TACLOBAN CITY–The dreaded coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) did not stop the devoted Catholics in attending the traditional Ash Wednesday to signal the start of the 40-day Lent season in Eastern Visayas on February 26.
“I am good with the traditional. So long as we don’t have confirmed cases (of COVID-19), life as we know it shouldn’t be needlessly disrupted,” said Liza Baoy, a mother and government worker in Leyte.
The region, with a population of 4.4 million, has remained free from the dreaded virus that already infected 80,423 and killed 2,711 people mostly in mainland China where the disease originated.
No local transmission of the disease was also reported elsewhere in the country.
As the virus continues to spread worldwide, Philippine health officials earlier recommended the practice of good hygiene and the halting of big public gathering.
The directive also prompted the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to issue an advisory, suggesting its clergymen to sprinkle dry ashes on the head of the mass goers instead of applying wet ashes on their foreheads to prevent the spread of the virus.
“This is not an innovation but in accord with the ancient practice of the Church,” said CBCP president Romulo Valles.
The advisory also urged the Catholic faithful to refrain from touching or kissing the cross for veneration during the Lent season.
However, Fr. Chris Arthur Militante, spokesperson of Palo Archdiocese in Leyte, said they “will stick with tradition imposition of ashes in the forehead” amid the virus scare.
“The Archbishop (John Du) specifically instructs that we follow the usual rite of the imposition of ashes, that is, on the forehead, for your guidance,” read the statement from the chancellor’s office.
“A true faithful in Jesus Christ should never get swayed nor scared by a ‘scare,’” said local resident Fidelino Josol.
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” added Josol, quoting a biblical passage.
He also reminded that the early Christians never faltered of Nero’s threat of being “thrown into the lions, burned at stake, crucified and many more, with no chance of getting away.
“The ashes symbolizing our faith should never scare us. I am in full support of the Archdiocesan position. I am aware that precautions are taken,” Josol said.
He said that his children will also follow the traditional Ash Wednesday, saying “our faith will prevail.”
Amid the advisory issued by Valles, Fr. Mark Ivo Velasquez of Palo Archdiocese maintained that the CBCP “has left it to the decision of the individual bishops in their respective dioceses, as is proper.”
“In their dioceses the bishop has the final say in matters pertaining to such matters, and not the CBCP,” Velasquez who will led in the traditional Ash Wednesday to over 12, 000 Catholics in his parish in Alangalang, Leyte.
However, for Leila Diaz, a physician in Tacloban City, she said she will not submit herself to the traditional practice.
“Nowadays, it’s unwise to have the finger of another person touch your face, especially if that finger has touched hundreds of other foreheads or faces,” the doctor said.
“Actually the sprinkling is also an ancient practice more popular in Europe than in our country. If you look at Pope John Paul II before, he administered it by sprinkling. In this matter it really is no big deal which practice one uses or prefers,” said Fr. Roy Cimagala of Cebu City, adding that they in Cebu will do the sprinkling during the Ash Wednesday rites.
After declaring it as a global health emergency, the World Health Organization also warned all government leaders to prepare for a possible coronavirus pandemic.
(RONALD O. REYES)
Amid killer virus, Catholics opted for traditional Ash Wednesday in Eastern Visayas
Mayor dares Pres. Duterte: issue deadline to crush NPA
Local officials who fail should be charged or removed
MATUGUINAO, Samar – The mayor of this town has issued a challenge to President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an ultimatum to all local officials in the fight against insurgency problem.
Mayor Aran Boller said that if the President has issued an ultimatum to mayors and governors on road clearing, why not do the same thing on the fight against members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
And those who will fail to end the insurgency problem should be charged or removed from office, the mayor said.
“If only I will be given a chance to talk to the President, I will appeal to him to give us ultimatum until December of this year to end the local armed conflict,” Boller said during an interview Wednesday (Feb.26).
“Just like when they gave us ultimatum in implementing the road clearing, an ultimatum should also be given to us to end this insurgency problem,” the town mayor added.
Boller said that because there is an ultimatum on road clearing operation, local officials are active in enforcing the order and meeting the deadline set which is on April of this year.
“Those who will fail to comply the ultimatum, the governor or city or municipal mayor should be charged or removed from office,” he said.
Pres. Duterte earlier vowed to crush the insurgency problem of the country by 2022, the end of his six-year term in Malacañang.
According to Boller, it would be a futile exercise for local officials like himself who is exerting efforts to end the insurgency problem at their localities while other mayors are not doing the same thing.
“These NPA members would only move from one place to the next whose mayor is, out of fear, is not fighting against them,” Boller said.
Boller said that since he assumed the post as mayor of the town, which has a population of more than 7,800 spread on its 20 barangays and has a poverty incidence of more than 60 percent which is the highest in Eastern Visayas, more than 150 sympathizers and rebel members have surrendered.
Those who surrender were given cash and livelihood assistance by the local government unit.
Boller said that advocacy to end the insurgency should not only be implemented by one local government unit but must by all local leaders to ensure that country’s long-running insurgency problem would come to its end.
“Why should we be afraid, we are receiving salary from the government? You’re a useless mayor if you got easily be threatened by rebels,” he said.
Because the national government is serious and had made it as a target for achievement before President Duterte steps down in 2022, Boller said that this is the right time to end the communist problem that has long been affecting towns like Matuguinao, which for the longest time is haunted by poverty and remains underdeveloped.
In last month’s Balik-Loob program of the LGU more than 150 former rebel and supporters had pledge to again support the government with at least 92 of them are already been processed for verification.
Boller also shares that he is offering an amount P50,000 for rebel or supporter who will surrender before the end of March, which he give as ultimatum for his residents who are with or supporting the government’s enemy.
The amount is on top, the cash assistance from the provincial government and from the national government through the enhanced comprehensive local integration program (e-Clip).
During the demilitarization of recovered and surrendered firearms at the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army Commanding General B/Gen Gilbert Gapay, he said that top officials of the government is conducting talks on setting ultimatum for rebels to surrender.
B/Gen Gapay said that the ultimatum may be set at the middle of this year.
Those who will not surrender after the ultimatum pass will be the target of military operation.
“To rebels, please surrender now and avail the e-Clip or else our operating forces will be running after you,” Gapay said.
Fruits and Veggies immune system boosters against COVID-19
In an earlier article under this column, I tackled the issue about 2019 Novel nCoV echoing findings by researchers for Filipinos strictly warning them from eating wild animals such as Bats! As these animals meat has been reported to be “host” of the now infamous COVD-2019, erstwhile known as nCoronavirus!
In this column and having been doing intently readings about Advisories from concerned government agencies based on verified findings by researchers, I wish to quote Agriculture Secretary William Dar’s advise to Filipinos “. . . to do their part in strengthening their immune system . . . (by eating) native nutritious fruits and vegetables that are known to help the body fight off diseases. Let us try to consume more to boost our health . . .more so now , with the outbreak of the 2019 nCoV”. This is so, while we await the results of the medical researchers, of the world, trying to discover treatment protocol and vaccine against the deadly virus.
Thus, Vitamin C rich fruits (orange and guava families, etc.,) and veggies like malunggay leaves that contain 27% Vitamin A and 22 percent Vitamin C, which is equivalent to eating 7 pieces of orange. Among the Vitamin C rich farm crops include papaya, strawberries, bell pepper, broccoli, and citrus fruits (calamansi and dayap). Vitamin C is top in the list of immune boosters as it has anti-viral and anti-bacterial compounds. Other immune boosters are Garlic, because of its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties; honey also has antibacterial properties for cold, flu, and sore throat; Lagundi (one of the NRCP-funded researches), has been scientifically proven to be effective against cough, colds, and fever; Asthma plant or “tawa-tawa” is rich in Vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and Vitamin C, especially proven for upper respiratory system and increasing the blood plantlet count; and, Serpentina known for its anti-viral and antibiotic compounds, therefore, recommended to treat cough and colds as well as expectorant helping prompt release of mucus lodged in the respiratory system.
If only for the vegetables- and fruits-eating rural population of the Philippines, I can speak of the upland barangays population of Burauen, Leyte, whose diet are mainly backyard vegetables, e.g. malunggay, sweet potato tops, eggplant, stringbeans, etc ., freshwater fish and shellfish and occasional taste of meat, they/we could be the lest vulnerables from the 2019 nCoV threat. This, plus the fact that they are mostly farmers whose bodies are exposed to rigors of farming, make the Burawanons able to resist respiratory infecting diseases.
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Power over all virus
The threat of the dreaded 2019 novel corona virus still persists despite measures implemented by government to contain its further spread. The delayed action of government to ban travels from places in China where the virus emanated. Latest reports bare an increasing number of deaths and the number of persons infected by the virus. The situation is alarming as people still continue to travel from China to various destinations around the globe. The reported ban on travel from the place where the virus emanated later came out as fake news as air transportation officials admitted that flights from those places still continues as the ban was merely on passengers who are found to have symptoms. It raised peoples to detest the clear deception about the travel ban.
Amid the unabated movement of people from the affected areas in China, people remain at risk from getting infected. The increasing number of deaths is a clear indication that the virus is still prevalent in places where infected persons had stayed for some time. The initial government action was to trace the location of persons where came in contact with the infected person so that they could be placed in confinement and be treated for any ailment that might be considered as symptomatic of the virus. Another concern is the fact that the virus does not show symptoms but merely manifests for other illnesses than that caused by the virus. This brings us to possibilities that the person under investigation may be infected and be a carrier of the virus without experiencing sickness due to virus infection.
No cure has yet been found for the virus that had reportedly killed 1,770 persons since the virus outbreak. The fatalities is truly alarming considering that the victims could have carried and transmitted the virus to persons they came in contact with. This concern is real and puts every person to be responsible and be on guard by following preventive tips issued by health authorities. People might as well heed various advisories from reliable sources, mainly those who are experts or authorities on the medical field. The search for cure is still being pursued by those in the medical field.
Without any cure in sight in the near future, people have no better option than pray for God’s protection and healing. For those who have faith, only God has the power over all the most deadly viruses and illnesses that afflict mankind. We need the grace from God to be protected from the virus and healing for those who had been infected. The virus is unseen and people have no way to evade its path. The possibility of getting infected still remains despite all efforts to protect people from getting sick.
comments to alellema@yahoo.com
The Bureau of Immigration
The allegations of a new racket involving payouts to immigration officers at the NAIA airport by syndicates to facilitate the entry of foreigners to work in POGO’s only showed that there is corruption in the Bureau of Immigration (BI). Immigration personnel are facilitating entry of Chinese nationals most of whom are believed to have been recruited to work at on-line gambling firms.
Recently, 5 officials of the BI were relieved from their posts after an investigation on the so called “pastillas scheme” where Immigration officers are allegedly accepting bribes from Chinese nationals.
What is obvious is the anomalous entry of foreign visitors. The illegal entrants must be caught together with whoever facilitated the entry and punishment must be imposed. An on-going Senate probe has unearthed an alleged racket involving the issuance of visas to Chinese citizens. The real reason for their entry is not tourism, but employment in the POGO industry. It is alleged that corrupt immigration personnel charge P5,000 for a special work permit (SWP) for a POGO employee.
In the Senate inquiry, an average of P10,000 is paid by each Chinese worker for easy entry. The payment is made allegedly to BI personnel. The payoffs were handed over apparently to BI personnel. The payoffs were handed over apparently to BI personnel and rolled up “pastillas” style at the NAIA airport.
Allegations against these Immigration personnel who allegedly received bribes to facilitate the entry of POGO workers must be proven. The management must look at the bigger picture, all that might be connected to this alleged scheme.
The BI Commissioner must immediately investigate to determine and identify the persons involved in the scheme and file charges against them. The National Bureau of Immigration (NBI) should look into the alleged malpractice of immigration officials at the airports. Complaints should be filed against immigration personnel involved in this scheme.
The indispensability of the cross
THAT’S right. The cross, given our human condition, is absolutely necessary in our life here on earth. We cannot even be human, much less, Christian, without the cross. Without the cross, we think that we can be absolutely on our own. Without the cross, the only possibility we have is to sin, to go against God, to demean our dignity as a human person and a child of God, meant to be in God’s image and likeness.
Without the cross, our freedom would easily go haywire, get unhinged and proceed to pursue false, albeit quite attractive goals. Without the cross, pride, vanity and their cohorts would easily dominate us. Humility and the privations and sufferings that it occasions automatically become a disvalue and are thrown out of the window.
That’s the reason why Christ, who only has our own good in his mind and heart, commanded us that if we want to follow him, we should deny ourselves and carry the cross. (cfr. Mt 16,24) We need the cross more than we need air to breathe, food to eat.
We have to understand then that the cross is not something optional, though it has to be embraced as freely as possible. We should avoid thinking that since the cross is necessary, we should just force ourselves to accept it. That would be a wrong and dangerous attitude to have.
Thus, we have to spend time meditating on this indispensability of the cross in our life so we can form the proper attitude and the relevant skills. We cannot deny that our human condition at the moment is quite averse even to the mere mention of the cross. But this condition has to be overcome, with God’s grace, of course, but also with our own effort.
Just like anything else in life that we want to master, we need some training here. Thus, instead of just waiting for the cross to come, we should actively look for it. At the beginning, it is understandable that we take on small crosses so we can be prepared for the big ones. There has to be gradual assimilation of the importance of the cross in our daily life until the cross becomes an organic part of our life.
I remember a saint who wrote on the first page of his personal diary the following words: “In laetitia, nulla dies sine cruce.” (In joy, there is no day without the cross.) I think it’s a good motto to have and to guide us. We really should try our best to look, find and love the cross everyday.
The cross, of course, can come in many forms. There are the physical ones, the internal and external ones, the emotional and mental ones, the spiritual and moral ones. There also are the ordinary, small ones and the extraordinary, corporal and special ones.
We can start with the small crosses like eating less of what we like, guarding our senses like our eyes and mouth. We can put a tighter grip on our imagination and judgments, etc. Perhaps a relevant mortification would be to limit our use of the internet and the many gadgets that tend to distract us from our more important duties.
The more subtle forms of mortification are to develop the ability to put order into all the things of our day, observing the proper priorities, while at the same time, trying to be as productive as possible by learning how to put together in some kind of synergy the different tasks we have during the day.
When we are faithful in bearing these little crosses, then we can be more ready for the big ones, as when we are severely misunderstood and mistreated, when we fall into some serious sickness, when we suffer some crisis of one kind or another.
That’s when we can be ready for the final one: when we face our death and our transition to eternal life.