Think about it
Delegates from 14 countries at Pyramid of Asia
By Jun Velasco
“Don’t look at others’ wrongs, done or undone. See what you, yourself, have done or not.”–Dhammadapa 50
OUR first reaction to the election of Pope Francis was to call attention to the role of Christians especially their leaders in giving life and meaning to Christianity itself.
In our first column item last week, we reminded the faithful amidst grinding poverty everywhere to take another tough view of the imperil Vatican. Trillions of dollars are in its safe, we’re told.
Pope Francis’ call to arms against poverty and for the chastisement of sinful practices and uplift of the afflicted has moved us. Here now, we said, is a Catholic leader who can restore Christianity in the true sense of the word.
Christ is pro poor. Read Luke 18:25: “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
The least we can do as followers of Christ is to stay faithful and help empower Pope Francis to carry out his mission.
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A side trip to the “small, robust and beautiful” town of Sta. Maria, Pangasinan gave us an idea of what pro people leadership can do for the vibrancy and progress of the constituency.
The town under the inspired leadership of Mayor Teddy Ramos has in a short period of time staged a local version of the great leap forward in all areas of service, topped by an improving infrastructure with the help of Congressman Marlyn Agabas and a cooperative Sangguniang Bayan, and all-round development program.
The town was one of only two towns – the other is Manaoag – that received a national rice achievers award.
Sta. Maria a small town the likes of well-managed Sto. Tomas town of Sec. Bebot Villar, but it has big dreams, being put to real terms by an energetic and visionary leadership.
Mayor Ramos’ manpower assets are: charming wife, former school teacher Paulina Caducoy, executive consultant Cesar de Leon, a very cooperative Sanggunian, and a workforce that’s oozing with confidence in their chief executive, and all-round assistant Freddie Galvan. In clear evidence at the town’s integrated development is Cesar’s wealth of experience in government as Conrad Estrella’s chief of staff when he was a regular member of the House.
Mayor Ramos’ performance speaks well of him as a gentleman and a genuine leader.
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It’s been too long, says a popular ditty, that we’ve not seen until lately, thanks to Jimmy Licauco, who tipped us of our old friend Alex Orbito’s “hiding place.”
It was a joyful meeting doubtless. We met him again at his interview with Canadian journalist Natalya Bronzova in the presence of Binalonan school principal Beth Dauz.
Starting yet last March l5, Orbito has been conducting a spiritual seminar for visitors from Russia, Chech Republic, Bulgaria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Canada, USA, Germany, Sweden, and Holland.
In the interview with Ms. Bronzoba, Alex Orbito sees a transforming world that will finally give way to the unstoppable forces of just, good, and spiritual people. The world will eventually be out of the hands of the wicked, the cruel, the greedy and selfish and the corrupt, he said.
Asked about his views of the coming elections, Orbito appealed to the candidates and all politicians, for that matter, to refrain from using negative and destructive campaigns.
“They should know how to love and respect their opponents. They should also know how to forgive, to always remember that we are all Filipinos and people under God the Father,” he said.
When told that he has built a very impressive resort, he said “it is there where I find peace and where I meet people from all parts of the world, who come to the Philippines in search of spiritual development.”
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You’d pinch your arm to convince yourself that the school you first attended as a very young boy up to growing up to puberty has been producing great men and women all over the world.
This impression dawned on us when we received a text message from our sister Susan V. Tuano, head of the Malued Elementary School faculty club, to say that their graduation speaker the last Tuesday was school alumna, Dr. Manolita Carvajal Navarro, who finished business management cum laude at the University of the East. Failing to make it to the affair, she sent her lawyer son Herbert, who was an outstanding graduate of Lyceum Northwestern U College of Law.
In the same graduation rites, the school honored another alumna Raygene Valerie Soriano Terrado who landed No. 10 in the 2011 Nursing Licensure Board. She is the daughter of the late Fulgencio Terrado and the former Linda Soriano.
Congratulations, MES Faculty for your brilliant mentoring led by Ms. Renata G. Rovillos, school principal.
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