Balay Ni Tikay Goes Islam

DYAB Anchor Tisha Ylaya invited Voice of Islam Foundation Head Ustadz Najib Rasul to her weekly radio program 

"Myth" Ra Diay Tu?!?

Source: Johns Hopkins School Of Public Health
Posted: June 18, 1998

Women Not Neccessarily Better Drivers Than Men

Although men are three times more likely than women to be killed in car crashes, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine and Public Health have found that, when the total numbers of crashes are considered, female drivers are involved in slightly more crashes than men. Overall, men were involved in 5.1 crashes per million miles driven compared to 5.7 crashes for women, despite the fact that on average they drove 74 percent more miles per year than did women.

The investigators, who published their results in the July issue of Epidemiology, found that although teenage boys started off badly, with about 20 percent more crashes per mile driven than teenage girls, males and females between ages 20 and 35 were equally at risk of being involved in a crash, and after age 35 female drivers were at greater risk of a crash than their male counterparts.

Lead author Guohua Li, MD, PhD, associate professor of Emergency Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, said, "Although risk-taking behaviors may contribute to the excessive injury mortality among men and younger drivers, up to now age and sex discrepancies in death rates from motor vehicle crashes have not been well understood."

The researchers used 1990 crash statistics gathered by the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS), the General Estimates System (GES), and the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS) and applied an innovative method called "decomposition" to break down the data into new categories and weigh the relative contributions of three variables: crash fatality, incidence density (that is, number of crashes per million person-miles) and exposure prevalence (annual average miles driven per driver). Traditionally, the death rate ratio has been considered to be a function of just two factors: fatality rates and accident rates.

The investigators determined that about half of the 3.1-fold difference between the sexes' fatal crash involvement rates was due to the fact that males' crashes were more severe. Another 40 percent was due to the fact that men, who on average drove many more miles than women, thus had a greater opportunity of being in a crash; and 8 percent because of gender differences in "crash incidence density," the number of crashes per million person-miles.

Each year, highway crashes claim about 40,000 lives, cause three million injuries, and cost the nation $140 billion.

The study was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Co-authors: Gabor Kelen, MD, professor and director, Emergency Medicine, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; and Susan P. Baker, PhD, professor of Health Policy and Management, the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Mother's Day 2006!

How Mother's Day is Celebrated Around the World

Mother is said various ways around the world such as :-

France - Mere

Germany - Mutter

Hindi - Maji

Urdu - Umee

English - mummy, mum, mom, ma, mamma, mommy.

African Mother's Day

Some tribes like the Assam in Africa, don't call themselves families. They call themselves "maharis", or "motherhoods."

Chinese Mother's Day

Chinese family names are often formed beginning with a sign that means "mother". It's a way of honoring their moms long past.

Greek Mother's Day

The ancient Greeks celebrated Mother's Day in spring. They used to honor Rhea, "mother of the gods" with honey-cakes and fine drinks and flowers at dawn.

The Greek word "meter" and the Sanskrit word "mantra" mean both mother and measurement.

Japanese Mother's Day

Japan's Imperial family trace their descent from Omikami Amaterasu, the Mother of the World.

Indian Mother's Day

Hindu scripture credits the Great Mother, Kali Ma, with the invention of writing through alphabets, pictographs and beautiful sacred images.
Buddha honored mothers when he said, "As a mother, even at the risk of her own life, loves and protects her child, so let a man cultivate love without measure toward the whole world."

In India there is a ten-day festival known as Durga Puja which is held in early October. The festival honors Durga, the "Divine Mother". She is the most important of all Hindu goddesses.

American Indian Mother's Day

Native American Indian women have long been honored with the name, "Life of the Nation" for their gift of motherhood to the tribes.

Egyptian Mother's Day

Ancient Egyptians believed that "Bast" was the mother of all cats on Earth, and that cats were sacred animals.

English Mother's Day

In the 1600's, England celebrated a day known as Mothering Sunday, celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent. Mothering Sunday honored the mothers of England.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the Mother Church - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration.

People began honoring their mothers as well as the church. During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers.

A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch. Sometimes furmety was served - wheat grains boiled in sweet milk, sugared and spiced.

In northern England and in Scotland, the preferred refreshments were carlings - pancakes made of steeped pease fried in butter, with pepper and salt.

In fact, in some locations this day was called Carling Sunday.

Another kind of mothering cake was the simnel cake, a very rich fruit cake. The Lenten fast dictated that the simnel cake had to keep until Easter. It was boiled in water, then baked, and was often finished with an almond icing. Sometimes the crust was of flour and water, colored with saffron.

French Mother's Day

Children in France spend days drawing a card and practising a poem as a surprise for their mothers. This springtime Sunday is refered to as Fete des Meres, and it provides children and adults throughout France with the opportunity to make their mother the centre of attention, and give her gifts and treats.

Mother's Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in May. It is treated more like a family birthday. Everyone in the family gathers for a special meal. This may be at home or in a restaurant. At the end of the meal the mother is presented with a cake.

Swedish Mother's Day

In Sweden Mother's Day is on the last Sunday in May and is a family holiday. The Swedish Red Cross sells small plastic flowers on the days leading up to Mother's Day. The money raised from the sale of the flowers is used to help needy mothers and their children.

Spanish Mother's Day

In Spain Mother's Day is celebrated on 8th December. It is closely linked to the church, especially to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Special cards are sent for Mother's Day and many of these are made by children. Shops sell chocolates, flowers and other Mother's Day presents, but many children make their own presents for their mothers.

Portuguese Mother's Day

In Portugal Mother's Day is celebrated on 8th December. It is closely linked to the church, especially to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Special cards are sent for Mother's Day and many of these are made by children. Shops sell chocolates, flowers and other Mother's Day presents, but many children make their own presents for their mothers.


European Mother's Day

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church"--the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration. People began honoring their mothers as well as the church

Motherhood Trivia

Rosa Parks was the mother of bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama that launched the Civil Rights Movement.

Mother Shipton was a Prophetess in Britain 500 years ago. She could see the future, and predicted that another Queen Elizabeth would sit on the throne of England. (QE II)

Mother's Day is now celebrated in many countries around the world. Australia, Mexico, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Russia, China, Thailand, all have special celebrations to honor Mothers, but not in the same way or on the same day as the United States.

In the Bible, Eve is credited with being the "Mother of All the Living."

Mother Goose is one of the most popular of all children's entertainers. Her books and stories have been loved for many generations.

Mother Earth is also known as "Terra Firma". That title is a Latin translation of some lines from one of the Greek poet, Homer's, greatest poems.

Famous Mothers Quotes

Michelangelo's Mother:"Mike, can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"

Mona Lisa's Mother:"After all that money your father and I spent on braces, Mona, that's the biggest smile you can give us?"

Columbus' Mother:"I don't care what you've discovered Christopher. You still could have written!"

Napoleon's Mother:"All right, Napoleon. If you aren't hiding your report card inside your jacket, than take your hand out of there and prove it!"

George Washington's Mother:"The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!"

Abraham Lincoln's Mother:"Again with the stovepipe hat, Abe? Can't you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"

Humpty Dumpty's Mother:"Humpty, If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times not to sit on that wall. But would you listen to me? Noooo!"

Goldilock's Mother:"I've got a bill here for a busted chair from the Bear family. You know anything about this, Goldie?"

Albert Einstein's Mother:"But Albert, it's your senior picture, Can't you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something?..."

Babe Ruth's Mother:"Babe, how many times have I told you? Quit playing ball in the house! That's the third broken window this week!"

Batman's Mothers:"It's a nice car, Bruce, but do you realize how much the insurance is going to be?"

Superman's Mother:"Clark, your father and I have discussed it, and we've decided you can have your own telephone line. Now will you quit spending so much time in all those phone booths?"

Barney's Mother:"I realize strained plums are your favorite, Barney, but you're starting to look a little purple."

Mao Nang Wala Ko'y Credit Card Sukad Masukad!

Sure, debit cards work just like cash. But just like credit cards, they make it easy to lose track and overspend. That's why the key to your budget may be cash.

By Liz Pulliam Weston

In a world where people use plastic to buy lattes, Stacy Jo McDermott feels like a bit of an oddball. But after running up $35,000 in credit card debt, the San Francisco Bay-area resident decided her relationship with money had to change.McDermott tried different ways to monitor and control her spending as she paid down her debt. The method that she hit on several months ago seems to work best: using cash.Every two weeks, after her paycheck is direct-deposited into her bank account, McDermott slips $125 into a checkbook register to pay for food. "About 70% of that goes for groceries," she said, "and about 30% for eating out."

Another $60 goes into her wallet to pay for gas. A final $30 stash is tucked into a zippered pocket in the wallet for what she calls "treat money"-- little splurges like a movie or a magazine.McDermott, a saleswoman, still carries an American Express card for business travel and a debit card for emergencies, like the new battery her car recently needed. Her monthly bills are paid with checks. Otherwise, though, she pays with the green stuff."When I use cash, I stop and think," McDermott said. "Do I really need this?"It's still plasticPlastic surpassed cash years ago as consumers' payment method of choice. People now use debit, credit or prepaid cards in 56% of their in-store transactions, according to the American Bankers Association, with cash comprising 33% of the transactions and checks 11%. Indeed, plastic forms of payment have plenty of advantages for money management:

They're convenient. You can buy what you need when you need it, as long as you're not already over your credit limit or overdrawn at the bank.
They're easier to track. With debit and credit cards, you know exactly what you've spent where. You can check your transactions and balances online and track them with personal-finance software like Quicken or Money. Dollars in your wallet, by contrast, tend to disappear without a trace unless you're diligent about writing down your purchases or retaining receipts.
They offer some protection. Credit cards, and debit cards with MasterCard or Visa logos, promise "zero liability" for consumers if the cards are lost or stolen. Credit cards also serve as a middleman in transactions, so that if you have a dispute with a merchant, you don't have to pay the charge until your beef has been investigated.

They give you rewards. Many credit cards and even some debit cards offer reward points, frequent-flier miles, cash back or other fringe benefits. The more you use them, the more rewards you pile up.

The envelope systemDebit cards, in particular, have soared in popularity in recent years, with their use for in-store transactions climbing 45% between 1999 and 2005. Since debit-card transactions come directly out of your checking account, you don't have to worry about facing a big, unexpected bill and possible finance charges at the end of the month, as you could with a credit card.Still, it's possible to overspend with a debit card, just in a different way. You might buy too much at the grocery store, for example, and discover too late that you don't have enough left for rent. Couples may find themselves in constant conflict because they've essentially spent the same dollars twice.The desire to earmark money for different purposes without worrying about overspending is what led Carolyn Pittman of San Dimas, Calif., to set up her cash-based envelope system nearly two decades ago, when her now-grown sons were still in elementary school.

Pittman keeps seven envelopes on hand, labeled:

Home, for small home repairs.

Entertainment, which includes weekly dinners out with her husband, Richard.

Gas. The envelope is kept in her car.

Trips, for weekend getaways.

Barber, for haircuts.

Clothing.

Food.

You can't spend what you don't have

"If I have the cash put aside, it's harder to overspend," Pittman said. With plastic, "you're tempted to buy everything you see."The Pittmans know something about money management -- Caroline was an accountant before becoming a full-time mother, and Richard works for a credit-counseling organization, ByDesign, as vice president of fund development.Richard Pittman said the system works well for the couple and occasionally wins them price breaks."I had my car repaired (recently) and got a discount for paying cash," he said. "Small businesses are often willing to do that to avoid paying merchant fees" that banks charge for plastic.The couple has credit cards for travel, but Pittman said she's never felt a need for a debit or an ATM card. She gets her cash the old-fashioned way: from a bank teller.Recently, one of them tried to convince her she needed an ATM card. Pittman said the teller asked her what she would do if she ran out of money on a Sunday, when the bank's branches were closed."I said, I don't run out of money because I budget my money," Pittman recalled. "If you have an ATM card, you can keep pulling out money whenever you want."

'If you can eat it, drink it or wear it...'

Credit counselors, who traditionally put their debt-strapped customers on cash-based spending plans, are now likely to view cash and debit cards as pretty much synonymous, said Dianne Wilkman, president of Springboard credit counseling.But Wilkman still advises using bills rather than plastic for certain expenses when she's counseling young people and others who are trying to create a money-management system that works for them."We say, 'If you can eat it, drink it or wear it,' " Wilkman said, " 'it's always good to use cash.'"High-school science teacher Brendon Bookman of Merritt Island, Fla., uses cash for those purchases -- and just about everything else.

Bookman has been without a credit card for more than a year after getting frustrated with soaring interest rates and high fees."You start out with a rate that's 2.9%, you're late with one payment and the rate goes to 20%, 30%," Bookman fumed. "It's so easy to get buried."Like McDermott, Bookman keeps a debit card for emergencies. He doesn't travel much and so hasn't needed to use a credit card (although airlines and some hotels and rental car offices do accept debit cards, should the situation arise). He doesn't use checks, either, since he finds it too easy to get overdrawn. His bills are paid with postal money orders, which can be replaced if they're lost or stolen.The day may come, Bookman said, when he'll get another credit card. But he said he'll insist on a low limit and pay it off in full every month. In the meantime, he likes knowing exactly where he stands by using cash."It's not always convenient," Bookman said, "but it works."3 keys to the cash systemIf you think you'd like to try a cash-based system, consider the following:Expect some trial and error. Any budget can take a while to perfect, and you may well find yourself raiding one envelope (or bank account) when another runs dry. For more information on how to budget, check out MSN's Learn to Budget Decision Center and read "A simpler way to save: The 60% solution.”

Don't carry big wads of cash.

You're not protected against loss or theft as you are with plastic. When Carolyn Pittman starts feeling nervous about how much cash is accumulating in an envelope, she deposits it in the couples' savings account and puts an IOU in its place.Mind your credit scores. Even if, like Bookman, you feel like swearing off credit cards forever, consider the future. You might want to apply for a mortgage, auto loan or other credit someday, and it will help to have good scores. To do that, you generally need to keep at least one open credit account. (For more on how credit scores work, see MSN's Decision Center on the topic.)

Liz Pulliam Weston's column appears every Monday and Thursday, exclusively on MSN Money.

Wala'y Mawa'a Kung Muto-u... :)

A Poem That Gives You Goosebumps...


A drunk man in an Oldsmobile
They said had run the light
That caused the six-car pileup
On 109 that night.

When broken bodies lay about
"And blood was everywhere,"
"The sirens screamed out eulogies,"
For death was in the air.

"A mother, trapped inside her car,"
Was heard above the noise;
Her plaintive plea near split the air:
"Oh, God, please spare my boys!"

She fought to loose her pinned hands;
"She struggled to get free,"
But mangled metal held her fast
In grim captivity.

Her frightened eyes then focused
"On where the back seat once had been,"
But all she saw was broken glass and
Two children's seats crushed in.

Her twins were nowhere to be seen;
"She did not hear them cry, "
"And then she prayed they'd been thrown free, "
"Oh, God, don't let them die! "

Then firemen came and cut her loose, "
"But when they searched the back, "
"They found therein no little boys, "
But the seat belts were intact.

They thought the woman had gone mad
"And was traveling alone, "
"But when they turned to question her, "
They discovered she was gone.

Policemen saw her running wild
And screaming above the noise
"In beseeching supplication, "
Please help me find my boys!

They're four years old and wear blue shirts;
"Their jeans are blue to match.""
"One cop spoke up, ""They're in my car, "
And they don't have a scratch.

They said their daddy put them there
"And gave them each a cone, "
Then told them both to wait for Mom
To come and take them home.

"I've searched the area high and low, "
But I can't find their dad.
"He must have fled the scene, "
"I guess, and that is very bad."

"The mother hugged the twins and said, "
"While wiping at a tear, "
"He could not flee the scene, you see, "
"For he's been dead a year."

"The cop just looked confused and asked, "
"Now, how can that be true? "
"The boys said, ""Mommy, Daddy came "
"And left a kiss for you."" "

He told us not to worry
And that you would be all right, "
And then he put us in this car with
"The pretty, flashing light. "

"We wanted him to stay with us, "
"Because we miss him so, "
"But Mommy, he just hugged us tight "
And said he had to go.

He said someday we'd understand
"And told us not to fuss, "
"And he said to tell you, Mommy, "
"He's watching over us."

The mother knew without a doubt
"That what they spoke was true, "
"For she recalled their dad's last words, "
"I will watch over you."

The firemen's notes could not explain
"The twisted, mangled car, "
And how the three of them escaped
Without a single scar.

"But on the cop's report was scribed, "
"In print so very fine, "
An angel walked the beat tonight on Highway 109.

"The 7 Second Prayer, Just repeat this phrase and see how God moves.

"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless my
family, my home, my friends, and me. Amen. "

Ngano Mang Gidid-an sa Pagminyu ang mga Paring Katoliko?

Why are Catholic priests not allowed to marry?

MATTHEW PINTO

Q: Why are Catholic priests not allowed to marry?

A: Although the early Church allowed married clergy, the Church later came to see celibacy as a better example of the norm and model of Jesus’ priesthood.

In referring to celibacy, St. Paul says: "Indeed, I wish everyone to be as I am, but each has a particular gift from God . . .Now to the unmarried and to widows I say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do" (1 Cor. 7:7-8). He goes on to say: "An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided" (1 Cor. 7:32-34).

Jesus said: "And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life" (Mt. 19:29).

Celibacy is a discipline, not a dogma. This means that the Church could change the rule. In fact, there are a few instances when the Church has allowed married clergy, such as with some Eastern rite clergy and in the case of some Protestant ministers who converted to the Faith. These, however, are the exception.

It is unlikely that the Church will change this teaching at all, or any time soon, because of the many positive and practical benefits of celibacy. Here are 10 reasons why a celibate clergy makes good sense:

It leaves the priest free to more fully commit his life to the service of the Lord and the laity.

The Church has found it is better to keep priests moving from parish to parish every few years, perhaps for a few reasons, including the desire to prevent a cult of personality from building around a particular priest. This situation can put too much focus on the man rather than on the Gospel message. So, the Church prudently moves priests around. Can you imagine how much stress it would cause a priest to have to move his wife and family each time he is assigned to a new parish? Having a celibate priesthood also enables the bishop the full flexibility he needs to move priests around.

To be able to lay his life down for his flock. Because a celibate priest does not have the obligation of a wife and children, he can give of himself more easily, including his own life, if necessary. For example, Blessed Damien de Veuster of Belgium was able to work with lepers on the island of Molokai, Hawaii, because of the freedom he had in being a celibate minister. This work eventually led to his contracting and dying from leprosy.
It is a sign of contradiction and a great Christian witness to our society, which is flooded with sexually permissive messages. Celibacy surely gains the Catholic clergy a hidden respect from many people.

It gives the priest greater credibility when he asks the laity to make sacrifices, because the laity knows that celibacy involves sacrifice.
It helps the priest master his passions amd also gives him more time for prayer, which is the lifeblood of any ministry.

It enables a priest to be more objective when counseling married couples. Because he is not married, he is not going to project any personal marriage problems or biases onto the the couple he is counseling.
In many cases it enables the priest to be a "spiritual father" to more people than he would as a married man (1 Cor. 4:15).

It allows the Church to put the hundreds of millions of dollars it saves in priestly salaries to the evangelization and charitable assistance of a needy world. Although priests do receive salaries, they are much lower than they would have to be if they had families to support.

It’s a foreshadowing that there will be no marriage in heaven (Mt. 22:30).

No one is required to live a permanently celibate life (Mt. 19:12). The Church says that people are free to marry. In fact, the Church glorifies the married state. Only if one wants to become a priest, brother, or religious sister does he or she have to live a celibate life. The religious life, and the requirements that come with it, do not have to be chosen by anyone. However, when it is chosen, it needs to be followed in the manner our Lord and His Church requires.

Sure, celibacy can be difficult, especially in this sexually permissive age. But if a priest has good seminary formation that strongly supports celibacy and if he stays close to our Lord in prayer, he will be able to turn this sacrifice into a wonderful aid to his work.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Matthew Pinto "Why are Catholic priests not allowed to marry?" Apologetics: "Question of the Week" Ascension Press.
Reprinted with permission of Matthew Pinto and Ascension Press.

THE AUTHOR

Matthew Pinto is a co-founder of CatholicExchange.com, a premiere Internet portal for Catholics. He is also a co-founder and former president of Envoy Magazine, which received the 1st Place award for General Interest Catholic magazines in 1998 and 1999 from the Catholic Press Association. The co-author of Amazing Grace for Those Who Suffer (Ascension Press, 2002) and Did Adam and Eve have Belly Buttons?… and 199 other questions from Catholic Teenagers (Ascension Press, 1998) and creator and co-author of the Friendly Defenders Catholic Flash Cards, Matt is a well-known speaker whose work has focused primarily on youth and young adults.

Pangandam na for Summer!

Cagayan de Oro

City of Golden Friendship

Cagayan de Oro, the capital of Misamis Oriental, is one of Mindanao’s most progressive cities, and one of its most picturesque. Surrounded by mountains and bordered by the majestic Cagayan River and Macajalar Bay, Cagayan de Oro exudes freshness and innocence. Vast pineapple plantations define its landscape; and rainforests and wildlife continue to thrive under its care and protection.

GEOGRAPHY

Cagayan de Oro is located along Macabalan Bay in Central Coast of Northern Mindanao. It serves as Regional Center for Region X, bounded by Barangay Bugo on the east; on the west by Barangay Iponan; and Barangay Tumpagon on the south. Its total land area is 48,885 has. or 488.8583 sq. km.

CLIMATE

Cagayan de Oro has a climate characterized by relatively dry season from November to April. Wet season is May to October. Heaviest rainfall is June to October. Driest month is March with an average of 27.42 mm. of rain.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

PUEBLO DE OR GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB - An 18-hole par 72 world classes all weather championship Golf Course designed by world- renowned designer Robe Trent Jones II. It is complete with facilities and amenities such as modern clubhouse, functions rooms, pro-shop, driving range, practice putting greens and others.

VICENTE DE LARA PARK situated in front of the Provincial Capitol of Misamis Oriental with age-old mahogany trees that provides a therapeutic canopy for the promenades.

LA CASTILLA: Museum of Philippine household heirlooms and antiques. This is the Rodolfo and Elsa Pelaez family memorabilia. Administered by the Liceo de Cagayan University.

THE CATHEDRAL: The home of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City, this place of worship is also famous for its century old stained glass windows… Catanico Falls - Concealed by huge boulders, the rapids, cascading falls and natural pool of Barangay F.S. Catanico. Only 20 minutes by car and 45 minutes by foot from the city center. Makahambus Cave - Explore underground caves and a 130-foot circular gorge. The ravine is thick with various species of plants and huge trees. Malasag Reforestration Area - Rolling hills ideal for horseback riding, mountain climbing/biking. Sunrise and sunset are best in the hills of Malasag where one has a panoramic view of the city and the bay.

GETTING THERE. From Manila, domestic flights leave several times a day for Cagayan de Oro. Passenger ships also arrive regularly from Manila and the Visayas.

GETTING AROUND. Air-conditioned taxis are readily available. Cagayan has extensive bus connections around the region. To reach Camiguin island, take a ferry from either Cagayan de Oro harbor or Balingonan town; flights directly to the island may be available from Cebu.

Exam Pud Ta, Kapamilya!!! :)

PASSING REQUIRES 4 CORRECT ANSWERS.

1. How long did the Hundred Years War last?

2. What country makes Panama hats?

3. From what animal do we get catgut?

4. In what month do Russians celebrate October Revolution?

5. What is camel's hair brush made of?

6. The Canary Islands in the Pacific is named after what animal?

7. What was King George VI first name?

8. What color is purple finch?

9. Where does Chinese gooseberries came from?

10. What is the color of the blackbox in a commercial plane?

ALL DONE??? CHECK YOUR ANSWERS BELOW.

1. 116
2. ECUADOR
3. SHEEP & HORSES
4. NOVEMBER
5. SQUIRREL FUR
6. DOGS
7. ALBERT
8. CRIMSON
9. NEW ZEALAND
10. ORANGE, of course.

Dagan Na!!!

PINAY IN ACTION

5/10km walk/run
in celebration of Women's Month
March 19, 2006
Bonifacio Global City (near Adidas Sports Camp)
Registration Fee is P150.00

You may pre-register at :
www.cayetanofoundation.com
Maxibear Stores
(Glorietta 2, Festival Mall & Shangri-la Mall)
Maxitolylab Stores
(Glorietta 2, Alabang Town Center & Shangri-la Mall)
Maxiworks Stores
(Power Plant Mall, Alabang Town Center, Eastwood City Walk 2)


Late registration will be on the event day at 5-5:30am.
Race promptly starts at 6am.

We will also be holding a Women's Expo that will showcase different women's groups. In this light, we would like to invite your company or group to set up a booth and have free consultations. Feel free to decorate your booth in any way or as colorful and attractive as you would like it to appear. Booth Fee is P500.00 only. It will also be nice if your female members/ employees can participate in the 5/10km walk/ run.


Brought to you by Comapañero Rene Cayetano Foundation, Inc.
For more info you may email bikeforhope@yahoo.com
or call Vib at 552-6683/09274045187.

MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES

Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines. Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines.

Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources.Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for

Filipinos were very rich in Asia. We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father & brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism.Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economic situation of South Korea was so bad Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through horrible experience.In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park. They asked to him, "President, when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him.

President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea wo! uld be well off if everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea. So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea. He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood.

Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to mass and work for Church. They pray everyday. However, they do not love the Philippines.

I talked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines.Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their children.

When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith.

I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sa! d, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed.

My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young. They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it.But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young! told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off.I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a s mall scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.

I discover that e! very person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people,contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood and country.Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines, there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love.

If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country. You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.

That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.

PINAY IN ACTION ALL WOMEN'S RUN AT THE FORT:

Calling All Females!!!

.................

In celebration of Women's Month, the Compañero Rene Cayetano Foundation, Inc. is going to launch a program in March called Pinay In Action.

Through the years, women's health has not been given much importance. As a result, illnesses primarily affecting women, such as breast and cervical cancer, have been on the rise. This problem is mainly due to the lack of information and awareness on the importance of prevention and early detection of these diseases. As such, the United Nations included improvement of maternal health as one of the Eight Millennium Development Goals, which the Philippines has likewise adopted.

Aware of the rising problem, Pinay In Action, which is a health and fitness program focused on women, seeks to bring to the public's attention diseases which primarily affect women and emphasize the need to prevent these diseases by leading a healthy lifestyle. In line with this, we are conducting several running, biking, and general fitness clinics for women, which will culminate in a run/walk event. The program also aims to train potential runners and bikers, and fitness enthusiasts to become trainers.

The culminating 5km & 10km run/walk event will be on March 19, 2006 , which will start at six o'clock in the morning at The Fort in Taguig. At the same time, we will be holding a Women's Expo that will showcase different women's groups. Registration fee is only P150.00 per participant.

We look forward to your participation in this worthy cause. For more details, you can call telephone numbers 552-6683 / 552-9003 / 552-6684 and cell number 0927-4045187. Victoria 'Vib' Marabut ( Media / Special Events Coordinator)
from

Ani de Leon
Pinay In Action
Multi Sport Clinic Head Coach and Race Director

Uyon Ba Ka ni Oprah, Kumare?

HEAR WHAT OPRAH HAD TO SAY ABOUT MEN

If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away.If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.

Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior.Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache.

Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that's not meant to be.

Slower is better. Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy. If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no, you can't "be friends". A friend wouldn't mistreat a friend.

Don't settle. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is. Don't stay because you think "it will get better." You'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better. The only person you can control in a relationship is you.

Avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. He didn't marry them when he got them pregnant, why would he treat you any differently?

Always have your own set of friends separate from his.

Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you. If something bothers you, speak up. But never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later.

You cannot change a man's behavior. Change comes from within.

Don't EVER make him feel he is more important than you are... even if he has more education or in a better job. Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more nothing less.

Never let a man define who you are!

Never borrow someone else's man. If he cheated with her, he'll cheat on you.

A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you. All men are NOT dogs.

You should not be the one doing all the bending... compromise is a two way street.

You need time to heal between relationships... there is nothing cute about baggage... Deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship

You should never look for someone to COMPLETE you... a relationship consists of two WHOLE individuals... look for someone complimentary... not supplementary.

Dating is fun... even if he doesn't turn out to be Mr. Right.

Make him miss you sometimes... when a man always knows where you are, and you're always readily available to him - he takes it for granted.

Never move into his mother's house.

Never co-sign for a man.

Don't fully commit to a man who doesn't give you everything that you need.

Keep him in your radar but get to know others.

Share this with other women and men (just so they know)... You'll make someone smile, another rethink her/his choices, and another woman prepare, and a man aware.

Mao Ni Bana'ng Klarung Wa Mamakak!

His lost wedding ring story is no croc...

Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:27 AM ET
By Ed Stoddard

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Pieter Abrahamse has an original excuse for a lost wedding ring: a crocodile ate it, along with the arm it was attached to.
"He took my wedding ring, I suppose he ate it up," Abrahamse told Reuters by telephone from his hospital Monday as he recounted his life-or-death struggle with a man-eating reptile.

The 47-year-old farm manager had the lower part of his left arm torn off in the attack last Thursday on a citrus plantation in South Africa's northern Limpopo province.

But he's counting his blessings as he could easily have lost his life.
"I took my horse for an evening swim in one of the farm dams. There are lots of crocs and hippos in the area but they move around all the time, from dam to dam and into the river and out again," he said.
"I was on the lookout for hippos and didn't see any. It slipped my mind that there might be crocodiles," he said.

He was standing belly-deep in water about 5 metres from the shore when he felt a biting jolt in his left hip. He said thought it was a hippo but quickly realized it was a crocodile.

"I started to fight immediately. So I hit him with my left arm and then he went for my left forearm," Abrahamse said.
"It pulled me under the water for a few seconds and I knew this was his biggest advantage. I realized if I didn't stand up my wife will never find me again," he said.

Somehow, he managed to stumble to his feet and then he felt the crocodile lose its grip.

"What I didn't realize at the time was that it had let go because it had taken part of my left arm off," he said.

With his right arm, Abrahamse then grabbed the rope of his horse, which fortunately for him chose that moment to take flight, dragging him to safety.

Abrahamse then walked 200 metres to his house and his wife drove him 60 kms (40 miles) to the nearest hospital.

"I'm lucky, I didn't lose too much blood ... The biggest problem with a croc bite is it can be septic. They never brush their teeth," said Abrahamse.
And when he gets out of the hospital does he plan to look for the culprit? "Oh yes, I'll be looking for him alright," he said with a laugh.

Ang Sikwate, Bow!

Cocoa consumers have lower risk of disease in study

Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:00 AM ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Men who consumed the most cocoa had a 50 percent lower risk of dying from disease compared to those who did not eat cocoa, Dutch researchers said on Monday.

Cocoa is known to lower blood pressure, though previous studies have disagreed about whether it staves off heart disease over the long-term particularly since it is contained in foods high in fat, sugar and calories.
The new study in Archives of Internal Medicine concluded that it was not lower blood pressure that corresponded to the finding of a lower overall risk of death -- although the biggest cocoa consumers did have lower blood pressure and fewer cases of fatal heart disease than non-cocoa eaters.

Instead, the report credited antioxidants and flavanols found in cocoa with boosting the functioning of cells that line blood vessels and for lessening the risks from cholesterol and other chemicals that can cause heart attacks, cancer and lung diseases. Flavanols are a class of healthy flavonoids that are found in many vegetables, green tea and red wine.

The 15-year study of 470 elderly men aged 65 to 84 in Zutphen, the Netherlands, found one-third did not eat any cocoa, while the median intake was 4.2 grams per day among the third who consumed the most cocoa. From 1985 to 2000, 314 of the men died, and the biggest cocoa eaters were at half the risk of dying compared to men who did not eat it.

The report's author, Brian Buijsse of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, said drawing conclusions for the broader population would require more study of cocoa's impact on health.

"Before we can say cocoa can save your life, a larger study would need to be done," agreed Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologists at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York who did not participate in the research. "This study is not generalizable to the public because it was done in men over the age of 65 years."

Pagka Way Swerte!

Would-be rock star plunges from bed to death

Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:20 AM ET

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A teenage guitarist got so carried away while bouncing up and down on his bed mimicking a rock star that he flew out of a third floor window to his death, a Singapore newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Straits Times said Li Xiao Meng, a 16-year-old from China who was studying at Singapore's Hua Business School, was a keen musician who liked to jump up and down while playing his guitar in his hostel room.
"But on November 17 he took things a bit too far," the newspaper said, reporting on a coroner's court findings.

Ruling death by misadventure, the court said evidence "points to the deceased unintentionally falling out of the window to his death when he was hyped up with exhilaration, jumping up and down on the bed placed against an open window while mimicking a rock guitarist.""

Normally the windows were locked, the newspaper said, but students sometimes forced them open so they could smoke, something prohibited by the hostel.

Diskurso ni Propesor Randy David

The National Situation

7 Feb. 2006, Manila Polo Club
Randy David
University of the Philippines

Good evening. Thank you for inviting me to speak at this very interestinggathering. I am happy to share this podium with former Sen. Gregorio Honasan.I am quite certain that we were all brought here tonight by more or less thesame circumstances and the same concerns. We have the money to buy newspapersand watch the evening news, and we have the time to reflect on the informationthey report. It is almost natural for us to worry about the direction ourcountry is taking. We worry for our families, and we worry especially for thefuture of our children.

Unfortunately, the rest of our people, trapped in the rigors of daily survival,are usually unable to think beyond the next meal. They are the thousands that line up every day, rain or shine, outside TV stations, for the rare chance to bechosen as contestants for the "Pera o Bayong" portion of noontime game shows.They were the faces of the hungry and the desperate at the Ultra stampede lastSaturday morning. They too often gripe about the callousness of the leadershipof our country.

But they do not have the luxury of worrying about politics.And even when they do, they feel powerless to influence the course of events.They wait for elections, and for the largesse it brings, and that about sums up their political involvement.

Those who have the time to worry about politics -- like many of us here tonight -- are basically of two types: (a) those who ask in exasperation when all this political bickering would end; and (b) those who ask in exasperation when this presidency would end.

All over the country, forums like this are being organized by thoughtful citizens. They ask more or less the same questions: How will this stalemateend? Whom can we trust? If she goes, who will replace her?How do we solve our most basic problems? How much time do we need to reform ourpolitical system? Is there hope for the country?

These are importantquestions: they belong to the realm of politics. But I will also hasten to saythat politics is not the only attitude we can take towards the world.Be that as it may, the forum tonight deals with politics.

I want to begin by defining the function of politics in society.

Politics is society's way ofproducing collectively-binding decisions. The important phrase here is"collectively-binding decisions" - decisions made in the name of all of us, andtherefore bind all of us. Such decisions can be as innocuous as changing thename of a provincial hospital or as momentous as declaring war against anothercountry.

They can be as high-profile as signing a peace accord with localinsurgents, or as low-profile as floating new dollar-denominated bonds in theinternational bond market to cover maturing obligations and budget deficits.They are of different levels of importance, but, when made by government, theyall equally bind us.

Politics is, in the first instance, the process by which a nation or a communitydetermines who shall be entrusted with the making of such decisions. There areat least two ways of ensuring that decisions made in the name of the wholenation are honored by every citizen of a country.

The first is by making sure that such decisions are made only by persons oragencies that have a clear mandate or the authority to make them. The second isby making sure that such decisions are made in accordance with law.

Authority means legitimate power. Obviously, not all power is legitimate.Usurpers may exercise power, but their power is not legitimate, and so it isresisted. Tyrants assume power on the basis of force, and while they may, for awhile, coerce people into submission, their power will always remain unstable.Public officials elected fraudulently may exercise power, but their power willeventually be challenged.

Legitimacy is crucial to the operation of a systembecause it is precisely what assures compliance with collective decisions.Systems, of course, operate on the basis of a presumption of legitimacy andregularity.

That is why, when there is a challenge to legitimacy andregularity, the system has to act to dispel all doubts. Illegitimate power hasa corrosive effect on the system, and no matter how much it may try to buysupport, or fortify the throne of bayonets on which it sits, it will always beopposed.The point I want to stress is that whatever the form of politics may be in asociety, its main objective is the same - how to ensure that decisions made bythe rulers are collectively-binding.

When rulers are perceived to have mandates enveloped in doubt, the politicalsystem heats up. Time that should be spent in governance -- in definingcollective goals, in implementing these goals and mobilizing publicparticipation towards their attainment - is instead squandered in endlesspolitical communication.

Unable to legitimize their rule by established means,tyrants find themselves resorting to other means to secure their hold on power.They may do this by acts of selective remuneration, or by acts of calibratedcoercion. They may survive in the short-term but only at great cost to theexisting institutional order.Keeping these thoughts in mind, I want to examine the roots of the presentpolitical crisis. I will argue that at the center of the current crisis is thewhole question of presidential legitimacy that our institutional order hasfailed to resolve up to this time.

Let's go back a bit and review what happened.The doubts began to surface as early as May or June 2004, as the legislatorsfrom the administration and the opposition parties went through the rituals of anational canvassing process. The opposition repeatedly questioned theauthenticity of the certificates of canvass or CoCs from some disputedprovinces.

In at least 15 provinces they demanded that the boxes containing thesupporting statements of votes or SoVs be opened to determine if the figuresmatched those on the CoCs. The objections were duly "noted", but not one ballotbox was allowed to be opened. The administration side argued that canvassingwas a ministerial task, and that the proper venue for electoral protestsinvolving the presidency and the vice presidency was the Supreme Court acting asPresidential Electoral Tribunal.If this scene has a déjà vu ring to it, it is because the use of a controlledmajority to override objections is very much reminiscent of the railroadedcanvassing process at the Batasang Pambansa in the 1986 snap election.

LikeCory's supporters in 1986, FPJ's followers in 2004 saw the futility of getting areasonable hearing inside Congress and demanded that the protest be broughtbefore the parliament of the streets. The tide of mass protests led directly toEdsa. That was how Cory Aquino became president 20 years ago. To his credit,the late FPJ dissuaded his followers from protesting in the streets. He broughthis complaint to the Supreme Court, and paid the amount needed to re-open theballot boxes.

Unfortunately he died before even the first election return could be counted.The justices promptly dismissed the protest upon his death. There was only asymbolic legal closure, but the political question of who really won in the 2004election remained unanswered.By nature, political issues have a shelf life of only a few months. After theSupreme Court denied Susan Roces's petition to continue FPJ's protest, the issuewas buried and almost forgotten.

But five months later, in June 2005, the issueof legitimacy returned with vengeance following the public circulation of theHello Garci conversations - if only as cell phone ringbones at first.Malacanang was caught totally unprepared. This showed in Press Secretary andPresidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye's initial attempt at a cover-up that was soclumsy and full of contradictions it was instantly disowned by the Palace.The Garci Tapes contained more than a hundred conversations between a Comelecofficial who sounded very much like Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and anassortment of politicians and political brokers. About 10 of theseconversations were between Garcillano and someone with the inimitable voice ofGloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

These conversations are revealing and damning. Theyindicate the existence of a conspiracy to manipulate the results of the electionin the vote-rich provinces of Southern Mindanao. They strongly suggest thatMrs. Arroyo herself seemed to have full knowledge of the elaborate scheme topad her votes and shave those of her closest rival, Fernando Poe Jr.Resourceful journalists have scrutinized the content of these conversations,marking out the names, places, and events mentioned in the tapes, andestablishing their factual basis.

The conclusion, as one Newsbreak article socogently put it, was: The shoe fits.The first reaction from Malacanang was to dismiss these conversations as cleverfabrications. Various agencies of government tried to stop the spread of thetapes by threatening people with charges for violation of the Anti-WiretappingLaw.

Yet on June 27, 2005, bowing to public pressure, Mrs. Arroyo came out onnational television to apologize for what she called a "lapse in judgment" - forcalling a Comelec official while the canvassing was going on. Her intention,she claimed, was not to cheat but only to protect her votes. She said nothingmore about the tapes.In subsequent interviews she evaded all questions about these wiretapped, sayingshe was ready to face any impeachment charge that would be filed against her.The story of these tapes remains open.

The man who initially confessed tohaving taken them out of the ISAFP, T. Sgt Vidal Doble, returned to the custodyof his unit in the ISAFP, and has since denied having anything to do with thetapes. While ISAFP is widely believed to have performed the wiretap, no one hascome out to tell the full story. To this day, the ISAFP insists it has nocapability to wiretap cell phone conversations.

The central character in the wiretapped conversations - CommissionerGarcillano - went missing shortly after the scandal broke out. Five monthslater, he reappeared, accompanied by armed men who later turned out to be localpolicemen. The police offered him sanctuary while he waited to face the Housecommittees that were investigating him. The account he gave in the House wasone of studied evasiveness. He admitted talking to GMA once.

This was notunusual, he said, because other politicians, including those from theopposition, also talked to him. But he could not recall if the conversationscaught in the Garci tapes actually took place. He wasn't even sure if that washis voice. He emphatically maintained that he did not cheat for anyone, leastof all for the president. He went into hiding, he said, because he felt thathis life was in danger. The investigation could squeeze nothing from this foxyoperator, who seemed to feel at home in the company of the nation's politicians.This is the first issue. It was so powerful it brought out the first massivedemonstrations against Mrs. Arroyo. It triggered the resignation of keymembers of her Cabinet, as well as the withdrawal of support from key allieslike former president Aquino and Senate President Franklin Drilon, as well as asection of the influential Makati Business Club.

The start of the impeachment proceedings in September brought the issue back tothe legal arena, where Mrs. Arroyo maintained a firm grip on the loyalty of hercongressional allies. The impeachment complaints, as we all know, were killedat the committee level, using technicalities and parliamentary maneuvers thatrelied on the power of the majority vote. The substantive charges against Mrs.Arroyo were never taken up.

Again, only a symbolic closure was achieved, and sothe issue remains politically alive.The second issue revolves around the partisan involvement of key officials ofthe military in the 2004 election. This is being investigated by the committeeof Sen. Rodolfo Biazon.

The purpose is clear-cut: To get to the bottom of thewiretapping and the involvement of some generals in the election in Mindanao.The investigation opened with the revealing testimonies of Gen. Gudane and Col.Balutan, both of whom were sanctioned by the AFP for appearing before the Senatewithout authority from their superiors.

The committee has hit a blank wall.Military officials, citing EO 464 which bars top government officials fromappearing in any congressional investigation without prior permission from thepresident, have declined to appear before any legislative hearing.The third issue is the use of public funds to finance the presidential campaignof Mrs. Arroyo.

Even during the campaign, the funding for the PhilHealth cardsthat Mrs. Arroyo was distributing in the course of her provincial sorties hadcome under question. So too the improper utilization of the Road Users Tax forthe emergency employment of street sweepers in every barangay of the countryjust before the 2004 election.But the one investigation that has yielded the most scandalous findings on themisuse of public money for the presidential campaign of Mrs. Arroyo is thehearing on the so-called Fertilizer Fund being conducted by the committee ofSenator Jun Magsaysay.

The P728 million fund is part of the almost P3 billionfund of the so-called GMA - Ginintuang Masaganang Ani --program. A significantportion of this money appears to have been sourced from the confiscated MarcosSwiss bank deposits. The seized Marcos assets had been previously earmarked bylaw for the agrarian reform program.

Except for the portion of 8 billion pesosset aside for victims of human rights violations, the rest of the Marcos moneyamounting to about P27 billion appears to have vanished into thin air sometimebetween 2004 and 2005. The admission made by Budget Secretary Neri andofficials from the Commission on Audit so angered former Senator Jovito Salongathat last January 30, he felt compelled to write Mrs. Arroyo a letter.

In thatletter, Sen. Salonga told Mrs. Arroyo: "We who do not seek any favor from youare constrained to conclude that to remain in power, you (1) prejudiced thewelfare of our poor, landless farmers and (2) ignored the sacrifices of manypersons who devoted all their God-given resources in terms of time, energy,effort and the little knowledge and talent so they might help recover the morethan 680 million dollars from the Swiss Marcos deposits.

"The one person who is expected to shed light on the nature of the FertilizerFund, its sources and its mode of disbursement, is former Agriculture Usec.Jocelyn "Joc-joc" Bolante, a known friend and associate of First Gentleman MikeArroyo. But, taking his cue from Commissioner Garcillano, Bolante has also madehimself scarce.

These three issues lie at the center of the current political crisis.In stable societies, political questions like these - that challenge the basiclegitimacy of the sitting president - are ultimately resolved by election, or byacts of Congress or Parliament, or they are referred back to the legal andjudicial system for further investigation, prosecution, and adjudication.

But in young societies like ours - where the institutional spheres are not yet fullydifferentiated - legal institutions and government agencies tend to be heavilycontaminated by partisan politics. This compromises their independence.Instead of being able to put an orderly closure to unresolved politicalquestions, these institutions are dragged into the political arena and losetheir credibility.

Consequently, legal issues are re-politicized, and the wholeprocess repeats itself, leaving in its wake the debris of institutionalwreckage.Take a look at some of the major institutional casualties in this unendingpolitical crisis since Mrs. Arroyo succeeded to the presidency in 2001:1. First there is the Supreme Court. Members of the Court came to the EdsaShrine at noontime of Jan. 20, 2001 to administer the oath of office to GMA,even before there was any clear determination that a vacancy had occurred in theoffice of the president.

Without signing a formal letter of resignation, Erapleft Malacanang at around 2:30 p.m. He later claimed that he had not resignedbut only taken a leave of absence. A few weeks later, the same SC had toadjudicate a case challenging the legality of Mrs. Arroyo's assumption of thepresidency. The justices unanimously upheld the legality of Mrs. Arroyo'saccession to the presidency, but they could not agree on the reasons. Many ofthe justices were severely skeptical and critical of the use of people power toeffect a change in government. The majority decision ruled that Erap hadresigned "constructively" - a novel concept that could not be easily explainedto a perplexed public.

If it was quick to state its position on what was clearly a very dynamicsituation in January 2001, the Supreme Court seemed extremely hesitant tointervene in 2005 when members of the House committee investigating theimpeachment charges could not agree on the correct interpretation of the phrase"impeachment proceeding" as found in the 1987 Constitution. What constitutes animpeachment proceeding? When is it deemed initiated? If three impeachmentcomplaints are filed against the same public official for more or less the samereasons within hours of one another, would taking them up on the same day beconstrued as initiating three separate impeachment proceedings, and is thereforeprohibited?

Twice, a lawyer asked the Supreme Court to disallow the rulingcoalition's absurd interpretation of the constitutional provision barring theinitiation of impeachment proceedings against the same public official more thanonce a year. The Court said the question was premature. Then it said nothingmore on the issue after the defective Lozano impeachment complaint was thrownout.By the same token, the SC has so far failed to rule on the constitutionality ofthe so-called Calibrated Preventive Response policy (CPR) of dealing withprotest demonstrations, and of the gag order contained in Executive Order 464.2. Second, there is, of course, the Comelec itself - the one legal institutionthat the Cory Aquino government in the post-Marcos years tried very hard torebuild so that its neutral and professional character may be preserved.

A credible Comelec is the linchpin of a representative democracy. Mrs. Arroyohas done much to erode the Comelec's credibility by appointing to it individualsof unsavory reputation, not the least of whom is Atty Virgilio Garcillanohimself. The man had worked his way up the Comelec bureaucracy, and gained areputation as somebody who has mastered the electoral terrain of Mindanao. Butanother image consistently stuck to him - that of architect of "dagdag-bawas."

Thus, when he was appointed to the Comelec as one of the commissioners barely 3months before the 2004 election, no less than former Comelec Chairman ChristianMonsod appealed to the president to withdraw his appointment. The same plea wasmade by a victim of dagdag-bawas - Senator Nene Pimentel. But Mrs. Arroyowould not be dissuaded. She was such a firm believer in Garcillano'scapabilities.3.

The third is the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Outside of Marcos, noother president perhaps has so brazenly enlisted the services of key officialsof the AFP for partisan purposes than Mrs. Arroyo. Again, the Garci Tapes arevery incriminating. In one conversation, Garci was complaining that thecheating operations in some towns were very crudely done because the ones whowere assigned to perform these tasks were inexperienced soldiers. Several namesof high-ranking officers were mentioned in the tapes.

By a strange coincidence,except for Gudane who retired, almost all of them were subsequently appointed tocushy positions in the AFP.4. The fourth is the Ombudsman. This is a constitutional office that isinvested with the power to initiate investigations and to prosecute erringpublic officials. When the SC ruled that the Comelec computerization projectwas illegal and ordered Comelec to recover the money it had paid, it alsodirected the Ombudsman to investigate the culpability of the Commissioners andto prosecute them.

This has not happened, as far as I know. The Ombudsmancould also have initiated the investigation of ISAFP's (Intelligence Service ofthe Armed Forces of the Philippines)involvement in wiretapping. It could have looked as well into the use of publicfunds like the Road Users Tax and the Fertilizer Fund for the election campaignof the president. We have not seen any such initiative. One wonders if thepeople at the center of all these controversies know something we don't whenthey bravely challenge their accusers to sue them in court and file thenecessary charges.

Somebody - I think it is Sen. Kiko Pangilinan - recently filed a bill callingfor the creation of a powerful office of an American-style Independent Counsel,that would have the authority to mobilize agencies and offices of government toput together a case against accountable public officials. Maybe if we can findenough Kenneth Starrs in our midst who would not be deterred by the powerful,there might be a reason for this bill. But I am not certain if this is theright answer to the dysfunctionality of our institutions.

Let me re-state my basic thesis here.THE CRUX OF THE PRESENT CRISIS consists in the fact that the institutions in thepolitical and the legal systems of our society have failed to arrive at areasonable closure of the issues thrust upon them.

The crisis of legitimacy ofMs Arroyo has led to a questioning of all her decisions and actions. Herstonewalling on a number of important questions - the use of gag orders and ofdiversionary tactics like charter change - has led to a generalized crisis ofcredibility. This has spawned more issues than the political system can handleat any given time without overheating. It is interesting that the economy seemsto be faring well in comparison.

The crisis of the political system may remainisolated for a time, but it may eventually engulf the whole system. It isdifficult to say how long the system can bear the pressure from one of itsparts.What seems clear at this point is that:- More and more people are demanding either an end to all bickering or theoutright removal of Mrs. Arroyo.- More and more people are losing faith in the system's capacity to resolvepolitical questions within the bounds of the Constitution.- More and more people are disenchanted not only with the present administrationbut also with the political opposition.

They are turning to the Armed Forcesand asking them to intervene.Having gone through two people power upheavals, our people are not unfamiliarwith extra-legal solutions involving both military and people powerinterventions. They see people power as the Filipino way of compensating forthe inadequacies of our institutions, even as they are fully aware of the manyproblems it spawns.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE?What is to be done or how we should respond to the crisis is a function of howwe look at the situation. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines(CBCP) explains the crisis as the result of the erosion of our moral values.The bishops are calling for a renewal of our public life.This is a long-term process, and one can understand why our religious leadershave couched the problem in specifically moral terms, even as they are consciousof not overstepping the bounds of their authority. The bishops insist that thesolution can come from the relentless pursuit of the truth by the community as awhole.My own view is quite different from that of the bishops.

Like them, I believethat our public values have changed. But, unlike them, I believe that they havechanged not necessarily for the worse. On the contrary, I believe that thecrisis in our political life arises precisely from the growing refusal of manyordinary Filipinos from all classes to tolerate patronage, fraud, politicalbossism, corruption, and misgovernance of our public life.

The ruling classesof our country - the ones who are used to cynical wheeling and dealing, tocorruption, to intimidation, and the exploitation of mass ignorance anddependence - are beginning to discover that they can no longer rule in the oldway. Every election year they find that they have to cheat harder in order toget elected.Politicians like Ms. Arroyo cannot seem to understand why cheating in electionshas become so suddenly wrong, or why taking kickbacks from government contractsand pork barrel projects is suddenly frowned upon.

They wake up one morning, andthey discover to their dismay that our people are demanding better government.On more than one occasion, Mrs. Arroyo candidly lamented the degeneration of ourpolitical system. It has become such, she said, that one cannot embark on apolitical career and expect to emerge from it with clean hands.

"He who iswithout sin," she says quoting from the Bible, "cast the first stone." Mrs.Arroyo must have been so blinded by ambition that she failed to read what theplacards of the young people who trooped to Edsa in January 2001 were saying:Good government. Accountable government. Competent government.

They did notgo to Edsa because they loved GMA; they went to Edsa because they thought theydeserved a president they could admire, one who could properly discharge theresponsibilities of a young aspiring modern nation in a complex world.

In their attempt to appease the public, the old dying class led by GMA, FVR, andJose de Venecia are offering to change the form of government, little realizingthat the people have moved one notch higher. They now demand a replacement ofthe whole political class itself. Only now, I think, are the politiciansbeginning to realize that the public is not just seeking to change the form ofgovernment, or just to overthrow Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and replace her withthe Opposition.

Filipinos want a whole new set of leaders, imbued with a wholenew set of values and capabilities. They want a new nation equipped forsurvival in a globalized world they are just starting to discover.Am I painting a fictional image of Filipino consciousness? I do not think so.If our political values had not improved, we would not have this crisis.

Wewould allow the politicians to talk it over among themselves, to strike a modusvivendi (what trapos call a "win-win" solution) that would benefit everyindividual politician in the country. The rest of us, ordinary citizens, wouldall retreat into our homes and perhaps amuse ourselves by their antics.

But no,more and more of us are staunchly refusing to let our country to be run by thesame breed of cynical politicians.Our people are better educated today. They are more connected to the outsideworld. They know how other societies work. They have seen more of the worldthan the generation of their parents. And, let us not forget, you cannot sendout more than 10% of your mature population to live and work in other societies,and expect them to remain unchanged in the way they think of theresponsibilities of government.

What they bring home from abroad are not justremittances; they usually bring back with them a new consciousness of whatsocieties can be like when they are better run.Politics is basically an arena of communication. Our political system today ismore complex: it is no longer dominated by traditional political parties. Thereare new voices that are making themselves heard - from the social movements, thenon-government organizations, people's organization, etc.

Edsa I and Edsa IIare symptomatic of the emergence of an educated population that no longer feelsbound by traditional political rules. If we look closely, we may see Edsa I andII as manifestations of a middle class political impatience never seen before inour country. These events are guided by a vision of modernity that howeverneeds to be enriched by social justice.How to bring this vision about is the big question. I believe that as along-range vision, it is not necessarily hitched to any political project.

Allover the country, people are meeting and talking in forums like this.The vision of a new nation is taking shape in these meetings. We are alreadyliving in a post-Gloria era. Gloria is history. The reign of the trapos iscoming to an end.How Mrs. Arroyo will eventually go and when, is probably only a small footnotenow in these discussions. Whether it is by a snap election, or by people powerin combination with a military mutiny - is perhaps no longer the importantquestion.

The question that people are asking is: Who will replace her? But, Ido not take that to mean a simple search for alternative faces. I take that tomean: What kind of agenda for national renewal will bring us forward? What areour basic and urgent tasks as a people? If we take care of the agenda, Ibelieve the right faces will come forward.I would like to end by advancing four basic tasks that I have heard repeatedlyin various fora:First, to end the scourge of absolute poverty once and for all, no matter whatit takes.

The stampede of the poor in Ultra is only a grim reminder of thisunjust reality we must all help to end.Second, to educate everyone of our people, especially the young, in order toequip them for living in a highly competitive world.Third, to rebuild the physical infrastructure of our country, and to protect itsenvironment from long-term damage.And lastly, to create stable institutions appropriate to a complex and modernsociety -- in a climate of freedom, tolerance, and openness.If we remain focused and committed to such an agenda of necessarytransformation, I have every reason to believe that the search for new leaderswill take care of itself.

The quest for change will spawn new politicalformations and new political parties.Having said that, I will hasten to add that it would be a mistake to think thatone needs to be a politician to be able to contribute to the realization ofthese urgent tasks.