#jjgspeaks

[brotherseph]

The Rise of Community Pantries

"Magbigay ayon sa Kakayahan, Kumuha batay sa Pangangailangan."

A simple rule but with a good cause. An ordinary citizen like Ms. Ana Patricia Non is truly an inspiration by many Filipinos most especially ordinary citizens who were affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her simple initiative of creating a "community pantry" on a sidewalk within Maginhawa street in Quezon City where the main purpose of the cause is to offer a little way of help through giving and sharing in-kind such as canned goods, instant noodles, fruits & vegetables, rice and other primary sources of food that easily needed by people most especially those who were affected by the pandemic. It reminds me of the Gospel readings of Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:12-17; & John 6:1-14 or the "Feeding of Five Thousand" (miracle of the five loaves and two fish), where Jesus made miracles by means of using five loaves and two fishes supplied by a boy to feed a multitude of people.

This kind of action again awakens on the mind of the Filipinos that the true spirit of "Bayanihan" still remains in our hearts despite the challenges that we've all facing.

The word "pantry" is not already a new term that we always hear from our ears. A pantry is a room where beverages, food, and sometimes dishes, household cleaning chemicals, linens, or provisions are stored. It derives from the same source as the Old French term "paneterie"; that is from pain, the French form of the Latin panis, "bread". Since the late Middle ages, people most especially those living in the United States and even in Europe were already doing this kind of practice. It starts with putting food storage in separate rooms for various food service functions. Pantries were mostly located in a single place where the kitchen is nearby. . A pantry was where bread was kept and food preparation associated with it was done. The head of the office responsible for this room was referred to as a pantler. There were similar rooms for storage of bacon and other meats (larder), alcoholic beverages (buttery) (known for the "butts" of barrels stored there), and cooking (kitchen).

In the United States during the colonial era, pantries evolved from early Colonial American "butteries", built in a cold north corner of a Colonial home (more commonly referred to and spelled as "butt'ry"), into a variety of pantries in self-sufficient farmsteads. Butler's pantries, or china pantries, were built between the dining room and kitchen of a middle-class English or American home, especially in the latter part of the 19th into the early 20th centuries. Great estates, such as the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina or Stan Hywet Hall in Akron, Ohio, had large warrens of pantries and other domestic "offices", echoing their British "Great House" counterparts.

By the Victorian era, large houses and estates in Britain maintained the use of separate rooms, each one dedicated to a distinct stage of food preparation and cleanup. The kitchen was for cooking, while the food was stored in a storeroom, pantry, or cellar. Meat preparation before cooking was done in a larder (remember that often in these large houses game would come in undressed, fish unfilleted, and meat in half or quarter carcasses), and vegetable cleaning and preparation would be done in the scullery. Dishwashing was done in a scullery or butler's pantry, "depending on the type of dish and level of dirt". Since the scullery was the room with running water, it had a sink, and it was where the messiest food preparation took place, such as cleaning fish and cutting raw meat. The pantry was where tableware was stored, such as china, glassware, and silverware. If the pantry had a sink for washing tableware, it was a wooden sink lined with lead, to prevent chipping the china and glassware while they were washed. In some middle-class houses, the larder, pantry, and storeroom might simply be large wooden cupboards, each with its exclusive purpose.

Like an unusual way of keeping your food storage in one single place, just like putting and getting out from the fridge, this idea & concept literally comes from the mind of a 26th-year-old lady from Maginhawa to put up an idea on what particular way that she can offer help and address the needs of the less fortunate people in this time of the pandemic. By this, she comes up with an idea to put a small stall bamboo cart on a nearby sidewalk where she put fruits, vegetables, and other primary needs of the people to relieve from hunger. Later, dozens of donations from other people most especially from the private sector offer their precious time to offer & help by means of sharing their excess food resources with other people. They put their excess goods in the cart where the organizer placed the goodies on which people easily pick as much as they can be based on their needs. This simple & noble purpose causes a wide impact on the masses, and even the community itself. This noble cause organized at Maginhawa street where it all originated & started, had its branches. After the post on social media went viral, different community pantries were also organized inspired by the community pantry that originated at Maginhawa Street. They have their own version of community pantries in different places of the country on which organized by groups and even individuals as well in order to address the needs of others for those in need, the jobless, and the poorest of the poor at these very difficult times.

For me, as a former church servant and a parish worker, this noble cause initiated by Ms. Non makes me feel inspired, happy, and even emotional whenever I see these things on the news that these ordinary people doing very good deeds on helping one another at this time of the pandemic. Everyone's people can relate to this and even myself. I remember those times during my church service where we organized a cause as one of the programs by the parish to give relief goods, organizing a fun run, feeding the children, and giving assistance for the less fortunate people most especially those who lived far away from their town or city.

As Jesus said on his disciples on the "Parable of the Sower" in the gospel of Matthew states:

"The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

- Matthew 13:18-23

On rising of these community pantries organized by different citizens in different parts of the country, some people may say that this kind of initiative is not a "treat" for the government's insufficient response on addressing the needs of the people this pandemic but this simple initiative cause organized by Ms. Non is truly a "gifted to give", where she didn't hesitate to offer her help to others. Her KINDNESS and GENEROSITY prove that in this world, there are still plenty of ordinary people with a good heart. It is a timing also that this act of kindness showed by Ms. Non is very appropriate that also incorporates its theme for this year's celebration for the 500 Years of Christianity here in the Philippines: "Gifted to Give". The ability to "Give according to Ability, Get according to Need." definitely emphasizes the TRUE SPIRIT OF BAYANIHAN.

I hope that this simple noble cause can also be an inspiration to everyone that in a little way of help; that DON'T BE HESITANT to offer and render your help to others. Cause, in the end, we Filipinos are the only ones who can easily help each other.

(Images courtesy from CNN Philippines, GoodNewsPilipinas)

[brotherseph]

HALLOWEEN, a cultural myth or a traditional one???

They say that before the end of October, many people will not forget to celebrate Halloween the night before we go to different cemeteries to visit the deceased loved ones on All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. But over time, other countries around the world still continue to follow this kind of culture or tradition.

The word HALLOWEEN or Hallowe'en dates to about 1745 and is of Christian origin. The word "Hallowe'en" means "Saints' evening". It comes from a Scottish term for All Hallows' Eve (the evening before All Hallows' Day). In Scots, the word "eve" is even, and this is contracted to e' en or een. Over time, (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en evolved into Hallowe'en. Although the phrase "All Hallows'" is found in Old English "All Hallows' Eve" is itself not seen until 1556.

Halloween is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31st, the day before November 01, which is All Saints' Day. The day on which we celebrate all the saints & souls that already in heaven. Meanwhile, November 02 is All Souls' Day on which it also observed & commemorate for those souls of the faithful departed in purgatory who needs our prayers & meditations for the forgiveness of their sins, to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This kind of tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes, and eating treats.

Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.

This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

Here in the Philippines, where 80% majority of the people are dominantly Roman Catholic, didn't practice this kind of culture of a so-called, Halloween. Even though there's no canon law nor factual statement from the Catholic Church that prohibits on celebrating Halloween on every the 31st day of October, instead they made it as an optional celebration by some people. It turns to be a recreation & entertainment by some, but the mere fact that Filipinos believed every the season of All Saints' is about Filipino myths (such as aswang, tikbalang, engkanto, kapre, tiyanak, mananaggal, and other mythological creatures). Some Filipinos also believe in ghosts, most especially for those people who have extraordinary powers that he or she has an ability to see or visualize unexpected creatures through their "third eye(s)". Souls that continue roaming around here on Earth for a reason--- to seek justice, to seek help, and to seek aid to remember them. That's the reason why Catholic faithfuls believed in a so-called "purgatory", where it is an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. In respect also for other religious denominations, who didn't believe such kind of belief. In some cultures around the world, celebrating Halloween still continues to exist and practice by many. But, the true essence & importance of celebrating All Saints Day & All Souls Day is NOT thru believing in evil spirits, wearing scary outfits, doing trick-or-treats, or even scaring people, but to REMEMBER, COMMEMORATE & OFFER PRAYERS for all the souls of our faithful departed loved ones who continues to seek help for us living people for PRAY for them that their souls will finally enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

[brotherseph]

Dolomite as White Sand in the Shores of Manila Bay --- Is it SAFE or NOT???

Recently on the news, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been under public criticism, mostly expressed on social media for its dumping pulverized dolomite on a 120-meter stretch of the Manila Bay shore, adjacent to the US Embassy. Many environmental groups were concerned about the effect on using dolomite as white sand in the Manila Bay that would probably cause hazardous not just in nature but also in public health due to its earth composition and that the fake sand will be washed away over time, causing a huge waste of public funds. The project costs P389 million.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and other DENR officials defended the P389-million project before the House appropriations committee on Tuesday, saying it was part of the government’s long-term efforts in the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, in compliance with a Supreme Court order.

According to Cimatu, the project will form a beach spanning 60 meters of that segment of the shore of Manila Bay, which, he noted, is popular among tourists for its sunset. The particles of the dolomite powder being used on the project were thrice bigger than dust particles, which posed a health hazard when inhaled.

He conceded that silica, which is present in the powdered dolomite, may be hazardous if inhaled, but only during crushing and screening.

According to Cimatu, the “beach nourishment” project is a continuation of the Manila Bay rehabilitation, which was preceded by efforts to reduce the pollution of river water flowing into the bay, as well as desilting of nearby waters that had been found clogged with garbage carried from river tributaries. The DENR reportedly shipped 3,500 metric tons of dolomite from a mining site in Alcoy town in Cebu province to Manila International Container Terminal, about 4.5 kilometers from the project site.

A coalition of environmental groups led by Oceana Philippines said that the dumping of artificial sand on the Manila Bay shore “must be stopped and the officials behind this project held accountable.”

The groups also called on the DENR, Congress, the Office of the Ombudsman, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries, and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso to investigate why the project pushed through despite violating at least five national laws.

On the other hand, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia issued a cease and desist order against Dolomite Mining Corporation and the Philippine Mining Service Corporation in Alcoy town preventing them from further "extracting, processing, selling and transporting dolomite, associated mineral deposits, and other quarry resources."

"The extraction of dolomite minerals from Alcoy and the consequential damage it will cause the terrestrial environment of Cebu Island violate the Cebuano's constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology," stated on the Executive Order No. 25, Series of 2020.

The order mentioned that although the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of Central Visayas granted a transport permit to the Philippine Mining Service Corporation to bring the minerals to Manila, it did not inform the Cebu provincial government nor Alcoy town officials about the project.

According to provincial legal consultant Marino Martinquilla, there was also no environmental impact study on the effects of dolomite extraction and its use on the Manila Bay shoreline, it added. This came after the governor met with representatives from the bureau and other officials.

For me, in my personal opinion regarding on this issue, as long as the environment is concerned, I stand opposed on the idea of the DENR to dump a pulverized dolomite as alternative sand on the shores of the Manila Bay in spite of their deep study and research about the mineral content and its composition that dolomite is safe and it will not harm on public health as well as the whole environment as well. Maybe there are many ways how to improve more on rehabilitating Manila Bay without using dolomite, in a very practical way. And we people have a primary role in it. If you have love and care about the environment, we should learn ourselves to be RESPONSIBLE what's the best thing to do that would protect our environment and most of all, DISCIPLINE. Cause DISCIPLINE always starts on you.

Photo credit and source: 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1333022/denr-wont-stop-manila-beach-project-despite-criticisms 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1869795/Cebu/Local-News/EXPLAINER-Dolomite-issue-not-taken-up-by-past-Cebu-governors-including-Gwen-Lack-of-notice-public-consultation-and-saving-Siloy-ecology-led-to-shutdown

[brotherseph]

Twit-tok? Do you AGREE or DISAGREE???

The online world was in shock on the recent news of rumors about the plan of merging the two different companies of social media applications like Twitter and TikTok. After US President Donald Trump stepped up his threats & gave a 45-day ultimatum in both TikTok and WeChat if they decided that their US operations would sell its shares and be managed by a US buyer that has an interest and potential to manage the said company. Or else, TikTok would possibly be banned in the United States due to its security issues. They've opened up lots of talks and negotiations between parties finding a potential US buyer in order to close a deal. According to the Wall Street Journal, Twitter has held preliminary talks for a possible combination with TikTok. However, with a market capitalization of $29 billion, Twitter is worth almost the same as the assets TikTok was ordered to divest. This means Twitter would need to raise additional capital in order to pursue a deal.

Aside from Twitter, Microsoft also has the interest to buy TikTok's US operations, but Apple denied its own interest in the said company. But along with these three, Twitter stands at it and a potential candidate to purchase TikTok's US operations.

TikTok is a Chinese video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based Internet technology company founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming. It is used to create short music, lip-sync, dance, comedy, and talent videos of 3 to 15 seconds and short looping videos of 3 to 60 seconds. ByteDance first launched Douyin for the Chinese market in September 2016. Later, TikTok was launched in 2017 for iOS and Android in most markets outside of mainland China; however, it only became available worldwide, including the United States, after merging with Musical.ly on August 2, 2018.

Meanwhile, Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service based in San Francisco, California, on which their services to users post and interact with messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. Users access Twitter through its website interface, through Short Message Service (SMS) or its mobile-device application software ("app"). Tweets were originally restricted to 140 characters but were doubled to 280 for non-CJK languages in November 2017. Audio and video tweets remain limited to 140 seconds for most accounts.

Twitter was created by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams in March 2006 and launched in July of that year. By 2012, more than 100 million users posted 340 million tweets a day, and the service handled an average of 1.6 billion search queries per day. In 2013, it was one of the ten most-visited websites and has been described as "the SMS of the Internet". As of 2018, Twitter had more than 321 million monthly active users.

Here in the Philippines, many Filipinos enjoy using Tiktok and Twitter as one of their platforms in order to reach and communicate with other people. Even local celebrities used these apps in order to reach their fans and supporters to give them quality entertainment. Most especially TikTok where the majority of the users aside ordinary people are mostly celebrities. Twitter is also used to communicate, share ideas, open up their insights on what's on their mind. What will happen if one day, these two apps would merge into one??? As a netizen, what would be your stand on this issue???

Although I don't use TikTok very much, I don't think it's not a good idea for them to combine Twitter and TikTok into one app. In my own view, Twitter and TikTok have different characteristics. Twitter is more about sharing your thoughts, insights, and ideas while TikTok is for fun and entertainment. Indeed, both of them have the same purpose --- to connect with people, but they've different qualities.

Photo credit: https://wersm.com/twitok-twitter-enters-talk-to-acquire-tiktok/

[brotherseph]

Life is like a VAT

“Life is like a VAT.” Why I suddenly say this kind of phrase? It’s because it's truly a REALITY. Reality that happen in our daily lives as a person. Since from the day you existed here on this earth & until the time you die, still there’s a tax.  Even at your own grave, your remaining family would experience agony on paying an estate tax and other burial expenses. Still, there's a tax. 

By the way, what is VAT? Actually, VAT means “Value Added Tax". It is a kind of consumption tax that is levied on a product repeatedly at every point of sale at which value has been added. Here in the Philippines, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is the government agency that takes in charge of collecting revenues and taxes. One example of a Value Added Tax (VAT) is, every time you purchase goods or even you have a plan to buy something from a mall or department store then after you pay it, you’ll see in your official receipt an additional charge of 12% of VAT on which it includes as a charge on the goods or items that you’ve purchased. Another example of VAT is if you pay your electric or water bills, eat in a luxurious restaurant or fast food, book a ticket for air and sea travel, travel by land and even going to hotels, & resorts in order to have some fun & leisure together with your family and loved-ones, still there’s a VAT. Every where you go, every where you buy something, every where you see these things, still there’s a VAT. VAT is the most common law imposed by the government everywhere in the world in order to gain & earn more taxes and revenues in order to boost its economic growth for a certain country. One way of being a responsible citizen living in a country like the Philippines is we should respond and abide by the law in terms of paying taxes and revenues at the right time.

Recently on the news, the House Committee on Ways and Means approved a measure imposing a 12 percent value-added tax (VAT) on digital transactions in the country aimed at raising P10 billion new revenues for the government’s fight against COVID-19. These digital transactions include on imposing a 12% VAT are online licensing of software, updates, and add-ons, website filters and firewalls; mobile applications, video games, and online games; webcast and webinars; provision of digital content such as music, files, images, text and information; advertisement platform such as provision of online advertising space on intangible media platform; online platform such as electronic marketplaces or networks for the sale, display, and comparison of prices of trade products for services; search engine services; social networks; database and hosting such as website hosting, online data warehousing, file sharing and Cloud storage services; internet-based telecommunication; online training such as provision of distance teaching e-learning, online courses and webinars, online newspapers, and journal subscription; and payment processing services.

Rep. Joey Salceda, a 2nd District representative from Albay is one of the solons who passed this kind of bill imposing tax on the digital economy.

AAMBIS-OWA partylist Rep. Sharon Garin, chairman of the technical working group (TWG) that consolidated the bills and resolution, said the substitute measure covers the digital advertising services, such as those on search engines and social media platforms;  subscription-based services, including music and video streaming subscriptions; and services rendered electronically; and transactions made through an information technology infrastructure, such as the internet.

She clarified that the bill is not targeting the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and small-time online sellers, but the “service providers from outside” which include Netflix, Spotify, Facebook, Google, and other global internet companies that conduct business in the country.

So in short, VAT has already conquered the digital world. Every time you subscribe a movie on Netflix, buy something goods thru e-commerce sites like Amazon, Lazada, Shopee or even Zalora, even paying your bills via online, there’s already a 12% VAT charge that to be included if you purchased an item from them (shipping fee is not included). Indeed, the VAT is everywhere.

As a law-abiding citizen living in this country, one thing that I should ask this kind of question: “Do you think those people working in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs pay the right taxes and income?”, “Do you think our government is really charging this kind of business for the right taxes?”.Yes or No? If not, I can really say that life’s so very unfair. Really really unfair.

I do not object to this bill but in my personal opinion as an ordinary citizen I also feel a deep concern for our Filipino compatriots that their only source of income now is online selling. What will happen if VAT charges and imposes all goods and services sold to consumers, how much will be left over from their income? If this kind of bill is passed into law, something I would like to ask for the congressmen who pushed this bill, I hope it will NOT be used in a bad way, politically and in their own personal interest. If this is the only way that our legislators answer in order to meet the needs of the people to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m looking forward and expect that these funds to be collected by the government will be used in a good way for our Filipino people & must properly enforced in accordance with the law.

[brotherseph]

Cokaliong’s First Mishap

The Philippines is an archipelagic island consisting of 7,641 islands. Since the country is made up of many islands, the only major means of transportation available to the islands is by boat. Filipinos always board these ships as a means of sea transportation.

There are lots of maritime disasters that have already happened and recorded in the previous years and decades ago. Who can still remember the sinking of the Titanic, M/V Doña Paz, M/V Doña Marilyn, M/V Princess of the Orient, M/V Princess of the Stars and other big ships not just here in the Philippines but also in the whole world who were involved on different ship accidents where thousands of people were perished and lost their families & loved ones due to these accidents at sea. Whether the cause of these maritime accidents is either a mechanical failure or a human error, still these maritime accidents remain unquestioned, "Is it still safe to board a ship?"

But behind these speculations and controversies of some shipping companies that others say some of these were lack of maintenance of their ships, poor management, lack of coordination, and so on, there are also other shipping companies remain their ships still safe to ride & active on their services on serving the seas.

Every time we travel to go back and forth to Cebu and to other places in Mindanao, I and my family always ride a ship. And one of the ships that we always rode is shipping vessels from Cokaliong Shipping Lines Inc.(CSLI). This shipping company, together with Trans-Asia Shipping Lines Inc.(TASLI) & other roll-in/roll-off shipping vessels are some of the biggest names of shipping companies that remain active on sea travel in the world of the maritime industry. It has a low-rate of sea fare, convenient and affordable price compared to 2GO, that's why we always ride on their ships.

As far as I remember when we traveled go back to Cebu way back two years ago to attend Sinulog festivities when I was walking around inside the ship (M/V Filipinas Iligan--- one of Cokaliong's shipping vessel) in order to find some battery charge on my phone, I saw some of their pictures hanging in frames that contain the following: it's parts, features, maximum capacity of passengers allowed, and other important highlights of the company. On how the company was founded and started, and how the company booms its business. And one particular highlight that I read catches up on my sight. I was really surprised by their fact that of all of the shipping companies here in the Philippines, Cokaliong Shipping Lines is the only shipping company that holds the record of safe sailing of seaworthiness on their shipping vessels & NEVER involved on any shipping accidents ever recorded since from the start of their operations & their service. It was a rare fact that there some shipping companies retain the integrity and discipline in terms of seaworthiness.

But recently in the news, a maritime disaster was on the headline. And finally, one of its vessels the shipping company was involved. The shipping company that I and my family trusted for many years in terms of seaworthiness. M/V Filipinas Dinagat was on flames. And for the first time, this was the company's first-ever recorded maritime incident. Luckily, all of the 47 crew members of the ship (including the captain) were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard and remain unharmed. The timing on having the COVID-19 pandemic, where some places were still under strict health protocols & not allowed to travel due to health risks, no passengers were involved during the incident.

After seeing this on the news about what happened, I immediately realized and recalled that memory when I read their story when we boarded their ship (2 years ago) the term "safe sailing", I can finally say that the record has stated on their company history is no longer a mere fact and has already broken up its record.

Photo credit courtesy: Sunstar Cebu https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1864597/Cebu/Local-News/Cokaliong-vessel-catches-fire-captain-crew-safe

[brotherseph]

Duties and Responsibilities in Life

Everyone has come across the terms of duty and responsibility. Duty is a moral commitment to something or someone, whereas responsibility is a condition of being responsible.

The word duty comes from the Latin word ‘debere’, meaning obligation; to call to do something. It determines what a person should have done in the normal course of action in general or in specific circumstances.

According to Cicero, a Roman philosopher, duties come from four sources. Duty is a result of human beings, one’s a particular place, one’s character, and one’s own moral expectations. His philosophy of duty has been depicted in his famous work ‘On duty’.

As duty refers to moral commitment, it denotes an active feeling for doing something. Once a person engages himself with some duty or if he has been entrusted with a duty, then that person fully commits himself to it. In the case of duty, the person will be involved in activity without any self-interest. As a citizen of a country, a person has many duties to perform. It is his duty to adhere to the constitution.

Responsibility is used interchangeably with the word duty. It originates from the Latin word ‘respondere’, meaning to vouch; respond to something.

It defines the state of being responsible (morally accountable or having an obligation to do something): it involves decision-making and comes with one having certain duties. Responsibility comes in two parts: it can be given to you, but you also have to take responsibility by accepting the role or task assigned to you.

In responsibility, a person is solely responsible for the entire task and its outcome. In case of responsibility, he takes ownership of the entire task. Responsibility can also be explained as a set of instructions in life that one has to follow. It is the responsibility of the parents to give good education to their children.

Let me share this with you all as a reflection, about duties and responsibilities. Recently, there was a certain public figure who was full of criticism by netizens and went viral on social media due to his recent life story which was aired last week in one of the television show where one of the highlights of his life revealed his dark past and misfortunes in life as a man. According to her ex-girlfriend, some scenes within the show are untrue and unrealistic based on the life story of the guy. She confirmed this through her public Facebook post that the truth of the story is that his ex-boyfriend was a womanizer and irresponsible father. He gave more importance to his dreams rather than his own family.

After I saw and read the woman's post on social media, I've felt very sad about the woman and I've felt disappointed with this guy it's because he didn't see himself in the mirror that he often forgot his own duties and responsibilities as a father on his son and become a better partner with her girlfriend just in exchange for fame and fortune. For me, it is a huge insult to us men to do this kind of thing.

To end this, the story that I've watched on television a week ago gives us a true lesson and also awareness to each and everyone on how really important of being a RESPONSIBLE person. I'll leave it through this simple reflection of mine: In this world, each of us has their own duties and responsibilities that we must fulfill in all aspects of our lives. Not just only in your work, in society and the community, but also in your family. Being responsible means that the people around you give you such full confidence due to your talents and abilities as a person. It means that they've TRUSTED you. They've seen on you that you have your own CAPACITY to do the right thing. Duties in life that we should need to accomplish without hesitation. In a relationship, COMMITMENT is very important for all in our daily lives so that your duties and responsibilities would be successful.

[brotherseph]

The Spirit of Bayanihan: Is Still Alive or Dead already???

Bayanihan has been identified by social scientists and other observers as an ancient Filipino custom, symbolic of the Filipino way of group work. It is derived from the Tagalog root word "bayan", meaning town or nation. To be faithful to this comradeship of tasks or Bayanihan was considered, from early times, to be and it was altogether fitting that Filipinos should later interpret "Bayani" to mean patriot, the person who has sacrificed most for the common good. Bayanihan is also known in the Tagalog language as "tulongan" or "damayan" (tulong - help, damayan - aid), a system of mutual help and concern which has become the backbone of the family and village life throughout the Philippine Archipelago. It may be also expressed as "pagkakaisa" (to be one; to be united). The people who get together or unite to execute a job are the "magbabayani". Bayanihan is considered as an indigenous Filipino trait. As a Filipino way of life, it is indeed ancient and nationwide through its spirit is not peculiar to the Filipinos alone. As anthropologist stress, Bayanihan is a practical response to both individual and community needs which, under certain circumstances, would be difficult to achieve if people with meager means did not organize themselves and pool together their resources. It may be said that the unselfish cooperation characteristic of Bayanihan is very much like the sense of brotherhood the homesteaders of young America displayed. In fact, wherever cooperative labor exchange takes place, Bayanihan is present. Only the concrete manifestations of the spirit vary from country to country. As the modern world today, maybe some Filipinos often forget what's the real meaning of the true spirit of Bayanihan it is. In a simple way of a little help, such as helping the elderly to support their walk or cross the street, giving food for the children or street dwellers, and so on. Most especially today, not just the Philippines but also that the whole world is experiencing a massive crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the spirit of Bayanihan must highly be needed at these times. Even though some people were frightened that he or she may be infected on the virus if he or she would offer help to others, but its main point is whether YOU are willing to help those in need? And that's one example of a simple Bayanihan it is. Maybe we can't blame others why some people didn't take it very seriously, it's because they're also thinking about themselves first, rather than on thinking on those who in need of help in times of crisis like this. But there are also people who continue to devote their valuable time and effort to help others especially to our front-liners (doctors, nurses, police, military, even to a simple individual) whose lives were always in danger that may be infected with the COVID-19 virus. These people show their willingness to help and serve the people and the people without hesitation, who even risk their lives because of this pandemic. And at this time, as a heartfelt thank you for their good work and service for all of us, we will reciprocate the love and appreciation of all our front-liners who show their precious time and effort to help and save others man in the midst of the pandemic. With or without COVID-19, at all times and times of disaster, the spirit of heroism (PAGBABAYANIHAN) must exist in everyone in this world.

[brotherseph]

Ophiuchus: The 13th Zodiac Sign???

Do you believe in stargazing? Do believe in luck? Do you believe in fortune-telling based on your zodiac signs? Traditionally, there are 12 astrological signs that exist today, namely:  Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. These astrological signs or ZODIAC SIGNS as fortune-tellers and people they're called, these signs already part of our daily lives as humans who do believe in seeing their luck through these 12 constellations.

Recently on the world news even in the social media world that I’ve read and seen, a certain constellation named “Ophiuchus” goes in viral. It is confirmed that this is the 13th constellation on which is not included from the original “twelve” from the zodiac chart. Ophiuchus is the name of the 13th constellation that has been part of the Sun’s path in the sky. The symbol is commonly represented by a man bearing a snake. People with this new sign are known for intense curiosity, openness, passion as well as their fierce jealousy. More trains include having a great sense of humor and an eagerness to learn. The Ophiuchus zodiac sign is also very attached to family life and dreams of living happily ever.

It has been a controversial topic it’s because of the new changes of the zodiac signs and dates that were designated on these constellation stars. Some people who do believe in their horoscopes, whose their birth-dates fall on these signs, DISAGREES on these changes it’s because they’ve already adapted and liked their zodiac signs as well. Due to the presence of the 13th zodiac, the months and dates fall on these zodiac signs would probably change. Some said that the news is only a HOAX, and NOT TRUE at all.

For the people who believe in astrology and ‘Horoscope devotees’, NASA’s new report has made a flabbergasting observation regarding the calendar and the constellations stating that there are up to 21 zodiacal constellations in total and not just 12. While reiterating the difference between Astronomy and Astrology, NASA had previously talked about the 13 zodiac sign named Ophiuchus back in 2016 but now has entirely highlighted how it might impact the calendar. However, the new report has also suggested the possibility of many more such signs.

Based on their official statement on which posted from their Tumblr blog, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) denied the rumors that they’re responsible on creating the 13th Zodiac. They explained that “Astronomy” and “Astrology” were different from each other. Astronomy is the scientific study of everything in outer space. Astronomers and other scientists know that stars many light-years away have no effect on the ordinary activities of humans on Earth. Astrology, meanwhile, is something else. It’s the belief that the positions of stars and planets can influence human events. It’s not considered a science. They also clarify that this constellation already existed many years ago since the time of the Babylonians. The original constellations were 13 at all, not 12.

The Babylonians lived over 3,000 years ago. They divided the zodiac into 12 equal parts – like cutting a pizza into 12 equal slices. They picked 12 constellations in the zodiac, one for each of the 12 “slices.” So, as Earth orbits the sun, the sun would appear to pass through each of the 12 parts of the zodiac. Since the Babylonians already had a 12-month calendar (based on the phases of the moon), each month got a slice of the zodiac all to itself. But even according to the Babylonians’ own ancient stories, there were 13 constellations in the zodiac. So they picked one, Ophiuchus, to leave out. Even then, some of the chosen 12 didn’t fit neatly into their assigned slice of the pie and crossed over into the next one.

Gemini currently my zodiac sign, on which my birth-date falls on these dates: May 21 - June 21. Whether this news is true or not, there’s a possibility that my zodiac sign will change into Taurus. I DO NOT believe in stargazing and horoscopes, it’s because, for me, my life and my luck do not depend on these stars. Instead, I DO believe in GOD on which HE is the only one knows at all what would be my luck and my future and my life do NOT lie on these horoscopes. Only YOU who knows your own life, destiny, and luck if you as yourself would strive hard in all of your endeavors in life in order to succeed.

[brotherseph]

“Patience is a Virtue”

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

- Ephesians 4:2

When some people want something, they want it now. They demand to have it now. They don’t have time to wait. They will take what they can get now, rather than waiting a little for something better.

We’re all equally guilty of wanting something immediately, or sooner rather than later, at one point or another. We can’t afford to wait. Time is money. Waiting means we won’t have what we want today. We may miss out on something we can experience now. We don’t want to wait for tomorrow.

Even when we decide to wait, we become jittery. We don’t know what to do with ourselves. After a while, our patience wears thin, and we begin looking for instant gratification. When we get it sooner than expected, we heave a sigh of relieve. Aaaaaahhhhh, we got it.

But did we really get what we were waiting for, or did we lower our standards to get it sooner? We accept a smaller piece of what we were waiting for in exchange for instant gratification. Why not, tomorrow may never come. Why not take a little less today? Why not get some gratification today rather than a lot more gratification tomorrow and possibly the rest of our lives? Because today is here and tomorrow may never come.

This is an instinct we’re born with: the instinct to satisfy our needs whenever we’re able to. This is an instinct we picked up from the dawn of time: take what you can now, since you may not get the chance tomorrow.

Patience goes counter to our instincts. Patience is something which must be learned and practiced. It isn’t something which comes naturally to us. Those who master patience become more successful than those who can’t. They know that waiting for long term gratification is much better than accepting temporary instant gratification. They know that going slow and doing something right is much better than rushing and doing half a job, or worse, doing it wrong and having to repeat it, which will take longer than if they had waited. These are the people who don’t have the time or money to do something right, but manage to find much more of both when something breaks and must be fixed now. These people are you and me.

This is why patience, being able to wait, is a desirable quality. It is difficult to have the moral integrity to forego instant gratification in exchange for something better at a later date. This is why it is a virtue.

Those who have that virtue have truly understood that it is better to wait for tomorrow to take the full reward, rather than taking a small sample today.

[brotherseph]

Dreams and Aspirations in Life

Each one of us has dreams in life. Most people have dreams or aspirations they would love to achieve. Maximizing potential allows a person to discover these, build on them, and make them happen. If a company or manager can support their employees in pursing these dreams, it increases creativity and loyalty in that person. If those dreams and aspirations can be met within the company you will have a dedicated, productive employee who is fully engaged, happier, and more productive. Creating an environment where people can not only grow but thrive and flourish will make the company more successful.

If it had to be boiled down to three questions that were vital to know about your employees and coworkers, these would tap into their dreams and goals:

What do I want to experience in my life?

How do I want to grow?

How do I want to contribute to the planet?

These three questions would always bare in our minds. Every task that we accomplish is one example of achieving your greatest dreams in your life. In all aspects in life, whether you're in your family, your friends or even in your workplace, each of us wants to dream and achieve more, in order to succeed. For example, when you dreaming to have a successful business career in the nearby future, dreaming to have a brand new car, dreaming to become a millionaire, dreaming to be a leader, and so on. Indeed, it is not bad at all to dream higher, as long as just accompanied also by sincere effort and dedication and most of all, prayer in every time and season.

When you're looking for a job & you're in the midst of your job interview, one common question that the interviewer always asks on his/her interviewee; "What are your goals and dreams in your life?" Do you observed why is it always ask this kind of question whenever you're in a job interview??? It's because, it is a self-assessment between the interviewer (who represents the company) & you as the interviewee if you're capable and well-deserved if ever the company accept & hire you on this kind of job position that you've applied for. Dreams are really very important for everyone and having the dreams and aspiration in our lives is very much important. Without a perfect combination of dream and aspiration, you'll never have the fuel to fire up your life and you will wander around in life that is aimlessly lost. Dreams are the basis of your life and aspirations are the aims that you need to achieve to live the life happily.

Sit down with paper and pen to write down your aspirations and your dreams. Ask yourself what exactly you need from your life? What will make you happy and what is the right level of success where you want to reach? Start your journey with the answers to all those questions and meet your success milestones as per your aspiration. Be a successful dream builder by following your own aspiration.

If you had loads of money and all the happiness you want in this world without any worries what would you do? Your dreams, ambitions, and desires are the only things and the reasons that make you wake up every day to do something new, to fulfill your aspirations in life. You need to know how you will continue moving forward and down on the right road.

You need to be more focused with your everyday schedule and narrow down the focus with questions like:

Will my life goal, that I aspire to achieve, make me happy?

Are these positive goals?

Do these create the win-win situation for all the parties who are involved?

Are there any unique qualities in me to achieve the aspirations?

When will I be able to achieve the dream?

Whether I will be able to continue a healthy and happy bonding with my family and friends while I am pursuing in?

If I have the self-confidence to achieve these goals?

Am I ready to dedicate my entire life to the aspiration?

Do I understand the obstacles that will come in my way?

These are just some common questions but you can ask more as per your requirements to combine your dream and aspiration.

If you have an aspiration, gather more information about the dream that you've wanted to achieve. Combining the dream and aspiration is possible only if you are focused on your aspiration. Make a clear vision and statement about your aspiration and achieve it according to that. You can only achieve your dreams when you start believing in yourself.

[brotherseph]

Do you read Holy Bible?

As always. In fact, reading the Holy Bible is not just only my hobby but part already of my daily routine. I'm always reflect & meditate myself every time I read the words from the Lord & I consider it as my spiritual food & motivation in every day of my life. In every challenges & struggles that may came in my life, God always listens and hear my prayers. And at this time of crisis due to the pandemic, PRAYER is the most powerful tool that the people should do right now today rather than just making complains that I've always heard or watch from the news about the lack of aid (either financial or relief) given by the national government, make some violent or negative comments about different issues on social media & even prioritizing the material things here on Earth. Some people nowadays oftenly forget the real importance & meaning of spirituality due to the modern world of technologies we have right now today. Give much importance first to read the word from the LORD most especially today at this time of crisis. PRAY. HAVE FAITH. HE always there, HE LISTENS.

[brotherseph]

Fruits for the Soul: DON’T be Judgmental on Others

"When people throw you stones, it's because you are a good tree full of fruits. They see a lot of harvest in you. Don't go down to their level by throwing them back the stones, but throw them your FRUITS so the seeds of yourself may inspire them to change their ways."

A simple thought. But a deep meaning. There's a Filipino saying; "Kapag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng tinapay".

"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:9)

These are the common words that we always hear if someone persecutes, discriminates or even misjudges you as a person. Even in all aspects of our lives, in the society or in your community, it is inevitable that there people who are really observant or even  judgmental against others. Even in social media, there lots of negativity that you've always read in comments or even seen on  posts from your news feed in your social media accounts.

As observed nowadays, people living in the modern day world are already open-minded on the things they've seen; from your physical appearance, your words and actions, down to your inner side of you.  

I would like to share this kind of example of a so-called "discrimination" on which I saw this on the news. A situation just happened almost two years ago when a deaf couple mocked, driven away by security guard in one of malls at the Metro. As they've entered the mall, a security guard inspects their personal belongings before entering. However, the zipper of the woman snagged and she found she couldn’t unzip it. She gestured for the guard to wait, but the latter kept pushing her bag with the stick. The security guard might not have understood the couple what they're saying cause they were signing/gesturing each other. The guard kept on saying something to them but they could not obviously hear. So his boyfriend informed the guard through his gestures that both of them were deaf and couldn’t hear what he was saying. Then the guard violently gestured the couple to go away from the mall. Both of them were in shocked and they've felt discriminated. They've felt ashamed because the people were looking at them as the guard kept on gesturing to go away and not allowed to enter the mall. It was just like they were like animals being told to go away. Because of shaming, his deaf boyfriend took a cellphone video, but the guard got angry and challenged him, continuing on with his profanities as he told them to leave. The couple proceeded to another gate instead to report the incident to the management.

The mall’s management took swift action and accommodated them. After making them write an incident report, the security guard was called to answer their complaint. They were given a chance to communicate with each other through writing and the security guard eventually apologized, but the deaf girl observed that they couldn’t see his sincerity because he was laughing. Both of them they cannot accept the security guard’s apology. They've left the office sad, depressed and discriminated.

This kind of situation or incident is one of the biggest examples of a so called "discrimination". Even in other countries such as United States, racial discrimination is definitely rampant. Where the black people living in the states always felt discriminated or even insulted by the whites due to their race and its color of their skin.

Many incidents in our society today experienced such serious situations on discrimination. Even on social media, "bashing" as the common term or called by netizens of a certain person (basher) judging or even criticizing someone's person or others due to his or her physical appearance, in words or even in his or her actions. In popular culture, majority of the Filipinos naturally have this kind of character trait so called: "CRAB MENTALITY". Metaphorically a kind of attitude of a one's person that simply describes if someone person or individual who is in the midst of success and achievements on his or her life, he or she may find ways to achieve it through his or her violent actions. It is a way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you". The metaphor is derived from a pattern of behavior noted in crabs when they are trapped in a bucket. While any one crab could easily escape, its efforts will be undermined by others, ensuring the group's collective demise.

Indeed, we are all judgmental. Yes, even you. I certainly am, many times. I think it’s human nature.

And yet, while it is in our nature to be judgmental, I don’t think it’s always useful to us. We look down on others, as if we are so much better … and that creates division between people.

Think about it for a second: we see someone, and based on their looks or actions, we pass judgment on them. Not good judgment, either. Usually without even knowing the person. And that’s it — that’s usually the extent of our interaction with that person. We don’t make an effort to get to know the person, or understand them, or see whether our judgment was right or not.

And let’s consider what happens when we pass judgment on people we do know. We see something they do, and get angry at it, or disappointed in the person, or think worse of them. We judge, without understanding. And that’s the end of it — we don’t try to find out more, and through communication begin to understand, and through understanding begin to build a bridge between two human beings.

Can you build a bridge with every single person you meet? Probably not. That takes time and effort, two things we’re usually short on anyways. But I’ve found that taking that extra time, even just once a day, can make a huge difference.

Avoid passing judgment and instead build a bridge between two human beings.

Don’t pass judgment. If you find yourself being judgmental, stop yourself. This takes a greater awareness than we usually have, so the first step (and an important one) is to observe your thoughts for a few days, trying to notice when you’re being judgmental. This can be a difficult step. Remind yourself to observe.

Once you’re more aware, you can then stop yourself when you feel yourself being judgmental. Then move to the next step.

Understand. Instead of judging someone for what he’s done or how he looks, try instead to understand the person. Put yourself in their shoes. Try to imagine their background. If possible, talk to them. Find out their backstory. Everyone has one. If not, try to imagine the circumstances that might have led to the person acting or looking like they do.

Accept. Once you begin to understand, or at least think you kind of understand, try to accept. Accept that person for who he is, without trying to change him. Accept that he will act the way he does, without wanting him to change. The world is what it is, and as much as you try, you can only change a little bit of it. It will continue to be as it is long after you’re gone. Accept that, because otherwise, you’re in for a world of frustration.

Love. Once you’ve accepted someone for who he is, try to love him. Even if you don’t know him. Even if you’ve hated him in the past. Love him as a brother, or love her as a sister, no matter who they are, old or young, light skinned or dark, male or female, rich or poor.

I hope the situation experienced by the two deaf-couples that I've exampled a while ago will be an eye opener to all of us people. Discriminating & Judging others is a NOT good character trait to ponder. Let us make realize ourselves that these character traits we have are just only material things on this Earth. Try to think of it that when you wake up early in the morning from your bed, it's already a BLESSING. A new blessing that the LORD GOD gives you an another day to live life to the fullest. Every day is a BLESSING. And you should THANK of it. Be KIND. Learn to ACCEPT who you are. Learn to APPRECIATE yourself and others, on whatever any challenges and circumstances that may come into your life, take those criticisms by others as learnings, exchange negativity into a positive side. Cause "JUDGING someone does NOT DEFINE who they are; it DEFINES who you are."

[brotherseph]

The impact of COVID-19 on Remote Working

COVID-19 has brought about an unprecedented change across the world. As the world went into lockdown across continents, offices were forced to pull down their shutters and employees had to stay at home. Employers had to improvise quickly or risk losing their businesses. What was their next course of action? Remote working. Now, let’s be clear that remote working, or telecommuting, is not a new concept that emerged due to COVID-19. But it is for sure a concept that became the ‘norm’ because of COVID-19. Before this pandemic, remote working or telecommuting already exists. Some big companies across the world, offer this kind of job & had chosen to hire telecommuting employees, as they had recognized that some roles in their company did not require their employees to be in the office physically. Telecommuting was a concept that was embraced more by the Western world, rather than in Asia. Now fast forward to the present. According to a source from Gartner webinar snap poll, 91% of HR leaders across the Asia Pacific region who attended their webinar indicated that their companies had implemented working from home to keep workflow going through this pandemic. The pandemic had forced companies in Asia to begin experimenting with the idea of remote working, despite many businesses being completely unprepared for it. Recently, in mid-March this year, many countries across the world saw lockdowns being put in place, video conferencing applications saw an incredible 62 million downloads worldwide within a week. According to mobile data and analytics provider App Annie, this was a 90% spike in comparison to the same week in 2019. Taking the lead was Zoom – an application which many across the world are now familiar with – which generated close to 131 million downloads in April. The highest number of downloads surprisingly came from India, with its population making up 18.2% of Zoom’s downloads, indicating that this Asian country was quick to implement remote working to accommodate the lockdown of over 1.3 billion people. Other popular video conferencing applications include Google Meet, Skype, WhatsApp, and Houseparty, the last being an application which is designed more for social purposes. While most of these applications have been around for many years, the influx in downloads only came about when the COVID-19 struck, and the importance for such applications to one’s everyday life, both professionally and socially, came about. In spite of the worldwide crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these modern technologies plays a big vital role of our daily life, most especially at work. Where some services from different sectors in the government and the private sector were paralyzed and suspended due different lockdowns on some places, and in order to minimize and control the people of getting around outside from their homes so that the virus can't spread anywhere. Thru these video conferencing applications, it truly helps a lot to the people around to get easily convenient that their transactions and even making their work reports, communication and even buying goods and other services online makes the people comfortable in a very convenient way. Photo credit courtesy from: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/coronavirus-asia-not-yet-ready-to-work-from-home

[brotherseph]

Is ABORTION illegal or legal?

As a very common definition that frequently found on books or even searching into the internet, ABORTION is the process of deliberating termination of a human life into the mother's womb. Some countries around the world, legalize this kind of practice. But for those Christian countries who believe the importance of human life most especially here in the Philippines, STRONGLY DISAGREE this kind of practice.

According to a source from Guttmacher Institute which is based in New York in the United States, throughout Europe, except for Ireland and Poland, abortion is broadly legal, widely available and safe. The United States legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, in part because of the clear evidence that restrictive laws were not ending abortion but were exacting a significant public health toll, notably on lower-income women who could not travel or pay for safe services. Almost immediately afterward, pregnancy-related deaths and hospitalizations due to complications of unsafe abortion effectively ended. The United States was not the first country and has been far from the last to recognize this relationship and move to liberalize its law.

China was the first large developing country to enact a liberal abortion law—in 1957. The Soviet Union and the central and western Asian republics enacted similar laws in the 1950s. Over the next 50 years, abortion become legal on broad grounds in a wide range of less developed countries, including Cuba (1965), Singapore (1970), India (1971), Zambia (1972), Tunisia (1973), Vietnam (1975), Turkey (1983), Taiwan (1985), Mongolia (1989), South Africa (1996) and Cambodia (1997). Indeed, the worldwide trend in abortion law has continued to be toward liberalization. And since 1997, another 21 countries or populous jurisdictions have liberalized their laws, including Colombia, Ethiopia, Iran, Mexico City, Nepal Portugal and Thailand. During this same period, only three countries—El Salvador, Nicaragua and Poland—have increased restrictions.

Today, 60% of the world's 1.55 billion women of reproductive age (15–44) live in countries where abortion is broadly legal.

The remaining 40% live where abortion is highly restricted, virtually all in the developing world. In Africa, 92% of women of reproductive age live under severely restrictive laws; in Latin America, 97% do. Ironically, the abortion laws governing most of the countries in these regions are holdovers from the colonial era, imposed by European countries that have long ago abandoned such restrictive laws for themselves.

In a country such as Uganda, about 300,000 abortions take place each year, notwithstanding the fact that abortion is legal only to save a woman's life. Unsafe abortion there is a leading cause of pregnancy-related death. Moreover, at current rates, half of all Ugandan women will require treatment for complications related to abortion at some point in their lives.

Here in the Philippines, Abortion is ILLEGAL. There's an existing laws that protects human life and protection for the children. As Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution says:

"Section 12. The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception."

The act is criminalized by Philippine law. Articles 256, 258 and 259 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines mandate imprisonment for those women who undergo abortion, as well as for any person who assists in the procedure. Article 258 further imposes a higher prison term on the woman or her parents if the abortion is undertaken "in order to conceal the woman's dishonor".

Even the Catholic Church STRONGLY OPPOSES Abortion. It is a MORTAL SIN. As a bible verse says;

“Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good, life for life."

- Leviticus 24:17-18

We people should NOT tolerate ABORTION. ABORTION is a kind of CRIME. And anyone who caught this kind of practice will be punishable by its laws but also the law of GOD.

VALUE HUMAN LIFE. PROTECT HUMAN LIFE.

Photo credit courtesy from: BBC.com

[brotherseph]

Do you believe "tu-ob" or steam inhalation is the answer of curing COVID-19?

Tu-ob is a Cebuano term of steam inhalation. In Filipino language, they called it "su-ob". It is a kind of traditional medicine on which it came from our ancestors & forefathers. This kind of traditional medicine oftenly used most especially for those people who were illnesses such as fever, headache, cough, colds & other minor illnesses. Tu-ob is a traditional healing method of inhaling steam from a basin filled with boiled water infused with lemon, ginger or eucalyptus & other herbs for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the patient on which symptom of illnesses that he or she may be experienced. He or she would placed their head or even their body into the basin by covering a bath towel in order to inhale the steam.

Before the medicines on tablets & capsules on curing such different illnesses or diseases are not yet discovered or studied by experts, tu-ob has already existed. One way that our forefathers have already practiced this kind of traditional medicine. Even experts nowadays, didn't believed this kind of an "old practice" as they say, it's because it will cause damage to your eyes, other organs or it can cause skin burns due to it's hot temperature of the boiling water. But if you asked the elder ones or even your grandparents about tu-ob, they would say tu-ob is a very effective alternative medicine on curing various illnesses & diseases.

Recently, this kind of traditional medicine open up today as an eyecatcher of the news not just in Cebu but also in the whole country due to the statements issued via virtual presser by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia where she recommended “tu-ob,” or steam inhalation as a cure for COVID-19. She also issued a memorandum requiring capitol employees and department heads to perform tu-ob twice a day on their work stations.By this statement, two Cebu-based medical practitioners questioned the governor's remarks on her endorsement of “tu-ob,” or steam inhalation as a cure for COVID-19 were the two made to disagreed on her remarks. It leads that the governor publicly shamed these two medical practitioners via social media. The Cebu Governor was criticized by netizens online due to her actions against the two medical practitioners.

This has reached to the Medical professionals in Cebu. They issued a statement that while the practice of tu-ob has been cited in scientific journals to provide relief for respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion and dry cough, “up-to-date” medical evidence showed that steam inhalation has not been demonstrated to kill viruses, specifically the SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. Even the Department of Health (DOH) issued their side stated that tu-ob is not the cure for COVID-19. According to DOH, up to this moment of time, there's no vaccine or even medicine has ever discovered by experts on how to cure COVID-19. And there's NO proof of evidence or study that tu-ob or steam inhalation can kill the virus.

For me, tu-ob is often a traditional medicine that our forefathers inherited to us people. Whether it is fact or bluff that tu-ob can be a possible cure for COVID-19, but the mere fact of it is that tu-ob is already a part of our daily culture as a Filipino using this kind of medical practice as an alternative medicine on treating various diseases & illnesses. A kind of simple medical treatment that can't be fade or exchange any medical studies that can only been found on books. Instead, this will remain to be treasure by many people for those who will believe & inherit on it in the next years, decades or even centuries to come.

photo courtesy from: Inquirer.net