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April 22, 2012
MANDARIN ANYONE?
“H
POLITICAL SYSTEM -DIRECT CAUSE OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT
ow are your Chinese lessons?”, we asked our grand daughter, Kristin, 8. “So, so,” replied this International School second grader, “Why?"
“You and Kathie will need Mandarin,” we replied. Katarina, 5, is in kindergarten. Both grapple with Swedish, their mother’s language. Their playmates and nanny speak Cebuano. " China will irresistibly shape our future," writes Martin Jacques in Observer. He op- updates his 2009 book, When China Rules the World, that foresaw Beijing ’s economy overtake US after 2020. That proved an underestimate. Economist projections assert China will pull ahead in 2018. International Monetary Fund’s world economic outlook imply 2016, the Guardian claims.
Beyond crystal-bowling are hard facts. China dislodged Japan as the world's secondbiggest economy in 2010. Flush with cash, housewives made China ’s grocery shopping the world’s largest. The surge started in 1978. Chiina’s economy was a 20th that of the US. Not anymore. At 21st century’s start, China had behind it years of “growing 9-10% annually.” Overall size rose to a quarter of America 's economy. China chipped at US dominant global power status, notably in trade. In 1990, no country had China as main trading partner. By 2000, you counted a few on your fingers. Most clustered in east Asia. Turn to page 11
A Journey Through Cancer
W
JOHNY MERCADO
(E-mail: juanlmercado@gmail.com )
EVERYDAY HERO
The Stranger in the Sea
MUFFET DOLAR VILLEGAS e-mail: blue_bell57@yahoo.com
To be born again
DAVID AND GOLIATH ast week I opened a “Pandora’s Box”. No less than two Philippine government agencies and a Philippine Congressman descended on my narrow butt. Even my best Filipino friend turned on ecology/fishing industry. No me. matter what I or the people think My initial agenda was to or want, that just “ain’t” going to have my editor talk quietly to happen. the people behind the artificial FIRST, this is not my place reef project and have them do as a guest here in the some additional research Philippines. As a foreigner, I before they had an ecological have no chance to win this disaster on their hands. “war”. Even if overwhelming Instead, my research ended up facts support me, I am an in my column and brought outsider and many will side about a firestorm. against me for that reason I have been encouraged to alone. “fight back”. I am supposed to fight SECOND, why should I fight? these powerful Filipino politicians, If Filipinos do not care about the who are protecting their destruction of their ecology, the reputations and the money they destruction of their fishing industry, have already spent, by why should I? When disaster discrediting me. I have been strikes, I can take my family to encouraged to take the fight to the America. More probably when Filipino people. It is silly to even disaster strikes, I will be dead. It think I could lead a second EDSA will be my grandchildren who will against the power structure here, suffer. especially over an abstract issue I mentioned I knew a safe like the future destruction of the Turn to page 11
JAMES “KOJAK” HUGHS U.S. Army, Cpt (ret)
Footsteps and Fingerprints
A
SIDE from being a season of joy because of our Lord’s resurrection, the culminating event of his redemptive work, Easter time is also for preparing ourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit, since our life is supposed to be Life in the Spirit. And so in many readings of re-enter his mother's womb and be born this season’s Masses, together again, can he?" with the alleluias that we sing with Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I gusto, a lot of references are say to you, unless one is born of made to the Holy Spirit. Typical water and Spirit he cannot enter the of such readings is the gospel Kingdom of God. What is born of about the meeting of Nicodemus flesh is flesh and what is born of with our Lord, as recorded in the spirit is spirit.” To be born again is, Gospel of John, Chapter 3. as our Lord said, to be born of water There we have the famous and Spirit. Our first birth, our natural lines about being born again, birth, is God’s first creation of us, an a phenomenon we have to be event where we did not have any part. very familiar with, because we But since we have been made in have a big part to play in our God’s image and likeness, we are supown rebirth. Sad to say, this posed to be free and do things knowingly need for being born again is and lovingly, we need to correspond to not yet known to many. God’s will in creating us, and so there is Our Lord said, “Amen, the second birth, our rebirth, our being amen, I say to you, unless one born again, where we willingly should go is born from above, he cannot along God’s designs for us. see the Kingdom of God." To be born again is to willingly Nicodemus said to him, "How link ourselves with God who in the can a man once grown old be Spirit continues to be with us, always born again? Surely he cannot Turn to page 11
AMB. JOSE V. ROMERO, JR., PH.D.
L
M
ore than twenty years ago, in the middle of the sea, I found myself staring at a strange old man. He was sleeping on the floor near the open railing of the boat, while other passengers including myself were having a paid cot to sleep on. A glimmering light showed a fraction of his old unshaven face, his gray head lying on a sack fashioned as a pillow. He must have not eaten a decent meal for months. His frail body was barely clad with ragged shirt and pants that Dawn came, and the boat docked may not have tasted soap for at the pier. Life began to stir inside weeks. the boat as the passengers were preI barely slept, feeling guilty paring to leave. that I have better sleeping acSuddenly, a slight commotion was commodation than this old taking place. I could hear raised voices man who needed it most. from the passengers and angry tones First, it was my curiosity as a coming from the crew. journalist that prodded me to talk My newfound friend was in to this strange old man. I started trouble. He was 80 years old, and was a friendly conversation. His eyes not able to control his bowel and twinkled as he related to me that pooped (I’m sorry if you are eating at he was looking for relatives on this point) right on the floor at the the other side of the island be- passage area. cause he has lost his own family I heard voices threatening to throw in Mindanao. I had to raise my him overboard if he would not clean up. voice to a higher level for he had My heart was beating hard. How could I hearing problems. I promised to help this man without drawing attention to help him find his relatives through Turn to page 11 a radio station in Cebu.
ith the coming elections next year, we are again treated to the spectacle of traditional politicians with dynastic ambitions trying to preserve their places in the politic and ideology. It is the same spectrum by forming rainbow changing of the guards with the coalitions that look more like politically- entrenched economic an ill-designed quilt. elite waging an intra-elite war. It is Politicians bypassed in the last a winner take-all where the losers elections as well as those of yesterday are the gainers of fighting for survival have tomorrow. It is the same cast of decided to link arms regarded characters and dramatis of previous party affiliations. personae of the Philippine political Indeed given that politics is theatre who change their addition in this country, the costumes regularly to suit the enemies of yesterday are political backdrop. today’s friends. It seems that Once elected to office, the today political acrobatics has trapos spend a lot of time become the norm. I still recall reinforcing their political base that in the past, political and preparing the next chameleons were treated like generation to take over. This outcasts. in turn are conditioned to Media is lapping it up cross party lines anytime cooperating with the trapos to whenever it suits their preserve the politics of personality convenience. in favor of the politics of philosophy Turn to page 11
The values of friendship and family
“S
FR. ROY CIMAGALA
ince I arrived here in upstate New York to spend time with my US family, I have been reflecting on the value of family and friendship. I have also been reading The Prophet authored by the Lebanese philosopher, Kahlil Gibran. Some of his thoughts on friendship have a direct congruence with family relationships. I would like to share his thoughts on friendship with you. "And let your best be for your "Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you friend. If he must know the ebb of sow with love and reap with thanks- your tide, let him know its flood also. giving. When your friend speaks For what is your friend that you his mind, you fear not the "nay" in should seek him with hours to kill? your own mind, nor do you with- Seek him always with hours to live. hold the "ay." For without words, in For it is his to fill your need, but not friendship, all thoughts, all desires, your emptiness. “Family” for the all expectations are born and word “friend,” thus giving further shared, with joy that is depth to the meaning of relationships within the family. unacclaimed. Wouldn’t it be wonderful "And let there be no purpose in friendship save the if siblng brothers and sisters, deepening of the spirit. For love parents and children, and famthat seeks aught but the dis- ily relatives could answer this closure of its own mystery is not definition of real friendship if love but a net cast forth: and they could experience the wononly the unprofitable is caught. Turn to page 11
NANCY RUSSELL CATAN
e-mail: nancy.catan@yahoo.com