Friday, September 4, 2020

Palawan ready for plebiscite to create 3 provinces

PUERTO PRINCESA – Palawan Governor Jose Chaves Alvarez reiterated the readiness of the provincial government to conduct the plebiscite for the proposed creation of three provinces here.


In an online press briefing, Alvarez said that plebiscite, which was supposed to be held last May 11, will be still he held depending on the recommendation of Commission on Elections (Comelec), and based on Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines. 


He said that they were waiting for the schedule that will released by the Comelec. 


“Dahil ‘yan ay batas na, walang makakapigil nyan, ang makakapigil lang dyan ay ‘yong petition ng mga taga city na dinala nila sa Supreme Court dahil unconstitutional daw pero napagpasyahan na ‘yon. Dahil may pandemic pinospostphone ng Comelec ang plebisito, but as soon as pandemic subsided, the Comelec will schedule a new date in order to do it,” he said. 


“But the Comelec have to refer this with the IATF dahil hindi lang ito bastang health emergency, hindi natin nakikita ang kalaban,” Alvarez added. 


He said other agencies concerned, such as Department of Education (DepEd), Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Health (DOH), were also prepared in case the plebiscite will be conducted amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. 

 

“Nakuha na natin ang DepEd, PNP, DILG at handa na sila. Lastly ay ‘yong DOH, they are willing to conduct  plebiscite agad nakakamask lahat. Hindi ka rin naman aabot ng matagal doon kasi yes or no lang, kunti din ang boboto siguro. Mangyayari talaga ang plebisito at COMELEC lang ang magtatakda ng petsa,” he said. 


Palawan, which is currently under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), may also be allowed to conduct election while implementing minimum health standards, he said. 


He that voters do not need to stay long in the precinct because all they need to do is to choose between yes or no.


“In fact ngayon ay pwede na tayo dahil MGCQ na may flights na at yong covid recovery natin ay very remarkable. Sa Palawan ay walang namamatay sa COVID-19 except doon na isang may sakit na talaga. Ang sekreto lang naman sa COVID-19 ay isolation lang talaga,” Alvarez said. 

 

Comelec had earlier decided to defer the holding of the plebiscite on the division of Palawan to a later date “when the COVID-19 situation in the province improves.”


https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/04/palawan-ready-for-plebiscite-to-create-3-provinces/

Mevius Scratch & Draw

For every purchase of a Mevius variant or 2-pack bundle, you instantly win a Mevius premium item.


Scratch Card Mechanics


1. Only smokers, 21 years old and above, are qualified.

2. Play the Scratch Card by scratching off all three panels on the scratch card found inside the pack or 2-pack bundle. Match all three panels to win the prize shown.

3. Redeem the prize from MEVIUS SCRATCH AND DRAW booths listed below:


MEVIUS SCRATCH AND DRAW REDEMPTION BOOTHS:


a. Robinsons Malls (nationwide)

b. Sta. Lucis East Grand Mall

c. Festival Mall (Alabang)

d. Duty Free Philippines (nationwide)

e. Fuma! (nationwide)

f. Lighters Galore (nationwide)

g. Puregold (nationwide)

h. Robinsons Supermarket (nationwide)

i. 7-11 (nationwide)


Prizes:

Sony CD Walkman

Philips Ear Gear

Mevius Turbo Lighter

Mevius Cigarette Packs


4. Prizes not redeemed after August 25, 2020 may be claimed at J. Romero and Associates located at 17th Floor, The Enterprise Center, 6750 Ayala Avenue, Makati City until October 31, 2020


5. PMFTC and its judges reserve the right to verify the authenticity of winning scratch cards prior to the awarding of prizes. PMFTC and its judge's decision is final.


Raffle Draw Mechanics


1. Only smokers, 21 years old and above and residents of Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are qualified.


2. Just fill out the raffle stub portion of the scratch card with complete name, age, address, telephone number and signature. Detached the stub and drop at any MEVIUS SCRATCH AND DRAW drop box.


3. PMFTC and its agents are not responsible for lost, illegible, incomplete, mutilated or late entries.


4. If a participant's name is drawn more than once, he / she automatically gets the bigger prize and the winner of the smaller prize will be re-drawn.


Schedule of draws:


1. Preliminary raffle draw: June 13, 2020

Deadline of entries: May 30, 2020

1st Prize: Apple iBook

2nd Prize: Sony Cybershot

3rd Prize: ???


2. Grand raffle draw: September 12, 2020

Deadline of entries: August 30, 2020

1st Prize: Toyota Rav4

2nd Prize: Sony Home Theater System

3rd Prize: Sony Audio System


How to claim raffle prizes:


1. Winners' name will be published in a winners' ad in a major broadsheet. By participating, winners agree to the inclusion of their names and photo in the winners' ad.


2. Winners will be notified by registered mail that will explain how the winners can claim their respective prizes.


3. In case where the winners, for acceptable reasons, cannot personally claim his/her prize, he/she can send a proxy on his/her behalf. This should be submitted with registered mail sent to the winner and two (2) valid IDs with photo and address of the winner. The proxy should also bring two (2) original, legally acceptable documents to prove his/her identity.


4. Prizes not claimed within sixty (60) days after receiving the notification letter will be forfeited, with approval of DOH-FDA-CDRR.


5. Withholding tax for the prizes will be paid by PMFTC, Inc. All other taxes and expenses, if any, shoul be shouldered by the winners.

* Actual colors of prizes may vary.

What Do You Believe In?

 …faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.  Romans 10:17


When Allied troops went into the concentration camps of Europe at the end of World War 2, soldiers found a Star of David carved on a wall with these words beneath it: "I believe in the sun--even when it does not shine.  I believe in love--even when it is not shown.  I believe in God--even when he does not speak."   This was the commitment of faith by someone who chose to hold on to his or her faith regardless of how dark the circumstances were.


What you believe determines what you are, and it is faith in God which gives people dignity and lets them live with purpose in the darkness.  How do you have that kind of faith?


First--You must believe in the necessity of faith no matter how dark the hour.  The Bible says, "…Anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6).   The only way this is possible is to get your eyes off the circumstances and refocus them on the Almighty.


Second--Belief which transforms darkness to light is belief in the simplicity of faith.   The analogy of a little child was what Jesus used to help His disciples understand this.  In Luke 18:17, Jesus said that unless his disciples accepted God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, they'd never get in.  Friend, there will always be a tension between circumstances and faith.  It was true of Abraham centuries ago, and it is still true of us today.  Our emotions and feelings are products of our circumstances, and when they are not very pleasant, our faith begins to sag until we tell our emotions where to get off.


Dr. Guy Duffield said that in the days of the infant church, believers would greet each other asking, "How is your faith?"  But today we ask, "How are you feeling?"  And the tension between faith and feeling often leaves us with the impression that God has let us down.


One of the myths that a lot of people have bought into is the concept that if you become a believer, everything wonderful is going to happen to you.  You will be successful, healthy, and well-liked by your contemporaries.  Friend, God never made that promise, but He did categorically promise to be with you when you walk through the fire and the flood.


Third-- belief which enables you to overcome is belief in the power of faith.  But this needs clarification.  What you need is not faith in faith, but faith in the power of God.  "All things are possible to him who believes," said Jesus in Mark 9:23.  Was this merely poetic license?  Or was He saying that there is no limit to what faith can accomplish?  On two occasions, Jesus used the analogy of faith so strong that you could command a mountain to move.  Impossible, right?  Of course!  But what He was teaching very clearly (and those who heard knew this with certainty) was this: "What is impossible with men is possible with God."


Remember that, when the doctor says, "There is nothing more that medical science can do," or your human resources are depleted, and God is your only hope.  I'm thinking of one husband who told his wife, "All our money is gone.  From now on, we've got to trust God," and she responded, "Has it really come to that?"


Fourth--Believe in the reward of faith in response to simple obedience.   "According to your faith it will be done to you," Jesus told a blind man who recovered his sight (Matthew 9:29).  Augustine put it: "Faith is believing what we do not see, and the result of faith is seeing what we believe."  Some say that God no longer does the miraculous, and for them, nothing much ever really happens.  But for those who simply trust God, it is amazing what happens.  Faith does make the difference.


Resource reading: Hebrews 11:24-31


https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/what-do-you-believe-in/