Pray for Haiti

Raw footage of the earthquake that hit Haiti found on Youtube recently reminds me of the 7.7 Richter scale earthquake that devastated the northern Philippines in 1990 that killed more than 5000 people.

Marriage Contract Expiration Date: Deal or No Deal?

GMA 7 news reported that Filipino feminist group, 1-ABAAM were proposing a 10-year expiration date on marriage contracts and failure to extend the contract automatically makes the marriage null and void (click here to see video report). Though I know the effort is a long shot from ever happening, the subject can still be considered alarming since proponents and their liberal agenda made it to prime time local news.

Adapting from an article I read, the assault on marriage  "uses the rhetoric and language" of choice and the marketplace to make it sound attractive and convenient to everyone. The market rhetoric is a subtle disguise on a group's extreme liberal agenda and their goal to create the perfect independent woman. This worldview is deceptive and dangerous to Filipino families.

What do you think will happen if marriage simply become a "contract" and stopped being a holy matrimony? Its anything goes! Both parties are free to negotiate and demand terms of their contract. Instead of the solemn vow made before God and the community, it becomes a "business deal" where the main rule is to get what I want and get the best end of the deal. It will weaken important values such as generosity and self-sacrifice essential to a healthy family. Because it will encourage selfish actions and destroy families, expiration dates on marriage contracts is a "NO DEAL!"

Lessons from Kimmy Dora

The last few days of my recent Christmas vacation was spent catching up on the Filipino movies I missed in 2009 with my wife. One flick that I made sure I get a glimpse of was the Kimmy Dora. An indepedently produced comedy which stars Eugene Domingo, Ariel Ureta, Dingdong Dantes, et al. The positive reviews the film got commending the lead actor, script writers and director were well deserved. The film was well done and was truly entertaining.

"Superstition on the Richter scale"

Thanks to my friend Vicki, I stumbled upon this article from Cito Beltran. As I mentioned on my previous blog post, popular ang mga psychic at manghuhula ngayong bagaong taon and Beltran shares what to him really brings true fortune to his family. His suggestion number 4 is really the key and meat of the entire article. Gusto ko yung commentary nya about the Filipinos at ang sinabi nya na true source of good fortune:

What the Future Holds

In demand na naman ang mga psychic at manhuhula tuwing new year. Sa hirap ng buhay, madami ang handang gumastos kapalit ng assurance na madaming swerte ang dadatuing sa buhay nila. Very comforting malaman ang future but dangerous din.

Are there more Filipina women looking for a spouse overseas than local Filipino men wanting to marry them?

Hope the title doesn't sound insensitive, but its the first question that came to my mind when I did a Google search on "marriage" and "Philippines." Search results were primarily on mail-order-brides, foreign fiance visas and international match-making agencies. I know a simple online search is insufficient and I don't know any reports or statistics to support my initial inquiry but if my assumption were true, then it's a heartbreaking reality that many Filipina face in their legitimate search for a mate. Let's just hope Im wrong.

Manny Pacquiao and Broken Marriage Vows

Instead of joining other reporters and showbiz talk shows on giving endless (and annoying) coverage or analysis on Manny Pacquiao marraige woes, Joey De Leon offered a fictional anecdote that will surely tickle our thoughts regarding a serious marital issue our Pamabansang Kamao has got himself into:

Reporter: “Ah Pacman, sino ba talaga ang dapat sisihin o i--blame dito sa issue tungkol sa iyo at sa isang pretty actress?” 

Pacman: “Palagay ko, ‘yung pari na nag-refereenoong ikasal kami ng asawa ko.”

Reporter: “Bakit mo naman nasabi ‘yon?”

Pacman: “Kasi, ang advice niya sa’kin noon — para daw maging successful ang pagsasama namin eh ilagay ko raw sa gitna naming dalawa si Kristo.”

Reporter: “Sinunod mo naman ba?”

Pacman: “Oo naman … medyo na-wrong spelling lang nang konti.”

Though celebrity scandal can be a bit interesting and amusing, we all need to be reminded that real life effects of infidelity and broken marriage vows are not. The grief and pain families specially children experience are no laughing matter. The best response is to pray for those who are hurting and also look in the mirror to examine our own lives. If you're married, may this be a teaching moment that preserving the sacrament of your marriage should be the greatest fight of your lives. Remember, "what God has joined together, let not man separate.

Christian Worldview and Kids

Teaching Christian worldview to children can be a challenge, because parents are required to find creative ways to simplify profound Biblical truths or respond to questions like “Why can’t I see Jesus?” or “Why is hell hot?” that test our knowledge of basic fundamentals of Christian faith.

For our kids, we've found movies an effective way to introduce worldview. We teach our 5-year-old daughter the concept of “opposites” by showing her characters that are acceptable and unacceptable, and we're training her early to find messages behind what she sees onscreen. We had one of our best moments as parents of young children when our daughter said the other day, “Every time I see a bad person in a movie it reminds me of how good God is.”

How about you? How do you teach your children or teens Christian worldview?

(Originally posted on The Point blog)

Tunay na Mukha ni Santa

Di ko alam kung paano minana ng Philippines ang paniniwala kay Santa Claus pero karamihan ng mga bansa sa buong mundo ay may sariling version ng Santa o naniniwala sa isang “gift-giver” tuwing pasko. But do you ever wonder kung anong tunay na itsura ni Santa Claus? Click here to find out and more importantly try to read who the real Santa Claus is - Saint Nicholas, a former bishop from Turkey who loves children and witnesses Christ’s love for others.

Remembering Primitivo Mijares and His Message to Maguindanao

I still can't get over thinking about the fate of the 57 Filipinos brutally murdered in Maguindanao. Makes one think how can a person commit such atrocity. I'm just glad that charges have been filed against Mayor Ampatuan Jr., the prime suspect of the crime. I hope and pray that justice will be granted to all victims of this horrible murder.

The massacre reminded me of another politics related crime - the mysterious disappearance of Primitivo Mijares. The former right-hand aid to Ferdinand Marcos turned star witness and whistleblower against the martial law regime. I always admire Mijares' bravery to speak out against a dictator and his mysterious disappearance has always intrigued me since I learned about it many years ago. Mijares, also a former journalist, withdrew his support from Marcos and testified at the US Congress exposing the Marcos' abuse of power during martial law. He also authored the book "The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos" that revealed more details of corruption and human rights violations of Mr. and Mrs. Marcos. As a result, Mijares' young son was abducted, tortured and killed allegedly as a form of revenge or a warning sign for his revelation. Primitivo Mijares later on also suddenly disappeared and was never to be found to this date. Marcos was suspected as the mastermind of his disappearance and the murder of his young son. Both cases were never brought to justice.

I got a big surprised last year when I ordered a used copy of Mijares' "Conjugal Dictatorship" from an independent book seller on Amazon. The book has been out of print for many years so the book was a rare find.  When I got the book in the mail, I discovered the copy has a personal signed message from Mijares himself dated Nov. 27, 1976 addressed to the original owner of the book. Thought I'll post a photo of his message online - I think of it as a reminder of hope and prayer for the restoration of personal freedom and democracy to all affected by the Maguindanao Massacre and victims of all unresolved cases of political violence in the Philippines.