“I BLESS you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do.” (Mt 11,25-26)

If we believe in these words of Christ, it should dawn in our mind that we should try our best to be always child-like, even as we age and get exposed to so many things in this world. Imagine! It is to little and simple children that God reveals himself. He hides from those who think they are learned and clever.

Christ repeated this idea a number of times. “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven,” he also said. (Mt 18,3) “Let the children come to me. Do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mk 10,15)

Yes, children and heaven are almost synonymous to each other. No wonder we feel like we are in heaven every time we see children around. Every time a baby is born, we are very happy because we somehow know that he just did not come out of his mother’s womb, but rather from the very hands of God who created him before the parents procreated him.
In spite of the many limitations of children, what makes them always desirable is their pure, innocent heart, incapable of malice, ambition, pride and haughtiness. They are a source of many other good things.

Their heart is always trusting in the Lord always, just like a little kid is always confident with his father. Faith and hope easily grow and acquire strength when nurtured in a child’s heart. It’s this attitude that leads them to go on and move on no matter what, for life to them could only be an adventure of discoveries.

It’s this kind of heart that makes them transparent, sincere and simple, not afraid to be known as they truly are. They may still lack the subtlety of prudence and discretion, and be prone to spontaneity, but they hardly mind these deficiencies.

They are only interested in doing what they think is good and enjoyable. Suggestions and corrections do not humiliate them. Rather, they welcome these suggestions and corrections.

Children are humble, teachable, flexible and docile. You can tell them anything, and they always tend to believe and obey. Attainments, achievements and successes do not spoil them. Neither do difficulties, temptations and failures crush them and plunge them to sadness or bitterness.

We just have to make sure that to be childlike does not become being childish. A passage from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians can serve as a very relevant reminder to all of us: “Do not become children in sense. But in malice be children, and in sense be perfect.” (14,20)

And more directly, St. Paul said: “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Cor 13,11)

Yes, indeed! We have to be childlike in spirit, but not childish in our human ways. As Christ himself said, we have to be innocent like doves, but clever as serpents. With God’s grace, we have to learn to put these seemingly contrasting qualities together.

In March 2023, there was a suggestion by the Senate Committee on Basic Education chairman Win Gatchalian to revert back to a June-to-March academic calendar for schools in the Philippines. This would allow students a break during the scorching summer months 1. However, according to the Department of Education (DepEd) guidelines on the School Calendar and Activities for School Year 2022-2023, classes were set to start on August 22, 2022 and end on July 7, 2023 2Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian has reiterated his proposal to bring back the old June to March school calendar, which would revert the school break to April and May.This is contrary to the current school calendar which runs from August to June, with the break slated in July to late August.

To revert to the old school calendar, Gatchalian wants a dialogue with the Department of Education, instead of crafting a law. Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee on education, suggested cutting the school break to one to two weeks per school year, until the school calendar returns to the June school opening.

“We need to do it slowly, pakaunti-kaunti hanggang umabot tayo sa bumalik [sa lumang school calendar]… For example, may isang taon, iiksi ng one or two weeks ang summer hanggang pakaunti-kaunti siya. Hindi mo siya pwedeng biglain, or may isang taong walang summer iyong bata. After school year, pasok ulit siya,” he said.

“If you want to go back to the old system, dapat ang pasukan is June-July. Ibig sabihin wala siyang summer, wala siyang bakasyon [based on current school calendar],” he added.
In the House of Representatives, lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc filed a bill seeking to bring back the June-to-March school calendar.

Teachers’ groups have been clamoring for the same proposal, amid the intense heat felt in schools as students go to class during the hot and humid days of April and May.

In some talks and informal discussions with the same topic, we have seen how confusing things are. It can be noted that some private schools and State Universities are ending and starting the school year in their own according to their liking, leaving a confusing feeling among the learners and parents.

The general clamor is obvious they want the old system and the old dates because according to these stakeholders, these are more ideal to the problems on heat and other variables which includes money for harvest time came on summers and these can be well timed for the enrollment.
The official pronouncement is that we stick on the status quo and wait for the announcement later. For the people, the waiting game is a drag but if it paves for a better policy that would best address the confusion and the realities of our academic standing the they are willing to wait.

Purposely, to support coconut farmers and further strengthen the country’s Coconut industry, the Landbank of the Philippines has opened a new credit window recently.
The new credit scheme for the coconut farmers is believed a catalyst toward increasing production and income especially in coconut-rich provinces in the Bicol, Quezon, Laguna, Batangas, and Leyte.

The new credit scheme of the Landbank of the Philippines (LB) is handled by the Landbank Coconut Farmers and Industry Development (CFID) Lending Program. Under the credit scheme, eligible coconut farmers, cooperative and associations can access financing for various projects, including the establishment of intercrops and poultry or livestock integration in coconut farms.

Under the program, L B provides short-terms and Long-term loans of at least P1 million, with an affordable interest rate of 2 percent annually. Here, “the individual coconut farmers can use the loan to increase production and working capital, to acquire machines and equipment, and establish other facilities. While the coconut cooperatives and associations can also utilize the financing for relending and rediscounting to their members”.

The CFID Lending Program has a life span till 2071 in order to accommodate as many players from the coconut industry to avail of the credit window. The same program supports the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture (DA) which outlines the policies and direction as well as the modernization of the coconut industry.

MY COMMENT:

It is hoped that the Landbank of the Philippines new credit window expands and includes the coconut farmers in the Leyte, Biliran, and Samar provinces whose source of livelihood of copra-making and the totally industry of Region 8 suffered a debacle during the super typhoon in November 2013. Indeed, after almost 10 years after “Yolanda” wrought havoc fiercely, the coconut industry has not yet recovered to its pre super typhoon status. Thus, the need for financing schemes such as the one offered by L B.
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So annoying is the reminder brandised to the public that their police officers are there to serve and protect. Such kind of sloganeering that is aimed at ensuring the public of their safety and protection from the law enforcers. The message is very clear that the subject of their service and protection are the citizenry who are the taxpayers that contribute to the public coffers. The taxpayers deserve the best service and protection from law enforcers who earn their salary that had been increased by then president whose main project was the bloody drug war.

It is public knowledge that such drug war resulted in the spill of more blood from the cold-blooded victims that were piled into statistics without due process. The drugs appeared to have increased despite the killing of persons tagged as pushers and users that do business on the streets and slum places. The bigtime operators remain bigtime and well-protected by those who pledged to serve and protect.

The well entrenched shenanigans had enjoyed the fruits of the drug trade while the small runners are easily nabbed if not sent to kingdom come.
Until the house of representatives and the senate conducted a circuitous inquiry in aid of legislation where the bigtime operators and protectors were unveiled as one. The people caught read-handed as in possession of illegal drugs and the ones nabbing them are wearing the same uniform.

But the drama that pushed the investigating committee chair to fall on his knees and the threat of detention for lying under oath did not changed the criminal minds of the purported bigtime drug traders. Truly, the drugs and the traders appear to be well served and protected under a sturdy shield.
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