AM I PRO OR ANTI-RH?
Are you pro or anti RH (?) is now the most asked question as it is also the most confusedly answered. It is the question that clearly divides the Church and the Government but also the people within the Church and the people within the Government. It is a powerful divisive question that may even completely divide the nation.
I answer it by relating my own story. To begin with, I married late but I married hurriedly. It was indeed a whirlwind wedding that happened so suddenly. My wife was the 10th in a family of 13 siblings while I was the 10th and the youngest in our family. If our parents stopped at three we would have never met but since RH was not yet a topic of much discussion during those times it was not difficult for our parents to follow their consciences.
In my mind I really wanted two boys, If possible twins, to be named David and Jonathan to perpetuate the strong biblical friendship of the original. My wife did not object to my ‘bright’ idea. So, like our whirlwind wedding we worked for a whirlwind child, a boy we named David but since Pope Paul VI was then in the Philippines we attached the name Paul to David.
After Paul-David we tried to practice spacing so we turned to use the Rhythm method just to discover soon enough that it was not really effective. Our Rhythm daughter was born. Discovering the defect of the Rhythm method we proceeded to use spermicide knowing that it was not abortifacient as it kills the sperm before it could fertilize the ovum. In less than two years our Spermicide daughter was born.
Thinking that Condom could be more effective we tried it in spite of the very diminished pleasure that it caused. But God knew better. He allowed the bursting of the Condom so that in less than another year our Condom daughter was born. Now with four children to attend to we tried everything from withdrawal to interruption to abstinence and of course it took three year before our Abstinence son was born. Now we have the dreamed-off Jonathan to be paired with David. Because David combined to a Paul we decided to attach Peter to Jonathan. He turned out not only to be an Abstinece son but also A Menopausal Child.
All the time we used our knowledge, reason, conscience and logic in building our family but God decided to gift us with two sons to guard our three daughters who are all doing good and at present has already graced us with eleven grandchildren all very healthy. God must be at the center of everything.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
FLOWER CENTER
FLOWER CENTER
What grand scenery! The whole length and width of the Church’s Plaza is beautifully landscaped by the collective efforts of the different Cut Flower Farms doing business in Alfonso. They coordinated their own versions of a Garden Show for the month of May, and why not? After all Alfonso is the Flower Center of Cavite and May is month of Flowers.
Not only that… all the vehicles from the smallest tricycle to the biggest bus are decorated with simple flower arrangement. All the establishments including the small carts of the ambulant vendors are bedecked with flowers of all scents and colors. Private houses are even more sophisticated in appearance.
Come procession time with the parade of the beautiful “sagalas” and their handsome escorts is extraordinarily presented in a very dignified way to honor the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Mayflowers who is superbly decorated with rare orchids, roses and flowers of all scents and colors.
She is surrounded by the “Damas de la Virgen” consisting of twelve pretty maidens uniquely crowned with intricate floral crowns sponsored by the different cut flower farms.
This is the first time a thing like this happened in our town. Everyone is extremely exhilarated. Thanks to the cooperative participation of the different Cut Flower Farms. We deserved to remain the Flower Center of our province. The Church and the Municipal officials through the initiative of the Youth Leaders specifically that of the May Flower Organization all joined together to make this Festival possible.
Suddenly I hear the festive tolling of the melodious Church Bells. I am awakened from an amazingly pleasant dream.
What grand scenery! The whole length and width of the Church’s Plaza is beautifully landscaped by the collective efforts of the different Cut Flower Farms doing business in Alfonso. They coordinated their own versions of a Garden Show for the month of May, and why not? After all Alfonso is the Flower Center of Cavite and May is month of Flowers.
Not only that… all the vehicles from the smallest tricycle to the biggest bus are decorated with simple flower arrangement. All the establishments including the small carts of the ambulant vendors are bedecked with flowers of all scents and colors. Private houses are even more sophisticated in appearance.
Come procession time with the parade of the beautiful “sagalas” and their handsome escorts is extraordinarily presented in a very dignified way to honor the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Mayflowers who is superbly decorated with rare orchids, roses and flowers of all scents and colors.
She is surrounded by the “Damas de la Virgen” consisting of twelve pretty maidens uniquely crowned with intricate floral crowns sponsored by the different cut flower farms.
This is the first time a thing like this happened in our town. Everyone is extremely exhilarated. Thanks to the cooperative participation of the different Cut Flower Farms. We deserved to remain the Flower Center of our province. The Church and the Municipal officials through the initiative of the Youth Leaders specifically that of the May Flower Organization all joined together to make this Festival possible.
Suddenly I hear the festive tolling of the melodious Church Bells. I am awakened from an amazingly pleasant dream.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
POST FIESTA LAMENTATIONS
POST FIESTA LAMENTATIONS
Suddenly, for a moment, the whole town is so quiet. Everybody seems to be extremely tired as indeed it is true. Some are shouting invectives address “To Whom it May Concern” about mountains of garbage and mounds of trash at many corners complete with the accompanying smell of rotting things. Women, mostly tired housewives talk with hoarse voices and staggering walk showing signs of tiredness after many busy days.
Most kitchens are yet poorly attended and still showing remnants of the day that was. Cabinets are mostly teaming with unsorted left over being heated and reheated for the “altares”, whatever it really means.
Sad sighs about the incurred expenses and debts to be paid while thinking of the coming school opening. Finger-pointing about problems and misunderstanding during the rush in attending to the fiesta revelry.
There are lamentations here and there in deep emotions but that is not the end of it as new problems and new challenges are sprouting left and right even before the coming of the rains and the typhoons.
It is good to look forward to the colorful Mayflower festival coming soon with all its grandeur full of fresh flowers and beautiful ladies parading with their handsome escorts all intended to honor Our Lady of the Mayflowers.
Let us look at the fiesta lamentations as just a prelude to another interesting festival during this merry, merry month of May.
Suddenly, for a moment, the whole town is so quiet. Everybody seems to be extremely tired as indeed it is true. Some are shouting invectives address “To Whom it May Concern” about mountains of garbage and mounds of trash at many corners complete with the accompanying smell of rotting things. Women, mostly tired housewives talk with hoarse voices and staggering walk showing signs of tiredness after many busy days.
Most kitchens are yet poorly attended and still showing remnants of the day that was. Cabinets are mostly teaming with unsorted left over being heated and reheated for the “altares”, whatever it really means.
Sad sighs about the incurred expenses and debts to be paid while thinking of the coming school opening. Finger-pointing about problems and misunderstanding during the rush in attending to the fiesta revelry.
There are lamentations here and there in deep emotions but that is not the end of it as new problems and new challenges are sprouting left and right even before the coming of the rains and the typhoons.
It is good to look forward to the colorful Mayflower festival coming soon with all its grandeur full of fresh flowers and beautiful ladies parading with their handsome escorts all intended to honor Our Lady of the Mayflowers.
Let us look at the fiesta lamentations as just a prelude to another interesting festival during this merry, merry month of May.
Friday, May 13, 2011
F-I-E-S-T-A
F-I-E-S-T-A
It is the Spanish term for festivals honoring the Patron Saint of a certain town. Here in our town it is celebrated every May 16th, rain or shine, during War and in Peace. It is supposedly the date of the Martyrdom of St. John Nepomucene.
Fiesta used to be celebrated lavishly with dozens of brass bands parading back and forth through streets while other varied presentations are going on. Sumptuous foods are offered at every house while visitors enjoy meeting their friends and relatives.
The night before (Eve of the Fiesta) contest between participating brass bands is held during a ‘serenata’. At night on Fiesta Day a long processions of the different Saints of the different Baranggays together with the Patron Saint of the town and that of the Virgin Mary is held followed by fireworks display and then Ballroom Dancing.
There is a lingering belief that changing the date of the Fiesta festival brings about calamities and other problems as what happened when the Chairman of the Fiesta Committee one time change the date of the fiesta to make it fall on a Sunday. A tragic incident happened to one member of the family.
It has been experienced that many untoward incidents are happening during Fiesta revelries in many communities and as an offshoot of this, one politician suggested that the practice be stopped to improved the country’s economy. It turned out to be the end of his political career.
Considering that fiesta is just a motivational gimmick of the Spaniards while Christianizing the Philippines it is deeply imbedded in the psyche of the Filipinos that now the so called Filipino mentality is a great factor in maintaining the sanity of most Filipinos during trying moments. Fiesta will always be with us come hell or high water.
According to Alejandro Roces, “the Filipinos has such a strong feeling for the Fiesta because it tells him where he came from and who he is. The Filipinos love the Fiesta and would therefore, rally in its name”.
Lately, St. John Nepomucene manifests himself as a blue light that suddenly appears when one is praying for his intercession.
It is the Spanish term for festivals honoring the Patron Saint of a certain town. Here in our town it is celebrated every May 16th, rain or shine, during War and in Peace. It is supposedly the date of the Martyrdom of St. John Nepomucene.
Fiesta used to be celebrated lavishly with dozens of brass bands parading back and forth through streets while other varied presentations are going on. Sumptuous foods are offered at every house while visitors enjoy meeting their friends and relatives.
The night before (Eve of the Fiesta) contest between participating brass bands is held during a ‘serenata’. At night on Fiesta Day a long processions of the different Saints of the different Baranggays together with the Patron Saint of the town and that of the Virgin Mary is held followed by fireworks display and then Ballroom Dancing.
There is a lingering belief that changing the date of the Fiesta festival brings about calamities and other problems as what happened when the Chairman of the Fiesta Committee one time change the date of the fiesta to make it fall on a Sunday. A tragic incident happened to one member of the family.
It has been experienced that many untoward incidents are happening during Fiesta revelries in many communities and as an offshoot of this, one politician suggested that the practice be stopped to improved the country’s economy. It turned out to be the end of his political career.
Considering that fiesta is just a motivational gimmick of the Spaniards while Christianizing the Philippines it is deeply imbedded in the psyche of the Filipinos that now the so called Filipino mentality is a great factor in maintaining the sanity of most Filipinos during trying moments. Fiesta will always be with us come hell or high water.
According to Alejandro Roces, “the Filipinos has such a strong feeling for the Fiesta because it tells him where he came from and who he is. The Filipinos love the Fiesta and would therefore, rally in its name”.
Lately, St. John Nepomucene manifests himself as a blue light that suddenly appears when one is praying for his intercession.
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