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/
'Not the Mass I dreamed of': Empty churches haunt Holy Week for 2nd year due to COVID-19
For predominantly Catholic Philippines, Holy Week is the crescendo in one's religious life. From dramatic liturgies in churches to processions, chanting of Christ's passion, and visits to pilgrim sites — Filipinos never go amiss in fulfilling their respective "panata" or vow.
But for the second year, most churches in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Laguna and Rizal are shutting their doors to public worshippers to adhere to government's rule of disallowing religious gatherings beginning March 22 to April 4.
The decision was made after the country saw new records daily tallies in COVID-19 infections in successive days, peaking at over 8,000 cases on Monday, the all-time high.
For a young priest like Rev. Fr. Ritz Darwin Resuello, parochial vicar of of the San Isidro-San Roque Parish in Meycauayan, Bulacan, the situation is somehow disheartening. He said it feels like his ministry as a pastor is being challenged once again.
"Ngayong bumalik na naman ang limitasyon sa pisikal na presensya ng mga tao sa Banal na Misa – papalapit pa naman ang mga Mahal na Araw, kung saan nakapaloob ang pagdiriwang ng rurok ng pananapampalatayang Kristiyano – hinahamon na naman ako bilang isang batang pari na patuloy na magtiwala at manampalataya; hindi lamunin ng takot at paninisi," the 31-year-old priest said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
[Now that the limitation for the physical presence of the public in Holy Mass is back — coinciding with Holy Week, which includes the climax of the celebration of the Christian faith — I am being challenged once again as a young priest to continue to trust and have faith, not cower in fear and blame.]
In the Archdiocese of Manila, Apostolic Administrator Bishop Broderick Pabillo insisted that churches in the city will open at 10% capacity for some liturgies. But many churches in the region will have to contend with the absence of the public while still holding the usual holy week rites.
According to several dioceses, which already released their respective circulars for the holy week, the following will be observed:
Holy Masses and other religious and spiritual activities will be held inside churches and will be available for the public through online streaming
Senakulo, pabasa ng pasyon, processions, motorcades, and visita iglesia are not allowed
There will be a special arrangement for the Chrism Mass, which includes the blessing of the holy oils and the renewal of priestly vows, as it is usually attended by all priests within the diocese/archdiocese
Closure of churches in the NCR Plus bubble is a familiar scenario, almost a repeat of last year when the pandemic was just starting in the country. It was also during that time when Resuello penned an impassioned poem after celebrating his first Mass "sine populo" (without the presence of the people).
In his piece, he said:
"Hindi ito ang Misang pinangarap ko.
Hindi ito ang pagkaparing pinaghandaan ko.
Puso ko’y lumuluha, nagmamakaawa sa Iyo.
Iligtas mo kami mula sa salot ng sakit na ito."
[This is not the Mass that dreamed of.
This is not the priesthood I've prepared for.
My heart weeps, to you I plea.
Save us from the plague of this disease.]
The young priest, who is now on the third year of his ministry, admitted that the absence of parishioners has had an effect on him.
"Higit sa lungkot at pagkailang dahil nagsasalita akong tila walang kausap lalo na sa homilya, mas matindi sa puso ko bilang isang pari ang panghihinayang na ang awa ng Diyos na pinagkakaloob sa pamamagitan ng mga Sakramento at ang pagmamakaawa ng tao sa harap ng Diyos sa dambana ay nalilimitahan," Resuello explained.
[More than the sadness and the awkwardness because it almost feels like I am talking to no one, especially during homily, I regret the fact that the mercy of God which is given through the sacrament and the cries of people in front of God in the altar is being limited.]
A year after penning the poem, the Bulakeño priest said he still tries his best to offer prayers, especially the sacrifice of the mass, with the same vigor and spirituality. And with it carries the hope that the usual life in Church will go back to the way it was.
"Sa totoo lang, medyo nakakapagod na, nakakapanlumo na. Subalit sa liwanag ng pananampalataya, ang isang taong mahaba sa mata ng mga tao ay sandali pa rin sa Diyos," Resuello admitted.
(Honestly, it's exhausting, it's saddening. But with the light of faith, a year that feels long for man is just a blink for God.)
To adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic, Resuello and his brother priests are employing digital means to continue their ministry. He said they have an online bible study, online catechism, and online recollection.
Unlike last year, a small gathering for some sacraments are now allowed (maximum of 10 people), including baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Resuello also added that churches continue to do its charitable work despite bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He admitted that it is very challenging being a priest amid this crisis. But true to his vow, he draws his strength from God and advised people to do the same.
"Hindi ito karuwagan. Ito ay malasakit natin sa nahihirapan nang mga medical frontliner. Ito ay aktibo nating pakikilahok sa may konsiyensyang pagsugpo sa COVID-19," Resuello said.
"Hindi natin iniiwan ang Panginoong Hesukristo; pinahahalagahan lang natin sa ganitong paraan ang kalusugan ng mga taong mahal at mahalaga sa kanya."
[This is not cowardice. This is just a way of supporting our suffering medical frontliners. This is us joining the fight against COVID-19. We are not abandoning Jesus Christ; but in this way, we are valuing the people that he loves and are important to Him.]
LGUs, private sector should only buy COVID-19 vaccines under tripartite agreement with national government: Galvez
The Philippines' vaccine czar on Monday said local government units and the private sector should only purchase COVID-19 vaccines through a tripartite agreement with the national government.
National COVID-19 Task Force chief implementer Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. said that as the pandemic rages on, vaccines can't be commercialized and that they're still under emergency use authorization.
"Meaning 'yung adverse effect atsaka indemnification at talagang sa gobyerno po ang mananagot po," Galvez Jr. said in an aired public briefing.
(Meaning any adverse effect and indemnification during the COVID-19 vaccination rollout will be pinned on government.)
"Ang maganda din po dito sa tripartite agreement ay makaka-create po tayo ng malaking volume at napababa po natin 'yung presyo. Ito po ay advantage ng private sector atsaka ng LGU dahil kasi po meron na po tayong nangyari na tatlong company, because of the big volume that we had, naibaba po natin nang napakababa po," he said.
(The good thing about the tripartite agreement is we can create a large volume of COVID-19 vaccines and we can lower their price. This is the advantage of the private sector and the LGUs because there was an instance three companies made a purchase, and because of the big volume we had, we were able to lower the price.)
Reports earlier surfaced that national government was deterring LGUs and private sector from buying their own doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. last week said a group of Filipino-Chinese businessmen was “being blocked” from procuring jabs.
Galvez denied this.
"Hindi po tama 'yun kasi nung last November, nagkaroon po tayo ng pirmahan ng 17 million [doses] sa AstraZeneca, 11 million sa LGU at 6 million sa private sector. And then … nagkaroon po kami ng pirmahan sa Moderna na 13 million po ang government, 7 million po sa private sector," he said, referring to signed deals with UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca-Oxford and US-based Moderna.
(That's not right because last November we signed a deal for 17 milion doses with AstraZeneca; 11 million will go to LGUs while 6 million will go to the private sector. And then we also signed with Moderna for 20 million doses, 13 of which will go to government while the remaining 7 will go to the private sector.)
Galvez emphasized the tripartite agreement is a much-needed requirement after an organization was caught selling vaccines at P2,000 per dose. He didn't name the group.
"Sana naintindihan ng ating mga mamamayan na dahil pandemic po ngayon, na kailangan po talaga na kasama po ang gobyerno sa negosasyon with the private sector atsaka LGU," he said.
(I hope our citizens will understand that due to the pandemic, the government is needed in negotiations by the private sector and the LGUs.)
President Rodrigo Duterte meanwhile said companies are demanding an indemnity clause, which states that government will compensate for a person who suffers or dies after being vaccinated.
"The government cannot guarantee, much less give you an immune status na you are freed of any, and all liability. Masyado mataas 'yan (That's too tall of an order), and I think we cannot do that. Even if we wanted to," he said.
"In the first place, hindi atin 'yan. Ngayon kung nagka-leche-leche yan, or mishandled, or whatever reason it is not effective as advertised, then they will go against whom?" Duterte added.
(In the first place, that's not the government's. If that went astray, or mishandled, or or whatever reason it is not effective as advertised, then they will go against whom?)
The Philippines has so far received Sinovac and Astra Zeneca vaccines. It has been negotiating with other brands to secure a steady supply of vaccines.
Faced with surging coronavirus infections, the country aims to vaccinate up to 70 million of its 108 million people, or at least 100% of its adult population this year to achieve herd immunity and reopen its economy.
Monday, March 22, 2021
Where Is God In Your Trials?
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Isaiah 43:4-5
When a friend of more than 40 years was felled with a rather severe case of pneumonia and struggled to regain his health, a pastor called and told him that surely he had sin in his life and if he would only confess and forsake his wrongdoing, then God would heal him. It sounds much like some of the advice that good old Job got from his friends, too. But, as they say, with friends as that, who needs enemies?
The reality is that we are living in an imperfect world, one where good people suffer and where, at times, bad people seem to stay healthy. But wait, life has a way of equalizing the footing. In other words, God keeps score, and that’s very good news. Isaiah looked about him and recognized that there are no exemptions from being fully human. He recorded God’s message: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God” (Isaiah 43:1-3). Notice that Isaiah began each thought with the word when, not if. When means it’s eventually going to happen, so you had better be prepared.
First, Isaiah spoke of the depth of your trial—the deep waters. If you have ever taken a walking stick and tried to cross a turbulent river where the water was swift and the rocks were slippery, and you couldn’t see where the deep holes were, you understand that is how recovery can be from an illness, or a financial disaster, or a broken relationship. At any moment you are apt to be swept off your feet and carried downstream-or you stumble, uncertain of your footing. That’s the way it often is, getting through your trial.
Then Isaiah mentioned the turbulence of your trial. The rivers won’t drown you. The word is plural. It means there will be more than a few challenges before you knock on heaven’s door; but paraphrasing what he said, “You’re going to make it.” As a friend says, “You may not look like much when you get there, but you’re gonna make it.”
Finally, he speaks of the intensity of your trial—you will go through the fire but you won’t be burned. Good news! Why? Because of what God has promised. Like what? Today’s commentary gives me only time to mention six great promises or reasons for rejoicing in the time of trials. You will find them all in Isaiah 43 of your Old Testament.
First God says, “I will be with you.” It matters little what you face when you know He is alongside to guide, comfort, and sustain.
“The river will not drown you,” He says.
“You will not be burned.” Remember the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace? The God who delivered them will take you through your trial as well.
God says, “You are precious in my sight.” Think about that for a moment. What makes something precious? Diamonds are said to be precious stones, but something that is precious usually comes with an emotional attachment. What may be precious to someone else may be junk to you. This means God cares about you.
God says, “You are honored.” That’s what grace is about—what God does for you that you don’t deserve.
Finally God said, “I love you!” Wow! That’s the entire message of the New Testament in three words. “I…love…you!” “No” you say, “not me!” While you may not understand why—I don’t—that’s the positive statement of this book. It’s why God sent His Son to provide a way of forgiveness and cleansing and hope. It’s the best news this side of heaven.
Scripture reading: Isaiah 43:1-13
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/where-is-god-in-your-trials/