Blessed Pedro Calungsod... my big 'KUYA!'

(October 21, 2012: A year ago, I posted on my blog a special write-up about Blessed (SAINT) Pedro Calungsod. Up until now, this post is my most-read among all my posts on SB@B. I can feel that lots of people are carefully knowing Kuya Pedro more, and I am honored to share my piece of his life and holiness to the world. 

Now that Kuya Pedro will be hailed as a new Saint in our Church, I have written yet another special blogpost in his honor. You can read it here: http://sirbitz.blogspot.com/2012/10/young-and-holy-in-honor-of-saint-pedro.html)

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who'd read and appreciated my last two posts. I've never been used to experiencing this kind of acclaim from the social spectrum, and I really feel honored with your comments and views regarding the Anti-RH Bill Rally and the fate of three OFWs in China yesterday. Again, thank you very much!

Well, I would put the limelight today to somebody who, though dead, had been the talk of the town, especially in FB, these past few days. According to the rumors, this guy would be receiving greater recognition from the Catholic Church. Though the people in Rome confirmed that this is just a petty hoax and the Church has given no statement on this, still the impact made about by this rumor has made him an instant star. People recognized him again as somebody who made the Filipinos proud through his martyrdom for the sake of the Gospel.

I'm referring to the present beatified Filipino of our times, and my personal Patron and Kuya, Blessed Pedro Calungsod. In his young stature, he offered his life for the evangelization of the Filipino people, especially those living then in Guam. Through his sacrifice of himself, the people of the Chamorros received greater light on the teachings of Jesus and of the Church. 

Let's better look into his life. I shall use this version from Wikipinas:

Pedro Calungsod
Pedro Calungsod (c. 1654 – 2 April 1672) is a Filipino Roman Catholic martyr. Calungsod was a lay assistant to the Spanish Jesuit missionaryDiego Luis de San Vitores, and both of them were killed by two Chamorro natives while propagating the Christian faith in the Marianas Islands (now Guam). On 5 March 2000, Calungsod became the second Filipino to be beatified by the late Pope John Paul II, the first being San Lorenzo Ruiz in 1981.

Life
Calungsod was born in 1654, however, four Visayan villages claim to be his hometown: Ginatilan and Tuburan in Cebu, Loboc in Bohol, and Leon in Iloilo. An oral tradition of the Calunsod family from Leon asserts that “an ancient ancestor joined Jesuit missionaries working on an island 'near Hawai'.”

In a Jesuit boarding school for boys, Calungsod received his basic education, mastered the Catholic catechism, and learned to communicate in Spanish and Chamorro. He also honed his skills in drawing, painting, singing, acting, and carpentry. Calungsod exhibited notable aptitude when he served the Holy Mass according to the Tridentine Rite, which was only celebrated in Latin.

Calungsod, then 14, was among the young exemplary catechists and assistants chosen to accompany the Jesuits in their mission to convert the native Chamorros in the Ladrones Islands (Islas de los Ladrones or “Islands of Thieves”), which was later named Marianas (Las Islas de Mariana) around 1667 in honor of Queen Maria Ana of Austria who supported the mission.

Pedro Calungsor
In one account, another lay assistant to Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores was identified with the name Pedro Calungsor. He was a survivor of the 1638 Nuestra Señora de la Concepciónshipwreck off the coast of Saipan (the largest among the islands of Marianas) and resided in the islands for thirty years, where he had a wife and a daughter, who was the first Chamorro baptized.

Calungsor was said to have been de San Vitores's first assistant and translator when the Jesuit first came to the islands but Calungsor ran away. De San Vitores returned to the Philippines where he found a new assistant in the person of the young Pedro Calungsod.

Mission
On 15 June 1668, Calungsod and the Jesuit missionaries arrived in Marianas aboard a patache or supply boat named San Diego. The evangelists went on teaching Catholicism and baptizing families but encountered several setbacks such as the Chamorro beliefs, traditions, and way of living.

One impediment they had to deal with was the “Guma' Uritao” (men's houses), which the missionaries considered as an institutionalized prostitution. In these houses, adolescent boys were taught skills deemed they would need as men, such as canoe building, navigating, tool making, fishing, and sex, which was taught by women.

The missionaries ordered the destruction and burning of Guma' Uritaos, and established the Colegio de San Juan de Letran for boys and Escuela de Niñas for girls.

The evangelization efforts were not entirely welcomed pleasantly. A Chinese man named Choco, also shipwrecked in the Marianas two decades before the missionaries arrived, allegedly spread rumors that the baptismal waters and anointing oils caused the death of people. Choco ceded his claims and was baptized after a days-long public debate with de San Vitores. Before long, Choco apostatized from Catholicism.

Death
The rumors remained and cost Calungsod his life. On 2 April 1672, Calungsod was with de San Vitores to perform baptisms in the village of Tomhom when a former Christian convert refused to have his infant daughter christened. The apostate was said to be the village chief Matap'ang, who enlisted the warrior Hirao to kill the Jesuit priest.

Since Calungsod was involved in the administration of the Sacrament of Baptism, the two natives turned against him first. Although able-bodied, Calungsod merely dodged the attacks and chose not to fight back in obedience to the Christian teachings. Instead of running to save his life, Calungsod protected the priest and was hit in the chest by a spear. He was given absolution by de San Vitores before the Jesuit faced his own death. Their bodies were mutilated and thrown into the sea at Tomhom (now known as Tumon).

Beatification
Calungsod's existence and martyrdom came to the knowledge of the Filipinos during de San Vitores's beatification in October 1985. Led by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal in 1994, the Archdiocese of Cebu commenced the formal process for the beatification of Calungsod. In 1997, the results of the initial process were approved by the Vatican Sacred Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. A positio or biography of Calungsod required by the Vatican was finished and approved in 1999.

Calungsod was venerated on 27 January 2000 and proclaimed Blessed by Pope John Paul II on 2 April 2000. The date was also declared by the late pontiff as “Pedro Calungsod's Day."

Canonization
In 2008, Cardinal Vidal expressed hope that Blessed Calungsod would soon be canonized. A beatified person can be proclaimed a saint only after miracles attributed to him / her are proven. In Calungsod's case, several people have sought his intercession and attested to the miracles that he manifested.

One instance was that of a young man whose bone cancer in the leg was said to have disappeared after he sought the intercession of Calungsod, on the advice of his parish priest and spiritual director.

A kidnap victim who appealed for his mediation was saved from being killed and was released by his captor when it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.

The daughter of an inebriated widower who could not land himself a job prayed for Calungsod's intervention. After doing so, her father started to limit his drinking, found a good job and a new wife, and led a new life.

As of the date, the Local Church honors Blessed Pedro on April 2.

As for me, I became a witness to his beatification in 2000, through the TV airing of the Rites from the Vatican. Since then, I became interested in knowing him more. I remember when Friendster was still starting (in 2002 or 2003 perhaps), I use his picture as my profile pic until such time that I am already able to use my personal photo as the same.

The Shrine of Blessed Pedro Calungsod in Cebu City

Nevertheless, he serves as my inspiration without me knowing it. His life, very near to mine, is one of total young service to the Church. I know certain things in the Liturgy at the young age of 20, and I'm also somebody who grew up in my parish community and in the academe as a future educator. Still, I am a frail being; I ask him nowadays for guidance in everything that I should do. 

I don't feel aloft in him, for he is young and Filipino like me. I entrust my life to him as my patron, and I pray to him that he may guide me in this life through the way of the Cross and to the Cross. I also consider him as my big Kuya, somebody who could understand me and accept me as a brother in the faith. I know that through his prayers and merits, and with the help of Mary, our Queen and Mother, I may be able to live and fight for my faith in my own personal terms, even to the point of death in the service of others.

Along with the many Filipinos who will celebrate his feast on April 02, I continue praying to him that he may intercede for me - and for us - to God. We especially pray that the Church considers him as a saint in the quickest possible time. We are not in a hurry though, but we know that through this step, the whole world would come to know better of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, a blessed pride of the Filipinos.

And so, altogether, let us pray to God and to Blessed Pedro Calungsod:

Almighty God,

by whose gift Blessed Pedro the Martyr witnessed to the Gospel,

even to the shedding of this blood:

grant, by his example and intercession,

that we too may live for you,

boldly, steadfastly, confessing your name

through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

Another prayer, asking God for Blessed Pedro's Canonization (we pray that it may be realized in the soonest time possible):

Blessed Pedro Calungsod,

Young migrant, student, catechist,

missionary, faithful friend, martyr,

you inspire us by your fidelity in times of adversity,

by your courage in teaching the faith in the midst of hostility,

and by your love in shedding your blood for the sake of the Gospel.

Make our troubles your own (here mention your request),

and intercede for us before the throne of Mercy and Grace

so that as we experience the help of heaven we may be encouraged

to proclaim and live the Gospel here on earth.

Amen.

O God, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, graciously grant the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, if it be for the greater glory of your Name and for the good our souls. 

AMEN.

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be.

SirBitz.033111 ')

DIVINE PROVIDENCE: Three in Death Row, A Nation in Prayer

Well, this is it. We prayed, and begged for the deliverance from this day, but this may be the reality of what we call 'Divine Providence.'

In a few moments from posting time, three Filipinos will have been facing Brother Death thru Lethal Injection in China for bringing in illegal drugs into their shores. Elizabeth Batain, Ramon Credo, and Sally Villanueva were all sentenced to death last February for smuggling-in four to six kilos of Heroin which were discreetly tied inside their carriage bags. 

Upon knowing this, the government drew into certain means for them to be out of the death game, and at least receive a life sentence. We remember VP Jejomar Binay visiting China to discuss this with their officials. Well, at least, the reliever goes like they are not to receive death for some weeks, but not to the point of clemency.

But all the cards were used and still China never changed its mind. The Philippines turns into one last resort: PRAYER. Since last night, people from everywhere kept on praying and storming the heavens with their petition for a Miracle. We are still optimistic at knowing that prayer can still work wonders even at the last and crucial moments. As of now, we still do not know what is happening in China, or if the three people faced death already. Prayers are still storming God's doors, not only for their salvation, but also for the people behind their fate, especially the man or woman who made them bring the illegal drugs to China in exchange for good, dirty cash.

Yes. People are telling that this is China's fault. That they should be held liable for killing the three victims. Well, this is my stand: NO, IT IS NOT ONLY THE FAULT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. YES, WE MAY BLAME THEM FOR INFLICTING DEATH ON OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN WHEN IN FACT THEY ARE ONLY VICTIMS, AND NOT LOOKING AFTER THE FACTS AND POSSIBILITIES THAT MAY ACQUIT THEM FROM THE SIN THAT THEY DID NOT DO.

BUT IT'S NOT DIRECTLY THEIR FAULT. IT IS THE FAULT OF THAT PERSON OR GROUP OF PERSONS WHO MADE THEM BRING THE CARRIAGE BAGS OF HEROIN TO CHINA. IT IS THE FAULT OF THOSE DEVILS WHO ONLY CARE FOR THEIR OWN WEALTH AND POWER WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE STATURE OF OUR POOR BROTHERS AND SISTERS. IT IS THE FAULT OF THE DRUG SYNDICATE WHO PROMISED THEM WITH EMPTY PROMISES, LEAVING THEM EMPTY-HANDED AND DEAD AFTERWARDS.

Divine Providence. Yes, Maybe God allows this to happen in the first place. It may hurt us and lay bare our dignity as a Christian nation, but still God wills this. Not for us to dwell into sorrow, nor for the money suckers to be happy with the fate of the three Victims. God allowed this perhaps because he wants us to stand firm as a nation faithful to Him. He wants us to value life more and defend it against the devil's acts before it is too late. Never mind the death sentence that China will give to Sally, Ramon and Elizabeth. We let go and let God do the revenge in the afterlife. 

Always remember this, my dear reader... THE WORLD'S JUSTICE IS ONE DIRTY JUSTICE. No judicial system in any country in this world could suffice the justice that God has. He shows mercy to those who call to him, and takes requital on the people who oppress them. If we desire to do likewise against them and fight aback against China, remember what God said...

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

(Romans 12.19)

There's nothing more we can do for these three than our sincere prayers for their deliverance or for the eternal repose of their souls. We should also stand firm and continue looking for the people who made them face this sad fate. While we think of ourselves as hopeless in the face of other countries, we should continue fighting for the right, because EMMANUEL! GOD IS WITH US!!! This is Divine Providence!

SirBitz.033011 ')

SirBitz Reports: OBEY GOD'S WILL... NO TO RH BILL!!!

March 25. It's a Friday, the second to the last day of school. But instead of coming home early, I asked my mom to permit me to arrive later that day. She asked me why, and I replied, Ha? Eh may rally kasi sa Luneta. Alam ninyo na. She allowed me, and gave an additional 50 Pesos as my budget for that rally.


Actually, that is my second time to attend a rally and be there for a cause. So much excitement made me absent from my last class (1:00-2:30 PM) to come to Quirino Grandstand on time, if not earlier. I came at exactly 3:00 PM. With me arrived some people, which multiplied in numbers as the hours passed. My friends came minutes later, bringing a tarp and a Philippine Flag with them. We savored each moment, and relished the passing seconds through praying the rosary, listening to testimonies, giving out leaflets, rejoicing through songs, and being one with the multitude in celebrating the Eucharist.

All these for one reason: LIFE.

So, once upon a time in Manila, a crowd of some 500,000 people gathered to shout their battle cry: OBEY GODS WILL! NO TO RH BILL!!! Our biased friends in media, though, printed in the news that they only number 40,000. Yes, 40,000 is the number of people that can fill from Quirino Grandstand to Luneta, bypassing the Roxas Boulevard. That is 40,000. Really.

But pictures tell otherwise. The people is numbered more than 40,000. According to Radio Veritas (my most trusted Radio Station as of the moment), before the Mass, the people count is 200,000. But when the Mass started, it blew up miraculously to 500,000. They come from different places and walks of life. From the metro to the province: teachers, doctors, Church members, students, disabled, priests, religious brothers and sisters, lay people and preachers, homosexuals, youth, old, charismatic, workers, artists, media reporters both pro- and anti-, cameramen, politicians, Christians, Muslims, just everyone from the social spectrum who loves life and concerns about the family. They have gathered there to sing, dance, rejoice, listen, pray and be united for God's gift of life and against the Bill that is about to kill it.

Yes, I'm talking about the Interfaith Prayer Rally last March 25, 2011, Solemnity of the Annunciation and Day of the Unborn. Having its theme, Filipinos! Unite Under God for Life!, it is really a huge success thanks to the help and suffice of our Almighty God, and of the many people who made it happen. 

But above it all, a special citation must be given to the voice behind these many voices gathered together. He's no other than the the shepherd of the Archdiocese of Manila, HE Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales. Through his pastoral letter to all the bishops of the Suffragan Dioceses of Manila (March 14, 2011), he called on everyone to meet-up and ask God to guide and enlighten the minds of the people who continue to support the RH Bill. His call was heard, and 500,000+++ Filipinos attended the said rally (including yours truly). 

In his Homily in the Mass concelebrated by all the Bishops present, together with their Eminences Cardinals Ricardo Vidal and Jose Sanchez, he emphasized the real importance and sacredness of life, discipline, marriage and family. He was applauded 38 times for this really striking preaching which goes deep to the heart of the message of the whole message the Church was fighting for all these time. 

It is my pleasure to share this homily with you all. There is no need for citations, for the Homily in its whole is more impelling than only citing some portions of it.

As you read it, think of the real possibilities underlying the RH Bill. I pray that God may touch your heart so that you may really know what you are really fighting for. If you're one with us, congratulations! If you're against us, read, reflect and think.

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PAHALAGAHAN ANG BUHAY

(Homily delivered by His Eminence Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales during the Mass at the Prayer Rally “Filipinos! Unite Under God” at the Quirino Grandstand, Luneta, on March 25,2011, Feast of the Annunciation and Day of the Unborn Child, at 7 p.m.)

Nagsalita ang Panginoong Diyos kay Moises at sa mga sumasampalataya sa kanya nang ganito: “Tatawagin ko ang langit at lupa na sumaksi laban sa inyo. ‘Ihahain ko sa inyo ay buhay o kamatayan, ang pagpapala o ang sumpa. Piliin na ninyo ang buhay, nang sa gayo’y kayo at ang inyong salin-lahi ay mabuhay sa pagibig ng Panginoong inyong Diyos, tumatalima at nananatili sa Kanya.” (Deuteronomio 30:19).

Simulan natin ang pagninilay sa prinsipyo na ang buhay ay ang pinakamahalagang biyaya na kaloob ng Panginoong Diyos sa sinumang tao. Ito ang matinding paniniwala at turo ng Simbahang Katoliko na ang buhay ng tao, kahima’t mahina or nagdurusa ay palaging isang pinakamalaking biyaya ng kabutihan ng Diyos (Familiaris Consortio, n. 30).

Kapag hindi ninyo pinahalagahan ang buhay na iyan sa alinman o saan mang yugto ng buhay ng tao (sanggol, foetus, matanda, malakas o mahina), hinding-hindi igagalang ang buhay ng sinuman --- at diyan kapag wala ng halaga o walang pagpapahalaga, wala ng magtatanggol sa buhay, dadayain ang buhay na yan, aapihin, kikidnapin na, pagsisinungalingan na, pagnanakawan na ang buhay na ‘yan ng tao!

Kanya napaka-ganda ang pagtuturo ng Simbahan --- alagaan, ipagtanggol at itaguyod ang buhay. Huwag hahadlangan ng anuman sandata o anumang artipisyal na paraan ang buhay. Ang paglalapastangan sa buhay na iyan, malakas man o mahina, na ating laging, pinapahalagahan ay labag sa kulturang Pilipino tungkol sa buhay ng tao. (Pastoral Letter, CBCP, 30 January 2011).

Ang kahirapan ng tao o kaya’y ang pagdami ng tao ay likas na merong solusyon at ang kasagutan dito ay aral na rin ng Panginoong Hesukristo. Una, ang yaman ng daigdig or kaya’y ang pinagsikapan ng tao ay sapa’t na at sobra pa upang pagsaluhan ng lahat. “Magmahalan kayo” at magdamayan sa ngalan ng pagibig. Ikalawa, mayroong paraan na inilagay ang Panginoong Diyos sa kalikasan ng katawan ng lalaki at babae, na ito ay marapat alamin o pag-aralan upang matiyak ang mga araw kung kalian maaaring madulot ng panibagong buhay sa pagtatalik ang binhi ng lalaki at babae. Sa bawa’t pagtatalik ang mag-asawa ay maaaring maging katuwang ng Panginoong Diyos sa paglikha ng panibagong buhay. (Humanae Vitae, n. 11).

Banal ang buhay ng magasawa at sapagkat ito ay banal ito ay ginagantihan ng Panginoong Diyos ng tuwa at ligaya ang bawa’t pagsasama ng sinuman magasawa, sapagka’t habang buhay nilang ipag-papatuloy ang masidhing pangangalaga hanggang sa ang mga anak ay akayin sa kabutihang asal, banal ring pamumuhay na mayroong pagdamay at paggalang sa kapwa hanggang sa katandaan.

Mayroon naming natural na paraan sa paghahanda sa mahalagang buhay na iyan. At iyan ang tinatawag na NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING. At ito ay kaloob ng Panginoong Diyos sa kalikasan ng bawat tao, lalaki or babae. Alam ng makapangyarihang Panginoong Diyos na darating ang araw na dapat lalung pag-aralan at may pananagutang balakin ang dakilang paghahanda sa buhay na iyan. Kung kaya’t inilagay ng Panginoong Diyos sa kalikasan ng katawan ng tao—lalaki at babae—ang wasto at tiyak na paraan at panahon ng hinog na binhi (ng buhay) para magsilang ng bagong buhay ng tao, lalang, at sa kawangis at kalarawan ng Diyos. (Henesis 1:27).

Sa pag-aaral ng paraan para tiyakin ang mahalaga at banal na mga sandaling ng nahihinog na binhi ng buhay, malalaman ng sinuman ang mga banal na sandaling iyan—at kailangan naman sa mga tiyak na sandal at araw na iyan ang pagtitimpi, pagpigil sa sarili (pagpigil sa pang-gigigil). Yan ang sakripisyo ng tao. Alalaon baga ay kailangan ang mga sandal ng disiplina. Kapag may disiplina sa kama, tiyak na magkakaroon ng disiplina sa kalsada, maging sa pitaka (karta moneda). Dito mapapahalagahan natin ang “values” na itinuturo ng Simbahan.

Banal po mga kapatid ang Gawain ng mag-asawa, kaya naman ginagantihan ng Butihing Diyos ng ligaya at tuwa ang mag-asawa hindi lamang sa pagtatalik, kung hindi hanggang sa mapalaki sa kabutihang asal, kabaitan at akayin sa kabanalan ang kanilang mga anak. Kasama diyan ng magasawa ang Panginoong Diyos. At ang tapat na magasawa ay hindi pinababayaan ng Panginoon.

Banal ang pag-aasawa; banal ang pagtatalik sapagka’t ito ay kalakip ng pagbibigay ng buhay na galling sa Panginoong Diyos. Hindi ito laru-laruan na ituturo sa mga bata sa paggamit ng goma, lobo o condom, para iwasan daw ang sakit? Bakit mga bata ang tuturuan ng ganitong laro? Hindi po ba ang tamang ituro sa kabataan ay ang magandang halimbawa ng matatanda at ang kahalagahan ng buhay, ang kabanalan ng pagpipigil sa sarili na ang tawag ay disiplina? Ang awag po noong una ay kapag may pagpipigil, mayroong disiplina at paggalang at magkakaroon din ng Karakter ang tao. Ngayon ang gusting ipamulat sa kabataan ay ito: gamitin ang goma, maglaro kayo! Ganyan kabarato ang buhay ng tao ngayon.

Salamat at mayroong Simbahan at salamat at mayroong Pananampalataya na nagpapaalaala pa (kahit mayroong ilang mga mambabatas o matatanda na kakaiba ang isip na hindi na mabuting makapangaral, hindi na kayang magpagturo ng magandang asal at batas na magpapabalik pa sa dahan-dahang nawawala at nanghihinang magandang hiyas na ating kabihasnang Pilipino.

At bakit bata pa ay tinuturuan na ang mga anak ng ilang mga matatanda at mambabatas sa pag-iwas sa responsibilidad at ang pagwawalang bahala sa katuwiran at kalinisan? (Sa pangalan daw ng sanidad at kalusugan). Puro maalawang palusot ang gustong ituro sa kabataan ng ilang mambabatas—kanya ganiyan ang magiging bukas ng Pilipinas—mga mamayan na puro palusot, lahat ng padulas ang alam. May peligrong mawawala ang halag (value) ng kristiyano at tunay na Filipino. Ang dapat ituro sa kabataan ay kalinisan ng budhi, kalinisan ng puso, disiplina at pagpipigil sa sarili at paggalang sa hindi sariling pera.

Anong klaseng panukalang batas itong RH Bill na kung maging batas na, at ang itinuro o ipaliwanag ng Simbahan at mga naglilingkod dito ay ang katwiran ng galing sa Bibliya, Pananampalataya at konsensiya ng Kristiyano tungkol sa Buhay at Kalinisan, sa halip na ang turo ay ang RH law, ay maaaring papag-multahin o ibilanggo ang mga ito? Paparusahan pa ang sumusunod sa konsensiya at Pananampalataya. Hindi ito ang Pilipinas! Hindi na tayo babanggit ng anumang bansa, pero hindi ito ang Pilipinas na minahal at pinag-alayan ng buhay ng mga bayani, sampo ng tatlong Pari --- Padre Mariano Gomez, Padre Jose Burgos, at Padre Jacinto Zamora. Sa El Filibusterismo, ang unang pahina ay inihandog ni Jose Rizal sa tatlong pari na iyan. (At ang gusto pang alalahanin ng ilan ay si DAMASO na ito naman ay hindi Pilipino!)

Ito ang paninindigan ng Simbahan:

1. Ang pagmamalasakit sa katatayuan ng maraming mahihirap, lalo na ang mga nagdurusang kababaihan na nagsusumikap upang gumanda ang buhay at kailangan pang mangibang bayan upang kamtin ito o kailangan pang pumasok sa isang hindi disenteng paghahanap-buhay. Nababagabag ang Simbahan diyan.

2. Ang Simbahang Katoliko ay para sa buhay at dapat ipagsanggalang ang buhay ng tao mula sa sandal na ito ay ipaglihi o mabuo hanggang sa natural ng katapusan nito.

3. Naniniwala ang Simbahan sa mapanagutang (responsible) pagsasaayos ng bilang at panahon ng pagsisilang sa pamamagitan ng Natural Family Planning. Dito kailangan ang pagbuo ng matatag na kalooban (character building) na nagtataglay ng sakripisyo, disiplina at paggalang sa dangal ng asawa. Kung wala kang sakripisyo, hindi ka makakabuo ng karakter.

4. Ang sinumang tao ay tagapangasiwa lamang ng kanyang katawan. Ang pananagutan sa ating katawan ay dapat umalinsunod sa kalooban ng Diyos na nangungusap sa atin sa pamamagitan ng konsensiya (budhi). Kapag hindi pinakinggan at iginalang ang tinig na ‘yan ng Diyos (sa konsensiya), yayanigin at lilindulin, hindi ang bundok at dagat, kung hindi ang budhing ‘yan ng sinumang tao.

5. Aming paninindigan na sa mga pagpili kaugnay ng RH Bill, ang budhi (konsensiya) ay hindi lamang sapat na kabatiran kung hindi higit sa lahat ay ginagabayan ng mga itinuturo ng kanyang pananampalataya.

6. Naniniwala kami sa kalayaan sa relihiyon at sa karapatan ng pagtutol ayon sa budhi (konsensiya) sa mga bagay na labag sa sariling pananampalataya. Ang nakapataw at parusa sa napapaloob sa minumungkahing RH Bill ay dahilan para sa aming pagtutol dito. (Pastoral Letter, CBCP, 30 January 2011).

May panahon pa upang maiwasan ang trahedya moral na idudulot ng RH Bill.

Baguhin ang mga panukalang ‘yan, o ibagsak ang kayang kabuuan ng siyang pugad ng walang paggalang sa buhay, pagkawala ng responsibilidad at disiplina na siyang tunay na kailangan ngayon ng tao at bayan.

Kung ang mga bata ay natuturuan pa ng Simbahan, ang mambabatas ay amin rin pinapaalalahan. Lahat kayo, ngayon at bukas, ay kasama sa aming dalangin.

Pagpalain kayong lahat at ang Bayan ng Poong Maykapal! Mahal tayo ng Diyos at alaga ng Ina ni Hesus!

+G.B.ROSALES

Prayer Rally 

Feast of the Annunciation

25 March 2011

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To sum everything up, once again the rally of March 25 is really a huge success. We continuously pray that God may guide us as we move forward fighting against RH Bill. The fight isn't over yet, and it will never be until there are money-hungry, corrupt people there in our Government who pursue to pass things which are against our Cristian values of life and procreation just to have some addition to their wealth.

Where will this fight take us? That I'm not sure. But as long as there is still the Church taking the lead among the faithful people to stand against things that reject life and family values, we are still guided and stood firm. And as long as we know and discern what we are doing, I'm sure that we shall succeed in the near end. God reigns over all, and He will never let us down.

SirBitz.032911 ')

Special Thanks:

Copy of Cardinal Rosales' Homily : RCAM Website (http://www.rcam.org/Homilies/2011/card_rosales/homily_pahalagahan_ang_buhay.html)

Pictures taken from  100% KP CORE Page and Tito Robert Sfldop's Facebook Account (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2117307&id=1315352443)

SPAmilya!!!

What a surprise! My students at IV-Special Program in the Arts of Malabon National High School had made a very special video as a way of saying thank you to all the memories in High School.

Surprisingly, they included me in the video. I remember their words before, marami pong mga intern na dumaan sa amin, pero kayo lang po ang talagang tumatak sa amin. This made me smile a lot, for though I'd been a spank for the duration of my stay, I was still able to make a mark among them.

So, here it is. Enjoy viewing...

How to Choose a Spiritual Director?

For those who are looking for one good spiritual director, aside from PRAYER, here are certain guidelines which could help us find one fitting SD. I grabbed this from the Suite101 website (http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-choose-a-spiritual-director-a220660).

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How to Choose a Spiritual Director

Finding the Right Person for a Religious Journey

by Melissa Roberts

Be Informed About Spiritual Direction

Background information on spiritual direction and criteria for spiritual directors can be helpful in selecting the right person for a spiritual guide. Spiritual Directors International, a professional organization for spiritual direction training, publishes material on the ministry of spiritual direction, available online or in hard copy.

Different Types of Spiritual Directors

If a person is already connected with a particular religious community or type of spirituality, this is a starting point for finding a spiritual director. Someone who enjoys contemplative, quiet prayer may find a spiritual director trained in the Benedictine tradition helpful. Another person who prefers active questioning and reflection might find a director steeped in the Ignatian tradition more to his or her liking.Many religious communities offer lists of retreat centers with spiritual direction programs to assist the individual seeking spiritual direction from a trained Catholic sister or brother.

Settings for Spiritual Direction

Some spiritual directors work out of churches, others from retreat centers or out of private homes. Consider one’s comfort level- where one is comfortable meeting.

Finding a spiritual director who one can confide in completely without worrying about professional boundaries is important, so that one can fully explore his/her relationship with God in spiritual direction. A minister in a church may not find the church’s spiritual director a viable candidate simply because he/she is also church staff. A lay person may enjoy traveling to a monastery for spiritual direction and having a monthly break from life.

Choice of Priest, Religious, or Lay Person as Spiritual Director

Another consideration when selecting a spiritual director is the director’s relationship to the church. Some Catholics prefer a spiritual director who is a priest in case they desire to offer confession and receive absolution. Other believers are just as happy with a religious sister, brother, or lay person as their spiritual guide.

Finding Potential Spiritual Directors

Benefits to receiving spiritual direction from a religious might include spending time in a retreat center or monastery affiliated with a religious order. Retreat centers and monasteries can be goldmines for prayer, rest, and worship to revitalize one's faith.

Word of mouth can be an effective way to find a spiritual director. Ask around the parish, a nearby religious retreat center, a seminary, or the diocesan office. Online offers a third option: Spiritual Directors International has a database of spiritual directors available through their website.

Questions for Potential Spiritual Director

A spiritual director/directee relationship is extremely personal, as it explores one’s faith and relationship to God. Be proactive in finding a spiritual director who is comfortable, informed, and professional.

Some questions for a potential spiritual director might include:

How long have you been a spiritual director?

How were you trained for this ministry?

What spiritual tools- prayers, saints, books-influence you as a spiritual director?

What is a typical spiritual direction session with you like?

If any of the answers do not feel right, or fall short of one’s criteria, another spiritual direction candidate may be better suited. If uncertain, arrange a tentative spiritual direction session or two with the spiritual director to gather more information and better discern if the relationship will work.

Spiritual direction is an intentional time for the believer to seek God in the presence of a spiritual guide or director. With patience, work, and prayer, one can find the right spiritual director to guide him/her on the journey of faith.

For more about the spiritual direction process, What is Spiritual Direction: Believers Seek God through Holy Listening may be of interest. What is a Retreat Center: Believers Rest, Pray and Worship with God on Retreat might also be enjoyed for more about how to plan and enjoy a religious retreat.

Sources:

Salem Institute for Spiritual Formation. "Spiritual Direction," Available online through the Salem Institute's website, March 2010.

Spiritual Directors International. "How to Find a Spiritual Director," Available online through the SDI's website, March 2010.

Bishop Chito Tagle's Homily... (03.23.11)

HOMILY OF IMUS CAVITE BISHOP LUIS ANTONIO TAGLE
THANKSGIVING MASS FOR THE GIFT OF FAMILY & LIFE

MANILA CATHEDRAL, MARCH 23, 2011

(Citations mine)

Your Eminences, Your Excellencies, our beloved priests and religious, our Honorable members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, our beloved lay people, the valiant lay people.

We are gathered for this Eucharistic celebration in thanksgiving to God for the gift of life and for the energy that has been given to us to promote and defend life.

We also want to pray, we have to pray because the forces against life are always present. Let us not delude ourselves that we have only one enemy, that life has only one enemy. There are many faces of those that are against life, so we have to pray. And in this thanksgiving mass, we want to strengthen our resolve to work together to defend God’s precious gift of life. And since it is Lent, a holy season when we are invited to reflect on the meaning of the life, Jesus’ has won for us, through His Paschal Mystery, let us allow the readings for today to help us develop a spirituality. I repeat, a spirituality towards the defense of life.

That is one contribution that Christians should make in this whole debate and I’m challenging all of us here to check ourselves, to reposes the right spirit in our defense of life. Are we coming from a deep commitment to God? Or are we coming from other agenda which in the end might prove to be counter life. Humanda po tayong lahat, maganda ang sasabihin ng mga pagbasa, at sana maging bukas tayong lahat para magpasuri sa mga pagbasa tungkol sa hinahanap ng Salita ng Diyos sa mga nagiging propeta para sa buhay. Prophets of life, prophets for life, how do we distinguish them? What makes someone a prophet of life and a prophet for life?

In the first reading, from the prophet Jeremiah, we see the sorry state, the miserable state of a prophet, he goes around proclaiming God’s word, and what does he gets? The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem were conniving against him, they were plotting against him. They were carefully noting his words. They wanted to eliminate him, the destiny of every prophet. And Jeremiah knows it. He knows the evil forces that were plotting against him. The one sent by God, the God of life, the God who wants to restore life. And what is the response of Jeremiah? He breaks into a prayer. He turns to God, the God who calls him, and his prayer in the whole book, you may want to look the book of Jeremiah, the prayer of the prophet Jeremiah is simple, very open, you can see the humility of this prophet, he talks to God openly. He tells God, heed O Lord and listen to what my adversaries say, should good be repaid with evil. Sa tagalong maganda, Diyos, ano ba? Naririnig mo ba yung kanilang pinagbubulong-bulungan? Nagbubulung-bulungan sila sa kanilang mga caucus, naririnig mo ba o Diyos? Hindi nila pinaririnig sa amin, naririnig mo ba o Diyos? Naririnig ng Diyos.

And Jeremiah reminds God in his prayer, remember, I stood before you, to speak in their behalf, to turn away your raft from them. Jeremiah was very clear about his role, he was not there only to speak to people on behalf of God, he was there to speak to God on behalf of the people, so that God’s raft may be turned away from the people. The prayer of Jeremiah, so open to God, and in his prayer he’s role gets clarified for him.

If we go to chapters later, the 20th chapter, you see Jeremiah in his prayer again, struggling with God. I don’t know how many of us pray to God this way, Jeremiah even said, God, you fooled me, and in exasperation he said, and I allowed myself be fooled by You. Because you were stronger than I was, and looked at what was happened to me, because I spoke your word, he even curse the day that he was born because of the suffering that he undergoes. For the sake of the Word of God and for the sake of the people. And he tells God openly, I want to retreat, I want to give up. No more. Ayaw ko na. But then he says, when I discovered Your Word, I devow your Word, and whenever I try to runaway, I feel Your Word like a fire burning within me. A fire flaming my bones, I cannot run away. I maybe subjected to suffering but I’m committed to Your Word. Your Word is in me, Your Word is in my bones. I cannot escape Your Word. This is the commitment that every person who defends life must have and it has a clear source, not any self seeking, not any agenda for my sake. Jeremiah the prophet only had one reason, I am consumed by the flame of the Word of God, burning in my bones. Even before the adversaries could burn them. He was already burning within him with the fire of the Word of God. That type of prophet is an assailable, that type of prophet is beyond all compromises and pride because the source of fire is burning within spirituality.

So I’m inviting all of us to turn to Jeremiah, to turn to his sufferings and to marvel at how such a person stipped in ridicule and adversity could sustain his prophetic role in the purity of his commitment to the Word of God.

This is fulfilled in the prophet who is much greater than Jeremiah, because He is the Son of God, Jesus. In the Gospel, Jesus plainly tell His disciples of His destiny. They were going to Jerusalem where we would be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes who were condemned Him to death.

He would be handed over to the Gentiles. He will be mocked, he will be scourged, he will be crucified. But on the third day, he will rise from the dead. But Jesus interprets the meaning of his sufferings at the end of this passage, He says the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to hive His life as a ransom for the many.

The death of Jesus was not a case of other people claiming His life. For Jesus, His death was really an act of service. He will serve even if it means giving My whole life. My last breath will be my last act of service. And so nobody takes His life away from Him. I give my life as a ransom for the many. Life is always a gift. God gives life and no one should take away life. Life as a gift should continue being a gift.

The moment life is taken away, we destroy the very nature of life as gift. And Jesus says so, even His dying in the Gospel of John, he says, no one takes my life away from me, I lay it down freely. I give my life as a gift and no one should take it away. There is only one interpretation on the death of Christ that matters to us according to the Gospel, His death has been faced by Jesus as the ultimate giving of Himself in the form of service. Again, this is part of our spirituality. We will be offering our lives for life, we will be offering our lives for the sanctity of life. But let it be fueled by the spirit of Christ, just like Jeremiah, only one motive, loving service. That makes the fight for life redemptive. Loving service, if I do not give my life out of service, then I am actually claiming the lives of others, misusing the lives of other. It is only in that purity of intention that we find in Jeremiah and in Jesus were life is truly served.

But my dear brothers and sisters, we have to be warned because in the middle of the Gospel for today, we find the sons of Zebedee, James and John, Jesus has 3 closest friends among the 12, Peter, James and John. And in the Gospel, we find the mother, the mother of James and John, approaching Jesus with a request, command that this 2 sons of mine will seat one at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom. They missed the point, and this is the warning to all of us. We might missed the point.

Katatapos pa lang ng napaka-dramatic na pagpapaliwanag ni Jesus, wa effect. At mga kaibigan pa, mga kaibigan, the closest, pati naman yung nanay naki-alam pa, yung nanay ni John and James, expert sa lobby, mahusay maglobby. Pero yung mga nagla-lobby nay an, sometimes they think what they are talking about, but they missed the point. They could not understand this new kingdom, this kingdom of life that will come when life is given as a gift. In their minds, life is preserved only through prestige, power, positions, and for that life they will sacrifice other lives. This is the history of humanity which Christianity wants to counter. The end to sacrificing lives is by the spirituality of life given as gift and service. And so Jesus, patiently turned to them, ask them, can you drink of the cup that I will drink of and can you be baptized in the baptism that I will undergo, meaning are you ready to undergo my life giving death. For it is only in life given in service this life promoted. Two figures, Jeremiah, Jesus, life threatened but they took the threat and transformed the threat into love, service and life is nit threatened anymore, life remains a gift given to others and others live because of Jesus. We hope that our defense of life will go to that deep part of ourselves, where Jesus has ford the Holy Spirit transforming us into true prophet of life, patterned after Jesus Himself. Let us pause and enter into our hearts and allow the face of Jesus to challenge us to ask us deep and disturbing questions about the spirituality of our commitment to life.

A COLORFUL WEEKEND...

The coming weekend is going to be colorful one, not only for me but for the whole society. Two key events are about to be celebrated and observed this coming Friday and Saturday. Add up the closing of the Second Semester of the School Year 2010-2011 (and the end of the School Year for that), and the result is one bombastic weekend!!!

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1. FILIPINOS! UNITE UNDER GOD FOR LIFE!!! 

(March, Rally, Pray for Life - Interfaith Rally against the RH Bill)

March 25, 2011, 4:00-9:00 PM, Quirino Grandstand, Manila

> Following the call of His Eminence, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales of the Archdiocese of Manila to gather in one voice to support life and oppose the RH Bill, the Archdiocese of Manila and suffragan dioceses along with our friends from other denominations will celebrate life and shout once again its opposition on the RH Bill at the Quirino Grandstand on Friday, March 25, 2011. The program starts at 4:00 PM, and the Mass to be officiated by Cardinal Rosales will be celebrated at 7:00 PM.

March 25 is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord's Birth, one sacred event in the history of Salvation. In our country, this day is also designated as the Day of the Unborn Children, a day of prayer for those infants who had been killed by abortion and infanticide. Once the RH Bill is passed, surely everyday will be a Day for the Unborn, which is against the moral laws and the fundamental law of our land.

We encourage you to come in blue and white. We also encourage you to prepare banners and posters, be it simple cartolina or a big tarpaulin. As long as it carries a pro-life message, it will suffice.

If you are for life, come and join us in this great undertaking!

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2. EARTH HOUR 2011

March 26, 2011, 8:30-9:30 PM

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35countries/territories participating. Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, CN Tower in Toronto, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

And this year, they had chosen March 26, Saturday, as the day designated to have everybody's lights turned off for even just one hour. For a trivia, the Philippines is one good participant of the Earth Hour during the past three years.

We encourage everyone to continue taking a stand of support for the planet against its eternal doom through Climate Change. Be with us on March 26, from 8:30-9:30 PM. 

Also, we encourage those participating to do more than turning the lights off for one hour. Let's together work our own simple ways to stop climate change. Everybody has something to do, not only them, but us as well!

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Well, this is one colorful weekend to end the month of March. If you have nothing to do this coming weekend, come join me and the whole society in observing and celebrating these two events which would help shape the destiny of our country and the whole world.

DON'T JUST SIT THERE READING! DO SOMETHING!!!

SirBitz.032311')

My OB Experiences...

A Final Point of Reflection…

After twelve weeks of observation, I realized a lot of things. Maybe this is pure coincidence, but the circumstances tell otherwise.

Ø      I am sure now of the path which I am taking. When I was asked before why did I take Education, my first answer was because I love kids. When I immersed in Field Work, I saw the real thing behind this answer. I tend to love my students very much! It’s hard to reprimand them even for the proper reasons. I’d like to work more for their welfare, yung para sa ikapapasa nila. I carefully love what it is to be a teacher.

Ø      It’s hard to be a newbie! I’d encountered a good number of failures on my stay in MNHS, from sitting in the Teacher’s table, to promoting CMU without a permit, and even to the point of a student rejecting me for having my OB for only once a week. Nevertheless, I took it positively, pondering a lesson out of each fall. I know that out of these misdemeanors, I can be a better Student Teacher – hopefully a professional teacher – next time I would be immersed in the field.

Ø      Being a teacher is beyond the mere word. Truly, through the various experiences which I undertook in MNHS proves enough that being a teacher is damn hard! I should be vigilant, responsible, yet keeping my calm. If not, I would never be the expectations of my students and resource teacher. I would be eaten by the corrupt society, the negative side of teaching.

Ø      I must show different emotions according to situation. The experiences in IV-SPA and IV-Crimson taught me that I should not always show my jolly side. I must also know how to discipline and reprimand my students whenever they do something wrong. Though it was hard for me to exhibit such behavior, I need to because if I don’t do it, I would never convey the right message to them.

Ø      After Field Study, it’s really hard to move on! It took me almost a week to be back on my real self. Within that week, I am into a sea of sadness. I felt that I need to go back to MNHS. Naturally, that’s one sign that I am stuck to my students even for a short period. I really love what it is to be a teacher!

In conclusion, I would like to cite the words of the outgoing SSC President, Ms. France Ann O. Elias: When you do something, make the most out of it! In my FS, I tried to give my best to reach my students. I succeeded in doing so, and did more than that. Though at times I felt like makapal ang mukha in doing so, in the end I saw its fruit and am satisfied that its good outcome.

My stay in MNHS is not a dark one full of reprimands and sufferings; mine is one colorful immersion because of the time well-spent among me, Ma’am Limpoco, and my students. As I leave them, I know that the memories I left them would be pondered as long as it is alive.

With this, I finish my Portfolio. Thank you for taking some time to take a good look at my good memories on my first Field Work. See you when I go on my second Field Study! J

(Taken from my Portfolio for Field Study 01)

Fighting Voices (INSIDE 4244... PART TWO)

With RH Bill taking the limelight in the local scene, the two opposing forces had been raising their voices so that they may win the fight.

One voice carries those of the proponents and their supporters, wishing that the Bill may be passed in due time, ASAP.

The other voice represents the Catholic Church and allies saying that the Bill is EVIL IN CHARACTER and will lead the country and its inhabitants to instant doom. 

It has been sometime now when they had been on the streets here in Metro Manila, and everywhere in the country. They're inviting everybody to follow them. Some are aggressive in fighting for their side; others go with the flow and attend rallies just for the food or the back-up money. Surprisingly, we can find others that remain their total silence; we can hear nothing from them but only two words, No Comment. Bahala na pag naipasa o hindi yang Bill na yan. Wala namang magbabago.


And the fight doesn't end there. On Friday, March 25, 2011 (Solemnity of the Annunciation and National Day of the Unborn), His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales of Manila invites all the faithful from the Archdiocese of Manila and all its suffragan dioceses to gather in Luneta, and once again unite for Life and defend the county against RH Bill. All faithful Catholics showed their support for this move of His Eminence, and will heed his call to gather and celebrate life on Friday.

Just while the moves are going underway, both pro and anti-RH Bill, here's some news for everybody. There had been updates regarding some 'amendments' made in the bill itself. Some parts were changed in thought, others deleted. This leaves the general public in a bright confusion. What could possibly be the intention of the proponents of the bill, and would it help lessen the commotion that is currently happening in the Metro and in the other parts of the Republic?

Being a country that loves life and what it is to live, we must deeply show our concern for the welfare of the unborn child and the fate of our nation. With that, let me share with you this article from the Philippine Star, written by Atty. Jose C. Sison, a known opponent of the RH Bill. I'd highlighted the noting parts of the article, these got my interest and attention. I hope this would help you understand the article itself.

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Last country standing 

A LAW EACH DAY (Keeps Trouble Away) By Jose C. Sison (The Philippine Star) 

Updated March 21, 2011 12:00 AM

(http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=668175&publicationSubCategoryId=64)

According to latest reports, the principal author of the RH Bill (HB 4244) has introduced some amendments. This move may look like a tactical retreat as the opposition gains ground. But it may also be just a “one step backward two steps forward” strategy. Indeed, a cursory look at the changes shows that they were apparently designed to make the Bill more attractive especially to his colleagues in the House of Representatives who are still undecided.

But the amendments are not actually that substantial and significant as to lure these legislators in the Lower House to make up their minds and support the Bill. This is not my own assessment only. Several readers have sent in their reactions after closely analyzing the proposed revisions like these ones from Zoe Vidal (choice4life@gmail.com), and Linda Valenzona (valenzona.lg@gmail.com). They have apparently been closely monitoring the developments and have conducted an in-depth examination of the changes which are specifically found in:

* Section 13 on the role of the Local Government Units, where the final line now reads “help implement the Act” rather than “give priority to family planning work”. Whatever may be the intent here, “the Bill still imposes the obligation to enforce the provisions of the Act” some of which are unconstitutional. So it is still objectionable.

* Section 15, where the procurement and operation of Mobile Health Care Service shall now be funded by the National Government rather than from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of each congressional district. Obviously, the amendment aims to assure members of the House of Representatives that the RH Law will not diminish their respective pork barrels.

* Section 16, where parents are now given the option of not allowing their minor children to attend classes pertaining to Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education. This is still not acceptable because it does not prohibit but mandates the DepEd to “conduct the immoral and deformed UNFPA sex education programs” which are of doubtful constitutionality.

* Section 20 fixing the ideal family size, has been deleted. But such deletion “does not mean that the government cannot set population targets or engage in cultural re-engineering activities to reduce family size. In fact such programs are now being implemented by the DOH and other government departments”.

* Section 21 on employers’ responsibility has been deleted because it is just a “restatement and amplification of the existing Article 134 of the Labor Code”. So the deletion actually means nothing and adds nothing to the acceptability of the RH Bill. If anything, it merely confirms how laws can be crafted to coerce employers to apply inhumane and anti-life policies on their employees”.

* Section 28 (e) prohibiting the “malicious disinformation about the intent and provision of this Act” will also be deleted in its entirety “in order to afford widest latitude to freedom of expression within the limits of existing penal statutes”. This deletion however does not diminish the imposition on moral consciences of the Filipinos. The very existence of an RH Law is an oppressive imposition on freedom of conscience”.

Actually, the foregoing amendments do not at all change the underlying premise of the RH Bill, “the cornerstone upon which it builds the legal framework supporting its mandate for the promotion and distribution of artificial methods of family planning, particularly all forms of contraceptives”.

The Couples for Christ and the Families for Life (CFC-FFL) have correctly pointed out in their position paper opposing the RH Bill that its “underlying premise — that life begins at implantation — is wrong”. According to them both the “Philippine Medical Association and renowned embryologists concur that life begins at conception, when the male sperm fuses with the female egg cell”.

And pursuing the point further, the CFC-FFL then said that: “The framers of the Constitution had the same notion about the onset of life when they adopted Article II Section 12 which pertinently provides that ‘the State shall equally protect the life of….the unborn from conception. Thus during their deliberations to clarify this provision, the authors adopted the medical definition of the term conception (i.e fertilization of the ovum).

Since life begins at conception, then any post-conception act that prevents or stops the natural development of the fertilized ovum — an essential element of which is its implantation on the uterus — is an attack against life. If the attack is done deliberately — and succeeds — it may well qualify as murder. In any case, the act falls squarely within the legal meaning of abortion.

Many contraceptives exist for this specific purpose. They prevent the fertilized ovum from implanting itself on the uterus, depriving the ovum of its natural habitation and life support. Except for the relative degree of helplessness, the effect is no different from where an assailant kills an infant by means of starvation and suffocation.

By indiscriminately promoting all types of contraceptive devices and services, the RH Bill violates Article II Section 12 of the Constitution. In terms of effect, it will legalize the mass murder of innocent babies”.

The CFC-FFL also pointed out that while the Bill proclaims that the “State shall promote without bias all modern natural and artificial methods of family planning… practically all the important provisions relate to the promotion, implementation and funding of artificial family planning, e.g. Section 10 (Family Planning Supplies as Essential Medicines), Section 11 (Procurement and Distribution of Family Planning Supplies), Section 15 (Mobile Health Care Services), Section 16, (Mandatory Age-Appropriate Reproductive Health and Sexuality Education), Section 19, (Capability Building of Barangay Health Workers), Section 25 (Implementing Mechanisms), Section 26 (Reporting Requirements), Section 28 (Prohibited Acts), Section 29 (Penalties),and Section 30 (Appropriations). There is hardly any doubt therefore that the RH Bill is tilted heavily towards contraceptives and other forms of reproductive health services”, the CFC-FFL rightfully observed.

Undeniably, the RH Bill will sink because it is laden with provisions heavily weighed down by constitutional infirmities. But because of this Bill, “the fundamental love of Filipinos for family and life is under serious threat today”. Being the last country standing against this threat, there is an urgent need to stop it. So let us heed the call of Cardinal Rosales and join the prayer rally at the Luneta on March 25, 2011, 4:30 pm, the feast of the Annunciation, also the day of the unborn children. This promises to be “another EDSA at the Luneta”.

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So, how could we explain this page which was posted on the Web sometime last week? What was supposed to be a page dedicated to protecting women's interests is presenting various ways of killing life!?! This is a clear violation of what is stated in the land's fundamental laws stating that we shall defend and protect life. This group is really going nuts, and I think they should be sued for this.

What is really inside HB 4244? I shall share with you the full text of the Bill and my insights on the next edition of INSIDE 4244. 

In the meantime, I would like to invite you all who love life and are concerned for the family to join us in fighting against the RH Bill. Let us go to Luneta on Friday, and join our Bishops, especially Cardinal Rosales, in voicing out the real sentiments of the people... IBASURA ANG RH BILL!!!

SirBitz.210311')