The Cardinal's humor

“The investment climate in Cebu has been quite favorable,” says a business columnist. This is the climate I hope will not change.

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One climate change I hope will soon come to pass is the bad climate prevailing between the Capitol and City Hall. We need a climate change there.

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The BIR is reminding taxpayers of the tax payment deadline on Jan. 20. We must also be reminded not to pay our taxes with a smile. The BIR needs cash.

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Some congressmen are batting for a tax cut. No, no, that doesn’t mean they want a cut of your taxes and mine.

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What’s the difference between a tax and a fine? Both are taxes, says Bob Phillips, my favorite humor writer, with this difference: “A fine is a tax we pay for doing wrong, a tax is a fine we pay for doing all right.”

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One heart doctor says more and more poor people are now aware of the need to watch their blood pressure. Yes, in fact, I have heard many of them say: “Pagbantay nga dili motaas ang inyong hayblood ha.”

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His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal is no longer our archbishop. He has retired. We will miss him. And who won’t after serving us so well for 29 years.

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I, for one, will miss the good Cardinal’s wholesome sense of humor. Which is the reason why many Cebuanos love to listen to his homilies. He injects humor — sometimes even with his not knowing it — in his sermons.

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 “Lahi si Cardinal sa ubang pari nga kusog mangasaba ... Makasa na lang nuon ta kay maglagot man ta sa tago,” said a woman I know who happens to be a nun. Hehehe.

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Asked what he would do now that he has already retired, the good Cardinal reportedly said there are many things to do to keep him busy. “Pananglitan,” he said, “maninda ko og buwad danggit.”

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Reminds me of Jaime Cardinal Sin. When asked what he would do upon his retirement, he was quoted as saying in his native Ilonggo: “No problem. Mamaligya ko lugod.” Cardinal Sin was known for his sense of humor which he even used to criticize the Marcoses.

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His standard joke when welcoming foreign guests to his San Miguel residence was: “Welcome to the house of Sin.”

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