Support Small and Medium Enterprises! Support Local Goods!

Today, my parents and I shopped for groceries at Robinsons' Supermarket in Marikina. Since we used to shop at Makro before it got converted into an SM Hypermart, I forgot that Robinsons' Supermarket offers more choices of Filipino-made products compared to other conglomerate-owned supermarket chains. They sell Arce Dairy products, locally-produced carabao milk, and an assorted array of exclusively-Filipino products such as dried mangoes. 

Yummy Choco Milk!
(Photo by Ramon Velasquez)

Today, I bought a product that seems new to my eyes - PCC Choco Milk made from fresh buffalo's milk (Carabao Milk). This milk is very delicious. Its chocolate flavor is very tasty and is very appealing to chocolate lovers like me. The chocolate flavor is exactly the same flavor used by the now-defunct Nestle-Magnolia Chocolate Milk, a product that I used to buy in Greendale Supermarket in Sto. Nino, Marikina City (current building houses a Save More Supermarket). 

The best thing I thought while consuming this product is that I supported a small and medium enterprise - local Carabao milkers in Nueva Ecija (assisted by the Philippine Carabao Center). 

Maybe its time we try other lesser-known local brands. I myself used to buy Hapee Toothpaste. (I say used since all of our toothpastes are now gifts from overseas friends.) I am also a proud consumer of tablea cacao chocolates (which my relatives in Leyte supplies if there is an abundance of such goods). The bitter it is, the better! 

I hope we can support small and medium enterprises. This will ensure a balanced flow of money for the betterment of our local economy.

On Contemporary Issues (SCL Reaction Paper)

The following content is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License:

Injustice, or should we say, rampant injustice and/or abuse of authority, is a contemporary moral issue we are currently facing. It is defined as either the absence, or the opposite, of justice. It is also tied to corruption; since corrupt minds have the tendency to misjudge between what is right or wrong. Here I shall also tackle a severe form of injustice, human rights violations.As I have observed, injustice was already rampant since ancient times. Even in Biblical times, particularly in the Old Testament, injustice was present even in the Israelite society. In Ecclesiastes 3:16, it says, “I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity.” (Douay-Rheims Version) I have observed that even God’s chosen people were susceptible to being harbingers of injustice. Some Kings of Israel and Kings of Judah were corrupt and disobedient to the Lord. According to tradition, King Manasseh of Judah had the Prophet Isaiah sawn in half. In my opinion, this is an example of injustice as Isaiah wasn’t evil and he didn’t deserve such inhumane treatment. He merely did his job as a prophet. Another example is Naboth’s execution brought by a false accusation. The conspirers were King Ahab of Israel and Jezebel his wife, a Phoenician. Daniel the post-exilic prophet was placed in the lion’s den being innocent, as his opponents manipulated a loophole in the king’s edict to have him imprisoned. Finally, Jesus the very Son of God was crucified despite being sinless. This shows how even Biblical characters, especially the godly pious ones, experienced injustice here on earth. Even until modern times, some people are falsely accused. The United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, admits that statistically 8% to 12% of all state prisoners are either actually or factually innocent. In the Philippines, it is sometimes fairly common to hear innocent prisoners suffering in prison due to a slow justice system.This I have observed. Sometimes, even those who commit petty crimes are viciously tortured to death. This is a clear violation of human rights. Everyone has the right to due process. Justice should be served in the correct way.

I felt pity to them, and I think I could help by raising awareness against the dangers of being falsely convicted. I have also learned that many great thinkers have discussed on this subject, emphasizing human weakness (imperfect mankind) as the common cause of falling into sin. I believe we should strive hard and lessen our blame on our inherent susceptibility to sin. St. Augustine, in his De Libero Arbitrio, states that "All nature in so far as it is nature is good. For if it is incorruptible it is better than a corruptible nature; and if it is corruptible, since in corruption it becomes less good, it without doubt is good. But all nature is corruptible or incorruptible. Consequently all nature is good." I believe there are many root causes in such cases, ranging from human imperfection to pure evil malignant intentions. We should continue to strive and take action, if we can help, against anything that would take away the dignity of the human persons. In 1965, Pope Paul VI’s Pastoral Constitution titled GaudiumEtSpes tackled many things. In Chapter IV, it reads: With integrity and wisdom, they must take action against any form of injustice and tyranny, against arbitrary domination by an individual or a political party and any intolerance. They should dedicate themselves to the service of all with sincerity and fairness, indeed, with the charity and fortitude demanded by political life. 

It is clear that all of us, the Faithful, lay or clergy alike, has a role in being social transformers helping drive out any form of injustice that degrades the dignity of the human person.

Condolences to the late Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III

I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the Kiram family. Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, the most-known (as there are more claimants) claimant to the Sultanate has recently died last 20 October 2013 due to multiple organ failure. His remains will be flown back to the capital of the Sultanate in Maimbung, Sulu. Condolences to his family. It is very sad to hear that he died without seeing his ancestral domains restored to the possessions of the legal successor of the now-defunct Sulu Sultanate - the Republic of the Philippines.

***

For those unfamiliar with the late Sultan, this is the lead section of his Wikipedia article personally edited by yours truly:

Jamalul Kiram III (16 July 1938 - 20 October 2013) was a claimant Sultan of the Sultanate of Sulu (now part of the Republic of the Philippines). He was an unsuccessful candidate for senator in the 2007 Philippine Elections. Self-described as "the poorest sultan in the world", Kiram revived ^[1] the North Borneo dispute between the Philippines and Malaysia which led to the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff.

EDSA Prayer Vigil? Paano naman ang mga hindi Katoliko?

After the successful August 26 Luneta Park Protests dubbed as a "Million People March" (which unfortunately didn't reach that mark), the organizers are now planning to continue the said demonstrations of public indignation on Wednesday, 11th of September, 2013 at EDSA Highway, Metro Manila. The organizers now want a prayer vigil against the ills of corruption lingering in the Philippine government and society. Sure, this sounds like a good plan. However, I was somehow demoralized after learning that the said rally will be a prayer vigil in front of Our Lady of EDSA. This seems too Catholic-oriented, isn't it? Paano na ang mga Muslim? ang mga Protestante? ang mga Iglesia ni Cristo? ang mga ateista't agnostiko? (What about the Muslims? the Protestants? the INC? the atheists and agnostics?)

I believe it's also due to time to differentiate between secular gatherings and liturgical gatherings. It's also time to stop attaching Catholicism to government issues. We are in a secular society. The Philippines is not a Catholic country (Catholic-majority maybe, but not essentially a Catholic country). They might attack me by saying that they also had a mass during the Aug 26 Protests. I have no problem on the fact that some groups did a mass during the August 26 Luneta Park Protests since it was limited to those who want to participate. I am also not against the prayer vigil per se, but I feel if they really want to "continue" the Million People March, they should not have turned the event into an exclusive prayer vigil.  Just my five cents though (opinion only)....

Saan Napupunta ang Pork Barrel ng mga Senador at Kongresista? (Link)

Nagtataka ba kayo kung saan napupunta ang Pork Barrel ng mga Kongresista noong taong piskal 2012? Huwag na mag-alala sapagkat dahil sa mga kamakailang isyu tungkol sa pag-abuso umano at pangungurakot ng PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) o "Pork Barrel", inilabas na ng Kagawaran ng Pagbabadyet at Pamamahala (Department of Budget and Management, DBM) ang mga detalye ukol sa pinopondohang proyetko ng mga miyembro ng kamara.

Heto ang ugnay (link):

http://pdaf.dbm.gov.ph/index.php?r=Site/District_rep/fy/2012

Syempre, hindi ako lubos na naniniwala na 100% ay ginugol sa mga proyekto. Madali lang mag-doktor ng mga datos, hindi ba? Mehehe.

Maglingkod para sa Bayan, Hindi para sa Bulsa!

"TAYO'Y MAGLINGKOD PARA SA BAYAN, HINDI PARA SA BULSA!" 

- rallying cry of the Chairperson Ordinary of the State of Ariana, His  Eminence,  Darvinos de Mariquina

Today's Verse:

Matthew 20:26 (NIV)...Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

In this verse, Christ lays down the doctrine that men become governors and rulers therein in order that they may serve their constituents, not to gloat in pride and abuse their power. If all rulers would apply this, then there is no need for checks and balances. Unfortunately, we are not living in an ideal world where rules are 100% efficiently imposed. The real world has space for disorder, for broken promises, for evil. 

In the corruption-infested Philippine political arena, the goodness of the righteous government officials is usually overshadowed by the scandalous and horrible iniquities of other (usually higher) government officials. This is one of the reasons why our people have lost faith on the government. They no longer believe that the government can steer this state (country) to progress. "Ikaw ang naiiba 'pag ikaw lang ang matino." (You'll be "different" if you're the one who is righteous) This has been somehow a trend, according to the numerous testimonies of my relatives and friends who were (some are still in the government) once government officials - first hand witnesses to the corruption that shrouds the bureaucracy. The cancer of the society is still eminent in the government. Quoting Asin's famous song "Balita" ("news"), "ginatungan ng mga kabulukan hanggang sa lumago", this is the reason why there is still corruption in the government. Since most of the corruption goes unpunished, hence there is a great lack of deterrents that could have reduced the "growth" of corruption. If we want to clean up the system, then a re-indoctrination should be done on many government officials to remind them that their true duty is to serve the society and not their stomachs.


***
We are lucky that we have PNoy as our President because, in my opinion, he really wants to clean up the government. Unfortunately, his lackeys aren't showing the same vigor in doing so. As time goes by, I even think that PNoy is heavily influenced by his "less righteous" lackeys, resulting in poor and unwise decisions. We shall see....

Mabuhay ang Grupo ng mga Mamamamayang May Malasakit sa Bayan!

Mga Kababayan,

One of the numerous posters rallying the Filipinos to join the
march against PDAF Fund on 26 August 2013.

Ako po ay lubos na sumusuporta sa gagagaping malawakang pulong laban sa Pork Barrel sa Agosto 26, 2013. Sa Luneta at sa Burnham Park, Baguio City gaganapin ang naturang pagkakatipon. Ito na siguro ang pinakamainam na pagkakataon para ipakita natin, mga concerned citizens, ang ating galit na buhat nang kamakailang naibalitang 10 Billion Pork Barrel scam. Sana po ay maipakita natin na sobra na ang katampalasanan sa ating lehislatura at hindi na tayo papayag, oo, tayong mga mamamayan, na magpatuloy ang ganitong kabulukan sa ating gobyerno.

Nagsusulat para sa bayan,
Darvinos de Mariquina