The Marian Tenets of Prayer

One of the fundamental beliefs of the Catholic Church that had been debated since time immemorial is the prayer itself. Religious scholars, agnostics, atheists and different groups have questioned the tenets of the Catholic Church on why they pray to the Virgin Mary, instead of addressing only one God in their prayer.

Many believe that the church leaders inadvertently distorted the holy bible in as much as they distorted religious facts itself. The debate farther put into question the way Catholics perform the Holy Rosary by mentioning the Virgin Mary repeatedly in a recitative prayer speech. And how does it really work to get miracles from God albeit His name was hardly mentioned in the Holy Rosary? It’s a big question mark for unbelievers.

But for the devotees of Virgin Mary, they argued that miracles happen in their lifetime. Their well established faith on Mary all the more gives them extreme admiration and deep worships whom they treat as equal to God. Apparently, the devotees, whom we can safely refer as idolaters, were no longer addressing God in their prayers. Rather, the Marian devotees constantly communicate with the Virgin Mary which unnecessarily omitting God’s name in between prayers.

Big Lie

When the 8^th SONA was delivered by the chief executive before the suffering Filipino nation last July 28, 2008, many did not bother to listen. Only those invited guests and trusted allies and staunch supporters who filled the controversial House of Representatives were there to express their approval to their autocratic leader.

As usual the State of the Nation Address failed to convince the nation because it was a recycled speech full of lies of misleading achievements and success. The whole part of the speech centered mainly on the untruthfulness of work done by the administration of PGMA and her fellow autocrats posing as democrats.

The boastful SONA was met with disapproval when the president boasted and said that text messaging is a way of life of the Filipinos and that she was able to convince the three big telecommunication companies to lower their text rate from 1 peso to 50 centavo per text. But this was contradicted by the big three which they emphasized that there’s no such thing about rate adjustment, rather it is only a three months text promo activity.

Many dismissed the SONA to a greater extent when the president firmly defended her policy on expanded value added tax or EVAT. The 12% EVAT being imposed on oil and the 12% VAT on all basic commodities caused many to suffer greatly. Many believed that the EVAT from oil will be used in 2010 general elections. Here, sinister plots continue to worry the Filipino nation.

That boastful SONA with big lie on it only shows that uncertain future lies ahead for the Philippines which were unjustly ruled by remnants of dictatorship and the new breed of villainous politicians and government officials doing massive damage to the country.

Rainwater Useful Alternative to Water Conservation

When it rains it pours as the adage says. And when rainy days come, literally precious water hit the roof and flow onto the downspout. For conservationists, naturalists and Green Groups of today’s environment conscious world, rainwater saves the day. Rainwater usually helps a lot to households living in areas where water is scarce. For city dwellers not serviced by water utility, rainwater is a big help for it is being used in different household chores. The usefulness of rainwater has proven to be effective especially now that the world is experiencing water scarcity brought by the dwindling supply of its main source, the devastated and over-logged forests. So, when it rains and pours down heavy on our roofs don’t get sit-by-the-couch or be idle in our room and gaze-by-the-window and wait for the rain to calm. Instead, get those plastic containers, drums, buckets and other household implement and put them right on the downspout or gutter to collect, haul or fetch the precious rainwater as useful alternative to water conservation.

Scholarship Program Obstacles to Education

It can not be denied that scholarship program is a big help in giving good education to students dreaming of a better life of their own. Students who availed themselves of scholarship program were successful in their endeavors to the extent that their immediate employment is already assured upon graduation by the same people or organizations who offered them subsidized education through scholarship.

But behind the good intention of the scholarship program, hidden is the open secret of social and intellectual discrimination. Usually and in most cases, scholarship programs being offered to students comes with unreasonable conditions which can be interpreted as a conspicuous conspiracy to discriminate aspiring young individuals.

Scholarship programs usually prefer very bright individuals who are intelligent, smart, clever and quick in responses, innovative, creative and gifted with all the trappings of excellence among others. These discriminative conditions are demeaning to a person eager to pursue a good education but bereft of qualities that could aptly meet a scholarship program.

Instead of helping the out-of-school youths, to mitigate or lessen illiteracy and to eliminate the educational divide, scholarship programs serves as obstacle to education with the intention to discriminate the less gifted individuals but very eager to study in the institutions of learning.

This system of scholarship program had been going on for a long time and the Philippine government, the congressmen, the senators and the public and private institutions providing scholarship programs do not pay much attention to the inequality of education in the country. Instead, they are the ones instituting educational discrimination to the masses through their scholarship programs which is exclusive only for those who have brains.

Unfortunately for us lesser mortals living in the Philippines, the country had been under autocrats, educated bigots and scholars. They have brains and intelligent scholars with doctorates, PhDs both local and abroad. But the country remains poor. Who’s to blame? The autocrats, educated bigots and bright scholars… stupid!

Vice Mayor Plans to Declare Pines City under the State Of Calamity

Baguio City – The city government which had been under fire for sloppiness in handling the garbage crisis, is planning to declare the City of Pines under the state of calamity. Vice Mayor Daniel Farinas in a statement given to the media over the weekend that he was prompted to believe that putting the city under the state of calamity is of the essence.

According to the Vice Mayor, under such circumstances, the city will get additional funding and resources to come up with a win-win solution to finally resolve once and for all the pestering garbage problem. The suggested plan as highlighted by the good Vice Mayor will be known on Monday, July 28, 2008.

While local officials are thinking of the best solution to maintain the clean and green status of the city, large pile of garbage is showing up again in central business district and parks. The famed Burnham Park was not spared by the increasing volume of wastes discarded by vendors, business establishments and the promenading public.

All the city could do now is share the blame for not anticipating the worst case scenario for not taking into account the importance of Comprehensive Solid Waste Management which took effect eight years ago.

Rice For the Poor Cheap No More

Baguio City – NFA Rice, the affordable staple food of ordinary people in most areas in the Philippines have gone up its buying price from the previous 18.50 pesos a kilo to 25 pesos per kilo. The drastic price adjustment of NFA rice which was implemented weeks ago ultimately affected the poor households mainly because it became an added burden to their limited budget. And for those who have no fixed income, the price adjustment is a painful truth that hard to accept.

The long queue of ordinary people at the rice section of the city market of Baguio is a daily occurrence. Despite of the price adjustment, people are waiting for their turn to be sold few kilos of NFA rice. By next month or September in the earnest, may be the long queue would be smaller because the government will implement the “no family access card, no NFA rice policy.”

For the ordinary people the idea of securing a family access card is a rough treatment. The difficulty of getting into the line to queue for NFA rice is too much and yet the government wants the people to suffer more once the policy takes effect. The probability is that, without the family access card, one would be given tongue-lashing and refuse to be sold of NFA rice, once cheap now no more.

The SONA of Empty Promises

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will deliver another State of the Nation Address (SONA) to the Filipino nation this coming 28 July 2008. The traditional SONA will be held in the newly renovated multi-million peso House of Representatives Building which was hit by controversy for its lavish makeover.

As usual, this year’s SONA will highlight the president’s presumptions and false belief that the country is better-off under her administration. Ditto, her pampered and satiated allies and supporters will express approval and applaud the president in between speech.

But same as before, the ending is not impressive but a big disappointment because in reality the SONA is an empty bag of promises dangling in an imaginary pole of hopelessness and despair. Previous SONA proved to be a failure. Evidence can be seen all over the country.

In 2007 SONA, the chief executive promised to end poverty, improved education, cheap medicine, super regions, infrastructures, housing for the poor, food sufficiency and better economic outlook for the entire nation. GOOD to hear but DISMAYING for the eyes because there’s nothing to see at all.

Poverty is a naked reality; education becomes a luxury; cheap medicine remains to be seen; super region is dead; unfinished and corruption-laden infrastructures; poor remains in shacks and in streets; RP becomes the biggest rice importer in the whole world; and the economy is struggling all the time.

Clearly, the president’s SONA can’t walk the talk. It is limping because it is using defective crutches of incompetence and indifference.

US Election: The Obama Factor

So what’s next for Democratic hopeful Obama after that trip to Afghanistan and Iraq? Well, the American people knew exactly what the popular Democratic Presidential candidate have in mind. And we, the outsiders or is it kibitzers in the American politics, are also aware that Barack Obama hates the GOP + Bush = the Iraq war.

For that, the US forces will definitely end their tour of duty in Iraq soon because Obama promised America and Iraq and the world that he would do everything to discontinue US military campaign in troubled and Sadam-less Iraq. Although Bush and the men and women in uniform restored democracy in Iraq, most Americans including Obama and Hollywood hate the way Iraq was freed from tyranny and genocide.

I cannot blame Americans for their hate of Bush. The US economy is slumping and they also have their own stories of poverty which is more than enough reason to stop another GOP from occupying the White House. But for Christ sake, America is not only about economy and local affairs.

America is a baton in foreign diplomacy/policy and a shield in world security. And nobody could contest that. The US is the lone superpower that needs a leader who is capable of meeting the challenges of the 21^st century. Terror is unpredictable and nasty and should be matched by a tough guy in Washington. Obama, I don’t think so. He’s no tough.

Community Leaders Initiates Wastes Management in the Central Business District

Baguio City – Alarmed by the worsening problem of garbage in the central business district of Baguio, a consensus plan of action was initiated by community leaders to help the local government implement the proper waste management. With the participation of different sectors, the group started to take actions on uncollected garbage along Abanao road by segregating recyclable, non-biodegradable, biodegradable and residual wastes produced by business establishments.

The involvement of the community in the CBD was prompted by the local government units that everybody has the responsibility in dealing with the garbage problem. All sectors were reminded that the solution to the problem is in their own hands by simply following the mayor’s administrative order in conjunction with R.A.9003 to fully implement proper wastes disposal.

Despite of the order of the mayor, most people remained uncooperative and indifferent in managing their own garbage. But quick to blame local government units if no one picks their stinking garbage left scattered along the roads or streets.

Team Africa Visits Baguio City for Friendship Boxing Match

Baguio City – A friendship boxing match sanctioned by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) was held at the Igorot Garden Park which started at 11:30 am this 21 July 2008 (local time). A boxing team from Africa which composed of Zambia, Mauritius, Madagascar, Namibia and Congo faced the amateur boxers from the Philippines.

The Beijing bound African boxers were invited by ABAP to show their wares against local amateur boxers who are preparing for the Youth Amateur Boxing Championship to be held in Guadalajara Mexico this coming October 2008. The boxers from Africa gamely exchanged blows with their Filipino counterparts inside the ring which delighted the big crowds gathered at the park.

The friendship match was the first for the African team to play their game in front of the locals particularly the residents of Baguio City who welcomed the visitors by mingling with them before and after the match. I even talked to one of them who is from Zambia and gamely posed for the camera.

This sport activity arranged by ABAP in coordination with the African boxing team is a welcome gesture on the part of the Philippines to foster friendly relations not only to Africa but to all nations from around the world. Sports events can bring nations together. Of course, we remember the “Ping-pong Diplomacy” between the US and China. And hopefully the US and Iran will be having their own game like “Basketball Diplomacy” as reported by CNN days ago.