Tidbits of Life

I was driving today along Osmeña Boulevard in the downtown area when a couple crossed the road before me towards Jollibee Metro. The wife carried on her arms their one-year-old girl. What caught my attention was the distinct deformation of her neck, from the upper jaw to the collar bone. The white patches of discoloration on her skin told of a severe burning in that area. Should it be from hot water or direct fire, I had no way of knowing. Then as the husband took his position on her side as they crossed the opposite lane, my eyes caught something white in his eyes. When I looked closer it became clear to me that what I saw was the husband's left eye. The eyes appeared homogeneously white. I can imagine how I would be able to look and see with that eye. And then it dawned on to me that her husband was blind. That might have explained how he seemed to stick near his wife as they crossed the street. With a flash in my mind it dawned on me how difficult it might be to find someone

Even in the Philippine Congress there seems to be times when lawmakers just keep on making laws without proper discernment, and the result can be very devastating. These laws practically provide certain people a license to kill others under certain circumstances. Undiscerned Provisions of Laws Article 247 of the Revised Penal Code: "Any legally married person who having surprised his spouse in the act of committing sexual intercourse with another person, shall kill any or both of them in the act or immediately thereafter, or shall inflict upon them any serious physical injury, shall suffer the penalty of destierro." Furthermore, "If he shall inflict upon them physical injuries of any other kind, he shall be exempt from punishment. These rules shall be applicable, under the same circumstances, to parents with respect to their daughters under eighteen years of age, and their seducer, while the daughters are living with their parents." Well, a similar law can be f

As of this writing, the author tried but failed to get a copy of the six reproductive health bills (RH bills) filed in the House of Representative. This means that Filipinos concerned in guarding the nation from the potential dangers of the bill may have to ensure that they know what are being proposed in these bills so appropriate actions can be taken to prevent the worst from happening.  The House Bill readily available is HB05043, otherwise known as the Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008, filed in the 14th Congress. The HB00513 that the 15th Congress received on 1 July 2010 has already passed first reading on July 27, and is pending with the Committee on Population and Family Relations. Freedom of Informed Choice It is inherent in Christian faith and in the Philippines the freedom of each Filipino to choose. God respected our free will; and our Constitution confirmed that as a fundamental right of any Filipino. This freedom is reiterated in Sec. 3 (Guiding

Of those who knew Raoul Ortega very well, I was not one of them. They were those who studied with him during elementary years. But in the four years of high school in Saint Vincent's College in Dipolog City, I cam e to know the small insights I have with Raoul each time I happened to talk to him during certain activities in school and off-class breaks where every student can talk to just anybody in the class or from other classes. And Raoul was outstanding in the way he use pens in sketching beautiful women in beautiful clothings. The skill I had in illustrating people paled in comparison to his talents. A lively guy who wanted to enjoy life to its fullest, Raoul was an upbeat talker with a ready smile, at times cajoling or even keeping things light, that makes the conversation as interesting as it could be. But unlike the PD'CLEFF (Paquibot Dagpin Cortes Literatus Edralin Falcasantos Fargas) who largely preferred to group in together in free times, he seemed to easily fit in

Promiscuity, which may be enhanced by the contraception methods (natural or artificial), can only be stopped when those involved in teaching people the ways of Christ through a healthy spiritual life will be successful in getting the message across. Even without contraception, nil spiritual life inevitably leads to promiscuity. This means that the key to promiscuity is not contraception methods but the very values running in the hearts of men and women. The challenge that RH Bill poses is directed at the teachers of Christian values. That their teachings be more effective in helping people grow in their spiritual lives. Satan will always be there dangling the tantalizing seduction of promiscuous sex. And without a strong spiritual life, no lack of contraception method will stop any mortal from getting promiscuous. The issue RH Bill demands from the teachers of Christian values two things. First, that their teachings be fashioned and communicated in a way that hits the heart of the fa

I have second thoughts on the need for the use of reusable bags worth around P35 each to replace the FREE plastic bags in groceries. And the idea of penalizing consumers with a P3 payment on a Free plastic bag on "Reusable Bag Day" simply added financial burden on them. And tell me who made P3 more money on that day. Partial Effectiveness of Reusable Bags First things first, reusable bags cost much more to the consumers. And if a family buys three bags of groceries each week, that would be an expense of P105 for the bags. Who makes money? The grocery stores who sold these reusable bags. They will also save money from free plastic bags. Second, reusable bags will not fully remove plastic bags. Would you rather place your fresh meats in reusable bags? That would be unhygienic as well as foolhardy to do. Plastics Bags Can Be Reused Whoever said that plastic bags cannot be reused needs to check his facts. In fact, plastic bags have more uses at home than the supposedly reusa

More than 16 years ago, this part of Colon Street looks much the same. And at least 20 years ago, the part of Jakosalem Street towards the City Hall used to be a place of a few night spots where drinks, prostitution, and red lights come together till dawn. The red lights were a few establishments trying to isolate themselves from the main reds along Sanciangko Street and nearby streetcorners or entryways. Then as it is today, the corner streets of Colon and Jakosalem kept its identity through the long-standing presence of Gaisano Main, University of the Visayas, Rose Pharmacy, The Freeman (at corner Jakosalem-Manalili Streets), and a corner store that I no longer can remember. Today, a Saturday, I found myself back on its sidewalks on my way to Plastic and Things along Manalili Street (now, V. Gullas Street). Although the vehicles look much numerous than in the yesteryears, the smell of drainage canal stinks much the same, if not a bit more repulsive. Gaisano Main no longer spewed in