BAtANGAN - Archdiocese of Lipa

Transcription

Ulat
PAPAL INTENTIONS
SEPTEMBER
2008
Batangan
FOR SEPTEMBER
1
Pope Prays for Refugees
VATICAN CITY, (Zenit.org).Benedict XVI will be praying this
September for the protection
and defense of the rights of
refugees. The Apostleship of
Prayer announced the general
intention chosen by the Pope,
“That those, who because of
war and totalitarian regimes
have been obliged to leave their
homes and country, be
supported by Christians in the
defense and protection of their
rights.” The Holy Father also
chooses
a
missionary
intention for each month. In
September he will pray, “That
all Christian families, faithful to
the sacrament of matrimony,
will cultivate the values of love
and community, so that they will
be a small evangelizing
community, open and sensitive
to the material and spiritual
needs of their brothers and
sisters.” #UB
YEAR
79
YEARIVIVNO.
NO.
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
NEWSPAPER OF
OF THE
THE ARCHDIOCESE
ARCHDIOCESE OF
OF LIPA
LIPA
OFFICIAL
Taon ni Maria sa Lipa,
pinatingkad ng
MARIAN CONGRESS
JULY 2008
2008
SEPTEMBER
5th National
Pilgrimage to
Lipa, hindi
napigil ng ulan
" Susie D. Bauan
Alamin ang isyu
hinggil sa panukalang
batas na naglalayong
magkaroon ng
National Policy sa
Reproductive Health,
Population
Management
at iba pa.
Basahin ang kabuuan
ng nasabing
panukalang batas.
Tunghayan at
pagnilayan ang mga
pagliliwanag
ng Simbahan sa mga
probisyong
mapanganib sa ating
buhay at bansa.
" Susie D. Bauan
“Towards a Prayerful,
Committed, Contemplative,
Spirit-filled Marian Family”, ito
ang naging tema sa ikalimang
taon ng National Pilgrimage to
Lipa (A Day of Prayer for
World
Peace
and
Sanctification of the Clergy)
na idinaos noong ika-12 ng
Setyembre sa Carmel
Monastery na dinaluhan ng
mahigit isang libong mga
pilgrims mula pa sa iba’t ibang
panig ng bansa.
Photo by: Fr. Eric Arada
Tampok ang Mahal na Birhen ng Caysasay sa ginawang Archdiocesan Marian Congress noong ika-19 at 20 ng
Setyembre sa St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary Gym sa Marawoy, Lipa City.
Mahigit dalawang libong centennial delegates ang nagsama-sama sa Lipa Archdiocesan
Marian Congress, ang pinakatampok na gawain ngayong Taon ni Maria ( Esposa ng Espiritu
Santo) na ginanap sa St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary Gym, Marawoy, Lungsod ng Lipa
noong Setyembre 19-20. Ang pagtitipon ay may temang Contemplation, Prayer and Spirituality.
Sa dalawang araw na
pagkilala at pagbibigay
parangal kay Maria, patuloy na
nadagdagan ang kaalaman ng
mga dumalo sa pamamagitan
ng
sunud-sunod
na
pagbabahagi ng iba’t ibang mga
tagapagsalita ukol sa Mahal na
Ina.
Kabilang sa mga naimbitahan
upang maging tagapagsalita sina
Reb. P. Melvin Castro, Reb. P.
Ernie Garcia, CSsR, Reb. P.
Yulito Ignacio, Reb.P. Bert San
Diego, OFM Cap., at Reb. P.
Francis Gustilo, SDB, para sa
unang araw, samantalang sina
Msgr. Sabino Vengco, Jr., Atty.
Marwil Llasos, Sr. Mary Niere,
OCD, at Bishop Teodoro Bacani
naman para sa ikalawang araw.
Isang
laykong
tagapaglingkod
sa
Redemptorist Church, Bb. Luz
Lumbera, ang naglahad ng
kanyang
personal
na
karanasan tungkol sa nagawa
ni Maria sa layko ng
Arsidiyosesis ng Lipa. Ganon
din si Bb. Celing de Castro na
nagbigay ng sariling testimonya
na may tema na Mary’s
XTAON NI MARIA... P. 2
PATER PUTATIVUS
Publishing House
Klero ng Lipa, Naglunsad
ng “Signature Campaign”
Inilunsad ang malawakang kampanya na naglalayon na
makakuha ng mga lagda ng mga mananampalataya laban sa
nagbabantang panukalang batas ukol sa “Reproductive Health”.
“Kinakailangang malaman ang mga panganib na idudulot kung
saka-sakali na ang substitute bill sa HB Nos. 17, 812, 2753 at
3970 ay pumasa sa Kongreso,” mariing igniit ng Lubhang Kgg.
Arsobispo Ramon Arguelles sa kanyang pagsuporta sa
ginagawang signature-campaign na inilunsad ng CBCP. “Di
lamang ito patungo sa pagiging legal ng aborsyon, bagamat lagi
nilang sinasabi na laban sila sa aborsyon. Ang mas nakakatakot
dito ay ang take-over ng gobyerno sa pangunahing tungkulin ng
mga magulang sa paghubog sa kanilang anak sa kanilang kasarian.
Bukod pa rito ang punitive measure na ipapasa laban sa mga
lalabag sa probisyon ng ngasabing panukalang batas,” paliwanag
pa ni Arsobispo Arguelles.
Nauna rito, sa buwanang recollection ng klero, ipinaliwanag
ni Rdo. P. Yulito Ignacio, kilalang eksperto sa Mariology, ang
teksto ng Aklat ng Pahayag kabanata 12, hinggil sa tunggalian ng
babae at ng dragon.
“Patuloy ang pagtutunggali ng ating Inang Maria laban sa
demonyo,” aniya. “Patuloy na inaatake ang sanggol ng babae at
ito nga ang masasabi nating nangyayari sa ating bansa.” Inisaisa ni P. Itoy, direktor-ispirituwal sa San Carlos Seminary, ang
mga probisyon ng panukalang batas, at ipinakita niya ang mga
panganib na napapaloob dito laban sa buhay, sa pamilya, at maging
sa kultura. (Sa kaugnay na mga expositions, basahin ang mga artikulo
hinggil sa isyung ito. – Patnugot) . Ang paksa ng buwanang
rekoleksyon ay “Mga Pari – Tinatawag ni Maria na Makilahok
sa Kanyang Pakikibaka laban sa Kasamaan”. Ipinakilala si P.
Itoy ni Rdo. P. Eyong Ramos, co-chair ng Formation Committee
para sa ikalwa sa tatlong taong paghahanda para sa Hubileyo
2010. #UB
Family Life Bldg., Villa San Jose Marawoy, Lipa City
(043) 756-2410 • (043) 312-2410
e-mail: paterputativus2000@yahoo.com

Sa kabila ng masamang
panahon, hindi natinag sa
pakikiisa ang mga deboto
ng Mahal na Ina buhat sa
lalawigan ng Batangas
hanggang
sa
pinakamalayong nakiisa
mula Davao.
Isa sa mga pilgrims na
nakapanayam ng UB ay
mula pa sa Tarlac, si Gng.
Rosalina Espiritu na sa
gulang na pitumpu’t isa ay
tumutupad sa kanyang
pangako na makadalo tauntaon
sa
nasabing
pilgrimage.
Si
Gng.
Evelina
Dimaano,
isa
ring
mananampalataya mula
naman sa bayan ng Taal ay
nagpakita ng kanyang
debosyon hindi lamang sa
pakikiisa kundi maging sa
pakikinig sa mga seminars
na ukol kay Maria lalo na
X5TH NATIONAL... P. 2
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2
Ulat
Batangan
TAON NI MARIA... P. 1
Miracle of Love. Maging ang
kilalang healing priest na si
Reb. P. Fernando Suarez , C.C,
ay nagbahagi na si Maria ay
hindi nagpapabaya sa kanyang
mga anak at tumutugon sa mga
kahilingan.
Bago pa man ganapin ang
Marian
Congress,
nakapanayam ng UB ang
Lubhang Kgg. Arsobispo
Ramon Arguelles tungkol sa
kung ano ang inaasahan niya
sa darating na congress, at
kanyang sinabi na, tulad noong
nakaraang taon, marami ang
tutugon upang makiisa. “Also
greater appreciation of the role
of Mary in our lives as
church”, dagdag pa niya.Sa
kanyang naging paliwanag
kaugnay sa tema ng Taon ni
Maria, sinabi niya na “we enter
5TH NATIONAL... P. 1
ngayon na ang taon ay
inilalaan sa Mahal na Ina.
Bago pa man sumapit ang
malaking pagdiriwang ay
nagkaroon ng triduum kung
saan
ang
presensya ng
mga mananampalataya mula sa
bawat bikariya
ang inasahan at
nakinig naman
sa mga talks na
may kaugnayan
pa rin kay Maria.
Samantala,
madaling araw sa
mismong pilgrimage day,
nagkaroon ng prusisyon mula
sa San Sebastian Cathedral
patungo sa itinatayong parokya
ng Our Lady of Mary Mediatrix
of All Grace sa Antipolo del
Norte, Lungsod ng Lipa. Ang
Banal na Misa noong umagang
iyon ay pinangunahan naman
ng Lubhang Kagalang-galang
Ramon Arguelles .
Sa pagkilala pa rin kay Maria,
NEWS & EVENTS
into God when we pray and we
are temple of God like Mary”.
Nais rin ng Arsobispo na
magkaroon uli ng Parish
Congress, tulad noong
nakaraang Taon ni Hesus at
magkakaroon din sa susunod na
taon.
Hinggil naman sa nakikita
niyang partisipasyon ng mga
mananampalataya
sa
paghahanda para sa 2010,
sinabi niya na aktibo, buhay at
may Marian spirit ang mga
taga Arsidiyosesis.
Sa pagtitipon ng mga
tinatawag na centennial
delegates, nasaksihan ang
kanilang pagpapahalaga kay
Maria .
Ang Congress ay nagwakas
sa
pamamagitan
ng
pagdiriwang
ng
misa
konselebrada sa pangunguna
ng Mahal na Arsobispo ng Lipa
kaisa rin si Bishop Salvador
Quizon, Katulong na Obispo ng
Lipa. Sa pagbalik ng mga
nangagsidalo sa kani-kanilang
mga parokya baon nila ang mga
dagdag na kaalaman, at higit sa
lahat ay ang pag-alala na sa
paglalakbay, si Maria ay
kasama ng bawat isa. #UB
isa sa mga natalakay na paksa
na ibinahagi ng bisitang
tagapagsalita na si Reb. P.
Melvin Castro, Executive
Secretary (CBCP) Commission
on Family Life, ay ukol kay Mary,
Mediatrix of All Grace.
Isinalaysay niya ang ilang mga
bahagi ng naging aparisyon sa
Lipa noong taong 1948.
Ang pinakatampok sa
pilgrimage ay ang misa
konselebrada na ginanap
noong hapon sa pangunguna
ng Kanyang Kabunyian
Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales,
samantala nagbigay naman ng
homiliya si Lubhang Kgg.
Arsobispo Angel Lagdameo,
Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP)
President.
Dumalo sa Banal na Misa ang
ilang pulitiko kabilang sina
Punong-bayan ng Lipa, Oscar
Gozos, Gobernador ng
Batangas, Vilma Santos -Recto
mga kinatawan, Hermilando
Mandanas, Mark Llandro
Mendoza at Vicky Reyes at
Pangulo ng Pilipinas, Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo.
Sa panayam ng UB kay
Lubhang Kagalang-galang
Ramon Arguelles ilang araw
matapos ang pilgrimage,
sinabi niya na hindi na rin
nakapagtataka at inasahan na
niya ang dami ng taong
dumagsa sapagkat maging
noong nakaraang mga taon
ay hindi naman naging
hadlang ang masamang
panahon upang maipakita ng
mga
Katoliko
ang
pagmamahal kay Maria at ang
pakikiisa sa layunin ng
pilgrimage. #UB
SEPTEMBER 2008
BALITANG BIKARIYA IV...
General Assembly sa Parokya
" Nilda Rosal Adorable
Muling nagsama-sama ang mga opisyales ng religious at church
organization sa ginanap na Assembly sa parokya noong Setyembre 6,
2008 (Sabado) kung saan ay naging panauhing tagapagsalita si Fr. Vani
Silva, OSJ.
Sa kanyang pananalita ay binigyang diin niya ang attitude ng isang
tao at ang epekto nito sa kanyang sarili at sa kapwa gayundin sa kanyang
pagkilos at paggawa sa parokya. Ayon sa kanya ang positive attitude
ng isang tao ay maituturing na ‘puhunan’ para sa kanyang
ikapagtatagumpay sa hangaring maglingkod sa tahanan, sa komunidad
at sa simbahan. Ang attitude ay ang salamin ng ating pagkatao,
tagapagsalita ng ating kasalukuyan at the ‘prophet of our future’.
Tinalakay din ni Fr. Vani ang ‘failure’ o kabiguan na ayon sa kanya
ay isang opinyon o kuro-kuro ng tao kapag hindi nakamit ang nais
niyang tagumpay. “Failure is a judgement not an event when it looks
like we have failed.” Idinagdag pa ni Father na ang kabiguan ay hindi
nangangahulugan na wala tayong nagawa, bagkus ibig sabihin mayroon
tayong natutuhan. Kaya kung mayroong hindi nagawa, kailangan ang
ibayo pang pagtitiyaga. Let’s aim always for the best.
——————— o0o ———————
Sa kabilang dako, nagdaos ng Vigilia de Espigas Section Level ang
mga adorador ng Vicariate IV sa Alupay, Rosario, Batangas noong
Setyembre 6, 2008. Ang naturang aktibidad ng ANF Vic. IV ay bilang
pagpaparangal sa Mahal na Birhen na ipinagdiwang ng simbahan ang
kaarawan noong Sept. 8 taon kasalukuyan.
Tema ng isinagawang pagtatanod ay “Mahal na Birhen kasama ng
Sangkatauhan sa pamamagitan ng Banal na Espiritu Santo.”
Kapansin-pansin na sa buong Arsidiyosesis ng Lipa, ang Bikariya 4
lamang ang taunang nagdaraos ng Vigilia de Espigas Section Level.
Sa Parokya ng Ibaan mayroon nang humigit-kumulang sa isangdaan
ang miyembro ng ANF. #UB
Birhen ng Caysasay,
pinarangalan sa Balayan
" Zeny Palanca
Lubhang maligaya ang bawat mamamayan sa pagdalaw
ng Mahal na Birhen ng Caysasay. Dumating sa Parokya ng
Inmaculada Concepcion, Balayan, Batangas noong ika-anim
ng Setyembre ang Imahen mula sa kanyang tahanan sa
Labac, Taal, Batangas. Ang Mahal na Ina ay sinalubong ng
mga mag-aaral mula sa Immaculate Conception College
(ICC) at Drum and Bugle Corps ng ICC, Balayan East and
West Central Schools Bands. Kasamang sumundo ni Msgr.
Rafael Boy Oriondo, P. Jonathan Tamayo at Mayor
Emmanuel Fronda ang mga pinuno ng iba’t-ibang religious
organizations at mga parokyano.
Ang welcome prayer ay pinangunahan ni Mayor Fronda.
Ang kasaysayan ng Mahal na Birhen ay ipinakita sa
pamamamagitan ng isang tableu na ginampanan ng mga
mag-aaral ng ICC. Naghandog ng bulaklak ang mga pari mula
sa unang bikariya, madre at consejeras at lahat ng
mananampalataya. Nagkaroon ng dalawng nag-alay ng luwa
bilang parangal sa Birhen , sina Gloria Capacia ng ICC at
Nikki Pantoja ng St Paul College-Balayan. Sinudan ito ng
Misa Konselebrada na pinangunahan ni Msgr. Oriondo at
naging homilist si Msgr. Madlangbayan. Kaagad na sinimulan
ng vigil pagkatapos ng Misa hanggang ika-11 ng gabi.
Setyembre 7 - Dinala ang Mahal na Birhen sa mga mga
malalapit na Kapilya sa Poblacion nang magkaroon ng
pagkakataon ang mga taong makapagpugay sa kanya.
Setyembre 8 - Natatanging pagpaparangal na ginanap sa
ICC noong umaga. Pagkatapos ng Banal na Misa, isinagawa
ang COLC investiture sa college department. Nagkaroon din
ng Mama Mary look-a-like at Choral competition. Nang
hapong iyon, ang mga taga-SPC-Balayan naman ang
nagparangal sa kanya.
Setyembre 9 - Dinalaw ng Mahal na Ina ang apatnapu’t
walong barangay ng buong parokya mula ika-anim at kalahati
ng umaga hanggang ika-labing-isa ng gabi.
Setyembre 10 - Pagkakataon naman para sa mga magaaaral mula Balayan National High Schoo, Balayan East
and Wesr Central Schools upang parangalan ang Birhen.
Nang gabing iyon, nagkaroon naman ng Marian Serenade
ang mga piling choir ng parokya.
Setyembre 11 - Buong umagang tumigil ang Imahen sa
Bahay Pamahalaan ng Balayan.
Ganap na ika-tatlo ng hapon nang sunduin ang Mahal na
Birhen ng Caysasay ng mga taga Tuy, sa pangunguna ng
Kura Paroko, Reb. P. Benny Aguila. #UB
MISSION SUNDAY
October 19
SEPTEMBER 2008
NEWS & EVENTS
Parokya ng San Juan Nepomuceno,
dinalaw ng Birhen
Ika-23 ng Hulyo. Isang makasaysayang petsa para sa Parokya ng
San Juan Nepomuceno sa San Juan, Batangas. Ito ay sapagkat dumalaw
ang Mahal na Birhen ng Caysasay at tumigil sa bayan ng anim na araw,
Alas dose pa lamang ng araw na iyon, sa pangunguna ni Reb. P.
Perseverando Marquez, OSJ, Kura Paroko, mga parokyano at
mamamayan ng San Juan ay masiglang masigla at handa na sa
pagsalubong at pagsundo sa Mahal na Birhen na nakatakdang sunduin
bandang ikalawa ng hapon sa Holy Family Parish, Alupay, Rosario,
Batangas. Limampu at dalawang sasakyan at tatlumpu’t apat na
motorsiklo ang sinakyan ng mga taong buong pusong nakiisa sa
pagsundo. Isang Misa ang ipinagdiwang ni Reb. P. Lee Leonida, OSJ,
Kura Paroko sa Alupay bago ang naging pagsasalin ng pagkandili sa
Mahal na Birhen kay P. Marquez ng San Juan. Isinakay ang imahe ng
mahal na Birhen sa sasakyang inihanda ng mha San Juaneño-isang
malaking palayok bilang simbolo ng pangunahing produkto ng San Juan.
Habang binabagtas ng motorcade ang lansangan buhat Alupay,
nakatutuwang malasin ang halos
walang patid na hanay ng mga tao
pagpasok pa lamang sa
nasasakupan ng San Juan. Mga
taong buhat sa iba’t-ibang antas ng
buhay, mga mag-aaral, manggagawa,
matatanda at mga kabataan dala ang
banderitas na may mensaheng
“MALIGAYANG PAGDATING
MAHAL NA BIRHEN NG
CAYSASAY”. Walang patid ang
palakpakan at pagsasabog ng
bulaklak. Naka-iigayang pagmasdan
ang mga masasayang mukha na wari
bang nag-uukol ng mataimtim na
panalangin sa pagsilay sa mukha ng
Mahal na Birhen. Dahilan kung bakit
bumaba ng sasakyan si P. Marquez
upang kamayan ang mga tao at
na birhen at tuloy ipinararating ang
kanilang mga kahilingan. Ang ibang
tuklong cluster ay may mga
palatuntunang inihanda handog sa
Birhen. Pagsapit ng dilim muling
ibinabalik ang Mahal na Imahen sa
Simbahan ng Parokya. Dito
nagbantay sa kani-kanilang
nakatakdang oras ang iba’t-ibang
samahang pansimbahan, pribado at
publiko.
Ika-26 ng Hulyo, nagkaroon ng
fluvial procession. Isangdaan at
tatlong bangka ang naglulan ng
mga tao upang maglakbay sa tubig
mula Catmon hanggang Hugom.
Itinatayang mahigit na tatlong oras
ang paglalakbay sa dagat na
sinasaliwan ng pagbabasbas ng
mga bangka (bago maglakbay) at
sa baybay dagat (habang
ipadama sa kanila ang labis niyang
kagalakan. Pagsapit ng Poblacion,
unang tinungo ang Pamahalaang
Bayan, kung saan marami pa ring
mga mamamayan ang naghihintay sa
pangunguna ng mapagkandiling
Ama ng Bayan, Alkalde Danilo S.
Mindanao. Isang mainit na
pagtanggap at mataimtim na
panalangin ang inialay ng punongbayan at pinagtibay ito ng pumpon
ng mga bulaklak. Sa dami ng taong
naghihintay hindi maitatawa ang
labis na pananalig sa Panginoon ng
mga mamamayan ng San Juan sa
pamamamgitan ng Mahal na Birhen.
Ang pagdating na ito ng Birhen
ng Caysasay ay buong itinampok sa
iba’t-ibang tuklong cluster ng mga
barangay sa buong bayan. Dalawang
oras ang inilagi ng imahe sa bawat
tuklong.
Sinisimulan
ang
pagdiriwang sa panalangin ng
pagtanggap, pagsasalaysay ng
kasaysayan ng Birhen kasunod ang
pagdarasal ng Santo Rosaryo. Sa
pagtatapos ng paglagi, pinahihintulutang lumapit at humalik sa Mahal
naglalakbay. Ang pangangalaga sa
karagatan ay buong pananalig na
iniluhog ng mga mamamayan para
sa masaganang ani at tahimik na
pangingisda na isa sa mga pinagkikitaan ng mga tao sa San Juan.
Hulyo 27. Buong araw na
nanatili sa Simbahan.
Hulyo
28.
Naglakbayeskwelahan din ang Birhen ng
Caysasay sa Poblacion. Ganap na
ikalawa ng hapon ng pangunahan
ng Katulong na Obispo ng Lipa,
Lubhang Kagalang-galang Salvador
Q. Quizon, DD, Misa bilang
pamamaalam sa Mahal na Birhen.
Bukod sa Kura Paroko, kasama din
niya sina Reb. P. Ariel, Reb. P. Ed
Bayani at Reb. P. Ferdie. Pinagpala
ang San Juan at masigla ang buong
bayan sapagkat sa puso ng
mamamayan, naroon ang labis na
pananalig sa higit pang
TAGUMPAY, KATAHIMIKAN,
KAPAYAPAAN
at
KASAGANAAN ang biyayang
iniwan ng Mahal na Birhen ng
Caysasay. #UB
Parangal kay SMJV
at mga gawain para
sa Kaparian,
matagumpay!
" Violy Echague
Ang taunang pagdiriwang ng
kapistahan ni San Juan Maria
Vianney, patron ng mga pari sa
parokya ay naisakatuparan sa
parokya
ng
Inmakulada
Concepcion, Lungsod ng
Batangas sa pagtataguyod ng mga
magulang, kamag-anak ng mga pari
at seminarista ganoon din ng mga
promoters nito sa ilalim ng
pagpapatibay ni Father Cecil Arce,
kura paroko, kaugnay ang parish
planning team at ang itinalagang
Spiritual Director, Father Boy
Vergara.
Ang St. John Mary Vianney
Association na matatagpuan sa
parokya
ng
Inmakulada
Concepcion ay binubuo ng mga
kasapi mula sa mga parokyang
nasasakop ng Lungsod ng
Batangas. Nilalayon nitong
pangunahang maitaguyod ang
buhay at espirituwalidad ni San
Juan Maria Vianney, tumulong sa
ministeryo ng mga pari at
ipanalangin sa kanilang banal na
pagpupunyagi at itaguyod ang
patuloy na paghuhubog o
programa ng “renewal” ng mga
pari at kampanya ng bokasyon
sa pagpapari.
Ang mga gawaing nasimulan
ay ang mga misa-nobena sa
karangalan ni San Juan mula ika26 ng Hulyo hanggang ika-03 ng
Agosto. Naganap din ang
pagdiriwang ng kapistahan ng
santo noong ika-04 ng Agosto
sa pamamagitan ng mga “celebrants” Fr. Cecil, Fr. Riki, Fr.
Boy at Fr. Erickson. Sinundan ito
ng salu-salo ng mga miyembro
ng Vianney at ang kinatawan ng
mga kapisanan sa parokya, Dr.
Cesar Macatangay.
Sa pakiki-isa ng parokya sa
tema ng kasalukuyang Taon ni
Maria, paghahanda sa ika-100
taon ng pagdiriwang ng
simbahang lokal sa arsidiyosesis
ng Lipa sa 2010, isang MARIAN
CONCERT ang inihanda ng St.
John Mary Vianney Association
noong ika-22 ng Agosto,
Biyernes, 7:00- 9:00 n.g. sa loob
ng Basilica ng Inmakulada
Concepcion. Ang concert ay
pinagka-isahang maisakatuparan
ng mga kapisanang pamparokya.
Ang naging tagadaloy ng recollection-concert na may
temang, Maria- Alagad ng Pagibig ay si Father Jeronimo
“Mimo” Perez. Siya ay
kasalukuyang spiritual director
ng St. Augustine Major Seminary sa Lungsod ng Tagaytay.
Manunulat na siya ng mga awitin
15 taong gulang pa lamang at
habang nasa seminaryo.
Naniniwala siya na ang kanyang
music ministry ay likas na
daluyan ng kanyang ministeryo
bilang pari, nasa parokya, gawain
ng
paghuhubog
o
sa
kasalukuyang gampanin. Sinabi
niya, “ Walang kabuluhan ang
acoustic gospel concert kung
hindi makaaabot sa maraming tao
ang
pagpapalaganap
ng
Mabuting Balita ng Pag-ibig ng
Diyos at pagka-unawa sa
katotohanan ng ebanghelyo at
Ulat
Batangan
3
LACCS, punong-abala
sa NSC CCR PHIL.
" Elma Lecaroz
Ang Lipa Archdiocese Catholic Charismatic Secretariat
(LACCS) ay naging host ng National Service Committee
Catholic Charismatic Renewal Philippines (NSC CCR PHIL.)
regular meeting noong ika-7-9 ng Agosto, 2008 sa Galilee Place,
Mataas na Kahoy at Archbishop’s Residence, Lipa City. Ito ay
dinaluhan nina Archbishop Jose Palma ng Archdiocese of Palo,
Spiritual Director ng NSC CCR Phil., Caceres, Cebu, Jaro, Palo,
Zamboanga, Ozamis at Diocese of Bacolod at Bukidnon.
Ang pagdiriwang ay sinimulan ng Banal na Misa na ginanap
sa Carmel Church, Lipa City. Ang main celebrant ay si
Archbishop Ramon Arguelles at kasama sa konselebrasyon
sina Archbishop Jose Palma, Rev. Fr. Bart Pastor- chair of
NSC CCR Phil., Rev. Fr. Romy Mendoza, Rev. Fr. Johannes Arada,
the past and present LACCS Spiritual Director, at mga pari ng
NSC CCR Phil. Ang umawit sa misa ay pinangunahan ni ;Rev.
Fr. Gerry Sujede, guest priest at asst. spiritual director ng
Bauan Charismatic Community. Binigyang diin ni Archbishop
Arguelles ang role ni Mama Mary sa ating pananampalataya at
CCR. Pinapagdasal niya ng rosaryo ang mga pamilya. Sinabi
din niya ang kahalagahan ni Mama Mary; at mga himala sa
Carmel. Pagkatapos ng misa ay nagpunta na sa Archbishop’s
Residence para sa isang tanghalian.
Sa ganap na alas 2:00 ng hapon ay nagsimula ang pagbibigay
ng Spiritual Input ni Fr. Bart sa mg NSC CCR Phil. At LACCS
leaders. Ang topic ay “Building the Purpose Driven Church”.
Ang layunin ng simbahan ay binubuo s dalawang salita ni Hesus:
(1) The Great Commandments- Matthew 22:37-39
“Mahalin mo ang Panginoon mong Diyos ng buo
mong puso, ng buo mong kaluluwa at ng buo mong
pagiisip at mahalin mo ang iyong kapwa gaya ng
iyong sarili”
(2) The Great Commission- Matthew 28:19-20
“Humayo kayo at gawing mga alagad ang lahat ng
bansa. Binyagan sila sa ngalan ng Ama, at ng Anak
at ng Espiritu Sanato, at turuan sila na sundin ang
lahat ng iniutos ko sa inyo.
Pagsapit ng unang gabi ay nagkaroon ;ng Fellowship.
Naghandog ng joyful songs ang Balayan at San Jose Music
Ministries. Nagbigay ng vocal solo naman sina Fr. Lorenzon
Jarcia ng Naga at ang ating inaangaking Fr. Johannes Arada.
Nagpalabas din ng special number si Fr. Romy Mendoza.
Nagtapos ang sayahan sa pamamagitan ng sayawan ng
tuwangang NSC CCR Phil. At LACCS leaders.
Sa ikalawang araw, nagkaroon ng Business Meeting hanggang
tanghali. Pinagusapan ang First Asia Oceania CCR Leaders’
Conference sa Indonesia sa ika 14-18 ng Setyembre, 2008 na
ang tema ay “Catholic Charismatic Renewal: Born Yesterday,
Living Today and Growing Tomorrow”, NSC CCR Phils. sa ika
22-24 ng Mayo, 2008 sa Cebu City at Regional Report. Tinapos
ang pagpupulong ng isang Banal na Misa na pinangunahan ni
Archbishop Jose Palma kasama sina Archbishop Ramon
Arguelles at mga pari ng NSC CCR Phils. at LACCS. Sa kanyang
homiliya, 3 puntos ang binigyang pansin- na tayo’y bumalik sa
pinagmulan, na tanggapin natin at pasanin ang krus ng may
pagmamahal at pagibig, at tanggapin ang kapangyarihan ng
Espiritu Santo kasama si Mama Mary bilang tunay na alagad ni
Kristo. At pagkatapos ng Misa ay sinundan ng masarap at
masaganang tanghalian na inihanda ng LACCS sa pangunguna
ni Sis. Girlie Luna.
Sa ikatlong araw, nagbigay si Fr. Bart Pastor ng maghapong
seminar sa mga parish charismatic leaders ng Archdiocese of
Lipa sa Archbishop’s Residence na ang tema ay TWO GREATEST
COMMANDMENTS with focus on DISCIPLESHIP. Naging
matagumpay ang event na ito. #UB
ang pinahahalagahan ng
Kanyang kaharian”.
Ang
kanyang tatlong album,
Buntonghininga ng Isang
Alagad, My Only Good, at Isang
Mundong Mapayapa ay ginawa
ng Jubilee Music Ministry. Ang
kanyang music ministry ay hindi
lamang naka-abot sa maliliit na
parokya ng Mindoro kundi sa
mga parokya sa Maynila
hanggang sa sa malayong
parokya ng Vancouver sa
Canada,
Kristiyanong
komunidad ng Italya, at Estados
Unidos.
Naging katuwang ang mga
sponsors ng concert upang
mabigyang daan ang mga
nasiyahang mananampalatayang
pumuno sa basilika na
makapagbigay ng donasyon sa
parish fund for priestly vocation
na inilunsad ng gabing iyon.
Ang huling linggo ng Agosto
ay nakalaan naman sa kampanya
sa bokasyon sa pakiki-ugnay ng
kapisanang Vianney kay Rev. Fr.
Toter Resuello, Vocation director. Ang mga paaralan sa
Lungsod ng Batangas na
dinalaw para sa kampanya ay ang
Marian Learning Center and Science High School, Batangas
State University at Batangas
National High School. #UB
4
Ulat
Batangan
OPINION
SEPTEMBER 2008
E D I T O RYAL
Boses Katoliko, Dapat Iparinig!
Ito na ang panahon — at kinakailangan na nga — na
ang tinig ng mga Katoliko (at lahat ng mga taong may takot
sa Diyos) ay umalingawngaw! Ang puwersa ng kadiliman
ay nagbabantang lumukob sa ating bansa sa anyo ng isang
panukalang batas na nagtatago sa tinatawag nilang
“karapatan” umano ng isang indibidwal at sa mapanuksong
alok ng pagsulong di-umano ng buhay ng bansa. At magaling
si Satanas sa larangan ng panlilinlang, sa pagsasabi ng
tinatawag na “half-truths” at palabasin na ito ay buong
katotohanan.
Sa isyung ito, minarapat naming ilathala ang mismong
panukalang batas na nais isulong ng ilang mga mambabatas.
Nakakalungkot na malaman na ang mga ito ay Katoliko,
nguni’t walang pasubaling sinasabi na sa kabila ng alam nila
na ang mga probisyon ng nasabing panukalang batas ay labag
sa turo ng Simbahan, malakas pa rin ang kanilang loob na
itaguyod ang kanilang panukala na marami ay pagsunod sa
mga panukala ng mga tagapagtaguyod ng maka-bago nguni’t
mapaminsalang pamamaraan na magdudulot hindi sa
kaganapan ng buhay kundi sa kultura ng kamatayan.
Inilalathala din ng Ulat Batangan ang mga paglalahad
ng mga paglilinaw ng mga eksperto ng Simbahan sa mga
probisyon ng nasabing panukalang batas. Marami sa mga
ito ay bahagi ng opisyal na paninindigan ng Episcopal
Commission on Family and Life ng Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines, na siyang nangunguna sa
pagsalungat sa mapanganib na panukalang batas ni
Kinatawan Edsel Lagman. Ito ang pagdadala sa liwanag ng
mga “half-truths” na ipinakakalat ng mga nagtataguyod sa
nasabing panukalang batas.
Karangalan ng buhay ang pangunahing ipinaglalaban ng
Simbahan: ang buhay na kaloob ng Diyos sa tao; ang buhay
na ang may-aksa ay ang Diyos at di ang tao! Ang panukalang
batas ay naglalayong burahin sa kamalayan at panamdam
ng tao ang katotohanang ito. Nais na ipamata na ang buhay
ay tanging sa tao lamang at siya ang may karapatan na gawin
kung ano ang nais niya sa buhay na iyan. Sa pamamagitan
ng batas (ayon sa panukala), ang tao ang magpapasya sa
kung ano at paano niya gagamitin ang buhay (lalo na ang
nauukol sa kasarian), basta legal kahit na ito ay immoral.
Nanganganib ang institusyon ng pamilya, lalo na ng
pamilyang Pilipino. Dahil nga sa iginigiit ng mga
tagapagtaguyod ng nasabing panukala na ito umano ay
“rights-based”, walang salang susunod na rito ang
panukalang magsasa-legal ng diborsyo at ng tinatawag na
“same-sex marriage”. Nguni’t huwag muna nating isipin
ang mga ito.
Ang kasalukuyang panukalang batas na ito ay naglalagay
sa estado ng kapangyarihan na ayon sa kalikasan ay dapat
nasa sa magulang. Ang “sex-education” ng mga kabataan
ay isa sa mga pangunahing tungkulin ng mga magulang.
Ito’y bahagi ng kanilang paghubog sa kanilang mga anak.
Ang panukalang batas ay naglalayon lamang ng paghubog
sa “safe sex”, at nagbibigay-diin pa nga sa sinasabing
“access” sa mga pamamaraan na umano’y makaiiwas sa
panganib sa kalusugan dala ng “unsafe sex”. Kaya nga
sinasabi ng Simbahan na ang panukalang batas na ito ay
magbubukas sa lalo pang maraming panganib sa ating mga
kabataan!
Ang nasabing panukalang batas na ito, bagamat
sinasabing “rights-based” ay di kumikilala sa karapatan ng
tao na nababatay sa kanyang indibidwal na paniniwala o
relihiyon. Mabigat ang kaparusahan sa mga di-tatalima sa
mga probisyon ng batas (kung ito ay magiging batas). Di
nito iginagalang ang konsiyensya ng mga duktor, narses, at
iba pang mga nasa sa larangan ng pangangalaga sa kalusugan
ng mga mamamayan, lalo na ng mga kababaihan. At lalo na
ang mga lider-simbahan na natural magsalita laban sa dimaka-Diyos na probisyon ng panukalang batas, kung ito ay
maisabatas!
Tandaan natin: ang mga laykong Katoliko ay 99.1
bahagdan na bumubuo ng Simbahan. Ilan sa bahagdang iyan
ang tunay na naka-aalam sa tunay na isyu na kinahaharap
dala ng nasabing mapanganib at mapaglinglang na saligang
batas? At ano ang ginagawa ng 99.1 bahagdang iyang
bumubuo ng ating simbahan dito sa ating bansa?
Dapat nang mapagkinggan tinig at ipadama ang
paninindigang Katoliko – hindi lamang ng mga klero at
reliheyoso’t reliheyosa, kundi ng buong layko – sa ating
bansa! Iparating natin ang ating pagtutol sa nasabing
panukalang batas! Ang susunod na buwan ay krusyal sa
buhay ng ating pananampalataya, ng ating mga pamilya, at
ng ating buong bansa! #UB
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LIPA
EDITORIAL STAFF
Fr. Nonie C. Dolor
Editor-in-Chief
Fr. Oscar L. Andal
Managing Editor
Myrna Suarez
Circulation Manager
Contributors:
Fr. Gil Hernandez
Mrs. Nilda R. Adorable
Msgr. Ruben Dimaculagan
Mrs. Norma Abratigue
Fr. Jojo Gonda
Fr. Eugene Hechanova
Fr. Manny Guazon
Fr. Eric Joquin Arada
Photographer
Niño Balita
Cartoonist
Atty. Mary Antoniette E. Arguelles
Legal Counsel
Lenny D. Mendoza
Emma D. Bauan
Lay-out Artists
Archdiocese of Lipa
Pater Putativus Publishing House
Publisher
Printer
For your comments, submission of articles, and/or subscriptions
email us at ulatbatangan@yahoo.com
# Most Rev. Ramón Argüelles, DD, STL
BANALAKBAY
Mula noong ika-20 ng Agosto
hanggang sa ika 9 ng Setyembre
ay nasa Europe ako sa isang banal
na paglalakbay (Pilgrimage =
Banalakbay). Ang pangunahing
layunin ng aking pagtungo sa
Europe ay, ayon sa kahilingan
mula sa Pontificia Academia
Mariana Internationalis, upang
ako’y makapagsalita sa Lourdes sa
paksang: ‘Did Mary, Mediatrix of
All Grace appear in Lipa?’ Si
Bishop Socrates Villegas naman ng
Balanga Diocese ay nahilingan
ding magbahagi ukol sa ‘Mary’s
Apparition in EDSA’. Ang
panayam ay kaugnay ng 22 nd
International Mariological
Congress sa Lourdes kung saan
idinaraos ang Jubilee Year dahil sa
ika-isangdaan at limampung taon
mula ng magpakita ang Mahal na
Birhen kay Santa Bernardita (1858).
Dahil dito ang paksa ng kongreso
ay ‘Marian Apparitions’.
Bago tumuloy ng Lourdes ay
pumunta muna ako sa Roma.
Bahagi ng Banalakbay ang
pagdulog sa Mahal na Panginoon,
sa mga Banal, sa mga Angel at
lalung-lalu na sa Dakilang Birhen,
at sa pamunuan ng Simbahan ng
mga suliranin ng ating
Arsidiyosesis. Napag-alaman na
tulad ng Lourdes-Tarbes Diocese
ay bukod tangi sa buong mundo
na ang Arsidiosesis ng Lipa ang
nagdiriwang ng Extraordinary
Marian Year sa taong 2008 (Ang
ikalawang taon ng paghahanda
natin sa sentenaryo ng Dioceses
ng Lipa, 10 Abril 2008 hanggang
2009 ay nakatalaga kay Maria,
Kabiyak ng Espiritu Santo. Nguni’t
itinakda pa ring ‘Extraordinary
Archdiocesan Marian Year’ mula
ika-8 ng Disyembre 2007 hanggang
ika-25 ng Marso 2009). Dinala ko
sa pananalangin at sa mga
kinauukulang tanggapan sa
Vatican City ang suliranin natin
ukol sa mga dukha at sa kapaligiran.
Itinuturing kong matagumpay ang
aking pakikipanayam kay Kardinal
Martino ng Pontifical Commission
on Justice and Peace na nagsabing
mahigpit na pandaigdigang
suliranin ang panganib sa ating
kapaligiran. Sa pamamagitan ng
mga samahang maka-maralita at
maka-kalikasan madadala natin
ang mga suliranin sa lalawigan sa
mga may mabubuting hangarin
para sa Tao at sa daigdig na nilikha
ng Diyos para sa Tao at
ipinagkatiwala sa Tao. Natuntun
ko rin ang mga samahang
pandaigdigan na may malawak na
pagmamalasakit sa hanay ng
agricultura.
Maaari silang
makatulong sa atin para itaas ang
kaalaman
at
kakayahang
pangkabuhayan ng ating mga nasa
kanayunan.
Nagpatuloy ako sa Lisieux kung
saan natanggap ko ang pangakong
tiyak na muling pagdalaw sa ating
bansa ng mga reliquia ni Santa
Teresita ng Batang si Hesus at ng
Banal na Mukha. Ibinalita tuloy sa
akin sa Lisieux na sa ika-19 ng
Oktubre sa taong kasalukuyan,
Linggo iyon ng pandaigdigang
misyon, ay itatanghal na mga beato
ang mga magulang ni Santa
Teresita na sina Louis Martin at
Zelie Guerin. Datirati’y iniisip ng
marami na ang mag-asawang ito ay
banal dahil sa ang anak nila ay ang
pinakadakilang
santa
sa
kapanahunan natin (wika ni San
Papa Pio X noong 1913).
Napagkaalaman na ang magasawang Luis at Celia ay banal sa
ganang sarili nila na nagbunga nga
ng napakabanal na mag-anak.
Kailangan ang mag-asawang ito
upang magsilbing huwaran para sa
maraming mag-asawahan ngayon
na ang pagsasama ay nagdaraan
sa matinding pagsubok bunga ng
di makaDiyos na kabihasnan na
umiiral
sa
kasulukuyang
kabihasnan. Sana’y maipakilala
natin sina Louis at Zelie sa lahat
ng mga Kristianong mag-asawa,
lalo sa ating simbahang local,
upang matularan nila ang kanilang
kabanalan.
Marahil ay
napapanahon
na
itong
‘beatification’ ng mag-asawang
banal lalo ngayon na ipinapasok
ang maka-mundo at salungat sa
utos ng Diyos na mga kaisipan at
mga batas na sumisira sa
pagkakaisa at kabanalan ng mga
angkan. Tamang-tama naman na
ang ating Arsidiosesis ay
magdaraos ng sentenaryo sa
XBANALAKBAY... P. 8
Ang Simbahan
at ang Misyon
Ang kalikasan ng simbahan ay
misyon (The nature of he church is
missionary). Ito ang dahilan kung
bakit itinatag ni Hesus ang simbahan.
Ang wika ni Hesus sa Juan 20:21;
17:18: “Kung paanong sinugo Ako
ng Ama, gayundin naman, sinisugo
Ko kayo.”
Ang kahulugan ng salitang
“Misyon” ay “Sugo” o “Pagsugo”. Si
Hesus ay sinugo ng Ama at si Hesus
naman ang nagsugo sa Simbahan
upang ipagpatuloy nito ang kanyang
sinimulang misyon ng pagliligtas. Si
Hesus ay sinugo ng Ama upang
ipahayag ang mabuting balita (Evangelization) at tawagin ang mga tao sa
pagbabalik-loob
at
pananampalataya (Conversion).
Sang-ayon kay San Marcos 1:14-15;
“Si Hesus ay nagtungo sa Galiliea at
ipinangaral ang mabuting balita mula
sa Diyos: “Dumating na ang takdang
panahon at malapit na ang paghahari
ng Diyos! Pagsisihan ninyo’t talikdan
ang inyong mga kasalanan at
maniwala kayo sa mabuting balitang
ito”. Pagkatapos ng kanyang muling
pagkabuhay,
kanyang
ipinagkatiwala sa mga alagad ang
pagpapatuloy ng kanyang misyon
tulad ng kanyang sinabi sa Mateo
28:19-20; “Kaya, humayo kayo at
gawin ninyong alagad ko ang lahat
ng bansa. Bautismuhan ninyo sila sa
ngalan ng Ama at ng Anak at ng
Espiritu Santo, at turuang sumunod
sa lahat ng ipinagutos ko sa inyo.
Tandaan ninyo: Ako’y laging kasama
ninyo hanggang sa katapusan ng
sanlibutan”. (Mc. 16:15; Lk. 24:4-7;
Mga Gawa 1:3).
Sang-ayon sa Doctrinal Notes on
some aspects of Evangelization ng
Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith: “By means of the church, Christ
wants to be present in every historical epoch, every place on earth and
every sector of society, in order to
reach every person, so that there may
be one flock anf one shepherd”. (Jn.
10:16) “The apostles, therefore,
prompted by the Spirir, invited all to
chnage their lives, to be converted
and to be baptized”. (Redemptoris
Missio, 47).
“At the beginning of the third millennium, the call which Peter and his
brother Andrew, as well as the othjer
disciples, heard from Jesus continues to respond in the world: “Put out
into the deep and lower your nets
for a catch” (Lk. 5:4) (Novo Mellennio
Ineunte, 1).
Evangelization:
Misyon ng Simbahan
Samakatuwid, ang pangunahing
misyon ng simbahan ay ang Evangelization na sa kasawiang-palad ay
hindi nabibigyan ng kaukulan at
tamang pansin sa panahong ito tulad
ng ipinahayag ni Pope John Paul II
sa introduction ng Redemptoris
Mission: “The mission of Christ the
Redeemer, which is entrusted to the
church, is still very far from completion. As the second millennium after
Christ’s coming draws to an end, an
overall view of human race shows
that this mission is still only beginning and that we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to its service.
XANG SIMBAHAN... P. 5
SEPTEMBER 2008
OPINION
Ulat
Batangan
5
ANG SIMBAHAN... P. 4
# Msgr. Ruben Dimaculangan
“Theology” of Housecleaning
Ang paglilinis at ang pagdedekorasyon ng sariling silid ay kagaya
ng gawang pagpapakabanal. Walang patid na ginagawa mo ito
kahit walang ibang nakakakita sa iyo maliban sa iyong sarili at
tanging ang Diyos lamang. Syanga naman.
Ang pagpapakabanal ay katulad rin ng paglilinis ng sariling katawan.
Kahit sigurado ka na magdudumi uli ang iyong katawan, di mo
pinagsasawaan na maging amoy baby ka sa umaga ng bawat araw.
Ginagawa mo ito hindi para sa sariling kapakanan lang kundi para
sa “kaligtasan na rin ng sanlibutan”. Kung ikaw ay doktor o nurse,
maililigtas mo ba ang nasa ICU kung ang hininga mo ay amoy
imburnal at ang alingasaw ng underarm mo ay dyablo lang ang
may kakayanang maglarawan? Syanga naman.
Narinig ko, matapos mag-officer training ang kakilala ko sa military, ang naging tingin nya sa paglilinis ng bahay ay trabahong
pang-chicks lang. Kaya simula noon the most na kanyang
naitutulong ay itaas ang paa sa mesa para ang ilalim ng kinauupuan
niya ay mapasadahan man lang ng walis o ng pambuli habang
nanonood siya ng DVD. Kung malungkot na bahagi ito ng
pamamahay, mas nakakalungkot kung yaong mga tapos ng Academy ay siya pa mismong nagiging bad apple sa “bahay ni Juan de
la Cruz”. Bakit? Sapagkat ang corruption ay hindi po lang tungkol
sa pera at kapangyarihan. Ang corruption ay may kinalaman rin sa
pagkikilo ng mga katotohanan upang proteksyunan iyon mismong
mga malalakas at upang mailapat ang hagupit ng katarungan para
sa mga mahihirap at walang tinig lang. Syanga naman.
May nagtanong sa akin, “Bakit kaya hindi malinis ang bahay ni
Juan mula sa mga bad apples?” Dahil may kalawang na sumisira
sa pundasyon ng kanyang bahay: a) ang una ay ang masyadong
pagmamahal para sa sariling pamilya lamang; b) pangalawa ay
ang pagtatanim ng sama ng loob. Totoong-totoo ang awitin,
“Magtanim Ay di Biro”. Bakit? Sa “pagtatanim” na iyan nag-uugat
ang kilong prinsipyo na “weather-weather lang”.
Kay ganda palang substitute sa jogging, kahit paminsan-minsan
lang, ang pagbubunot ng hagdan o paglalampaso ng bahay.
Pagkatapos ng tatlumpung minutong “exercise”, ramdam mo ang
release ng kapuy sa katawan at ang sense of accomplishment.
Ramdam mo pa na meron kang nagawang alay-kapwa bilang buena
mano sa bawat araw. Syanga naman.
Ano ang mapapala mo makamtan mo man ang ganda ng hubog ng
iyong katawan at ang sarap ng iyong pakiramdam pagkatapos ng
eksersisyo sa Central Park, kung ang kapalit naman nito ay inidoro
mong may nicotine, hinigan na nakatiwangwang at iniipis na
pinagkainan? Ha ha ha ha. Syanga naman.
Nang mawasak ang dalawampung taong diktadorya, nakahinga
nang maluwag si Juan de la Cruz dahil nagkameron ng pagkakataon
ang kababaihan na patunayan ang pagiging tunay na lider sa
sambahayan ni Juan. Ang buong paniwala kasi ni Juan ay nasa
babae ang muling pagkabuhay ng bansang sinilangan dahil may
puso silang maka-ina. Subalit ngayong malapit na ang Pasko
2008, naghihintay pa rin si Juan de la Cruz sa inasam na regalong
malinis na pamamahay mula sa maka-inang pangungulo. Kaso,
yung inaasahang dapat maging maka-ina ay lumalabas na ina para
sa sariling pamilya at extended family lamang. Syanga naman.
Mga guro, kung hinuhubog ninyo ang inyong mga iskwela sa
kalinisan, ituro din ninyo ang social dimension ng kalinisan. Hindi
sapat na ituro sa mga bata at sa kanilang mga magulang na hwag
magtapon ng candy wrappers, bubble gum, cigarette butts at plastic cups sa loob ng bus, jeep o sa loob ng kanilang pribadong
sasakyan. Dapat ituro din sa kanila na ang kalye, sulok ng
munisipyo, bakod ng kapitbahay, highway at ang patio ng simbahan
ay hindi basurahan. Syanga naman.
Ang pagpapa-house blessing ay hindi paglalagay ng anting-anting
sa nasabing bahay. Hindi porke napagdasalan na ang bahay ay
magsisipanaog na ang mga anghel upang magmalasakit na
ipaghugas kayo ng pinggan, ipaglaba o ipaglinis ng bahay. Matapos
mabendisyunan ang bahay, wala nang dapat maghari kahit yun
mismong nagpagawa ng bahay. Si Kristo na lang ang siyang dapat
maghari upang malupig ang naghahari-hariang katamaran, pasahan
at pauyuhan. Syanga naman. #UB
It is he Spirit who impels us to proclaim the great works of God: “I have
no right to boast just because I preach
the gospel. Woe to me if I do not
preach the gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16).
Ang napagtutuunan ng pansin ng
simbahan sa nakaraang panahon
ay ang tinatawag na Pastoral of
SACRAMENTALIZATION na ang
ibig sabihin ay akayin ang mga tao
patungo kay Kristo sa pamamagitan
ng Kanyang iba’-ibang presensya sa
mundo. Tulad ng Kanyang
presensya sa mga Sakramento, lalo
na Binyag, Eukaristiya (Misa) at
Pakikipagkasundo (Kumpisal).
Nariyan din ang Kanyang presensya
sa Blessed Sacrament na kung saan
si Kristo ay sinasamba sa Kanyang
pagka-Diyos at pagka-tao. Gayundin
ang Kanyang presensya sa mga
dukha, mga may sakit at
nangangailangan, anupa’t ang ating
gawin o di gawin sa kanila ay kay
Hesus natin ginagawa o di ginagawa.
(Mt. 21:31-46) Si Kristo rin ay nasa
mga pinuno ng simbahan katulad ng
Santo Papa, mga Obispo at mga Pari
kung kaya tayo’y sumusunod at
gumagalang sa kanila (Lk. 10:16)
Bagama’t ang Pastoral na ito ng
Sacramentalization ay mabuti at
ainam, gayunman ito ay masasabing
kulang,
sa
dahilang
ang
natutulungan lamang ng Pastoral na
ito ay mga tao na masasabing may
pananampalataya, malaki man o
bahagya. Sapagka’t para sa mga tao
ay sumasamba kay Kristo sa Blessed
Sacrament sa tabernakulo, ito ay
nangangailangan
ng
pananampalataya! Gayundin, para
makita ng mga tao na si Hesus ay
nasa mga Sakramento sa mga pinuno
ng simbahan, sa mga dukha at
nangangailangan,
ito
ay
nangangailangan
din
ng
pananampalataya!
Ngayon, ang tanong. Paano ang
mga
taong
walang
pananampalataya? Mga taong di
naniniwala na si Hesus ay nasa mga
ito? Halimbawa, sa isang parokya
tulad ng San Francisco Javier sa
Nasugbu, ilan ang mga taong
sumisimba sa mga araw ng Linggo at
pangilin? Sa aming ginawang survey,
10% hanggang 15% lamang buong
populasyon ang nakagagawa nito.
Kung gayon, nasaan ang 85% o
90%? Maliwanag na sila’y kulang sa
paniniwala sa Misa at kahalagahan
ng pagsimba bilang binyagan. Sa
isang
salita,
walang
pananampalataya.
Ano ngayon ang misyon ng
simbahan para sa mga taong ito
upang sila’y mailapit kay Kristo? Ang
matunog na kasagutan ay EVANGELIZATION! Ang ibig sabihin ay
ipahayag sa kanila ang Mabuting
Balita, na walang iba kundi si Krristo
na namatay at muling nabuhay. (Mga
Gawa
2:23-24)
Sila’y
nangangailangang makarinig ng
pahayag ng Mabuting Balita upang
kahit bahagya ay magkaroon ng
pananampataya. “Kaya’t ang
pananampalataya ay bunga ng
pakikinig.”
(Roma
10:17)
Samakatuwid, ang tawag ng
panahon ay bigyang pansin at
puspusang itaguyod ang Pastoral of
Evangelization upang ang mas
nakararaming mga tao na nasa labas
ng simbahan ay makarinig ng
Mabuting Balita at maakay sa
pagbabalik-loob
at
pananampalataya (Conversion)
EVANGELIZATION: Katuparan ng
Pananaw
Ang pananaw ng Simbahan ng
Lokal ng Lipa ay: “Isang Bayang
tinawag ng Ama kay Hesukristo
upang maging mga Sambayanan ng
mga Taong may Kaganapan ng
Buhay sa Sanlibutan Sumasaksi sa
Kaharian ng Diyos sa Pagsasabuhay
ng
Misteryo
Paskwal
sa
Kapangyarihan ng Espiritu Santo “
Ang uang bahagi ng pananaw na
Maria, Paliwanag ng Diyos
Nais kong ibahagi ang aking nabasa tungkol sa walang kahulilip na
pagmamahal ng ina sa kanyang anak.
Hindi tumitigil and pagmamahal ng ina sa kanyang anak kahit na ito
ay masama, hindi siya tumitigil sa paghihintay rito kung siya’y nasa
malayo, ang tanging hangarin niya ay magkita silang muli, mapatawad
siya, mayakap na muli dahil sa ang pagmamahal ng inay ay sumasaklaw
sa lahat nang may habag.
Laging nalalampasan ng pagmamahal ng ina ang anumang
nakalulungkot na kalagayan o masakit na kinasasadlakan ng kanyang
anak.
Ang pagmamahal na ito ay hindi kailanman gumuguho sa harap ng
anumang asal, paniniwala o iba pang unos na maaaring gumapi sa
kanyang anak.
Ang pagmamahal niya ay isang pagmamahal na laging naghahangad
na mapagtakpan at maitago ang lahat, sapagkat ito’y naninindigan sa
lahat ng bagay.
Kapag nakikita niyang ang kanayang anak ay nasa panganib, hindi
siya nag-aatubiling itaya ang kanyang buhay sa panganib. Nakahanda
siyang iharang ang sarili sa dumarating na tren kung ang kanyang anak
ay masasagasaan o tumalon sa dagat kung ang kanyang anak ay
malulunod sapagkat ang pagmamahal ng ina ay likas na higit kaysa
kamatayan.
Ang buhay na halimbawa ay ang isang inang tumalon sa kanyang
balcon upang iligtas ang kanyang anak sa humulagpos sa kanyang
pagkakahawak, isang bigong pagtatangka subalit naglalarawan kung
gaano kalaki ang pagmamahal ng ina.
Kung tunay ito sa mga karaniwang ina, mailalarawan natin kung gaano
katotoo ito kay Maria, taong banal na ina ng batang Diyos, at inang
pang-ispiritual nating lahat!
Si Maria ay isang walang katulad, huwaran ng pagkaina, at dahil
doon, huwaran ng pagmamahal ng tao.
At dahil na ang Diyos ay Pag-ibig, siya ang “paliwanag” ng Diyos,
isang bukas na aklat kung ano ang Diyos.
Napakalaki ng pag-ibig ng nasa puso ng Diyos kaya binata niya ang
napakalupit na kamatayan para sa atin, upang iligtas tau; hindi Siya
nangailangan ng ibang dahilan para sa sariling pagpapakasakit tulad din
ng tanging dahilan ng pagmamahal ng ina sa kapakanan ng kanyang
anak.
Dahil sa Inang banal si Maria, isang nilalang na malapit na malapit at
nakakatulad sa Diyos, tunay niyang naipakikita Siya sa atin.
Panariwaing muli natin ang ating pananalig sa pagmamahal ni Marial
sa atin, kailangang maniwala tayong mahal na mahal niya tayo. Tularan
natin siya sapagkat siya ang modelo ng lahat na Kristiyano at
pinakamadaling daan patungo sa Diyos. #UB
kung saan nasasaad : “Isang Bayang
tinawag ng Ama...upang maging mga
sambayanan...” ay magkakaroon ng
katuparan sa pamamagitan ng Evangelization. Sapagkat sa evangelization magaganap ang “pagtawag ng
Ama kay Hesukristo sa Kanyang
bayan”. Ang bayan ay “tatawagin”,
aanyayahan na makinog sa
pagpapahayag ng Salita ng Diyos o
ng Mabuting Balita (Evangelization).
Ang mga “tinawag” at tutugon sa
“tawag” ang siya ngayong mabubuo
bilang isang “sambayanan”. Ito ang
ipinahayag ni Bishop Chito Tagle sa
isang retreat na kanyang ibinigay sa
mga pari ng Lipa may mga sampung
taon na ang nakaraan. Ang nasabing
retreat ay naglalayong ipaliwanag sa
mga pari ang tungkol sa iba’t-ibang
bahagi ng pananaw. Tungkol sa
unang bahagi ang kanyang sinabi ay
ganito: “The Community is gathered
by the Word” and “the Community
is nourished by the Word and the
Sacraments.”
Sa pahayag na ito ni Bishop Tagle,
siya’y naniniwala na ang
Sambayanan ay mabubuo lamang
sa pamamagitan ng Salita (Evangelization), tulad ng Paikipagkasundo
(Kumspisal) at Eukaristiya (Misa).
Ito rin ang ipinahayag ng Santo
Papa Juan Pablo II sa THE PRIEST
AND THE THIRD CHRISTIAN
MILLENIUM: Evangelization is based
on the three inseparable elements
:Preaching the Word, Sacramental
Ministry and Leading the Faithful.
Preaching is senseless unless it includes continuous formation of the
faithful and participation in the Sacraments. Likewise, participation in the
Sacraments without sincere conversion of the heart, full of acceptance
of the faith and of the principles of
Christian morality, is also meaningless. From the pastoral pespective,
the primary action of Evangelization
is logically considered to be preaching. From the perspective of intentionality, however, the primary element of Evangelization must be the
celebration of the Sacraments especially of penance and the Blesssed
Eucharist. The integrity of the pastoral ministry of priests in the service of
new evangelizationis to be found,
however, in a harmonious fusion of
both of these functions.”
Ito ang dahilan kung bakit ang
Salitang kasunod ng SAMBAYANAN
(Gathered by the Word) ay
sinusundan ng NG MGA TAONG
MAY KAGANAPAN ANG BUHAY
(Nourished by the Word and the Sacraments)
Samakatuwid,
ang
KAGANAPAN NG BUHAY ay
magkakaroon ng katuparan sa loob
ng
Sambayanan.
Isang
Sambayanang pagdating ng
panahon
ay
masasabing
SUMASAKSI SA KAHARIAN NG
DIYOS SA PAGSASABUHAY NG
MISTERYO
PASKWAL
SA
KAPANGYARIHAN NG ESPIRITU
SANTO. #UB
6
Ulat
VATICAN
Batangan
SEPTEMBER 2008
Papal Message for World Mission Sunday
“Servants and Apostles of Christ Jesus”
Here is Benedict XVI’s message for the 82nd World Mission Sunday, to be celebrated Oct. 19.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On the occasion of the
World Mission Day, I would like
to invite you to reflect on the
continuing urgency to proclaim
the Gospel also in our times. The
missionary mandate continues
to be an absolute priority for all
baptized persons who are
called to be “servants and
apostles of Christ Jesus” at the
beginning of this millennium. My
venerable Predecessor, the
Servant of God Paul VI, already
stated in the Apostolic
Exhortation
“Evangelii
Nuntiandi”: “Evangelizing is in
fact the grace and vocation
proper to the Church, her
deepest identity” (n. 14). As a
model of this apostolic
commitment, I would like to
point to St Paul in particular,
the Apostle of the nations,
because this year we are
celebrating a special Jubilee
dedicated to him. It is the
Pauline Year which offers us the
opportunity to become familiar
with this famous Apostle who
received the vocation to
proclaim the Gospel to the
Gentiles, according to what
the Lord had announced to
him: “Go, I shall send you far
away to the Gentiles” (Acts 22:
21). How can we not take the
opportunity that this special
Jubilee offers to the local
Churches, the Christian
communities and the individual
faithful to propagate the
proclamation of the Gospel to
the ends of the world, the
power of God for the salvation
of everyone who believes (Cf.
Rm 1: 16)?
Humanity is in need of liberation
Humanity needs to be
liberated and redeemed.
Creation itself - as St Paul says suffers and nurtures the hope
that it will share in the freedom
of the children of God (cf. Rm
8: 19-22). These words are true
in today’s world too. Creation
is suffering. Creation is suffering
and waiting for real freedom; it
is waiting for a different, better
world; it is waiting for
“redemption”. And deep down
it knows that this new world that
is awaited supposes a new man;
it supposes “children of God”. (
Let us take a closer look at the
situation of today’s world.
While, on the one hand, the
international
panorama
presents
prospects
for
promising economic and social
development, on the other it
brings some great concerns to
our attention about the very
future of man. Violence, in
many cases, marks the relations
between persons and peoples.
Poverty oppresses millions of
inhabitants. Discrimination and
sometimes even persecution
for racial, cultural and religious
reasons drive many people to
flee from their own countries in
order to seek refuge and
protection
elsewhere.
Technological progress, when it
is not aimed at the dignity and
good of man or directed
towards
solidarity-based
development,
loses
its
potentiality as a factor of hope
and runs the risk, on the
contrary, of increasing already
existing imbalances and
injustices. There is, moreover, a
constant threat regarding the
man-environment relation due
to the indiscriminate use of
resources, with repercussions
on the physical and mental
health of human beings.
Humanity’s future is also put at
risk by the attempts on his life,
which take on various forms and
means.
Before this scenario,
“buffeted between hope and
anxiety... and burdened down
with uneasiness” (“Gaudium et
Spes”, n. 4), with concern we
ask ourselves: What will
become of humanity and
creation? Is there hope for the
future, or rather, is there a future
for humanity? And what will this
future be like? The answer to
these questions comes to those
of us who believe from the
Gospel. Christ is our future, and
as I wrote in the Encyclical
Letter “Spe Salvi”, his Gospel is
a “life-changing” communication that gives hope,
throws open the dark door of
time and illuminates the future
of humanity and the university
(cf. n. 2).
St Paul had understood well
that only in Christ can humanity
find redemption and hope.
Therefore, he perceived that
the mission was pressing and
urgent to proclaim “the
promise of life in Christ Jesus”
(2 Tm 1: 1), “our hope” (1 Tm 1:
1), so that all peoples could be
co-heirs and co-partners in the
promise through the Gospel (cf.
Eph 3: 6). He was aware that
without Christ humanity is
“without hope and without God
in the world” (Eph 2: 12) “without hope because they
were without God” (“Spe
Salvi,” n. 3). In fact, “anyone
who does not know God, even
though he may entertain all
kinds of hopes, is ultimately
without hope, without the
great hope that sustains the
whole of life (cf. Eph 2: 12)”
(ibid., n. 27).
The Mission is a question of love
It is therefore an urgent duty
for everyone to proclaim Christ
and his saving message. St Paul
said, “Woe to me if I do not
preach it [the Gospel]!” (1 Cor
9: 16). On the way to Damascus
he had experienced and
understood
that
the
redemption and the mission are
the work of God and his love.
Love of Christ led him to travel
over the roads of the Roman
Empire as a herald, an apostle,
a preacher and a teacher of
the Gospel of which he
declared himself to be an
“ambassador in chains” (Eph 6:
20). Divine charity made him “all
things to all, to save at least
some” (1 Cor 9: 22). By looking
at St Paul’s experience, we
understand that missionary
activity is a response to the
love with which God loves us.
His love redeems us and prods
us to the missio ad gentes. It is
the spiritual energy that can
make the harmony, justice and
communion grow among
persons, races and peoples to
which everyone aspires (cf.
“Deus Caritas Est”, n. 12). So it is
God, who is Love, who leads the
Church towards the frontiers of
humanity and calls the
evangelizers to drink “from the
original source, which is Jesus
Christ, from whose pierced
heart flows the love of God”
(“Deus Caritas Est”, n. 7). Only
from this source can care,
tenderness, compassion,
hospitality, availability and
interest in people’s problems
be drawn, as well as the other
virtues necessary for the
messengers of the Gospel to
leave
everything
and
dedicate
themselves
completely
and
unconditionally
to
spreading the perfume of
Christ’s charity around the
world.
Gentiles” (Eph 3: 1), knowing
that you can count on the
strength that comes
to us from him in
difficulties and
trials. A Bishop is
consecrated not
only for his diocese,
but for the salvation
of the whole world
(cf. Encyclical
“Redemptoris
Missio”, n.
63). Like
t h e
evangelized: the world. Give
witness with your lives that
Christians “belong to a
new society which is
the goal of their
c o m m o n
pilgrimage and
which is
anticipated
Apostle Paul, a Bishop is called
to reach out to those who are
far away and do not know Christ
yet or have still not
experienced his liberating love.
A Bishop’s commitment is to
make the whole diocesan
community missionary by
contributing
willingly,
according to the possibilities,
to sending priests and
laypersons to other Churches
for the evangelization service.
In this way, the missio ad gentes
becomes the unifying and
converging principle of its
entire pastoral and charitable
activity.
You, dear priests, the Bishops’
first collaborators, be generous
pastors and enthusiastic
evangelizers! Many of you in
these past decades have gone
to the mission territories
following the Encyclical “Fidei
Donum” whose 50th anniversary
we celebrated recently, and
with which my venerable
Predecessor, the Servant of
God Pius XII, gave an impulse to
cooperation between the
Churches. I am confident that
this missionary tension in the
local Churches will not be
lacking, despite the lack of
clergy that afflicts many of
them.
And you, dear men and
women religious, whose
vocation is marked by a strong
missionary connotation, bring
the proclamation of the
Gospel to everyone, especially
those who are far away,
through consistent witness to
Christ and radical following of
his Gospel. Dear faithful laity,
you who act in the different
areas of society are all called
to take part in an increasingly
important way in spreading the
Gospel. A complex and
multiform areopagus thus
opens up before you to be
in the course of that
pilgrimage” (“Spe Salvi”, n. 4).
Evangelize always
While
the
first
evangelization continues to
be necessary and urgent in
many regions of the world,
today a shortage of
clergy and a lack of
vocations
afflict
various Dioceses and
Institutes of consecrated life. It
is important to reaffirm that
even in the presence of
growing difficulties, Christ’s
command to evangelize all
peoples continues to be a
priority. No reason can justify its
slackening or stagnation
because “the task of
evangelizing all people
constitutes the essential
mission of the Church” (Paul VI,
Apostolic
Exhortation
“Evangelii Nuntiandi”, n. 14). It
is a mission that “is still only
beginning and we must
commit
ourselves
wholeheartedly to its service”
(John Paul II, Encyclical
“Redemptoris Missio”, n. 1). How
can we not think here of the
Macedonian who appeared to
Paul in a dream and cried, “Will
you come by to Macedonia to
help us?”. Today there are
countless people who are
waiting for the proclamation of
the Gospel, those who are
thirsting for hope and love.
There are so many who let
themselves be questioned
deeply by this request for aid
that rises up from humanity, who
leave everything for Christ and
transmit faith and love for Him
to people! (cf. “Spe Salvi”, n.
8).
Woe to me if I do not preach it!
(1 Cor 9: 16)
“duc in altum”! Let us set sail in
the vast sea of the world and,
following Jesus’ invitation, let
us cast our nets without fear,
confident in his constant aid. St
Paul reminds us that to preach
the Gospel is no reason to
boast (cf. 1 Cor 9: 16), but rather
a duty and a joy. Dear brother
Bishops, following Paul’s
example, many each one feel
like “a prisoner of Christ for the
Conclusion
may the celebration of World
Mission Day encourage
everyone to take renewed
awareness of the urgent need
to proclaim the Gospel. I
cannot fail to point out with
sincere appreciation the
contribution of the Pontifical
Mission Societies to the
Church’s evangelizing activity.
I thank them for the support
they offer to all the
Communities, especially the
young ones. They are a valid
instrument for animating and
forming the People of God from
a missionary viewpoint, and
they nurture the communion of
persons and goods between the
different parts of the Mystical
Body of Christ. May the
collection that is taken in all the
parishes on World Mission Day
be a sign of communion and
mutual concern among the
Churches. Lastly, may prayer be
intensified ever more in the
Christian people, the essential
spiritual means for spreading
among all peoples the light of
Christ,
the
“light
par
excellence” that illuminates
“the darkness of history” (“Spe
Salvi”, n. 49). As I entrust to the
Lord the apostolic work of the
missionaries, the Churches all
over the world and the faithful
involved in various missionary
activities and invoke the
intercession of the Apostle Paul
and Holy Mary, “the living Ark of
the Covenant”, “the Star of
evangelization and hope”, I
impart my Apostolic Blessing to
everyone.
From the Vatican, 11 May 2008
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
Ulat
FEATURES
SEPTEMBER 2008
HOUSE BILL NO. _____
(In substitution to HB NOs. 17, 812, 2753 & 3970)
Introduced by Honorables Edcel C. Lagman, Janette L. Garin, Narciso D.
Santiago III, Mark Llandro Mendoza, Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel,
Eleandro Jesus F. Madrona
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A NATIONAL POLICY ON REPRODUCTIVE
HEALTH, RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD AND POPULATION
DEVELOPMENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Reproductive
Health and Population Development Act of 2008”.
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State upholds and promotes responsible
parenthood, informed choice, birth spacing and respect for life in conformity
with internationally recognized human rights standards.
The State shall uphold the right of the people, particularly women and their
organizations, to effective and reasonable participation in the formulation and
implementation of the declared policy.
This policy is anchored on the rationale that sustainable human development
is better assured with a manageable population of healthy, educated and productive
citizens.
The State likewise guarantees universal access to medically-safe, legal,
affordable and quality reproductive health care services, methods, devices, supplies
and relevant information thereon even as it prioritizes the needs of women and
children, among other underprivileged sectors.
SEC. 3. Guiding Principles. – This Act declares the following as basic guiding
principles:
a. In the promotion of reproductive health, there should be no bias for either
modern or natural methods of family planning;
b. Reproductive health goes beyond a demographic target because it is principally
about health and rights;
c. Gender equality and women empowerment are central elements of
reproductive health and population development;
d. Since manpower is the principal asset of every country, effective reproductive
health care services must be given primacy to ensure the birth and care of
healthy children and to promote responsible parenting;
e. The limited resources of the country cannot be suffered to be spread so
thinly to service a burgeoning multitude that makes the allocations grossly
inadequate and effectively meaningless;
f. Freedom of informed choice, which is central to the exercise of any right,
must be fully guaranteed by the State like the right itself;
g. While the number and spacing of children are left to the sound judgment of
parents and couples based on their personal conviction and religious beliefs,
such concerned parents and couples, including unmarried individuals, should
be afforded free and full access to relevant, adequate and correct information
on reproductive health and human sexuality and should be guided by qualified
State workers and professional private practitioners;
h. Reproductive health, including the promotion of breastfeeding, must be the
joint concern of the National Government and Local Government Units
(LGUs);
i. Protection and promotion of gender equality, woman empowerment and
human rights, including reproductive health rights, are imperative;
j. Development is a multi-faceted process that calls for the coordination and
integration of policies, plans, programs and projects that seek to uplift the
quality of life of the people, more particularly the poor, the needy and the
marginalized;
k. Active participation by and thorough consultation with concerned nongovernment organizations (NGOs), people’s organizations (POs) and
communities are imperative to ensure that basic policies, plans, programs
and projects address the priority needs of stakeholders;
l. Respect for, protection and fulfillment of reproductive health rights seek to
promote not only the rights and welfare of adult individuals and couples but
those of adolescents’ and children’s as well; and
m. While nothing in this Act changes the law on abortion, as abortion remains
a crime and is punishable, the government shall ensure that women seeking
care for post-abortion complications shall be treated and counseled in a
humane, non-judgmental and compassionate manner.
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. – For purposes of this Act, the following terms
shall be defined as follows:
a. Responsible Parenthood – REFERS TO the will, ability and commitment of
parents to respond to the needs and aspirations of the family and children
more particularly through family planning.
b. Family Planning - REFERS TO a program which enables couples and individuals
to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and
to have the information and means to carry out their decisions, and to have
informed choice and access to a full range of safe, legal and effective family
planning methods, techniques and devices.
c. Reproductive Health - REFERS TO the state of physical, mental and social
well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters
relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes. This
implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life, that they
have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how
often to do so, provided that these are not against the law. This further
implies that women and men are afforded equal status in matters related to
sexual relations and reproduction.
d. Reproductive Health Rights - REFERS TO the rights of individuals and
couples to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of
their children; to make other decisions concerning reproduction free of
discrimination, coercion and violence; to have the information and means
to carry out their decisions; and to attain the highest standard of sexual and
reproductive health.
e. Gender Equality - REFERS TO the absence of discrimination on the basis of
a person’s sex, in opportunities, allocation of resources and benefits, and
access to services.
f. Gender Equity - REFERS TO fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits
and responsibilities between women and men, and often requires womenspecific projects and programs to eliminate existing inequalities, inequities,
policies and practices unfavorable to women.
g. Reproductive Health Care - REFERS TO THE availability OF and access to
a full range of methods, techniques, supplies and services that contribute to
reproductive and sexual health and well-being by preventing and solving
reproductive health-related problems in order to achieve enhancement of
life and personal relations. The elements of reproductive health care include:
1. Maternal, infant and child health and nutrition;
2. Promotion of breastfeeding;
3. Family planning information and services;
4. Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications;
5. Adolescent and youth health;
XHOUSE BILL... P. 8
Batangan
7
Misconceptions and Clarifications on Issues Related to Humanae Vitae
and the Reproductive “Health” Bill in Philippine Congress.
" Rev. Fr. Gregory D. Gaston, STD
(This primer was written for Avenues, the Journal of San Carlos Seminary Graduate School of Theology. Copyright © 2008 by the author, a
priest of the Archdiocese of Manila, assigned since January 2008 at the Holy Apostles Senior Seminary, Makati City, Philippines, and was
previously an Official of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Vatican, for five years. For consults and resources on related topics, please visit
www.safe.ph.)
M: The world is overpopulated. Global
population will soar to 11.9 billion
by 2050.
C: “Yet this is not the full story. To the
contrary, in fact. Across the globe,
people are having fewer and fewer
children. Fertility rates have dropped by
half since 1972, from six children per
woman to 2.9. And demographers say
they’re still falling, faster than ever. The
world’s population will continue to grow—
from today’s 6.4 billion to around 9 billion
in 2050. But after that, it will go
sharply into decline. Indeed, a
phenomenon that we’re destined to
learn
much
more
about—
depopulation—has already begun in
a number of countries. Welcome to
the New Demography. It will change
everything about our world, from the
absolute size and power of nations
to global economic growth to the
quality of our lives.” [Michael Meyer,
“Birth Dearth,” in Newsweek, September
27, 2004, p. 58. Since the 1970’s,
several demographers, economists, and
other experts have been informing the
public of these trends.]
M: Overpopulation is a scientific fact.
C: Not overpopulation, but population
ageing and underpopulation, as seen
in these sample article titles:
* European Pension Systems Set to
Collapse. Low Fertility Blamed, in Friday
Fax, May 4, 2000.
* Underpopulation, Not Overpopulation, the
Real Global Problem, in Washington Post,
March 18, 2001.
* Developed Nations Warned on Aging Crisis
Time Bomb, in Manila Bulletin, Aug 30,
2001.
* Have Three Babies to Sustain the
Population, in Daily Telegraph, Dec. 12,
2003.
* Asian Economies Desperate for Babies,
in Daily News Express, Feb. 2, 2004.
* Have More Babies, Say the Tories, in Daily
Mail, September 22, 2003: “Women should
have more babies to stave off the looming
crisis of an ageing population, the Tories
will say today. The call to ‘go forth and
multiply’ comes from work and pensions
spokesman David Willetts, who wants
couples to send birth rates soaring.”
* In address to Estonians, President Calls
on Citizens to Make More Babies, in New
York Times, January 2, 2003: “Worried
about a declining population, Estonia’s
president has urged the country’s 1.4
million residents to make more babies.
‘Let us remember that in just a couple of
decades the number of Estonians seeing
the New Year will be one-fifth less than
today,’ President Arnold Ruutel said in a
speech broadcast live on national
television Wednesday.”
M: Our population growth rate of 2.04%
is extremely high.
C: The CIA gives a much lower estimate of
1.728% (World Factbook Country Listing
of 2008, available on the internet).
M: We should aim for a Zero Population
Growth Rate.
C: Zero Population Growth Rate will make
the Filipino race at first extremely old,
and then rare, and finally extinct.
M: Filipino families have too many
children.
C: “The UN Population Division figures
indicate that it is not an exaggeration to
say that as early as now the Philippine
Total Fertility Rate [children per woman]
is already dangerously low. Whereas in
the early 1970’s the average Filipina had
six children, today she has around three,
and in another 20 years, only two.
Shortly after 2020, or just fifteen years
from now, the Philippine TFR will
sink below its replacement level of
around 2.29.” [Rev. Fr. Gregory D.
Gaston, STD, World Population
Collapse: Lessons for the Philippines,
in Familia et Vita, vol. XII (2007) no. 2,
pp. 84-113, paragraph no. 22. Henceforth
referred to as WPC and paragraph
number.]
M: Having two children should be the
ideal family size.
C: SEC. 16. Ideal Family Size. – The State
shall assist couples, parents and
individuals to achieve their desired family
size within the context of responsible
parenthood for sustainable development
and encourage them to have two children
as the ideal family size.
As of now the Philippines’ total fertility
rate, or children per woman, is projected to
go below replacement (2.29 children per
woman) by 2025. After that we will
experience the population ageing and collapse
taking place today in rich countries, and like
them, we will also wish to pay parents to
have more children—but unlike them, we
will have no money to do so.
Pushing for only two children per family
will make all this occur even earlier.
(Note that two children per family would give
a total fertility rate of much lower than two,
since women without children would have to
be included in the computation of “children
per woman,” or total fertility rate.)
M: Intensified population control
programs will slow down population
growth, improve the economy soon, and
thus solve poverty.
C: “The effect desired by population
controllers, the slowing of population growth,
will not immediately take place, due to
population momentum, decreased mortality
and longer lifespan. By the time population
growth will have slowed down, the Total
Fertility Rate will be way below the
replacement level, and the average population
age will be extremely high. In other words,
the solution proposed to solve poverty,
that is, population control programs, will
just create more economic difficulties
in the long run.
Nor may one say that we should limit
population growth now, hope for rapid
economic development, and finally try to
solve whatever problem might come up in
the future. It will simply be too late by then.
Countries that were already rich 30 to 40
years ago when their TFR’s started to
decline, and are now ageing, encounter
extreme difficulty in solving their
economic problems today. Their efforts to
encourage their citizens to produce more
children have not yielded acceptable results
after a decade. They depend on immigration
to maintain their population growth. The
Philippines is not a rich country today, and
may or may not be rich within 50 years.
How will it support its ageing population? Will
it also invite workers from other countries to
replace its dwindling workforce? How will it
attract immigrants if it has no jobs to offer to its
people in the first place? Even if it becomes
rich by then, it will have to face the same
problems rich countries face now, and will
have to tell the people to raise more children.
We simply cannot afford to fall into the trap
rich countries have fallen into 30-40 years
ago, and from which they desperately try to
escape today. Graphically speaking, we
cannot afford to have in the future a population
pyramid like theirs now, and then, like them
today, wish to regain the population pyramid
we have now.” [WPC 26]
M: In ruling out population control as
a solution to poverty, the Catholic
Church teaches that the people
should beget as many children as
they can, following God’s command,
to “go forth and multiply.”
C: “Ruling out population control’ simply
means not encouraging people to have
few children, which is entirely different
from telling them to have all the children
they can possibly produce. Parents
should instead be guided and supported
to attain the number of children they can
generously and responsibly raise and
educate. For some spouses, this means
having one child or two; for others, five,
ten, twelve, fifteen or even more. Neither
the government nor the Catholic
Church may compel, instruct, or
encourage spouses to raise a
specified number of children, as
what population control programs
definitely try to do, either through massive
propaganda, or through deceptive and
coercive policies. Rather, the
government and the Catholic Church
should form and guide the people to reflect
on their actual circumstances, and to
freely, generously and responsibly
decide whether to have another child
now, or not to have another child
for the time being or indefinitely. This
is one aspect of responsible parenthood,
which the Catholic Church has always
taught, and which takes into account both
the real capacities of individual spouses
and the national demographic situation.”
[WPC 27]
M: The Catholic Church has always
recognized the existence of a
“population problem,” and the
government’s intervention in the
decision-making of spouses as to
the number of children they beget.
C: In recognizing that it is legitimate for the
state “to intervene to orient the
demography of the population,” it
immediately adds that, “This can be done
by means of objective and respectful
information, but certainly not by
authoritarian, coercive measures. The
state may not legitimately usurp the
initiative of spouses, who have the
primary responsibility for the
procreation and education of their
children. In this area, it is not authorized
to employ means contrary to the moral
law” (Catechism of the Catholic Church,
no. 2372).
Humanae Vitae (no. 2) describes some
changes taking place in 1968. “In the first
place there is the rapid increase in population
which has made many fear that world
population is going to grow faster than
available resources, with the consequence
that many families and developing countries
would be faced with greater hardships.”
Note that while Humanae Vitae in this
point observes that there is the rapid increase
in world population, it merely expresses the
fear of many, without owning that fear,
that world population is going to grow faster
than available resources. Today, forty years
later, we can see for a fact that while
population has grown, food production has
grown even more.
“Since 1965 to 1994 the population of the
world has nearly doubled, but food production
has kept well ahead... United Nations figures
show there has been a rise of over 30% in
the period 1951-92 in food production per
capita, that is to say the amount of food which
would be available to each person in the
world if it were divided equally. This has
occurred in spite of the fact that Western
farmers are paid millions of dollars a
year to keep land out of production. If
these European and American farmers
were to produce to their capacity, food
prices would collapse as a result of the
glut (Population Facts and Myths, published
on the Internet in 1994 by the National
Association of Catholic Families in the UK).
The problem then is not food production
but proper distribution. Hence the
solution should not be to reduce the
number of consumers, but social justice.
In recent years, Church documents
have focused greatly on the fall of fertility,
which, “very significant in almost all parts of
the world, is irrefutable and evident from
the facts published by specialized
organizations. It is, nontheless, frequently
disregarded (Pontifical Council for the
Family, The Ethical and Pastoral Dimensions
of Population Trends, March 25, 1994). Such
fall in fertility is the real “population problem”
today.
M: The Catholic Church is not
concerned with the plight of the poor
in the country.
C: The Catholic Church dedicates a
huge part of its efforts at the service
of the poor, helping the government:
education, microlending, presence in
slum areas and garbage, orphanages,
feeding programs, social action projects,
calamities, opposition to destructive
mining and destructive logging, Pondo
ng Pinoy, Caritas, environmental
ecology concerns, human ecology,
family empowerment.
Whenever the Church talks against
graft and corruption, she does so also
out of concern for the poor. Poverty will
be very quickly eradicated if graft and
corruption are eradicated, so that taxpayers’
money will go to the poor (especially in terms
of education, which is the long-term solution
to poverty, and livelihood programs) and not
to those rich who steal from the poor.
“Each time poverty is blamed on the
‘population problem,’ its real and root
causes are conveniently tolerated or
covered up: graft and corruption in the
public and private sectors, burden of
foreign debt servicing, and bad
governance, resulting in failed
development programs” (A Manifesto of
Filipino Families on July 25, 2008).
M : Contraceptives should be listed as
essential drugs.
C : They should not be listed as essential
drugs, but as dangerous drugs and
devices. Pills have been shown to cause
abortion of a 5-day old baby, cancer,
premature hypertension, heart disease,
etc. IUD’s are abortifacient and may
cause intrauterine trauma, pelvic
infections and ectopic pregnancy.
XMISCONCEPTIONS... P. 9
8
Ulat
Batangan
BANALAKBAY... P. 4
taong 2010 na ang Tema ay
Pagtatalaga sa Banal na SanTatlo
at Pagpapanibago sa Banal na
Angkan (Consecration to the Holy
Trinity and Transformation into the
Holy Family). Hinihikayat ko ang
lahat, lalo sa ating mga parokya,
na kilalanin at pagdasalan ang
banal na mga magulang ni Santa
Teresita.
Sa Lourdes ay nagkaroon ng
mabungang pagpapalitan ng
kaisipan at pagninilay lalung-lalo
ang mga delegasyon galing sa
Asya. Ang mga bansang Asiatiko
na may kinatawan sa unang
pagkakataon
sa
isang
International Marian Congress
ay buhat sa India, Japan, Korea,
China at Pilipinas. Nakilala na
marami nang pagpapakita ang
Mahal na Birhen sa iba’t ibang dako
ng Asia. Hindi kaya tanda ito na
tama ang sabi ng yumaong Papa
(IN)FORMATION
Juan Pablo II na ang oras ng Asia
ay sumapit na? Maraming panayam
at mga mungkahi ang lumabas sa
Kongreso Marianong iyon. Higit
sa lahat ay ang pasiya na magdaos
ng kaunaunahang Kongreso
Mariano sa Asia at ito ay sa ika-11
hanggang ika-16 ng Setyembre
2009 dito sa Lipa. Asahan natin na
ang pagdiriwang ng ika-6 na
National Pilgrimage to Lipa for
Peace and Reconciliation in the
Nation and the World and the
Sanctification of the Clergy ay
sasaksihan ng maraming mga
dayuhang namumuno sa simbahan
sa Asia. Malamang ang mga
panayam sa ika-12 ng Setyembre
ay ibibigay ng mga International
Experts. Ipagdasal natin ito at
pagtulungan. Ito’y malaking
karangalan para sa Arsidiyosesis.
Higit sa lahat aking
nababanaagan na ang ating
simbahang lokal ay unti-unting
HOUSE BILL... P. 7
6. Prevention and management of
reproductive tract infections (RTIs),
HIV/AIDS and other sexually
transmittable infections (STIs);
7. Elimination of violence against
women;
8. Education and counseling on
sexuality and sexual and reproductive
health;
9. Treatment
of
breast
and
reproductive tract cancers and other
gynecological conditions;
10. Male involvement and participation
in reproductive health;
11. Prevention and treatment of
infertility and sexual dysfunction;
and
12. Reproductive health education for
the youth.
h. Reproductive Health Education REFERS TO [is] the process of
acquiring complete, accurate and
relevant information on all matters
relating to the reproductive system,
its functions and processes and
human sexuality; and forming
attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual
identity, interpersonal relationships,
affection, intimacy and gender roles.
It also includes developing the
necessary skills to be able to
distinguish between facts and myths
on sex and sexuality; and critically
evaluate and discuss the moral,
religious, social and cultural
dimensions of related sensitive issues
such as contraception and abortion.
i. Male involvement and participation
- refers to the involvement,
participation, commitment and
joint responsibility of men with
women in all areas of sexual and
reproductive health, as well as
reproductive health concerns
specific to men.
j. Reproductive tract infection (RTI)
– [includes] REFERS TO sexually
transmitted infections, sexually
transmitted diseases and other types
of infections affecting the
reproductive system.
k. Basic Emergency Obstetric Care REFERS TO lifesaving services for
maternal complication being
provided by a health facility or
professional[,] which must include
the following six signal functions:
administration
of
parenteral
antibiotics; administration of
parenteral
oxytocic
drugs;
administration
of
parenteral
anticonvulsants for pre-eclampsia
and eclampsia; manual removal of
placenta; and assisted vaginal
delivery.
l. Comprehensive
Emergency
Obstetric Care - REFERS TO basic
emergency obstetric care plus two
other signal functions: performance
of caesarean section and blood
transfusion.
m. Maternal Death Review - refers to a
qualitative and in-depth study of the
causes of maternal death with the
primary purpose of preventing
future deaths through changes or
additions to programs, plans and
policies.
n. Skilled Attendant - REFERS TO an
accredited health professional such
as a licensed midwife, doctor or nurse
who has adequate proficiency and
the skills to manage normal
(uncomplicated)
pregnancies,
childbirth and the immediate
postnatal period, and in the
identification, management and
referral of complication in women
and newborns.
o. Skilled Attendance - REFERS TO
childbirth managed by a skilled
attendant under the enabling
conditions of a functional
emergency obstetric care and referral
system.
p. Development - [is] REFERS TO a
multi-dimensional process involving
major changes in social structures,
popular attitudes, and national
institutions as well as the
acceleration of economic growth,
the reduction of inequality and the
eradication of widespread poverty.
q. Sustainable Human Development REFERS TO the totality of the
process of expanding human choices
by enabling people to enjoy long,
healthy and productive lives,
affording them access to resources
needed for a decent standard of living
and assuring continuity and
acceleration of development by
achieving a balance between and
among a manageable population,
adequate resources and a healthy
environment.
r. Population Development - REFERS
TO a program that aims to: (1) help
couples and parents achieve their
desired family size; (2) improve
reproductive health of individuals by
addressing reproductive health
problems; (3) contribute to decreased
maternal and infant mortality rates
and early child mortality; (4) reduce
incidence of teenage pregnancy; and
(5) enable government to achieve a
balanced population distribution.
SEC. 5. The Commission on
Population (POPCOM). – Pursuant
to the herein declared policy, the
Commission on Population (POPCOM)
shall serve as the central planning,
coordinating, implementing and
monitoring body for the comprehensive
and integrated policy on reproductive
health and population development. In
the implementation of this policy,
POPCOM, which shall be an attached
agency of the Department of Health
(DOH) shall have the following
functions:
a. To create an enabling environment
for women and couples to make an
informed choice regarding the
family planning method that is best
suited to their needs and personal
convictions;
b. To integrate on a continuing basis
the interrelated reproductive health
and population development agenda
into a national policy, taking into
account regional and local concerns;
c. To provide the mechanism to ensure
active and full participation of the
private sector and the citizenry
through their organizations in the
planning and implementation of
reproductive health care and
population development programs
and projects;
d. To ensure people’s access to
medically safe, legal, quality and
affordable reproductive health goods
nakikilala hindi lamang sa Pilipinas,
kung hindi sa buong mundo na
isang pook ng Banalakbay. Ito ay
hindi kagagawan nating mga Tao.
Ito ay ninanais ng Diyos at ng
Mahal na Ina. Sana maging karapatdapat tayo sa magandang layunin
ng langit para sa ating arsidiyosesis.
Ang mga mananampalataya ng Lipa
ang unang dapat maging masigasig
na taga-ganap ng malimit na
Banalakbay sa ating lugar. Bago
matapos ang taon 2008 ay isisiwalat
natin ang mga simbahan ng ating
Arsidiosesis kung saan ay
makakamtan ang biyayang pangjubileo mula ika-10 ng abril 2010
hanggang ika-9 ng abril 2011.
Sana’y
sama-sama
natin
paghandaan ang matiniding
panahong ito kung kailan ang
Arsidiyosesis ng Lipa ay magiging
puntahan ng napakaraming
nagnanais magdaos ng Banalakbay.
#UB
and services;
e. To facilitate the involvement and
participation of non-government
organizations and the private sector
in reproductive health care service
delivery and in the production,
distribution and delivery of quality
reproductive health and family
planning supplies and commodities
to make them accessible and
affordable to ordinary citizens;
f. To
fully
implement
the
Reproductive Health Care Program
with the following components:
(1) Reproductive health education
including but not limited to
counseling on the full range of legal
and medically-safe family planning
methods including surgical methods;
(2) Maternal, peri-natal and post-natal
education, care and services;
(3) Promotion of breastfeeding;
(4) Promotion of male involvement,
participation and responsibility in
reproductive health as well as other
reproductive health concerns of
men;
(5) Prevention of abortion and
management of post-abortion
complications; and
(6) Provision of information and
services addressing the reproductive
health needs of the poor, senior
citizens, women in prostitution,
differently-abled persons, and
women and children in war AND
crisis situations.
g. To ensure that reproductive health
services are delivered with a full
range of supplies, facilities and
equipment and that service
providers are adequately trained for
reproductive health care;
h. To endeavor to furnish local Family
Planning Offices with appropriate
information and resources to keep
the latter updated on current studies
and research relating to family
planning, responsible parenthood,
breastfeeding and infant nutrition;
i. To direct all public hospitals to make
available to indigent mothers who
deliver their children in these
government hospitals, upon the
mother’s request, the procedure of
ligation without cost to her;
j. To recommend the enactment of
legislation and adoption of executive
measures that will strengthen and
enhance the national policy on
reproductive health and population
development;
k. To ensure a massive and sustained
information drive on responsible
parenthood and on all methods and
techniques to prevent unwanted,
unplanned
and
mistimed
pregnancies, it shall release
information bulletins on the same
for nationwide circulation to all
government departments, agencies
and
instrumentalities,
nongovernment organizations and the
private sector, schools, public and
private libraries, tri-media outlets,
workplaces, hospitals and concerned
health institutions;
l. To strengthen the capacities of
health regulatory agencies to ensure
safe, high-quality, accessible, and
affordable reproductive health
services and commodities with the
XHOUSE BILL... P. 9
SEPTEMBER 2008
An Open Letter
from an ex-seminarian
September 8, 2008
Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Heart
MCSH Motherhouse, Sabang, Lipa City,
Philippines 4217
Dearest Community,
May the Peace of the Divine Lord be with you all!
I was one of the lucky recipients of the services of one of the
MCSH sisters from your community, the late Sr. Mary
Purificacion†, who had just died a few years ago (if I’m not
mistaken). I would be regarding her as a saint in the future, if
God will. I would be wishing for a bit of forgiveness for all the
sins of omissions and commissions I’ve done under her tutelage
as a principal in the St. Francis de Sales Minor Seminary that
contributed to her earlier demise due to poor health in Lipa City.
I was trying to be the best seminarian in my own time. In this
sense, I would be wishing also for the forgiveness of my fellow
seminarians who almost (accidentally) contributed to her health
failure while studying in the seminary under her tutelage. I
should’ve been a good and holy priest without my co-seminarians but the mysterious but perfect God may not let it happen. I
did my best but unfortunately, the test of times ended up with a
very poor health. And up until now, I am struggling to live with
my respiratory diseases because of seminary formation during
our time. I hope that what happened in the seminary may not
happen again in the future for a seminarian’s death could mean
a demise of one of the Roman Catholic Church’s greatest commandment: to love neighbors as self. It was martyrdom but without the Spirit of God, death would mean sin.
Secondly, I would want to thank God for the love He gave
me through your Religious Order, the Missionary Catechist of
the Sacred Heart. It was through Msgr. Alfredo’s hands that God
gave this precious gift of a lifetime: holiness where people in the
Philippines may learn to live with after the Holiness of God the
Son made man. And it was the exemplary of Sr. Puri that I learned
to live in the spirit of simplicity of heart and mind. Perhaps,
without the existence and presence of the Monsignor’s founded
order, I would’ve been one with the dead as early as High School.
Sacrificing her whole life for the sake of God would be enough
for giving me (as a seminarian) to hold on to God and do His
Divine will for the rest of my life and that would be holiness.
Thirdly, through the Religious Order Msgr. Alfredo left us
before his demise, through the blessings of God, under the Supervision of Sister Puri for four years, I discovered all the consequences of all my acts in the High School seminary and I admire the Religious Order for that. Up until now, I am still waiting for God’s call for priesthood and I found happiness while
waiting. It was these four years of waiting that strengthen me to
be one of the witnesses of Christian faith that up until now still
permeates in my soul that transform me to become a true Christian. Waiting is tough. But through this sacrifice that I learn to
sacrifice my one and only life for the love of my neighbors, be it
a violator or an exemplar of goodness and of faith. I was reflecting and meditating nowadays the death of the Son of God.
And imitating this form of act is not impossible nowadays. I
found this millennium as the moments where martyrs and saints
go hand in hand towards one unified goal: being with God by
imitating how to die like God without the wooden crucifix. I
experienced it before two times in a row and saying my last words
in the emergency room gave me a new space to put some more
oxygen inside my air sacs. This miraculous death of God saved
me from death twice and I can’t forget that dialogue with God
while I lied down in the emergency room, losing oxygen, and
almost convulsing, and struggling to find God in the midst of
the shadow of death that almost conquered the presence of God
in my mind. I forgot God that dark night and this forgetfulness
would be the culprit why humans die up until now. I believe that
humans can live more than a thousand years if and only if they
would not forget God in their own lives just like the belief of the
immortality of Patriarch Moses and the Blessed Virgin Mary. I
should’ve died like a normal human but with the presence of
God in my mind, eternal happiness is not difficult to reach. It’s
in the tip of our minds every day.
Finally, I would want to thank Bishop Alfredo F. Verzosa’s
Religious Order that through his initiative, he produced a Sr.
Purificacion who let me wait inside the seminary for four years.
And ‘dying’ like that inside the seminary, helped me train myself
to pray while dying in the emergency room. I hope that if this
happen again, seeing God face to face would mean a perfect
score again in my Latin exams.
Thank you again and more power to your Religious Order!
Thanks to Bishop Alfredo and Sister Purificacion! Eternal
rest grant unto them O Lord, and let the Perpetual Light shine
upon them. May they rest in peace, Amen!
Yours in Christ,
Emmanuel C. Tio (Batch 1997)
SFS Minor Seminary, Lipa City
SEPTEMBER 2008
HOUSE BILL... P. 9
concurrent strengthening and
enforcement of regulatory mandates
and mechanisms;
m. To take active steps to expand the
coverage of the National Health
Insurance
Program
(NHIP),
especially among poor and
marginalized women, to include the
full range of reproductive health
services and supplies as health
insurance benefits; and
n. To perform such other functions
necessary to attain the purposes of
this Act.
The membership of the Board of
Commissioners of POPCOM shall
consist of the heads of the following
AGENCIES:
1. National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA)
2. Department of Health (DOH)
3. Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD)
4. Department
of
Labor
and
Employment (DOLE)
5. Department of Agriculture (DA)
6. Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG)
7. Department of Education (DepEd)
8. Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR)
9. Commission on Higher Education
(CHED)
10. University of the Philippines
Population Institute (UPPI)
11. Union of Local Authorities of the
Philippines (ULAP)
12. National Anti-Poverty Commission
(NAPC)
13. National Commission on the Role
of Filipino Women (NCRFW)
14. National Youth Commission (NYC)
In addition to the aforementioned
members, there shall be three private
sector representatives to the Board of
Commissioners of POPCOM who shall
come from NGOs. There shall be one
(1) representative each from women,
youth and health sectors who have a
proven track record of involvement in
the promotion of reproductive health.
These representatives shall be nominated
in a process determined by the abovementioned sectors, and to be appointed
by the President for a term of three (3)
years.
SEC. 6. Midwives for Skilled
Attendance – Every city and
municipality shall endeavor to employ
adequate number of midwives or other
skilled attendants to achieve a minimum
ratio of one (1) for every ONE
HUNDRED FIFTY (150) deliveries per
year, to be based on the average annual
number of actual deliveries or live births
for the past two years.
SEC. 7. Emergency Obstetric Care –
Each province and city shall endeavor
to ensure the establishment and
operation of hospitals with adequate and
qualified personnel that provide
emergency obstetric care. For every
500,000 population, there shall be at
least one (1) hospital for comprehensive
emergency obstetric care and four (4)
hospitals for basic emergency obstetric
care.
SEC. 8. Maternal Death Review – All
[Local Government Units (]LGUs[)],
national and local government hospitals,
and other public health units shall
conduct maternal death review in
accordance with the guidelines to be
issued by the DOH in consultation with
the POPCOM.
SEC. 9. Hospital-Based Family
Planning –Tubal ligation, vasectomy,
INTRAUTERINE
DEVICE
INSERTION and other family planning
methods requiring hospital services shall
be available in all national and local
government hospitals, except in
specialty hospitals which may render
such services on an optional basis. [Such
services shall be covered by PhilHealth
benefits and government funding for
financial assistance to indigent
patients.] For indigent patients, such
services shall be fully covered by
PhilHealth insurance and/or government
financial assistance.
[The cost of tubal ligation, vasectomy
and intrauterine device insertion for
indigent clients shall be fully subsidized
by PhilHealth.]
SEC. 10. Contraceptives as Essential
Medicines. – Hormonal contraceptives,
intrauterine devices, injectables and
other allied reproductive health products
and supplies shall be considered under
the category of essential medicines and
supplies which shall form part of the
NEWS & EVENTS
National Drug Formulary and the same
shall be included in the regular purchase
of essential medicines and supplies of all
national and local hospitals and other
government health units.
SEC. 11. Mobile Health Care
Service. – Each Congressional District
shall be provided with a van to be known
as the Mobile Health Care Service
(MHCS) to deliver health care goods and
services to its constituents, more
particularly to the poor and needy, as
well as disseminate knowledge and
information on reproductive health:
Provided, That reproductive health
education shall be conducted by
competent and adequately trained
persons preferably reproductive health
care providers: Provided, further, That
the full range of family planning
methods, both natural and modern, shall
be promoted.
The acquisition, operation and
maintenance of the MHCS shall be
funded from the Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF) of each
Congressional District.
The MHCS shall be adequately
equipped with a wide range of
reproductive health care materials and
information dissemination devices and
equipment, the latter including but not
limited to, a television set for audiovisual presentation.
SEC. 12. Mandatory Age-Appropriate
Reproductive Health Education. Recognizing the importance of
reproductive
health
rights
in
empowering the youth and developing
them into
responsible adults,
Reproductive Health Education in an
age-appropriate manner shall be taught
by adequately trained teachers starting
from Grade 5 up to Fourth Year High
School. In order to assure the prior
training of teachers on reproductive
health, the implementation of
Reproductive Health Education shall
commence at the start of the school
year one year following the effectivity
of this Act. The POPCOM, in
coordination with the Department of
Education, shall formulate the
Reproductive
Health
Education
curriculum, which shall be common to
both public and private schools and shall
include related population and
development concepts in addition to the
following subjects and standards:
a. Reproductive health and sexual
rights;
b. Reproductive health care and
services;
c. Attitudes, beliefs and values on
sexual development, sexual behavior
and sexual health;
d. Proscription and hazards of abortion
and management of post-abortion
complications;
e. Responsible parenthood;
f. Use and application of natural and
modern family planning methods to
promote reproductive health,
achieve desired family size and
prevent unwanted, unplanned and
mistimed pregnancies;
g. Abstinence before marriage;
h. Prevention and treatment of HIV/
AIDS and other STIs/STDs, prostate
cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer
and other gynecological disorders;
i. Responsible sexuality; and
j. Maternal, peri-natal and post-natal
education, care and services
In support of the natural and primary
right of parents in the rearing of the
youth, the POPCOM shall provide
concerned parents with adequate and
relevant scientific materials on the ageappropriate topics and manner of
teaching reproductive health education
to their children.
In the elementary level, reproductive
health education shall focus, among
others, on values formation.
Non-formal education programs
shall
likewise
include
the
abovementioned Reproductive Health
Education.
SEC. 13. Additional Duty of Family
Planning Office. - Each local Family
Planning Office shall furnish for free
instructions and information on family
breastfeeding and infant nutrition family
to all applicants for marriage license.
SEC. 14. Certificate of Compliance.
– No marriage license shall be issued by
the Local Civil Registrar unless the
applicants present a Certificate of
Compliance issued for free by the local
Family Planning Office certifying that
they had duly received adequate
instructions and information on family
breastfeeding and infant nutrition.
SEC. 15. Capability Building of
Community-Based
Volunteer
Workers.
–
Community-based
volunteer workers, like but not limited
to, Barangay Health Workers, shall
undergo additional and updated training
on the delivery of reproductive health
care services and shall receive not less
than 10% increase in honoraria upon
successful completion of training. The
increase in honoraria shall be funded from
the Gender and Development (GAD)
budget of the National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA),
Department of Health (DOH) and the
Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG).
SEC. 16. Ideal Family Size. – The
State shall assist couples, parents and
individuals to achieve their desired
family size within the context of
responsible parenthood for sustainable
development and encourage them to
have two children as the ideal family
size. Attaining the ideal family size is
neither mandatory nor compulsory. No
punitive action shall be imposed on
parents having more than two children.
SEC.
17.
Employers’
Responsibilities. – Employers shall
respect the reproductive health rights
of all their workers. Women shall not be
discriminated against in the matter of
hiring, regularization of employment
status or selection for retrenchment.
All
Collective
Bargaining
Agreements (CBAs) shall provide for the
free delivery by the employer of
reasonable quantity of reproductive
health care services, supplies and devices
to all workers, more particularly women
workers. In establishments or enterprises
where there are no CBAs or where the
employees are unorganized, the
employer shall have the same obligation.
SEC. 18. Support of Private and Nongovernment Health Care Service
Providers. - Pursuant to Section 5(b)
hereof, private reproductive health care
service providers, including but not
limited
to
gynecologists
and
obstetricians, are encouraged to join
their colleagues in non-government
organizations in rendering such services
free of charge or at reduced professional
fee rates to indigent and low income
patients.
SEC. 19. Multi-Media Campaign.
POPCOM shall initiate and sustain an
intensified nationwide multi-media
campaign to raise the level of public
awareness on the urgent need to protect
and promote reproductive health and
rights.
SEC. 20. Reporting Requirements. Before the end of April of each year,
the DOH shall submit an annual report
to the President of the Philippines, the
President of the Senate and the Speaker
of the House of Representatives on a
definitive and comprehensive assessment
of the implementation of this Act and
shall
make
the
necessary
recommendations for executive and
legislative action. The report shall be
posted in the website of DOH and printed
copies shall be made available to all
stakeholders.
SEC. 21. Prohibited Acts. – The
following acts are prohibited:
a) Any health care service provider,
whether public or private, who
shall:
1. Knowingly
withhold
information or impede the
dissemination thereof, and/or
intentionally provide incorrect
information regarding programs
and services on reproductive
health including the right to
informed choice and access to a
full range of legal, medically-safe
and effective family planning
methods;
2. Refuse to perform voluntary
ligation and vasectomy and
other legal and medically-safe
reproductive health care services
on any person of legal age on
the ground of lack of spousal
consent or authorization.
3. Refuse to provide reproductive
health care services to an abused
minor, whose abused condition
is certified by the proper official
or personnel of the Department
of
Social
Welfare
and
Development (DSWD) or to
duly DSWD-certified abused
pregnant minor on whose case
no parental consent is necessary.
4. Fail
to
provide,
either
deliberately or through gross or
inexcusable
negligence,
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9
reproductive health care services
as mandated under this Act, the
Local Government Code of
1991, the Labor Code, and
Presidential Decree 79, as
amended; and
5. Refuse to extend reproductive
health care services and
information on account of the
patient’s civil status, gender or
sexual orientation, age, religion,
personal circumstances, and
nature of work: Provided, That
all conscientious objections of
health care service providers
based on religious grounds shall
be respected: Provided, further,
That the conscientious objector
shall immediately refer the
person seeking such care and
services to another health care
service provider within the same
facility or one which is
conveniently
accessible:
Provided, finally, That the
patient is not in an emergency
or serious case as defined in RA
8344 penalizing the refusal of
hospitals and medical clinics to
administer appropriate initial
medical treatment and support
in emergency and serious cases.
b) Any public official who prohibits or
restricts personally or through a
subordinate the delivery of legal and
medically-safe reproductive health
care services, including family
planning;
c) Any employer who shall fail to
comply with his obligation under
Section 17 of this Act or an employer
who requires a female applicant or
employee, as a condition for
employment
or
continued
employment, to involuntarily
undergo sterilization, tubal ligation
or any other form of contraceptive
method;
d) Any person who shall falsify a
certificate of compliance as required
in Section 14 of this Act; and
e) Any person who maliciously engages
in disinformation about the intent
or provisions of this Act.
SEC. 22. Penalties. - The proper city
or municipal court shall exercise
jurisdiction over violations of this Act
and the accused who is found guilty shall
be sentenced to an imprisonment ranging
from one (1) month to six (6) months
or a fine ranging from Ten Thousand
Pesos (P10,000.00) to Fifty Thousand
Pesos (P50,000.00) or both such fine
and imprisonment at the discretion of
the court. If the offender is a juridical
person, the penalty shall be imposed
upon the president, treasurer, secretary
or any responsible officer. An offender
who is an alien shall, after service of
sentence, be deported immediately
without further proceedings by the
Bureau of Immigration. An offender who
is a public officer or employee shall suffer
the accessory penalty of dismissal from
the government service.
Violators of this Act shall be civilly
liable to the offended party in such
amount at the discretion of the proper
court.
SEC. 23. Appropriations. – The
amounts appropriated in the current
annual General Appropriations Act for
reproductive health and family planning
under the DOH and POPCOM together
with ten percent (10%) of the Gender
and Development (GAD) budgets of all
government departments, agencies,
bureaus, offices and instrumentalities
funded in the annual General
Appropriations Act in accordance with
Republic Act No. 7192 (Women in
Development and Nation-building Act)
and Executive Order No. 273
(Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive
Development 1995-2025) shall be
allocated and utilized for the
implementation of this Act. Such
additional sums as may be necessary for
the effective implementation of this Act
shall be included in the subsequent years’
General Appropriations Acts.
SEC. 24. Implementing Rules and
Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days
from the effectivity of this Act, the
Department of Health shall promulgate,
after thorough consultation with the
Commission on Population (POPCOM),
the National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA), concerned nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and
known reproductive health advocates,
the requisite implementing rules and
regulations.
SEC. 25. Separability Clause. – If
any part, section or provision of this
Act is held invalid or unconstitutional,
other provisions not affected thereby
shall remain in full force and effect.
SEC. 26. Repealing Clause. – All laws,
decrees, orders, issuances, rules and
regulations contrary to or inconsistent
with the provisions of this Act are hereby
repealed, amended or modified
accordingly.
SEC. 27. Effectivity. – This Act shall
take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers
of national circulation.
Approved,
fn: RH Substitute Bill 26-May-08
1:27PM
IBM/Mydocs/Substitute Bill
MISCONCEPTIONS... P. 7
test to examine samples from each batch
of condoms for leakage. If the test detects
a defect rate of more than 4 per 1,000,
the entire lot is discarded. The agency
also encourages manufacturers to test
samples of their products for breakage
by using an air burst test in accordance
with specifications of the International
Standards Organization.’ [Mike Kubic,
New Ways to Prevent and Treat AIDS,
in FDA Consumer, Jan-Feb 1997
(revised May 1997 and Jan 1998;
available at http://www.fda.gov/fdac/
features/1997/197_aids.html).]
“If four leaking condoms are allowed
in every batch of 1,000, there could be
hundreds of thousands or even millions
of leaking condoms circulating all over
the world, either sold or distributed for free,
and most probably contributing to the spread
of HIV/AIDS and STD’s. Does the public
know this? Does the public know that the
risks increase the more often and the more
promiscuously one is exposed, considering
the cumulative risk factor, as explained
earlier?”
[from Family Values Versus Safe Sex. A
Reflection by His Eminence, Alfonso Cardinal
López Trujillo (then President of the Pontifical
Council for the Family), December 1, 2003.
Note that the first paragraph above came from
the US Food and Drug Administration
website.]
M: Condoms are effective in preventing
the spread of HIV/AIDS in a country.
C: “In Thailand and in the Philippines, the
first HIV/AIDS cases were reported in
1984; by 1987, Thailand had 112 cases,
while the Philippines had more, with 135
cases. Today, in the year 2003, there
are around 750,000 cases in Thailand,
where the 100% Condom Use
Program had relatively great
success. On the other hand, there
are only 1,935 cases in the
Philippines - and this, considering
that the Philippines’ population is
Condoms have high failure rate even
against pregnancy and thus do not
guarantee protection against AIDS and
other STD’s. Tubal ligation and
vasectomy (especially targeting the
poor) leave couples without the chance
to have more children (for example, in
case of improved economic situation, or
death of their present children) and little
or no support in their old age.
Hence, it is the right of the citizens
to be forewarned of these, even in the form
of government warnings, as in the case of
cigarette smoking (“is dangerous for your
health”), alcohol (“drink moderately”), and
infant milk formulae (“mother’s milk is best
for babies under two years old”)—not out
of religious concerns, but as part of
consumers’ rights.
Possible warnings could state:
“CONDOMS DO NOT GUARANTEE
PROTECTION FROM AIDS AND OTHER
STD’S”, “PILLS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO
CAUSE CANCER AND ABORTION OF 5DAY OLD BABIES,” and, “IUD’S MAY
CAUSE TRAUMA OF THE UTERUS AND
ABORTION OF 5-DAY OLD BABIES,” etc.
(For the medical data on these dangerous
drugs and devices, see also John Wilks, A
Consumer’s Guide to the Pill and Other
Drugs, 3 rd Ed., National Bookstore, Inc.,
Manila 2000.)
Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II,
in denouncing systematic antichildbearing campaigns, described
poisoning the lives of defenseless human
beings as similar to a form of “chemical
warfare” (Paul VI, Address to the participants
of the World Food Conference, Nov. 4, 1974.
Pope John Paul II, Centessimus Annus, no.
39).
M: Condoms have no holes. They
provide truly safe sex, as advertised.
C: “‘Condom manufacturers in the United
States electronically test all condoms for
holes and weak spots. In addition, FDA
requires manufacturers to use a water
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10 Batangan
(IN)FORMATION
tinubos nila siya sa pag-aalay ng
batu-bato – ang alay ng mahirap,
ang alay ng aba sa lipunang Judio.
Si Maria ay Ina ng Mahirap na
Anak ng Diyos
Totoong kahanga-hanga na si
Maria, ang ordinaryong dalaga ng
Nazareth, ay siyang pinili ng Diyos
upang maging Ina ni Jesus, Anak
ng Diyos subalit naging mahirap.
Si Jesus na dinala sa sinapupunan
ni Maria ay Diyos na iniwan ang
Kanyang kaluwalhatian at inangkin
ang abang kalikasan ng tao.
Isinilang sa Bethlehem at inihiga
sa isang sabsaban. Siya ay
lumaking anak ni Jose, ang
karpintero ng Nazareth. Siya ang
sinugo upang magpahayag ng
paghahari ng Diyos sa buong
sambahayan ng Israel, kaya’t siya
ay nabuhay na pagala-gala at ayon
na rin sa Kanya “wala man lang
mahiligan ng kanyang ulo.” Siya
ang Anak ni Maria – dakila sa
Kanyang mga pangaral at himala
subalit nabuhay na dukha at
namatay na walang dangal sa
pagkapako sa krus.
Si Maria, Ina ng mga Mahihirap
Kung minahal at kinalinga ni
Maria si Jesus na kanyang
‘mahirap’ na Anak, natatangi rin
para kay Maria ang mga mahihirap,
noon at ngayon, sa mundong ito.
Kapuna-puna na ang mga
kinaharap ni Maria sa kanyang
mga kinikilalang pagpapakita o
apparition ay ang mga taong payak at
mahirap sa buhay. Ang kanyang
maka-inang pagkalinga sa mga
mahihirap ay ipinakita na niya
noon pa man sa Cana ng Galilea –
sa isang kasalan ng marahil ay
mahirap ding magnobyo at nobya
sapagkat di nga sagana ang
kanilang handa. Sa kanyang
matalas na pakiramdam sa
pangangailangan ng iba ay
napansin niya ang nalalapit na
pagkaubos ng alak at siya na ang
lumapit kay Jesus upang sabihin:
“Wala silang alak.” At naging
dahilan ito ng unang himala ni
Jesus para sa nangangailangang
tao.
Si Maria at ang Pondong
Batangan
Sa mga naunang pagpapahayag
hindi malayo bagkus ay marapat
lamang na sabihing tiyak na
malapit din sa puso ni Maria ang
Pondong Batangan. Wala ngang
Pondong Batangan sa panahon ni
Maria at Jesus subalit maliwanag
na ang buhay ni Maria at Jesus ang
siyang nagbibigay kahulugan at
kabanalan sa Pondong Batangan.
Kung hindi gayun, ang Pondong
Batangan ay katulad na rin lamang
ng maraming panawagan na
magbigay sa mga mahirap at
nangangailangan. Marami na
ngayong pamanhikan at advocacy
para sa pagbibigay upang
makatulong sa iba’t ibang
pangangailangan o layunin. Ang
kultura ng makataong pagbibigay
o philanthropy ay pinagsisikapang
pairalin ngayon dala ng laganap na
kahirapan
at
maraming
panganganilangan ng tao na dapat
tugunan. Maging ang sugal tulad
ng sweepstakes, lotto at STL ay
ginamit na rin upang hikayatin ang
Pilipino upang makatulong sa mga
mahirap at maysakit. Subalit sa
Kristiano at mamamayang
Batangueño dapat ay malinaw na
si Maria ay inspirasyon upang
mabuhay na may damdaming
maka-mahirap,
pusong
mapagbigay
para
sa
nangangailangan at kamay na may
kahandaan tumulong upang
maiangat ang antas ng buhay ng
kanyang kababayan.
Ang
mapagligtas na pag-ibig ni Jesus
at ang maka-inang pagkalinga ni
Maria ay sapat-sapat na dahilan
upang ang bawat Batangueño ay
mag-Pondong Batangan. #UB
The volume of Filipinos going abroad has never stopped
accelerating over the past five years. Batanguenos continue to leave
the country looking for greener pastures to live a better life as
individuals and families. More and more students prefer to take
courses that will help them land jobs abroad than here in our
country. Sad to say, most of the time they are only focused in the
financial rewards rather than the development of essential values
of our great Christian and Filipino traditions.
Much had been said regarding the tremendous effects of migration
in the family, society and economy. Less had been mentioned
regarding the missionary dimension of migration. From Archbishop
Ramon C. Arguelles, D.D., migrants develop a new direction apart
from just working and earning abroad for themselves and their
families. They become the new missionaries of the new generation.
Migrant Filipinos are filling the churches and they are taking the
reins of the parish leaderships abroad wherever they are.
Indirectly, while bringing with them their Catholic faith, they carry
with them the story of Jesus to their working area. Their Catholic
culture and traditions come indirectly in the way they relate with
people and how they do their work. Directly, they actively participate
in many different church activities and mandated organizations
involved in different apostolate and ministries. Here, they do
missionary work.
Of course the role of the missionaries, remain to be the vital
aspect of the church mission of bringing the Good News to the rest
of the world, to people and nations who are not yet evangelized.
But with limited vocations to mission, the Filipino migrants are going
around the world bringing their faith and gospel values as part of
the missionary spirit of the church. Their training begins in their
home and in their parishes and schools they came from. They learn
the basic tenets of faith; and when properly guided and formed in
the schools and in the parishes, they become a very important
resource of mission in the church today.
It is ironic that now after being evangelized by the west more
than four centuries ago, our Filipino migrants are going back there
bringing the good news and their faith experiences to the same
people who brought faith to us. It is then urgent and important that
the church, with the leadership of priests and religious, initiate
further education, training and formation of our lay people especially
those planning to work and/ or live abroad. As such, they are being
prepared to do mission. They will form a great aspect of the Church
evangelization and mission program. More and more people, more
and more Filipinos and more and more Batanguenos will spearhead
in telling the Story of Jesus and sharing their Catholic faith all around
the world.
Let us take care and guide our Batangueno migrants and their
families. When we do that, we prepare them for mission and we
take part in the missionary life of the Church even if we are here in
our Archdiocese of Lipa. #UB
Pills and IUD’s make the womb’s lining
unhabitable for the new baby. ; hence, in
case they fail in their contraceptive actions,
the five-day old baby will be unable to attach
to his or her mother’s womb. This has to be
called “abortion,” for the five-day old
baby dies in the process, and such
action of pills and IUD’s is called
“abortifacient.”
M: Natural methods are not effective
C: The modern natural methods (e.g.,
Billings, Sympto-Thermal, Basal Body
Temperature) can be more effective than
contraceptives, if they are learned and
practiced as a way of life and not as
“natural contraceptives.” Hence,
communication, love, respect, selfdiscipline, and formation in the values
are necessary for the natural methods to
work—values that are not exclusively
religious, but very human and natural as
well, and values that are not necessary
in the use of contraceptives.
The obsolete calendar and the rhythm
methods, and their modern repackagings,
should not be taught (including by the DOH)
because of their high failure rates. Withdrawal
is not a natural method, and has extremely
high failure rates.
It is sad that many doctors (including
Ob-Gyn’s) are not even familiar with many
of the facts regarding benefits of the natural
methods and the medical ills of
contraceptives.
M: The Catholic Church teaches that in
each sexual act, the couple should
aim for a new child.
C: No. Rather, the Catholic Church teaches
no action, whether before, during or after
the sexual act, should close the
possibility of new life or kill the new life
that arises.
Hence, in the woman’s infertile periods,
or if one of the spouses is sterile, the
couple may still perform the sexual act
since they do not do anything to prevent
the possibility of, or kill, new life.
M: The Reproductive Health bill does
not promote or pave the way to
abortion, since it even states that
abortion remains illegal in the
Philippines.
C: The bill does not legalize surgical
abortion, but it does PROMOTE all
types of abortion, and DOES
LEGALIZE abortion of 5-day old
babies.
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms.
h. Reproductive Health Education – is the
process of acquiring complete, accurate and
relevant information on all matters relating to
the reproductive system, its functions and
processes and human sexuality; and forming
attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual
identity, interpersonal relationships, affection,
intimacy and gender roles. It also includes
developing the necessary skills to be able to
distinguish between facts and myths on sex
and sexuality; and critically evaluate and
discuss the moral, religious, social and
cultural dimensions of related sensitive issues
such as contraception and abortion.
To “critically evaluate and discuss the
moral, religious, social and cultural dimensions
of related sensitive issues such as
contraception and abortion” paves the way
to abortion because it will present abortion
as a hypothetical (hypothetical as of now in
the Philippines, while practical in other
countries) solution to an unplanned pregnancy.
The next step will be to push for safe and
legal abortion.
This reflects the mentality presented in
some sex education modules, which could
very well go this way:
“Ang pagkontrol sa kakayahang maganak ay isang karapatang makabago para
sa kababaihan... May dalawang uri ng batas
na nagkakaroon ng impluwensiya sa gawaing
ito. Ang una ay may kinalaman sa paggamit
ng kontraseptibo, kusang-loob na pag-papaopera upang hindi magkaanak at paglalaglag
ng sanggol. Ang ilegal na paglalaglag ng
sanggol ay ipinagbabawal ng batas
sapagkat hindi makabubuti sa kalusugan
ng ina. Ang pangalawa ay nagbibigay ng
karapatan sa kababaihan sa pagpaplano ng
pamilya.”
Note than in such a formulation, illegal
abortion is considered wrong because it is
bad for the woman’s health. The child being
killed is insignificant. The solution insinuated
is to legalize abortion so that it could become
“safe”—safe for the mother (they claim, though
abortion is always traumatic for her), but not
for the baby.
Some candidly say that if legislators
and teachers insist on asking their
student to discuss the pros and cons of
abortion, then parents should also insist
on discussing the pros and cons of
killing legislators and teachers (for
example, if they are inefficient, involved
in graft and corruption, etc.).
M: The Reproductive Health bill does not
promote sexual promiscuity.
C: SEC. 4. Definition of Terms
c. Reproductive Health – the state of physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely
the absence of disease or infirmity, in all
matters relating to the reproductive system
and to its functions and processes. This
implies that people are able to have a
satisfying and safe sex life, that they have
the capability to reproduce and the freedom
to decide if, when and how often to do
Si Maria, ang Mahirap
at ang Pondong Batangan
Ginanap nitong nagdaang
September 19 at 20, 2008 ang
Archdiocesan Marian Congress kaugnay
ng ikalawang taon ng paghahanda
sa pagdiriwang ng centenario ng
Arsidiyosesis ng Lipa. Ang taong
ito ay kinilalang Taon ni Maria,
Esposa ng Espiritu Santo.
Binuksan ang taong ito sa maringal
na pagdiriwang na ginanap sa
Basilica ni San Martin ng Tours,
Taal, Batangas noong Abril 10,
2008. Nagkaroon ng mga panayam
at kaganapan – may mga panayam
at mga pagbabahagi ng mga
obispo, pari at layko. Makatawag
pansin ang pahayag ni Bishop
Teodoro Bacani nang sabihin
niyang katangi-tangi ang Marian
Congress na ito sapagkat ito lamang
sa abot ng kanyang nalalaman ang
nagbigay ng paksa: “Si Maria, Ina
ng Mahirap.”
Si Maria ay Mahirap
Si Maria ay taga-Nazaret, isang
maliit na bayan ng mga
pangkaraniwang Judio. Sabi pa nga
ni Natanael, noong hikayatin siya
ni Felipe na kilalanin si Jesus:
“May mabuti bang puwedeng
manggaling sa Nazareth?” (Juan
1:46). Walang kilalang tao sa
kasaysayan ng mga Judio na
tubong Nazareth. Si Maria ay isa
lamang sa mga ordinaryong Judio
na nanirahan sa Nazareth. Ang
kanyang pagiging mahirap,
kasama na rin si Jose, ay lumutang
pa noong dumating ang takdang
panahon na dinala ang sanggol na
si Jesus upang ialay sa Diyos
bunga ng kanyang pagiging
panganay na anak. Sinasabi sa
Banal na Kasulatan (Lukas 2:2224) na sa pagsunod sa batas
around 30% greater than Thailand’s!
Relatively low rates of condom use
by the people in general, and
staunch opposition from the Church
and a good number of government
leaders against the condom program
and sexual promiscuity, are wellknown facts in the Philippines.”
[from Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo (then
President of the Pontifical Council for the
Family, Vatican), Family Values Versus Safe
Sex, December 1, 2003. The quoted text
cites the following references: Rene Josef
Bullecer (Director of AIDS-Free Philippines),
Telling the Truth: AIDS Rates for Thailand
and the Philippines; Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines, Pastoral Letter
on AIDS: In the Compassion of Jesus,
January 23, 1993; and Jaime L. Cardinal
Sin, Pastoral Letter on Subtle Attacks against
Family and Life, July 9, 2001.]
M: The Catholic Church teaches that
contraceptives, including condoms,
cause abortion.
C: Abortion is the termination (killing) of life,
not simply of pregnancy. Life begins at
conception when the sperm and the egg
meet. Killing the new life at any moment
after this, and before it is born, is
considered abortion. The new life
develops as it goes down the fallopian
tube, and implants onto the mother’s
womb when the tiny baby is around five
days old.
Condoms do not directly cause abortion
because they prevent conception—if there is
no conception, there is nothing to kill in the
first place. But they can lead to abortion if,
because of high condom failure a woman
gets pregnant, she decides to kill the baby in
her womb.
SEPTEMBER 2008
MIGRANTS IN MISSION
so, provided that these are not against the
law.
The law will guarantee children and
teenagers (since they are “people”) the right
to have a satisfying and safe sex life with
anyone, and to decide if, when and how
often to reproduce. Hence children have
the right to have information and access to
contraceptives, and to learn all possible
options in case they get pregnant—including
abortion, which “unfortunately” (as they will
be made to feel), is still illegal.
Parents who object to this “right” act
against the law, a law which of course goes
against the parents’ inherent right to educate
their children.
M: The Reproductive Health bill will
strengthen parental rights in forming
and educating their children.
C: SEC. 3. Guiding Principles.
L. Respect for, protection and fulfillment
of reproductive health rights seek to
promote not only the rights and welfare
of adult individuals and couples but
those of adolescents’ and children’s
as well...
SEC. 4. Definition of Terms
d. Reproductive Health Rights – the rights of
individuals and couples to decide freely and
responsibly the number, spacing and timing
of their children; to make other decisions
concerning reproduction free of
discrimination, coercion and violence;
to have the information and means to carry
out their decisions; and to attain the highest
standard of sexual and reproductive health.
In the Bill, children and adolescents have
the right to have a “satisfying and safe sex
life,” and “to decide freely and responsibly
the number, spacing and timing of their
children.” In such a case parents (and
teachers, public authorities, priests, etc.) who
SEPTEMBER 2008
(IN)FORMATION
" Tadeo Dolor Medrano , Anakiko ‘ 67-72
Most dioceses all over the
Philippines consider September as
the “Vocation Month” . Many
events to promote “vocation” are
being celebrated during this
month. I guess the same holds
true to our Archdiocese of Lipa.
If I am not mistaken, there were
activities last year for vocation
promotions headed by Fr. Toter
Resuello, to name a few - visited
various schools in the different
parishes, conducted “Life
Direction Seminars” which were
attended by college students and
young professionals, organized
sportsfest for the members of the
Knights of the Altar.
I wonder how ANAKIKOS can
help in this vocation campaign.
Every year, Anakiko-silver
jubilarians hold fund-raising
activities to raise money and help
our beloved ALMA MATER. If I
may suggest, maybe, Anakiko
do not want children to have sex with
classmates will be going against the children’s
rights, and hence they can be considered as
“coercing” the children to stay away from
sex. Earlier bills have even proposed
fines and/or imprisonment for similar
acts; this is indicative of their real
intentions.
In some countries, school clinics are
prohibited from informing parents if their child
seeks or has undergone abortion, whereas
they are required to do so for treatment of a
minor wound.
Reproductive health rights will therefore
weaken parental authority and rights over
the upbringing of their children. Children are
brainwashed into this promiscuous, antiparent, and anti-authority mentality through
Value-free sex education modules.
M: The Reproductive Health bill is an
original
idea
of
Filipino
Congressmen.
C: Reproductive Health bills are pushed by
the PLCPD (Philippine Legislators’
Committee for Population and
Development), a foreign funded NGO
with offices questionably located in
Congress, precisely where our laws are
made. This is in complete violation of
our national sovereignty and our profamily and pro-life Constitution. PLCPD
has access to formidable financial
Batch 84 and thereafter can at
least plan/fulfill a project related
to vocation campaign, not just by
contributing cash.. After all, our
ultimate goal is to invite potential
recruits with vocation to study
and be part of SFS Minor
Seminary. We can hold a PBA
basketball game featuring Ginebra
team vs. any other PBA team
(even outside September month)
here in Batangas province; then
during halftime, we can announce
to the watching/viewing public
the real purpose of sponsoring
such game, that is, BE AN
ANAKIKO. Or we can sponsor a
concert
featuring both
KAPAMILYA and KAPUSO
celebrities or homegrown talents.
Each song they render should be
accompanied by a “vocation
campaign” message. That’s right,
make use of Mass Media, identify
ways of how to use its various
forms and identify our target
resources (including the P2 billion budget
this year), and is backed by a powerful
conglomerate of NGO’s (see A Manifesto
of Filipino Families on July 25, 2008).
M : The Reproductive Health bill
promotes health.
C: “We would rather call them the
‘reproductive death’ bills. They are totally
silent on the aforementioned ills which
will bring DEATH not only to the body,
but to the person, family and society as
well: D-ivorce E-uthanasia A-bortion Tyrannical population control Homosexual unions” (A Manifesto of
Filipino Families on July 25, 2008).
M: Filipino families cannot do anything
to stop the Reproductive Death bills.
C: “A Call to Defend the Filipino Family
against the Reproductive ‘Health’
Bills
We call on all Filipino Families to defend
ourselves by defending life. We have so far
succeeded in foiling many of the attempts of
our lawmakers to enact reproductive health
statutes. We believe they are being enticed
by monetary and other compensations, but
we hope that they will see the grim reality
behind reproductive ‘health’. But now could
be our last chance. Many countries have
fallen into the subtle and the blatant attacks
against their families. It is time to organize
ourselves better and pressure our leaders to
come up with pro-family and pro-life legislation
audience not only for vocation
promotion but for raising the level
of spirituality of the Christian
community. As a saying goes “Communication can persuade; it
can move people and it can
change their behavior and the way
they feel about things. If people
respond to communications of
products and causes, then all the
more we should use it for vocation
promotion” .
Also, vocation month is a special
time for us to remember all brother
priests, deacons and the
consecrated persons with joy and
thanksgiving. Mabuhay ang mga
PARI! May their tribe increase!!!!
TIDBITS
There is a suggestion that come
ANAKIKO
Reunion/
Homecoming, we elect/choose
“Mr. ANAKIKO 2008”.
***
Happy Birthday to the longest
serving RECTOR in the history of
SFS Minor Seminary, Fr. Totit
Mandanas!!!! So far, I consider
him the most famous ANAKIKO
of all time. Everybody (from Batch
60s to the youngest Anakikos
belonging to batch 2007) knows
him, adulate and have high regard
for him. #UB
and programs.
We call on all men and women of good
will, of all creeds, social standing, and political
affiliations, to further promote the family. Let
us patronize family-safe establishments, and
complain to our civil authorities against those
offering drugs, gambling, pornography and
prostitution, especially those surrounding our
homes and our children’s schools. Let us
boycott products and services that degrade
sex and women in their advertisements. Let
us review the textbooks used by our children
for promiscuous and anti-parental content.
Let us make the TV stations know that we
want wholesome family entertainment.
Recovering the Family’s True Nature.
We hope that in the end, children may
see their parents as role models of family
warmth and citizenship, and that parents and
grandparents may experience the
appreciation and respect of their children
whom they have truly loved and guided.
Humanae Vitae prophetically warned that we
could lose our values if we go against God’s
design on the responsible transmission of life
within the family.
May the Filipino Family, which is the
sanctuary of life and love, rediscover and
reclaim the peace and joy that rightly belong
to us.”
(A Manifesto of Filipino Families on July 25,
2008).
Teresing, Humarap sa mga Pari!
Bakas ang kahinahunan at
kababaang-loob, humarap sa
kaparian sa kanilang buwanang
pagtitipon ang sinasabing
pinagpakitaan ng Mahal na Birhen
sa monasteryo ng Karmelo sa Lipa
noong 1948. Sa imbitasyon ng
Commission on Clergy, at
kaugnay pa rin ng ipinagdiriwang
na Taon ni Maria, ibinahagi ni
Teresing Castillo ang kanyang
naging
karanasan
sa
pakikipagtagpo sa Mahal na
Birhen, na hanggang ngayon ay
sinasabi
niyang
tutoong
nagpakita sa kanya sa Karmelo ng
Lipa.
Matapos mailahad ang
kanyang kuwento, nagkaroon ng
malayang talakayan kung saan
sinagot niya ang mga katanungan
ng mga pari. Inamin niya na siya
ay na-intimidate ng bahagya ng
mga nagsiyasat sa kanya. “Pero
hindi ako naghihinanakit dahil
alam kong tungkulin nila ang
maging devil’s advocate, at alam
ko namang tutoo ang aking
sinasabi,” phayag niya.
Sa katangunan kung bakit siya
ay nanahimik at kung sino ang
nagpatahimik sa kanya ng
mahabang panahon, magalang na
tumugon siyang di niya
masasagot
ang
nasabing
katanungan. Maalaala na ang
dating postulant ng Karmelo ng
Lipa ay suma-ilalim ng mahigpit na
pagsisiyasat sa mga pinuno ng
simbahan sa bansa. Ayon sa
kanya, ang kanyang kalusugan
ang naging dahilan din ng
kanyang pag-alis sa kumbento at
hindi kung ano pa mang kaugnay
ng naging pagsisiyasat sa
nasabing pagpapakita ng Mahal
na Birhen sa kanya.
Noong pinahintulutan ng
yumaong Arsobispo Mariano
Gaviola ang pampublikong
benerasyon ng imahe ng Mahal
na Ina Tagapamagitan ng Lahat
ng Biyaya, naging maingat pa rin
siya umano sa kanyagn mga
pagsasalita. Sa kasalukuyan, ang
“counseling” ang isa sa mga
pinagkakaabalahan ni Teresing.
Masasabi ring “fixture” siya sa
mga pagtitipon na may kinalaman
sa pagpapalaganap ng debosyon
kay Maria Tagapamagitan ng
Lahat ng Biyaya. #UB
Ulat
Batangan 11
# Rev. Fr. Gerard Jonas R. Palmares
Laity Week: 21 September – 1 October 2008
This year’s theme: The Laity: Primary Agents of Change,
Towards Honesty and Integrity for Good Governance (“Ang Layko:
Pangunahing Tauhan para sa Pagbabago tungo sa Katapatan,
Integridad at Malinis na Pamamahala”
*****
ILM Renewal - 27 September
As our Instituted Lay Ministers once again renew their
commitment to serve at the Altar, let us pray that they be more and
more inspired by Mary in serving Christ the High Priest in our
community liturgical celebrations.
*****
Death Anniversary, Most Rev. Mariano G. Gaviola
- 13 October
On this day we remember the 10th anniversary of the passing
away of our dearly beloved former Archbishop. Please include him
in your prayers.
World Mission Sunday – 19 October
Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that “St. Paul’s experience shows
that missionary activity is a response to the love with which God
loves us” (from the World Mission Sunday 2008 Message).
Also on this day, the pious parents of St. Thérése of the Child
Jesus and of the Holy Face, Louis and Zelie Martin, shall be beatified
at Lisieux. This is the last step before their canonization as saints.
They were declared “Venerable” in 1994 by His Holiness, Pope
John Paul II.
Jubilee Watch…
*****
2008 Archdiocesan YEAR with MARY, SPOUSE of the
HOLY SPIRIT
Month of October
- Rosary Month
- Visit of Our Lady of Caysasay to
Vicariate III
Saturday, 25 October - Archdiocesan Rosary Rally
: Batangas City
*****
Welcome to the Archdiocese of Lipa!
We welcome the latest addition to our growing number of religious
congregations in the Archdiocese:
- Companions of the Cross (CC)
Three priests from this religious congregation in Canada
have come here to establish a local Mission house and help in
evangelization and the apostolate for the poor, and prayers for
healing. The Vicar to the Moderator, Rev. Fr. Charles Orchard,
CC, came with Rev. Fr. Jeffrey Shannon, CC, and the
Batangueño ‘healing priest’ Rev. Fr. Fernando Suarez, CC.
- Missionaries of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (MPS)
The Mexican congregation came here to establish a
Juniorate formation house for their religious community. Sr.
Evelyn Bacsan, MPS, Sr. Lenyu Bravante, MPS, and Sr. Sherryl
Rivera, MPS, have settled in a house at Adelina Homes, near
Canossa Academy in Lipa City.
New Assignments
*****
Rev. Fr. Roy Reyes – now the Pastor of the Parish of St. Roch,
Tingloy. He was formerly a Parochial Vicar at the Immaculate
Conception Parish, Balayan;
Rev. Fr. Clarence Patag – now the fulltime Director of the Lipa
Archdiocesan Social Action Commission (LASAC). He was
formerly the Pastor of the Parish of St. Roch, Tingloy.
Kudos!
*****
More power to our four Congressional Representatives who
concur with our Batangueño Pro-Life stand by not co-sponsoring
and expressly stating that they do not intend to vote for the
Reproductive Health Bill at the House of Representatives: Hon.
Eileen Ermita-Buhain, District 1; Hon. Hermilando I. Mandanas,
District 2; Hon. Victoria Hernandez-Reyes, District 3; and Hon.
Mark Llandro Mendoza, District 4. God bless you!
Ulat
12 Batangan
NEWS IN PHOTO
SEPTEMBER 2008
Ang paglalakbay ng Mahal na Birhen
ng Caysasay ay nakaabot maging sa
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Malate,
Manila sa pamamagitan ng Kapisanan
ni San Francisco de Sales (KSFS). Ang
pagdalaw na ito ng Mahal na Ina para
sa taong ito ay kaalinsabay ng ika-25
Taon ng Pagkakaluklok/Pagkakatatag ng
Blessed Sacrament Chapel sa BSP.
Piangunahan ng Arsobispo ng Maynila,
Gaudencio Cardinal B. Rosales ang
Banal na Misa kasama sina Fr. Angel
Pastor, Fr. Junie Maralit at Fr. Roy
Macatangay mula sa SFSTS; Fr. Dong
Rosales mula sa IF-SFSMaS; Reb.
Bobot Hernandez mula sa SFSMiS at
Fr. Raul Martinez, KSFS Board Member. #UB
(Emma D. Bauan)
Pinangunahan ng Kgg. Obispo
Salvador Quizon ang
delegasyon ng Arsidiyosesis
ng Lipa sa taunang pagdalaw
sa puntod ng yumaong Obispo
Alfredo Obviar sa Tayabas,
Quezon noong ika-28 ng
Agosto. Photos by: Fr. Eric Arada
Mga larawang kuha sa paglulunsad ng ika-apat na aklat ni Msgr. Leandro
Castro, Bikaryo Heneral ng Lucena at Rektor ng Katedral ng Lucena, kasama
ang mga Paring-Lipa - Fr. Nonie Dolor, Fr. Angel Pastor, Fr. Oca Andal, Fr.
Toter Resuello at Fr. Manny Lucero. Kasama rin sa larawan ang Obispo ng
Boac, Obispo Rey Evangelista. #UB
Photo by: Fr. Nonie D.
BALANGA CLERGY VISITS LIPA. Bishop Socrates Villegas of Balanga
Diocese led his Clergy on their visit to the Archdiocese, which coincided with
the Marian Congress. Archbishop Arguelles received them at the Congress
site while Fr. Nonie showed them the St. Joseph Seniorate. It was learned
that the Balanga Clergy took this occasion for their R&R activity.
Tampok sa mga larawan ang mga
panauhing
tagapagsalita
at
tagapagbahagi sa katatapos na
Archdiocesan Marian Congress. Ganon
din ang partisipasyon ng mga kabataan
sa nasabing Marian Congress.
Photos by: Fr. Eric Arada
On its 8th Year
of Service!
MABUTING BALITA (Mon – Sat; 5:30 – 6:00 am)
MISA NG BAYAN (Sunday, 7:15 – 8:15 am)
HOLY ROSARY (Daily: 5:00 -5:30 am; 10:30 -11:00 pm)
MAGNIFICAT/DE PROFUNDIS (Daily: 8:00 pm)