3 Covid-19 vaccines under pre-screening for clinical trials: FDA

 By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz

At least three potential vaccines for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) are under pre-screening but none authorized yet to administer clinical trials in the country, an official of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday.

In a virtual presser, FDA Director General, Undersecretary Eric Domingo said these vaccines are sponsored by Netherlands-based Janssen Vaccines & Prevention (Janssen), China’s Sinovac Biotech (Sinovac), and most recently, Clover Biopharmaceuticals (Clover) from Australia.

Both Janssen and Clover’s vaccines, Domingo said, are currently being evaluated by the Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) while Sinovac’s is currently undergoing an ethics review and evaluation by the FDA.

“Yung most advanced [Sinovac] is still undergoing evaluation and we hope to have a decision on that within one to two weeks para malaman kung pasado siya o hindi (The most advanced, which is Sinovac’s, is still under evaluation and we hope to have a decision within one to two weeks to know whether it would be approved),” Domingo said.

He noted that Russia’s Gamaleya Institute and its Sputnik V vaccine would also soon be evaluated by the VEP.

“Yung Gamaleya yata meron pang mga tanong at hinihinging information yung VEP (For Gamaleya, I think there are still questions and some information that is being asked by the VEP) and when they submit that, then the formal evaluation of the vaccine expert panel will start,” Domingo said.

Once approved for clinical trial, he said these companies will be allowed to test their vaccines on thousands of human subjects in the Philippines, or up to 40,000 individuals from several different countries.

“We regulate this to protect human rights to make sure that the safety of human subjects is assured. And dapat syempre yung clinical data, yung integrity nun hindi make-question--sigurado tayo (And of course the clinical data, its integrity should not be questionable—we must be sure of it),” Domingo said.

No Covid-19 vaccines approved for sale

Following reports that some Chinese “clinical trial vaccines” for Covid-19 are being sold for up to PHP50,000 per dose, he said the FDA has conducted an investigation and found no vaccines in the reported facility.

“Kahit nagki-clinical trial ang mga produkto sa Pilipinas or sa ibang bansa (Even if these products are undergoing a clinical trial here in the Philippines or in other countries) and it's not a registered product, they cannot be promoted as safe and effective and definitely they cannot be sold,” Domingo said.

He noted that even medical products that have been donated to the country and approved for use by the FDA and the Department of Health (DOH) would need to undergo a separate evaluation and approval process before these can be sold in the country.

“We just want to remind everybody that there are still no registered Covid-19 vaccines in the Philippines. Kung meron po kayong nakikita na naga-advertise, nagbebenta, at sinasabi na meron na (If you find someone advertising, selling, or saying that it’s available), please report them directly to us,” Domingo said.

Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque warned the public of Covid-19 vaccines that are being sold but not approved by the FDA.

He noted that those found attempting to sell these vaccines through chain messages or other marketing methods will be punished under the law.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120285

Proposed OFW dept to cover all needs of migrant workers: DOLE

An official of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Friday said the creation of the proposed Department of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) would be able to cover all the needs of Filipinos working abroad.

“But this time under one roof, you will see a Department that will protect not only the rights but especially, during pre-employment. We think this is the most important, the pre-employment situation, both in terms of regulation, in terms of welfare and in terms of really protecting them and giving all the benefits and the information they need for them to be successful Filipino citizens abroad,” Labor Undersecretary Joji Aragon said in a Laging Handa briefing.

Aragon, however, said this does not mean promoting overseas employment for Filipinos as a national policy.

"But can you imagine, bundling all of the services, programs, and policies of the government, which is kind of scattered, (is important),” she added.

She also reported that DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello has informed the senators that he fully supports the creation of the new department.

“Secretary Bello last night sent another letter to the Senate, saying that he supports 100 percent the creation of Department of OFW, on whatever version they have. Let’s remember, the boxing is over, finally approved at the Lower House. In the Senate, it’s on the committee level and we can be sure, we were informed, it might be certified as urgent this 18th Congress,” Aragon said. “We believe that the creation of the Department of OFW, authored by Senator Bong Go and supported by practically all, will strengthen not only sea-based but also land-based.”

Aragon also reiterated the request of Bello for the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to be part of the new Department.

“We hope that the POEA’s regulatory powers and quasi-judicial functions will be preserved and the OWWA who is in charge of the welfare side will likewise be preserved. We also have labor attachés, or POLOs (Philippine Overseas Labor Offices), in-charge on our half way homes, the so-called centers will be presented...” she added.

Aragon is hoping that the new Department will be formed this year or early next year.

In a public address on Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte renewed his call for the passage of a law creating a Department of Overseas Filipino Workers, saying the welfare of OFWs should be handled by a separate department other than DOLE.

He also promised the OFWs that there will be a more thorough review of policies for the protection of their rights.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1120271

Ipagdiwang ang Araw ng mga Santo - Kape't Pandasal kasama si Rissa Sings...

Here’s The Secret To Doing Everything Well

 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.  Proverbs 16:3

Some have called it "the Protestant work ethic!"  But it isn't, really.  It is simply the application of several phrases found in Scripture which can be paraphrased, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right; so give it your best effort!"

Four times in the Bible you find a phrase that says, "whatever you do" and emphasizes a relationship between you and God.  The first is found in the Old Testament wisdom literature, specifically the book of Proverbs, mostly written by Solomon.  "Commit to the LORD whatever you do," says Proverbs 16:3, "and your plans will succeed.”  In this same context, the writer says that we as mortals make our plans, but the Almighty, not simply our scheming, determines their outcome.  That first "whatever you do" forges a link between your efforts, God, and success.  Application: When you really take Him as your partner in life--whether it is business or a marriage--what some think of as luck, the Bible says is really the blessing of God.

The second whatever you do is found in Paul's letter to the Corinthians where he wrote, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).  To understand the context of this advice, you need to know that the Corinthians were party animals, to use a contemporary expression.  They were debauched, immoral, and, depraved.  Successful merchants, yes, and proud of their accomplishments.  Personal pleasure was at the top of their leisure list.

Paul's advice to these new converts who had grown up in that culture was, whatever you do, whether it is what you say or what your actions are, strive to glorify God--not yourself.  Did his counsel run contrary to their habits and life-style?  Yes, 180 degrees.  Application: When you live a life of integrity and principle, your example is going to run counter to your culture.

When Paul wrote to the Colossians, whose city was an old but fading commercial center, he used that whatever you do expression twice. He first urged them to do whatever they did in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and to give thanks to Him no matter what the result (Colossians 3:17).  Then Paul's second use of this same expression is this:  "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (3:23).

The context of his remarks was labor relations, putting in a full day's worth of work for a full day's pay.  He reminded slaves that God expects more of his own children—that what counts is giving your best effort, realizing that ultimately God rewards your faithful service.

A closing thought.  Whatever you do includes everything you do--nothing excepted.  Sloppy work is no credit to those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.  The Bible makes it clear that whatever you do is a reflection on Him who called you to serve Him, and when you do less than your best, you dishonor your Father in Heaven.

Although the truth has been bent out of shape by some who link prosperity with how much you give, there is a definite link between success and the blessing of God in your life.  He's the unseen factor that can tilt the scales in your favor.  Take time to read Psalm 1, where as a preface to the entire book, the writer announces, "Blessed is the man [the person] who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the LORD" (Psalm 1:1-2).

That phrase whatever you do is all-inclusive!  It's amazing how great is God's interest in--yes, whatever you do.

Resource reading: Psalm 1:1-6

https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/heres-the-secret-to-doing-everything-well/

The World Tonight | ANC (29 October 2020)

Bukas ang Tahanan ng Diyos - Kape't Pandasal kasama si Fr Kali Llamado

BTA passes Bangsamoro Administrative Code

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The 80-member Bangsamoro interim parliament has approved the proposed Regional Administrative Code essential to the setting up of an efficient autonomous government covering the five provinces of the region.

The approved Bill 60 of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority shall define the procedural principles of governance in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which covers Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

The Regional Administrative Code (RAC) encompasses all Bangsamoro ministries and all other non-portfolio entities under the office of BARMM’s chief minister, Ahod 'Al Haj Murad' Ebrahim.

"In one of its basic principles and policies, the Bangsamoro Administrative Code provides that the Bangsamoro Government, in pursuit of moral governance, shall maintain honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability in governance and take positive and effective measures against graft and corruption," Ebrahim said in a post on the Bangsamoro government's website.

"This salient point speaks of our earnest desire to leave a system that adheres to the concept of amanah, where leadership and responsibilities are not just titles or positions, but more importantly a trust given by the Almighty," he added.

The bill was filed in plenary in July, prompting the parliament's Committee on Rules to form a panel headed by Member of Parliament Raissa Jajurie for public consultations on the proposed administrative code.

Aside from members of the BARMM Cabinet and employees of the BARMM ministries, consultations held in August included local government leaders and non-government organizations.

Also included in the public consultations were sectoral representatives from "the education sector, women sector, youth, farmer and fisherfolks, labor groups, non-Moro Indigenous People, settler communities, civil society organizations, Bangsamoro representatives residing outside the BARMM, and other stakeholders," the regional government said.

The panel also considered position and policy papers for its report to the Committee on Rules.

The committee approved the report on the bill on October 22 and brought it to the parliament in plenary on October 27 for interpellation and amendments.

BARMM's public information director, Andrew Alonto, said Thursday 26 members of the regional parliament voted in favor of the bill during a session Wednesday while 32 others manifested support for its passage via online Zoom. There were no negative votes nor abstentions.

"Tonight, I and my fellow members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, sitting as the interim Bangsamoro parliament, finally passed the Bangsamoro Administrative Code. This code will serve as the blueprint of the regional bureacracy. This is one of the mandated tasks of the interim government," MP Amir Mawallil said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

He also thanked Jajurie, who is deputy majority leader, for her work on the committee report and for seeing the bill brought to the parliament in plenary. "Your candor, and for always being open to the ideas of your colleagues. We may not always agree on things, but you will always have my respect," he said.

"And, lastly, to my fellow members in the Minority Bloc: You participated actively in the deliberations from the panel stage, to the committee level, all the way to the plenary session. This proves that every one of us is here because we are determined to work together for the success of this transition period." — The STAR/John Unson

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/10/29/2053141/bta-passes-bangsamoro-administrative-code

Comelec considering 2-day plebiscite in Palawan

 The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is now considering to hold the plebiscite in the island province of Palawan for two days. 

This, as the Commission expects that the COVID-19 situation in the country will linger until next year.

“One of the things that the COMELEC is considering for Palawan is the possibility of holding the plebiscite in two days,” COMELEC Spokesman James Jimenez said in a virtual media forum.

But he clarified that the matter is not a done deal yet.

“It is still being studied,” he added.

The possibility of holding a two-day plebiscite is part of the poll body’s precautionary measures to also avoid overcrowding inside polling precincts.

Jimenez said the Commission is looking into options, including dividing voters based on their surnames. They are also looking at dividing voters by gender, separating the voting days for males and females.

The poll official also said that they are also studying the feasibility of dividing voters based on their polling precinct numbers. 

By virtue of Republic Act No. 11259, the poll body has been tasked to conduct a plebiscite for the division of the island province and making it Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur.

The plebiscite is supposed to take place last May 11 but, in a Memorandum dated April 7, the COMELEC ordered the postponement of the event because of the pandemic.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) then approved the holding of the Palawan plebiscite in the first quarter of 2021.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/10/28/comelec-considering-2-day-plebiscite-in-palawan/

Comelec eyes 2-day Palawan plebiscite

 The plebiscite to ratify a law dividing Palawan into three provinces may be held for two days.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman James Jimenez said they are studying the feasibility of holding a two-day plebiscite to prevent crowding of people in polling precincts.

Jimenez said it is not the first time for the poll body, citing the experience for the Bangsamoro Organic Law in 2019.

He clarified that the two-day plebiscite is “not a done deal yet.”

Jimenez said their other option is to divide voters based on their surnames.

He admitted that this could pose a challenge, noting that the distribution of surnames in the Philippines is “not even remotely equal.”

Jimenez said they are also looking at dividing the voters by gender and polling precinct.

Palawan will be divided into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur under Republic Act 11259, which President Duterte signed in April 2019.

The plebiscite was supposed to be held on the second Monday of May, but was reset to the first quarter of next year due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/10/29/2052998/comelec-eyes-2-day-palawan-plebiscite

When You Want To Quit

 The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged.  Acts 28:15

Have you had the experience of starting something...you really poured your body and soul into a cause, and then you began to wonder whether it was really worth the time and effort?  We describe it as "discouragement."  Webster defines it as "that which causes one to weaken."

This malady known as discouragement is a prelude to one of the most devastating of all maladies, known as "QUIT‑ITIS."  If you recognize the symptoms of this virus of the heart, you can do something about it.  This commentary is dedicated to all of you who are discouraged and feel like quitting, no matter where you are.

Notice, first of all, that discouragement almost always comes when you are physically fatigued.  Can you honestly remember ever being discouraged when you were physically on top of life–when you were feeling at your best?  Of course not!  But you can recall many times when you were weary; then this enemy of progress called discouragement sets in.

Years ago, a fiery prophet by the name of Elijah met the prophets of Baal and thundered forth the judgment of God.  He won single‑handedly, yet when he was tired physically as the result of the conflict, he turned and ran to the wilderness of Horeb.  Discouragement turned to quit‑itis as he said, "Lord, just let me die.  I am no better than the prophets before me."  With Elijah you can score one for humility but zero for yielding to discouragement.

Second, notice that discouragement is extremely contagious.  Charles Jones, better known as Charles Tremendous Jones, was an extremely successful businessman.  In a few years he sold more insurance than many men sell in a lifetime.  When Jones was asked if he ever got discouraged he replied, "Sure, I do, but I can't afford to let you know.  Then we'll just discourage each other."  When one man allows himself to become discouraged he will discourage everybody he comes in contact with.  Remember the ten spies sent out by Joshua of old discouraged an entire nation.  Discouragement is a luxury you just cannot afford.

Here is the third:  Discouragement is an enemy which does battle with faith.  Martin Luther defined faith as "a lively, reckless confidence in God."  Faith says, "I can visualize what I want to accomplish, or I am willing to trust God for..." Discouragement cries out, "It is not worth it."  Let me share several ways to deal with discouragement:

1) Recognize that it is no sin to be discouraged.  Spiritual giants and other men of great accomplishments have all battled it.  The sin is yielding and listening to discouragement's deadly voice which cries, "Go ahead and quit!"

2) You can deal with your discouragement by bringing it to your Heavenly Father and asking Him for new courage and strength.  Do you remember when Jesus faced the temptation in the wilderness and was successful?  God sent angels to minister to Him, and God still meets the one who will bring his discouragement to Him.

3) Let me remind you of the Apostle Paul, who found himself on the way to Rome where he was almost certain of execution.  Paul had a long journey across the stormy Mediterranean from Caesarea in Israel to Rome.  Physically he was weary when he began the journey from the port of Puteoli.  As he came towards Rome, three fellow believers came to meet him and he "thanked God and took courage."

If you are struggling with this monster called discouragement, take the upward look.  Thank God for what He has done and take courage.  As Paul wrote to the Galatians, "We will reap in due season if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9).  It is the upward look that brings courage for successful living.

Resource reading: Acts 27: 13-44

https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/when-you-want-to-quit/

The World Tonight | ANC (28 October 2020)

Maguindanao bills set to split province

 The Senate Committee on Local Government chaired by Sen. Francis Tolentino has approved bills seeking to divide Maguindanao into two separate provinces, Northern Maguindanao and Southern Maguindanao.

Tolentino said the current undivided Maguindanao, with a total population of 1,173,933 as of 2015, remains to be one of the poorest provinces in the country despite being blessed with abundant natural resources.

“Reforms must be done in order to remedy this predicament and one way to ensure this is by splitting the province into two,” Tolentino said during the hearing. 

But Maguindanao Rep. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, in a manifestation, called on the Senate leadership to instead support House Bill 6413, which he authored, through the adoption of a substitute bill.

“While we respect and appreciate Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. for sponsoring and filing respective counterpart Senate bill toward the realization of a separate but better capacitated and empowered Maguindanao, we would like to request Senator Francis Tolentino, our committee chair, that our prayers and provisions illustrated in HB 6413 be adopted in a substitute bill,” he said.

The House bill and Senate Bills No. 1824 and 1714 authored by Tolentino and Sen. Cynthia Villar, respectively, all seek to partition Manguindanao into two separate provinces under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Under the Senate proposals, 11 towns will comprise Northern Maguindanao, with the capital based in Sultan Kudarat. Southern Maguindanao will carry 25 municipalities, with Buluan as its administrative capital.

For the purpose of this section, Cotabato City shall have its own legislative district effective upon the election and qualification of its representative to be held on the second Monday of May in the year 2022. The incumbent Representatives of the present Province of Maguindanao shall continue to represent their respective legislative districts until the expiration of their term of office.

In the proposed law it stated “Any municipality that may hereafter be created within the jurisdiction of their provinces shall automatically form part of its constituent units.”

The House passed on third and final reading House Bill No. 6413, but it provides for Datu Odin Sinsuat as capital of Northern Maguindanao.

Mangudadatu said with a smaller province, local resource management and the delivery of basic public services would be more efficient, since majority of the local officials and employees could focus on working on programs and projects that would best serve the interests of their constituents.

“As the cliché goes, it is much easier to keep and maintain a smaller house as compared to a huge one. Public service can be made more accessible, closer to the people,” he said.

The Department of Finance’s Bureau of Local Government Finance greenlighted the proposed legislations to divide Maguindanao into two separate provinces, saying the partition is financially compliant under Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.

Bureau of Local Government Finance Director Ma. Pamela Quizon said the two proposed provinces would meet the income requirements under the Local Government Code.

Tolentino explained that unlocking Maguindanao’s potential is not just vital to help the people living in the province but to bring down poverty in the entire country.

https://manilastandard.net/lgu/mindanao/337972/maguindanao-bills-set-to-split-province.html

Senate panel OKs bill splitting Maguindanao into 2 provinces

 A bill seeking to divide Maguindanao into two provinces was approved by the Senate committee on local government on Monday.

The Senate panel approved House Bill 6413, which seeks to split the province into Northern Maguindanao and Southern Maguindanao.

Committee chairman Sen. Francis Tolentino said a technical working group would discuss where to place the seat of government in the two provinces.

Datu Odin Sinsuat is being eyed as the capital of Southern Maguindanao and either Buluan or Shariff Aguak in Northern Maguindanao.

Maguindanao Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu, one of the principal authors of the measure, said Southern Maguindanao will be composed of 25 towns while Northern Maguindanao will have 11.

For the purpose of this section, Cotabato City shall have its own legislative district effective upon the election and qualification of its representative to be held on the second Monday of May in the year 2022. The incumbent Representatives of the present Province of Maguindanao shall continue to represent their respective legislative districts until the expiration of their term of office.

In the proposed law it stated “Any municipality that may hereafter be created within the jurisdiction of their provinces shall automatically form part of its constituent units.”

”Not all redistricting is harmful... Politically motivated gerrymandering will worsen wastage of public resources while economically motivated gerrymandering will lead to improved provision of public services,” Mangudadatu said.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/10/28/2052757/senate-panel-oks-bill-splitting-maguindanao-2-provinces

How To Think About Yourself

 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.  Ephesians 1:6, King James Version

C.S. Lewis once wrote that when errors come into the world they come in pairs, as people are driven to one extreme or another.  For example, think of yourself more highly than you ought to and we say you are stuck on yourself–full of pride, arrogant and haughty.  On the other hand, if you constantly belittle yourself, your self‑image crumbles, you're insecure and withdraw from others.

Do you know someone who is actually very capable but has to be constantly assured that she really is skilled and wonderful at her job?  She hasn't learned to accept herself; she cannot stand up for what she really needs and constantly has to be encouraged to cope with her feelings of insecurity.  What about your friend who has gone from job to job because inevitably somebody gets more recognition than he does, and he cannot cope with it.  He is easily offended; and when he is, it is good‑bye.  Pride, or feelings of inferiority–they're both ends of the same pole, both outcomes of struggling with thinking rightly about ourselves.  This is actually a very old human problem.

More than 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote to some men and women in the city of Rome and gave them some advice.  He said, "This I say through the grace given to me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly...." (Romans 12:3).  Writing to the Corinthians, Paul warned of the dangers of pride resulting from feelings that you have "arrived."  He said, "If anyone thinks he stands or is secure, let him take heed lest he fall," (1 Corinthians 10:12).

It is a great relief when you realize that you can bring your feelings to God and learn that He accepts us on the basis of what Jesus Christ did when he gave His life for us.  The Bible says, "God has made us accepted in the beloved," who is Christ (Ephesians 1:6).  When He accepts us, as we become His children through faith, we then enter into a new relationship with Him.  In short, God has a will for the lives of His followers and what happens in our day to day is the outworking of His plan.  It is when we refuse to believe that He has a plan that we are uptight in pushing ourselves forward and nursing our fractured egos when somebody else does better.  We forget the truth of the Psalm which says, "For promotion comes neither from the East nor from the West, nor from the South, but God is the judge; He puts down one and sets up another" (Psalm 75:6).  If someone gets a promotion you wanted, thank God that He has accepted you and put you exactly where He wants you.  This is why Paul wrote, "In every situation, learn to be content" (Philippians 4:11).

At the same time, we aren't to belittle ourselves, thinking that we are worthless.  Take nothing and add Christ to it, and you have something touched by the Divine that is of eternal value.  We cheapen God's grace when think less of ourselves than God does.  God forgave us, so we can forgive ourselves; God loves us, so we can love ourselves; God cares for us so we can trust Him to work His will in our lives.  We can be real with others about who we are and what God has done for us.

Neither pride nor feelings of inferiority produce the kind of men and women who are happy and purposeful in life; but learning to accept the circumstances of life, and trusting God to work His will through them, is the key to contentment with ourselves.

Resource reading: Romans 12: 1-7

https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/how-to-think-about-yourself-2/

The World Tonight | ANC (27 October 2020)

NEW MALL NEAR QUIAPO CHURCH! ( SOON TO RISE!! ) - Infinity Square

Maguindanao to be Split Into Two Provinces Under Proposed Law

Maguindanao province, long a hotbed of political and religious violence, will be split into two, under a bill that passed in the Senate on Monday.

The Senate Committee on Local Government approved the bill that originated from the House of Representatives. It seeks to divide the province into Northern Maguindanao and Southern Maguindanao. The head of the panel, Sen. Francis Tolentino, said a technical committee would thresh out the details.

Due to its size, Maguindanao should be split, said Sen. Bong Go, a long-time aide of President Rodrigo Duterte. It will allow authorities to focus on leadership at the municipal level, he said.

The House bill was filed by Maguindanao Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu, the widower of the Maguindanao massacre, the world's single worst political attack on journalists. Fifty-seven people were killed in the carnage on November 2009 when Mangudadatu's rivals tried to stop his wife and supporters from filing his certificate of candidacy.

At that time, Mangudadatu was challenging the Ampatuan clan, whose members were convicted of the massacre in 2019.

Mangudadatu's bill wants the Southern Maguindanao capital moved to Bulan, where he once served as vice mayor, from Shariff Aguak, citing the threat of armed groups near the area.

The incumbent governor, Mangudadatu's cousin, Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu, wants the capitol to stay where it is.

In recent years, new provinces were carved out of existing ones, allowing more politicians to get elected to guberntorial or congressional posts. These include in recent years Davao Occidental, Dinagat Islands, Zamboanga Sibugay, Davao de Oro and Sarangani.

https://www.reportr.world/news/maguindanao-to-be-split-into-two-provinces-under-proposed-law-a4693-20201026

Bills that seek to divide Maguindanao backed

SENATORS on Monday voiced support to the passage of measures that seek to split Maguindanao into two provinces.

Senators Maria Josefa Imelda Marcos, Ronald dela Rosa, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Christopher Lawrence Go pushed for the approval of Senate Bill (SB) 1714 and SB 1824 authored by Senators Cynthia Villar and Francis Tolentino, respectively.

Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, sought to divide the province into Northern Maguindanao and Southern Maguindanao.

He said the province had vast natural resources, but was one of the poorest.

The lawmaker stressed that one way to bring down the poverty level was to divide the province into two.

“With this new set-up, government officials of each new province would be able to more properly focus their efforts in assisting lesser constituents and lesser territorial jurisdiction.

The government of each province will now be able to create projects and programs that would better address the intricacies and special needs of their respective jurisdictions,” Tolentino said.

Under the bill, the province of Northern Maguindanao shall be composed of the municipalities of Barira, Buldon, Datu Blah Sinsuat, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Matanog, Northern Kabuntalan, Parang, North Upi, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura.

The Province of Southern Maguindanao shall include the municipalities of Ampatuan, Bulua, Datu Abdulah Sangki, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Datu Hofier Ampatuan, Datu Mon-tawal, Datu Paglas, Datu Pi-ang, Datu Sa-libo, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Gen. Salipada K. Pendatu, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Mangudadatu, Pagalungan, Paglat, Pandag, Rajah Buayan, Sharif Aguak, Sharif Saydona Mustafa, Sultan sa Barongis, Talayan, Talitay and South Upi.

For the purpose of this section, Cotabato City shall have its own legislative district effective upon the election and qualification of its representative to be held on the second Monday of May in the year 2022. The incumbent Representatives of the present Province of Maguindanao shall continue to represent their respective legislative districts until the expiration of their term of office.

In the proposed law it stated “Any municipality that may hereafter be created within the jurisdiction of their provinces shall automatically form part of its constituent units.”

“Clearly with the size and population of Maguindanao, it’s about time that it be split, provided that it has complied with all the requisites of the Local Government Code,” Marcos said.

Go, in explaining his support to the bills, said the division of Maguindanao would not separate the people, but rather help them flourish and rise as one.

“Maguindanao is so large that it is only fitting to divide it so all the municipalities will be given enough attention. Giving voice to the voiceless is the essence of democracy,” he added.

Villar sought the approval of her bill as requested by Maguindanao Gov. Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu and as a counterpart measure of House Bill 6413, the consolidated version of the bills authored by Representatives Datu Roonie Sinsuat Sr. and Esmael Mangudadatu.

Gatchalian moved that the measures seeking to divide Maguindanao be approved on the committee level subject to the creation of a technical working group that will determine the capital of the new provinces.

With reports from JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/10/27/news/top-stories/bills-that-seek-to-divide-maguindanao-backed/786931/

Why You Should Hurt, When Your Brother Hurts

 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

A young man described by Luke, the physician, as "a man full of God's grace and power" did great wonders and miracles among the residents of Jerusalem shortly after Christ's ascension to heaven.  But the religious leaders of the day didn't like it.  He was taken before the Sanhedrin.  When the high priest asked him if these charges were true, Stephen proceeded to preach to the crowd, but his sermon didn't sit well with them, either.  "When they heard this," says Luke, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him."  Eventually, they "dragged him out of the city and began to stone him."

History identifies him as the first Christian martyr.  Stephen, however, was not the first to be a victim of religious persecution.  From the book of Genesis to the latest edition of your news, history chronicles religious persecution.  Daniel was in the lion's den and eventually exiled to Babylon.  Jeremiah was harassed and eventually thrown into a slime pit where he nearly died.  The book of Hebrews, chapter 11, is a gallery of the deeds of great men and women who were persecuted for what they believed and did.

Today, more Christians than at any time in history (with the possible exception of the first century) are on the receiving end of persecution.  "So, what's new?  Shouldn't that be expected because there are more Christians today than ever before?"  It's that mentality, that kind of indifference, which contributes to the problem confronting us today.

On the day Stephen was stoned, do you suppose that some of the Christians in the crowd thought, "This isn't any of my business.  Besides, I can't do anything to change this, so I think I'll just go home."  Surely what happened to Stephen shook them to the core.  They knew the tide had turned and many packed and left for other places, not understanding that persecution would follow as surely as do hunger and thirst.

When you read of churches being burned, how do you respond?  Do you tend to say, "That's a long ways from where I am, and besides, I've got enough to worry about myself."

"Why are you helping me?" or "Why do you care about us?" is a question I am often asked overseas when I have done something for someone or some group.  "We're family," I respond, adding, "You are my brother," or "You are my sister!"

How so?  If you believe the Bible, you can think nothing else.  It contends that God's children are brothers and sisters, adopted into the body of Christ where there is neither race, gender, rank or social status.  Please make a study of Galatians chapters 3 and 4, Romans 8, Romans 12:5 and Ephesians 4.  Romans 12:5 says, "In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

Do you hurt with Christians--brothers and sisters who are in pain somewhere else in the world—people you have never met nor probably ever will meet?  Is it your business when a Christian dad somewhere in the world knows that practicing his faith will mean his son can never get a university education?  Yes, I know you can't fight every injustice in the world, but when you realize that we are one body, that we have one Father, that we have one faith, then all who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ lose their ethnic identity, their gender, and their culture to become brothers and sisters, belonging to each other.

In His prayer in Gethsemane, shortly before the cross, Jesus prayed that His own—His children—might be one, even as He and the Father were one.  Persecution helps forge that bond, a painful yet persuasive way of helping us to understand that what binds us together is more powerful than what separates us.

Resource reading: Acts 6:8 – 7:60

https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/why-you-should-hurt-when-your-brother-hurts/

Senate panel OKs splitting Maguindanao into 2

 THE Senate is on track to tackle for plenary deliberations a counterpart bill splitting Maguindanao into two provinces following initial approval of the enabling legislation by the  Committee on Local Government.

The committee, chaired by Sen. Francis Tolentino, endorsed the division of Maguindanao, which has a total population of 1,173,933 as of 2015.

Justifying the split, Tolentino noted that Maguindanao “remains to be one of the poorest provinces in the country despite being blessed with rich and abundant natural resources.”

He stressed that “reforms must be done in order to remedy this predicament and one way to ensure this is by splitting the province into two.”

Enabling legislations are embodied in House counterpart bill No. 6413 authored by Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu; and Senate Bills No. 1824 and 1714 separately authored by Tolentino and Sen. Cynthia Villar, respectively, all seeking to partition Manguindanao into two separate provinces under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

As proposed, 11 towns will comprise Northern Maguindanao, with the capital based in Sultan Kudarat; while Southern Maguindanao will be composed of 25 municipalities, with Buluan as its administrative capital.

Proponents of the enabling law noted that the Department of Finance’s (DOF) Bureau of Local Government Finance greenlighted the proposed measures to divide Maguindanao into two separate provinces, noting the partition is financially compliant under Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.

Tolentino reported that Director Ma. Pamela Quizon of the Bureau of Local Government Finance affirmed that the two new provinces to be carved out of Maguindanao have met the income requirements under the Local Government Code if the proposed partition will proceed.

The senator asserted that “unlocking Maguindanao’s potential is not just vital to help the people living in the said province but to bring down poverty in the entire country.”

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/10/26/senate-panel-oks-splitting-maguindanao-into-2/

The World Tonight | ANC (26 October 2020)

Senate committee OKs Maguindanao split

COTABATO CITY – The Senate Committee on Local Government has supported the proposal to divide Maguindanao province into two areas, a Maguindanao lawmaker said Monday.

This, as the Senate committee, chaired by Senator Francis Tolentino, approved on the same day House Bill (HB) 6413 that seeks to divide Maguindanao into Northern and Southern Maguindanao provinces pending the recommendation by the Technical Working Group (TWG) to determine the center of government in the “would-be” Southern Maguindanao.

The bill, which has hurdled its third and final reading in the House of Representatives, designates Buluan town as the provincial seat of government for the South while Datu Odin Sinsuat town will represent the North.

After the recommendation of the TWG, a Senate committee report will be submitted to the plenary, and it will be used as a basis for a bicameral meeting before the anticipated passing into law of the proposition.

HB 6413 is sponsored by Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu along with Tarlac 3rd District Rep. Noel Villanueva and Maguindanao 1st District Rep. Roonie Sinsuat Sr. while Senate Bills 1714 and 1824 were filed by Sen. Cynthia Villar and Tolentino, respectively.

In his manifestation to the Senate committee, Mangudadatu urged the Senate leadership to support House Bill 6413 by adopting a substitute bill following the content and design of HB 6413 and SB Nos. 1714 and 1824 concerning SB No. 1274 filed by Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.

All three legislations similarly seek the creation of Northern and Southern Maguindanao provinces, including the naming of Buluan and Datu Odin Sinsuat as provincial seats of government, while SB 1274 filed by Revilla pursues the creation of Western Maguindanao instead.

“While we respect and appreciate Sen. Revilla for sponsoring and filing a counterpart SB towards the realization of an empowered Maguindanao, we would like to request Sen. Tolentino that our prayers and provisions illustrated in HB 6413 be adopted in a substitute bill,” Mangudadatu said in a statement Monday.

Mangudadatu said that with a smaller province, local resource management and the delivery of basic public services would be more efficient as most local government officials and employees will work and focus on programs that will best serve the interests of their constituents.

He said the division of Maguindanao aims to make public service more accessible and closer to the people.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1119711

Tolentino bats for division of Maguindanao into 2 provinces to speed up development

Senator Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Senate local government committee, today pushed for the division of Maguindanao into two provinces.

This followed a hybrid public hearing on bills creating local government units (LGUs), including his Senate Bill (SB) 1824, seeking to divide Maguindanao into two provinces, namely: Northern Maguindanao and Southern Maguindanao.

Maguindanao has been endowed with rich and abundant natural resources which that other provinces would be right to envy.

Despite the existence of this vast potential, the province ironically remains one of the poorest provinces in the country.

Tolentino said that reforms must be done in order to remedy this situation as unlocking Maguindanao’s potential is not just vital to help the people living in the province but also in bringing down poverty in the entire country.

“In order to achieve this goal, one solution would be to focus on socio-economic development activities in the province and making sure that these programs actually reach (the) majority of the people,” he pointed out.

The lawmaker said that one way to ensure this is through the enactment of SB 1824 and splitting the province into two.

“With this new set-up, government officials of each new province would be able to more properly focus their efforts in assisting lesser constituents and lesser territorial jurisdiction. The government of each province will now be able to create projects and programs that would better address the intricacies and special needs of their respective jurisdictions,” Tolentino said.

Under the bill, the Province of Northern Maguindanao shall be composed of the following municipalities: Barira, Buldon, Datu Blah Sinsuat, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Matanog, Northern Kabuntalan, Parang, North Upi, Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Mastura.

The Province of Southern Maguindanao shall include the foillowing municipalities: Ampatuan, Buluan, Datu Abdulah Sangki, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Datu Hofier Ampatuan, Datu Montawal, Datu Paglas, Datu Piang, Datu Salibo, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Mangudadatu, Pagalungan, Paglat, Pandag, Rajah Buayan, Sharif Aguak, Sharif Saydona Mustafa, Sultan sa Barongis, Talayan; Talitay and South Upi.

 

The hearing which was attended virtually by LGU officials, also discussed other bills seeking to redistrict certain areas, create and separate barangays, and declare local holidays in ten provinces.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/10/26/tolentino-bats-for-division-of-maguindanao-into-2-provinces-to-speed-up-development/

Bills dividing Maguindanao into two get Senate panels’ OK

Various measures seeking to split the existing province of Maguindanao into two were approved on Monday by a Senate joint panel.

Upon Senator Sherwin Gatchalian’s motion, the Senate committee on local government joined with electoral reforms and people’s participation approved House Bill No. 6413 and several counterpart bills in the Senate that would divide the province into two — Northern Maguindanao and Southern Maguindanao.

Under the proposals, 24 of 36 municipalities of the province would be under the Southern Maguindanao while the remaining 11 municipalities would be covered by Northern Maguindanao.

The province of Southern Maguindanao will be composed of the following: Ampatuan, Buluan, Datu Paglas, Datu Piang, Pagalungan, Shariff Aguak, South Upi, Sultan sa Barongis, Talayan, General S. K. Pendatun, Mamasapano, Sultan Sumagka, Datu Montawal, Paglat, Guindulungan, Datu Saudi-Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Rajah Buayan, Pandag, Mangudadatu, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Datu Salibo and Shariff Saydona Mustapha.

The 11 municipalities under the Northern Maguindanao would be the following: Barira, Buldon, Datu Blah T. Sinsuat, Datu Odin Sinuat, Kabuntalan, Matanog, Northern Kabuntalan, Parang, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura and Upi.

For the purpose of this section, Cotabato City shall have its own legislative district effective upon the election and qualification of its representative to be held on the second Monday of May in the year 2022. The incumbent Representatives of the present Province of Maguindanao shall continue to represent their respective legislative districts until the expiration of their term of office.

In the proposed law it stated “Any municipality that may hereafter be created within the jurisdiction of their provinces shall automatically form part of its constituent units.”

“Not all redistricting is harmful. New jurisdictions may be warranted if the population has grown big enough and that preferences for public goods have become sufficiently heterogeneous,” Maguindanao Rep. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, one of the proponents of the measures, said in his manifestation during the hearing.

Senator Francis ‘Tol’ Tolentino, meanwhile, lamented that the existing province, despite its “rich and abundant natural resources,” remains to be “one of the poorest provinces” in the country.

As of 2015, the current undivided Maguindanao has a total population of 1,173,933.

“Reforms must be done in order to remedy this predicament and one way to ensure this is by splitting the province into two,” Tolentino, chairman of the local government committee and one of the authors of the bills in the Senate, said during the hearing.

In moving for the approval of the measures, Gatchalian noted that the bills would still be subject to discussions in the Technical Working Group (TWG), to resolve the issue of where the “capital should be.”

“Just to move the bills forward, I move to approve the said measures and transition to a TWG,” he said.

Tolentino’s press release after the hearing, however, already indicated that Buluan would be the administrative capital of Southern Maguindanao while Sultan Kudarat would be the capital of Northern Maguindanao.

Senator Imee Marcos seconded Gatchalian’s motion, while Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa abstained from voting.

A consolidated measure will then be reported to the Senate plenary for consideration.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1352528/bills-dividing-maguindanao-into-two-get-senate-panels-ok

Anong Puwedeng Gawin Kung Hindi Puwedeng Bumisita sa Yumao? - Kape't Pan...

The World Tonight | ANC (23 October 2020)

「 PNA Newsroom 」 2020.10.23

House minority leader says ABS-CBN can reapply for franchise next year

When can ABS-CBN should re-apply for franchise renewal?

Minority leader and Abang-Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano said in a recent virtual press briefing that the television and radio giant can only file for franchise renewal in 2021, since it was only this year that the House Committee on Legislative Franchises held a series of hearings on the matter.

“Ako personally (For me personally), ABS-CBN has all the time to file its renewal one year after. Kasi (Because) under our rules, they can file it again one year after,” Paduano said.

Last July 10, the Legislative Franchises panel chaired by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez voted 70-11-1 (yes-no-abstain) to reject ABS-CBN’s franchise application, which several House members had filed in behalf of the beleaguered network.

This is the standard practice when it comes to franchises. The Lopez-owned network’s erstwhile 25-year operating franchise expired last May 5.

However, there is also an opinion that the congressmen can re-file for the franchise renewal at any time in the current 18th Congress, since a franchise renewal bill is treated just like any other measure filed in the House.“As far as I know, there’s no prohibition on the filing or re-filing of bills that are not favorably acted upon by a committee,” a House member who requested anonymity said.

“Just like any other bill that doesn’t become a law for whatever reason – like it was vetoed, was approved by one chamber but wasn’t by the other chamber, it didn’t reach third reading, or it wasn’t acted upon by a committee – it could be filed again,” he added.

However, he noted that the timing for the re-filing isn’t as important as the practically of re-filing. “The committee that tacked your bill would basically have the same composition as before. You’re talking to the same people, so there’s no certainty of a different result,” he said.

It is rare for the Legislative Franchises panel to hear an application and reject it in the end. But then there was immense pressure from the public to hear ABS-CBN’s case, being a network popular in both its brand of programs and public service.

The recent leadership change in the House of Representatives provides an interesting dynamic to ABS-CBN’s franchise application, since Speaker Lord Allan Velasco may or may not choose to change the existing committee chairmanships. Solons would find it more sensible to re-file the franchise renewal bill if and when the Legislative Franchises panel gets revamped.

Incidentally, Velasco’s office has reportedly commenced an “evaluation” of the performance of the committee chairmen to coincide with the break in the legislative calendar. Congressmen won’t reconvene until Nov. 16.

Marinduque Rep. Velasco took over the helm from Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano last week. Cayetano served as Speaker for 15 months.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/10/23/house-minority-leader-says-abs-can-reapply-for-franchise-next-year/

Alala vs Ala-ala - Kape't Pandasal kasama si Rissa Singson-Kawpeng

When Culture Conflicts With Faith

 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.  Joshua 24:15

When you don't in a world that generally does, you stand out like a sore thumb!  In other words, when almost everybody cheats, and you don't, you are penalized.  When almost everybody lies to get ahead, and you feel compelled to tell the truth, you are at a distinct disadvantage.  When almost everybody uses company time for their own personal business or pleasure and you don't, you are thought strange or even stupid.

What makes you feel compelled to tell the truth, to sleep only with your husband, to give your employer a full eight hour day, and not to use the Internet to do your shopping or kill time?  Integrity, honesty, honor, and work ethics are offshoots of your personal faith.  You have some old-fashioned ideas that breed a sense of responsibility, and this makes you different and often leaves you feeling isolated, lonely, and completely out-of-synch with life today.  Right?

If I have described where you are, then stand tall and realize you are not alone, and that you may march to the beat of a different drummer, but your head can press your pillow at night as you say, "God, I did Your will today, and no matter how tough it was, I know I did the right thing."

Those who have stood against the trends of their day always were in a minority whether they confronted a Caesar and refused to offer a pinch of incense and say, "Caesar is Lord," or couldn't look the other way when the company was being constantly cheated by a dishonest employee.

Long ago William Shakespeare said, "To thine own self be true, and it shall follow as the day the night, thou canst not then be false to any man."  But a far greater than Shakespeare stood against the trends of His day and the power structure of corruption and paid the price of being nailed to a Roman cross.           Frankly, there is always a price to pay for distancing yourself from the corruption of the culture which surrounds you, whether it is an Athanasius who stood against the religious establishment of his day, or a Luther who voiced his dissent at practices which had corrupted the church, or the mother who stands before the school board and says, "My son's teacher is using language which is more fitting of a drunken sailor than a teacher of children."

One of those who walked with Jesus, John, put it like this: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15).  The more corrupt our culture, the more you will stand out in contrast when you abide by your convictions, yet the more secure will be those who sleep in your home, who look to you for strength and guidance, and who will follow in your footsteps.

Deciding ahead of time which side you will come down on makes the moment of decision a lot easier.  You don't have to think about it. You already know what you are doing and then do it regardless of the consequences.

Morality, honesty, and decency are not issues which you decide in measures.  The man who cheats on his wife only two percent of the time is still immoral.  The college student who cheats only occasionally is still dishonest.  You are never only partly moral or 87 percent honest.  You either decide that you are committed to doing what is right or find yourself constantly torn between your convictions which you can't abandon and pleasing your culture.

Long ago Joshua drew a line and stepped across it.  He said, "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).  And when you say that, the issue is settled.

Resource reading: Joshua 24:1-33

https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/when-culture-conflicts-with-faith/