Wednesday, August 31, 2011

10 laws have the same provisions as RH bill - Senator Vicente Sotto


10 laws have the same provisions as RH bill - Sotto


By Marvin Sy
(The Philippine Star) Updated August 30, 2011 12:00 AM




MANILA, Philippines - In going all out against the
proposed Reproductive Health (RH) bill, Senate Majority Leader Vicente
Sotto III showed that there were at least 10 laws and executive
issuances that already contained all the objectives envisioned by the
measure.








For two straight days, Sotto took on the sponsors of the RH bill in
the Senate, Pia Cayetano and Miriam Defensor Santiago, both lawyers and
strong advocates of women’s rights and welfare.








While the initial arguments centered on the issue of contraceptives
and their supposed use as abortifacients, which the sponsors claimed was
practically an issue of religious beliefs, Sotto’s interpellation
focused on his claim that the bill merely repeats provisions already
found in existing laws.








Sotto has been arguing that the Department of Health (DOH) is already
implementing various programs on reproductive health and has the
funding necessary to fulfill this mandate, so coming up with yet another
law to do the same thing would be unnecessary.








He took up the six objectives of the RH bill and showed that there
were several laws that were enacted in the past to fulfill them.








The RH bill has the following objectives: to save the lives of
mothers and the unborn; provide Filipinos with information on
reproductive health so they can make informed and intelligent decisions;
provide access to health care facilities and skilled health
professionals before, during and after delivery; address HIV and other
sexually-transmitted diseases; provide access to different family
planning methods; and institutionalize age and development appropriate
reproductive health education.








According to Sotto, there are laws that go back to the Marcos
administration and some authored by the current sponsors that are meant
to address all those objectives of the RH bill.








The most prominent of these laws is Republic Act No. 9710 or the
Magna Carta of Women, which Sotto noted already addresses all six
objectives of the RH bill.
























He also cited R.A. 8504 or the Philippine AIDS Prevention and
Control Act of 1998, R.A. 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and
Children Act, R.A. 7875 or the National Health Insurance Act of 1995 and
R.A. 9501 or the Cheaper Medicines Act as containing various provisions
related to the objectives of the RH bill.








Presidential Decrees 603 or the Child and Youth Welfare Code and 965
which requires applicants for marriage licenses to receive instructions
on family planning and responsible parenthood were laws that have been
around since the Marcos administration.








Administrative Order 2008-0029 of the DOH provides the strategy to
rapidly reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and remains in place to
this day.








The current administration has continued its support for these
objectives by approving the appropriations in the national budget and
through the issuance of executive orders to ensure these are achieved.








Sotto noted that the 2011 General Appropriations Act contains
P153.978 million for health promotion, another P232.919 million for
health human resource development and P7.116 billion for the health
facilities enhancement program.








This is on top of the conditional cash transfer program of the
Department of Social Welfare and Development which requires its
recipients to get prenatal care, assisted childbirth by skilled or
professionals, attendance in family planning sessions and regular
preventive health check ups and vaccines for children zero to five years
of age.








President Aquino, who has thrown in his support behind the RH bill,
has also issued Administrative Orders 2010-0010 or the revised policy on
micronutrient supplementation to support achievement of 2015 Millennium
Development Goal targets to reduce under-five and maternal deaths and
address micronutrient needs of other population groups; and 2010-0036
also known as the Aquino health agenda, achieving universal health care
for all Filipinos.








Sotto added that there are other programs that exist for the purpose
of reproductive health such as the women’s health and safe motherhood
project and the family planning program of the DOH.








He said that even the Local Government Code contains a provision for
local government units to provide their own basic services and
facilities, including primary health care and maternal and child care.








The Labor Code provides incentives for family planning while R.A.
7883 or the Barangay Health Workers Benefits and Incentives Act of 1995
provides health education, training of barangay health workers,
community building and organizing.








Sotto admitted that there is much to be desired as far as the
enhancement of health facilities are concerned but the government is
getting there already.








“The DOH is the best argument against RH bill because they are
practically doing everything that the RH bill wants to do. This is
already in place, no debates, no problems, no additional funding needed
because it’s all there,” Sotto said.








“There is no need for the RH bill. Health Secretary (Enrique) Ona
said it clearly, with or without the bill, they are doing it
(reproductive health programs),” he added.








Santiago argued that there is no law prohibiting the repeat of what an existing law already states.








“There is no prohibition against redundant provisions in different
bills. Plus, it could be possible that one bill is general in nature
while the RH bill is specific in nature, and the rule of statutory
construction is when one bill is general in nature and another is
specific in nature, the courts will uphold the law that is specific in
nature,” Santiago said.








“So, in effect, even if there were similar or identical provisions,
that is simply an insurance that when the bill is brought to court, the
Supreme Court will be persuaded by the position because the bills
succeeding each other are repetitions of each other, meaning to say the
lawmakers have very strong opinions about a certain provisions in the
bill,” she added.








Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Pro-life group hits Akbayan for malicious tirade vs. Sotto








 


MANILA,
August 24, 2011
–A pro-life organization on Wednesday criticized a
partylist group for waging a vicious social networking demolition job on
Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, saying its claims were “narrow-minded”
and “out of context.”








In a statement on the group’s website, Filipinos For Life (F4L)
said, “Sotto was merely questioning the basis of the oft-repeated
statistic of 11 maternal deaths a day, in the context of a legislative
debate on a bill that seeks to establish a wide-ranging national
policy.”








“It is therefore fair to examine the basis of this bill. There is nothing to apologize for,” the F4L statement said.








“In the first place, there was no derogatory statement on women, and
the sarcasm, if at all, is directed at pro-RH lobby groups, some of them
pro-abortion, that routinely peddle this statistic. The supposed
offense is in the creative, nay, malicious imagination of Akbayan’s
propagandists,” the group said.








It also criticized former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel for maligning Sotto.








“May we remind former Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel to elevate the
level of the debate on RH. Her repeated references in social networks to
an incident decades ago involving a dead movie starlet are uncalled for
and below the belt,” it said.








F4L said that based on its own estimates, the correct figure is 4.8
maternal deaths a day, based on 2008 data from the National Statistics
Office and the National Statistical Coordination Board.








“This assumes a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 99 per 100,000 live
births and 1.784 million live births in 2008. Assuming a high MMR of
169 per 100,000 live births, the figure is 8.3,” the group said.








F4L clarified that it does not downplay the problem of maternal
deaths, stating that “it is a problem that needs concrete solutions,
like more birthing centers and midwives. But we should guard against the
excessive emotional use of the outdated statistic to influence
Philippine government policy.”








The group chided Akbayan for covering up the dangerous side effects of contraceptives.








“If Akbayan is really pro-women, it should tell its women
constituents that contraceptive pills that would be distributed for free
under the RH bill are considered by a WHO agency as a Level 1
carcinogen. Pills, according to reputable literature produced by
entities such as the US National Cancer Institute and the Mayo Clinic
increase the risk of breast and other cancers.”








“If Akbayan really is pro-women, it should tell mothers that the
pills it wants them to ingest daily could expel a fertilized ovum, which
is already a human being. It should inform women that pills don’t
always prevent ovulation,” it continued. “In case the pills do not
prevent ovulation and fertilization occurs, the pills have been proven
to create an environment that is hostile to the beginning of life.
Akbayan’s lawmakers should be reminded of what the Constitution says
about the protection of the unborn.” (CBCP for Life)

ATTY. MARWIL LLASOS AND FILIPINOS 4 LIFE CONTINUE DRIVE AGAINST RH BILL




MANILA,
August 30, 2011–As news reports on inconsistencies in statistical
numbers and in the agenda of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill and its
proponents continue to come out, hundreds of parishioners in Paranaque
City got the lowdown on the controversial bill through informative talks
delivered by members of Filipinos for Life (F4L).






Following a multi-media presentation on pro-life issues, Anthony
James Perez, Anna Cosio and Atty. Marwil Llasos tackled different
aspects of House Bill 4244 at an afternoon activity organized by Mary,
Mother of Good Counsel Parish and attended by some 300 parishioners,
most of them students.





Perez, F4L founder, discussed the reasons for the group’s opposition
to the bill, explaining why the legislative measure was not the solution
to the country’s problems.





Citing incontestable statistics, Perez debunked the overpopulation
myth on which population control advocates have based their claims.





Nurse instructor Cosio tackled the medical and health-related issues
surrounding the bill. Armed with science-based research and findings,
she proved that human life starts at fertilization–or the meeting of the
egg and sperm cells.




As part of the RH bill is the taxpayer-funded procurement and
distribution of artificial contraceptives, Cosio also went into a
discussion of the harmful–and sometimes fatal–effects of birth control
drugs and devices on women.





Tackling the moral, constitutional and legal aspects was Llasos, who
declared that the bill was anti-God, anti-human and anti-Filipino.
Included in the lawyer’s presentation were explanations as to the
constitutional infirmities of portions of the bill.


As
the talks concluded, a woman among the participants brought up the
situation of an unmarried friend who had considered getting rid of her
unborn baby, given that the child’s father refused to acknowledge his
responsibility to the mother and child.





Llasos’ advice to the woman was to tell her friend to inform her
parents about the situation. Abortion is not an option, he added, and
there are government, private and religious institutions that can help
women in such situations.





The lawyer also offered F4L’s help in facilitating adoption placement for the baby.





Meanwhile, members of the Speakers’ Bureau of the Vicariate of Real
Infanta and General Nakar,  Prelature of Infanta, Quezon province
boosted their understanding of the issues pertaining to the culture of
life through a recent seminar about the RH bill.





As part of the family and life ministry’s series of trainors’
training seminars, Buhay Partylist pro-life advocacy staff Jose
Descallar delivered a day-long talk on issues pertaining to the
legislative measure to 45 participants–including school principals,
teachers and city councilors–upon the invitation of the prelature’s
Vicar-General Fr. Mario Establecida.





According to Descallar, the open forum was quite interesting due to
questions about the “fine-tuned” version of the bill, supposedly an
initiative of Malacanang.





Hindi pa din okey sa inyo ‘yung amendments na ginagawa dun sa bill?” queried one of the participants.





Descallar explained that such amendments changed nothing because
“it’s the bill’s framework that’s the problem. Even if you amend it and
all that’s left are four sections–declaration of policy, guiding
principles, appropriations, and the penal provisions–hindi pa din okey ‘yan. It is still within the same framework.”





H.B. 4244, authored by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, continues
to face a growing opposition due to its mandate of taxpayer-funded
procurement and distribution of a “full range” of birth control drugs
and devices including abortifacients, six-year sex education program
from Grade 5 to 4th year high school in all schools as well as among
out-of-school youth, provision of birth control drugs, devices and
services by employers to their employees, and punitive measures for
those who speak out against the bill. (CBCP for Life)


Multiple studies show declining number of maternal deaths; ‘11 a day’ an outdated statistic


MANILA, August 30, 2011–Indeed, maternal deaths are a problem
requiring a real solution. But is it true that 11 women die each day due
to childbirth? Based on hard statistics from the Philippine government,
international agencies, and experts abroad, the answer is no.








In fact, data from the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB)
show that the real figure ranges from just 4.8 to 8.3 based on 2008
figures, the latest available. That year, the maternal mortality ratio
was estimated at 99-169 per 100,000 live births.








A total of 1,784,316 live births were recorded in the country in 2008.








The NSCB defines maternal mortality ratio or MMR as the “ratio
between the number of women who died (for reasons of pregnancy,
childbirth and puerperium) to the number of reported live births in a
given year, expressed as the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live
births.”








The period 1990 to 2010 showed a marked decline in maternal
mortality, government data showed. MMR declined by 21% from 121 in
1990, to just 95 in 2010, even in the absence of a “reproductive
health” (RH) law.








What other studies show








For those who prefer not to rely solely on government statistics, two
separate studies released in 2010 provide even lower estimates of MMR
for the Philippines.








“Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2008,” with estimates
developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World
Bank, estimated the Philippines’ MMR at 94 per 100,000 live births in
2008, equivalent to 4.6 a day.








The same report estimated maternal deaths at 2,100 in 2008, and based on this figure, there were 5.75 deaths a day.








The Philippines is in fact “making progress” in reducing maternal
mortality, with the estimated MMR plunging by 48% – nearly half – from
1990 to 2008, the report by five international agencies showed.








The Philippines also did a better job of reducing maternal deaths –
in terms of the percentage drop in MMR – than Russia, Malaysia, Hungary,
Israel, and even Germany, the report indicated.








Maternal death is defined by the WHO as the “death of a woman while
pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of
the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or
aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or
incidental causes.”








Meanwhile the study “Maternal mortality for 181 countries, 1980–2008:
a systematic analysis of progress towards Millennium Development Goal
5,” published in the respected journal The Lancet and funded by
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, placed the Philippines’ maternal
mortality ratio at just 84 per 100,000 live births.








This is equivalent to 4.1 deaths per day – a far cry from the 11 a
day that RH lobbyists are using in their bid to push for the
controversial and divisive RH bill.








The Lancet article was written by Margaret Hogan, Kyle Foreman,
Mohsen Naghavi, Stephanie Ahn, Mengru Wang, Susanna Makela, Alan Lopez,
Rafael Lozano, and Christopher J. L. Murray. Most of the researchers
came from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation of the
University of Washington in Seattle.








Based on their data, the Philippines, even without an RH law, reduced
its MMR by 81% between 1980 and 2008, and 52% between 1990 and 2008.








“Our analysis of all available data for maternal mortality from 1980
to 2008 for 181 countries has shown a substantial decline in maternal
death,” the researchers concluded.








“Compared with previous assessments of maternal mortality, we have
narrowed the uncertainty around global and national estimates of the
MMR. This improved accuracy is a result of an extensive database and the
use of analytical methods with increased explanatory power and improved
out-of-sample predictive validity,” they added.








The source of  ‘11 maternal deaths a day’








Now, where did the “11 a day” figure come from? It is from the
outdated report “Maternal Mortality in 2000: Estimates developed by WHO,
UNICEF and UNFPA.”








It estimated the Philippines’ MMR at 200 in the year 2000, equivalent
to 9.8 a day. It placed the number of maternal deaths that year at
4,100, or 11.2 a day.








The report, however, is seven years old, published way back in 2004.








The outdated report carried an important caveat: “The 2000 estimates
cannot be used to analyze trends because of the wide margins of
uncertainty associated with the estimates.”








“The margins of uncertainty associated with the estimated MMRs are
very large, and the estimates should not, therefore, be used to monitor
trends in the short term. In addition, cross country comparisons should
be treated with considerable circumspection because different strategies
have been used to derive the estimates for different countries, making
it difficult to draw comparisons,” the 2004 report said.








The same international agencies, in their 2010 report, pointed out that the latest (2008) estimates are more reliable.








“[I]t should be noted that the data and methods have improved over
time. The 2008 estimates should not be compared with those from the
previous exercises to assess changes in time. Trends in maternal
mortality calculated using the same improved methodology and presented
for years 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2008 in this report show the
changes over time.” (Dominic Francisco)

SAGOT SA KALAPASTANGANAN NG AGLIPAYANO



 The Paoay Church



Chen...Aglipayano AKO!!
said...



niloob ng Diyos na sumibol ang Aglipay!!! kaya wala kang karapatanag
kwestiyunin ang kalooban ng Panginoon!!! Kamiy naglilingkod ng
mapayapa!!! kaya kung gusto mo pang pumunta sa LANGIT manahimik ka na
lang Fr.Abe, nagmumukha ka ng ube dyan!!! ang pangit mo pa naman!
manahimik ka na lang ... wala kang naitutulong na maganda sa
lipunan...mas maganda pa nga yatang mag Rest In Peace ka na lang!!!
hahahahahaha!!!!










Fr. Abe, CRS
said... 

 



[niloob ng Diyos na sumibol ang Aglipay!!!]

DEMONIO ANG NAGPASIBOL SA AGLIPAY. MGA MASON AT MGA EREHE, MGA SCHISMATICO AT MGA KAAWAY NG SANTA IGLESIA. KAYO ANG MGA NAGNAKAW ANG MGA SIMBAHANG PINATAYO NAMIN. NABAWI NALANG NAMIN DAHIL NANALO KAMI SA KORTE. MGA MANDARAMBONG!!! MGA TULISAN!!!

[kaya wala kang karapatanag kwestiyunin ang kalooban ng Panginoon!!!]

ANG
KALOOBAN NG PANGINOON AY ANG PAKAKATATAG NG IISANG SANTA IGLESIA NA
ITINAYO NIYA KAY SAN PEDRONG APOSTOL HINDI SA IMPAKTONG AGLIPAY NA IYAN.
KAYA WAG MONG BABUYIN ANG KALOOBAN NG DIOS. MGA KAMPON NG DEMONIO!!!

[Kamiy naglilingkod ng mapayapa!!!]

HINDI
KAYO NAGLILINGKOD NG MAPAYAPA DAHIL GINAGAWA NYO KAMI. NAGKUKUNWARI
KAYONG CATOLICO KAHIT HINDE. MGA PEKE, ARTIPISYAL... MGA PLASTIC.

[kaya kung gusto mo pang pumunta sa LANGIT manahimik ka na lang Fr.Abe, nagmumukha ka ng ube dyan!!!]

HA
HA HA... E TANGA KA PALA E. AKO ANG NANANAHIMIK DITO AT KAYO ANG
NANGGUGULO SA AKIN. HA HA HA... ANG SUSI NG LANGIT AY WALA KAY AGLIPAY
KUNDI TAGLAY NI SAN PEDRO APOSTOL. KAYA KAYO ANG KAWAWA DAHIL TUMIWALAG
KAYO SA TUNAY NA IGLESIA AT GUMAWA NG PEKE.

[ang pangit mo pa naman!]

HA
HA HA... MAS PANGIT KAYO. KAMUKA NINYO ANG INYONG AMANG DIABLO NA
GUSTONG WASAKIN ANG IGLESIANG TATAG NG PANGINOONG JESUCRISTO.

[manahimik ka na lang ...]

MALAYA KANG MANGARAP NG DILAT. HA HA HA TULAD NI GREGORIO AGLIPAY, ANG HAYUP MONG FUNDADOR NA TUMAKBO BILANG PRESIDENTE NG PILIPINAS LABAN KAY MANUEL L. QUEZON AT NATALO, MALAYA KANG MANGARAP NG GISING AT DILAT. MGA GUNGGONG!!!

[wala kang naitutulong na maganda sa lipunan...mas maganda pa nga yatang mag Rest In Peace ka na lang!!! hahahahahaha!!!!]

MAS
MARAMI AKONG NAGAWANG MAGANDA SA LIPUNAN KESA SA YO. INUTIL ANG AGLIPAY
CHURCH SAMANTALANG ANG CATHOLIC CHURCH ANG NAG-AALAGA SA MGA ULILIA AT
MGA KETONGIN, SA MGA HOME FOR THE AGED AT SA MGA OSPITAL. KAMI RIN ANG
NAGPAPA-ARAL SA DI MABILANG NA MGA ESTUDIANTE AT MARAMI PANG IBA. KAYO,
ANO NAGAWA NYO? MGA INUTIL. BUMALIK NA LANG KAYO SA IMPIERNONG INYONG
PINANGGALINGAN. 






Samsung Announced the Bunch of Bada OS 2.0

Wave 3 or Wave III
Samsung has announced three new phones running its proprietary Bada 2.0 operating system: the Wave 3, Wave M, and Wave Y. The Wave 3 has a 4" Super AMOLED display, a 1.4 GHz CPU, and a sleek 9.9 mm brushed metal body. Other features include Wi-Fi, GPS, 5 MP camera, 3.5 mm jack, Bluetooth 3.0, microSD card slot, 1500 mAh battery, and the usual set of sensors. The phone measures 5" (l) 2.5" (w) 0.4" (d) and weighs in at 122 grammes.

Wave M
The Wave M comes with an 832MHz processor, a 3.65-inch 320×480 screen, and a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, NFC (optional), Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, 3.5 mm jack, microSD card slot, and a 1350 mAh battery. Additionally, the device will have an accelerometer and proximity sensor. The device measures 4.5" (l) x 2.5" (w) x 0.5" (d), and tips the scales at 121 grammes.

Wave Y
This entry-level phone sports Wave Y comes with a 3.2-inch HVGA screen and an 832 MHz CPU. On the connectivity front, it covers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, and NFC (optional). Moreover, the phone features a 2 MP camera, 3.5 mm jack, 1200 mAh battery, and a microSD card slot. The phone measures 4.3" (l) x 2.3" (w) x 0.5" (d) mm, and weighs 102 grammes.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

THE 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SPLENDOR OF THE CHURCH BLOG!




The All-Powerful Lord


 


Today, we give praise to the Lord for the 4th Anniversary of THE SPLENDOR OF THE CHURCH Blog. We give praise to the Lord because this Blog has become God's instrument in defending the Catholic Church and in explaining the Catholic Faith to so many people. 





From its simple and humble beginning this Blog has grown so much like a Mustard Seed that fell on good ground and became a home for many birds. It became a parola for those who were seeking the truth or were doubting the faith and a source of inspiration for the Catholic Faithful to defend the faith on their own also in various fora. Our visitors mark is reaching half a million in few days and record shows that more than a thousand visitors read the Blog on a daily basis from all over the world. Our followers is nearly 400 people and more are coming.





We have successfully collaborated with the best of the best Catholic Apologists in the Philippines with the likes of Bro. Soc Fernandez of the Catholic Faith Defenders [CFD] and its national president Engr./Prof. Ramon Gitamondoc of San Carlos University in Cebu as well as the CFD Davao led by president Bro. John Diona through its energetic and very bright young leader Bro. Ryan Mejilano. These collaborations paved the way for my appointment as CFD National Spiritual Director last year. Then, our apologetics ministry with the Defensores Fidei Foundation then under chairman Henry Siy through which I get to know these great Apologists ATTY. MARWIL LLASOS, CARLOS ANTONIO PALAD and BRO. CENON BIBE who have all become brothers to me and close friends as well as collaborators. Some of their articles are posted here as well and on several occasions they even joined in the exchanges here. 





Most of all this ministry has been blessed so much that out of this Blog many young people have full-pledged Catholic Apologists as well. Foremost of them is Franz Luigi Lugena who became my assistant in the Splendor of the Church program here in Sorsogon and second owner of this Blog. Bro. Franz, gifted with youthful energy, vigor and sharp mathematical mind have successfully defended and argued for the faith on issues concerning Sola Scriptura, Justification, Predestination, on the Virgin Mary, Rizal and the Catholic Church, Masonry, Philippine History and the Friars and Atheism. Many of his exchanges are archived inhere and therefore recorded for posterity's sake. Also, this blog has contributed so much from the works of Bro. Jubernson Alabastro of CFD Davao, a very bright young man who is an Accountancy graduate and a student of law. Bro. Jubernson is a well of information on Apologetics, Church History and various documents so valuable for research. He is also a very sharp thinker that made him an effective apologist on his own right. Knowing the brilliance of his intellect and the virtue of his heart I gave him the honor to be the second co-moderator of this Blog together with Bro. Franz so that the two of them can post materials here on their own even without my prior approval. My trust, however, are put on good hands because the two never posted things contrary to our goals.








Besides Bro. Franz, other young readers of this Blog have become active in Facebook Fora or Groups arguing for the Faith such as Adrian Tams, Peter Pelayo Cosenillo, Ednard Kim La Rosa and recently Sev Maraño. Some of the inspiring and shall I say 'touching' messages from our readers have been posted here already. And now for this anniversary let me share the latest I have received the other day only. The guy is a Blogger also with the link provided below as well:














  • Dear Father Abe,

    I thank God for your website. You have been instrumental to my conversion to the Catholic Church. It's a good thing that my parents, before they converted to Born Again, were able to baptize me in Barasoain Church. And this weekend I'll go there to get my baptismal certificate and get ready to come again in the Church.

    I am so excited to be with the Church. Again, I'm very thankful to your apologetics ministry. Through it, I was able to see the light and see the errors and flaws of the churches I've been to.

    God bless you and your ministry Father Abe, I hope you can add me to your list of friends. Consider me as one of your avid readers/fans.

    Sincerely,
    Sev.









    P.S. 








    i have posts po when i was still protestant.. pero not so much entries. hehe














Home At Last!








Five Years in the Wilderness




It started all in 2006, when I took a weeklong vacation leave from work.
It has been my tradition to visit my alma mater, De La Salle
University, go to the library and spend time reading the whole day. I
was in the mood for reading some religious books. I remembered my
atheist professor in Philosophy when she said in her article “if your
faith is true, you won’t mind putting it to the test.” So I browsed
through the religion section of the library, very confident of what my
beliefs are.



The early church fathers were alien to me that time. In that section, I
saw various church fathers writings. St. Iranaeus, St. Athanasius, and I
tell to myself “who are these guys??” The only familiar church father I
know of that time was St. Augustine, due to my Calvinist background.
Together with those books are some Marian writings. I thought “bring it
on!” These books won’t bother me. So I read them the whole day.



The day ended with me shaken to my very core. I left the library with
the same faith I had, but felt a bit less sure than when I entered the
place that morning.



It was only after five years will I ever set my feet on solid ground again.



Background



I was raised in a family steep in Protestantism. I grew up in Sunday
School of a moderate evangelical church and I studied in a very
conservative Baptist-oriented school in my elementary and high school
days.



Our church, where I grew up, is composed of families that started out as
a small bible study group and eventually grew and became an evangelical
church. This is where the love of the Bible in me started. At a very
young age, we were memorizing Bible verses, we were taught the stories
of Jesus in the Gospels, stories of Protestant missionary stories, etc. .
During our early teens, I was active in youth groups, together with my
siblings. It was home to me. I will always be indebted to this church
where I grew up.



Meanwhile, during my elementary and high school years (1993-1999), in my
Baptist-oriented school, we were taught of so many anti-Catholic things
- the usual Whore of Babylon-Pope-Anti Christ-Mass sorcery-traditions
evil, crucifix of the devil, and what have you. Subliminally, we were
taught to hate and fear everything related to Catholic.



For the first seventeen years of my life, I was not exposed to anything
related to Catholicism (or so I thought), until I reached college.



I would consider my college years (1999-2004) as the most eventful years
of my spiritual life. Eventful, because I was exposed to Catholics,
started to be curious in a lot of things, trying out new things, living
out new philosophies and ideas.



Early on in my college life, one of the most traumatic and significant
thing happened. We experienced a church split where I grew up. My
parents had to change churches, and that included us in the change.



We were suddenly in a much bigger church, good teaching nevertheless,
but it didn’t feel like home to me. The pastors don’t know me
personally, and I don’t know them in the same way either. I haven’t
felt the huge impact immediately on this event since I was having the
time of my life in college. This is where I started to disengage from
church life. I became just a regular attender, not wanting to be
involved in anything, lest I wanted to feel the pain of a church split
again and again. It never dawned on me that deep inside I was really
hurt with the split we experienced.

During my sophomore years, I became an agnostic, courtesy of my atheist
professor. I continued in that fashion until 2006, the year my father
died.



Going Back But Not the Same as Before



In 2006, I felt like coming back to the way it was before. So I joined
my mother, who is now worshipping in a famous Pentecostal megachurch in
Manila, and tried to regain my lost spirituality there. I rededicated
my life back to the Lord and started to be a bit more serious in
spirituality.



The church is unlike any other churches I have attended before. They
are very strong on the Holy Spirit gifts like speaking in tongues,
baptism of fire, prosperity gospel, etc. I was a bit shocked with the
environment.



My initial problem was how to convert my current girlfriend (who's now my wife) that time from Catholicism to our faith.

Incidentally, this was also the time my faith was shaken during my vacation leave from work.

After that long vacation, I started searching the internet for some good
materials. I wanted to defend my faith, which I thought was the right
one that time.



So I read debates between Catholic and Protestants. I have read
writings of the famous Catholic apologists such as Tim Staples, Patrick
Madrid, Robert Sungenis, etc. After all this, I know I was treading on
thin ice already.



In short, I wasn’t able to convert my girlfriend for so many reasons -
the weirdness of the things they do in church services, the prosperity
gospel that they are espousing, the ridiculousness of the things I see
on TV (televangelists). In fact, I was ashamed of them. I started to
see the church I was in from outside looking in. How do people of other
faith think of us as a church?



There was even a time when there were Sundays when there was no service
at all. Instead of a service, there was a children’s musical in place
with themes of prosperity gospel in it – that was the last straw that
broke the camel’s back. I realized that this is not the place I would
like my children to grow up.



My search intensified when I came across a blogger named Michael
Spencer, or the famous InternetMonk (Lord have mercy on his soul). Like
him, I was in the evangelical wilderness. His writings question the
basic practices of Protestants like altar calls, Biblicism, praise and
worship and the likes. Although he was a Protestant, many people who
visit his site, through his writings, either settled in Anglicanism,
Orthodoxy or Catholicism. His death in early 2009 gave me the courage
to not give up hope in finding Christ’s true bride.



Early in 2010, I was churchless again, this time, I’m all alone to
search for a new church. I longed for something established, more
ancient, a place where my spirit can be at rest from the noisy, ever-
changing Pentecostal landscape.



In June 2010, I was able to find a church that fitted my needs that
time. It was an Anglican Church. The bishop, who is the current rector
there is very warm, welcoming, and loving. He is a New Testament
scholar. I could not ask for more ideal spiritual father.



But this did not stop me from searching. In October 2010, I started
searching again. This is where I encountered Father Abe’s “The Splendor
of the Church” blog. I was amazed with how he defends the beliefs of
the Catholics against the misconceptions of non-Catholics. This was
where I learned a lot about the Catholic faith.
His blog was pointing
me to different directions – search, research, compare. This also led
me to gain Catholic friends over the past few months.




I should have settled already, but I just can’t. As I dig deeper into
Anglicanism, I learned of the early church fathers, the first
Christians, the councils, the more I uncover Catholicism. Last April
2011 was the birth of my firstborn child. It was also my first
experience of Lent. I started to read books written by Pope Benedict
XVI, which lead me to read conversion stories like Rome Sweet Home,
Surprised by Truth, etc. in the succeeding months.



Last August 14, 2011, during the Gospel reading (Matthew 16:13-20), it felt like it was as if the reading was directed to me.



18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I
will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it.

19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.



I was surprised and happy at the same time. My prayer has been
answered. This was bound to happen, I knew it months ago, but I was
asking the Lord – I do not want to be rushed. I don’t want to convert
just for the heck of it. I want it to be in Your time, just the way You
want it. I was planning to convert in 2012, but somehow God wants it
ASAP.



This is it! I want to be confirmed already! That night, I expressed
this desire to my wife. She was very happy and excited because now, we
can really be one family worshipping in one church that God has given to
us.



I was drawn to the Catholic Church for several reasons:

1. Because it is universal – it’s the only church that was able to reach all the ends of the earth.

2. Because it is apostolic – I am convinced and firmly believe that
Jesus Christ established a visible church, which is the Catholic Church,
and through history we are able to trace everything back to Matthew 16.

3. The splendor and beauty of its history and teachings.

4. Using history, simple logic and common sense, you can infer that the Catholic Church is the true bride of Christ.



I have so many other points to raise, but I think it will end up written
like a short novel, but anyway, I would like to personally thank
Father Abe for being a relentless defender of faith. Now you can see
the one of the fruits of your labor.



Right now, I am preparing to get my baptismal certificate in Barasoain
Church. I am glad to know that my parents were able to baptize me in
the Church. This coming September is my adult confirmation. This time
it feels like I’m returning to my home.



I am coming home! †





GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

That's Pinteresting Vol. 2

Happy Wednesday, lovely people!
I am still pretty down about Jack Layton succumbing to cancer this week. Those will be some mighty big shoes to fill.
I also have PMS.
Praise scientists and doctors for Effexor and its mood stabilizing ability. I don't think anybody could have tolerated me, including myself!

I have been keeping myself amused with some stitching for my dear friend Deana (aka

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

love quotes 3

love quotes 3








love quotes 3













































I have a one love story :) and now, i want to share it with you guys :P but i just share the picture, not the really story XP crazy yeah.. just enjoy the pictures i have :D





And NOW, the Love quotes :)


AND.. this is my favourite pic ! XD :*

Thank You ^^ cute doll always happy -_-
Cute

Monday, August 22, 2011

Goodbye, Jack

Early this morning, NDP leader Jack Layton lost his battle with cancer at the age of 61. He was probably the only federal politician that I truly liked. He was warm, caring, hard working, and always optimistic. He brought the NDP from being a barely viable party to being the official Opposition party. That is a pretty incredible feat, especially when the Prime Minister is Conservative.




Sunday, August 21, 2011

samsung haptic




samsung haptic




samsung haptic




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samsung haptic

samsung fascinate

samsung fascinate

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samsung fit




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samsung focus

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