blackshama's commentary on Philippine issues

If this isn't a Christian religious metaphor, then I don't know what Christianity is! The Anglican Use Society Philippines prays regularly in the University of the Philippines Parish of the Holy Sacrifice. The society which is composed of Catholics and Anglicans meet once a month for prayer with intentions for the country, the world at large and the university. After the prayers, the members hardly talk much about religion but various issues that affect Philippine society.Of course this is seen through the lens of Christian experience but recently the topic on secularism has popped especially in this debate about reproductive health which the Catholic hierarchy opposes. Our Anglican cleric, the Reverend Dr Father Joe Frary who in his first visit to the church wanted to see if the main church was full. So he asked if he can join the Catholics for Mass. And he was amazed that the whole church was filled and most of the worshipers were students. And this was not Sunday Mas...

This week the Universidad de Santo Tomas celebrates her 400th year. The Dominican run UST is the Philippines' only ancient university and all others including Ateneo (a Jesuit re foundation in the 1850s) and the 112 year old University of the Philippines are very much younger. Although the Jesuits established an older college which became a short lived university, this was closed when the Jesuits were expelled from the Philippines in 1767. The truth is there would have been NO FILIPINO NATION had there been no UST. The UST trained many firsts, starting with Filipino priests, theologians, lawyers, artists, pharmacists, physicians and surgeons and scientists. Despite her most famous alum  Dr Jose Rizal's unflattering portrait of how UST taught science in El Filibusterismo , UST in truth advanced Science in the Philippines . Her professors of natural history wrote the first scientific publications on Philippine biodiversity. She has produced the first eminent scientists like Ana...

Jesus Christ is known to have only held money once in the whole Gospel and it wasn't his own, it was from one of the crowd who was trying to frame him! The coin had the Image of Caesar and Jesus said it belonged to the Emperor and not to him! In contrast, Judas held the Apostles moneybags and probably held money every day. In the end it is the money that did him in! And so do we really have our own money? The Catholic Catechism says that money is for the universal destination of human goods (and that means for the good of all as God willed it to be). This is my take on the President's defenders when they say that if he used his own money to buy a Porsche then that is his own business. I believe that many people who share that view are Catholics who go to Mass. Well I have to say that your money is like your life, it isn't yours to keep forever. The reason why God allowed cash to be is that it should be for God's purpose just like your life. The only difference i...

A lot of Pinoys (and many other people worldwide) had an adverse reaction when they learned that their Zodiac sign changed. Thanks to the Minnesota Planetarium Society, blurbs reported that there is a "new" Zodiac sign named Ophiucus or the Serpent bearer! According to the society, the Earth's precession or wobbling of its axis made the dates of the Zodiac signs move forward by a month. So some Pisceans like me became Aquarians, some Geminis became Taurus, some Scorpions became Librans etc. The worst cut was for the Scorpions whose time in the Gregorian calendar was cut to 7 days! This is as close what 21st century society will get to having people's religious affiliation changed without their consent! While many of us don't take astrology that seriously (take note of the word "that"), we still read those horoscopes! It is part of the Pinoy identity to identify oneself with a Zodiac sign. Filipino children are told their Zodiac sign at an early age. I ...

The Palace announced that the President bought a 3rd hand Porsche by trading in his old BMW. The Palace carefully notes that the President used his own money and not that of the public coffers. This is quite refreshing to learn. However the whole buy and sell affair has become the butt of jokes. Wags have posted the following Better to have a 3rd hand car than a 3rd hand wife! Shalani can afford a brand new car and a brand new man! Would a nice girl want to get into a 3rd hand car?    But let the man have his car! I'd say. Defenders of the President say that if he used his own money then it is none of our business. True.... But Mr Aquino told all of us that we have to live simply. I wish I could afford a Porsche but I can only amortize for a Toyota! And for that I have to live simply and with increasing gas prices, even more simply! Some observers say that Mr Aquino is sending a wrong signal. I would agree since his mother faced also  an almost bankrupt tre...

For the first time, Congress (Senate and House), Civil Society and the Church have agreed that it is now opportune to amend the 1987 Constitution now. This I call the EDSA Constitutional system for it was born of a revolt on a highway and its creation announced on a military parade ground a stone's throw from that highway.  I was witness to both events.  The main reason why all agree to amend it is that the incumbent Chief Executive is simply not interested in prolonging his stay in the Palace. But the President is nor thrilled about the whole enterprise which is puzzling since his problems in reforming governance is really stymied by how the Constitution is interpreted and applied. Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno in his address to the University of the Philippines upon his receiving the Dr of Laws degree says that Philippine democracy is in a "stretcher". I don't think it is in a stretcher yet but I think Philippine democracy has an autoimmune di...

The Philippine Daily Inquirer writes an op ed Sodden welcome about the La Nina enhanced Easterlies that have been wrecking havoc on the eastern seaboards of the region even into Australia. Queensland, Australia is now experiencing floods which its non-believer Prime Minister Julia Gillard described as of "biblical proportions" Gillard has personally seen the disaster which now has shut down Brisbane. While the Sydneysiders and Melburnians are hundreds of kilometres from the flood zone, all my mates from those cities don't think they won't get flooded. They are concerned. The PDI complains that the Manila-centric Noynoy administration has not shown the requisite urgency in dealing with the matter. Mr Noynoy Aquino has yet to set foot or fly over flood stricken Southern Leyte or even in nearer Albay. If he had, the press didn't get wind of it and neither have we seen the press photos. Mrs Arroyo steps into a disaster zone, I think it is Malacanang P...