Angels amidst Sendong's wrath?

Pilar Benitez, a sister in the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals tells an inspiring story of unwaivering faith in the midst of the devastation by typhoon Sendong in Iligan City. Here's her account:


Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Let me just share with you a heartwarming story of faith and trust in our Father. As you know, Holcim has a cement plant in Iligan, thus quite a number of our employees were affected by typhoon Sendong. Most of them, lost their homes & property, while others lost relatives and friends. Now that the holidays are over, our Manila-based Iligan residents have reported back to work, they all have their stories to tell, and here is one of them:

At the height of typhoon Sendong, several residents found themselves jumping from one roof to another frantically trying to save themselves. A group of about 60 congregated on top of a large house and they settled there for the night. Most of them were BCBP members while quite a number were from Couples for Christ and a muslim family. The rain kept pouring hard, it was pitch black and all you could hear were desperate cries for help. Below them, these 60+ people could see that most of the houses were under water and those that remained were either washed away by the flood or were destroyed by the hundreds of logs that came crashing down with the muddy water.

In the midst of this chaos, our brothers and sisters came together and started praise & worship. Their prayers and their songs could be heard above the din and the noise of houses being smashed against each other. The muslim family did not join in prayer but kept crying out in desperation. One of our brothers approached them and invited them to pray - and they did. Across the street, there were several people also on top of roofs who could hear our brothers & sisters in prayer.

The next day, this same people across the street, told our brothers & sisters that their house was spared because they could see that there were several men in front of the house that kept pushing away the logs that came crashing down. Who were these men? And could ordinary men have the strength to push away these huge pieces of tree trunks? They didn't think so.
It seems that their angels were working over time that night! The power of prayer. The majesty of our God. God is truly a faithful God!

Let us continue to include in our prayers all our brothers & sisters in Cagayan, Iligan and in Compostela Valley.

Hope for the New Year

Friends,
We wake up to a new year full of trials and uncertainty.
But having had a Christmas break that was truly worthwhile and full of meaning, we are re-charged.
For your good deeds, I pray with confidence God will shower you with abundant blessings this coming year.
Giving is always a blessing.
In our native language, “Sa inyong pagka-matabangon, ang Ginoo na’y mag-igo.”
I am not praying for more disasters, but I hope you will continue extending a helping hand to others in distress.
In the meantime, as we face fresh challenges in the coming year, my wish for all of us is that spoken in the old Irish blessing…
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sunshine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Happy New Year.

TRO effective sans compliance of conditions

My Christmas eve celebration was spoiled a bit by a disturbing read of a dissenting opinion of the Supreme Court that I am attaching.
http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/resolutions/2011/december2011/199034_sereno.htm

I am referring to the dissenting opinion of Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in connection with the petition of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo seeking to leave the country (G.R. Nos. 199034 and 199046).
The Sereno dissent, promulgated just eleven days ago on December 13, 2011, is unprecedented in several ways.

First, I got a front seat ticket to the internal, behind-closed-doors discussions of the Supreme Court.

Second, I just learned tonight that one of the very basic and long-observed rules on issuances of Temporary Restraining Orders has just been overturned by this Supreme Court.
The basic rule is, if a condition in a TRO is not met, the TRO does not take effect.
I have experienced in law practice not observing a TRO, when one of conditions imposed by the court is not complied with.
This is a very basic procedure.
However, the Supreme Court has overturned this in its November 29, 2011 resolution in ruling that “the TRO is not suspended despite non-compliance with a condition”. I read this in Sereno’s dissent.
This resolution will have serious repercussions in the way lawyers practice law.
This means that even if a condition in a TRO is not complied with, the TRO is still effective.
But what disturbs me more is the flip-flop of the Supreme Court in arriving at this conclusion, based on the narrations of Justice Sereno.

Third, I just learned tonight there is suppression of freedom of speech in the Supreme Court even on its own justices.
The dissent of Justice Sereno was refused publication upon directives of the Chief Justice.
This is also the first time in my law practice that a dissenting opinion is much feared, to the point that it is refused publication and/or dissemination, to the prejudice of the public’s right to know.

Fourth, this is the first time I learned that it is possible to dissent to a dissenting opinion, or to make a “counter-dissent” as Justice Sereno puts it.
I recall in law school a case we read where a lawyer was castigated by the Supreme Court for filing a motion for reconsideration to a dissenting opinion.
A dissenting opinion is supposed to be what it is--- an opinion that dissents to a main opinion.

Its been an educational Christmas eve for me.

Christmas in our hearts

Christmas is in the air.
But we must make sure Christmas is in our hearts too.
The true spirit of Christmas is giving.
But this time, giving should not be in the nature of exchange gifts.
So many have been distressed because of the devastation brought by typhoon Sendong.
Just yesterday, we received stories that the affected hinterland areas of Valencia, particularly Palimpinon, Puhagan, Mala-unay, Pulang-bato have been isolated from ordinary transport that is why relief has come a little slow.
This Christmas, the Lord is giving us a golden opportunity to celebrate the season the way it should be celebrated.
We are witnessing so many brothers and sisters suffering because of the typhoon.
We visited barangay Batinguel and Candau-ay and around 250 families there will be spending Christmas in the classrooms and sleeping atop desks.
We went to the wake of a family, the Balbon-Calijan family of Tubtubon Sibulan, six members of whom perished because of the typhoon’s merciless wrath.
It is a heart-wrenching, chest-crumpling story.
It is a difficult struggle already to loose a loved one.
How much more six family members at the same time, and worse, at Christmas?
The survivor-husband Nimuel Calijan, weeping in front of an array of coffins, summed it all: “This is like a terrible dream.”
This week, we saw the face of tragedy.
On the happy side, our eyes saw the generosity of many willing to help.
We also witnessed the eager response of kind hearted- individuals who just gave what they could to ease the pain of those who suffer.
“There was a call, so we came to help,” said one doctor bringing a box of relief items.
God does not physically come down from Heaven to give aid to the distressed.
He uses those fortunate to be spared as instruments to implement His works of mercy.
But the destruction is so overwhelming, that we need more help.
We suggest that you organize your group, your peers, your classmates, officemates, and team up to give.
There are still many others whose shoulders just need to be gently tapped, so they can extend help.
Sometimes, they are just waiting for someone to initiate.
Believe it or not, you and your friends can create your own little miracle, and see the spectacle of God’s amazing grace.
Let’s continue to give this Christmas.
Give without ceasing.
With that, we can truly say Christmas is in our hearts.
From my family to yours, Merry Christmas.

Ageless Jose Mari Chan

The other night, we watched a concert-for-a-cause featuring Jose Mari Chan titled “Constant Care” at the cozy open-air venue of Panglao Nature Island Resort in Bohol.
The affair is a project of the radio network of the Bohol Chronicle, under the flagship of DYRD in Tagbilaran City.
DYRD is marking its golden anniversary after fifty years of broadcast service.
DYRD first went on the air in October 1961.
It has been fifty years of radio activity starting from wirecasting to internet broadcasting.
One of the highlights of the anniversary is a concert for the benefit of Inyong Alagad, the longest running public service radio program of the station providing assistance to indigent residents of Tagbilaran and other Bohol towns.
It was a night of nostalgia.
Jose Mari Chan belted out a treasure trove of his classic hits beginning with “Big Beautiful Country”
This song begins with the lyrics “Welcome world, to this big beautiful country…”
His debut in the recording industry was his first hit single “Afterglow” in 1967.
This was a time when, as a young musical artist, Jose Mari Chan would literally bring a bunch of ‘45’ records (played then on turn tables) and would do the rounds in radio stations pleading to disc jockeys to play his new record.
The concert was also sponsored by Philippine Airlines, so Jose Mari Chan paid tribute to the flagship carrier by singing the commercial of PAL which he composed in the 1970’s titled “Love at Thirty Thousand Feet.”.
Until today, the melodic tune of PAL is played not only in media commercials but as inflight background instrumental while passengers await to soar in the air.
Jose Mari Chan is widely recognized as one of the nations most prolific balladeer.
He is known as Mr. Songwriter. He is engaged by the nation's top advertising companies owing to his ability to create catchy radio/tv jingles and commercials.
He sang one-by-one his music and romance he wrote through the years including Deep In My heart, Tell Me Your Name, Beautiful Girl.
An innovation in the concert was to select local female talents of Bohol to do the duets with Jose Mari Chan.
A talented Tagbilaran pediatrician ably replaced Regine Velasquez in “Please Be careful with My Heart”
A locally-based registered nurse did not lag in musical ability in “You’re my Girl, My woman, My Friend” which, Jose Mari Chan related, he wrote for the wedding of his sister.
The most touching love songs were those that sprang his true-to-life love experience.
In his bachelorhood, he was heart broken when his girl friend left for Osaka to do missionary work.
In his loneliness, he wrote “Refrain” which was a smash when it was recorded and released in the market.
He said he considered “Refrain” as his “winning” song, among his array of hits, because with this song he won the heart of his girlfriend, who later became his wife.
His beautiful wife, who could easily fit the pretty lass, in the song Beautiful Girl, is Mary Ann Chan who was seated at the front row, occasionally signaling him to wipe the sweat off his face in between songs.
When he was about to celebrate his eighth weeding anniversary with his wife, he was suddenly transferred by his sugar trading company from New York to London.
He had heavy feelings about leaving his wife and family in New York.
Although destined to go to a faraway place, he wanted to assure his wife of his lifelong commitment, thus the song “Love to Last A Lifetime” was written, and eventually it became another song for the charts.
Before he sang the song, he recited the lyrics like a poem which I realized can be appreciated as pleasantly.
Capping the concert were the two of his most famous Christmas melodies “Perfect Christmas” and “Christmas in our Hearts”
“Christmas in our Hearts” is a duet with daughter Elizabeth Chan, but that night the audience willingly did the duet part.
I had promised my sister Ellen to call her while she lay in her hospital bed in Manila when Jose Mari Chan sang “Perfect Christmas” and “Christmas in Our Hearts” so I obliged, and “re-broadcast” it to her direct . It was Christmas in the air at that moment.
It was prophetic too, as Ellen would again have another ”Perfect Christmas” in December (Merry Christmas, Len)
I must admit, I have been a Jose Mari Chan fan for a long time.
In the few stacks of cd’s in the car, two of them are albums of Jose Mari Chan.
He is , to me a national treasure.
No one comes to close when it comes to creating ear-catching radio jingles.
He is one of the great modern Filipino musicians because his songs are ageless.
His melodic creations resonate only too well with the Filipino’s musical taste.
"Christmas in Our Hearts” is a classic example.
Many of us watching him live were all the more endeared witnessing his undying passion not only for music, but also his burning desire to share and showcase his abundant talents to his fellowmen.
Young and old, know the lyrics of his creations.
He has a multi-generational following.
He is an entertainer where a grandparent and grandchild can enjoy watching together.
Indeed, Jose Mari Chan, is a musical talent for the ages.