Bohol: You May Be Ugly Now, Yet My Love For You Remains The Same

Expectant for a new day was the feeling I got after some minutes of talk with my youngest brother on the phone. I asked him if he could tell my older sister, together with her husband that I wanted to call them and  would have a chit-chat the next day. Never knowing that this day would come,15th October 2013 to be a tragic day for Bohol. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Bohol and Cebu as reported. It was the thing I heard early in the morning, receiving text messages from friends and seeing pictures of the massive earthquake aftermath through Facebook. 

The first thing I had to do was to call my family back home and check whether they were fine. Indeed they were, but at that very moment they were still scared at the tremors they were feeling. They were shocked, frightened at what might come next, added with worry about the dark evenings when electric power supply was out. It was terrible not only for my family and friends but for the whole province of Bohol, my beloved home place. Tears streamed from my eyes. I was in pain watching the  photos and news about my province which has been for a long time a place of good visits and tours of local and foreign tourists. Its multiple century-old churches, historical sites and the world-famed, awe-inspiring Chocolate Hills broke, divided, collapsed. Houses of different designs and materials scaling from the biggest to the smallest; roads and bridges, infrastructures, malls, hospitals and a lot more were shaken and struck hard to the ground. Everything seemed to yield to the destructive power of the quake that day. Everything was left useless, became rubble or worst for some, turned into ashes. Everyone there especially in the gravely affected areas thought that it was the end of the world. It was incredibly a great devastation that Bohol, together with its neighbor province Cebu, was declared under state of calamity.

It broke my heart to hear it. I never had experienced before that my beloved province would be under state of calamity. No! It was just very hard to accept. 'No, it could not be.' was my inner cry. I had thought for a long time up to that moment that Bohol is such a beautiful, peaceful, richly-endowed place to be in where friendly, hardworking, humble and kind people live. It was just too much to take. From time to time, from one news to the other, from one status post about aftershocks on Facebook to the other, every bit of information about the quake was like a heavy drop of a rough stone, a deep cutting shoot of a fiery arrow. Tears came out, overflowing, incontrollable. Since the time I was born, I never had cried for any particular place. Yes, I experienced crying for certain people, for children in some poor, war-bombarded countries; yet, not as hard and painful as the cry I cried for Bohol, my ever-loved home province. I realized then on that when it's your place that is devastated, as a native, you'd feel intense pain that you can't share with outsiders, with strangers and foreigners. Right through, I felt a deep love and concern for my province that I wanted to let the whole world know that we were in pain, deeply cut. It was like an inner voice would like to say to the world out loud that 'Hey, please stop. Can you hear us? We are grieving and are destitute. Please have time to stop and listen to us.' But it seemed like the world did not care. It seemed like we were alone and had to get up from the fall alone. I remembered Japan, I remembered some provinces in the Philippines that experienced floods, strong typhoons and landslides. They might have felt the same pain I felt while grieving for my province. It was then also that I remembered what Proverbs 14:10 says: 'Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.'

I knew I could not just sit and cry. I needed to pick myself up from being down on a dusty, rubble-filled ground. But what could I do for Bohol? What could be the better way to alleviate the situation of my suffering fellows? These were the questions that ran through my head during that week.

I know for sure that many have asked themselves the same questions in the course. Though the quake is tragic for Bohol and its folks, love has been reawakened and manifested. The Boholanos themselves have helped one another. People from different places, the government, the NGO's, the churches, some countries, some institutions, some companies, private groups and many individuals have come together for one purpose- to help. In fact, a group named Oplan Bangon Bohol emerged immediately after the quake in assistance and support to the victims. The Bayanihan spirit of the Filipinos whether home or abroad has been knocked upon. Great assistance has been realized from these different sectors of the society. Though the quake has its negative awful effects on the province; somehow, it has great positive effects to the people and of course to the government too, may not be materially, but mentally, morally and spiritually. There's still a lot of work to do for the restoration of Bohol. There's still some sacrifices to make to come back to life the weak and staggering Bohol. The people that constitute the province have the power to do so as they have strong faith in the Lord and a resilient heart that bravely faces troubles. They are hopeful that things will turn out right for them, that Bohol shall stand renewed, revived to an even better and more beautiful home for the Boholanos and host for the tourists.

From what happened, I have learned to see the value of things, people and relationships. I have learned to sift things and take what's more important. I have realized how it is to be human and being humane to others. I have realized that both the poor and the rich share the same condition under a stubborn, impartial calamity. Moreover, I've also realized that when fear strikes, it's the Lord who's the Strong Defense and Refuge. Much better have I realized that God so much loves Bohol as the quake happened during a national holiday so that there were no classes and most students were home safe; that it was at daytime and malls were still closed and people were awake or half-awake already so that they were aware and could see what was happening around them; that it happened not on Sunday so that all the church-goers were spared from structure collision and destruction; that it happened on a sunny day; otherwise, there could have been many landslides. Another is, I have proven true that the world and its things will pass away but the Word of God stands true forever. Calamities like earthquake are written in the Bible but we normally don't care of them until they hit us.

I am very certain that there's plenty of stories to tell from the side of the victims, from the common people, from everyone who experienced the strong quake. But for sure, no matter how plenty and much they've lost, the important thing which they can be thankful for is that they are alive. Though difficult it is to accept that some families have lost some of their members, just like the family members of my good friend and former colleague of my previous work, deep down they are being comforted, hopeful that tomorrow or someday, they will be reunited with their loved ones who have parted away from them in just a blink. For now, restoration of Bohol is still a top priority. Many are working together for its come-back. The government and the Boholanos are going to step forward and lend a hand on this so that the rising Bohol shall come alive as one better and more stabilized province of the Pearl of the Orient, the Philippines.

The week when the earthquake struck, I sang in mind the Bohol hymn, remembering its natural beauty and blessedness. I just want to share it here. I used to sing it in my elementary and secondary years at school. I so love Bohol that seeing it in ruins is like watching myself lose my identity. The lyrics were taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_Bohol#Bohol_flag. I'd like to quote this also, 'According to Bohol.ph: "The Boholanos are a freedom loving and independent people, who take pride in their Island, wherever they are. No wonder, the province even has its own provincial anthem".

                                                           

Awit sa Bohol

(Lyrics in Boholano)

Yuta kong minahal

Hatag ni Bathala

Sa adlaw'g gabii

Taknang tanan

Dinasig sa kinaiyahan

Sa mga bayani yutawhan

Imong kalinaw giampingan

Lungsod sa bungtod nga matunhay

Ug matam-is nga kinampay

Puti ang kabaybayonan

Walog sa suba binisbisan

Bahandi ang dagat ug kapatagan

Gugma ang tuburan

Sa kagawasan, sa tanan

Baclayon Church built in 1596

Panalanginan ka

Ihalad ko lawas ug kalag

Sa mutya kong Bohol                                                     

Bohol Hymn(English version)

This is our land I love,

The land God gave to me,

Caressed by the sun,

Bathed by the sea,

And kissed by the cool breeze

Night and day.

Here’s where the early heroes lived,

Here’s where they wrought peace and here they bled,

Baclayon church in ruins

Here rise the marvelous cone-shaped hills,

Here’s sweet kinampay grows.

Blessed with white sandy beaches,

Rivers that water valleys,

Seas team with fishes and cows graze

on the plains,

In ev’ry home love reigns,

God keep my homeland always free,

Let her forever be,

I pledge my strength, my heart and soul,

To my dear home, Bohol

Sa tanang Bol-anon, dili ta magpakawala sa paglaum. Ipadayon nato ang atong pagsalig sa Ginoo ug nga kita magtinabangay sa atong

pagbangon ug pagbarog para sa kaayohan sa tanan ug sa atong probinsiya.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbols_of_Bohol#Bohol_flag

God Does Not Say 'Oops!'

About months ago, I was cutting off the withered leaves of a plant when accidentally, I drew the scissor to the wrong leaf, not to mention, the green healthy leaf fell on the floor helpless. I heard myself say 'Aiii', if only was I careful enough to look through the clustered leaves, then I could have saved that healthy leaf. One line flashed instantly in my mind, it was from the article I read days before that time. It  related a story about a child who came home one Sunday afternoon  after attending the children's Sunday school at their local church. She eagerly shared what she learned from her teacher to her family. She very well remembered and shared to them that God doesn't say 'Oops!'. Adorably cute and childish though but true enough! The line might sound childish; but somehow, it brings with it sense. It goes to say that there is nothing that has happened in one's life that is an accident, a slight error or a tiny thing overlooked by God.
Romans 8:28 says 'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.' Now, if you've been living your life with regrets of past failures, mistakes, unwanted circumstances, or vicious habits and have been wanting to change the course of your life, then it is time to hear, listen, take to heart what the Bible says. These negative experiences and erroneous habitual acts can be used by God to make your life into a better, brighter and happier one. It may sound too good to be true but if you put your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and that His finished work on the cross can free you from the bondage of sin and gives you the gift of eternal life even clothes you of His righteousness, then you would truly experience the liberating power of this truth.
This truth is put into one word-- Grace. Grace is God's unmerited or undeserved favor to everyone of us. Yet, it is only effective to those who decide to believe, accept and rest on it. This may sound so simple, lacking challenge and seems like an old tell-tale; however, you can experience its tremendous effect in your life once you do it. How do you do it? You ask and invite Jesus to come take His place in your heart, live in your life and be your Lord and Savior. Tell Him wholeheartedly that you want to leave behind those things which are displeasing in His sight. Speak to Him and let Him know how much you need Him to save you from the cyclic wicked and perverted works you have been doing since then. Allow Him to be your Lord, to be your life's Pilot. Thank Him that His obedience to the Father, manifested through His death on the cross has availed you of total forgiveness of your sins-- past, present and future sins. Tell Him that you believe that His precious blood cleanses you from all unrighteousness and that through His wounds you are healed from any form of infirmity, lack and inadequacy. In Christ you are complete because He is the real Manna or the Living Bread for your soul. End your prayer by saying 'I ask this in Your name, Amen.'
The prayer itself is not the one that can save you rather your faith in Jesus. God sees your heart of faith and He does honor it. He does honor the plea of a humble heart, a sober spirit. And because He honors it, He grants it. He has already given Jesus(heaven's best) for you and me, and He is out reaching for you; He is out  waiting for you to come home and be in His loving arms again. That is the heart of our Heavenly Father.
Remember, your life is precious that it has to be redeemed from the grip of sin and spiritual death through the precious life and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember therefore that with you and about you, God never says 'Oops!'

Looking Past the Vivid Reality

Under the scorching heat of the sun, a young boy of about ten to twelve years old was carrying a big biscuit tin can with hammered stones inside. He put the load on top of his head. He slowly walked at the dusty sidewalk of the road going to Habitat Village in Bool, Bohol. It was lunch time. The parents of this boy might be behind him or still at the place where they gathered, sorted and broke the stones into pieces. The sight pierced and broke my heart. I felt the pain, thinking why should a kid like him work that heavily when he's supposed to study and learn, play and enjoy with other kids. I kept it to myself as if I ignored what I saw, showing nothing to my friends inside the van where we're in. Deep inside, I struggled, cried without tears, my heart was pounded more than the stones that this child carried. I prayed silently for him and for his family, then I became silent inside and accepted the truth that this is the kind of life we have in the Philippines. Everybody has to help work for and survive his or her family regardless of age. 

Years passed, I went to Makati, a huge city in the northern region of the Philippines, close to the capital city, Manila. It is industrialized, busy and different  people bustle about. Traffic, disgruntling heat, smokes from cars and cigarettes, vendors at the sidewalks, noise and pollution around. A picture of a true big city just like Paris to say. While going downstairs from LRT, a boy of about 12 or 13 was lying at the corridor, sleeping with only a big carton as his mat. People passed by him, he wasn't disturbed though. He might be too tired working the whole night selling 'balot', an exotic food in the Philippines which I have tasted a bit, but not eaten. My instant reaction was to feel sorry for that kid. I was thinking deeply while taking and watching my steps as I went down the stairs. I asked myself  'How could I help such a poor kid?, Where are his rights of food, clothes and shelter?, How could such a sight and a poor reflection of a poor economy  be addressed to the government?'. My understanding on poverty was deepened as I tried to compare what I saw years ago back in our province and this time in a big city. I thought, it's even more grave a condition of a homeless child in a real developed city than one in an urban place, in a province so to speak. However, no matter how tiny or huge the difference was, the two incidents still showed something in common-- child abuse and exploitation. 

As I tried to recall the two incidents I witnessed in the previous years, I couldn't help but cry as I pray for those kids, for still some other kids doing the same tasks, the hungry, the thirsty, the homeless, the abused, the mistreated, the rejected, the neglected, the unloved and all the inhumane and bad treatments that some of the kids are suffering somehow somewhere in the corners and borders of the Philippines.

As a concerned citizen and fellow, is there something I can do to help these children out? Should I address it to DSWD? How? I am aware that people from this office aren't blind to see the real situation. They know certainly! However, they might have thought that it's too impossible for them to embrace the scope of it or deal with it one by one because it's widespread and the worst is, it's skyrocketing if I'm not mistaken. Shouldn't they care and dare do their task? Or let me make it more personalized, Shouldn't I care? There are only two options to choose, to ignore the visible reality or do something about it.

Give 'It' a Chance

The issue on RH Bill has become one of the heated topics in the Philippine Senate at present and is the subject of some debates especially between the people in the government and the clergymen. From common people to the elite ones, people in all walks of life participate and follow every now and then on the updates of the issue and ask themselves too whether to agree or not to on the proposed bill. Somehow, they have a stand on their own. Different views, ideas and reasons are raised about the topic and obviously, all these exchange of opinions and reasons have caused confusion, disillusion and even fights.

No one can truly measure how far the arguments would go and when the proposed bill would gain its victory! But the thought that the bill is discussed and considerably wise reasoning and arguments have been presented, then there's hope that the one that weighs heavier and that which possesses sound judgment wins. After all, it's everybody's conscience and values that speak loud to oneself.

If we were to look and observe carefully at what's truly happening in our country, we could say that most of the problems go on and on, are continuing and are becoming a cycle; problems that are compared as hard habits to break. If you're a concerned individual, you'd want to do something to destroy the cycle; however, a single broom stick can't be good enough to sweep off the dirt. So, there's a need of a concerted effort. Then there stands the government. People in the government are the ones entitled to make great efforts in giving solution to most, if not all of our societal problems because they have the power as people in authority. They are the people who should look through the real trouble, dissect if possible to truly see the root cause of such trouble and if they find the cause, then look for the best way to ruin or break it.

Needless to say, as Filipino citizens, we're also aware of the outstanding societal problems that our country is facing and suffering. Sometimes, we doubt whether the government people are trustworthy, capable or wise enough to see the real problems  and solve them  that we'd want an action right away, fast and not delayed. We want to get involved therefore we observe, consider and weigh things, we even sharpen our critical thinking. Sometimes we get mad, disgruntled, impatient and even  get high blood if things don't go the way we expected them. And this is one of the positive traits of Filipinos, I should say, standing for what's right and looking for what's best for everyone's welfare and not just to privileged few; in short Filipinos are brave. This is bravery when one would stand for what's right and would push it through and is firm on it. This is the trait that was greatly displayed by Emilio Aguinaldo, Andres Bonifacio, Dr. Jose Rizal and all of our ancestors who fought for our freedom a century and years ago. Fighting for or standing up for that which is right is desirable. Far be it that Filipinos are only good at criticizing, mocking and blaming the government. We have to think that they are people like us, imperfect and fallible. However true, they need our respect, our trust and our support. If enacting a law is somehow their way to prove to us that they're worth given our respect, trust and support, then we'd give them a chance to do it. If RH Bill is reasonably a best solution to the cycling problem specifically on population explosion and generally on poverty, then we give the government a chance to prove to us that they're right, that we can rely on them. As one nation, we should stand as one as it has been proven true that 'United we stand, divided we fall.' Therefore, we give it a chance.

Reproductive Health Bill

 My question is 'Can this bill solve the outstanding societal problems in the Philippines like  lack of employment, costly education, deteriorating medical services, crime and prostitution?' If it would help solve these issues either directly or indirectly, then I'd support.