Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Why Doesn’t Evil Get Punished?
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Psalm 91:8, KJV
Question: Why does the guilty one seem to get away with wrongdoing? Ever ask yourself that? There are times when it appears that the real winner is the liar, the cheat, the scoundrel—at least at the onset. Take, for example, the woman who asks the penetrating question about the betrayal of her husband. She writes, “Why isn’t he suffering, why is he getting away without any pain. He sinned, he caused the pain and yet I’m the one walking through the fire, and I’m the one carrying around the scars from the burns.”
Long ago the psalmist affirmed: “Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked” (Psalm 91:8, KJV). What appears to be their reward is short-lived.
David was also troubled by the issue of the bad guy seeming to win. In Psalm 37 he talks at length about the wicked. Fourteen times he alludes to them in one way or another—how they take advantage of the poor, how they seem to amass wealth, and how they appear to get ahead of the person with integrity and honor. Yet, says David, their gain is short-lived. They die and face judgment while the righteous not only lie down at night with a clear conscience but will have peace and inherit the land. “Better the little that the righteous have,” he says, “than the wealth of many wicked” (Psalm 37:16).
Does the individual who does wrong get away with no apparent pain or guilt–say, for example, the man who walks out on his wife and children for a younger woman—”What I’ve always wanted!” he boasts, rejecting the tears and pleas of his wife and children not to leave? Sometimes—at least so it appears. Short term gains with long term consequences, however, eventually crumble and decay.
OK, then, why does God allow sinful men to take advantage of their families? Why doesn’t He stop them from doing this? That’s the old question of why does God allow evil in the world?
Why didn’t God keep Adam and Eve from taking the forbidden fruit? The simple but not completely satisfying answer is because He made us in His image, giving us a will to choose right or wrong, and thus making our love for Him and our choices for right and good meaningful.
God gave you a choice: do right or do wrong. Choose good or evil. But He taught us that with every choice come consequences, and though at the end of the day, the gavel may not be slammed down on evil, there comes the eventual judgment of God when the dead, both small and great, stand before Him and are judged according to their deeds.
Pain and heartache take your mind from the whole and focuses it only on your immediate loss, much like a toothache that hurts but isn’t as serious as if you had chest pains signaling a heart attack.
Forgiving the person who has wronged you takes you beyond that pain and helps you find healing. To forgive isn’t saying, “What you did is OK,” rather it is saying, “I put the wrong you have done in God’s hands. He can deal with you. I’m getting on with my life.” And when you do that, whether or not the person who wronged you is getting off without punishment, it pales. And He is far more capable of meting out judgement than we are. Remember, God will have His payday someday.
Resource reading: Psalm 37
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/why-doesnt-evil-get-punished/
Lolo sa Iloilo natagpuang patay, pinagbabaril sa loob ng bahay
AJUY, Iloilo — Patay na nang matagpuan ang isang lalaki sa loob ng kanyang bahay sa Barangay Badiangan sa bayan na ito noong Martes ng hapon.
Nakilala ang biktima na si Hendry Debaja, 62.
Sa imbestigasyon ng Ajuy police, nakita na lamang ng kapitbahay ang biktima na nakahandusay sa sahig at wala ng buhay.
May mga nakitang tama ng baril sa ulo at leeg ng biktima matapos suriin ng Scene of Crime Operatives (SOCO).
Narekober din sa lugar ang 2 basyo ng bala na pinaniniwalaang nanggaling sa 9mm caliber pistol.
Patuloy pa ang pagtukoy ng awtoridad sa salarin at motibo sa krimen.
—Ulat ni Rolen Escaniel
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/31/21/lolo-sa-iloilo-natagpuang-patay-pinagbabaril-sa-loob-ng-bahay
2 suspek sa pagpatay ng guro sa Oriental Mindoro arestado
Arestado ang 2 lalaki na sinasabing responsable sa pagpatay sa isang 29 anyos na guro sa Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro gabi ng Martes.
Ayon kay Lt. Col. Timoteo Esperitu, hepe ng Calapan police, nahuli sa follow-up operation sa Barangay Lumangbayan sa bayan ng Baco ang 2 suspek na may edad 30 at 33 anyos.
Narekober sa mga suspek ang isang kalibre .45 na baril, rifle, mga bala at motorsiklo.
Ayon kay Esperitu, nakilala ng ina ng biktimang si Mark Linniel Balita ang mga suspek dahil nakababa ang mga face mask nila nang barilin ang biktima.
Tumangging magbigay ng pahayag ang mga suspek kaya hindi pa rin matukoy ang motibo sa pagpatay kay Balita, na guro sa Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology.
Bago mag-alas-7 ng gabi noong Martes, tinambangan ng riding-in-tandem ang kotseng sinasakyan nina Balita.
Dead on the spot ang guro habang nakaligtas ang kaniyang ina at kapatid.
Ang biktima ay pinsan din ng radio anchor at negosyanteng si Carl Balita.
-- Ulat ni Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/31/21/2-suspek-sa-pagpatay-ng-guro-sa-oriental-mindoro-arestado
Cagayan town logs 1st COVID-19 case after a year without infection
(UPDATE) Santa Praxedes town in Cagayan recorded its first COVID-19 case after avoiding an infection for a year.
The town's health unit said in its Facebook page that an overseas Filipino worker who arrived from Saudi Arabia tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, after undergoing a swab test on Saturday, March 27.
The female migrant worker reportedly tested negative for the virus in Manila so she was allowed to go home to Santa Praxedes. According to the rural health unit, she was exposed to the COVID-19 infected van driver.
She also had co-passengers in the van, but they went home to the towns of Abulug and Claveria.
The Santa Praxedes local government said no other resident in the town was exposed to the OFW since she was immediately sent to an isolation unit.
She is asymptomatic, the rural health unit said, and has been transferred to the DOH Community Isolation Unit in Tuguegarao City.
Santa Praxedes officials said they would be implementing strict quarantine protocols in the following days to avoid further COVID-19 transmission. — Report from Harris Julio
Gov. Hernandez: Laguna hospitals ‘getting full’ as COVID-19 cases surge
Hospitals in Laguna are "getting full" due to rising COVID-19 cases, the provincial governor said Wednesday.
Laguna is included in the NCR Plus bubble, along with Metro Manila, Cavite, and Bulacan, which was placed under enhanced community quarantine until Easter Sunday.
"Medyo napupuno na po ang mga ospital natin. We have 9 provincial hospitals at continuous po ang monitoring dahil marami po talagang pasyente ang pumapasok," Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.
(Our hospitals are getting full. We have 9 provincial hospitals that we continuously monitor because there are many patients coming in.)
Some 2.7 million low-income families in the province will receive assistance from government for the weeklong strict lockdown, he added.
"Wala pa pong eksaktong petsa. Kailangan matanggap muna ng LGUs (local government units) ang pera. Ang local government handa iimplement agad yan," Hernandez said.
(There's no exact date yet. LGUs just need to receive the money. They are ready to hand them out immediately.)
"Bukod sa assistance na matatagap sa national government . . . Meron pa naman po tayong pondo na pwedeng i-suspend, pondo sa ibang programa ilipat sa mas urgent na bagay."
(Besides assistance from national government, we have funds we can suspend and transfer to more urgent measures.)
Hospitals in Metro Manila are projected to reach full capacity by the first week of April if government fails to slow down COVID-19 transmission.
Patients will then be referred to hospitals outside the capital region, officials earlier said.
Ika-500 anibersaryo ng unang Easter Mass sa Pilipinas, ipagdiriwang
Inanyayahan ng Archdiocese of Manila ang lahat ng Katoliko na ipagdiwamg ngayong Miyerkoles ang ika-500 anibersaryo ng unang Easter Mass sa Pilipinas.
Ang selebrasyon ng isa sa mga mahalagang parte ng kasaysayan ng bansa ay pwedeng panoorin sa pamamagitan ng pagdalo sa online mass live sa Limasawa sa Southern Leyte.
Alas-10 ng umaga ang misa at inaasahan na pupunta ang Apostolic Nuncio o ang representative ng Santo Papa sa Pilipinas.
Todo paghahanda na ang ginagawa ng Diocese of Maasin para sa selebrasyon. Ang pilgrim image ng Santo Niño de Cebu ay dumating na sa lungsod ng Maasin at dadalhin ito sa Limasawa Island para sa misa. Magkakaroon din ng fluvial procession mula sa mainland ng Southern Leyte papunta sa isla.
Naging kontrobersyal ang pagpili sa Limasawa bilang lugar kung saan naganap ang unang Easter Mass sa Pilipinas. Pero matapos ang ilang taong research, aprubado ng gobyerno at ng Simbahan na noong March 31, 1521, nangyari ang misa sa Limasawa.
Bahagi ito ng Quincentennal Commemorations sa Pilipinas at ng 500 taon ng Kristiyanismo sa bansa.--Ulat ni Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News
Pulis na nagpaputok ng baril dahil sa 'sama ng loob', arestado sa Isabela
Arestado ang isang pulis matapos itong ireklamo ng pagpapaputok ng baril sa Barangay Labinab, Cauayan City, Isabela nitong Lunes ng gabi.
Kinilala ang naaresto na si Police Master Sergeant Ambrocio Albano, 34, na residente rin sa nasabing lugar at kasapi ngayon ng Luna Police Station.
Ayon sa Cauayan City Police, nakatanggap sila ng sumbong mula sa isang concerned citizen tungkol sa narinig nilang magkakasunod na putok ng baril.
Agad rumesponde ang mga pulis sa lugar na nagresulta sa pagkakadakip sa suspek.
Narekober sa pag-iingat niya ang kalibre 9mm service firearm na inisyu sa kaniya ng pamahalaan.
Nakuha rin sa pinangyarihan ng insidente ang pitong basyo ng bala.
Wala naman napaulat na nasaktan o nasugtan sa pangyayari.
Ayon sa Cauayan City Police, inamin ng suspek ang kaniyang ginawa na naging paraan lang umano niya para maglabas ng sama ng loob matapos silang magkaroon ng pagtatalo ng kaniyang ama.
Posibleng maharap sa kasong administratibo ang naarestong pulis na napag-alamang galing ng National Capital Region at isang taon pa lamang na nadestino sa Luna Police Station.
- ulat ni Harris Julio
Locsin, 3 other ASEAN foreign ministers to visit China, says China’s foreign ministry
The Philippines' chief diplomat and 3 other Southeast Asian foreign ministers will be visiting China from March 31 to April 2, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Locsin's trip comes amid the continuing presence of Chinese vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying, during her regular press conference on Tuesday, said Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Locsin will be visiting China at the invitation of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Locsin has yet to confirm the development.
Hua said the visit is expected to strengthen the ties between China and the member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN relations.
The Philippines has protested the presence of around 200 Chinese vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) since March 7, and demanded that China withdraw them.
Retired Philippine Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio warned it could lead to occupation and building of a naval base on the reef as China did on Mischief Reef in 1995.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila denied allegations the vessels are part of Beijing's militia, describing them as fishing vessels taking shelter due to “rough sea conditions.” It also insisted that the reef is part of their territory.
The United States, Japan, Australia, Canada and United Kingdom have expressed their concern over the Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea.
China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea, of which the West Philippine Sea is a part, had been invalidated by a United Nations-backed arbitration court in 2016.
China has been criticized for aggressively asserting its claims in the marine resources- and energy-rich waterways, and militarizing features there.
China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei all claim parts of the South China Sea.
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
Guidelines To Grow A Deeper Relationship With God
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” John 7:37
In a Judean wilderness, David cried out, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1). At the time, David was being hunted by Saul, who felt that he was a threat to his kingdom, and at times David became weary in body, wondering if he would ever find peace. No doubt he wondered if he would ever be able to go back home to Bethlehem and sleep without concern for his safety.
Yet David did not say that he longed for the comforts of home and a taste of his mother’s cooking. No, he cries out that his soul is thirsty for the Almighty in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Question: Do you have times in your life when you grow weary of the battle and your soul cries out to God? You long to know Him in a deeper and more intimate way, stripping away the layers of misunderstanding and perhaps fear which has kept you at a comfortable distance? David said that his body, his innermost being, longed for God–something intense and deeply personal.
Have you ever considered the possibility that it was God who placed that yearning, that deep longing in your heart so that He Himself could fill it? God not only created the thirst but knew that He was the only thing which could satisfy the deep longing within.
How does God satisfy that longing within your heart? Or what should we do to know Him more intimately and personally? Have you discovered when you are really thirsty, sugary products just don’t satisfy? You don’t want coke or syrupy juices which are half sugar. What you want is water—crystal clear, pure, and cool. Nothing satisfies like a refreshing drink of water on a hot day.
Guideline #1: If you want to satisfy the deep longing in your heart for God, get rid of the sugary substitutes—the claptrap of religion, the trappings of ceremony, and the tinsel of pseudo-spiritual experiences. Paul spoke of the washing of water by the Word. He was talking of the purity of the Word which lets you know and experience God as He is.
Guideline #2: To know God intimately, get off media and strive to insulate yourself from the noise that keeps you from hearing His voice. There’s a place in the Rocky Mountains which I will probably never see again, but it will never escape my memory. It’s almost at timberline where oxygen deprivation stunts the growth of trees, and above that altitude, about all you find is granite rocks and a few stunted shrubs. From a rocky outcrop which I dubbed “pulpit rock” there is a majestic view of stunning scenery. I’ll never forget several afternoons when I sat there with an open Bible and thought of God and His working in my life. We need those quiet times, those personal intimate times without telephones, little children’s voices, and the din and noise of traffic.
Guideline #3: To experience God in a real way, tell Him of the deep longing in your heart to know Him and to feel His might and power. In another Psalm David cried, “I reach out for you. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain” (Psalm 143:6, Living Bible). Rather graphic, right? “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink'” (John 7:37). Only God could say that.
Be sure that the thirst in your soul for God is there because He wants to satisfy that and nothing else will ever do.
Resource reading: Psalm 63.
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/guidelines-to-grow-a-deeper-relationship-with-god/
Erap's health improving after hospitalization due to COVID-19: Jinggoy
Former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada’s medical condition has improved 2 days since he was confined after contracting COVID-19, his eldest son former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, said Tuesday.
The former president’s oxygenation level improved to 95-98 percent, from Sunday evening’s 85 percent, the younger Estrada told ABS-CBN News in a virtual interview.
"Right now he's (Estrada) is improving... Nag-Facetime kami kanina, he’s very lucid… Gusto na niyang umuwi at okay na raw siya," Jinggoy said.
Despite some improvement, the former senator said it is still too early to say that his father "is already off the hook" since doctors still need to further observe the Estrada patriarch's condition in the next 3 to 4 days.
"Doctors have been updating me of his medical condition… Napakarami pang mga test na kailangan pang gawin," he said.
(He still has to undergo a lot of tests.)
"Ako’y nananawagan sa ating mga kababayan. Kami po ay isama ninyo sa dasal... Sana po malagpasan po nya ito," he said.
(I'm appealing to the public. Please include us in your prayers. I hope he can get through this.)
The former Manila mayor may have contracted COVID-19 from some of the people who visited their house, he said.
"Hindi naman lumalabas ang dad ko eh. Lagi lang siyang nasa bahay. Ang suspetsa ko, 'yung mga visitor na pumupunta sa bahay," Jinggoy said.
(My dad never goes out. He is just at home. I suspect that it came from one of those who visited him at home.)
"Siguro one of them was positive… Alam mo naman ang dad ko, he’s very fond of entertaining people. Sanay siyang marami siyang kausap," he said.
(Maybe one of them was positive... You know my dad, he's very fond of entertaining people. He's used to talking to a lot of people.)
The Estrada family - Jinggoy, his mom former Sen. Loi Ejercito, his wife Precy, his siblings Jackie and Jude, and their children - are in quarantine since they were all exposed to the former president.
So far, none of the family members are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19, Jinggoy said.
"My mom is doing fine. She had this nasty fall last year before the start of the pandemic and she fractured her left arm kaya lang hanggang ngayon hindi pa sya nakaka-recover sa kanyang fracture," he said.
(My mom is doing fine. She had this nasty fall last year before the start of the pandemic and she fractured her left arm but until now she hasn't recovered from that fracture.)
"But siyempre kailangan din nating ingatan dahil na-expose din sya sa dad ko dahil kasama siya sa kwarto kasama 'yung mga nurse," he said.
(We also have to take care of her because she was also exposed to my dad because she and some nurses were with him in a room.)
Estrada's eldest son urged other relatives to "give respect" to their family when it comes to providing updates about the medical condition of the former president.
He made gave the comment a day after his half-brother, former Sen. JV Ejercito, tweeted about a supposed phone conversation with one sibling that "didn’t turn out well."
The call was supposedly made after Ejercito granted a media interview about their father's health.
Estrada said it was not him who called up Ejercito, but maintains his call for their other relatives to give them that utmost respect.
"Sa amin nag-a-update 'yung mga doctor atsaka constant communication naman kami ng dad ko," he said.
(It is us who receives the updates from doctors and we are in constant communication with our dad.)
"Respeto na lang sana sa amin… Wala naman akong away sa mga kapatid. I get along with all of them. Sana naman pagdating sa ganitong sitwasyon, respeto na lang sana," he said.
(I hope they give us some respect... I don't have any feuds with my siblings. I get along with all of them. But when it comes to these situations, I hope they just respect us.)
Jinggoy, Jackie and Jude are Estrada's children with former first lady Loi Ejercito, while JV is Erap's son with former actress-turned-politician Guia Gomez.
The former president also has 2 children with former actress Peachy Osorio namely Joel Eduardo and Teresita.
His children with another actress, Laarni Enriquez, are Jerika, Juan Emilio and Jacob, while Jason and Joma Ejercito were sons from 2 other women.
Palace extends 'get well' wishes to ex-President Estrada
Malacañang on Tuesday extended well wishes to former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada after he tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque expressed hope that Estrada would immediately recover from the virus.
“We wish former President Erap Estrada to please get well soon. Alamat po kayo dito sa Pilipinas (You are a legend in the Philippines),” he said in a Palace press briefing.
He said he was looking forward to see Estrada back in public life when he gets better.
“We want to see you healthy and we want you to take part in the public life of the country for a very long period of time,” he added.
On Monday, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada announced that his father had contracted Covid-19.
The younger Estrada said his father was rushed to the hospital March 28 due to body weakness. He is now in stable condition.
According to Estrada’s other son, former Senator JV Ejercito, there was no space available at the time, so his father was forced to spend the night in the emergency room.
“Please pray for my father who has tested positive for Covid-19 and was rushed to the hospital. Please pray for all those who are likewise fighting this virus,” Ejercito said.
Estrada’s other son celebrity, Jake Ejercito, also announced the news over Twitter and sought prayers for their father.
“Our dad, former president Joseph Estrada, tested positive for Covid-19. He’s now confined in a hospital and is in stable condition. Please pray for his recovery and the recovery of everyone affected by the virus,” Jake said.
Estrada was president from 1998 to 2001 and was ousted after a series of protests on EDSA held from January 16 to 20, 2001 amid his trial for plunder charges.
He also served as mayor of the city of Manila from 2013 to 2019.
The country is currently grappling with a spike in Covid-19 cases, particularly in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal and Cavite, which have been placed under the most strict quarantine classification until April. 4.
As of Monday, the country has recorded 731,894 confirmed Covid-19 cases of which 603,213 are recoveries with 13,186 recorded deaths.
The country has also set a new record for single-day increases in Covid-19 cases with 10,016 new infections on Monday.
Monday, March 29, 2021
The Only Way To Change Selfishness
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:42
Someone handed the following to me written by an anonymous hand. It’s labeled, “The Toddler’s Creed.” It reads, “If I want it, it’s mine. If I give it to you and change my mind later, it’s mine. If I can take it away from you, it’s mine. If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine. If it’s mine, it will never belong to anyone else, no matter what. If we are building something together, all the toys they are mine. If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.” Any parent who has ever tried to mediate between siblings, both of whom are shouting, “It’s mine!” has to smile.
“It’s mine!” Not only kids say that. The same refrain can be heard in the halls of the U.N. General Assembly, in courts where people battle each other for possession of an inheritance, as well as on sandlots where children play.
That same underlying attitude of selfishness – “I want it; it’s mine!” – is the greatest foe of happiness in life and marriages. A reporter once asked me what I felt was the greatest problem in marriage, and I answered, “selfishness,” she didn’t seem greatly impressed. The answer she wanted, I think, was something like, “Infidelity!” giving adultery a vicious blast, loudly thumping the table with my fist for good effect. Or she would have liked my saying something like, “The biggest problem in marriage today is a lack of communication,” or sexual adjustment, or whatever. No matter what the symptom is which you may describe, the bottom line is just the same as in the Toddler’s Creed—selfishness: “I want my needs satisfied first!”
A lot of folks are charter members of the AMYF Club, having enrolled as toddlers, though the stakes get higher as we grow older. Sorry, you haven’t heard of the AMYF Club, right? It’s an acrostic for “After Me, You’re First!” But never satisfying our selfish thirst, you never get your turn, so I’m always first.
There is but one thing that changes selfishness to generosity. No, not the threat of, “If you don’t stop doing that, I’m going to take my toys and go home!” That doesn’t work. The only chemical strong enough to erode the forces of selfishness is the grace of God. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” wrote Paul (2 Corinthians 5:17). The grace of God changes dispositions. But I have to add, it always isn’t a one-shot, immediate “from-grabbing-to-giving” sort of thing. It is an ongoing work of grace which the Bible calls sanctification, as God keeps chipping off the rough edges, reminding us of our brashness, our rudeness, and our selfishness.
Overcoming the gravitational pull of our old selfish natures isn’t overcome by doing a single act of generosity, over which you pompously crow. It’s a lifestyle which is marked by humility, an understanding of who you really are, and the desire to let God love people through you.
Paul wrote about his young friend and understudy, Timothy of Lystra, in Asia Minor, saying, “I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:20,21).
There is hope, friend. A bumper sticker reads, “Practice random acts of kindness!” Though I’m not exactly sure just what that means, I think it’s moving in the right direction!
Resource reading: Philippians 2:1-11
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/the-only-way-to-change-selfishness/
DTI appeals to limit ECQ duration to 1 week only
The Department of Trade and Industry has appealed that the one-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) stay within the March 29-April 4 period, stressing more companies and workers are in dire need to get back to their livelihood and business amid high unemployment in the country.
DTI Undersecretary Ireneo Vizmonte said this when asked if employers and businesses can still afford a one week closure or minimal operation at the Laging Handa Public briefing.
Vizmonte said the DTI hopes that the National Capital Region or NCR Plus bubble ECQ (Metro Manila and neighboring provinces Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan) be limited to the Holy Week period only as he stressed that there are lots Filipinos with no work even during the general community quarantine (GCQ), a more relaxed quarantine status. The ECQ is the most stringent quarantine or lockdown.
Because of the high unemployment in the country, Vizmonte said that DTI has appealed to limit the ECQ period to one week only to enable workers and businesses to get back to their businesses and livelihood and workers earn income again.
Unlike the GCQ status, more establishments cannot open their operations during the ECQ period thus affecting more workers. Only essential activities are allowed to operate under the ECQ.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development is preparing some relief provisions to affected constituents while the micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are offered interest free and collateral-free loans of up to P100,000 through the CARES Program of the SB Corp., the micro financing arm of the government.
In terms of food supply, Vizmonte said that DTI has made sure that the Inter Agency Task Force allows unhampered 100 percent operations of food suppliers and food manufacturers/processors to ensure that the shelves at grocery stores and supermarkets are filled up.
Producers of essential products, particularly hygiene, and daily needs and pharma, construction and those in export industries are allowed 100 percent capacity.
Also allowed to operate are essential activities like water refilling supplies, food commissaries, eateries but limited to delivery services, public and private financial providers that provide social amelioration channels, IT-business process management firms, and export-oriented firms.
Media establishments are allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity. Also allowed to operate with skeletal workforce are dental and optometry clinics, veterinary, bank transfers pawnshops, armored vehicles, and credit cooperatives and many more.
The capital markets, banks, health insurance providers, energy and power firms, telcos, and Internet service providers, cable and TV, airline, aircraft maintenance, funeral and embalming services, religious services (priests, rabbis and pastors), printing establishments allowed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, security personnel, repair maintenance of machineries, and real estate activities limited to leasing only.
https://mb.com.ph/2021/03/29/dti-appeals-to-limit-ecq-duration-to-1-week-only/
Gov't thinks of people's 'total health' amid calls to extend ECQ
By Azer Parrocha
The “total health” of the nation will be the top consideration in deciding whether to extend the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or reverted back to general community quarantine (GCQ) placed in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces beyond April 4, Malacañang said on Monday.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the proposal to extend the week-long ECQ is still under discussion among members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
He said there would need to be a delicate balance act between curbing the spike in Covid-19 cases and preventing more Filipinos from going hungry and losing jobs.
“Maselan po talaga iyong decision making, hindi naman po pupuwede na sa pagnanais natin na mapabagal talaga ang Covid-19, mas marami naman ang mamatay dahil sa kagutuman at iba pang mga dahilan bukod po sa Covid-19. Total health po ang ating target (It will be a delicate decision-making process because we can’t just aim to slow down the spread of Covid-19 when others die of hunger and other non-Covid-19 diseases. The nation’s total health is our target),” he said in a Palace press briefing.
The national government’s ability to provide cash aid, he said, will also be among the considerations on deciding whether to extend the week-long ECQ.
Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said the government is eyeing the distribution of one-time cash aid to around 22.9 million beneficiaries in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.
The potential beneficiaries account for 80 percent of the low-income households in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces placed under ECQ.
“Titingnan din po natin siyempre iyong kakayahan na magbigay pa nang malawakang assistance kasi napakadami pong bibigyan ng assistance (Of course we also need to see our ability to provide large-scale assistance because there would be a lot of people that would be given assistance),” Roque said.
In an interview over ANC’s Headstart, Roque said the national government reimposed the ECQ as a “last resort” to curb the spike in Covid-19 cases and reduce the strain on the country’s healthcare system.
“We resort to ECQ as an absolute last resort where it appears inevitable that the hospitals will be overwhelmed,” he said.
However, Roque admitted that a week-long ECQ will not be enough to continuously bring Covid-19 cases down.
“Hindi masyado natin mapabababa rin ang numero ng mga kaso maski pa tayo po’y mag-extend ng ECQ. Kaya binabalanse po natin ngayon iyan, kinukonsidera natin iyong total health ng ating mga kababayan, iyong cost-benefit analysis in terms of iyong mga karagdagang Pilipinong magugutom at mamamatay sa iba pang mga dahilan bukod po sa Covid-19 (We won’t be able to bring down our numbers even we extend out ECQ. That’s why we are trying to strike a balance, we are considering the total health of the nation, the cost-benefit analysis in terms of more Filipinos dying of hunger and other non-Covid-19 diseases),” he said.
Citing government data, Roque said the week-long ECQ is expected to keep Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila at 500,000 to 600,000 by April 18.
Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila are currently over 300,000.
(Updated) The government will revert to the general community quarantine status for Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna
Duterte to announce April 5-30 quarantine classifications later Monday
President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to announce later Monday new quarantine classifications meant to arrest a surge in COVID-19 infections until the end of April, Malacañang said.
Duterte will meet the inter-agency task force leading the country's pandemic response and address the public later Monday, said Palace spokesman Harry Roque.
"Inaasahan po natin na sa Talk to the People, masasapinal na iyong quarantine classification simula April 5 hanggang katapusan ng April, at saka iyong issue po ng assistance ng gobyerno,"
(We expect that during the Talk to the People, the quarantine classifications from April 5 until the end of the month will be finalized, as well as the assistance from government.)
Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal are under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest of 4 lockdown levels from March 29 to April 4.
Government aims for the public's "total health" in deciding lockdown, Roque said in a press briefing.
"Maselan po talaga 'yang decision-making. Hindi naman po pupuwede na sa pagnanais nating mapabagal ang COVID-19, mas marami naman ang mamatay dahil sa kagutuman at iba pang dahilan bukod sa COVID-19," he said.
(The decision-making for that is sensitive. We cannot let our desire to slow the spread of COVID-19 to lead to deaths because of hunger and reasons apart from COVID-19.)
ECQ bans non-essential movement, mass gatherings, and dining in restaurants. It also reduces businesses that can operate at full capacity.
COVID-19 cases in the Philippines in the past two weeks are "2 times higher than what we were reporting three to four weeks ago," said the health department's Epidemiology Bureau chief Dr. Alethea De Guzman.
While the week-long ECQ could slightly reduce infections, she said, "Posible pong tumaas na naman ang dami ng kaso natin pagkatapos na ma-lift ng ECQ… Isa sa mga nirerekomenda nating eksperto, baka kinakailangan i-extend."
(The number of our cases could increase against once ECQ is lifted. One recommendation of our experts is that we might need to extend this.)
De Guzman said she cannot disclose specific figures yet.
The Philippines is battling a renewed surge in infections, including those of the new and more transmissible variants, prompting the government to tighten existing curbs in the capital and nearby provinces.
Coronavirus cases and deaths in the Philippines totaled 721,892 and 13,170, the second highest in Southeast Asia, with infections reported in the past nine days accounting for a tenth of the total.
Lockdowns have taken a huge toll on the Philippine economy, which contracted by a record 9.5 percent last year.
Roque earlier said the government timed the reimposition of ECQ during the week ahead of Easter - so the impact on the economy will be less severe as many businesses will be closed anyway during Holy Week celebrations.
Public transport will be allowed to operate on a limited capacity, and movement of essential goods can continue unimpeded, he said.
— With a report from Reuters
Babaeng sales agent pinatay ng riding-in-tandem sa Bataan
Patay ang isang babaeng sales agent sa bayan ng Orion, Bataan matapos siyang pagbabarilin ng riding-in-tandem noong Biyernes ng gabi.
Kinilala ang biktima na si Ruth Rafa, 52.
Sa inisyal na imbestigasyon ng pulisya, nasa terrace ng kanyang bahay sa Barangay Upper Bilolo ang biktima at may kausap sa cellphone nang biglang may 2 lalaking sakay ng motorsiklo ang tumigil sa harapan ng kanyang bahay.
Binaril ang biktima ng 2 beses at saka humarurot ang motorsiklo.
Naitakbo pa sa ospital ang biktima pero idineklara nang dead-on-arrival.
Sabi ng pulisya, ang mga salarin ay nakasuot ng face mask, helmet, naka-dark green shirt ang angkas habang naka-asul naman ang driver.
Dagdag pa ni Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, napag-alamang nagtatrabaho rin bilang sekretarya na nag-aasikaso ng land titles ang biktima.
May ilang kliyente umano ng kaniyang opisina ang nagrereklamo sa delay ng pagtitulo ng lupa.
Patuloy ang imbestigasyon sa krimen.
—Ulat ni Gracie Rutao
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/29/21/babaeng-sales-agent-pinatay-ng-riding-in-tandem-sa-bataan
COVID-19 hits former President Joseph Estrada
Former President Joseph Estrada has tested positive for COVID-19, his son, former Senator Jinggoy Estrada said on Monday.
“Nais ko pong ipaalam sa inyo na ang aking ama, na si dating pangulong Joseph Estrada, ay isinugod namin sa ospital kagabi sa kadahilanan ng panghihina ng kanyang katawan,” Estrada said in a Facebook post.
(I want to inform you that my father, former President Joseph Estrada, was rushed to hospital last night due to body weakness.)
“Na-diagnose na po siya na positibo sa covid 19,” he added.
(He was diagnosed to be positive for COVID-19.)
The former president, who also served as Manila mayor, was last listed in stable condition, according to his son.
Estrada’s other children likewise announced the news over Twitter and asked for prayers for their father.
“Please pray for my father who has tested positive for COVID-19 and was rushed to the hospital. Please pray for all those who are likewise fighting this virus,” said former Senator JV Ejercito.
“Our dad, former president Joseph Estrada, tested positive for COVID-19. He’s now confined in a hospital and is in stable condition. Please pray for his recovery and the recovery of everyone affected by the virus,” Jake Ejercito said in another tweet.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1412432/covid-19-hits-former-president-joseph-estrada
Erap hospitalized, positive for COVID-19, says son Jinggoy
Former president and Manila mayor Joseph "Erap" Estrada was hospitalized late Sunday and was found positive for COVID-19, his son said Monday.
Estrada, 83, was taken to hospital because he was weakening, former senator Jinggoy Estrada said.
"Stable po ang kanyang kundisyon at ako po ay humihingi ng inyong mga panalangin sa kanyang agarang paggaling," he said in a statement.
(He's in a stable condition and I ask for your prayers for his immediate recovery.)
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/29/21/erap-hospitalized-positive-for-covid-19-jinggoy
LENTEN HOLIDAY NOTICE
In observance of the Holy Week, the Philippine News Agency’s online news service will be off on April 2, Good Friday, and April 3, Black Saturday. Normal operations will resume on April 4, Easter Sunday. — The Editors
Sunday, March 28, 2021
Batangas lawmaker tests positive for COVID-19
Batangas 2nd District Rep. Raneo Abu has confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19.
In a post on his Facebook page, Abu said that his March 25 swab test showed a positive result the next day.
"Sa parehas namang araw ay agad akong nagtungo sa isang isolation facility upang magpagaling kahit ako ay asymptomatic. Ito ay aking ginawa bilang pagtalima sa ipinatutupad na regulasyon ng IATF at ng Department of Health (DOH),” he said.
(That same day, I immediately went to an isolation facility to recuperate even though I am asymptomatic. I did this to follow IATF and DOH regulations.)
OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN RANEO E.ABU Bilang pag-iingat sa banta ng COVID-19,ang aming buong opisina at ang...
Posted by Congressman Raneo E. Abu on Saturday, March 27, 2021
He also said that while he tested positive, his daughter Dr. Reina Abu got a negative result.
Abu's Facebook post was confirmed by his congressional office.
Abu is the 4th congressman to publicly disclose testing positive for COVID-19 this year, after House Majority Leader Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, Anak Kalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor and Negros Oriental 1st District Rep. Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong.
Last year, Representatives Bernardita Ramos of Sorosogon and Francisco Datol of Senior Citizens Party List died of complications due to COVID-19.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/28/21/batangas-lawmaker-tests-positive-for-covid-19
Philippines to increase presence in West Philippine Sea - Lorenzana
The Philippines will increase its presence in the West Philippine Sea, the Department of National Defense said Saturday, amid continued calls for Chinese vessels to withdraw from the disputed waters.
“We are ready to defend our national sovereignty and protect the marine resources of the Philippines,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement on Saturday.
“There will be an increased presence of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard ships to conduct sovereignty patrols and protect our fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.”
Currently, he said, a Philippine navy ship and the Philippine Coast Guard are monitoring activities at the Julian Felipe Reef, where over 220 Chinese maritime militia vessels were reportedly anchored. The Air Force also deploys jet aircraft there daily.
Other agencies such as the Bureau of Aquatic and Fisheries Resources are also helping with efforts at the West Philippine Sea and the Kalayaan Island Group.
The country’s calls for the foreign vessels to leave the Julian Felipe Reef have already been communicated to the Chinese ambassador, Lorenzana said.
“I assure our people that we are addressing the situation. We stand by our position calling for the immediate withdrawal of Chinese vessels in the Julian Felipe Reef, which was communicated to the Chinese Ambassador.”
Earlier this week, the military said it had deployed navy ships to the West Philippine Sea, but not in the reef where Chinese militia ships were seen to avoid confrontation.
Recently, the United States, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada have expressed concern over the presence of the vessels in the nearby disputed waters, and called their appearance a move to “intimidate and threaten” the Philippines, as well as undermine regional stability.
China’s foreign ministry on March 22 claimed the vessels were “fishing boats” sheltering from poor weather.
DFA suspends operations in Aseana, other consular officers
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is temporarily shutting down its operations in its office in Aseana in Paranaque City, and other consular offices.
This is in response to Malacanang's order to put the greater Metro Manila under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from March 29 until April 4.
"In view of the announcement on the implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) from 29 March to 04 April 2021 in the National Capital Region and in the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will close its office located in ASEANA Business Park in Parañaque City as well as its Consular Offices in Metro Manila, Antipolo, Dasmarinas, San Pablo, and Malolos on 29 – 31 March 2021," the DFA said in a statement Saturday.
Those affected by the temporary closure will be accommodated on the following dates:
If your original confirmed appointment schedule falls on the following dates: Revised appointment schedule:
29 March 5 - 8 April
30 March 12 -16 April
31 March 19 -23 April
Passport applicants are advised to print out the new email, the application form with their original appointment schedule indicated, the e-receipt and supporting documents. Applicants are advised to submit the documents during their new appointment schedule.
"For authentication applicants, please print out the new email with your new schedule and bring your documents for authentication on your new appointment date," said the DFA.
The DFA said the schedules may still be subject to changes.
Those who wish to visit the Consular Office on dates not included in the given schedule the DFA advises to email any of the following:
-DFA ASEANA
Passport
passportconcerns@dfa.gov.ph
Authentication
oca.authentication@dfa.gov.ph
-CO NCR NORTH (Novaliches)
ncrnovaliches.so@dfa.gov.ph
-CO NCR NORTHEAST (Cubao Ali Mall)
ncrnortheast.so@dfa.gov.ph
Passport
dfancrne.processing@gmail.com
Authentication
dfancrne.authentication@gmail.com
-CO NCR EAST (SM Megamall)
Passport
ncreast.so@dfa.gov.ph
Authentication
authenticationncre@gmail.com
-CO NCR CENTRAL (Galleria)
ncrcentral.so@dfa.gov.ph
-CO NCR WEST (SM Manila)
ncrwest.so@dfa.gov.ph
Passport
dfancrwest.passport@gmail.com
Authentication
dfancrwest.authentication@gmail.com
-CO NCR SOUTH (Alabang)
Passport
ncrsouth.passport@gmail.com
Authentication
ncrsouth.authenticaiton@gmail.com
-CO ANTIPOLO
antipolo.co@dfa.gov.ph
info.coantipolo@gmail.com
-CO DASMARINAS
rco-dasma@oca.dfa.gov.ph
dfa.co.dasmarinas@gmail.com
-CO MALOLOS
malolos.co@dfa.gov.ph
malolos.gc@gmail.com
-CO SAN PABLO
sanpablo.co@dfa.gov.ph
Passport applicants may also call the following numbers:
02 8234 3488
0977 353 3942
0915 360 7410
0966 410 8465 (Authentication Concerns)
"Kindly wait for the Consular Office to confirm your requested schedule before proceeding with your appointment," said the DFA.
"All applicants are required to have masks and face shields on and will be subjected to temperature checks prior to entry, among other public health measures to be implemented by the Consular Office."
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/28/21/dfa-suspends-operations-in-aseana-other-consular-officers
Saturday, March 27, 2021
'Perfect': Matteo Guidicelli describes 31st birthday celebration with family
“Perfect!”
This was how Matteo Guidicelli described his 31st birthday which he spent in an undisclosed beach destination.
On Instagram, he shared a photo of his complete family including his wife Sarah Geronimo where they can be seen striking a pose by the shore.
“Celebrated my 31st birthday with the Family. Perfect. To everyone out there, Thank you very much for all the greetings! And please stay safe,” he wrote in the caption.
Guidicelli turned 31 on March 26. He made his birthday post on the same day that his wife is set to hold the “Tala: The Film Concert” marking her first full-length performance after her joint concert with Regine Velasquez, “Unified,” in February 2020.
On Saturday, photos of him and Geronimo made the rounds online showing them attending a groundbreaking ceremony.
The celebrity couple was spotted leading the event in a series of photos uploaded by Tassels Events and Party Needs. However, photos of Geronimo and Guidicelli have since been removed from the post.
"Couldn't be happier to witness and assist a groundbreaking ceremony. Our Tala hearts are shining!” the caption said, still hinting at the presence of the “Tala” singer and Guidicelli.
Government told to consider MECQ, beef up mass testing to slow down COVID-19 surge
The government must consider placing COVID-19 hotspots under lockdown anew, a health expert said, as the number of daily new cases soared to a record-high of 9,838.
Former COVID-19 task force adviser Tony Leachon proposed the implementation of a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the second highest of quarantine levels for two weeks, while running at least 50,000 tests per day, to halt the increase in coronavirus cases.
He also called for better contact tracing, improved protection for healthcare workers, and the creation of satellite clinics for patients who can't access health facilities.
Most hospitals in the capital region already reported full capacity for COVID-19.
Leachon said the government should have a plan of action and urgently decide on ways on how to control the uptick in cases.
"Leaders will [need to] step up to the plate. Hindi tayo puwedeng walang mangyari dito," he said in a video broadcast on his Facebook page.
Leachon also lamented the government decision to allow church services this coming Holy Week, as this could further increase COVID-19 cases.
"Sana hindi muna kahit Holy Week kasi pwede naman online. God is present anywhere...kahit 10 percent capacity, parishioners [will come] from different areas, iba-iba ang level of hygienic measures," he added.
"Hindi tama po na magpalabas tayo," he added.
On Friday, Malacañang reversed an earlier announcement for Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal—which government called "NCR Plus" bubble area—and allowed limited religious gatherings from April 1 to 4. Under the new rule, churches can hold a program only once a day, while observing a 10 percent capacity to control crowds.
Leachon said the government must also speed up vaccination, especially in the National Capital Region, Region 4A, and Central Luzon, where COVID-19 cases are rising uncontrollably.
SK chairman sa Isabela, timbog sa pagtutulak umano ng marijuana
Arestado sa isang buy-bust operation ang isang chairman ng Sangguniang Kabataan sa Cabatuan, Isabela nitong Biyernes ng umaga.
Kinilala ang nahuli na si Joren Palomeno, 24, na SK chairman ng Barangay Centro.
Ayon sa Cabatuan Police, naaktuhan umano nila ang suspek na nagbebenta ng isang sachet na may lamang marijuana sa pulis na nagpanggap bilang poseur-buyer kapalit ng P500.
Nang kapkapan ang suspek ay nakakuha pa umano ang mga awtoridad ng dalawang sachet ng marijuana at ang cellphone na gamit nito sa transaksyon.
Minamanmanan na ang suspek na kabilang umano sa listahan ng high value target, ayon sa pulisya.
Sinampahan na ang suspek ng reklamong paglabag sa Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.--Ulat ni Harris Julio
Friday, March 26, 2021
Guidelines To Impact Your Grandchildren
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off–for all whom the Lord our God will call. Acts 2:39
A gray-haired woman in her 60s walked down the aisle of a plane, stopped by an empty seat and asked the person sitting next do it, “Excuse me, do you have any grandchildren?” When the very surprised person responded, “Yes, I do!” the woman moved on down the aisle. Asking the same question, the person next to the empty seat stammered, “No, but we wish we did.” Sitting down the woman said, “Wonderful! Now I will tell you about mine!”
That’s the way grandparents are, but in a disconnected world where families are often fragmented and separated by distance, it’s getting harder and harder for a grandparent to interface with grandchildren. You can do it, however, and in the next three minutes I’ll give you six ways to impact your children’s children.
Guideline 1: Make your life a living testimony of God’s grace. For years on my television program I would ask a final question, “How would you like to be remembered after you are gone?” Answers were diverse but there is one thing for sure: you will be remembered one way or another. My grandfather was stingy and frugal but grandmother was generous. Her oatmeal cookies and fried chicken were world-class. When I studied in the university she would write, including some money that grandfather never knew about. How will you be remembered?
Guideline 2: Be involved in their lives. Here’s a seldom considered scientific fact: phone lines run both ways. Older folks often sit by the phone waiting for it to ring, moaning and complaining that nobody calls. Hey, friend, why not call or text your kids or grandkids every week? If you have several grandchildren, program their telephone numbers on your phone and ask, “How are you doing? Any special needs I can help with? What’s going on in your life?” Don’t think you are bothering them; you’re keeping a relationship alive.
Guideline 3: Take inventory of the spiritual heritage you are leaving behind. My father-in-law, Guy Duffield, was one of the godliest men I ever knew. On the night God took him home, he asked me to read Psalm 71, which says, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.” “Have I done that, Harold?” he asked. If anyone ever did, he had done just that.
Guideline 4: Record your testimony of the redeeming grace of God. Write letters, even ones for your unborn grandchildren, video or record your life story, tell future generations what God has done in your life. Tell your story. Yes, they want to know.
Guideline 5: Surround your grandchildren with a fence of prayer. What you cannot do, God can and will. Trust Him. At times grandkids ignore your advice but they cannot escape your prayers. Yes, you can make a difference by praying.
Guideline 6: Set your house in order. And what does that mean? Time allows only two thoughts: First, make peace with your enemies. Don’t carry to your grave bitterness, harsh thoughts, and angry memories. Forgive.
An old gentleman 90 years old was told, “I hear you have no enemies at all.” “Yes, that’s right.” “And what’s your secret?” “I outlived them all,” he said. In reality few people do. Bitterness kills, but forgiveness neutralizes.
Then this final thought: “Do your giving while you are living so you are knowing where it’s going.” Dig a well for a village in Africa. Support an orphan in Russia. Send a grandchild to Bible School. Help your church; establish a foundation that will use your money wisely; but don’t leave your estate to that greedy grand nephew who calls only to find out how soon the undertaker may come for you.
Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-8
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/guidelines-to-impact-your-grandchildren/
NEW RECORD HIGH: PH reports 9,838 more COVID-19 cases, total breaches 700,000-mark
COVID-19 cases in the Philippines breached the 700,000-mark on Friday with another record-high 9,838 newly-reported infections, as the capital region's coronavirus wards continued to see a stream of fresh admissions.
The day's tally, which does not include data from 7 laboratories, pushed the country's cumulative cases to 702,856.
The Philippines' active cases, still an all-time high, also breached the 100,000-mark. The remaining active infections in the country stood at 109,018.
COVID-related fatalities rose to 13,149 with 54 additional deaths, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
The agency also logged 663 more recoveries, bringing the total number of patients who have recuperated from the disease to 580,689.
Based on the DOH's latest bulletin, the utilization rate of intensive care unit (ICU) beds already reached high to critical risk levels with some 72 percent already occupied.
The country's treatment czar earlier said that more modular units would be created in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to serve COVID-19 patients amid the surge of new infections.
To stem the virus spread, the National Capital Region and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, the "NCR Plus" bubble, were placed under general community quarantine with additional specific restrictions from March 22 until April 4, with movement going in and out of the zone barred.
Limited religious gatherings for the Holy Week, however, was allowed.
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Is Everyone Really Special?
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10
A sign over a mirror in a public school reads, “You are now looking at the most special person in the world.” The message is part of a program designed to build self-esteem in children, and there is no questioning the fact that some kids suffer from a lack of self-esteem. At times parents disparage the achievements of their kids—like, “Why can’t you do as well in school as your sister?” Or, “You’re dumb,” or “Get up, you lazy girl.” Or, “You’ll never amount to anything when you do that sort of thing.”
Tell a child something often enough and loudly enough, and he’ll grow up believing it. But to tell a child, “You are the most special person in the world” is going about a proper thing in the wrong way. Why? Special people expect special privileges and don’t have to follow the rules. They go to the head of the line, or push their way to the front, thinking, “Why not? I’m special.” They expect teachers and administrators to treat them differently. Why? “I’m special,” which means, “You can’t treat me like all the other kids.”
And when they become adults, they often find out what they are not prepared for: life doesn’t give you special breaks and privileges just because you think the world owes you a living. It is one thing to convey the message to a child that you are loved, even that you are unique, that being different is not being better than anyone or inferior to anyone. But the message that you are the most special person in the world tells a child something that reality doesn’t support.
The fact is that every person is unique. Unless you are an identical twin there is no one in the world like you, and even if you are an identical twin no one thinks your thoughts, or feels what you feel, or sees what you do. To be special means that you stand out from the crowd, you are different, or you expect to be treated better than others.
Question: Are you special to God? Does He consider every person to be special? How would you answer that question? In all probability you feel so inadequate and so far removed from what God expects of you, you think you wouldn’t even get a second glance from heaven. OK, that question will get us nowhere fast. But here’s the right one to ask: “Am I important to God?” and there is no ambiguity in the answer because the entire Bible shouts aloud: “Yes, you are important to Him!” God has no throw-away lists. The door to the throne room is open, and Christ is that door. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no person comes to the father but through me” (John 14:6).
When you read the New Testament, you find account after account of Jesus taking time for the people that the world never considered “special” by a long shot – Zacchaeus, a man who earned his living the shady way, the woman at the well, a prostitute caught in the very act of adultery, and so forth. Jesus had time for them, reflecting the values of His father—and they have time for you.
There’s a vast difference between being “special” and being important. Have we gone overboard in striving to help kids have a healthy sense of self-esteem? It may well be that we’ve gone about the right thing the wrong way. Helping them to know their value in the sight of God, giving them the love that says, “You are important to me, and I’ll be there for you” is important, but conveying the message that “you are special” say many, works the wrong way.
Scripture reading: Psalms 139:1-18
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/is-everyone-really-special/
Capiz's Cardinal Advincula is Manila's new archbishop
Pope Francis has appointed Capiz's Jose Fuerte Cardinal Advincula as the new archbishop of Manila.
The appointment was made public on Thursday at 12 p.m., Rome time (7 pm in Manila).
It was in November last year when the pope elevated Advincula as a cardinal, becoming the ninth Filipino "prince of the Church."
He will succeed Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle who is now the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/25/21/capizs-cardinal-advincula-is-manilas-new-archbishop
Magsasaka patay matapos pagbabarilin sa Capiz
Patay ang isang magsasaka matapos pagbabarilin ng tatlong hindi pa nakikilalang salarin sa Barangay Astorga, sa bayan ng Dumarao, Capiz, Miyerkoles ng gabi.
Dead on arrival sa pagamutan ang biktima na si Jessie Jarlo, 55 anyos at residente ng lugar.
Sa imbestigasyon ng Dumarao Police, pauwi na ang biktima kasama ang misis nito nang harangin at pagbabarilin ang biktima ng tatlong salarin na nakasuot ng itim na damit at naka-bonnet.
Nagtamo ng 9 na tama ng bala ang biktima.
Nakuha sa lugar ang mga basyo ng bala ng hinihinalang kalibre .45 na baril.
Patuloy pa ang pagtukoy ng awtoridad sa mga salarin at ang motibo sa krimen.
- Ulat ni Rolen Escaniel
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/25/21/magsasaka-patay-matapos-pagbabarilin-sa-capiz
Korte Suprema, Senado kinondena ang mga pagpatay sa mga abogado
Kasunod ng pagkondena ng Korte Suprema sa mga pagpatay sa mga abogado, ipinasa naman ng Senado ang resolusyon para hilingin kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na kumilos din para pigilan ang mga pagpaslang.
Inihain ang resolusyon ng 8 abogadong senador.
"Resolved, further, to urge the president to undertake the necessary steps in ensuring the safety of the members of the legal profession by laying out definitive solutions and actions to address such rampant violence and killings, including the prompt, impartial and efficient investigation and prosecution of the cases," sabi sa Senate Resolution No. 691.
Sa opisyal na datos mula sa Department of Justice, 54 na abugado na ang napapatay sa ilalim ng Duterte administration, pero 5 kaso pa lang ang nakakarating sa korte.
"The failure to condemn, investigate and prosecute these, and bring perpetrators to justice is an act of injustice in itself. We therefore condemn in the strongest sense, these killings of and acts of violence, against members of the bar and bench. To not act or speak is an act of injustice in itself," sabi ni Senate Minority Leader Sen. Franklin Drilon.
Bago nito, naglabas noong Martes ang Korte Suprema ng isang pambihirang pahayag na kinokondena rin ang mga pagpaslang.
"The court condemns in the strongest sense, every instance where a lawyer is threatened or killed and where a judge is threatened and unfairly labeled... To threaten our judges and our lawyers is no less than an assault on the judiciary. To assault the judiciary is to shake the very bedrock on which the rule of law stands. This cannot be allowed in a civilized society like ours. This cannot go undenounced on the court’s watch," sabi ng mga mahistrado sa isang pahayag na binasa ni SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka.
Sa pahayag ng Korte Suprema, kabilang sa mga gagawin nila ay ang pagpapanukala na gumamit ng mga body camera ang mga pulis sa paghain ng search at arrest warrant.
Rerepasuhin din nila ang panuntunan sa writ of amparo at habeas data na maaaring gamitin para humingi ng saklolo sa SC kapag may banta sa buhay, kalayaan at seguridad.
Ikinatuwa ni retired Supreme Court senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio ang naging hakbang ng korte.
"I’m very happy with what the Supreme Court has stated. I think the Supreme Court is taking seriously its duty to enforce Constitutional rights. It's a special duty entrusted to the Supreme Court," sabi ni Carpio.
Para sa Commission on Human Rights, dapat suportahan ng buong gobyerno ang mga hakbang ng Korte Suprema para masigurong gumagana ang mga sistema ng hustisya sa bansa at maproteksyunan ang mga karapatan ng taumbayan.
"Ultimately, to assault the legal profession—hence, an assault to the judiciary—is to assault the established check and balance in the government enshrined in the Constitution. It is in the best interest of the entire government to support these courses of action from the Supreme Court to ensure that a functional justice system in the country remains and that protection of our rights can be assured, especially at a time when human rights are constantly threatened and challenged," ani CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia.
Pero si Sen. Leila de Lima, ikinalulungkot, at nagtataka, kung bakit umano hinintay pa ng SC na maraming abogado ang mapatay bago ito nagsalita.
"It is unfortunate that so many lawyers had to die before the Supreme Court acted. The question is, will Duterte listen or will he continue to instruct our police to ignore human rights. In the first place, it is the Supreme Court itself who said that he is immune from suit, and that anyone he attacks is without recourse in law. Duterte is a monster that SC helped create," ani De Lima.
Pero para sa National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), hindi man agaran kumilos ang Korte, ang importante, umaksyon na ito.
"[I] do not want to redirect the discussion there... This is a big step, by itself. It’s a standalone big step that is most welcome to us who are under attack. It’s better than nothing," sabi ni NUPL president Edre Olalia.
Gayunman, dagdag ng NUPL, kailangang masigurong may safeguards ang paggamit ng body cameras.
Hiling naman ng Philippine National Police, makonsidera rin sana ang kanilang kalagayan lalo't posibleng di angkop ang panuntunang ilabas ng SC kumpara sa nangyayaring sitwasyon sa operasyon.
Maglalabas din daw ang PNP ng sariling patakaran sa paggamit ng body cameras.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Guidelines To Find Meaning For Your Life
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15
“My husband and I have been listening to you for a long time,” writes a friend of Guidelines. Omitting the very kind things she wrote, she continues: “We have been ever evolving in our spiritual walk and find ourselves at a painful standstill, not knowing how to proceed.”
The letter tells the story of so many today. As the years pass by, your life gets more complex. Increasing demands are made on your diminishing time and energy. More seems to be better. Going to the bottom line, she wrote, “Every day…we talk about…how we can go to the next level of serving the Lord. We are being called but do not know how or which way to proceed in this matter. When you are surrounded by everyone that acts like it means something to move to a bigger house, have your kitchen redone, or win a soccer game, I acquiesce and painfully give in and follow the masses. We truly are living lives of quiet desperation.”
In the moments that are left on today’s edition of Guidelines, ponder the following guidelines that can make a tremendous difference—ones I constantly strive to follow personally.
Guideline #1: Prioritize. You can’t do it all. You can’t have it all. You can’t be all things to all people so, like it or not, you have to decide what is important in your life. This, of course, includes the upward perspective. What is my purpose in life? Does God have something new, something different, something valuable for me to yet accomplish which isn’t going to get done with the grind and routine I have right now.
Guideline #2: Authenticate. That means draw the line in the dirt and step across the divide of being driven by our culture, buying things, doing things, even saying things because everybody else is doing the same thing. Being different is not always being better, but being authentic and genuine often means you are in the company of the few—not the masses.
Guideline #3: Simplify. I’m thinking of a group of middle-aged adults who got fed up with the commercialism of “having more and more,” and decided to pledge to each other that with the exception of food, medicine, and toiletries they would buy nothing new for six months. Was it a challenge? You know it was. The six-month experience lasted a year and changed their lives. One of the books that has influenced my life is Richard Foster’s Freedom of Simplicity. The media and the constant bombardment of ads have brainwashed us into living beyond our means, unhappy and frustrated without the newest of everything.
Guideline #4: Purify your thinking. That was why Gandhi dressed in a loincloth and spent time every day spinning wool. Take time to fast and to seek God’s will for your life. It’s never too late to redeem your future, whether it is long or short. Wash away the acid of commercialism by touching the lives of hurting people. Give away the junk in your closet or garage and refuse to refill the same space.
Guideline #5: Refocus and reconnect. If you’re married and you’ve lost your first love, strive to regain it. Rekindle the spark you had when you were first married, dirt poor, but madly in love with each other. Walk through the woods. Look at the stars. Meditate on God’s greatness and His love for you and determine that you will no longer walk the broad path to the shopping center but find the straighter one, the one less traveled on which brings peace and contentment. It’s not an impossible quest at all. Corrie ten Boom was right when she said we ought not to hold onto our possession tightly because it hurts too much when God pries them out of our hands. Indeed.
Scripture reading: Luke 12:13-21
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/guidelines-to-find-meaning-for-your-life/
Lalaki patay matapos mabaril ng kuya sa Iloilo
Patay ang isang 35 anyos na lalaki matapos umanong mabaril ng kaniyang kuya sa bayan ng Balasan, Iloilo, sabi ngayong Miyerkoles ng pulisya.
Ayon sa imbestigasyon, biglang tinutukan ng baril ng biktima noong gabi ng Linggo ang kaniyang kuya at ama habang nag-uusap ang mga ito.
Inagaw umano ng kuya ang baril mula sa biktima pero bigla itong pumutok at tinamaan ang nakababatang kapatid.
Hindi pa umano matukoy ng mga awtoridad kung bakit tinutukan ng baril ng biktima ang kaniyang kuya.
Dinala sa ospital ang biktima pero idineklara ring dead on arrival.
Patuloy namang hinahanap ng mga pulis ang kuya, na tumakas matapos mangyari ang insidente.
– Ulat ni Rolen Escaniel
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/24/21/lalaki-patay-matapos-mabaril-ng-kuya-sa-iloilo
Joys and sorrows
‘… I know they were tears of joy and appreciation for all that had gone before, which molded me into the person I am today.’
HAPPY happy birthday to Atty. Ma. Gabriela P. Roldan-Concepcion. To those who follow GMA Kapuso’s “Unang Hirit” morning show, she is the formal lady who dishes out legal opinion on questions sent in by listeners that are relevant to current issues.
Me, I’ve known her for 40 years now (??) and early on I told her “You will be First Lady one day.” Well, today she is First Lady indeed – of the University of the Philippines, bringing grace and charm (and surely, steel!) to the workings of the administration of UP President (POTUP) Atty. Danilo L. Concepcion.
Happy healthy birthday po!
When good friends mark special days it’s a great opportunity to be human – to express one’s emotions, and share in the joy (sometimes in the sorrow) of the moment. By sharing in the joy, it is multiplied; by sharing in the sorrow, the burden is shared. Either way, things get better.
As a member of an FB group called “Batang UP Campus” my news feed was flooded the other day with old pictures of senior ladies who we were being asked to identify. It was a heartwarming moment for me, seeing teachers from nursery school and kinder and high school, many of them gone now but all of them having been significant influences in my life.
There was Dr. Luz dela Cruz, the diminutive principal of our high school, who almost didn’t let me graduate because I was accused of “leading” the traditional CAT graduation rite where we cadets get to pelt our officers with water laced with the juice of this small fruit whose name I forget which makes the liquid itchy. She told me she was doubly disappointed with me because I was class president and expected me to follow the rules. I guess she forgot I was a middle child? Anyway, my parents were so mad at me they sought an audience with Dr. dela Cruz, who had planned to ask me and a few others like Palamedes Lim to write on the blackboard “I will not do this again.” Which I did although it was silly because we were graduating so we wouldn’t have a chance to do it again, yes?
Dusky (as Lim was called) kept writing on the board but was knowingly leaving out the word “not” in some of his later lines. He too got away with that.
One of those in the pictures was Prof. Salome Miranda, a very kind and gentle chemistry whiz who was a neighbor in UP Campus and whose middle child Raul was my age. One time she surprised me by saying, in class, that she saw me knelt in prayer at the UP Chapel – adding that young men and women who spent time in church are always a good catch. (!!!). Maybe that’s why she gave me a “3” when I know I didn’t deserve to pass chemistry!
Then I thought I espied the image of Prof. Trinidad Flores, our next door neighbor who became my mother’s best friend on campus. Another sweet lady, she was my home economics teacher which was the first subject on some days so I would try to watch if she was leaving her house so I could leave ours through the back door and race to get a ride before she did. There were times when I didn’t notice her leave!
Also in the photos was Mrs. Lesaca, our nursery school teacher at the Child Development Center where our rights were disregarded and we were all forced to sleep on our throw pillows for a certain period of the day! I was too young to lead a protest at the UN Human Rights Commission so we did nothing of that sort and just complied.
I was quite emotional two days ago and before I knew it tears were streaming down my cheeks. I think both Hayden and Apollo sensed something was amiss because they were looking at me with wide eyes but making no sound, as if giving me space to let my emotions out. One is never too old for moments like that and sometimes events around you conspire to make the moment ripe for the shedding of a few tears. But I know they were tears of joy and appreciation for all that had gone before, which molded me into the person I am today.
Which, hopefully, doesn’t bring others to tears of sorrow!
Personal: Condolences to the family of Rev. Fr. Lamberto Pasion, OP who died yesterday
https://malaya.com.ph/index.php/news_opinion/joys-and-sorrows/
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Is There Hope In Heaven?
For he looked for a city …whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:10
As a child, Florence Chadwick wanted more than anything else to become a great swimmer. At the age of six she persuaded her parents to enter her in a 50-yard race. They did, and she came in last. She practiced every day for a year and then entered the same contest. Again she lost, but this time by not so great a margin. At the age of 11 she entered an endurance competition and completed a 6-mile course—a remarkable feat for her age. As a teenager she competed for a spot on the Olympic team and failed to make the team.
Eventually she married and for a while became interested in other things, but in the back of her mind she kept thinking, “I wonder if endurance isn’t my forte?” Twelve years after she failed to make the Olympic team, she successfully swam the gruesome English Channel, breaking Gertrude Ederle’s 24-year-old record. At last she had hit her stride. Eventually she swam the same churning stretch of water both ways—the first woman to accomplish this feat.
As a girl, Florence had often looked towards Catalina Island from the San Diego area where she grew up and thought about swimming the 26 mile, shark-infested waters. On July 4, 1951 she made the attempt. The distance wasn’t the problem. It was the temperature of the frigid waters. Then on that day a dense fog covered the coast. After fifteen hours in the water she grew tired. Her mother, in a support vessel, urged her on, but finally she gave up and her weary, limp body was hauled into the boat. What she did not realize is that she was less than a half-mile, not even a kilometer, from the shore.
The next day at a news conference she said, “Look, I’m not excusing myself. But if I could have seen land, I might have made it.” Not long after that she made the same attempt. Again a misty veil obscured the coastline making visibility impossible, but this time when she was tempted to give up, she reminded herself of how close she was the previous time and gave up. But this time she made it, breaking the record by more than two hours.
I couldn’t help thinking of Abraham, who saw by faith a city whose builder and maker is God. He was sure it was there, though in the flesh he could not see it. Then there are the comforting words written by a one-time cynic, Malcolm Muggeridge, who came to faith in Christ late in life. In his book Christ and the Media he reflected on heaven, saying, “As the old do, I often wake up in the night, half out of my body, so that I see between the sheets the battered carcass I shall soon be leaving for good, and in the distance a glow in the sky, the lights of Augustine’s City of God.”
When you are tempted to give up, to quit, to lose heart, think of Florence Chadwick’s words: “If I could have seen land, I might have made it.” There are some things that are very, very real though you have not seen them—too far away, obscured by distance, veiled by poor eyesight. You’ve seen pictures of them, or noticed a dot on the map telling you where they are. Perhaps you’ve even talked with a pilgrim who has been there, or a weary traveler who has returned and told you how it is there.
That’s the way heaven is, friend, for you who believe in God’s Son. He’s been there, and the fact is that the closer you get to it, to larger it looms before you. Don’t lose heart or let the dark waters obscure its light. It’s there.
Scripture reading: Revelation 21:1-5
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/is-there-hope-in-heaven/