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Catholic values assessment meter for candidates Pope answers questions from children OFFICE OF THE VP 9 VATICAN 2 EXECUTIVE 4 EDITORIAL 6 OPINION 7 Rev. Eutiquio Belizar, Jr., SThD By the Roadside GAWAD KALINGA 11 Reflections for Spiritual Growth The Prodigal Son Angelus Corpus Christi, TX USA Fr. James Farfaglia All in the game Politics is good business Live for Good: An interview with Jean-Philippe Courtouis, President of Microsoft International, ... PSG 30th Anniversary Basilica Minore del Santo Niño Binay admin to construct irrigation facilities President Aquino joins turnover rites for newly restored Basilica Minore del Santo Niño Full story on page: : 4 Full story on page: : 9 President Benigno S. Aquino III witnesses as National Historical Commission of the Philippines chairperson Maria Serena Diokno turnovers the documents to Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu Rector Rev. Fr. Jonas Mejares (O.S.A.) during the turnover of the restored Heritage Sites in Cebu at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Compound in Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City on Thursday (March 03). Also In photo are Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu Prior Provincial Rev. Fr. Eusebio Berdon (O.S.A.), Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu Rector Rev. Fr. Jonas Mejares (O.S.A.), National Commission for Culture and the Arts commissioner Rev. Fr. Harold Rentoria (O.S.A.), National Historical Commission of the Philippines chairperson Maria Serena Diokno. (Photo by Benhur Arcayan / Malacañang Photo Bureau ) Binay admin to construct, study other types of irrigation facilities and sources P15.00 MM March 1-15, 2016 Vol. VI No. 3

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The Philippine Catholic Veritas March 1-15, 2016 issue

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Page 1: Mar1 15 2016 tpcv draft6

Catholic values assessment meter for candidates

Pope answers questions from children

OFFICE OF THE VP 9

VATICAN 2 EXECUTIVE 4 EDITORIAL 6 OPINION 7

Rev. Eutiquio Belizar, Jr., SThDBy the Roadside GAWAD KALINGA 11 Reflections for

Spiritual Growth

The ProdigalSon

Angelus

Corpus Christi, TX USAFr. James Farfaglia

All in the game

Politics is good business

Live for Good: An interview with Jean-Philippe Courtouis, President of Microsoft International, ...

PSG 30th AnniversaryBasilica Minore del Santo Niño

Binay admin to constructirrigation facilities

President Aquino joins turnover rites for newly restored

Basilica Minore del Santo NiñoFull story on page::4

Full story on page::9

President Benigno S. Aquino III witnesses as National Historical Commission of the Philippines chairperson Maria Serena Diokno turnovers the documents to Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu Rector Rev. Fr. Jonas Mejares (O.S.A.) during the turnover of the restored Heritage Sites in Cebu at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Compound in Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City on Thursday (March 03). Also In photo are Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu Prior Provincial Rev. Fr. Eusebio Berdon (O.S.A.), Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu Rector Rev. Fr. Jonas Mejares (O.S.A.), National Commission for Culture and the Arts commissioner Rev. Fr. Harold Rentoria (O.S.A.), National Historical Commission of the Philippines chairperson Maria Serena Diokno. (Photo by Benhur Arcayan / Malacañang Photo Bureau )

Binay admin to construct, study other types of irrigation facilities and sources

P15.00 MM March 1-15, 2016 Vol. VI No. 3

Page 2: Mar1 15 2016 tpcv draft6

2 March 1 - 15, 2016 March 1 - 15, 2016 3VATICAN NEWS CATHOLIC NEWS

The title is drawn from the Pope's answer to the question, "What did God do before the world was made?". The eighty pages of the volume consist of a dialogue between Francis and the Jesuit Fr. Antonio Spadaro, director of La Civilta Cattolica, who took the children's letters

and drawings the Domus Sanctae Marthae last summer and to ask for a response. The Pope accepted the proposal and the resulting book has been released in Italian bookshops today. It will shortly be available in other languages.

Francis answers questions on

the fantastic imagination of the young: "God defeated the devil on the cross. The devil is like the big scary dragons who are defeated and killed. They have a very long tail which, even if they are beaten and killed, continues to move".

There are also questions regarding war and atrocities; for instance, a child from Nigeria asks how these conflicts could be resolved. "It is necessary to encourage people of good will to speak against war. I cannot solve the conflicts in the world, but you and I can try to make this a better world. We need to convince everyone that the best way to win a war is not to enter into one. It is not easy, I know.

“Love before the world”: the Pope answers questions from children

VaTIcaN cITy, March 2016 (VIS) – "L'amore prima del mondo" ("Love before the world") is the title of a book published by Rizzoli, in the form of 31 letters and drawings sent to the Holy Father by children from various Jesuit institutions from all five continents, asking for advice and explanations, and Francis' replies.

a wide variety of issues, such as how Jesus managed to walk on water: "God doesn't sink", and why He created us if He knew we were going to sin against Him: Because God created us like Him. Free. And being free includes the possibility of sinning. … Freedom can be frightening because it cannot be planned. But it is beautiful and it is the greatest gift". In response to questions from the youngest children regarding the devil and guardian angels, the Pope recalls the importance of liturgy of prayer, or evokes

But I try. You can try too".A child from China wants

to know why the Pope likes football. "I have never learned well the techniques of the game", admits Francis. "I don't have agile feet. But I like to see the team on the field because it is a game of solidarity". In response to a boy from the United Kingdom asks, "What was your hardest choice in your mission for faith?", the Holy Father replies, "There are many hard choices, but I have to say that the type of decision that is most difficult for me is to remove someone from a responsible job or a position of trust, or a path they are following, for reasons of unsuitability".w

angelus: never too late to repent, let us begin today!

Vatican city, (VIS) – "Every day, unfortunately, bad news is reported: murders, accidents, disasters, …

In today's Gospel passage Jesus refers to two tragic events, which at the time caused quite a stir: the bloody crackdown by Roman soldiers inside the temple and the collapse of the tower of Siloam in Jerusalem, which claimed eighteen victims." These are the words that Pope Francis started with this afternoon before the Angelus, relating our current lived experience to the Gospel of the day. "Jesus knows the superstitious mentality of his listeners," he continued, "and knows that they interpret those kinds of events wrongly. In fact, they think that, if those persons died so cruelly, it's a sign that God has punished them for some grave offence they had committed, as if to say 'They deserved it.' And the fact

that they had been spared from the disaster was equivalent to being 'okay'. They 'deserved it' but I 'am good'.

The Pope explained that "Jesus clearly rejects this view because God does not allow tragedies in order to punish sins. He affirms that those poor victims were not worse than others. Rather, he invites us to draw a warning from such painful events, a warning for all because we are all sinners. He said to those who are asking him: 'If you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!' Even today, in the face of certain misfortunes and tragic events, we might feel the temptation to 'dump' the responsibility onto the victims or even onto God himself. But the Gospel invites us to

reflect: what is our idea of God? Are we convinced that God is this way or is it not just our own projection, a god made 'in our image and likeness'? In contrast, Jesus calls us to a change of heart, to make a radical change in our life's path, abandoning the pacts with evil – and we all do this, make pacts with evil, hypocrisy, I believe that we all have at least one piece of hypocrisy – to decisively take the Gospel path".

"But here again is the temptation to justify ourselves: 'What should we convert from? Aren't we all basically good people?' How many times have we thought that: 'All in all, I'm a pretty good person?' – haven't we? – 'Aren't we believers, who even practice enough?' And we think, therefore, that we are

ANGELUS::14

Photo Credit: Flickr/Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P.

Is it too late now to say sorry?

"This is how you are to pray.”

Some two-thousand years ago, Jesus sat on a hilltop in front of his followers and he taught us, word-for-word, exactly how to pray. And two-thousand years later, we still use these very same words in our daily Masses, rosaries, and family prayers. We still pray in the same way Jesus taught us.

When I think about the “Our Father,” two lines in particular stick out to me:

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

What does it mean to really forgive? In this Lenten

season during the Year of Mercy, this is something especially important to consider. It’s easy to feel sorry for someone/thing, but it is tough to truly forgive. Be it a long-lost family member, ex-best friend or boyfriend, or the stranger who cut you off in traffic, having a forgiving nature all day everyday is pretty difficult.

I realize this now, flinching as I remember all of the times over the past few weeks where I haven’t been quite forgiving, quite loving, to both the people in my life and to strangers,

choosing to ignore instead of being present. I also haven’t been quite forgiving towards myself, blaming myself for the predicaments I’m always finding myself in… whether it’s small, like missing the train and showing up late, or bigger, like being impatient and snapping at someone. I forget to forgive myself, for not being the best version of myself. I harbor the guilt, hide in the shame. Rather than letting go, I allow myself to be overwhelmed with it all.

But God forgives.It’s amazing how we can

learn to memorize a prayer, word for word, and then in

our monotone-ness we forget the meaning of the words “forgive us our trespasses.” In this prayer taught to us by Jesus all those years ago, we are literallyasking God to forgive us, and He promises to do so ifwe in turn forgive those who trespass against us, including our own flawed selves.

By recognizing our own sins, and the sins of others, we are being aware. We realize our human need for mercy, and then, we let those sins go. And He still heals, still forgives us.

Just allow that to sink in.In true mercy & healing,

by ALLYSON RAE

VATICAN CITY (VIS) – The Holy Father’s universal prayer intention for March 2016 is:

“That families in need may receive the necessary support and that children may grow up in healthy and peaceful environments.”

“That those christians who, on account of their faith, are discriminated against or are being persecuted, may remain strong and faithful to the Gospel, thanks to the incessant prayer of the church.”

His prayer intention for evangelization is:

Pope Francis’

Prayer Intentionsfor

MaRcH

On the occasion, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers (for Health Pastoral Care) wrote a message entitled "The Patient's Voice at the Centre. Join Us in Making the Voice of Rare Diseases Heard". It emphasises how, for years, this dicastery has closely followed the various initiatives for those affected by such diseases, as well as focusing on their families, who

are sometimes the only ones who give voice to a problem that should not be ignored by the various civil, scientific, and pastoral agencies.

"This global initiative", the prelate explained, "which aims to give proper emphasis to these diseases and to increase knowledge, also finds growing interest in the Church, so that those who, although suffering from diseases whose incidence is minimal or rare numerically,

sincere interest in rare diseases. All in order to break the curtain of silence or exclusivity that is likely, in many cases, to hide a problem that, however, concerns the whole of society".

"The Church also feels involved in this commitment, constantly spurred by Pope Francis to grow and walk in solidarity. … By means of this dicastery, the Church, as the voice that can from many places have the leverage to achieve the common good and justice in the social and health care field, intends to bring the attention of its pastoral outreach in the area of rare and neglected diseases – defined as diseases that particularly call for solidarity – to this area and to the various

IX World Day of Rare Diseases: Message of Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care

VaTIcaN cITy, March 2016 (VIS) – Today marks the IX World Day of Rare Diseases.

are not abandoned or isolated. They certainly cannot leave us indifferent. Indeed, their condition, as the theme chosen for this 9th day indicates, cannot but find echo in our hearts and in appropriate research and care".

"In particular", he specified, "this means making these persons more and more the protagonists, equipped with the necessary reference points and, at the same time, raising the awareness of the competent authorities, health professionals, pharmaceutical industry, and anyone who has a

scientific research institutions"."This ecclesial attention will

have a specific expression at the next international conference organized by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, which will take place at the Vatican from 10 to 12 November, 2016. This initiative, almost at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, will be a further occasion for highlighting the work of corporal mercy that is assistance to the sick. It will be a sign of solidarity with persons affected by rare diseases as well as with the poor and vulnerable populations marked by neglected diseases, who usually live in the most remote rural areas of the world".w

It was the first encounter in the Vatican in the history of the association, and took place within the context of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. The Holy Father observed that with this meeting, the men and women of Italian business confirm their commitment to contributing to a more just society, to reflecting together on the ethics of business, and to strengthening their attention to values, the "spinal column" of projects that offer a concrete alternative to the consumerist model of profit at

any cost.The theme "working together"

inspires collaboration, sharing and preparing the way for relations regulated by a sense of joint responsibility. "In the complex world of business, working together means investing in projects able to involve those who are often forgotten or neglected, especially families. … And, alongside them, we cannot forget the weakest and most marginalised categories, such as the elderly, who may still have the resources and energy for active collaboration, but are too often discarded as useless and unproductive. Then there

in our times, the world of work, in which you are on the front line, is required to take courageous steps so that encountering each other and working together is not merely a slogan, but rather a plan for the present and the future".

The Holy Father reminded those present of their "noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving our world", for which they are called to be builders of the common good and promoters of a "new humanism of work".

"You are called to safeguard professionalism, and at the same time to pay attention to the conditions in which work is carried out", he said. "May you always be guided by justice, which refuses the shortcuts of favouritism, and the dangerous deviations of dishonesty and easy compromise. May the supreme law always be attention to the dignity of others, an absolute and indispensable value. May this aim of altruism always

Pope to businesspeople: seek a new humanism of work

VaTIcaN cITy, March 2016 (VIS) –This morning in the Paul VI Hall Pope Francis received in audience seven thousand Italian members of confindustria (the General confederation of Italian Industry).

are potential workers, especially the young who, imprisoned by uncertainty or long periods of unemployment, do not receive offers of work providing them with not only an honest salary but also the dignity that they are often deprived of".

Working together means "basing work not on the solitary genius of an individual, but on the collaboration of many. It means, in other words, building a network to bring to the fore the gifts of all, without however neglecting the unique qualities of each person. At the centre of every business, therefore, is the person: not abstract, ideal or theoretical, but a real person with dreams, needs, hopes and hardships. … Faced with the many barriers of injustice, solitude, distrust and suspicion that continue to be built

distinguish your work: it will lead you to refuse categorically the infringement of the dignity of the person in the name of productive demands, which mask individualistic short-sightedness, sad selfishness and thirst for profit".

The Pope concluded by urging the members of Confindustria to represent, instead, a business open to the "broader meaning of life", allowing them "truly to serve the common good, by striving to increase the goods of this world and to make them more accessible to all", so that it is "not insensitive to the gaze of those in need. This is truly possible, provided that the simple proclamation of economic freedom does not prevail over the real freedom of man and his rights, that the market is not absolute, but rather honours the needs of justice and, in the final analysis, of the dignity of the person. There is no freedom without justice and no justice without respect for the dignity of every person".w

The more we live in this spirit, the more authentic we all are as Christians", said Pope Francis this morning as he received in audience in the Clementine Hall the participants in the two-day international congress "Love will never end: Prospects ten years on from the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est", organised

by the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", which analysed the theological and pastoral repercussions and prospects opened by Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical.

The text, said Francis, "concerns a theme that allows us to retrace the entire history of the Church, which is also a history of charity. It is a story

strength… You shall love your neighbour as yourself'".

The present Jubilee Year, continued the Holy Father, "is also an opportunity to return to this beating heart of our life and our witness, to the centre of the proclamation of faith: 'God is love'. God does not simply have the desire or capacity to love; God is love: charity is His essence, it is His nature. He is unique, but not solitary; ... He cannot be closed in on Himself because He is communion, He is charity; and charity by its nature is communicated and shared. In this way, God associates man to His life of love, and even

Benedict XVI’s first encyclical, “Deus caritas est”, remains timely

VaTIcaN cITy, March 2016 (VIS) – "The message of the Encyclical Deus caritas Est remains timely, indicating the ever relevant prospect for the church’s journey.

of the love received from God, to be carried to the world: this charity received and given is the fulcrum of the history of the Church and of the history of each one of us. ... Both for individual members of the faithful and for the Christian community as a whole, the words of Jesus hold true: that charity is the first and greatest of the commandments: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your

if man turns away from Him, God does not remain distant but goes out to meet him. This going out to meet us, culminating in the Incarnation of His Son, is His mercy. It is His way of expressing Himself to us sinners, His face that looks at us and cares for us. The encyclical reads: 'Jesus’ programme is a heart which sees. This heart sees where love is needed and acts accordingly'. Charity and mercy are in this way closely related, because they are God’s way of being and acting: His identity and His name".

The first aspect which BENEDICT:12

Page 3: Mar1 15 2016 tpcv draft6

In a speech for the PSG's 30th Founding Anniversary, held at the PSG Grandstand in Malacañang Park, President Aquino said the group has evolved into a more professional security service of the Armed Forces, compared to the security group during the Marcos regime.

At the same time, the President commended the PSG for its successes even in the face of such challenges as the Zamboanga siege, the Bohol and Cebu quake, Typhoon Yolanda, the visit of Pope Francis, the Asia-Pacific

Economic Cooperation summit, as well as other huge events in the country.

"Lahat nga ng pinasok nating alanganin, nariyan kayo lagi, at nakabantay sa kaligtasan ko," he said.m

The PSG is part of the reforms carried out by the government, he said, noting that the country has begun to reap the fruits of this transformation.

Among these changes, he said, is the drop in the number of poor people in the country, with 7.7 million Filipinos being lifted out of poverty through the government’s pro-poor

President Aquino leads Presidential Security Group’s 30th Founding Anniversary

PRESIDENT BENIGNo S. aquINo III on tuesday praised the presidential security group (psg) for its dedication to service, thanking its members for protecting him and his family in the past five years.

measures.The President specifically

expressed his gratitude to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, former PSG Commander Chito Dizon, and current PSG chief, Raul Ubando, for their unwavering dedication to service.

"Wala akong ibang salitang maisusukli sa inyong wagas na serbisyo, kundi ‘Maraming maraming salamat.’ Salamat, sa araw-araw na pagsiguro sa kaligtasan ko at ng aking pamilya. Salamat, sa pakikiramay sa hirap at ginhawa sa trabaho, kahit pa alam ninyong mas madalas, sa hirap ang pinagsasaluhan," he said.

"Salamat, sa pagturing ninyo sa akin, hindi lang bilang inyong Commander-in-Chief, kundi pati na rin bilang kaibigan at kapamilya. Salamat, dahil

nariyan kayo, mas epektibo kong naisasabuhay ang atas ng ating mga Boss na ipaglaban ang malawakang pagbabago sa lipunan."

The President said that in his remaining 121 days in office, he expects the PSG to live up to its motto of "Integrity, Service, and Excellence” in doing its service to the nation.

President Aquino also led the awarding rites for outstanding PSG members, both uniformed personnel and civilian employees.

Among the awardees were Col. William Alunday,

Presidential Legion of Honor Awards; Col. Rosalito Martirez, Presidential Legion of Honor Awards; Cdr. Edwin Nera, Presidential Medal of Merit; Maj. Xavier Celestial, Outstanding Achievement Medal; Lt. Col. Edralin Poblete, Organic Officer of the Year; Maj. Chester Guazon, Operationally Controlled Officer of the Year; TSG. Jose Fulay Jr., Organic Enlisted Personnel; TSG. Deoderick Rigon, OpCon Enlisted Personnel of the Year; and Dr. Catherine Bellen, Civilian Employee of the Year. PND (as) w

Pimentel endorses creation of new courts to detclog dockets; speed up administration of justice

SENaToR aquILINo "KoKo" PIMENTEL III uNDERScoRED the urgency to establish the correct and sustainable infrastructure to guarantee that the people are able to obtain redress in a speedy and efficient manner when he recently endorsed the creation of additional courts in various parts of the country.

He said the new courts will help declog court dockets and speed up the administration of justice in these areas where the overload of cases had become

more than double of the manageable caseload in first and second level courts of the country.

Pimentel, who is also

the chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, endorsed the passage of five House measures on the creation of new courts, not to "serve as mere ornaments or political accommodations but as tangible solutions to the pressing issues confronting our justice system."

Senate's approval of House Bill Nos. 1374, 3145, 5620,

5621 and 5632 would pave the way for the creation of additional branches in the first and second level courts in the

cities of Malabon, Calapan and Calamba and the province of Leyte, said Pimentel.

"With the passage of these bills, it is my hope that soon, no Filipino will be denied justice simply due to the delay

PIMENTEL:14

4 March 1 - 15, 2016 March 1 - 15, 2016 5THE NATION

Quoting an update reports from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said the Philippines has an obligation to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2270.

UNSC Resolution 2270

states that North Korean vessels such as the Jin Teng are subject to asset freeze by UN member states.

"So ang nangyari, ‘yung UNIO (United Nations and other International Organizations) office ng DFA

Philippines impounds North Korean freighter based on latest resolution of United Nations

THE GoVERNMENT said it impounded the North Korean freighter Jin Teng being in Subic Bay Freeport based on sanction imposed by the united Nations after it carried out nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

coordinated with the Philippine Coast Guard," Quezon told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan in an interview Saturday.

"Ngayon, according to this clarification, sabi ng New York permanent mission natin, ang ibig sabihin ng asset freeze is that kailangan i-impound basically ang bapor na ‘yun."

The ship will be impounded in the port and its crews will be deported to North Korea,

according to Quezon.A team from the UN might

also come to inspect and the Philippine government will report to the UN on its actions after holding the ship, he added.

"Alam natin naabala ang daigdig sa mga nangyayari sa North Korea dahil sa mga nuclear weapons program nito at ang pagde-develop ng mga intercontinental ballistic missles at dahil dito nag-impose ng sanction ang United Nations Security Council," according to Quezon.

"Bilang bahagi ng UN,

meron tayong obligasyon na maki-isa sa mga sanctions na ito."

The Jin Teng, carrying palm kernels, arrived in Subic from Palembang, Indonesia Thursday afternoon, just hours after the UN passed its latest sanction against the reclusive nation.

As a response, Pyongyang fired six short-range missiles into the sea on Thursday, while North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered its nuclear arsenal put on standby for pre-emptive use. PND (as) w

cEBu cITy, cebu) President Benigno S. aquino III on Thursday witnessed the turnover of documents from the National Historical commission of the Philippines (NHcP) to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de cebu following the restoration of the church that was damaged during the earthquake that hit central Visayas in 2013.

The restoration initiative for the Basilica Minore and other heritage sites is part of the government's Heritage Restoration Program, in which the National Commission for Culture and the Arts coordinates efforts with the NHCP and the National Museum.

The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) provided additional funds to make the restoration efforts more effective.

According to the President, TIEZA provided P5 million to fund pre-restoration efforts while the national government extended P14 million for the actual restoration of the Basilica.

Also part of the NHCP's mandate is to restore the pavilion of Magellan’s Cross by providing P1.3 million.

For the restoration of Fort San Pedro, another Cebu heritage site, the NHCP spent P22 million. The Mactan Shrine was also preserved with a P4.8 million budget.

"Ngayon po, ongoing ang restorasyon natin sa iba pang heritage sites na nasira, dala ng paglindol noong 2013," the President said in his speech during the turnover ceremony held at the Basilica.

"Inaasahan nga nating matatapos ang lahat ng ito sa susunod na taon. w

President Aquino joins turnover rites for newly restored

Basilica Minore del Santo Niño

According to Sen. Bam Aquino, a co-author of Senate Bill No. 3034 or the Children's Emergency Relief and Protection Act, children will be given utmost priority during and after every disaster.

"We will continue to work in protecting our Filipino children during disasters, calamities, or armed conflict, but also to reduce trauma and build their resistance to these threats," Sen.

Bam said.As an archipelago lying

along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Sen. Bam stressed that the country is one of the most vulnerable to the threat of climate change.

"While we have already made big improvements in the field of disaster risk reduction on a national and local level, now we have the opportunity to target our Filipino children, one

THE SENaTE HaS aPPRoVED on third and final reading a bill creating a national program that will provide protection and assistance to Filipino children affected by disasters, calamities and armed conflicts.

of the most vulnerable sectors during times of calamity," said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Youth.

In filing the measure, Sen. Bam underscored the need to focus on Filipino children as they are the most vulnerable and are worst affected during disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flash floods.

During the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda, Aquino said an estimated six million children were affected, according to data from Save the Children.

If enacted into law, existing policies will be reviewed to

give better support to Filipino children, especially during disasters, calamities or in armed conflict to help lessen trauma, restore normalcy quickly and build their resilience better.

"A national program is crucial in the most vulnerable

areas of the country, where the experience of prolonged displacement would have a profound impact on the children's sense of security, physical and emotional well being," Sen. Bam said.

The measure also pushes for child-centered training to disaster first responders, teachers, psychologists and other volunteers in disaster recovery, relief and rehabilitation, with special modules for different stages of children and youth development.

"Providing the targeted needs of the Filipino children, specifically during times of distress, ensures the long-term security and health of our nation," Aquino stressed. w

Bam: Senate OKs Bill Protecting Children Against Disasters

Recto to gov’t: Cut gas and power expense by half, and make college free

GoVERNMENT WILL oNLy HaVE to shell out P9.1 billion - or equivalent to its water, power and gasoline expenses in six months - to make public colleges tuition-free, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said.

"The numbers show that it is attainable and affordable," Recto said. "Free college for all is no longer mission impossible."

National government subsidy to 114 state universities and colleges (SUCs) will reach P47.4 billion this year, the amount in

the 2016 national budget.Each SUC then augments

the subsidy it receives with what is called "internally-generated income," mostly tuition and other fees collected from students.

For 2016, tuition paid by all SUC students is forecast to reach P7.8 billion. They are also expected to pay P4.6

billion in other fees. "The total student equity is about P12.5 billion," Recto said.

But not all tuition would

come from the students' pockets. Government, through the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), manages about P2 billion worth of grants, Recto explained.

In addition, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will also spend about P1.33 billion for 16,557 scholars in science-related undergraduate courses.

"If you deduct this P3.33 billion worth of grants from

RECTO :13

Villar stresses gains under amended Fisheries Code

a yEaR aFTER ITS ENacTMENT into law, Sen. cynthia Villar stressed the benefits enjoyed by the fisheries and agriculture sector under the amended Fisheries code of the Philippines.

Appearing in a press conference at the Senate with fisheries stakeholders, Villar said the amended law has not only caused entry into GSP Plus (Generalised

Scheme of Preferences), which allows the export of 6,000 Philippine products to European countries but also implemented measures that directly benefit around 1.6

million fishery workers."This is a landmark

legislation that we prioritized in the first year of term as chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food. Since its enactment, it caused marked improvement in the campaign against overfishing and the effort to safeguard the livelihood of over a million

Filipinos in the long term," Villar said.

The press conference was also attended by Asst.

Adm. Benjamin Tabios, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Dennis Calvan, Executive Director, Non-Government Organization for Fisheries Reform; Vince Cinches of Greenpeace; Miriam Belaos of Pantao Fisherfolks Association; Jeruel Rizon, Fisheries Technician from Negros Oriental; and Lito Misaon of Anti-illegal Fishing Task Force (Ligao City).

Representatives from VILLAR STRESSES:14

LEGISLaTIVEEXEcuTIVE

MaLacaNaNG SaID it is standing by the statement of the armed Forces of the Philippines that there is no presence of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Mindanao despite the recent flare up of violence in the region in previous weeks.

There were reports quoting security analysts mentioning about growing ISIS' presence in the country.

Countering those reports, Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III on Saturday said in a radio interview: "Ayon kay General (Restituto) Padilla, there are no verified reports that local terrorists groups are getting support from the Islamic State."

"Sinabi nga ni General Padilla: 'Based on information at hand, there’s no presence of Daesh.'

"This has not been established; and that he said there’s no direct relation between the group here and the bigger terror group in the Middle East," he told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

The job of the Armed Forces is to determine these security matters that concern the safety of the Filipino public.

The Armed Forces has proven its capacity in the past and the Palace believes that its assessment is correct, Quezon added.

The military reported this week that it has already taken control of the camp of the armed group Maute in Butig, Lanao del Sur after days of intense offensive.

The report said government troops overran the main camp of the armed group in Barangay Poktan, where the houses of Maute leaders, brothers Omar and Abdullah Maute, were located. PND (as) w

Palace affirms military assessment on presence of ISIS

in the Philippines

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THE PaRaBLE of the prodigal son is by far one of the most beautiful narratives of the Holy Bible. The conduct of the father in the parable

reveals to us the love and mercy of God. The father not only welcomes his prodigal son, but also celebrates his return with immense joy.

“But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15: 20).

The prodigal son’s decision to leave the father’s house and to immerse himself into a life of rebellion, clearly illustrates the nature of sin. Every sin is an abuse of human freedom.

When we sin, we defy God who loves us unconditionally.

The consequences of sin are always disastrous.

Every sinner always experiences profound sadness. “So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine”

(Luke 15: 15).The hunger that the prodigal

son experiences indicates the anxiety and emptiness that we feel when we are far from God due to sin. We can never be ourselves when we sin. Sin will always bring us to our lowest state and cause us to even become perverted if we were ever to persist in a life of sinfulness.

The prodigal son experiences the profound sadness that sin causes. He turns away from his attachments to the things of this world and looks inward. His introspection allows him to make a vital decision: “I will arise and go to my father…”

TheProdigal Son

Reflections for Spiritual Growth Fr. James Farfaglia

Corpus Christi, TX USA

THE PRODIGAL:12

(Luke 15: 18).Like the father of the

parable, God is always waiting for our return. We are filled with profound emotion as God always runs to us in order to forgive, heal and sustain us. As we experience the embrace of the unconditional love of God, we cry out with immense joy and gratitude: Abba, Father! “But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15: 20).

The robe, ring, sandals and the celebration are all symbols that Jesus brilliantly uses to explain the reality of our union with God through sanctifying grace.

Sin is the separation from the father’s house.

Adam and Eve realize that they are naked when they are expelled from Eden. Joseph’s coat is removed when he is sold into slavery. The prodigal son is dressed with the finest robe when he is restored to his father’s house.

Biblically, a ring is always a symbol of union, covenant, love and commitment. Just as marriage joins a man and a woman and they become one, sanctifying grace joins us to God and we become one with

him. The Catechism of the

Catholic Church says: “Grace is a participation in the life of God. It introduces us into

the intimacy of the Trinitarian life. By Baptism the Christian participates in the grace of

In contextAll in the game

Jose Ma. Montelibano

ALL IN THE:12

A ND So THE GaMES can now truly begin. The Supreme court has decided that Grace Poe can run, and the disqualification gambit has run

its course. This should not be new for Poe, her mother Susan, or even Vice President Jejomar Binay, as all three experienced what her father Fernando Poe Jr. was subjected to in the 2004 presidential elections.

The Supreme Court decision will not make Poe win the elections. Only the Filipino voters can do that. But the voters can now choose more freely without the sword of Damocles threatening her candidacy. To a lesser degree, Rodrigo Duterte had some anxious moments, to the point that he accused a rival political group of orchestrating the disqualification complaint. Well, no more such distractions—or so people hope.

Expectedly, there are many who are disappointed at the 9-6 decision favoring Poe. Expectedly, too, there are many who are elated by it. I have tried as best as I can to discern the objective legality or constitutionality of the controversial issue. Unfortunately, my not being a lawyer does not give me professional competence to make an informed legal opinion. My being an active social media player, however, has given me a sense of what’s out there from the nonstop commentaries of lawyers and plain citizens alike.

Just this morning, a young friend who is now a volunteer of PPCRV asked me if I knew

of Duterte supporters with whom he could have a rational discussion. I did not ask him why he thought of a Duterte supporter and not a Binay, Poe, or a Mar Roxas supporter. What I simply said was partisans are precisely partisans because they fit the meaning of the word. Rational discussions are grounded on three important factors: One’s level of intelligence, objectivity, and being informed. Therefore, for a rational discussion, nonpartisans are better than supporters of any candidate.

The disqualification case of Poe brought many legal luminaries into the fray. Their opinions differed, to say the least. And they were all lawyers and included even a few former justices. Still, their opinions differed despite their knowledge, training and experience. It was not as though there was unanimity from the very beginning and the 9-6 decision was a great shocker. My being a nonlawyer does not seem to be a significant disadvantage if I were to judge from the contrasting opinions of the SC justices.

Of course, some commentaries from lawyers

6 March 1 - 15, 2016 March 1 - 15, 2016 7

Managing EditorCopy Editor

Associate Editor/Creative Design Director

News EditorCorrespondent

Isidro C. ValenciaAmadis Ma. Guerrero

George B. LimReynaldo SJ JimenezDionisio S. Frago

The Philippine Catholic Veritas is published twice a monthwith office address at Bldg. 33, Rm. 023

Bagong Lipunan Condominium, Taguig CityPhilippines 1630

Email: [email protected] /[email protected] Tel. No. 822-2570

Mobile No.: 09216633104

The Philippine catholic Veritas

Publisher: Simbayan Veritas corporationIsidro C. Valencia

Dionisio S. Frago

President and ChairmanExecutive Vice President and Corporate Secretary

you see them stopping by to visit the Blessed Sacrament in parish churches. and you think to yourself: “Hmmm.” on camera they seem so pious.

They come to greet the bishop, the parish priest, parish personnel, and parishioners alike. Meek as lambs, they shake your hand and appear embarrassed to even make a pitch for their candidacies. Some even make sure they do not forget to light a candle, pray before Mama Mary’s image or the local patron saint for their intercessions. or so it seems.

Again you feel like applauding. In fact, you are so edified someone as Catholic as you is running for office.

But are they for real? To answer this question

alone is worth all the combined effort (or shall I say “force”?) of bishops, clergy and lay faithful can muster for the sake of the faith. I know this might sound like a rigid fundamentalist stance. But the last time I checked, the Philippine Constitution protects one’s freedom to practice his/her religion together with the

freedom of expression and speech. I assume that also includes the right to identity, from among those running for office but especially for Congress, the Catholic in fact from the Catholic in name.

And I say it is only being realistic. The instances in which so-called “Catholic” candidates once voted into office have disappointed the Catholic faithful is beyond counting, at least in this country. If so-called “Catholic” politicians were truly Catholic in profession and practice, would we still have

this yawning gap between rich and poor in these our beloved islands? Would we still long for genuine land reform for our dirt-poor farmers who are far too many? Would we still be talking about the “culture of corruption” that contradicts every tenet of the faith, not to say even basic human decency? Not only do we have Catholic-school-or-Catholic-university-educated politicos who commonly flout basic human and Filipino values; many have actually turned away from their faith as well for the sake of the almighty pork barrel and the secular ideologies of their parties or party-mates (many of whom still profess to high heavens they are Catholic “since birth”).

The RH Law is once such evidence that stares us in the face.Other ominous items are on their agenda: the divorce bill, same-sex marriage etc. It is time the Catholic faithful had a tool to spot the truly committed Catholic candidate from the bogus ones.

I propose that there be national and diocesan commissions that should be tasked to do no-nonsense research on national and local

Catholic values assessment meter for candidates

By the RoadsidePRev. Eutiquio Belizar, Jr., SThD

candidates, objectively and meticulously examining their public or significant private statements, track records and actual advocacies. If they profess to be Catholics, does it show from the gathered evidence? The commissions could then assess if, based on record and fact, a candidate can be considered hostile or friendly (proven authentic or proven inauthentic?) to the Catholic faith and its values.

I do not believe in compelling Catholic voters to vote or not to vote for certain candidates. We are not a cult. We are a (in fact, “the”) Church. But I do believe that Catholic voters should have a tool made available for them to be guided on their choices, one that specifically identifies candidates’ values that are either compatible or incompatible with our values as Church and as Catholic. I am aware that there have been similar efforts in our past elections but not as serious, as systematic or as widespread as one would hope they are.

Let me cite the why and the wherefore for such effort:

To help realize the Vatican II vision of the Catholic laity bringing Christian values to the public arena: politics,

economics, culture, education etc.:

- To create a greater awareness among the voting Catholic public of faith criteria that should guide their choices of leaders or lawmakers;

- To provide a catechetical tool and opportunity for both Catholic candidates and voters to know their faith and its values that concern the public arena directly or indirectly;

- To prod Catholic candidates and voters to take their faith more seriously, especially in its implications on society;

- To spot and affirm genuine commitment to Catholic values among those who actually or potentially hold government office as well as efforts to deceive voters for purposes of election or re-election;

- To instill a greater of responsibility and accountability among Catholic candidates and voters.

- To respond to the challenge of the Master: “Whoever acknowledges me before men I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Whoever rejects me before men I will reject before my Father in heaven” (Mt 10:32-33). w

Courtesy of CBCP News

WITH the way politics is perceived and actually practiced in this country, the conclusion is rather evident that through it, government officials become not only very authoritative and influential but become richer and richer the longer

they stay in office. Just as no poor individual would dare run for an elective office, so it is also a rarity to know a politician who is really poor, destitute, and miserable. In the same way, after their perforce eventual term of office, politicians are much wealthier than before.

There is so very much money in politics—from the campaign period to the exercise of the public office won until the latter’s ending. Otherwise, why would political candidates spend so much money primarily from their political parties, their supporters, and friends plus those who foresee and salivate over business advantages when their funded candidates win? Why would they even lie and deceive, pretend and act as if they were all capable, honest, and sincere personalities? And why is it that as a rule, political campaigns are usually accompanied by the infamous trio of “Guns, Goons and Gold”? And, finally, why is it that cheating in one way or another is a standard accompaniment of elections—with or without the knowledge of the voting public, with or without the collaboration of the COMELEC from the precinct to the national level?

It would be an exercise in futility if a really poor individual would run for public office especially at the national level— although to seek a city of municipal office is not exactly for poor individuals either. So it is that it is practically impossible if not an exercise in futility to look for and find really poor individuals holding elective political offices from the president down to the city/municipal Councilors. The reality is that the higher the said offices are, the more actual and probable are the financial gains for their occupants. Again, like finding a needle in a haystack, so is finding a politician who is poor.

No wonder then that any and all legislative provisions against political dynasties are but words and more words up to this writing. And so it is that in but one and the same family, there and another daughter and the son who are all occupying elective public positions. That there is a good number of dynasties comfortably seated in a likewise good number of elective public Offices aptly provide the proof that makes one concrete reason and basic proposition that “Politics is Good Business”.

Meantime, the electorate and the Filipinos in general have been poor long time since and still remain poor to this date. Meantime, it is the same poor people who pay taxes to the government from birth (milk) to death (coffin). And meantime too, all the political candidates even from post-EDSA time up to the present are practically wallowing in wealth—in cash and in kind, in reserve and in Certificates of Stocks.

Toward our integral development WE need to expand our understanding of our human development. Our problem now is that that

term is often restricted to mean economic development only, or at best, some social, political or cultural development. Sorry, but it does not go far and deep enough.

Obviously, the elements and factors that go into these aspects of development are already bewildering and exacting. But common sense alone would tell us we should not get stuck there. These aspects, while indispensable, do not capture our over-all dignity and stature. They do not give the whole picture. Such understanding of development would lack its radical foundation and ultimate purpose. It can have colorful and stimulating moments, but in the end it would just be going in circles, with all the probability of going bad and dangerous.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI told us how development should be understood in his encyclical “Caritas in veritate”. In the first place, he reminded us that development is not just a purely human affair. Development is a God-given vocation, both a divine gift and our responsibility, the arena where the interacting love between God and man and the love among us in God are played out. It’s not just a product of the brilliance of some people, no matter how extraordinary that brilliance may be. It cannot be pursued by simply using human means, no matter how practical and convenient they are.

The fullness of both faith and our sciences has to go into it. The requirements of both piety and pragmatism, sanctity and competence have to be met. Not one or the other, but both. It should be a holistic development, not a reductive one. We have to avoid the extremes of the pietistic and spiritualist approach on the one hand, and the purely secularized and pragmatic approach on the other hand. The former led us to the anomalies of unhealthy clericalism in the past, with some vestiges of it still remaining in the present. The latter has grounded us on a certain law-of-the-jungle, dog-eat-dog world of Godless pragmatism now raging in today’s society.

This is easier said than done. Still, with our wealth of experience and knowledge gathered through the years, we have better insights and tools to effect the ideal way to achieve genuine and integral development. We just have to be hopeful and optimistic, slowly but steadily putting into action those things we think can help achieve this kind of development. We may have to go through the mess of the trial-and-error approach, we may be heckled and taunted, but we just have to move in the most prudent way we can.

It may be good to note that more clerics are now more sensitive to the distinctions between the ideal and the actual, and more respectful of the legitimate autonomy and differences in temporal matters while pursuing the ultimate eternal goal of man. The same is true with laypeople immersed in business and politics. Admittedly, there’s still a lot of secularized attitude, where God and religion hardly enter into their calculations. Still, we see a growing number of them learning how to integrate faith into their earthly affairs. There may be awkwardness and incompetence, but it is good to think that a trend in this direction can be seen in many places. We just have to sustain it and make it gain momentum.

Courtesy of CBCP News

Politics is good business

Editorial

EditorialOPINION

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8 March 1 - 15, 2016 March 1 - 15, 2016 9

Jovy Salonga: Man by Nene Pimentel

THE MEDIa called him "Senator", "Patriot", and "Statesman", "Super Lawyer", "Wonderful Preacher", etcetera.

Indeed, he was all of that.But, to me Jovy was more than all the hallelujah's that were thrown his way.He was a human being - subject to the flights of optimism and to the depths of pessimism which ordinary

mortals are heirs to.I was privileged to witness that optimistic quality of Jovy's persona one turbulent night while we were on a

small plane flying back home to Manila from a political sortie in the Visayas in 1992.As the plane was zigging-and-zagging through the dark clouds, I heard Jovy who was seated in front of me

whistle a happy tune from one of Mozart's famous concertos.Obviously, he was trying to make our spirits soar above the mortal concerns we had with our flight safety that

was being threatened by the environmental turbulence buffeting our plane. And I believe that to some extent, he succeeded in calming down our apprehensions in that regard.

Also, I personally saw Jovy's exhibiting signs of despondency, at least, on one occasion in the privacy of his home office in Pasig.

Informed that some of his important political allies had abandoned him for better pastures, Jovy's already shrunken shoulders - from the injuries he suffered in the Plaza Miranda grenade bombing in 1971 - shriveled even more.

Happily, Jovy was not one to allow sorrow to cramp his active life of service to our people for long. Hence, after prayer, he bounced back and resumed his leadership role, although, no longer in the political arena, but in the wider and more challenging field of spreading the word of God as a layman.

That was Jovy to me: an ordinary mortal whose head knocked at the clouds but whose feet were firmly planted on the ground. w

“Ipinagmamalaki ng administrasyon at ng pambato nito na marami o milyon-milyon ang nagawa nilang trabaho, pero hindi nila ito natupad. At karamihan ng mga trabahong ito ay hindi permanente o pangmatagalan kundi contractual, temporary o part-time lamang," campaign communications director Joey Salgado said.

There was also a sharp drop in jobs in key sectors like manufacturing, he added.

Salgado said that contrary to the claim of the Liberal Party that its standard bearer was able to generate over four million jobs in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, data shows the sector employed around one million workers in 2015.

“Sabi mismo

ng BPO industry, it employed over one million Filipinos in 2015, kaya nasaan na ang tatlong milyon pa? It only employed 101,000 workers in 2004 when then Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Mar Roxas ran for the Senate,” Salgado said.

“The manufactur-ing industry, particularly the textile, wearing apparel and leather industries, meanwhile, hovered at between 800,000 to 900,000 workers from 1999 to 2003. It is down to less than 700,000 workers in 2013,” he added.

Analysts, Salgado said, have noted that the country’s economic growth has yet to generate sizeable numbers of new jobs needed to adsorb new entrants into the labor force.

Binay to address present administration’s failure to provide permanent, quality

jobsThe united Nationalist alliance (uNa) today said the administration of uNa presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar c. Binay will work to correct the current administration’s failure to provide permanent and quality jobs for the last five years.

BINAY:13

Honasan: Solving poverty is the solution to crime and insurgency

SENaToR aND uNITED NaTIoNaLIST aLLIaNcE (uNa) Vice Presidential candidate Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II today reiterated that the country’s insurgency, as well as the crime and peace order situation cannot be resolved unless poverty is alleviated.

Honasan said this in an interview following a renewed warning on Monday by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that the Islamic State terrorist group has been setting up camp in Mindanao.

“Nobody is safe anymore. That’s my take,” Honasan said.

He however, clarified that the commission and prevention of crime are not the problems.

“To me, crime is not the problem. The idea of crime is the problem. Sino ba ang gustong maging kriminal, di ba? Given a choice, bigyan ka ng trabaho, assuming hindi ka

tamad,” Honasan said. Honasan said the problems

of the present time lies on the basic needs of human survival.

“Unfortunately, because of our depressed situation, of poverty, crime has become a very lucrative idea,” Honasan added.

“It is in this context that the voters should study very well the platform of government offered by candidates who are running for a seat in the May

national elections,” he said. “Because you cannot just

operate on family name, you’re married to this and that, or your face is plastered all over billboards and the sides of

buses. That’s not the standard for running for the highest positions in the land,” Honasan pointed out.

Honasan likewise urged voters, especially the young ones, to also study the track records of candidates before passing judgment on their qualities and capabilities.

“I’ll put my 42 years of public service on the line and tell the people what makes me different – the strength, the courage of my convictions, and the audacity to make things happen. I will help solve crimes or die trying,” Honasan said.w

Miriam hits complacency on China aMID RENEWED cHINESE aGGRESSIoN, presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago on Thursday said that the Philippines under her administration will take a more proactive approach in resolving the West Philippine Sea dispute.

China has reportedly stationed up to five ships in the contested Quirino Island, barring access to Filipino fisherman, a move which

Santiago said highlights failure of negotiations despite ongoing international arbitration.

"The government seems to

have grown complacent on the issue of the West Philippine Sea dispute, confident that the international tribunal now hearing the memorial it has filed against China will rule in its favor," Santiago said.

"It is not true at all that the arbitral tribunal may decide on the Philippine side in the face of China's excepting itself

from the application of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

(UNCLOS), Articles 297 and 298," she added.

The two UNCLOS articles outline the cases that may be submitted for jurisdiction, as well as limits to arbitration. Article 298 particularly states that "a State may... declare in writing that it does not accept any one or more of the procedures..."

"The dispute with China MIRIAM:12

Angara lauds signing of Rare Diseases ActSENaToR SoNNy aNGaRa has lauded the signing of the Rare Diseases act which provides patients with rare diseases and their families improved access to comprehensive medical care, health information, and healthcare products needed to treat their condition.

"This new law expands the government's universal healthcare program to cover patients with rare distorders. I thank our good President

and our colleagues, especially to the sponsor Sen. Pia Cayetano, for the passage of this much-needed measure," said Angara, one of the authors

of Republic Act 10747 or the Rare Diseases Act.

A rare disease, also known as orphan disorder, is any health condition resulting from genetic defects that rarely affect the general population. Rare diseases are often chronic, progressive, degenerative, and life-

threatening.World Health Organization

(WHO) data shows that there

are 7,000 known rare diseases which mostly affect children.

In the Philippines, a disease or disorder is considered rare if it affects one in 20,000 individuals, as defined by the Institute of Human Genetics of the National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila.

The maple syrup urine disease, mucopolysaccharidoses II,

ANGARA:13

“Marami pang gagawing irrigation facilities ang administrasyong Binay, bukod pa sa pag-aaral ng iba pang pwedeng pagkunan ng irigasyon upang dumami pa ang mga magsasakang mabibiyayaan ng patubig,” United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) spokesperson Mon Ilagan said.

UNA presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar C. Binay has vowed to ensure self-sufficiency in food production for the country.

Almost half of the country’s irrigable land area remains undeveloped. The Commission on Audit (COA) said that 43.43 per cent of the country’s estimated total irrigable

land area of 3.1 million hectares remains to be developed.

Other sources of irrigation, aside from large-scale structures like dams, are small-scale irrigation facilities including Small Water Impounding Project (SWIP), small diversion dams (SWD), small farm reservoirs (SWF), and shallow tube wells, Ilagan said.

The SWIP, SWD, SWR work by collecting rain and stream water in a containment structure or reservoir for use as irrigation and other immediate or future use/s. Shallow tube wells, meanwhile, draw water from aquifers for irrigation use.

“These SWIPs and

Binay admin to construct, study other types of irrigation facilities and sources

a Binay administration will construct more small scale and study other types of irrigation facilities and sources to benefit more farmers in the country to increase agricultural productivity.

the like are existing projects already of the government, but we need to address the demand for more irrigation,” Ilagan said.

“Instead of merely draining away and causing floods in the valleys, it’s best to use the water coming from the upland areas in other meaningful ways to increase crop yields,” he added.

Ilagan noted that these structures can also be used for aquaculture as well as flood prevention and control.

Aside from these, a Binay administration will also study other means to irrigate land, especially in island municipalities which lack rivers, streams or aquifers to build SWIPs or shallow tube wells.

It will look into desalination and other means to provide irrigation

water to vulnerable island municipalities, specifically on how to minimize the costs as well as downscale the needed technology, Ilagan said.

The administration will also conduct studies and implement programs such as reforestation to protect watersheds from the impacts of climate change and ensure that water will be readily available in times of need.

Binay earlier said agriculture will be one of the priorities of his administration, as the sector would generate jobs for majority of Filipinos who live in rural areas.

“We should also improve rural infrastructure facilities that will support an efficient delivery system for the farmers such as farm-to-market roads connected to highways, post-harvest facilities, and irrigation,” he said.

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Binay pledges support for IPsVice President and united Nationalist alliance (uNa) presidential candidate Jejomar c. Binay vows to attend to the needs of indigenous people (IP) and extend help to lift them from poverty.

“Ang problema natin noon at problema hanggang ngayon ay kahirapan. Mahirap pa ho ang mga IP. Kawawa naman kayo. Hindi kayo nakatatanggap ng mga suporta na kailangan ng isang tao,” Binay said.

“Kayo ay nakaligtaan na ng halos lahat ng namahala sa pamahalaan. Pero ngayon hindi na kayo makakaligtaan kasi si Jojo Binay ay IP rin,” he added.

Binay’s mother hailed from Cabagan, Isabela, home of the Ibanags.

The UNA standard bearer

stressed that as member of an indigenous group, he will treat fellow IPs as Filipinos.

“Kayo ay tatratuhin ko bilang Pilipino. Hindi po kayo dapat maging second class citizen,” he said.

Binay also noted that when he was still the housing czar, government was able to provide homes to indigenous communities.

Per report from the National Housing Authority, the housing sector provided 3,092 homes to IP families, including 148 units for Aetas in Pampanga. w

10 March 1 - 15, 2016 March 1 - 15, 2016 11

Last February 26-28, we met Jean-Philippe courtois, President of Microsoft International, who spent 3 days with his family in the GK Enchanted Farm. We had the huge pleasure and opportunity to speak with him. Discover how he was really inspired and touched during his stay, especially by the SEED students

Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm: How did you hear about Gawad Kalinga ?Jean-Philippe Courtois: I met Tony Meloto in Paris, last November. He was one of the

speaker at the UNESCO Conference and also did a pitch at HEC, where my daughter, Aurore, is studying. He did such a great job that she told me, “Dad, you have to meet him!” So we organized a quick lunch together in Paris, and the time spent with him was really inspiring. He invited me to come to the farm, and I said, “Yes, I will come with my family.” And Here I am!

GKEF: What did you experience during your 3-days stay at the farm?Jean: I came with my family: my two daughters and my wife, because I wanted this trip

to be a family journey and a learning experience for a couple of reasons. On one hand I am the Global Executive for Microsoft, which has a great and growing relationship with Gawad Kalinga. I am convinced that technology can play a big role at the farm. I am committed to help, so that the new development opportunities like SEED Philippines (School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development) the new social enterprises can flourish, grow and scale up. Not just in the farm but also across the Philippines, Asia and across the world. On the other hand, I came with my family, to learn how to create a hand-to-hand ecosystem in a physical place, the farm, where there was nothing 5 years ago. We also wanted to discover that amazing community working together, with a very strong value system, which is one of the biggest strength of GK. These values are being tested everyday by everyone. Finally, we were interested in the way the system is taught in this new School, SEED created 18 months ago. I had the opportunity to meet some of the youngsters, between 16 and 18 years-old. I was really impressed by their moral strength, by their ability to go beyond their poor background. Some of them have lived tragic lives but are really determined to change the world. Coming here, I also found a very strong connection between France, GK and Tito Tony himself. I met a couple of great French former students, who decided to start their own business here. We met Fabien, who is doing these nice Plush and Play soft toys for the kids and branded by corporations. We also met Louis, who has been learning how to grow organic chickens, and how to make a sustainable business out of that. He brought together the two most important resources here at the farm: the land and the people. The way GK is enabling to get the best out of it to stop or at least slow down poverty in the country is wonderful. Seeing it in action was really inspiring.

During these few days at the farm I had the opportunity to see all the development phases of the farm, from the school, to the social enterprises, the farmers themselves, the people of the community working in some of the enterprises, and the international connection - all the French and other international students coming here to help as volunteers. So much energy comes out of here!

GKEF: Do you think your daughters will come and volunteer at the farm in the future?Jean: They might! They have been quite excited by this experience! In particular because

we also have our own family project that we are just starting, called Live For Good.GKEF: Can you tell us a bit more about this new project Live for Good?Jean: The mission of Live for Good is to enable the potential of the disconnected youth

in the world and highlight their potential, by transforming them into social entrepreneurs to make good in the world. This is really based on the strong conviction I have, as a business leader, that having a sustainable business is the best way to create jobs and have a positive impact on the planet. It can be about health, education skills, poverty… The most important is to combine a social interest and a purpose, and reinvest the profit you can make to create a broader impact on your cause. We want to contribute to many other efforts. This is the reason why we are here to learn from GK, on how you trigger that desire to become social entrepreneurs from kids with a very poor background. In FraVrs?

Jean: This is probably the hardest part of the project. And I could see that it was also the case here with the SEED scholars. First of all, we have a set of criteria in order to not go after the usual suspects, i.e. the most privileged kids. They should be below 26 years-old, and come from unconventional backgrounds, as I detailed before. Then, what we are doing is to select them and partner with other NGOs in France, like Unicité or Passeport Avenir, which are associations totally focused on that purpose in France. To be recruited, the candidates must apply on our website, www.live-for-good.org, which will be fully running by the end of March.

GKEF: That is a really beautiful project and we can see that you believe in the same thing as we do: address deep issues with social entrepreneurship.

What was the most inspiring and enriching experience you had during your stay at the

Live for Good: An interview with Jean-Philippe Courtouis, President of Microsoft International, on his experience at the GK Enchanted Farm and a

shared vision for social entrepreneurship

farm?Jean: The most inspiring thing was truly the deep

conversations we had with the SEED students. We were around a table with a dozen of them, boys and girls. They were with their amazing teacher, Mark, who is teaching them about life and the strong values that Tito Tony has set up in the farm. He is doing coaching sessions once a week, one by one, which I think is very powerful. He also teaches them how to build some skills to have the capabilities to understand how a business works. What I found really interesting in the SEED program is that they really practice this on the ground through internships. This is fantastic! They are right here, in the middle of the farm, and they can work with social entrepreneurs, with farmers, etc. They can be immediately immersed and directly learn how to run a business.

I was particularly touched by one of the students, Vincent. He shared with us his story and the story of many of his friends around the table. Where they come from and all the very difficult issues they deal with in their lives - poverty, prostitution, drugs…I was really impressed by the fact that this guy had such a strong conviction that he could do something about that: first, having a total different life and second, becoming a model for others. If you get many Vincents like this one, and many bright girls who are strong, they can be fantastic examples for many of their friends in the community and beyond. I think it was a very inspiring and touching moment and allowed us to see the power of what the GK farm is all about.

GKEF: Thank you Monsieur Courtois for sharing with us and spending time with everyone at the farm. We wish you and your family all the best for your beautiful project Live for Good. w

(Photo Credit: Live for Good Facebook Page)

Binay vows abolition of income tax for workers earning p30k

Binay admin vows swift fund release, implementation of calamity rehab

projects—UNA“Walang teka-teka sa release ng calamity rehab funds”

Vice President and united Nationalist alliance (uNa) presidential candidate Jejomar c. Binay tells employees of Foton assembly Plant in Pampanga that he will abolish the income tax for workers earning P30,000 and below.

Victims of calamities are assured of immediate assistance under a Binay administration, in marked contrast to delays in the release of funds and the completion of calamity rehabilitation projects by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) during the term of former Secretary Mar Roxas.

“Ang isang unang-una ko hong gagawin, ‘yong mga kumikit ng P30,000 and below, wala na po dapat income tax,” Binay said.

The UNA standard bearer noted that salaried employees pay about 32 percent of their income for taxes.

In previous speeches, Binay said that under his administration, government will intensify the fight againstsmuggling to compensate for potential revenue losses that would

“The present administration boasts that it has used its savings to uplift the lives of the people. But calamity victims can attest that under this administration, and during the watch of Mr. Roxas at the DILG, they have been victimized twice: first, by nature and second, by ineptitude and incompetence," United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) campaign communications director Joey Salgado said.

v“A Binay administration will see to it that funds for rehabilitation projects are ready even before disasters strike so that these can be immediately released. Walang teka-teka sa release ng calamity rehab funds. Unlike the present administration, President Binay will not wait until the next campaign season to spend for programs which should have been finished years ago,” he assured.

Salgado noted that rehabilitation projects for the Bohol earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda during the term of Roxas as DILG secretary were delayed despite the availability of

result from the scrapping of income taxes.

Binay also stressed that his administration will address poverty through the creation of employment.

“Padadamihin po natin ang trabaho. Sosolusyunan po natin ang problema ng kawalan ng trabaho,” he said.

He further said that under his presidency, government will focus on developing job-generating sectors including manufacturing, agriculture and exports.w

funds. According to the

Annual Audit Report of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the DILG for 2014, only 12 of the 1,079 projects under the Bohol Earthquake Assistance (BEA) fund were completed as of December 31, 2014.

This is equivalent to just ₱3.139 million out of the ₱2.413 billion allocated, COA said.

COA noted that as of December 31, 2014, of the total ₱2.389 billion transferred to Bohol, ₱359.504 million or 15 percent was released to the affected local government units (LGUs), leaving an unreleased balance of ₱2.03 billion or 85 percent.

According to the COA DILG audit report, provincial and LGU officials of Bohol cited the different and often conflicting documentary requirements of the various agencies.

“The Project Management Team (PMT) of Bohol, DILG, and DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) have varied checklists prior to the

release of funds to the LGUs. Funds will not be released unless all the documentary requirements of the PMT are complied with regardless of the nature of the document being required,” COA noted.

COA also noted the “lack of technical personnel to assist in complying with the required documentary requirements considering the numerous projects to be implemented,” saying the LGU has only one engineer and one support staff.

“We recommended and Management agreed to provide immediate solution/assistance to hasten the release of funds to the affected LGUs in order to bring back the normal living condition of the people of Bohol,” COA said in its report.

Reacting to the COA report, Salgado said the Binay administration will streamline processes for rehabilitation fund releases.

"We will ensure there are competent personnel to supervise and monitor the projects so that there will be no delay in the releasing of funds," he said.

Moreover, Salgado noted that according to the same COA report, despite the full release of ₱1.778 billion for the first batch of the Rehabilitation Assistance for Yolanda Victims (RAY), only 138 or 42.72 percent out of 323 targeted projects were completed.

COA said no accomplishments were reported for the projects under RAY-Batch 2 because the fund was released only in June 2015.

“We recommended that Management intensify the monitoring of the project implementation to hasten the completion of the projects under RAY Batch 1 and execution of projects under RAY-Batch 2,” COA said.

The COA report said “[t]he RAY-DILG fund was established to assist in the repair of the partially damaged provincial/city/municipal buildings, public markets, civic centers, and barangay infrastructures with due consideration on ‘build back better’ (BBB) designs to make them become disaster-resilient public infrastructures.”

The fund aims to facilitate the recovery and return to normalcy the government services and economic activities in the areas. w

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Christ, the Head of his Body. As an adopted son he can henceforth call God ‘Father,’ in union with the only Son. He receives the life of the Spirit who breathes clarity into him and who forms the Church” (CCC 1997).

During the time of Jesus, slaves and servants never wore footwear. The roads and the paths were difficult to travel on without sandals.

The fear was that with sandals, a slave or a servant could leave the house. Their

The Prodigal ...79

relationship was essentially different to the household that they served. Only members of the family wore sandals.

The prodigal son is given sandals because through his conversion, he is no longer a slave to sin.

Moreover, the father’s forgiveness is filled with paternal trust. He respects the son’s freedom, knowing full well that he could abuse his freedom and leave home again.

The celebration takes place because of the immense joy that the father experiences due to the return of his son. Our

he too would like to leave the father’s house and live a life of sin. His life may be pure and noble, but his heart is attached to things that he would like to do, but does not do them because of his vanity and superiority complex.

God’s love is far greater than man’s capacity to love. God can forgive what man refuses to forgive. The love, mercy and compassion of God can overcome the rebellion of the human heart. Nevertheless, there are many who refuse his love and prefer to live far from the father’s house.

God patiently seeks the

union with God is the only source of true and lasting joy.

What can we say about the older brother? His response to the father’s mercy indicates that his years of obedience had been years of duty and not filial service. Perhaps he was simply going through the motions, remaining at home simply to enjoy the benefits of a comfortable life.

Like the Pharisees, he is self-righteous, incapable of love and forgiving anyone.

His mind is dark and calculating.

It is quite possible that his anger is rooted in the fact that

conversion of every person. God will do everything that he can do to save us. We are objects of God’s infinite love and can personally experience his love. However, God’s infinite wisdom respects our freedom. We can accept or reject God’s invitation to experience eternal joy and peace.

Let us conclude with the words that we heard from this Sunday’s second reading: “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5: 17). w

and nonlawyers who carried an opposing view, meaning they believed Poe should have been disqualified, included innuendos or actual statements pointing to corruption as the reason for the favorable decision. I don’t know if they understand that the accusation or allegation can be directed two ways, that those who wanted her disqualified can also be bought if it’s only a matter of making uninformed opinions.

A college mate of mine assured me that dirty judges and lawyers were the exception, not the rule, after I shared an article I wrote four years ago about the proliferation of these dark

forces. I told him that I would like to believe him so much because I still had such lofty dreams about the people and nation we could be. But these commentaries provoked by the Supreme Court decision allowing Poe to run all the more support my view that our opinion of the legal profession is low and that its main players, lawyers and judges, are seen as easy to corrupt or manipulate.

More than rash judgment is the unkindness of the allegedly fair and decent in our society, mouthing morals and ethics but empty of them as well. I remember in the most famous of good books stories of how tax collectors and thieves found easier favor with the founder of Christianity than scribes and Pharisees—the

All in the ...69

great symbols of hypocrisy and self-righteousness. I remember, too, that there are 10 Commandments, that killing and stealing are not the only evil that mankind was exhorted to avoid.

One innocent-looking commandment said we should not bear false witness against another, and this must be the most openly transgressed. How moralists can be choosy about evil, the ones they cannot stand, and the ones they turn a blind eye to, is beyond me. Fairness truly submits to bias and partisanship.

Which doesn’t take away from the upfront criticism of real advocates, those who don’t hide behind false names, false morality, and take the serious risks that

all brave men and women of causes anticipate. I talked about trolls in my last article and they are not really hard to identify. They either don’t use their real names or their posts are consistently against, or for, someone. It just takes for us to look them up on Facebook.

Election time tests not only candidates but citizens as well. The candidate wants to serve for a few years, hopefully for a few terms. Campaigning is the least important activity of the political process. It is public service, it is governance. So, too, for voters and other citizens. We have the rest of our lives to be productive, to be contributing the best of ourselves, and we are asked to be inspiring models, not wet

blankets, for the tomorrow of our children. And the more partisan we are, the more judgmental, the more hateful, the more we set the platform for the continued divisiveness that guarantees the hell we cannot escape after elections.

Political candidates are prepared for the worst. So should we because it is the same arena we play, especially if we are partisans. Many times, the candidates we support are silently laughing it all while we are ready to do battle and break relationships. Worse, we often unintentionally reveal our hypocrisy or stupidity.

“Sport lang,” as they say. If we cannot rise above our partisanship, we lose the required respect for the opinion of others, and even democracy with it. w

12 March 1 - 15, 2016 March 1 - 15, 2016 13

In celebration of WoMEN’S MoNTH and MaRcH 25, THE Day oF THE uNBoRN

(Declared by former Pres. Gloria Macapagal arroyo Proclamation No. 586 issued in 2004)

on the FEaST Day oF ST. JoSEPH we will… ” PRay aND MaRcH FoR FaMILy aND LIFE!”

on March 19,2016 , Saturday Various Pro-Life and Family and Life groups will be present in order to walk

starting at the Manila cathedral as place of assembly from 7:00 am – 8:00 am. March towards Luneta follows , praying the rosary with all of you,our allies in the protection and defense of life, marriage and family.Then going back to Manila cathedral and end around 10:00 aM.

There are dangers and evils we are fighting. abortifacients continue to be promoted by DoH. Sold in drugstores. used by 25% of Filipino women, culture of death in promotion of LGBT agenda.

Join us! our attendance and participation in this event is of the utmost importance. We need to win over hearts and minds in this battle for life and your presence will definitely count in this spiritual warfare we are all engaging with the principalities of darkness and culture of Death.

Bring your rosaries, portable radios, umbrellas, water, and organization’s banners.

LET uS uNITE ouR PRayERS aND VIGILaNcE IN DEFENDING THE SaNcTITy oF LIFE, MaRRIaGE aND FaMILy!

THE VoIcE To THE VoIcELESS! For more info call Pro-Life office 5716550 or text us

09192337783 or Email us at [email protected]

PRO-LIFE

unemployment or poverty,” Salgado said.

He added that around 3.7 million Filipinos are still unemployed despite the economic growth that the present administration trumpets.

“Katumbas ng mahigit 3.7 milyong Pilipino na walang trabaho ang 5.6 percent unemployment rate noong 2015, sa kabila ng sinasabing economic growth ng bansa,” Salgado said.

Most of the unemployed,

2014’s 6.8 million Filipinos, Salgado said.

He added that in 2014, only 58 percent of workers in the formal and informal sectors are paid. The rest either did not have a guaranteed income or worked in family-owned farms or businesses where they typically received food and lodging but did not received actual cash.

Salgado said that a Binay administration will focus on sectors that generate the biggest number of jobs

Salgado said, are young workers.

Of the unemployed, 48 percent or 1.8 million Filipinos are young, aged 15 to 24 years, Salgado said. A further 1.2 million or 32 percent are aged 25 to 34.

“Isang factor diyan ay ang mga inexperienced workers, o kulang sa experience, na kadalasang hinahanap ng mga employers,” he added.

Another 7 million Filipinos are underemployed in 2015, up slightly from

like agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, BPO and export.

He added that a Binay presidency will replicate the Makati model on a national level to help provide jobs.

“Students will be equipped with the set of skills that companies need, aside from supporting small businesses and pushing for countryside development as these would lead to more employment opportunities for our people,” Salgado said. w

Salgado said that out of the one million jobs created in 2014, around 700,000 are “vulnerable” or temporary positions.

“Maiko-konsidera po nating ‘poor’ ang ganitong uri ng trabaho dahil wala o limitado ang job security at protection ng mga manggagawa. At dahil limited o walang job security, madali po silang mawala sa mga trabaho nila. This leads to either underemployment,

Binay ...99

The UNCLOS, Article 280, gives states the right to "...agree at any time to settle a dispute between them concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention by any peaceful means of their own choice."

Santiago also hit the current administration for relying heavily on U.S. support to

that any treaty, including the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the U.S., is void without Senate concurrence.

The Supreme Court has since ruled on the validity of the EDCA, which it considered an executive agreement implementing the VFA. The Senate has joined Santiago in

requires a second level of diplomacy as the other party takes keen interest in bilateral negotiation bordering on conciliation, relying on the principles set forth in the UNCLOS, Part XV, Section 1," Santiago said.

deter Chinese expansionism, noting that both military giants have interests in controlling the West Philippine Sea.

The senator, who is also chair of the Senate foreign relations committee and the legislative oversight committee on the Visiting Forces Agreement, rallied her colleagues in January to assert

2009 to call for a renegotiation of the VFA, or its abrogation if the U.S. refuses to negotiate.

Santiago said her administration will not depend on U.S. support to resolve a dispute with a neighboring country. "If elected, I will negotiate with China together with other Asian countries," she added. w

Miriam ...89

diagnosis. Such a situation makes treatment, often life-long, costly and far beyond the reach of most Filipino patients," the senator said.

The Rare Diseases Act mandates the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to include the cost of treatment of rare diseases in the benefit package, and to direct provisions from the sin taxes collection to cover the

Registry that will contain data on rare diseases in the Philippines, patients afflicted with rare diseases, and orphan drugs and products.

"This data will be utilized in formulating policies, identifying program interventions and designing researches that will eventually address the needs of patients with rare disease," the lawmaker explained.

and the Hunter syndrome are among the most common rare diseases in the Philippines.

"Since these diseases afflict only a small number of people, there is a glaring lack of health practitioners who are experts in the field. There were even cases of incorrect

cost of care for patients with rare diseases.

Under RA 10747, patients with rare disease will also be considered as persons with disabilities and will be granted benefits and privileges such as priority programs and discounts as mandated by the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

In addition, it seeks to create and maintain a Rare Disease

The new law also provides regulatory and fiscal incentives to support research and development studies on rare diseases and to facilitate the manufacture and importation of affordable orphan drugs and products.

"We are hopeful that the passage of the Rare Diseases Act will lead to better treatment and prevention for these types of diseases," Angara said. w

Angara ...89

additional budget needed may even be smaller, if existing scholarship grants will be factored in.

The Senate, acting on Recto's initiative during budget deliberation, earlier restored the almost P3 billion cuts in the 2016 budget of 114 state universities and colleges.

National government spent P12.3 billion for power and water of its offices, and P7 billion for fuel, oil and lubricants in 2014, the Commission on Audit reported. w

of the SUCs' budget may be realigned to subsidize tuition fees or provide post-graduate grants and trainings to faculty members," Recto explained.

Recto estimated that only about 800,000 students, from 1.34 million two years ago, will enroll in SUCs this year.

"Imagine, we need only to add P9 billion to the existing P47.4 billion in order to fund this free college-for-all program beginning next school year. Wala nang Pilipino na hindi ga-gradweyt ng kolehiyo," he pointed out.

Recto noted that the actual

Recto said SUCs can actually offer free college this June because they will have fewer enrolees due to the start of senior high wherein high schools will stop churning out college-bound graduates.

Under the K to 12 plan, Grade 10 finishers are kept in high school for two more years of senior high school beginning 2016. "Because of SUCs' savings, free college for all is possible," Recto said.

The Senate leader issued the statement after holding c o n s u l t a t i o n - d i a l o g u e s

the P12.5 billion 'student equity,' it will bring down the latter to P9.17 billion, which the government can write off, if it wants to," Recto said.

Recto said he did not factor in other scholarship programs, including a K to 12 readiness program consisting of 9,365 "faculty development grants" costing P3.5 billion. "If we include this, talagang kaunti na lang ang pupunuan ng gobyerno."

with administrators and students of the Bohol Island State University (BISU) in Tagbilaran City and Cebu Technological University (CTU) in Cebu City last Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

During his visits, Recto was informed that the start of two-year senior high under the K to 12 Law, which the senator authored, will free a substantial portion of the budget allocated to SUCs for this year.

"Since there will be fewer enrollees for first year college this year, a substantial amount

Recto ...59

the Encyclical recalls for us is the face of God: "who is the God we can encounter in Christ? How faithful and unsurpassable is His love? … All our expressions of love, of solidarity, of sharing are but a reflection of that love which is God. He, without ever tiring, pours out His love on us,

Benedict...39

and we are called to become witnesses to this love in the world. Therefore, we should look to divine charity as to the compass which orients our lives, before embarking on any activity: there we find direction; from charity we learn how to see our brothers and sisters and the world".

Pope Francis also referred to a second aspect of the Encyclical – the need for charity to be increasingly

importance because, not with words, but with concrete love it can make every person feel loved by the Father, loved as His son or daughter and destined for eternal life with Him".

"I would like to thank all those who daily are committing themselves to this mission which challenges every Christian", he concluded. "In this Jubilee Year, my intention has been

reflected in the life of the Church. "How I wish that everyone in the Church, every institution, every activity would show that God loves man!", he exclaimed. "The mission that our charitable organisations carry out is important, because they provide so many poor people with a more dignified and human life, which is needed more than ever. But this mission is of utmost

to emphasise that we can all experience the grace of the Jubilee by putting into practice the spiritual and corporal works of mercy: to live the works of mercy means to conjugate the verb 'to love' according to Jesus. In this way then, all of us together can contribute concretely to the great mission of the Church: to communicate the love of God which is meant to be spread". w

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in the disposition of their cases," Pimentel said in his sponsorship speech.

He said the great American civil rights advocate Martin Luther King, while incarcerated in Birmingham jail decades ago, famously decried the phrase that never gets hackneyed, "justice delayed is justice denied."

"Sadly, Mr. King's words, which were probably a critique on the administration of justice during his time, still very much resonate to this day, with the plight of many

Pimentel ...59 Filipinos whose cases have

long languished or are still languishing in our courts or in jails," he said.

Pimentel said the incontrovertible reality is that the country's courts are inundated with cases, regardless of merit.

"In fact, it is common to see stacks of case files finding their way into the corridors of our courts simply because they could not keep up with the volume of cases that are brought for their disposition," he said.

With rapid development and increasing human activity, he

"This equates to a caseload of 810 per branch per year which is 510 cases over the manageable caseload for second level courts which Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said to be 300 cases per branch," he said.

The same is true with the RTC in Ormoc City which has a total combined caseload of 1,637 for two branches as of Feb. 2015; the RTC in Iba, Zambales which has a total combined caseload of 1,700 for three branches; and the RTC in Calamba City which has a total combined caseload of 4,380 for five branches as of March 2015.

said it is almost certain that the number of legal conflicts would only steadily increase in the coming years.

He said the judiciary boasts of brilliant professionals and diligent luminaries in the legal community, but the sheer volume of their caseload sometimes rendered it impossible for them to resolve cases judiciously and with dispatch.

He cited the case of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro where the two branches had a total combined caseload of 1,620 cases as of December 2014.

The Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) in Malabon City has a total combined caseload of 2,031 for two branches as of March 2015, or an average caseload of 1,015 per branch per year, exceeding the manageable caseload of 500 for first level courts by a staggering 515 cases per branch.

Pimentel said that the creation of the new courts took into consideration not only the present case volume of existing branches but also the geographical situation of the areas to link the courts with the public to make the judicial process more accessible. w

14 March 1 - 15, 2016 March 1 - 15, 2016 15

justified". The Pope stressed that we justify ourselves as believers and even practising ones. Unfortunately, each of us looks a lot like a tree that, for years, has given much evidence of sterility. But luckily for us, Jesus is like the peasant farmer who, with limitless patience, still gives another deferment to the barren fig tree. 'Leave it for this year,' he says to the

Angelus ...29 master. 'It may bear fruit in the

future'"."A 'year' of grace", he

continued, "the time of Christ's ministry, the time of the Church before his glorious return, the time of our life punctuated by a number of Lents, which are offered to us as opportunities for repentance and salvation, the time of a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Jesus' invincible patience. Have you thought on God's patience?

priest's visit, didn't want it. He wanted to die that way. And she prayed, in the convent. And exactly at the moment of his execution he turned to the priest, took the crucifix and kissed it. God's patience! He does the same with us, with all of us! How many times – we don't know. We will know in Heaven – how many times we are there [about to fall] and the Lord saves us. He saves us because he has great patience

Have you thought about his unyielding concern for sinners as they should provoke impatience in how we see ourselves! It is never to late for us to convert, never! God's patience waits for us up till the last minute. Remember the the story of St. Therese of the Child Jesus when she prayed for the man condemned to death, a criminal, who did not want to receive the comfort of the Church. He declined a

with us. And this is his mercy. It is never too late to repent but it is urgent, the time is now. Let us begin today".

Before finishing, Pope Francis called upon the Virgin Mary "to sustain us so that we may open our hearts to God's grace, to his mercy. And help us to never judge others but to let daily misfortunes be the opportunity to make a serious examination of conscience and repent". w

Mindoro Tuna Fishers Federation, Mindoro Provincial Fisherfolk Representative and Councilor Pietro Pasigna of Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, were also present.

Republic Act 10654 amends RA 8550 otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 and cracks down on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF). It was enacted on February 27, 2015.

The passage of the said law caused the lifting of the yellow tag imposed by the European Union. If not immediately addressed, the tag would cause a ban on the Philippines to export fish products to one of the country's largest markets. Based on figures from the BFAR, in 2013 alone, the Philippines exported PhP9.4 billion worth of fish products, primarily tuna, to EU countries.

As an offshoot of the lifting of the yellow tag, the Philippines now enjoys the advantage of being the only country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that was accepted in the GSP Plus program of the European Commission. "Allowing Philippine

producers to export more than 6,000 products to any of the 28 EU member countries at zero tariff will definitely help the Philippines diversify trade, increase exports and attract foreign direct investments," Villar said.

"This is on top of increasing employment opportunities, as it is expected to create more than 250,000 jobs in both the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, majority of which in the rural areas," she added.

With the enactment of the amended Philippine Fisheries Code, Villar said the country was able to fulfill its commitment to the international community to protect marine life and resources.

"We recognize the threat overfishing poses to all nations of the world. If left unabated, it will not only make deserts out of our oceans in 2050, it will also mean a collapse of the fishing sector as a source of livelihood," Villar said.

Under the amended law, it is now unlawful to fish or take, catch, gather, sell, purchase, possess, transport, export, forward or ship out aquatic species listed by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, or those categorized by the International Union for Conservation of

Nature and Natural Resources as threatened.

"The law puts the Philippine fishing legislation at par with other countries, especially the conservation of threatened aquatic species, straddling and highly migratory species, and other marine resources," she added.

The law was amended to ensure that management of fishery and aquatic resources is anchored on eco-system based approach in fishing. The new law ensures the traceability of all the catch of Philippine-flagged fishing vessels through a monitoring, control, and surveillance system.

The law sanctions IUUF and modified penalties for a more deterrent effect. It also ratifies the Fish Stocks Agreement as part of the coastal state measures.

The lady senator also pointed out a highlight of the amended bill, which provides for the creation of the Fisheries Management Fund from the fines and penalties collected. The fund will provide livelihood and scholarship programs, among others, to fisher folks and their family.

Under the law, 25 percent of the fund will be allocated to BFAR for fishery law enforcement and 75 percent will be allotted to provide assistance to poor fisher folk,

to be broken down as follows:A. 10% for the purchase,

upgrade and maintenance of vessels, communication and other equipment used for the monitoring, control and surveillance, of Philippine waters and distant water fishing;

B. 5% for the payment of litigation expenses, cost of conveyance of witnesses and other costs due to cases filed by or against the Republic of the Philippines in international courts arising from the implementation of this act or where apprehending party or parties become respondents or defendants in any tribunal or court of law;

C. 15% for the operating costs of the IFARMC and MFARMC and payment for the cost of rehabilitation, medical expenses for injury, or indemnity for death of law enforcement officers, including deputized volunteers;

D. 20% for payment for rewards to informers and those who assisted in fishery law enforcement;

E. 5% for the continued upgrading of laboratory facilities and equipment;

F. 5% for the capability development of BFAR personnel, deputized law enforcement agencies and volunteers, and stakeholders;

G. 10% for scholarship

grants for children of fisher folks and fish workers in fish catch, aquaculture, fishing and fish processing;

H. 15% for livelihood programs for production enhancement and poverty alleviation; and

I. 15% for assistance to fishermen in the form of shared facilities.

Along the line of assisting fisherfolks, the Department of Agriculture and BFAR launched during the National Fisheries Development Summit last February 3 the Comprehensive National Fisheries Industry Development Plan. The plan contains the subsector targets and action plans for the next five years.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations stated that the Philippines ranked 7th among the top fish producing countries with a production of 4.7 million metric tons of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other aquatic plants, including seaweeds. The production constitutes 2.46% of the total world production of 191 million metric tons. The fisheries sector also provides direct and indirect employment to over one million people, or about 12 percent of the agriculture sector of the labor force. w

Villar stresses ...59

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