success

“For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.” Luke 16:8b This line comes at the conclusion of the parable of the Dishonest Steward. Jesus told this parable as a way of highlighting the fact that the “children of the world” are indeed successful in their manipulation of worldly things, whereas the “children of light” are not as shrewd when it comes to worldly things. So what does this tell us? It certainly does not tell us that we should enter into a worldly life striving to live by worldly standards and working toward worldly goals. In fact, by acknowledging this fact about the worldly, Jesus is presenting us with a strong contrast as to how we should think and act. We are called to be the children of light. Therefore, we should not be surprised at all if we are not as successful in worldly things as others are who are immersed in the secular culture. This is especially true when we look at the numerous “successes” of those who are fully immersed in the world and the values of the world. Some are successful in obtaining great wealth, power or prestige by being shrewd in things of this age. We see this in pop culture especially. Take, for example, the entertainment industry. There are many who are quite successful and popular in the eyes of the world and we can tend to have a certain envy of them. Compare that to those who are filled with virtue, humility and goodness. We often find that they go unnoticed. So what should we do? We should use this parable to remind ourselves that all that matters, in the end, is what God thinks. How does God see us and the effort we give in living a holy life? As children of the light, we must work only for that which is eternal, not for that which is worldly and passing. God will provide for our worldly needs if we put our trust in Him. We may not become huge successes in accord with worldly standards, but we will obtain greatness in regard to all that truly matters and all that is eternal. Reflect, today, upon your priorities in life. Are you focused on building up riches that are eternal? Or do you continually find yourself caught up in the manipulations and shrewdness that has as a goal only worldly success? Strive for that which is eternal and you will be eternally grateful. Lord, help me to keep my eyes on Heaven. Help me to be one who is wise in the ways of grace, mercy and goodness. When I am tempted to live only for this world, help me to see what is of true value and stay focused on that alone. Jesus, I trust in You. If you were given the choice between worldly success, or failure, what would you choose? Oh, and if you choose success, it would lead you away from God while failure would draw you closer to him? Your choice? You want to bargain, don’t you? I want success and I promise to stay close to God. I promise! It’s possible of course, but we also know all too well that we are to be in the world and not of the world. As an author, the desire for success is hard-wired into my efforts. Yet, as a Catholic, I know God will not measure my success in book sales. The only thing that ultimately matters is the extent that I love and serve God and that means loving and serving others. True spiritual success tempers worldly ambition. If I had to choose between becoming a New York Times best-selling author but lose my soul, or to never get published but achieve great holiness, I would have to choose the latter. No doubt, it’s the same choice you would make. But what if instead of heaven and hell, the choice was between heaven and purgatory? Would you choose success in this world in exchange for delaying heaven? Please don’t tell me you are thinking it over. Success is in the Eye of the Beholder Some of the saints give us insight as to how to put God, work, and success into perspective. “Don’t you long to shout to those youths who are bustling around you: Fools! Leave those worldly things that shackle the heart – and very often degrade it – leave all that and come with us in search of Love!” -St. Josemaria Escriva “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.” -Blessed Teresa of Calcutta “Let us go forward in peace, our eyes upon heaven, the only one goal of our labors.” -St. Therese of Lisieux “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” -St. Augustine Consider the story from St. Faustina, the polish nun and visionary who received the Divine Mercy devotion. She saw a priest obeying God on a task but his efforts were failing. “Why are you letting him fail when he is doing what you want?” St. Faustina asked Jesus. “Success in my eyes is not always success in man’s eyes,” Jesus responded. The priest was succeeding. He was following Jesus. God will not judge us on how others respond to us but rather on the degree to which we follow him. Whether one is an artist, a furniture maker, an architect, a full-time mother, etc., there are always temptations to desire success in the eyes of the world rather than first and foremost seeking to serve God above all else. Eight Ways to Make Success About God Imagine being on your deathbed after having achieved great worldly success. How much will it matter at that moment? Make your work about serving others at every opportunity. *Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament and focus on your relationship with Jesus. Time spent in union with God, helps to put the world in perspective. Don’t compare yourself with people achieving more or less success. One leads to jealousy and envy and the other to pride. It’s between you and God, no one else. Pray before beginning, pray in thanksgiving at work well done, and pray for those who will benefit from your work. Pray for those who help you, and pray for those who hinder you. Network with other serious Catholics in your field for support, perspective, and inspiration. Just as you celebrate your successes, celebrate your failures–or at least accept them. They hold lessons for holiness and learning. Help others. If helping someone else might create competition for you in some way, do it anyway and pray for his or her success. Your act of charity will bring you closer to God and protect you from selfish ambition while also trusting God with the outcome. Seeking success is not a Catch-22, but rather, an exercise in walking the fine line God laid out for us. “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16). In other words, we need to know the rules of the game in order to succeed but our heart must remain innocent and focused on God.

2021 Year of Missio Ad Gentes #500YOC

FULL TEXT: CBCP Pastoral Letter for the 2021 Year of Missio Ad Gentes #500YOC Becoming Jesus’ Missionary Disciples Dearly Beloved People of God, The Philippine Church rejoices as it enters a national celebration of the 500 Years of Christianity in our treasured homeland. Five centuries ago we received the marvelous gift of the Christian faith; our hearts overflow with joy and gratitude. Why of all the nations and peoples in Asia was the Philippines chosen by God to be among the first to receive this precious gift? The clear answer is simply this: God’s magnanimous, overflowing love. We recall what God told his people Israel regarding his choice: “It was not because you are the largest of all nations that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you, for you are really the smallest of all nations. It was because the Lord loved you and because of his fidelity…” (Dt 7:7-8). Only God’s freely given love can illuminate the choice of the Filipino people to receive this valuable gift of faith! The Christian faith arrived and prospered in our land through the dedication and heroic sacrifices of thousands of men and women missionaries from various parts of the world. They treasured the gift of faith they had received and desired to share this gift with others. As the theme chosen by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for this fifth centennial notes: all Christians are “gifted to give.” This “giftedness” motivated generous missionaries over the centuries; it must also enflame the hearts of all of us today to engage in mission here at home and in other countries (missio ad gentes). Indeed, this is part of Jesus’ mission mandate to his disciples: “What you have received as a gift, give as a gift” (Mt 10:8). We pray for a missionary renewal of our Church—both at home (ad intra) and beyond our borders (ad extra) during our celebration of the 500 years—and into the future! Missionary Transformation. Our beloved Pope Francis, who visited us in 2015, is committed to the missionary renewal of the entire Church; we can take inspiration from his document Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). He asserts that we need an “evangelizing Church that comes out of herself,” not a Church that is “self-referential” and “lives within herself, of herself, for herself” (cf. EG 20-24). Francis says: “I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation…. All renewal in the Church must have mission as its goal if it is not to fall prey to a kind of ecclesial introversion” (EG 27). We seek to renew our mission enthusiasm here at home as well as missio ad gentes, mission to other nations and peoples. Pope Francis continues: “Missionary outreach is paradigmatic for all the Church’s activity…. We need to move ‘from a pastoral ministry of mere conservation to a decidedly missionary pastoral ministry'” (EG 15). “I want to emphasize that what I am trying to express here has programmatic significance and important consequences…. Throughout the world, let us be ‘permanently in a state of mission'” (EG 25). We must seek to “put all things in a missionary key” (EG 34). We recall the challenge of Pope John Paul II during his 1981 visit to our Church: “I wish to tell you of my special desire: that the Filipinos will become the foremost missionaries of the Church in Asia.” This is a clear invitation to engage in missio ad gentes! Pope Francis’ insights about Church missionary renewal come from his deep personal relationship with Christ. He writes: “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ…. I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day” (EG 3). A pivotal insight of Pope Francis is that “we are all missionary disciples” (EG 119); through baptism, “all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples” (EG 120). All Christians are “agents of evangelization.” Missionary evangelization “calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized…. Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus: we no longer say that we are ‘disciples’ and ‘missionaries,’ but rather that we are always ‘missionary disciples'” (EG 120). Joy: A Convincing Sign. For Pope Francis, salvation history is a “great stream of joy” (EG 5) which we must also enter. Let the joy of faith be revived, because God’s mercies never end (cf. EG 6). Unfortunately, “there are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter” (EG 6). “An evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral” (EG 10). We must not become “querulous and disillusioned pessimists, ‘sourpusses'” (EG 85). “May the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, be enabled to receive the good news not from evangelizers who are dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervor, who have first received the joy of Christ (EG 10; cf. EN 75). We all must not “end up stifling the joy of mission” (EG 79), both here at home and in other lands! Mercy: Today’s Pathway in Mission. Pope Francis continually insists that mercy is the very essence of God. In his Misericordiae Vultus (The Face of Mercy) Francis expresses it this way: mercy is God’s identity card. He says: “We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace…. Mercy [is] the bridge that connects God and man” (MV 2). Francis quotes Saint Thomas Aquinas, who asserts that “mercy is the greatest of all virtues; … all the others revolve around it … it is proper to God to have mercy” (EG 37). “Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life. All of her pastoral activity should be caught up in the tenderness she makes present to believers; nothing in her preaching and in her witness to the world can be lacking in mercy. The Church’s very credibility is seen in how she shows merciful and compassionate love” (MV 10). “The Church is commissioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel, which in its own way must penetrate the heart and mind of every person…. As the Church is charged with the task of the new evangelization, the theme of mercy needs to be proposed again and again with new enthusiasm and renewed pastoral action…. In our parishes, communities, associations and movements, in a word, wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy” (MV 12). Conclusion. Pope Francis’ profound thoughts on missionary renewal, joy, and mercy provide a solid compass to guide us as individuals and communities during our 500-years celebration and in the year 2021 which is dedicated to missio ad gentes (mission to all peoples). With Pope Francis we ask two graces of the Lord: “Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary vigor” (EG 109). “Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary enthusiasm” (EG 80). We remain constant in prayer, asking our two canonized “foreign” missionary saints, Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod, to intercede for us so that our loving God will always abundantly bless our Church in the Philippines and all her many missionary endeavors! For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, + ROMULO G. VALLES, D.D. Archbishop of Davao President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines 29 November 2020, First Sunday of Advent ©️ CBCP News

What is true development?

What is true development?

 

Development has many equations and concepts with a common denominator of betterment & goodness. But the question lies on the difference between personal gain and the ability to develop for the good of all which is essentially a kind of development that enforced to help the weak, the poor, the powerless, the people and the environment in general.

The fact that development can also reduce the community to futility and pervert the ecology when it utilizes all the elements of forces to serve egocentric interests, like sending their political weapon through coded call of itapon sila sa basurahang kawalan. Is this a kind of noxious menace or simply a dictatorial cowardice or worst the lifestyle of meaninglessness?

The function of this kind of living is in fact the act of propelling one self over another. It is what psychologists define as ego-consciousness, the wretched form of consciousness that is vest to the animal instinct of survival... The “survival of the fittest”. Will they do anything to suppress the weak in order to survive? Are they viewing the world with the cold eyes of predators that must prevail at any cost at the expense of imbecilic and egoistic mind or simply promoting cowardice?

Then, who are the fittest in this secular world or on this secluded islands? Who are these spineless kings and queens of their own palaces & villas?

Again and again what is true development? Is it building accesses for one’s own survival while moral tradition collapses? Is it the same as making business from govt expense to build political kingdoms in the guise of community service? Or is it the reflection and innovation of growth that encounter and conquer the complexities of modern life? Can we call these courts growth?

What is development? Is it the realization of heroism, or just a way of escaping this boredom existence and at the same time endorsing apathy or torpidity from these so called imbecile fainthearted minds?

What is true development? Is it the conservation & protection of aesthetic beauty to conquer the complexity of modernity?

What is true development? Is it preserving the tangible & intangible historical treasure and the protection of natural & ecological gems, or is it their contracted roads or buildings that conceptualized ridiculous ideas of an apocryphal claims of serving the people? Is it the dawning and a call from the depths of actuality where these goodness are made to articulate the spirit of involvements? Or is it just a plain political dominion or power tripping? Why are they confusing? Why are self-proclaimed development became so disgraceful, bogus and blasphemous? Pretending like gods & serving just to lord over it?

Why is it always painful to go out there and view this kind of devolution and be lost to this abysmal void that hurt with the shameless plasticity of it all? Do we have to manipulate the people & the eco-system to gain power & wealth, to clog & cast off commonality while proclaiming this sham progress? Then we can only quest, what is this deadly greedy thing?

Why is it that their so called development seems to have lost its spirit of common sense? True development must be founded in traditional morality if not immortality..

What are great achievements and strides made of? Why does it seem that while they're announcing their self-imposed accomplishments and achievements, we only found the equal deterioration of the bayanihan spirit found in community, we detect misguided spirit of oneness and solidarity? Are these roads to perdition made of apathy & torpidity? Some kind of destruction or exploitation of our nature?

The manipulations and lies of twisted development are being revealed when money becomes the only essential commodity to feed this carnal body. If they instinctively think that they’re just serving survival instinct... then life might become unbearable, unreasonable, vexatious and sickening, so ugly, lonely and perverted. Where do we go from here?! Transforming the roads into shenanigan?

Development includes everybody and can be created through laws by the president or governor or mayor or any other leaders, as a kind of system. Yes indeed a system is a system that without which we cannot function in a civilized society. Yet some kind of system were imposed in order to create an illusion of control, like the rules of systematic corruptions inside the institution, or rather it became a shambolic regime.

But in truth the problem lies not in this kind of system or laws but in the hearts of men or women where their own system becomes the means to an end. It is a kind of system where advancement has been assigned to mere survival - creating witless die-hard minions to denounce involvement, belongingness, in place of golden calf or the idolatry of moderated greed and worst of all the obnoxious indifference & callousness.

But development is not for the foolish heart nor for those ego-centric-mind who only serve their brute instinct where common sense and reason became irrelevant and nonsense. Please, it is not for them all, we beg!

Development should be the backbone of an institution or community or town. It must be creative & effective, it must produce good, beautiful and meaningful effect & result. Its created projects and programs must depict, capture and prove great achievements & heroism, a way of life and values like what our grandparents deed. Without them, a place may not have been existed. Gifted minds that move the course of the community’s future also know the value of development as an essential component in the promotion of the ethics of true life. Evolvement is a community canonization. It is therefore the common denominator of real & unquestionable of what truly is development; to the people, for the people and by the people… yet look around us?

Probably the reason we do not have an authentic sense of development is that we do not have the wisdom or a sense of history.

The best thing we can truly evolve is not to have more self-proclaimed developments and abuse or degrade the natural resources, but rather how to be genuinely productive and go back to the great idea that this betterment must have a true value of caring & respecting the community together with the protection & conservation of natural world or the environment.. are we unfortunately enough to lose the opportunity of reckoning at this very moment of time??!

Awaken us heavens, we pray.

ANO ANG TOTOONG KAUNLARAN

ANO ANG TOTOONG KAUNLARAN

Ang kaunlaran ay maraming ekwasyon o konsepto na may karaniwan at iisang layunin, ang kaayusan o kabutihan. Ngunit ang tanong ay nakasalalay sa pagkakaiba sa pagitan ng pansariling kapakinabangan laban sa kakayahang umunlad para sa ikabubuti ng lahat. Ang mahalagang uri ng kaunlaran ay ipinatutupad upang tulungan ang mahihina, mahihirap, ang mga walang-lakas, ang mga nasa laylayang komunidad, o lipunan at pangalagaan o proteksyunan ang kapaligiran o kalikasan sa pangkalahatan.

May katotohanan ding pwedeng gawin nang bugtot na kaunlaran na maging walang silbi ang komunidad kapag ginamit nito ang lahat ng kapangyarihan upang panatilihin ang pansariling interes at kasakiman, tulad ng politikang kahalayan, o ang nakatagong panlilinlang upang ilugmok ang madla sa basurahang kawalan.

Ang ganitong uri ng pamumuhay na tapakan ang iba upang umangat lamang, ang syang tinutukoy ng mga sikologo na isang kasakiman at kahabag-habag na anyo ng kamalayang nababalot sa pinaka-abang anyo ng nilalang... ang tinaguriang "matira ang matibay " o "survival of the fittest" dahil sinasabing ito ang batas ng ebolusyon. Oo pwede ito sa asal hayop dahil ito naman talaga ang ugali ng mga hayop, puro pakikipagtunggali at matira ang matibay dahil kung mga hayop tayo yun din ang susundin natin. Kung papataypatay ka patay ka. Ngunit hayop nga ba tayo? Naiinsulto nga tayo kapag tinawag na animal, hayop o isang halimaw. Dahil sinasabi nating tayo ay "tao". Subalit maituturing na halimaw ang isang tao na ang tanging ipinagmamalaki ay puro utak lamang, puro kapangyarihan, kayamanan at pera-pera lang pero walang puso, walang tunay na pagmamahal sa kapwa at lalo na walang tunay na pananampalataya at pag-ibig sa Dios.

Ito ba ang tinutukoy nilang patungo na tayong sa kabuoan ng tunay na ebolusyon patungo sa mas mabuting uri ng tao?

Gagawin ba ang lahat kahit sugpuin ang mahihina maisalba lamang ang sariling kapakanan na isa pala itong kaduwagan o isang buhay na walang katuturan upang takasan ang kapighatian?

Kung gayon, sino nga ba ang pinakamatatag sa liblib na pook na ito? Sino ang natatanging hari at reyna sa mga islang ito?

Muli’t-muli ano nga ba ang totoong pag-unlad? lumilikha ba ito nang kalituhan makamit lamang ang sariling kapakanan? Kahalintulad ba nito ang sindikatong samahan upang bumuo ng mga politikang kaharian at huwad na paglilingkod sa pamayanan gamit ang kaban ng bayan? Maaari ba nating tawaging paglago ang mga ito? O ang tunay bang kaunlaran ay isang pagsasagawa nang pagbabago upang sakupin o pagtagumpayan ang kumplikado at modernong buhay?

Ano ang kaunlaran? Ito ba ay ang pagkamulat sa katotohanan ng kabayanihan, o isang paraan lamang upang tumakas sa masidhing kalungkutan? Kasabay ba nito ang paglikha ng kawalang-pakialam mula sa mga tinaguriang hangal na kamalayan?

Ano ba ang totoong kaunlaran? Ito ba ay ang pagpapanatili ng nakikita at di-nakikitang hiwaga ng kasaysayan at ang pagprotekta sa mutya at hiyas na kalikasan? Ito ba ang kagandahang mapagtagumpayan ang makahulugang buhay? Ito ba ang pagsibol sa isang tawag mula sa kaibuturan ng kabutihan upang maisabuhay ang diwa ng bayanihan? O ito'y isang dominyo ng politika lamang o masamang pita ng kapangyarihan? Ito ba'y mga kinontratang kalsada, covered court at gusali lamang? Bakit ginagawang kalituhan ang kaunlaran? Bakit ang pahayag nang makasariling pag-unlad ay nagiging walang-kwenta, kahihiyan, peke, walang-galang, asal hayop at mapanira ng kalikasan at sa huli ay inaalipin, tinatakot at dinidiktahan pa ang sinasakupan?

Bakit nagdudulot pa ito nang kapighatian sa halip na kaginhawaan? Bakit sa tuwing nasisilayan ang ganitong uri ng kaunlaran ay bumubulusok sa kawalanghiyaan at kahalayan sa kalaliman ng kawalan? Kailangan ba nating manipulahin ang kaunlaran pati na ang kalikasan makamit lang ang kapangyarihan at kayamanan? Binabaliwala ba nito ang mamamayan? Sinasalaula ba nito ang kalikasan at pinipilit pa nito ang kamalian? Kung magkagayon isa lamang ang kahahantungan nang paghahasik na ito, ang nakamamatay na ganid at kagahaman na syang tunay na kabuangan?

Sapagkat ang tunay na kaunlaran ay may pundasyon ng moralidad at may pananaw na pangmatagalan at hindi puro ningas-kugon lamang.. Ngunit bakit ang kanilang tinaguriang pag-unlad ay tila nawalan na nang tunay na diwa o sentido-komun?

Para saan ba ang lahat ng mga ito? Bakit tila habang inihahayag ang mga pansariling tagumpay ay lalo lamang nalalantad ang pagkasira ng tunay na bayanihan sa pamayanan at nawawala ang diwa ng pagkakaisa ng samahan?

Ang mga daan bang ito ay patungo lamang sa pagkabigo na gawa ng kabugtutan? O ito ba'y isang uri ng pagwasak at pagsasamantala sa mamamayan at kalikasan?

Ang mga manipulasyon at kasinungalingan nang baluktot na pag-unlad ay nabubunyag kapag ang pera lang ang pinaiiral at puro pangangalakal. Kung ang pagsisilbihan lamang ay ang makasariling kaisipan, ang buhay ay maaaring maging pasakit, napakapangit, imoral, nakamamatay, at hindi makatuwiran. Saan nga ba tayo patungo?!

Mainam na sama-sama ang lahat sa kaunlaran. Maaaring ito'y magagqanap sa pamamagitan ng batas na ginagawa ng mga mambabatas, o ng gobyerno, o ng sino mang namumuno tulad ng isang sistema. Totoo na ang sistema ay maaaring gumabay sa kaunlaran, dahil kung walang sistema hindi tayo matatawag na sibilisadong bayan o lipunan. Subalit ang ilang uri ng sistemang ipinapataw ng mga astang halimaw sa lipunan ngayon ay upang lumikha lamang ng kalituhan o kasinungalingan at supilin ang karamihan tulad ng nga ginagawang panlilinlang para sa sistematikong katiwalian sa pamamagitan ng mga huwad na kalakaran.

Sa totoo lang ang problemang ito ay hindi lamang nakasalalay sa tinaguriang sistema kung saan naitala na ang kabulukang ito at binansagan pang kaunlaran. Sa katotohanan, ito pala'y inilalarawan at sinasagawa ng kaisipang "matira ang matibay" na siyang bumubuo nang kakaibang klase ng komunidad kung saa'y itinatakwil na ang kahalagahan ng kabayanihan at pagkakaisa upang ipagpalit sa pagsamba sa kasakiman na pinalala pa ng manhid na pamunuang walang malasakit at walang pakialam manapa'y pansarili lahat ang pakay.

Kaya nga't hindi para sa hangal na kaugalian ang kaunlaran ni sa sekularismong kaisipan na hindi na alam kung ano ang tama o mali, ang mabuti o masama at binabaligtad pa ang mali sa tama at ang tama sa mali. Dito humahantong sa sukdulang kahangalan na ang tanging pinagsisilbihan ay ang malupit na kaugalian kung saan ang katuwiran ay wala nang katuturan. Parang-awa nyo na, ibalik nyo ang dalisay at wastong kaunlaran.

Ang dalisay na kaunlaran ay nararapat maging muog at sandalan upang hanguin ang pamayanan at sambayanan. Upang ito ay maging malikhain at epektibo, makagawa ng mabuti, makabuluhan at mabisang pamamalakad. Kailangang maisalarawan nito ang mga makahulugang proyekto at programa sa mamamayan upang mapatunayan ang tagumpay at kabayanihan. Isang paraan nang pamumuhay at mga pagpapahalaga katulad nang ginawa ng ating mga ninuno. Kung wala ang mga ito, ang lugar ay maaaring maging isang walang-silbing pamayanan o bayan.

Ang likas na kaisipang gumagalaw sa kamalayan na hinaharap ng komunidad ay alam din ang halaga ng kaunlaran bilang isang makahulugang sangkap sa pagtataguyod ng mabuting asal o etika ng totoong buhay. Ang paglago ng pamayanan ay nakasalalay mismo sa pagkakaisa ng pamayanan, hindi upang manipulahin lamang ito dahil sa kasakiman.

Samakatuwid ito ang wagas na pamantayan ng kaayusan na hindi mag-aalinlangan; ang dalisay na kaunlaran ay makakamit sa pamamagitan ng mga tao, para sa mga tao at kaisa ang mga tao... ngunit pagmasdan ang paligid? Ano na ba ang nasisilayan dito? Ito ba'y para sa kabutihan, kaayusan, o makatuwiran?

Marahil ang dahilan kung bakit wala ng tunay na pakiramdam ang pag-unlad ay dahil binabaliwa na nito ang pagpapahalaga sa kasaysayan at tanawing muli ang mga aral nito. Sapagkat napatunayan ng napaigting natin ang kaalaman sa nakaraan ay lalong mapapabuti ang paghahanda sa hinaharap na kaunlaran.

Ang pinakamahalagang bagay na totoong umunlad ay hindi upang ipagmayabang ang lahat ng mga sinariling proyekto at abusuhin o sirain ang likas-yaman, sa halip ito'y kung papaanong maging totoong napapakinabangan at alalahanin ang mga dakilang ideya na ito ng kabutihan ay nababatay sa tunay na kahalagahan nang pagaaruga at pagrespeto sa komunidad kasama na ang pagprotekta at mapangalagaan ang kalikasan..

Tayo ba'y sawimpalad na mawalan ng pagkakataong mapagnilayan ang ganitong sandali?!

Dalangin nami'y gisingin kami, mahabaging langit.

Halimaw

Halimaw.

Sino at ano nga ba ito?! 

Ang halimaw ay isang monster. Ito rin ay maituturing na asal hayop, at ang tanging prinsipyo ay ang tinatawag na 'matira ang matibay' o "survival of the fittest" na ang ipinagmamalaki ay puro utak lamang, puro kayabangan at kapangyarihan, kayamanan at pera-pera na walang puso, walang tunay na pagmamahal sa kapwa at lalo na sa Dios at manapak ng aba..

Ang ganitong uri ng pamumuhay na tapakan ang iba upang umangat lamang, ang syang tinutukoy ng mga sikologo na isang kasakiman at kahabag-habag na anyo ng kamalayang nababalot sa pinaka-abang anyo ng nilalang... ang tinaguriang "matira ang matibay " o "survival of the fittest" dahil sinasabing ito ang batas ng ebolusyon. Oo pwede ito sa asal hayop dahil ito naman talaga ang ugali ng mga hayop, puro pakikipagtunggali at matira ang matibay dahil kung mga hayop tayo yun din ang susundin natin. Kung papataypatay ka patay ka. Ngunit hayop nga ba tayo? Naiinsulto nga tayo kapag tinawag na animal, hayop o isang halimaw. Dahil sinasabi nating tayo ay "tao". Subalit maituturing na halimaw ang isang tao na ang tanging ipinagmamalaki ay puro utak lamang, puro kapangyarihan, kayamanan at pera-pera lang pero walang puso, walang tunay na pagmamahal sa kapwa at lalo na walang tunay na pananampalataya at pag-ibig sa Dios.

 

Sa mundo ng pulitika natin, alam halos ng lahat na maraming naglipanang mga halimaw na politiko

 

Ang mga political dynasty tulad ng mga pamilyang naghahari-harian ay tinatawag ding halimaw, dahil ang tingin nila sa gobyerno ay isang malaking negosyo ng pamilya na hindi dapat mawala sa kanila.

 

Ito rin ang tawag sa mga gumagawa ng mga katiwalian at ginagawang gatasan at bigasan ang gobyerno habang lalong pinahihirapan ang maliliit na mamamayan, samantalang sila'y nagpapasasa sa kaban ng bayan.

 

Halimaw din na maituturing ang mga utak-hari-harian. Feeling entitled, akala nila above the law na sila at pwede na nilang gawin lahat kahit alam na mali at paglabag mismo sa ginagawa nilang batas o ang paggawa mismo nang kasamaan.

 

Maituturing ding halimaw ang pag-aappoint sa mga linta, sipsip, at mga tuta makapwesto lang kahit walang alam  dahil pwede silang manipulahin at utuin para magawa lahat nang katiwalian.

 

Ito ring ang mga walang pakialam na prinsipyo ng totoong kaunlaran na ang importante sa kanila ay ang makinarya ng manipulasyon at kasinungalingan.

 

Halimaw din ang mga umaangkin sa mga proyektong pinondohan ng gobyerno na galing sa buwis ng taumbayan.

 

Madaling makilala ang mga halimaw at ang kanilang mga kampon wala silang word of honor at walang galang.

 

We don’t want to be judgmental or to discriminate pero, por Dios por santo, how do you expect a halimaw to rule our institutions? As true leaders they must serve their people and be able to listen to them & form an educated ideas or even opinions on big issues. Hindi sila-sila na lang lahat ang mangangamkam..

 

kailangan may integridad at prinsipyo ang magiging desisyon sa mga ganitong usapin.

 

So pakiusap, iwagsi po natin ang iba't-ibang uri nang kahalimaw ito sa lahat ng pagkakataon..

 

Mga feeling entittled.. imbes na culion ang i-promote mga sarili ang binabandera pati selfie ng cameraman at mga pagmumukha nila ang nakabalandra sa promotion ng culion.. mahiya naman kayo kung meron man sana..

What is true development

What is true development

Development has many equations and concepts with a common denominator of betterment & goodness. But the question lies on the difference between personal gain and the ability to develop for the good of all which is essentially a kind of development that enforced to help the weak, the poor, the powerless, the people and the environment in general.

The fact that development can also reduce the community to futility and pervert the ecology when it utilizes all the elements of forces to serve egocentric interests, like sending their political weapon and ego, through coded call of itapon sila sa basurahang kawalan. Is this a kind of noxious menace or simply a dictatorial cowardice or worst the lifestyle of meaninglessness?

The function of this kind of living is in fact the act of propelling one self over another. It is what psychologists define as ego-consciousness, the wretched form of consciousness that is vest to the animal instinct of survival... The “survival of the fittest”. Will they do anything to suppress the weak in order to survive? Are they viewing the world with the cold eyes of predators that must prevail at any cost at the expense of imbecilic and egoistic mind or simply promoting cowardice?

Then, who are the fittest in this secular world or on this secluded islands? Who are these spineless kings and queens of their own palaces & villas?

Again and again what is true development? Is it building accesses for one’s own survival while moral tradition collapses? Is it the same as making business from govt expense to build political kingdoms in the guise of community service? Or is it the reflection and innovation of growth that encounter and conquer the complexities of modern life? Can we call these courts growth?

What is development? Is it the realization of heroism, or just a way of escaping this boredom existence and at the same time endorsing apathy or torpidity from these so called imbecile fainthearted minds?

What is true development? Is it the conservation & protection of aesthetic beauty to conquer the complexity of modernity?

What is true development? Is it preserving the tangible & intangible historical treasure and the protection of natural & ecological gems, or is it their contracted roads or buildings that conceptualized ridiculous ideas of an apocryphal claims of serving the people? Is it the dawning and a call from the depths of actuality where these goodness are made to articulate the spirit of involvements? Or is it just a plain political dominion or power tripping? Why are they confusing? Why are self-proclaimed development became so disgraceful, bogus and blasphemous? Pretending like gods & serving just to lord over it?

Why is it always painful to go out there and view this kind of devolution and be lost to this abysmal void that hurt with the shameless plasticity of it all? Do we have to manipulate the people & the eco-system to gain power & wealth, to clog & cast off commonality while proclaiming this sham progress? Then we can only quest, what is this deadly greedy thing?

Why is it that their so called development seems to have lost its spirit of common sense? True development must be founded in traditional morality if not immortality..

What are great achievements and strides made of? Why does it seem that while they're announcing their self-imposed accomplishments and achievements, we only found the equal deterioration of the bayanihan spirit found in community, we detect misguided spirit of oneness and solidarity? Are these roads to perdition made of apathy & torpidity? Some kind of destruction or exploitation of our nature?

The manipulations and lies of twisted development are being revealed when money becomes the only essential commodity to feed this carnal body. If they instinctively think that they’re just serving survival instinct... then life might become unbearable, unreasonable, vexatious and sickening, so ugly, lonely and perverted. Where do we go from here?! Transforming the roads into shenanigan?

Development includes everybody and can be created through laws by the president or governor or mayor or any other leaders, as a kind of system. Yes indeed a system is a system that without which we cannot function in a civilized society. Yet some kind of system were imposed in order to create an illusion of control, like the rules of systematic corruptions inside the institution, or rather it became a shambolic regime.

But in truth the problem lies not in this kind of system or laws but in the hearts of men or women where their own system becomes the means to an end. It is a kind of system where advancement has been assigned to mere survival - creating witless die-hard minions to denounce involvement, belongingness, in place of golden calf or the idolatry of moderated greed and worst of all the obnoxious indifference & callousness.

But development is not for the foolish heart nor for those ego-conscious-mind who only serve their brute instinct where common sense and reason became irrelevant and nonsense. Please, it is not for them all!

Development should be the backbone of an institution or community or town. It must be creative & effective, it must produce good, beautiful and meaningful effect & result. Its created projects and programs must depict, capture and prove great achievements & heroism, a way of life and values like what our grandparents deed. Without them, a place may not have been existed. Gifted minds that move the course of the community’s future also know the value of development as an essential component in the promotion of the ethics of true life. Evolvement is a community canonization. It is therefore the common denominator of real & unquestionable of what truly is development; to the people, for the people and by the people… yet look around us?

Probably the reason we do not have an authentic sense of development is that we do not have the wisdom or a sense of history.

The best thing we can truly evolve is not to have more self-proclaimed developments and abuse or degrade the natural resources, but rather how to be genuinely productive and go back to the great idea that this betterment must have a true value of caring & respecting the community together with the protection & conservation of natural world or the environment.. are we unfortunately enough to lose the opportunity of reckoning at this very moment of time??!

Awaken us heavens, we pray.

 

Republika ng Pilipinas
BAYAN NG CULION
Lalawigan ng Palawan

Hulyo 16, 2020

SEC. ALFONSO CUSI
Secretary, Department of Energy
2F PNOC Building V, Energy Center
Rizal Drive, 34th St. Taguig, 1632
Kalakhang Manila

PETISYON PARA SA ISANG IMBESTIGASYON NG BISELCO, CULION AT NAPOCOR SA MADALAS NANG BROWNOUT SA LOOB NA NG TATLONG TAON SA BAYAN NG CULION.

Kami pong mga mamamayan ng Culion ay humihiling ng tahasang imbestigasyon at kaukulang solusyon sa madalas na brownout sa bayan ng Culion sa loob na ng tatlong taon.

SAPAGKAT, kamakailan lamang, sa buwan ng Hunyo at Hulyo ngayong taong kasalukuyan ay madalas ang brownout halos tatlong beses at apat na beses sa loob ng isang araw;

SAPAGKAT ang problemang ito ng madalas na brownout ay halos tatlong taon na at mukhang lumalala pa ang sitwasyon;

SAPAGKAT, napakalaking perwisyo ang madalas na brownout sa pagtatrabaho, paghahanapbuhay at mga negosyo;

SAPAGKAT ang madalas na brownout ay sumira na at nakakasira ng mga pinagsikapan at pinagpagurang mga gamit o appliances ng bawat pamilya;

SAPAGKAT, sa pakiwari naming ay tumataas ang aming bayarin sa kuryente dahil sa biglaang pagpatay at pagbabalik ng kuryente;

SAPAGKAT, ang madalas na brown-out ay umaantala ng mga serbisyo ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno, ito man ay sa nasyonal, o munisipyo. Ito rin ay maaring sumira sa mahahalaga at mamahaling kagamitan ng pangunahing ospital sa na tumutugon sa Bayan ng Culion, Coron at Busuanga, ang Culion Sanitarium and General Hospital.

SAPAGKAT, sa tuwing may problema ng brownout ay nagsisihan ang BISELCO AT NAPOCOR kung sino ang sanhi ng madalas at nakakaperwisyong brownout;

SAPAGKAT, napapansin namin ay hindi maayos na ugnayan o koordinasyonng dalawang ahensyang ito;

KAYA NGA, aming pinapapasyahan na dalhin ang usapin ito sa antas ng national government, sa Department of Energy at gayundin sa Opisina ng Presidente ng Pilipinas upang agarang maimbestiga ang problemang ito, malapatan ng mabilisang solusyon at mapanagot ang mga taong nagiging dahilan ng mapinsalang brownouts at di- maayos na serbisyo sa mga mamayan ng Culion.

Pinagpapasyahan din namin na bigyan ng kopya ng Petisyon ang lahat ng kinauukulang ahensya para sa kanilang kaalaman at nararapat na hakbangin:

BISELCO / NAPOCOR

Energy Regulatory Board (ERB)

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

OFFICE OF THE REP. 1st district

Office of the Mayor

Sangguniang Bayan ng Culion (SB)

Nagkakaisang Lagda:

Pangalan           /             Pirma            

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MANIFESTO (Patag School Site)

 

MANIFESTO

THE CASE OF PROPOSED PATAG HIGH SCHOOL SITE 

Public interest always prevail over private interest.

Background:

The area is located at sitio Parang Bgy. Malaking Patag. As student population increases, from Botnongan, Demipac, Kabul Kabul, Dita, and Quezon, there is a need to establish a new school site in Patag. And expand the high school to meet demand for more classrooms and other facilities.

The proposed site is ideal for the school. It is accessible, with enough space for classroom, parade ground and sports facilities necessary for any school system.

It was originally owned by Pacifico Setias (lolo Fico) and sold to Mr. and Mrs. Lisboa. Please see attached documents.

And Mr. Lisboa before his death promised the people of Patag that he will donate that parcel of land for the school.

And the heirs will be willing to fulfill the wish of their parents.

 

Now,

A private individual is adversely claiming this proposed school site. This is on the pretext that the original owner has willed it for them without any proof and they are not relative as testified by then Ms. Omiterdam now Mrs. Ellana as the real remaining relative of lolo Fiko.

Fact is, Mrs. Ellana signed the deed of sale in favor of Mrs. Lisboa. It can be noted that lolo Fiko, Mr Serdena and Mrs. Lisboa are kababayan from Iloilo. And lolo Fiko has sold his land to Mrs. Lisboa inluding other lands in Kabul Kabul. Attached pls. find pertinent documents.

The DENR has surveyed the area in favor of the school. But they retracted to favor Mr Serdena.

A former bgy. kagawad is contesting Mr. Serdena’s claim. In fact they have passed resolution in the past, including affidavit of 3 other disinterested people who are original settlers of Patag. Attached please find pertinent documents.

The dispute is now being referred to the LGU. And the DENR is the authority over this land claim. Meanwhile, R.A. 9032 under sec 5 provides, that it is the municipality. See sec. 5 of R.A. 9032

The municipality should uphold public interest over individual interest. It should favor people’s need for the good of the greater majority.

This is a basic tenet for any government entity. LGU, DENR and other concerned agency in land disposition in Culion should stand for public interest

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An open letter to culion municipality and all concerned agencies.

 An open letter to the municipality and all concerned agencies.

Before any program or plan a municipality may develop or perceived, one of the most important consideration they must ensure is social acceptability.

It is what local government unit is all about. Self-determination. Determination of the will of the people.

We elect leaders to embody our ideals, promote our peoples welfare.

They represent us, and they are duty bound to serve.

Who are our leaders now? Who decide over our welfare? We ask this for we are concern with what we are seeing... With what we are hearing, and what we are knowing.

We are hearing stories that a new airport will be constructed in Patag. So, we ask DOTR, DENR, and DILG

And we are hearing a non-elected official is now leading in the framing of our CLUP. DECIDING WITHOUT CONSULTATION. What is our SB doing? Do they also follow the will of one person?

The task of framing the CLUP must be based on what is the WILL of the people of Culion. LGU must consult and hear the people first. And the SB must be the author of zoning ordinance. The enabling act of the CLUP

That is mandated to sb. What is mandated cannot be relegated. MPDO SHOULD LEAD CLUP. Nobody can usurp the authority mandated to them. Especially if that nobody is bonafide resident of Culion.

We are not indolent because we know our rights. The right to be consulted is un-alienable right. It is enshrined in our constitution.

Right or wrong our will as the people of Culion must decide the future of Culion

The most fundamental development plan for Culion is the CLUP. IT IS THE BIBLE WE FOLLOW AS A PEOPLE. And it cannot be based on whims and caprices to favor the few.

Especially if that few individual is not a bonafide resident of Culion.

Malasakit at serbisyo hinahanap namin sa inyo SB. Nasa inyo namin pinagkatiwala ang bayan natin.

So we implore to you now these:

1. Consult the people, and hear our opinion regarding the CLUP.

2. Do not allow anybody to dictate you on what must be for our welfare. We are the stakeholder.

3. Conduct Public Hearing. Social acceptability of any plan is required by law and it must be followed

4. Involved all line agencies specially DENR, DOTR and what is provided in R.A. 9032. DOH, PCSDS, DA, PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT, REP 1st district.

 

It is the municipality who shall determine which land must belong... As provided by R. A. 9032. In coordination with these aforementioned agencies. And the municipality as the local government code provides, mandates the Sanguniang Bayan to provide the policies as a guide to proper disposition of land and all other future plans

This mandate cannot be relegated. The SB should be the one to conduct public consultation. You are our elected representative.

Why do you plan in close door meeting without public knowledge? Why a certain Maxim Raymundo is leading you in this plan? Does he speak in behalf of the mayor? He cannot usurp the power of the LCE.

It is your duty to protect our interest. You have the power of the first. And that is incumbent upon you to provide us the basic policy in the implementation of the law. A law that is meant to emancipate the people of Culion.

Culion as a former leper colony belong to the people who are originally the leper patients. The government employees that served the patients and now that includes their children.

So it is important to recognize these people. We suffered enough and sacrifice so much. And it is but right to empower these people. Entitle them own land.

It is your decision that will break or make up our destiny and dream. It is now in your hand that we believe and listen to us.

And we affix our signature to manifest our firm desire and belief you will listen to our voice.