THE story of how David was anointed to be king plainly tells us that God’s ways are inscrutable. (cfr. 1 Samuel 16,1-13) This story tells us that we need to trust in God’s mysterious ways rather be guided simply by our own estimation of things.
As narrated in the story, God asked the prophet Samuel to choose from the children of Jesse the one to succeed Saul as king. Samuel was quite sure the first ones presented must be the one God would anoint because of how they looked. But God rejected them and corrected Samuel.
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,” God told Samuel after Eliab, one of the first one was presented, “because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”
So, the other sons of Jesse were presented. And still they were all rejected. When Samuel asked Jesse if there was still another son left, Jesse then called David, the youngest who at that time was tending sheep. It was then that God chose David to succeed Saul as king.
We should just be humble enough to realize that our certainties can never cope with all the mysteries of life. No matter how objective and scientific these certainties are derived, no matter how deep and exhaustive our philosophies, theologies and ideologies are made, our certainties just cannot take all the mysteries in our life.
Even in the world of nature where in theory we have the capacity to know things conclusively, we often find ourselves in situations of tentativeness and even of outright error. That is why we are always in the process of discoveries and we would not know when we can end it, that is to say, when we can say that we have known everything to be known in the world of nature.
This does not mean that our certainties can never know the truth, even the absolute, and not just relative, truths. Yes, we can, but the best that we can do is to project ourselves to infinite possibilities, because even the absolute truths are not things that are frozen. They are always dynamic.
Our certainties can only tackle some aspects and levels of the reality that is proper to us. We need to realize more deeply that we have to contend not only with natural and even spiritual realities but also with supernatural realities that simply are above our nature to know, unless some revelation is made which should be corresponded to with our act of belief.
We just have to learn to abandon ourselves to the mysterious ways of God who in his wise providence takes care of everything. We are not expected to know and understand everything. What is expected of us is to have faith in God so we can always be with him no matter how things turn.
With all the things that we have to contend with in this life, we certainly need to have a healthy sense of trust in God’s loving and wise providence, abandoning ourselves in his will and ways that often are mysterious to us and can appear to be contrary to what we would like to have.
We also have to make sure that our inability to fully capture life’s mysteries should not dampen our eagerness to know and love Christ more. Rather it should prod us to know and love Christ better. And with that motive, let us polish and refine our certainties some more.
About 10 contingents from different towns of Northern Samar joined this year’s Agta Festival held in Bobon town last Sunday(Jan.14). The contingency from Catarman, ‘Tribu Kawayanon’ was adjudged as the best among the competing contingents. (Northern Samar Provincial Tourism Office)
Among Northern Samar popular festival of festivals
About 10 contingents from different towns of Northern Samar joined this year’s Agta Festival held in Bobon town last Sunday(Jan.14). The contingency from Catarman, ‘Tribu Kawayanon’ was adjudged as the best among the competing contingents. (Northern Samar Provincial Tourism Office)
TACLOBAN CITY – The ‘Tribu Kawayanon’ of Barangay Cawayan, Catarman town was declared the grand champion in this year’s Agta Festival competition held in Bobon town, Northern Samar.
Tribu Kawayanon bested nine other contingents from other towns of the province of the yearly festival that venerates and gives thanks for all the blessings the municipality receives through the intercession of the Sto. Niňo, its patron.
As grand champion, Tribu Kawayanon won P300, 000.
Tribu Sto. Niňo of Bobon town bagged second place and won P200,000 while Tribu Carang of San Jose town was in 3rd place winning P100,000.
Incidentally, Tribu Sto. Niňo and Tribu Carang were also the 2nd and 3rd place winners during last year’s Agta Festival participated by seven contingents.
Of the 10 contingents that joined the Agta Festival this year, five came from Catarman, two from San Jose, one from Lope de Vega, one from San Roque, and one from Bobon.
Agta Festival is one of the oldest festivals in Northern Samar and in the region which dates back in the 1980s.
In 1980, the Agta Festival was celebrated by having mass, ‘sakay-sakay’ or fluvial procession but the following year, festival contingents and competitions were included to give more glamour and festivity vibes to the annual celebration.
RESPONSIBLE MINING? Thus said the regional office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) on the ongoing mining operations in Homonhon Island, contrary to the claims of residents that the mining operations affects their health conditions but destroys the environment. Photo taken on Jan. 10, 2024. (SAVE HOMONHON MOVEMENT)
Despite claims of Church, residents
RESPONSIBLE MINING? Thus said the regional office of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) on the ongoing mining operations in Homonhon Island, contrary to the claims of residents that the mining operations affects their health conditions but destroys the environment. Photo taken on Jan. 10, 2024. (SAVE HOMONHON MOVEMENT)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB) in the region declared that they had not observed any violations on mining companies operating in Homonhon Island in Guiuan town, Eastern Samar.
This is despite complaints and allegations from residents and the local Church on the negative effects of mining operations on the historic island.
“Binabasa kasi namin yung provisions of the law. What are the grounds for cancellation? None payment of taxes, in terms of environmental, yung talagang grave abuse,” MGB-8 Regional Director Glenn Marcelo Noble said.
“This is my statement, there are no grave violations. Meron mang konti, kunyari nasira yung kaniyang siltation pond eh pwede namang ayusin yan. Nagkaroon ba ng major spills, wala,” Noble added.
He said that there is a multipartite monitoring team (MMT) that conducts visits to mining companies to monitor their operations and check if they committed violations that may be used as grounds for suspension or cancellation of their permit.
This monitoring team is composed of personnel from the MGB, Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), local government unit, non-government organizations, and sometimes Church leaders.
“Yung MMT is a very crucial body, multipartite yan, hindi lang MGB yan, hindi yan DENR lang , hindi yan EMB lang, hindi yang LGU lang. So pag usapan nila, at kung ano ang napag-usapan nila that is what they will recommend sa higher body,” Noble explained.
Although they can make recommendations, Noble stressed that the decision on actions against the recommendation will always depend on the DENR Secretary who signs the approval of all mining applications in the country.
At present, three mining companies are currently operating on Homonhon Island, extracting nickel and chromite that are transported to China, the biggest market for mining operations in the country.
The three mining firms are Nickelace Inc., Chromiteking and Emir. Of the three, Emir has yet to be granted the permit for its application for a 25-year mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA), while the two were granted their permits in 2009.
Based on MGB-8 recorded for 2023, Nickleace and Chromiteking were able to ship 8.22 million metric tons of nickel ore and 25,000 metric tons of chromite to China last year.
The tax paid by these mining companies last year in terms of excise tax generated an income for the government amounting to P182.62 million.
Groups such as the Save Homonhon Movement and the Diocese of Borongan are vocal in opposing the mining operations on Homonhon Island which they say destroy the environment and marine ecosystem of the place which is historically known as the first landing site of Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet in March 1521 on the first circumnavigation of the world.
Two ‘Jericho Walks’, a prayer rally in protest against mining operations were initiated last year by the Catholic Church, one was in Borongan in August, and in November in Guiuan town in November but was postponed after the local government unit of the municipality did not grant them a permit.
This year, another prayer rally is scheduled on January 20 in Guiuan town.
BAYBAY CITY– Palompon, Leyte Mayor Ramon Oñate, proprietor of the DBSN Farms Agriventures Corp., together with his family filed a multi-million damaged suit against former Palompon Mayor Myra Georgina Arevalo for the recovery of damages at the Regional Trial Court Branch 14, this city.
Included in the complaint filed by Oñate on December 28 was Jerome Pastor, former municipal planning and development officer of Palompon.
Arevalo could not be reached for her comment on the complaint against her.
The case stemmed from the action of Arevalo, who was mayor at that time, on illegal, inappropriate, and pure political harassment from her denial to the renewal of the business permit of the DBSN Breeder farm located in Barangay San Joaquin, Palompon last January 25, 2021 and issuance of cease and decease order on February 19, 2021 despite complying with all statutory requirements.
The Oñates believed that the closure made by Arevalo was designed merely to harass them and for purely personal and political motives.
It can be recalled that a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction were already issued by Branch 17 of the Regional Trial Court of Palompon and upheld that DBSN has the right to continue the chicken breeder farm operations.
Such actions made by Arevalo and Pastor have caused DBSN to suffer from huge financial losses and due to the non-delivery of hatching eggs to the hatchery by virtue of the questioned cease and desist order of respondent, the DBSN suffered additional losses in terms of penalties from San Miguel Foods Inc. and paid the amount of over P110.93 million.
The DBSN management prayed that both Arevalo and Pastor be jointly and severally liable for the damages in terms of loss of income and penalties incurred due to the non-delivery of fertilized eggs in the amount of P195.25 million.
Lawyer Gerestain Banzon, who accompanied DBSN management in filing, in an interview said they filed the case for recovery of damages here because the main office of DBSN is located in Brgy. Antipolo, Albuera, Leyte which is under the jurisdiction of RTC Branch 14 here.
He added that more than P195 million in damage came from the penalties of DBSN for the non-delivery of hatching eggs to the hatchery of San Miguel Corporation worth P110.93 million and the company’s losses worth P84.31 million. (ROBERT DEJON)
NAVAL, Biliran– The nutritional status of children aged 0-59 months in Biliran has improved in 2023 as compared to the previous year, an official of the Biliran Provincial Health Office (PHO) said.
The comparative report on the nutritional status of children 0-59 months old was based on Operation Timbang (OPT) conducted in 2023 and 2022, the results of which were discussed by PHO nutrition program coordinator Rio R. Rosales during the year-end meeting of the Provincial Nutrition Council.
Rosales reported that improvement in eight nutritional areas was recorded last year, such as underweight (UW), severely underweight (SUW), stunted (ST), severely stunted (SST), moderately wasted (MW), severely wasted (SW), overweight, and obesity.
He said underweight cases in 2023 were recorded at 4.83 percent, a decrease compared with 5.64 percent in 2022, or 724 UW children, against 878 in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
In severely underweight children, 0.92 percent was recorded in 2023 compared to 1.26 percent in 2022, corresponding to 138 SU children in 2023 compared to 195 SU in 2022.
In stunted children, 8.67 percent was noted in 2023 compared to 10.26 percent in 2022, reflecting 1,300 ST children in 2023 compared to 1,570 ST in 2022.
For severely stunted children, 2.51 percent was recorded in 2023 compared to 3.04 percent in 2022, equivalent to 376 SST children in 2023 compared to 473 SST in 2022.
The moderately wasted population decreased from 3.43 percent in 2022 to 1.98 percent in 2023, compared to 3.43, or 297 MW children in 2023, compared to 534 MW in 2022.
For severely wasted, 0.58 percent was recorded in 2023 compared to 1.27 percent in 2022, a reduction in the number of cases from 197 SW children in 2022 to 87 SW children in 2023.
Overweight cases likewise decreased, from 2.28 percent in 2022 to 1.90 percent in 2023, with the number reflecting 284 overweight children in 2023 compared to 355 in 2022.
Rosales said that the provincial government will step up more of its efforts in improving its nutrition program in 2024, with the target of bringing the majority of the nutritional areas into a single-digit improvement with the help of all nutrition stakeholders in the community, especially the parents of the 0-59-month-old children in the province. (MMP/RSV/PIA Biliran)
TACLOBAN CITY– The Political Officers League of the Philippines, Inc. (POLPhil), an organization of individuals dedicated to peace and progress, is set to host a National Peace Advocates Summit on January 20, 2024 at the Hive Hotel in Timog Avenue, Quezon City.
Under the theme “Kapayapaan: Noon, Ngayon at Bukas” (Peace: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow), this event intends to serve as a platform for learning and sharing.
It aims to bring together a diverse array of individuals and organizations, spanning former activists, former military/police, development workers, entrepreneurs, and community advocates, in pursuit of genuine and enduring peace in our nation.
In the face of past challenges that have hindered the peace process, POLPhil seeks to reignite interest and present fresh perspectives on the pursuit of peace.
The gathering is expected to be attended by 200 leaders from all over the country led by its officials, namely, Engr. Virgilio Roseño, secretary-general; Rodolfo Cañeda, national president, and Ricardo Serrano, chairman emeritus, will revolve around four main components: the context of peace; forging peace in the present; sustainable peace and prosperity; and our highest potential as a people. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
The story of David and God’s inscrutable ways
THE story of how David was anointed to be king plainly tells us that God’s ways are inscrutable. (cfr. 1 Samuel 16,1-13) This story tells us that we need to trust in God’s mysterious ways rather be guided simply by our own estimation of things.
As narrated in the story, God asked the prophet Samuel to choose from the children of Jesse the one to succeed Saul as king. Samuel was quite sure the first ones presented must be the one God would anoint because of how they looked. But God rejected them and corrected Samuel.
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,” God told Samuel after Eliab, one of the first one was presented, “because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”
So, the other sons of Jesse were presented. And still they were all rejected. When Samuel asked Jesse if there was still another son left, Jesse then called David, the youngest who at that time was tending sheep. It was then that God chose David to succeed Saul as king.
We should just be humble enough to realize that our certainties can never cope with all the mysteries of life. No matter how objective and scientific these certainties are derived, no matter how deep and exhaustive our philosophies, theologies and ideologies are made, our certainties just cannot take all the mysteries in our life.
Even in the world of nature where in theory we have the capacity to know things conclusively, we often find ourselves in situations of tentativeness and even of outright error. That is why we are always in the process of discoveries and we would not know when we can end it, that is to say, when we can say that we have known everything to be known in the world of nature.
This does not mean that our certainties can never know the truth, even the absolute, and not just relative, truths. Yes, we can, but the best that we can do is to project ourselves to infinite possibilities, because even the absolute truths are not things that are frozen. They are always dynamic.
Our certainties can only tackle some aspects and levels of the reality that is proper to us. We need to realize more deeply that we have to contend not only with natural and even spiritual realities but also with supernatural realities that simply are above our nature to know, unless some revelation is made which should be corresponded to with our act of belief.
We just have to learn to abandon ourselves to the mysterious ways of God who in his wise providence takes care of everything. We are not expected to know and understand everything. What is expected of us is to have faith in God so we can always be with him no matter how things turn.
With all the things that we have to contend with in this life, we certainly need to have a healthy sense of trust in God’s loving and wise providence, abandoning ourselves in his will and ways that often are mysterious to us and can appear to be contrary to what we would like to have.
We also have to make sure that our inability to fully capture life’s mysteries should not dampen our eagerness to know and love Christ more. Rather it should prod us to know and love Christ better. And with that motive, let us polish and refine our certainties some more.