For love of God and country

Last week, millions of Filipinos went home to their hometowns for the traditional Holy Week celebration. A good proportion went to major resorts in Boracay, Cebu, Baguio, Batangas and Tagaytay while others took short trips abroad.

As the years go by, I noticed that we have been observing the somber rites of Holy Week less and less in this “Roman Catholic country”. The young have become more materialistic, self-indulgent, cued into pleasure and success than their elders. Some commercial establishments have ignored the holy rituals and have continued to keep their shops and restaurants open — distracting some of us from our holy obligations.

A rap version of the pabasa in Valenzuela City has even been created to make the Passion of Christ more appealing to the youth.

In the generation before us, parents could control the activities of their children. They were the masters of the homes. Things seem to have turned around nowadays. Children are in control of their parents. Well, I hope I’m wrong since children most definitely need the strong and loving guidance of their parents.

During Holy Week, children are reminded that they cannot have the joy of Easter without the sacrifice of Good Friday; that there could be no pleasure without pain, no victory without courage and risk, no hosannas without humility. My own grandmother used to tell my dad that the keenest, sharpest and most shining swords are forged to perfection only in the crucible of fire.

Today, the celebration of Holy Week has become more pompous and grand. People look forward to this time because it means no work, fun at the beach, family reunions, dancing to loud music, drinking bout till dawn and long hours of sleep.

In a predominantly Catholic country, the foundation of our faith is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ lived the righteous and perfect life that we, because of our fallen and corrupt nature, cannot. He suffered and died on the cross to redeem us from our sins.

We have just observed Semana Santa amidst cries of despair, graft and corruption, malignant voices preaching doom and hatred. And now as we celebrate Easter, it is time to reflect on what we have become and aspire to be reborn to a new life. We have to be worthy of redemption.

We have been spending so much time and wasting so much energy attacking each other. The recovery process of our nation has been put to a halt so many times just so we can indulge in hysterics, innuendos, accusations, and endless bickering. Perhaps it is time we be kind to one another and get the work done by helping each other and building this nation.

What we need right now is a stronger faith and a large dose of humility. “Be of good cheer”, Jesus said. “Fear not, I have overcome the world.” But we all know it was not easy. Jesus was scourged, spat on the face, crowned with thorns, carried the heavy cross to Calvary and was pierced several times with a lance. The pain we are experiencing now is nothing compared to what Jesus went through. And yet, He carried on to save us.

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The Holy Week festivities have worked to the advantage of our tourism industry. Domestic and international flights had to be increased to accommodate the large influx of tourists who visited the country during this time.

The Department of Tourism said in a press statement that: “In another historic first for Philippine tourism, visitor arrivals reached a record breaking high of 411,064 visitor arrivals in January 2012, a very good start to open the year. It shows a double-digit gain of 17.5 percent from 349,713 visitors for the same month last year.”

President Aquino said that the country could exceed its 4.6 million tourist arrival target this year if the current trend continues. That’s good news! It looks like the marketing scheme of DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez and the liberalized aviation industry are working.

The target of 10 million yearly visitors by 2016 is still a long way. I hope the government will be able to sustain if not surpass the increase every year. Apart from the concerted efforts of all agencies concerned we should also do our role. We should always put our best foot forward all the time to show that we have efficiency, order and discipline. The government must also step up on its initiatives to keep everyone safe in this country. Tourist destinations must maintain the upkeep of their facilities for the convenience and safety of the visitors.

It is such a relief to see that there is someone in the Cabinet really working and not just pretending to be. I hope that the strategic plans of DOT Sec. Jimenez work. When it does, then and only can we truly say, it is more fun in the Philippines!

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Today is Araw ng Kagitingan. We commemorate the heroism of Filipinos and American soldiers when the Japanese occupied the Philippines during World War II. My grandfather, Benito Soliven was among the thousands of soldiers who were forced to take the 90-mile hike that came to be known as the Bataan Death March from Camp O’Donnell in San Fernando. Some died due to starvation and dehydration. My grandfather died of malaria after his release from prison.

Despite the trials of defeat, the captured soldiers stood strong and heroes emerged from the event. Nowadays, it is hard to find people like them who would give up their lives for love of country.

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By the way, there have been reports that Mindanao has a power crisis. This is exaggerated news. Sure there are areas in Mindanao that experience brownouts but not all. Secondly, yes there is a problem but not one that cannot be resolved. These reports are just causing panic to many. The people in Mindanao are suffering from such bad publicity. It’s not funny anymore.