Thorns with my Roses

By Emmanuelle

“Tita, why do roses have thorns/” Joel, my eight-year old nephew asks me just now, a Palm Sunday morning, while we are both watering the garden. Actually, we are both playing with the hose, letting its sprinkle dance this way and there, daydreaming over the way water gathers as fat globules on the leaves, shivers, glistens for a minute of reflected sunbeam, then drips on its way down to the lower levels unto the ground, where it is sucked thirstily, greedily. Now and then, I wake up to realize I am supposed to be the far more responsible one, and I nudge his hand with the hose to the plant needing the most attention, the most drenching.

“Uhm, God made roses that way, to protect the plant, especially the flowers.”

Joel points out to the orchids with his chin. “Why didn’t God provide orchids with the same protection? Lola said they are more beautiful, more expensive!”

“Uhm, because orchids hang way up there? They don’t need as much protection as roses, do they?”

I am proud of myself. There is no better technique to deal with a suddenly cerebral child than to answer a question with a question. I let go of the daydreaming; this needs serious attention. Read more

Farmers call center works wonders

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

Rice farmers in distress or in need of information may very well send a text message to the Farmers Call Center of the PhilRice-led Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture.

With a text message worth 1.00, you would surely find out that the Farmers Call Center works wonders.

Take the case of Remy Prieto of Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. She was able to buy a drumseeder P3,600. that PhilRice engineers delivered to her within a week. She sent a text message to the Farmers’ Call Center expressing her interest to buy a drumseeder. The Farmers Call Center in turn coordinated with the PhilRice Rice Engineering Mechanization Division.

Similarly, Rodel Ortiz of Dipaculao, Aurora solved his problem on stunted rice plants through a text message to his brother-in-law, Leodegario Tiglao of Sta. Ana, Pampanga that the latter relayed to the Farmers Call Center. Read more

The Church

By +Oscar V. Cruz

A church that remains at the sidelines in the quest for truth, in the promotion of justice, in defense of human dignity, is irrelevant. A church that pretends to be blind, deaf and dumb to public lying, cheating and stealing is a party to moral disorder and social corruption. People who appropriate public funds, misuse public office and abuse the general public, simply love a church - religious and sects - that see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing and do nothing.

Verticalist creeds and practices are much welcome in a country where the government is suspect and blamed for many misdeeds. Such verticalist faiths and observances are only preoccupied with what heaven promises, with neither interest nor concern with what happens on earth. Provided their members feel good with themselves, it is not important if their neighbors are oppressed, maltreated, hopeless. Read more

Jose Ceralde
mainit@verizon.net
15 April 2006

During my undergraduate years we had an exercise in team building. We were told to form a team and work together until we are able to work through our differences. After this stage of teamwork we all thought we could work out anything that comes our way. But one day a new guy joined our team. He was such a negative influence that we could not do anything right.

 Another team had the same experience but the result was entirely different. The team worked out successful projects.

 This scenario is played out in all settings in our groups and even in our country. So the only question we have to ask is which one are we? The team breaker or the uniter?

 I welcome Joan De Venecia as another bright light that I with the rest of my FILAM family have high expectation of promise of youth & high idealism to be the uniter.

Congratulations Joan! You made Dagupenos’ like me proud of what you have achieved.

Jess Delfin
jesdlf1@sbcglobal.net
15 April 2006

 

Edwin,
It is D-E-L-F-I-N, not Delphin.

 Get your facts straight. You mentioned that you can never be a citizen of your birthplace. As Mr. Pontaoe explained, you can be one if you meet all the requirements, even if you were born in Timbuktu.

_________________________________________________________  

Submit dates of birthdays and anniversaries of friends and relatives to
sundaypunch2@yahoo.com as in below: 

Ex:
January 29, Wedding anniversary, Dop and Snow Garcia, Los Angeles, CA
May 29, Birthday, Karmina Arrogante, Dagupan City
________________________________________________________ 

 

 

April 16 - (Dagupan City) Nestor Domagas, Marlon Benavidez 

April 17 - (Dagupan City) Rowena A. de Guzman, Nenita de Guzman; (Calasiao) Arnold de Vera 

April 18 - (Dagupan City) Perlita Sentino; (Pozorrubio) Rowena Joy de Leon 

April 19 - (Dagupan City) Lydia Visperas; (Alaminos City) Maximo Santillan; (Mangaldan) Andrea Sandoval 

April 20 - (Dagupan City) Rafael M. Colet. Linda Tordesillas, Hermogenes S. Decano 

April 21 - (Dagupan City) Olpindo dela Peña, Anastacio de Guzman 

April 22 - (Dagupan City) Pepito Mercado 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

KAREN CALACHAN 

(April 23, 2006- Manaoag) 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

AMADITO DELA CRUZ 

(April 23, 2006) 

 

Ms. Ric
mcescher4yr@yahoo.com
15 April 2006

On Think about it:

Surely, Mr. Pantaoe, you’re not suggesting we do away with telling our kids, our future, to not take shortcuts in life, to work hard rather than cut corners, to walk that extra mile if and when needed, and (dare I say it) that good guys do finish first. It might be Pollyanna, but just like Ms. de Venecia, I can’t quite give up hope just yet. Check your history books, Mr. Pantaoe, they’re also full of people with the likes of Stalin, Hitler, Mao, who also took shortcuts in life and left us with the world we live in now. But hey, let’s check our own backyard, the most notorious person who cut corners to suit his every fancy: Marcos. Need I say more?

Chris Evaristo
cevaristo@aol.com
14 April 2006

The decent thing that you can do, Mr. Pontaoe, is to congratulate this new graduate and a new lawyer (your words). Topping the bar exam is quite a feat in itself, something you yourself and the majority of us can only dream about. Let’s give her her due. Save the critique and unsolicited advice later on.

 

Eduardo Pontaoe
datdosapang@yahoo.com
13 April 2006

Edwin,

You can be a citizen of the Philippines even though you were born here in America.

The provisions of the immigration laws state as follows; if your parents were born in the old country, you as a descendant have the right to become one.

This what I call The Law of Return. Very similar to the Jewish law which entices Jews to populate the Holy Land.

 There is only one hitch to this law. It did not attract retired Filipinos to go home and live the rest of their lives where it all started.

 You know why, Edwin? The lawlessness and debasement that scare the living hell of everybody.

 In the Philippines, right now, you can’t trust anybody even God Himself.

Mary Ann Campos
13 Apr 2006

I need to have our property (Sual) title updated from our late dad’s name PETER ARELLANO to his surviving children, myself- Mary Ann Arellano-Campos and Oscar Arellano.  Also, we would like to pay off our real estate taxes. Can someone email me the info on these? Thanks,
Mary Ann Arellano-Campos
Washington, USA