Thursday, February 18, 2021
Voter sign up in Palawan suspended ahead of plebiscite
By Ferdinand Patinio
Voter registration in the province of Palawan is suspended to give way to the activities for the plebiscite for its division into three separate provinces, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Thursday.
“The voter registration is suspended from February 11 to March 20. Our voter registration will resume on March 23, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The offices of our Election Officers are open from Tuesday to Saturday including holidays,” Sheila May Guno, Election Officer II in Araceli town, said in a virtual briefing.
Meanwhile, Comelec Region 4-B (Mimaropa) director Gloria Petallo said the initial budget allocation for the referendum is at PHP79 million.
Petallo added that they also asked for an additional PHP50 million for the establishment of additional polling places to comply with the guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
“Because of the postponement and after the IATF approved the health protocol suggestion by the Comelec, so we have to request for another supplemental budget to cover the additional polling places. Before the pandemic, we can accommodate 400 regular voters in the polling precinct. But now, we can only accommodate 200 to comply with the IATF requirements, observing distancing and health protocols,” she said.
The referendum was originally scheduled for May 2020 but was moved to March this year as quarantine restrictions were implemented amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“So we requested I think around PHP50 million excluding the expenses of the provincial government, we requested them to provide health supplies for the local of Palawan,” Petallo said.
The province has 490,639 registered voters.
On March 13, voters will choose whether or not to divide Palawan into three provinces -- Palawan Oriental, Palawan del Norte, and Palawan del Sur, pursuant to Republic Act 11259.
Outsiders may campaign in split-Palawan poll
EVEN non-residents of Palawan could campaign for or against the looming plebiscite, which could divide the island into three separate provinces, according to the Commission on Elections.
Comelec Commissioner Antonio Kho said there is no geographical restriction on who could campaign for the upcoming plebiscite for the ratification of Republic Act 11259 or An Act Dividing the Province of Palawan Into Three (3) Provinces, Namely: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur.
“Anyone can campaign. People from any part of the Philippines, as long as you’re a [Filipino] citizen, can campaign and convince people to vote, but they are not allowed to vote,” Kho explained in a recent online briefing.
The poll official, however, noted that appointed government officials and personnel will not be allowed to participate in the plebiscite campaign, as this is prohibited under the Civil Service Law.
Elected officials, he said, are not covered by the said restrictions.
Kho issued the clarification when asked if residents of Puerto Princesa who will not be allowed to participate in the plebiscite, will be allowed to campaign for or against the division of Palawan.
He assured the public that Comelec will be non-partisan in the plebiscite to be held on March 13, 2021.
“We will implement whatever decision of the voters is with respect to the plebiscite, whether they will ratify or reject the partition of the province of Palawan,” Kho said.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/02/18/outsiders-may-campaign-in-split-palawan-poll/
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
What Will Life in Heaven Be Like?
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 1 Corinthians 15:22-23
Thomas Edison, the inventor of the incandescent globe, or the “light bulb” as we call it today, was never one to waste words. Hard of hearing, he avoided a lot of social conversation; but when he said something, people listened. That was especially true of the night Edison lay dying. Struggling to say something, his wife and doctor leaned down to catch his dying words. With a smile he clearly and distinctly said, “It is very beautiful over there!”
Strange, though, how seldom we think of heaven. No wonder C. S. Lewis wrote, “It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”
Do you think much about heaven–who is going to be there, and what we will do once we’ve arrived? Some of you do. You are the ones who have written with questions–good questions, too–which deserve answers. Like what? Like these…
Question: What will we do? Float around on clouds like they do in the movies? In heaven there will be marvelous times of worship and praise, times of feasting (the marriage supper of the Lamb), and times of rejoicing. Forget the images portrayed by Hollywood. Most of the folks there won’t have to worry about what’s done in heaven anyway. The Bible is the only book in the world that tells us for sure what heaven will be like.
Question: Will my wife still be my wife in heaven? This was the very question that arose in the ministry of Jesus. So important was it that Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded Jesus’ discussion. The discussion was the response to a question which the Pharisees put to Jesus–a trick question–about a woman had been married to seven different men. Jesus rebuked them, telling them they didn’t know the law.
Jesus answered the question of marriage in heaven very clearly saying, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). No, there will not be marriages in heaven. But relationships will be meaningful.
Question: Do people in heaven know what is happening here on earth? I would answer saying, “Yes!” Here’s why. In one of the parables, Jesus talked about rejoicing over a lost sheep, and then he said, “I tell you that in the same way there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent… In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7,10). If it is not the angels who rejoice, it must be God’s children, who are now in heaven, in the Lord’s presence.
What I’m about to say I cannot prove, but I believe, based upon many years of study. I believe that God allows His children in heaven to know things that would gladden their hearts, like the birth of a grandchild, or someone who has come to faith in Christ. This is consistent with the nature and character of God, but I don’t believe that they know things which would cause sadness and sorrow.
Question: Are there tears in heaven? Yes and no! Twice the book of Revelation says that God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes (Revelation 7:17, 21:4), and in heaven, there will be no sorrow, but rejoicing. Initially there may be some tears over our failures to tell our friends and family how to get to heaven. It’s too good to keep to ourselves.
A final question: Do you know how to get to heaven? That’s my topic on the next edition of Guidelines.
Resource reading: I Corinthians 15.
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/what-will-life-in-heaven-be-like/
Comelec assures neutral position on Palawan plebiscite
By Ferdinand Patinio
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) assured that it will implement the decision of the people of Palawan regarding the division of their province through a plebiscite next month.
“We would like to assure everyone that the Comelec will be nonpartisan in this plebiscite. We will implement whatever decision of the voters with respect to the plebiscite, whether they will ratify or reject the partition of the province of Palawan,” Comelec Commissioner Antonio Kho told reporters in a recent interview.
He said the Comelec will have no position with regards to the plebiscite.
“I would like to assure everyone that the Comelec, in holding this plebiscite, will be nonpartisan. We have no position whether we agree or disagree with this plebiscite. We will just implement the decision of the voters,” Kho said.
Kho also said there is no conflict of interest with the provincial government's move to fund the plebiscite, where it is campaigning for "Yes" votes.
“With respect to funding of plebiscite, under the law, it is the LGU of Palawan that will shoulder the cost of the plebiscite. They are providing the Comelec the budget necessary for the plebiscite. So I don't see any conflict of interest in this situation because it is provided for by law,” he said.
The voter will be asked to write “Yes” or “Oo” if they favor the split and “No” or “Hindi” if they are not in favor on the question, “Pumapayag ka ba na hatiin ang probinsya ng Palawan sa tatlong probinsya na papangalanang: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental at Palawan del Sur alinsunod sa Batas Republika bilang 11259? (Are you in favor of the division of the province of Palawan into three separate provinces: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur pursuant to Republic Act 11259?)".
The Comelec originally set the plebiscite to ratify the division of the province of Palawan into three provinces on the second week of May 2020 but it was moved to March this year, due to quarantine restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaker Velasco backs placing entire country under MGCQ next month
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco is backing a proposal by the acting NEDA secretary to place the entire country under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) starting March 21, or more than a year since the country was first placed under lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I personally agree with NEDA’s proposal to place the entire country under MGCQ next month. It is about time we safely relax pandemic restrictions to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on the economy," he said in a statement.
"With vaccines on the way, we should start encouraging our countrymen to patronize businesses again while strictly adhering to minimum health and safety protocols."
Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua earlier urged President Duterte to further reopen the Philippine economy to mitigate the increasing hunger and job losses in the country. He said local government units can implement localized lockdowns to control the spread of the coronavirus in their respective areas.
He said the Philippines lost P1.04 trillion, or an average of P2.8 billion every day, in revenues since the start of the lockdown last March 2020.
Chua also proposed to further increase the capacity of public transportation from 50 percent to 75 percent, as well as to complement this with opening of more bike lanes.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez warned the Philippines is placing last in terms of resurgence from the deadly outbreak, citing the country's negative growth rate of its gross domestic product (GDP).
"Medyo kulelat tayo ngayon, nahuhuli tayo pagdating sa recovery. In other words, tayo nagre-recover naman. Nakita natin 'yung GDP [natin] na bumagsak … maliit na lang 'yung negatives. From -16.5 naging -11.5, naging -8.7 o -8.3. So unti-unti na 'yung minus. Pero 'yung minus na 'yun, minus pa rin. E dati, +plus 6 tayo, +6.5. So, bagsak pa din," he told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.
(We're near the bottom, we're trailing in terms of recovery. In other words, we're also recovering. We saw our GDP fall … although the negatives are small. From -16.5, to -11.5, to -8.7 or -8.3. So they're decreasing slowly. But they're still minuses. Before the pandemic, we were at +6, +6.5. So, we're still at the bottom.)
"'Pag kinumpara mo sa ibang bansa, tayo pinakahuli, lalo na 'yung mga neighboring countries natin. Eh 'yung neighboring countries natin, maliit din 'yung COVID cases. Pero bakit naggo-grow sila o kaya mas maliit 'yung bagsak ng economy nila? Tayo yung huli."
(If you compare us with other countries, we're last, especially with our neighboring countries. They also have small number of COVID cases. But why are they growing or why did their economies fall slightly. We are last.)
"E dati, pre-pandemic, tayo 'yung second fastest. Tayo 'yung isa sa pinakamabilis. So, anlaki ng nawawala. Anong ibig sabihin po niyan? Less economic activity. Siyempre, 'pag may isang sektor ang nakasara, 'yung kabit-kabit na sektor na nagsu-supply doon, yung nakapaligid doon, sarado rin. 'Yung nagtatrabaho dun sa mga sarado na 'yon, walang trabaho hindi nakabalik," Lopez said.
(Before, pre-pandemic, we were the second-fastest growing economy. We were one of the fastest economies. So, we're losing a lot. What does that mean? Less economic activity. For sure, if a sector shuts down, other sectors surrounding it or supplying it will also close. Those who were working there, they lost their jobs and were not able to return.)
The unemployment rate in the Philippines was at 4.5 percent or 5 percent before COVID-19 struck the country.
When the pandemic hit in March last year, the jobless rate ballooned to 17.7 percent (7.3 million unemployed Filipinos) in April, before it went down at 10 percent (4.6 million) in July, and eventually to 8.7 (3.8 million) in October.
ABS-CBN to remain a Blocktimer for a little longer?
ABS-CBN might need to wait a little longer before it can see the light for a new franchise.
The glint of hope for ABS-CBN’s new franchise suddenly went bleak after House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco broke the bad news.
Kapamilyas’ hopes to obtain a new franchise got shattered, when Velasco said that any efforts of reviving the franchise of Kapamilya network would have to wait for the next administration.
“Calls to revive the franchise of ABS-CBN will have to wait until the next Congress.”
He added, “With a little over a year until the 2022 elections, the House of Representatives is bent on finishing the remaining priority measures of this administration to ensure that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte fulfills his campaign promise to the Filipino people.”
The Speaker’s statement came after President Duterte issued a fresh attack against the Lopezes and ABS-CBN.
Duterte in his late-night weekly taped state address said that he will not let ABS-CBN operate again even if Congress grants them the broadcast franchise it needed.
ABS-CBN has been shutdown since May 2020. It is due to the expiration of its franchise and the cease-and-desist order by the NTC.
On July 10, 2020, the Network’s franchise application got rejected by 70 Cayetano-led congressmen, which led to a massive lay-off of its workforce.
It would keep GMA, IBC, PTV and TV5 as the sole TV networks in the country.
Currently, ABS-CBN shows are airing on A2Z Channel 11 via a block-time agreement with Zoe Broadcasting Network. Recently, 2 ABS-CBN programs ASAP Natin ‘To and FPJ Da King get another airtime ion TV5 through its block-time deal is with Brightlight Productions.
https://www.lionheartv.net/2021/02/abs-cbn-to-remain-a-blocktimer-for-a-little-longer/
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Do Babies Go to Heaven? (and Other Questions)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. Revelation 21:1
Whenever I travel overseas and I have not been to a particular place before, I always am curious about what to expect when I get there. I want to know about the weather, the geography, the people, and my wardrobe–what kind of clothes I should bring, which is usually determined by what I’m going to be doing when I get there.
If you asked ten people if they expect to go to heaven when they die, most would say, “Yes–I hope so!” Yet very few people ever think much about who is going to be there, how you get there, and what we are going to do when we do get there.
For sure, heaven will be filled with surprises–for us and for others, as well, who are just as surprised that we’ve made it. I’ve received a number of letters from you, friends of Guidelines, asking specific questions about these issues. I’d like to answer some of these questions briefly, giving you answers based upon what the Bible says–which, after all, is the only authoritative book that gives us answers to questions about heaven.
Question #1: Who is going to be in heaven? That’s easy to answer. The Bible says that heaven is the eternal home of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. It will be the home of God’s people of all ages and races. Make a note of John 14 in your New Testament, where Jesus made it very clear that He is “the way, the truth, and the life,” the door through which we enter heaven.
Contrary to what people often believe, heaven isn’t the home of all the good people in the world. It is the place which Jesus Christ has gone to prepare for those who know and serve Him.
Question #2: Will we know each other in heaven? At the transfiguration Jesus took Peter, James, and John into a mountain, and while they were together Moses and Elijah appeared. You read about this in Matthew 17. Jesus didn’t have to explain, “OK, boys, that’s Moses on the left; Elijah’s the short one on the right, the one with the bushy eyebrows and the fiery looking eyes.” They knew immediately. In eternity you will no longer have memories dimmed by the frailties of the flesh. We’ll be beyond the limitation of time and space. 1 John 3 says that when we see Christ, we will know Him. You will recognize loved ones. Heaven will be a time of rejoicing for God’s children.
Question #3: Do babies go to heaven? Answer–unquestionably, “Yes!” When David’s child by Bathsheba died, he cried, “Can I bring him back again? [Answer expected: No!] I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23). You can expect to see a child resting in the arms of Jesus when you die and go to heaven. For centuries, rabbis have taught that the age of accountability is 12. This has been based more on tradition than any clear statement in the Old Testament, but according to Romans 2, in the New Testament, until there is a clear knowledge of right and wrong, a child who dies is innocent before God. This is good news for anyone who has ever had a baby snatched from his arms in death.
Question #4: Does it matter if someone is an infant or someone is old, in heaven? It matters a great deal here, but it won’t matter in heaven, according to Isaiah 65 and 66. In heaven, no longer bound by the laws of time and space which now limit us, age will no longer be a factor. Why? Heaven is timeless, and if it is timeless, it is also ageless. More on this important topic tomorrow.
Resource reading: Revelation 21
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/do-babies-go-to-heaven-and-other-questions/
House approves bill granting Bataan 3rd congressional seat
RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a measure granting Bataan province a third seat in the chamber ahead of the 2022 elections.
Voting 202-0-6, majority of lawmakers approved House Bill 8664, which would create the following congressional districts in the Bataan province:
- First District: Dinalupihan, Hemosa, Orani, Morong, Samal, Abucay
- Second District: Balanga, Orion Pilar
- Third District: Bagac, Limay, Mariveles
The incumbent representatives shall serve until their current terms expire.
Currently, the first District is represented by Geraldine Roman, while the second district is represented by Jose Enrique Garcia III, the bill's author.
The House-approved bill will now be transmitted to the Senate for its action.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/16/21/house-approves-bill-granting-bataan-3rd-congressional-seat