOR SELF-EXAMINATION: So how did Sen. Manuel Roxas II lose, when, all along he was the man to beat, and he enjoyed a wide lead over his vice presidential rivals at the start of the campaign for the 2010 elections?
Many also prayed for his victory, and for many reasons, too, but then the Biblical injunction is that, only the prayer of the righteous man is powerful and effective. Let us hear it from James 5:16 of the Holy Bible: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Perhaps, Roxas should now re-examine what he and his coterie of advisers and planners have done in his quest for the presidency and the vice presidency, and see if, in his desire to become president or vice president, he, or the people around him, did things that were not acceptable to God, and then, in all humility, make amends and atonement.
No matter what his advisers will tell him now, it is undeniable that God’s hand was in this election, and that there is no denying that there is a message from God in his defeat, the first-ever in his career as a politician, a stunning defeat indeed for a Philippine political Goliath in the hands of a political David.
-ooo-
RP’S NEW LEADERS MUST UPHOLD GOD FIRST AND FOREMOST ALL THE TIME: And now that the Philippines will be entering a new period in its history where its new leaders are facing grave and insurmountable problems, it would be wise for President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jojo Binay to be always conscious about God in discharging their awesome duties and responsibilities.
They must try to make God a partner, as it were, in their governance, using His Word, commands, laws and decrees in every act, statement or decision they will have to make.
Paying mere lip service to God and His commands and decrees would not be enough. Indeed, God in His great power and omniscience can see through anyone’s heart or soul, and can immediately know whether there is complete trust and confidence in Him.
Aquino and Binay must always remember Proverbs 3:5-6 of the Holy Bible which says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”
There will be times when even their best decisions and the best of their intentions would not be enough to solve the country’s ills and problems, for, as human beings even presidents and vice presidents will have limitations, but if they upheld God right from the start in arriving at their decisions and in their intentions, He will be there to make sure everything is alright.
-ooo-
BATAS INTERNET TV, BATAS INTERNET RADIO: Please watch BATAS INTERNET TV and please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click Batas ITV for tv, and BatasRadio.com for radio). We are on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“BINAY, WITH HIS GODLY NAME, COULD NOT HAVE LOST”: Congratulations are now in order for Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, who may have already been proclaimed as the country’s new vice president as you are reading this, on Wednesday, June 8, 2010.
There is no more doubt that he won, considering his lead of over 600,000 votes over his closest rival, and considering that only about 370,000 votes have not been officially canvassed as of Tuesday night.
Many actually prayed for his victory, and for many reasons. But for a Born Again Christian named Jun Kintanar, a member of the One Vote Movement, he prayed for Binay for a very peculiar reason, which he sent me by text message.
Here is that text message: “The main reason Binay won is God Himself made sure he wins. Binay’s first name is JEsus, JOseph, MARy (Jejomar). If he lost, Christianity will no longer be respected and Jesus will not allow it. Faith to understand this...”
-ooo-
SEN. MAR ROXAS: TIME FOR SELF-EXAMINATION: So how did Sen. Manuel Roxas II lose, when, all along he was the man to beat, and he enjoyed a wide lead over his vice presidential rivals at the start of the campaign for the 2010 elections?
Many also prayed for his victory, and for many reasons, too, but then the Biblical injunction is that, only the prayer of the righteous man is powerful and effective. Let us hear it from James 5:16 of the Holy Bible: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Perhaps, Roxas should now re-examine what he and his coterie of advisers and planners have done in his quest for the presidency and the vice presidency, and see if, in his desire to become president or vice president, he, or the people around him, did things that were not acceptable to God, and then, in all humility, make amends and atonement.
No matter what his advisers will tell him now, it is undeniable that God’s hand was in this election, and that there is no denying that there is a message from God in his defeat, the first-ever in his career as a politician, a stunning defeat indeed for a Philippine political Goliath in the hands of a political David.
-ooo-
RP’S NEW LEADERS MUST UPHOLD GOD FIRST AND FOREMOST ALL THE TIME: And now that the Philippines will be entering a new period in its history where its new leaders are facing grave and insurmountable problems, it would be wise for President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jojo Binay to be always conscious about God in discharging their awesome duties and responsibilities.
They must try to make God a partner, as it were, in their governance, using His Word, commands, laws and decrees in every act, statement or decision they will have to make.
Paying mere lip service to God and His commands and decrees would not be enough. Indeed, God in His great power and omniscience can see through anyone’s heart or soul, and can immediately know whether there is complete trust and confidence in Him.
Aquino and Binay must always remember Proverbs 3:5-6 of the Holy Bible which says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”
There will be times when even their best decisions and the best of their intentions would not be enough to solve the country’s ills and problems, for, as human beings even presidents and vice presidents will have limitations, but if they upheld God right from the start in arriving at their decisions and in their intentions, He will be there to make sure everything is alright.
-ooo-
BATAS INTERNET TV, BATAS INTERNET RADIO: Please watch BATAS INTERNET TV and please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click Batas ITV for tv, and BatasRadio.com for radio). We are on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
DOH under President Noynoy: bring in the foreign doctors
| DOH under President Noynoy: bring in the foreign doctors |  |
BY ATTY. MELANIO "BATAS" MAURICIO JR.
THANKS FOR APPOINTMENTS AS PR TEAM MEMBER: I am greatly appreciative of incoming Rotary International District 3810 Gov. Tranquil Salvador, who is also the incumbent president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Quezon City chapter, for his having appointed me as “deputy governor” for District 3810, for Rotary Year 2010-2011.
DG Tranquil told me he designated me as “deputy governor” to help him in the District’s public imaging campaign during his reign, in charge of doing TV specials for District 3810 and for the other nine Philippine Rotary districts as well, depending on the agreement of his fellow governors.
Certainly, this is a terrific job, especially because I have also been designated in a concurrent capacity as a member of the public relations team of Rotary International’s South Pacific Zone composed of the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, courtesy of the South Pacific Zone coordinator, Ms. Lyne Abanilla of the Manila Bulletin and three-time Zone 7 (Philippines and Indonesia ) chairman of RI for public relations.
My readers here will please pardon my having set modesty aside, but then, I am just very excited by the prospect of doing public relations job for both District 3810 and the other Philippine RI districts and for the entire South Pacific Region as well, especially because Lyne and I have already collaborated for the last three years on doing PR work for RI for Zone 7.
-ooo-
BRING IN FOREIGN DOCTORS, DR. GALVEZ TAN: If incoming Health Secretary Jaime Galvez Tan would want an unsolicited advice on how to fight the “brain drain” among doctors and other medical practitioners who are leaving the Philippines for greener pastures abroad, he must allow doctors from other countries to come in and undertake their residency training here.
This is the only way to assure the supply, as it were, of doctors and medical practitioners in far-flung barrios and unreachable places in the country, especially because foreign doctors who are usually left out of residency trainings in their own countries would be just too willing to be assigned anywhere in the Philippines.
If he wants to, I can arrange a meeting between him and groups that even now are already engaged in bringing in foreign doctors here in the Philippines, but which are being subjected to absurd conditions by some people at the Department of Health and even from the Professional Regulations Commission.
I am sure an honest-to-goodness discussion can bring about a ready and effective solution to the on-going lack of doctors in our rural areas, a problem already causing prejudice to a lot of our countrymen, as noted by Galvez Tan himself in previous statements, and as noted by Dr. Jose S. Pujalte, Jr. last June 5, 2010.
-ooo-
SIX OF 10 PINOYS DIE WITHOUT SEEING A DOCTOR: Here is a part of Dr. Pujalte’s article, circulated in the Internet the other day: “Our beloved Philippines is in a health quagmire. Some facts: Six out of 10 Filipinos die without seeing a doctor; four out of 10 Filipino babies are delivered by untrained hands; 29 million Filipinos have no access to safe sanitation.
“Add to these the mass migration of our health professionals: Doctors, doctors as nurses, nurses, physical therapists and other allied health workers. Also our next President, Noynoy Aquino, did not mince words in his campaign ad that corruption affects the delivery of health services too. What can be done?
“ Now to make sense of where Department of Health/Philhealth efforts should be directed, we must be reminded of this country’s commitment of attaining millenium development goals (MDGs) by 2015 as reiterated by the United Nations.
“We have barely five years to achieve most of these and there are five goals that touch on health: MDG #1: End extreme poverty and hunger; MDG#4: Reduce child mortality and MDG# 5: Improve materal health; MDG#6: Combat TB, malaria, HIV/AIDS; and MDG#7: Ensure environmental sustainability....”
BATAS INTERNET TV, BATAS INTERNET RADIO: Please watch BATAS INTERNET TV and please listen to BATAS INTERNET RADIO through the website www.batasradio.com (click Batas ITV for tv, and BatasRadio.com for radio). We are on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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