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/

WATCH: President Rodrigo Duterte's Talk to the Nation (March 24, 2021)

WATCH: PCSO 5 PM Lotto Draw, March 24, 2021

WATCH: PCSO 2 PM Lotto Draw, March 24, 2021

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

THE 700 CLUB ASIA | In Everything Give Thanks | March 23, 2021

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/

The World Tonight | ANC (23 March 2021)

THE 700 CLUB ASIA | In Everything Give Thanks | 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/

WATCH: PCSO 9 PM Lotto Draw, March 23, 2021

'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.] 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/03/23/21/not-the-mass-i-dreamed-of-empty-churches-haunt-holy-week-for-2nd-year-due-to-covid-19

WATCH: PCSO 5 PM Lotto Draw, March 23, 2021

WATCH: PCSO 2 PM Lotto Draw, March 23, 2021

WATCH: Press briefing with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque | March...

THE 700 CLUB ASIA | Lango | March 22, 2021

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.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/23/21/lgus-private-sector-should-only-buy-covid-19-vaccines-under-tripartite-agreement-with-natl-govt-galvez

The World Tonight | ANC (22 March 2021)

THE 700 CLUB ASIA | Lango | 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/

House declares work suspension until Wednesday

By Filane Mikee Cervantes

The House of Representatives has declared work suspension until Wednesday amid the upsurge of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the country, particularly in the National Capital Region.

In a memorandum issued on Monday, House Secretary General Mark Mendoza said some offices, however, shall observe a rotating skeleton workforce during the said suspension to ensure continuity of basic services.

These include the Office of the Secretary General, Office of the Sergeant at Arms – Legislative Security Bureau, Finance Department, and the Engineering Department.

Plenary sessions will resume on Thursday at 9 a.m.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has urged public to follow the advice of health authorities to stay at home as the Philippines recorded skyrocketing spikes in cases in the last few days.

Velasco said people should avoid non-essential travel and strictly observe health protocols even in their own homes.

“With new Covid-19 cases reaching record highs, we must at all times heed the stay-at-home advice of our health authorities. This way, we are not only helping curb the spread of the virus but more importantly we are saving lives,” Velasco said.

Velasco lamented that one year into the pandemic, medical front-liners remain under enormous pressure to save lives and curb the spread of Covid-19 while many seemed to have dropped their guard in the fight against the deadly disease.

“Our health care workers are exhausted and our healthcare systems will be again overwhelmed if we continue to sidestep health and safety protocols, individually and collectively. We must never let our guard down,” Velasco said.

In its 4 p.m. case bulletin on Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 8,019 new confirmed Covid-19 cases and four new deaths.

These figures brought the overall tally of active cases to 80,970 and the death toll to 12,972.

Meanwhile, the country's total number of recoveries from Covid 19 is now at 577,850, as 103 more patients beat the disease.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1134517

WATCH: PCSO 9 PM Lotto Draw, March 22, 2021

WATCH: PCSO 5 PM Lotto Draw, March 22, 2021

WATCH: PCSO 2 PM Lotto Draw, March 22, 2021

WATCH: Press briefing with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque | March...

PH hospitals seek 'reinforcement' as COVID-19 cases surge

 (UPDATE) - A group of hospitals on Monday sought "reinforcement" from government as medical facilities in Metro Manila have been overwhelmed by a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Hospitals in Metro Manila are projected to reach full capacity by Holy Week if the government fails to slow down COVID-19 transmission, independent research group OCTA earlier said.

Jaime Almora, president of the Philippine Hospital Association, said several big hospitals are at a "critical" level with more than 70 percent of their COVID-19 beds utilized.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, in a separate Teleradyo interview, said doctors and health experts asked for a "timeout" for 2 weeks.

"Hindi ho timeout ang solusyon po, reinforcement po," Almora told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo. "We are requesting na reinforcement sana manggaling sa agencies na health-related po."

(Timeout is not the solution. We are requesting for reinforcement from health-related agencies.)

"Pagod na po ang mga nurses. Kulang na kulang po ang nurses. Ang reinforcement manggagaling sa ibang agency, military atsaka pulis kasi karamihan sa mga nurses namin nasa kanila na kasi malaki ang suweldo doon."

(Nurses are tired and their numbers are not enough. The reinforcement will come from the military and police because most of our nurses are now employed with them due to bigger salary.)

A year into the pandemic, nurses have yet to receive their COVID-19 benefits, said Jaymee de Guzman, national treasurer of Filipino Nurses United.

"'Yung benefits sa healthworkers wala pa ring natatanggap. Pahirapan po 'yan kahit na magpositive ka, Ang dami nilang hinihingi to the point na ayaw mo na lang magclaim," she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

(Healthworkers have yet to receive their benefits, even if you test positive, they have so many requirements to the point you don't want to claim it.)

"Sa tagal hindi pa rin natin na-perfect 'yung tamang proseso. 'Yung contact tracing di pa rin maalawak, 'yung mass testing sa posibleng pasyente hindi pa rin accessible sa ordinaryong tao. Wala tayong karagdang quarantine facilities."

(It's been a long time and we've yet to eprfect teh right process. Contact tracing is still not expansive, mass testing is not accessible to the ordinary people, we have no additional quarantine facilities.)

The Department of Health is "open" to augmenting the staff of hospitals nationwide, said treatment czar Leopoldo Vega.

""As of now, I think we’re still maintaining 12,000 augmented health workers across the country. If there is a gap, a need...then the DOH is open in terms of augmentation, of emergency hiring," he told ANC.

Meantime, COVID-19 patients who are from the provinces are urged to go to their local hospitals as local cases are filling up Metro Manila's medical facilities, Almora said.

The COVID-19 bed capacity of Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center is full, according to its medical director Imelda Mateo.

The hospital has 70 coronavirus patients, with 8 more awaiting admission and 18 others waiting for their test results, according to Mateo.

"Compared sa last year parang mas mataas pa rin ngayon. As of last night, puno na po ang aming COVID beds," she told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

(Compared last year, it seems high. As of last night, our COVID bed capacity is full.)

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/22/21/ph-hospitals-seek-reinforcement-as-covid-19-cases-surge

Isolated rains to prevail over most of PH Monday

By Ma. Cristina Arayata

Most parts of the country will experience isolated rain showers, the weather bureau said on Monday.

In its daily forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the northeast monsoon (amihan) will bring light rains over Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

The tail-end of frontal system will bring scattered rain showers and thunderstorm over the rest of Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region and Aurora province.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have isolated rain showers or thunderstorms caused by the easterlies.

Meanwhile, moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough seas will prevail over northern Luzon.

Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate with slight to moderate seas, PAGASA said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1134400

AFP monitors Chinese incursion off Juan Felipe Reef

 By Priam Nepomuceno

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) continues to monitor the situation off Julian Felipe Reef (Union Reef) in the West Philippine Sea which is within the country's exclusive economic zone, due to the presence of Chinese militia boats, its chief said Sunday night.

"The reef is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone therefore we oppose any move of encroachment in this sovereign territory," AFP chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said in a statement.

He said the military continues to monitor the situation "in abidance to international laws and the preservation of the status quo in the West Philippine Sea", adding that their priority is the protection of Filipino citizens, especially fishermen in the area, through increased maritime patrols.

He said the AFP would continue to pursue a "peaceful, principled, and rules-based approach" in resolving issues in the West Philippine Sea.

"We will defer to the decision of the Department of National Defense and Department of Foreign Affairs regarding the matter," Sobejana said.

Following the latest incursion, the Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Sunday night.

“Diplomatic protest fired off tonight; can’t wait for first light,” Locsin said in a tweet. 

“So recommended by General Esperon this noon by Whats App. I got the coordinates, so to speak. And relayed to my legal artillery, ‘Fire at will.’ Shell should be flying at first light. I don’t usually announce maneuvers but it seems everybody is baring his chest,” he added in another tweet.

Earlier, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF WPS) expressed concern about a Philippine Coast Guard report that around 220 Chinese fishing vessels, believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel, were sighted moored in line formation at the Julian Felipe Reef on March 7.

“The NTF WPS notes this circumstance as a concern due to the possible overfishing and destruction of the marine environment, as well as risks to the safety of navigation,” the NTF WPS said.

The reef is a large boomerang-shaped shallow coral reef at the northeast of Pagkakaisa Banks and Reefs (Union Reefs), located approximately 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1134395

THE 700 CLUB ASIA | Pagsunod| March 19, 2021

THE 700 CLUB ASIA | Pagsunod| March 19, 2021