Divide

Like most Filipinos, I was raised a Catholic.

I went to an exclusive boys school run by La Sallian brothers for my primary and secondary education. In spite of the prohibitive cost of education in private schools, my parents felt that a religious upbringing would provide better formation for both me and my sister. I spent 11 years in La Salle.

After high school, my choice was either the University of the Philippines or the University of Santo Tomas. After all, my father was bent on my pursuing a medical degree. While I made it to both schools, the decision of going to the University of the Philippines became a debate. The image of me going to a more "radical thinking" institution was not an option. I ended up at the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas for my undergraduate, postgraduate and residency training. I spent 12 years studying at UST.

I can say that I have had my share of Religion and Theology classes during my educational years. The only time I was not exposed to any formal religious education as part of any curriculum were during my Internship in an army hospital and my Fellowship training in the United States.

At almost every point in my life, my trust and faith in my religion was tested time and again. During those "aha" moments, I praised God for the fortune he brought my way. During those depressing days and tragic times, I could not help but ask - why me? In between the bipolar episodes of joy and sadness, I pray each morning for a good day ahead and each evening thanking Him for having survived another day. I guess this scenario does not apply only to me, but to the majority of Catholics as well.

The story on my religion is not the story here. Neither is it about faith. It's about the church in the changing times.

The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic nation, with 85% of the population being raised a Catholic. Here, marriage in Church is the gold standard of union between man and woman. children born should be baptized in Church. In Catholic run schools across the archipelago, communion and confirmation are blessed sacraments that are practiced and obeyed. Every form of event from birth to death or simply requiring a blessing (house, building, cars, events, opening of a mall or gas station or business enterprise) will have a priest in attendance.

As I grew older, I realized that there were marginalized sectors of the population that did not receive as much attention as those who had money to rear their children in Catholic schools. The church gave in to requests from mall owners to hold masses in malls during Sundays. An odd acquiescence to a dumb request. What was the difference if Purok 16 in Smokey Mountain Tondo, Manila made a request for the priest to go to the warm, stench-riddled area to hold a weekly Sunday mass? I have always believed that the Church should not be holding masses in malls simply for the convenience of shoppers - majority of whom belong to the upper and middle class - who are too lazy or stubborn to go to the right place of worship.

The Iglesia ni Kristos or the Jehovah's witnesses or even Christian Life Movements do not have this unusual practice like the Catholic Church that allows masses in places of non-worship because of financial gains. The latter is my own deduction. Perhaps I do not understand the concept of allowing masses to be held in shopping centers, but I have always believed that when we need to practice our religion and we need to thank God, we go to Him. I mean, why make priests hold masses in malls where the blaring sound of Justin Bieber or Mariah Carey competes with the ongoing choir or sermon? The distraction in itself does not serve a purpose. The attendance in masses becomes mechanical and rote. It is a bad excuse to say that there is a lack of priests when we find them in this situation. And when the Church is more prone to accepting requests from paying patrons where the gatherings will provide them more financial returns than from the poorer people where Church events will probably generate only a pittance, then you know that the vow of poverty is probably lip service.

And so the story goes that over the years, I have seen many of the Catholic faithfuls drift slowly away from the Church that I grew to know. Friends, acquaintances, and even loved ones have had a change of heart on the faith they grew up to.

The last Holy Week was a concrete example of the drifting of solemnity in traditional events of Christian religion. Two decades ago, the Holy Week would see all business establishments shut down from Holy Thursday to Black Saturday, to commemorate the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. People were in churches doing the Pabasa or watching some guys masochistically flagellate themselves. The Holy Week was a time of reflection and recollection and atonement for sins prior to the resurrection of our Lord.

Since a decade back, the Holy week became a traditional event for Filipinos to go on an Exodus - to the beaches, the provinces, jetset to Hong Kong or Phuket or New York. The churches were not that full and the passion of the Visitas Iglesias and the way of the cross has become less and less palpably visible, especially among the younger generation. Those who were left in the city were said to be those who did not have the cash to splash!

The recent debate on the Reproductive Health bill has caused a row of name calling on the side of the church officials as well as those pro-RH bill. It has come to the point where church officials in the Philippines have taken a stand and castigated those who are pro-RH bill as un-catholic in values and a devil's advocate. The division has deepened as the gathering storm where the prolife group in exclusive enclaves like Ayala Alabang have implemented banning contraceptives in their neighborhood. Even if the barangay ordinance is being contested by the local government authorities, barangay officials in Ayala Alabang remains defiant with the Catholic Church going overboard to defend the inanities of some secular denomination.

Government officials, especially congressmen, are playing pussy politics where they watch the storm from afar. Afraid to get the ire of the church, they have delayed debates and action on the pending bill because of popularity issues. Since the protestants have now taken side with the government regarding this issue, the wounds inflicted on the Catholic church have now deepened.

Those caught in the conflict are not the extremists - the believers and non-believers, the faithful and the atheists. They are the people in the middle.

Where was the church during the corruption allegations of the government of GMA? Where was the church during the atrocities committed among the people who died in the Maguindanao massacre? What is the alternative plan of the church to the RH bill and what will the church do for the people instead of providing lip service? How will the church lead its flock at a time where even the church is embattled with scandals left and right on morality among the rank and file and some of its leaders? How have the catholic schools addressed calls for austerity measure in terms of rising tuition fees in this time of inflation? Why have the marginalized sector of society received less attention from the church compared to those residing in enclaves of the rich that have churches not accessible to the poorer community? Where was the church when issues on health and medicines was being tackled in congress and the senate?

It is at this time when the church needs to review its mission to the greater good of the Filipinos. The microscopic view on the RH Bill is a totally absurd view on reproductive health and is by and large not a pro-abortion law. I suggest that people read the draft bill so that they can provide constructive comments and criticisms and engage in healthy debates that can enlighten both pro- and anti-RH bill. The issues raised must be taken point by point and not swept as a generalized statement that the reproductive health bill is the work of the devil and that it is anti-life. This is not fair to generalize that all the people of the Philippines will not benefit from the reproductive health bill. The choices one makes is always for the greater good. I think people do not understand that PUBLIC HEALTH policies are for the greater benefit of the majority and not one for the privileged few. And if there is a majority or minority that does not understand this message, it is best that explanations and doable alternatives be provided. One cannot use the pulpit to scare the people, especially the misguided, uninformed or misinformed based simply on the demerits of the proposed bill. Since the church has gotten itself deeply involved in this imbroglio, it must provide alternative plans in reproductive health as well as avoid threatening to excommunicate people or banishing their souls to hell early on. There needs to be a more pacifying resolution to the way the issue is being handled - intelligently and in a non-confrontational manner.

I don't think God would have wanted to see this scenario where officials of the church has divided its flock. The division is self-serving to say the very least. There is a need to take into account the greater good of all the people.

Regardless of religion.

Exodus and Calvary

In the Christian world, this week marks the beginning of the Holy Week.

Maundy Thursday reflects on the Washing of the Feet and Christ's Last Supper. Good Friday, the death of Christ. Black Saturday, his burial and the preparation for the resurrection which we celebrate on Easter Sunday.

The Philippines, being the largest Catholic nation in Asia, once upon a time celebrated the Holy Week in prayer, fasting, abstinence, and reflection of life and death of our Lord.

Unlike many other countries where Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are business as usual, the Philippines has one of the longest weekends in the calendar year during the Lenten season leading up to Easter Sunday. The other longest weekend is the Christmas holidays.

Unlike the Christmas holidays where the expenditure is traditionally a gift giving (and receiving of course) event, the Holy Week is anticipated by most Filipinos as an opportunity for family bonding in the form of a vacation or outing. Hence, all the news channels focus mainly on the traffic of the Filipinos moving OUT of the overcrowded metropolis.

The annual exodus to the beaches or provinces has risen exponentially in the past years. The trek has literally pushed the people to pack their bags to head south to Boracay or Bohol or Palawan or Cebu. And while I have nothing against the escape to the white sands and crystal clear beaches of the country, I think that many of us have distorted the meaning of the Holy Week. Instead of reliving the passion and agony of Jesus Christ, we have preferred to pamper ourselves to the point of forgetting the reason for the season.

Which leads to the story of the lives of other people like my patient who is at the throng of death in the hospital. Diagnosed to have Acute Myelogenous Leukemia a few weeks ago and intubated in the Intensive Care Unit, the family of N.G. sleep in a make-shift room for relatives of ICU patients huddled together, praying that their daughter make it during these difficult times - in spite of the financial strain that the illness and its complications have taken its toll on them.

The other day, N.G. was extubated and hopefully, is on her way to recovery from the complications of infection in a leukemic patient. This is their Calvary and I can only join them in prayers and watch over them during the Holy Week.

While we may have our own reasons for "enjoying" the Holy Week or "suffering" with our dearly beloved, we need to redefine our purpose for the Lenten Season and not miss out on the objective of why Jesus Christ, suffered and died for our sins.

If but for once a year we need to reflect on the generosity of God's love for us, not only during the best of times but also in the worst parts of our lives, then as Catholics in faith, we need to renew this commitment.

After all, we will always need to remember that no greater love was given by God to man, than to make his only Son, suffer and die on the cross in order to save us.

We need to die a little, and reflect on our Good Fridays so that we can find meaning to celebrate our Easter Sundays.

[Photo from Lost Seed]

Saradong Katoliko

It's a Sunday here in San Francisco where I'm attending the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition at the Moscone Center.

While the pediatricians from Manila, Philippines seem to be packing the meeting (they ran out of badges for international delegates, which means that I got one that said that I'm American), I've been reading up on the newsfeed on FaceBook during the break periods.

So here I am, blogging in the meeting of one of the sessions, on a raging difference of opinion between the Reproductive Health Bill of the government and the opposition of the Catholic Church in Manila, Philippines regarding this.

Which goes to the reason why the title of this blog is "Saradong Katoliko", or in English - Closed Catholic.

CLOSED CATHOLIC.

I shudder at the fact that there are still "closed catholics". I thought that fanaticism died a long time ago. I didn't realize even if this is already the 21st century - where information is at our finger tips and we derive more reliable sources faster than the speed of light, where mobile phones are now used not just for texting or calling but for surfing information and getting emails, and where people are more endeared to work on saving the environment and are trying to help their fellowmen through programs at community service or discovering "heroes of the year" - some people who preach from the pulpit refuse to accept change in relevant views that will impact on the future of society together with the times.

I will not go into a lengthy debate on the raging sides that people have taken regarding the issue of passing the reproductive health bill. This is something I am more than willing to do on LIVE MEDIA COVERAGE. What peeves me are those who refuse to listen to the side of reason because of beliefs. Using "beliefs" as a reason for not bending to change is not one that is based on rational logic. They are called fanatics. These are the "closed catholics".

There is a difference between a believer and a fanatic. That difference is a matter of defiance. And it is the perfect ingredient for misunderstanding, disagreement, and unfortunately, violent outcomes.

Many have died and sacrificed and have been punished or ostracized in the name of beliefs. For example, homosexuality was condemned by the church several centuries ago. While the church still condemns the practice of homosexuality, they have changed their stance - they do not condemn homosexuals, but only the acts between them. DUH? Meron bang virgin na bading? Eh kung sila sila nga eh naiipit sa eskandalong ito, sino sila para humusga sa kapwa? I am trying to understand - did these people of the cloak put some laxity on their stand because some of their members performed gay lascivious acts on the young altar boys? But it took centuries for them to change their stand on the issue of homosexuality. While still a limited stand, a change in the stand nevertheless.

On a public health level, the reproductive health bill of the government is receiving a lot of flak from the Catholic Church. The latter has threatened possible excommunication of public officials in the government (especially the president) to the large Catholic population in the Philippines. It has pushed the citizens of this Banana Republic to embrace one side - the church or the government.

Excommunication is not a threat one is afraid to face any more. It is irrelevant as religion has not served to lead the majority of the Filipinos to the promised land. It is also irrelevant as most of the men in cloak have not actually created programs palpable for the poorer Filipino community. This palpably lacking guidance of the men in cloak to the poor have been the major reason for the rise in Renewed Christian movements.

Which means that the income generated by the various Catholic Churches all over the country have reached a significant low. It's funny how all the masses end with a second collection - for the wayfarers, for the Pondo ng Pinoy, for the missionaries in Africa (what ever happened to missionaries in Tawi Tawi or Maguindanao?), and so on and so forth. The Renewed Christian movements have actually eaten up the financial contributions of the country to Rome. Had it not been for the significant Opus Dei movement in this country, there would be more financial retribution in the Philippines. But the Opus Dei group is limited to those that belong to the upper 5th quintile of society. The exclusive group (deemed snobbish by non-members) has yet to see an ordinary Juan de la Cruz admitted to it's BY INVITATION ONLY membership program. Only the who's who in society are invited to this society.

But facts will remain facts.

The population of the Philippines has tipped over 90M to date. In a few years, we will hit the 100M mark and this is a disproportionate rise. The number of deaths due to abortion and due to infant and child mortality has NOT changed in this country. In 1990, 1 out of 8 children in the country less than 5 years old DO NOT REACH the age of 5. So the mother is able to give birth. What kind of environment do the children in this country have? Many of the children are abused in homes not suitable for growing up and turn out to be decrepit members of society, who pay back society with criminal acts during their older years because they grew up in conditions not suitable to quality lives. Majority of the poor do not understand anything about sexuality. For some, it is part of being subservient to abusive husbands. To others, it becomes a way of life - a way out of the proverbial poverty they are all mired in. And the church is also opposed to sex education in school, especially public schools. They think that by introducing sex education, they will make overnight whores out of these young children. Who takes care of them? Each time government attempts to provide a solution to the problem the officials of the church are up in arms and call these programs immoral and not in cognizance with the teaching of the church. And these pompous idiots who preach from the pulpit, do just that - PREACH. It is wrong to do this. It is wrong to do that.

So what's their solution?

To them, that is is not their problem anymore but the government's problem. I thought that we're in this together. One cannot ask the government to just simply change the game plan only for them to interfere again later on because of their beliefs. They need to change their paradigm in this ever changing world. I am not saying that they should change the Holy Bible. There has got to be a middle ground. The church will need to play a new and active role and not just leave it all to the government to implement these much needed changes.

The flock has gone astray NOT because some evil spirit has come our way. The flock has gone astray NOT because of the evil that men do.

It is because the shepherd was nowhere to be found.

Unwanted

On a Gulf Air flight from Bahrain to Manila, Baby George Francis was found in a trash bin on the plane after he was delivered there by then an unidentified passenger, believed to be a Filipino citizen.

No one wants to be judgmental about the situation but on an overview, it serves as a mirror on the kind of hardship our OFWs go through with life in the Philippines and in seeking greener pastures in another land.

There have been several stories that have come out, including the version of the mother who claims she had been raped in Bahrain and who claims that it is a stigma that she would come home pregnant with child. Any excuse can be given by the mother of Baby George Francis. Science will always find a way to debunk her excuses like how can a primipara give birth spontaneously? What would have happened had she not given birth on the plane? How would she face her family? And so on and so forth.

Added to this was the recent spate of fetuses found in Quiapo Church. Or babies born with various congenital anomalies because the mother had attempted to abort the fetus during early pregnancy. Or even children being raised in abusive homes or being sold in exchange for bread to eat or being forced to work when they should be in school.

The church has condemned the immoral acts of abortion and has prepared a stand reminding people on the sins of abortion that it is tantamount to murder. Yet the glaring fact is that the response, like many responses in the country are reactive than proactive.

Seriously, the Catholic Church is lacking in its guidance to its flock. Sunday services are dire for a more passionate involvement of its flock to the message of the church. Even in our parish, what is more palpable are the various monetary collections for various projects and activities of the church. Some of the sermons do not serve tangible messages to the lives of the church goers. It is very Filipino to wait until events like these occur. And when media has gotten the attention of the church, it's the only time we see some action from the reaction.

This blog today is not a blame game.

I blog about being "unwanted" from the get go, as a reflection to my readers, who probably can help provide a more proactive stand on the matter.

Being unwanted or being unpopular can be devastating to the psychological upbringing and social interaction of an individual. Collectively, people who are unwanted feel a sense of hatred and anger not only towards the people who matter most to them, but to society in general. Studies have shown that people who are "unwanted" are permanently scarred throughout their growing up years and adult lives and majority of them live their lives trying to figure out who and why they even exist. Majority of them engage in risky behavior including drugs, sex, and criminal activities. About 60%, in one study, showed that people who have been unwanted most of their lives have some degree of mental problems which they need to embrace or eventually die from. Most of them do not, so to put it, have a "purpose driven life". Nothing in their lives provide meaning and they live in an escapist world.

While the government, society and the church have augmenting roles to play in our lives, there is a serious need to consider the personal consequences of actions such as these. Has life really been worth a dime a dozen? We need to have some order and consequences for actions like these. Agreeably, there is a need to understand why the mother of Baby George Francis did what she did. Clearly, she is not in the right state of mind. Her actions were based on selfish motives rather than facing the consequences of being a single parent. And her story is as pathetic as it is to be believed. It was not the baby's fault that he was conceived and whatever behavior the mother had gone through is no reason for making Baby George feel unwanted. Whatever reason is provided, it is as sordid as the telenovelas that are churned from our television set.

The irony is that many of us would prefer to find quick but senseless solutions than carry the cross.

Yet as long as we continue to tolerate and think that these individual decisions are personal and that we have no business at what they do with their lives, we go into a vicious cycle of creating a future generation that is unwanted. An unwanted generation has no remorse and is unforgiving to a society that has turned its back on them once upon a time.

Nobody wants to be ugly, pudgy, and poor. Nobody wants to be a loser, a beggar or burdened. People all want to be stars, rich and famous. No stress in life. A job that fits us like a glove.

Nothing wrong with ambition. We all need a goal otherwise, life has actually no purpose.

No one said that everything in life comes in a silver platter. Responsibility is the key to accomplishing our goals and dreams. And we need to take responsibility for our actions - face the music, so to put it. The key to success is perseverance and even if we do persevere, some of us may not get to the end of the rainbow. But getting half way there isn't too bad a journey considering that many of us started from nothing at all.

How many more unwanted children will need to sacrifice because parents were not responsible enough to face the consequences of their actions? It is frightening to see a new generation of people who have no empathy or remorse because we mold them into what they will become tomorrow by making them feel unwanted, today.

[Note: The pictures posted were from ABSCBN.com and Reuters. Someone wrote to me to tell me they are his pictures and requested they be removed. For whatever reason, I am replacing the original post and posting one that was provided as public access.]

Of birds and bees

In my over 25 years of pediatric practice, nothing probably shocks me anymore.

My youngest mother was 12 years old when she delivered to a baby boy. Let's call her K. She doesn't know who the father of the child is. Her mother is a single parent. At a party, all she knew was that she woke up with 5 boys on top of her. The boys were between 13-15 years old. The baby was unwanted. She did not want to see the baby and eventually the boy was adopted.

I will not elaborate on sordid details. I tell this story because it is not an isolated one.

I have several patients whose parents are less than 16 years old. For every 10 newborns I have, 2 - 3 are born to parents less than 18 years old. And I only do private practice, which means that I only cater to class A and B patients.

For Bishop Quitorio to provide an opinion that the suitable time for sex education to be taught in the Philippines is 17 years old, is highly irresponsible. He was not in touch with reality.

I do not want to demean those who preach from pulpit in this blog. While Quitorio may have his opinion on the matter, I wonder if he has had a reality check on the current situation of our youth and society today. The good bishop claims that sex education should be the responsibility of every parent. While I concur on this, what he desires as the ideal scenario is not the practice.

The following facts remain:
1. Many Filipino homes and families have both parents working. Albeit, some families have even children as young as 15 years old working to augment the meager income of the family.

2. Without a doubt, since we are major exporters of OFWs, it cannot be underscored that many lower income families have one or both parents working in other countries and their children are left to the care of relatives in the Philippines, who have their own lives and families to take care of. Which leaves the children in a quandary and in such deep psychological sh*t!

3. Children who belong to a much lower socioeconomic class are more abused - physically and emotionally. Many of them are deprived of even basic schooling. The tabloids have a daily run on sex in the slums, which I hope the Catholic Church is aware of. Children as young as a few months old are already abused, by their own parents or relatives. This is fact and not fiction.

4. Pedophilia is a psychiatric illness and is not singularly related to poverty. It comes in all walks of life. I remember I had a mother who came to me to have her two sons, aged 3 and 7 examined. I was wondering what prompted this "walk-in" consult. She said that she chanced upon her 7 year old asking her 3 year old son to perform fellatio on him. She was shaking the whole time she was telling me the story. When she confronted her 7 year old son, he said that he thought it was alright because his father and grandfather would ask him to do the same to them.

5. Technology and yes, the internet, has served as the greatest source of information on sex. Peer groups and financial wants and needs of the youth of today, coupled with troubled family dynamics, has led to the increasing problem on teenage pregnancy. All these at the tip of your fingers and with google and the RETURN key.

The church has its own problems when dealing with sex and kids. I will not expound on this because I do not want to cast the first stone. But providing unsolicited advice from the Catholic Church without properly studying the current social problem our youths face is a microscopic view on the actual problems of our children. We need a reality check on this and since the bishops seem to be giving unsolicited opinions, let me share with them two suggestions or observations:
1. Let the government provide a program. We need to trust the government on this as this is their role and responsibility to every citizen. The church does not have a program on sex education and seems to shun away from this. If the church thinks it is an anathema to provide sex education to children and should remain hush hush on the matter, there is a deeper need for the church to be more socially and spiritually relevant during this time of social change and suggest they go on a retreat and examine their conscience well enough to make an alternative program for this. We cannot have medieval beliefs compromise the future of our youth.

2. There is a dire need to preach from the pulpit more relevant matters. I probably am lucky that the church I go to for Sunday services has a parish priest that is relevant to the times. But I am sure that you will all agree with me that this is more of an exception rather than a rule. Many Sunday sermons are a yawn. Many of the priests do not even make tangible sense and some even come unprepared to the extent that the Theological discourse is all scattered and becomes an exercise in futility. No matter how one tries to concentrate on the celebration, its relevance has become mundane. In short, there is no take home message from mass.

The trouble with the church in trying to put some sense into morality to try to explain the birds and the bees to children is that they rely too much on fear. They fear that every child who is integrated into a sex education class will come out to be nymphomaniacs or macho studs and will engage in more cavorting is like believing that all children who receive vaccines will eventually become autistic.

It was a great man who died for mankind on the cross 2000 years ago who asked Peter to feed His lamb and tend His sheep. The only way for a good shepherd to care for its sheep is to guide them through these trying times by working WITH and not against what the government can do for the good of its people. In this little way, can the church be more relevant with the times.

Bitching 101 - Between Pessimism and Sarcasm

Bitch of the Week: Bishops air concern over poll automation (Headline of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan 25, 2010)

CBCP President, Bishop Nereo Odchimar issued a pastoral statement saying that "many serious questions about the reliability and integrity of the equipment and the personnel involved have not been satisfactorily answered." He suggested that the Comelec come up with fallback positions and scenarios. Dang these church people. Why are they so pessimistic? I cannot understand why they cannot be proactive! Instead of conjuring "apocalyptic predictions", can they not have a more positive outlook by joining in an information campaign effort for the upcoming automated polls? The problem with preaching from the pulpit is that you simply play mouthpiece without coming up with solutions to issues. For example, each parish church that has an LCD (of course they have laptops), should be able to come up with a prepared 5 minute video presentation to guide the people on how to vote during the upcoming computerized election. For those parishes that do not have, the sermons can be cut short (after all, you gotta agree with me that some of the sermons are actually nonsensical and out of the gospel reading). The priest can ask the lector to just read to the church goers the mechanics of how to fill out the ballot form using the automated method. It's a matter of being proactive. There is nothing worst than priests who condemn and cast the first stone.

As an example to the public, watch the video by the Sex Bomb Dancers created by GMA TV where a positive contribution can actually help educate (even the most uneducable, believe me this will catch on, especially the jologs):


Ompong, Willie and Villar. The King of Comedy (well once upon a time), has a 1 minute video commercial endorsing the candidacy of Manny Villar that's been airing on prime time television. Personalities and big names have been taking the plunge at the various candidates running for president in the upcoming 2010 elections. This is not unusual. In the US, Oprah Winfrey made the sales pitch for Barack Obama, which pushed the latter into the White House office a few months later. But the endorsers must be credible. Dolphy for all he is worth has been one of the prime movers of Philippine cinema. But alas, his family does not seem to fit the bill. Many of his kids and his grandchildren have been in various melee with the law - from murder raps to drug busts. While his personal life is no business of ours, one who carries that extra baggage in his back is unbelievable. Which goes to the point of Wowowee King Willie Revillame. The guy is an absolute jerk. But he seems to be able to charm the Pinoy crowd. Bastusan na kung bastusan sa show niya at parang manyak pag sumasayaw ang mga dancers niya, pero swak na swak ang dating kay lola na walang ginawa kundi umindak ng umindak parang naka droga! (Being lascivious on his show and acting like a maniac when the lady dancers are gyrating, even the grandmothers seem to enjoy and gyrate like drug addicts on his show). But Villar may just make it with this kind of company he runs around with. The Pinoys can actually relate to them.

BAKIT? And on the entertainment page, the upcoming movie of Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu is entitled "Paano na Kaya". I am not endorsing this movie. I am posting the pop quiz - how many Pinoy movies can you name that's actually a question? There's: "Dapat ka bang Mahalin?" (Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion, "Paano Kita Iibigin?" (Regine Velasquez and Piolo Pascual), "Nasaan ng Kailangan Kita?" (Snooky Serna, Susan Roces, Janice de Belen), "Saan Nagtatago and Pag-ibig?" (Vilma Santos), "Bakit may Kahapon Pa?" (Nora Aunor) just to name a few. And then starting this afternoon is GMA's telenovela "Ina, Kasusuklaman ba kita?"

Speaking of Kim Chiu, this girl is as thin as a reed. I normally don't watch noon time shows, but at ASAP yesterday, it was the first time I saw this scrawny looking girl, as this as a reed, as narrow as a scarecrow. If she got hit by a car (and I'm talking about a Cherry QQ), she'd be dead on impact with all those bones scattered 100 meters away. They should bring her to a doctor for a check up. Her "thinness" (if there is even such a word) is not a good role model for the Pinoys (unless we happen to be advertising malnutrition as our next slogan, she is picture perfect as poster girl for the malnourished people).

Medical Societies and Sponsors: It's that time of year when you see medical societies and medical organizations holding annual conventions left and right. I have no qualms on sponsorships. Naturally, the medical societies will ask (if not beg) for sponsorship. That means, moolah out of the pharmaceutical industry. Which means that they have to pass it on to consumers (read: drug price increase). But the government doesn't want the price increase (why not? Politics of course. The election is just around the corner. You cannot give away Philhealth benefits only. You gotta give away the Botika!!!). There's a 2 page advertisement on PDI today for the Foundation for Lay Education on Heart Diseases, Inc. There are ads by C-Lium Fibre, Memo Plus and Cor-30 (Aspirin). Not including the side bars involving Therapharma (a division of Unilab) for registration to the convention; Pfizer, Pascual and Therapharma (again) for Publicity; Therapharma (again and again) for Audiovisuals; Folares (for the convention kits); Boehringer Ingelheim for Signage (darn, even this is at the expense of the drug company). This does not include the food that they partake and the luncheon symposia and other miscellaneous events. I am just using them as an example because they are the first in a multitude of organizing societies that will hold scientific sessions left and right this year. Nothing against scientific events to upgrade the brain capacity of the doctors. Can societies not function without having to ask for sponsorships from pharmaceutical companies so that they are not beholden to benefactors?

Lenten sacrifice

Ash Wednesday officially ushered the season of Lent in the Roman Catholic calender. Of course, it was a time to reflect on the passion and death of Jesus Christ. Ash Wednesday was a holy day of obligation. Catholics, which comprise around 80% of the total Philippine population's religion flocked to churches. Some to celebrate mass and begin the 40 days reflection on the lenten season. Others to have simply ashes crossed on their forehead.

It was a day of fasting and abstinence. For those who had received their first holy communion and those less than 60 years old, fasting was required, unless there are medical conditions that will impede this obligation. Abstinence from meat was mandatory for all.

Ironic was the fact that at the university, most of the medical and nursing students that had their foreheads crossed with ashes were having hotdogs, tapa, tocino, longganiza right after the morning mass. Dang!!!! The abstinence from meat on a Friday of each holy week is optional. This can be substituted for some other form of abstinence. But not on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. These are two days of the liturgical year that mandates obligatory abstention from meat. The church proposes that since people are into so much high tech stuff, we abstain from using the mobile form (in any form - text or call) every Friday for the holy week. The uproar came from the youth! No way Jose!

Back in the face of our church leaders. If they can't abstain from meat on the Fridays of lent, what more parting with text and call from mobile phones. Or better yet, no internet or laptop or computer usage on all Fridays of lent?

Let's face it. Many have lost the meaning of the words LENT and SACRIFICE. Sad, but true. And farcically, the church goers just trek to church not to really participate in mass but to grudgingly show-off like the Pharisees that they are "holier than though". My partner was right. If you're not really into the spirit, you don't need to show off what you don't take seriously.

Pharisees in modern times - they are aplenty and they're found around every corner of this predominantly Catholic country. Crucify them!!!!!!!!!!

In the name of the Father...

Watching the saga of Philippine politics, one cannot help but wonder how much religion is being invoked in the name of God.

Where those in government curse the church as the latter asks for the head of Ate Glue in a moral revolution, it is ironic that when these congressmen and senators and FG defend themselves, they do so in the name of God.

God must be reeling in His hideaway in heaven at the anthology that is evolving in the Philippines. This country is the Catholic capital of Asia. Unlike other countries in Asia, however, this country is also the most corrupt. There is a joke running around that the reason why there has been less rain in the country this year is not because of climate change, but because God has no more tears for the Philippines.

Is there any relation of being Catholic to the high rate of graft and corruption in the Philippines? If one looks back at the history of the Catholic faith, it too, is ridden with graft and corruption. There was a time when the dark ages of the Church ruled grimly.

On bended knees, the people of the Philippines are begging for a little more slack from those in power, but like a faith that slowly slips away, many Filipinos are sick and tired of the same scenario. Our prayers seem to be falling on deaf ears. Those in power simply seek more power and have made governance a career in building one's riches.

Sadly though, it is the poor that pay the biggest price from all this corruption and ineptness of government. Moral ascendancy begins with self. As a people, we need to look into the mirror and find out how much concern we have towards the only country we have.

We cannot remain migrants into the land of plenty and hope to God that the economy of this land will be buoyed by the dollars our OFWs send home to the tune of over $1Billion a month. We cannot remain a country where BPOs are the primary sources of income for the people because the country cannot generate any job. The Philippines has two main careers - call center and government. Third in the career goals is becoming a singer or actor/ress so that one can dream of becoming a government official in the future. What a career path! Oh my God!

Invoking the full strength of the Lord, just for the sake of washing one's hands and demonstrating that one is "telling the truth" is a pathetic old practice that has eroded the faithful. Perhaps it is time that the Church bring back the punishment of ex-communication for those who use the name of thy God in vain.

Have we become so callused to the material things in life that there seems no end to the tunnel that Ate Glue has dug the Filipinos into? Honestly, may God help us!

Why?

Three letters in a word.

I will be myself today - bitchy. I think the rainy season has started. Much earlier than predicted. Nevertheless, so has my ascerbic mood.

For the last month, the local newspapers have splattered the dire economic condition of the Philippines. It's as if the Philippine economy was on the verge on collapse and the escalating gas and food prices are making the Filipinos go hungry.

So why?

- why is it that those who don't pay taxes complain the most? (read, those in the squatters aream, those medicants, those that don't work, the daily wage earners who don't even pay a single peso out of their earnings for taxes)
- squatters have more rights than the landowners who pay taxes for the land that isn't developed yet are squatted on?
- are overseas foreign workers (OFWs) and employees financing the government? Thanks to us hard working employees, the Filipinos, particularly the politicians, are still alive. That's the reason why Gloria borrows money so that we can pay for the loan.
- in spite of the increasing prices of goods and commodities (even the most basic ones)and public utilities, was value added tax (VAT) passed into law? That's because the IMF (International Monetary Fund) demanded it. And thanks to ex-Senator Ralph Recto, who was responsible for the VAT, we are all paying more. And he's not senator anymore. But since his wife is governor of Batangas, well, what more can I say? Jologs talaga ng pinoy!
- are the doctors, teachers, engineers, nurses flocking the exit lane of this country to work abroad?
- is it than when Gloria is embroiled in a scandal - a bombing, crisis or massacre hogs the limelight?
- the Filipino will perennially complain of the rising cost of basic commodities and utilities, and will even march the streets to ask for a rollback on these, but will meekly buy even the most expensive mobile phone or purchase an ipod or MP3? They don't seem to have a problem purchasing 'gadgets'.
- did the Catholic Church have a second collection last weekend to help the victims of Myanmar? I am not against helping our fellow brothers. But since the Burmese government will not help its own people and the generals are aloof enough not to accept help from other countries, why provide monetary donations to them and get a second collection? I guess the prelates need to look around the country and they will find that more help is needed within the country rather than outside. Besides, some of the bishops are complaining that the collections each Sunday are dwindling. Hey, home first, other later. The Pinoys are so show off!
- is Gloria sending a disaster team to China? There was a disaster in northern luzon with Typhoon Cosme ravaging the region late last week. Send the medical team there. There are many barangays and towns that don't have doctors even on a regular day and sick people have no access to minimum healthcare in many places in the Philippines. Gloria should send her health teams there and not to some expedition in China. My dear president, the people in China are more far advanced already than we are.

My poor country.

Pathetic people run this nation.