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VOL. XXV NO. 002

SUNDAY DECEMBER 23, 2012

P10.00 IN TACLOBAN

INSIDE
NEWS
Army organizes peace organizations
news page 2

I voted No, clarifies Noel

BY JOEY A. GABIETA Staff Writer

ON CONTROVERSIAL RH BILL

Leyte remains peaceful despite increase in crime rates- LPPOC

news page 2

Intensive weight loss programs might help reverse diabetes

news page 3

TACLOBAN CITY President Aquino may have supported the reproductive health (RH) bill which made it easy to pass before Congress, but he still maintains for its nonapproval.

Christmastime in the Waray Region circa 2012

news page 4

Thus said An Waray party-list Rep.Florencio Bem Noel, considered to be one of the close allies of the President in Congress. Noel said that he has voted no on the issue reason why he was surprised that there were talks that he voted for the approval of the RH bill.
to page 2

PNP,Comelec, private sector urge politicians, bets on peace covenant

news page 7

MILESTONE. Leyte Samar Daily Express publisher Dalmacio Massey Gral and wife Alma Gral leads in the 13th year of the papers operations and the 25th Express publication founding anniversary on Saturday. Father Amadeo Alvero presides the Holy Mass. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)

DOH, EVRMC focusing on children in their Iwas Paputok campaign

TACLOBAN CITY The Department of Health and the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) are focusing on children ages six to 10 years old in their campaign IwasPaputok: Apir Reloaded. This was due to the result of their data gathered last year that most of the victims of firecracker related injuries were between those ages said Dr. Frederick Aranza of EVMRC, the focal person for Iwas-Paputok. Thirty-nine percent of those victims last year were at these ages, which is why we focus our campaign on them and to the parents, Dr. Aranza said. As early as October of this year, the DOH had launched the Walang Batang Magpapaputok Campaign, to recognize children and teenagers who are the most prone to firecracker-related injuries. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the recent memorandum order that was signed by Secretary Mar Roxas urged local government units to designate sites away from populated
to page 6

Sun and clouds mixed with a slight chance of thunderstorms during the a ernoon. High 87F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

weather

Rotary Club of Kankabato president Antolin Ofonda handing their donation to assistant governor Ralph Salazar as their aid to the victims of super typhoon Pablo in Mindanao. In photo are Rotarians Joey Clarin, Dalamcio Massey Gral, Gilbert Togado and Doy Alip.

Members: DALMACIO C. GRAFIL, Publisher/Owner-LSDE; ALVIN Gz. ARPON, Columnist-LSDE; RINDO LAGONOY, DYDW; RAMON G. CUYCO, LSDE; VEN S. LABRO, Editor -LSDE/PDI; GAY B. GASPAY, PIA; JOEY GABIETA, Staffwriter-LSDE/PDI; PACIFICO SILVESTRECE, Sunto the Guest of the EXPRESS IT AT THE PARK at the day Punch; EILEEN NAZARENO-BALLESTEROS, Columnist-LSDE; LUZVIMINDA SANTIAGO, PIO-Philhealth; GINA GEREZ, PGO; REYAN Nook of Leyte Park Hotel, Tacloban City every ARINTO, LSDE; LITO A. BAGUNAS, LSDE; VINO CUAYZON, PIA; WILSON CHAN, LPH; RONALD VIAS, DYVL; AHLETTE REYES, LSDE; Saturday 7:30-9:00 AM NILDA GO, KBP; FRED PADERNOS, LSDE; ATTY. IMELDA NARTEA, Leyte Province; SARWELL MEANO-Correspondent-LSDE; LEMUEL For Special Edition by appointment PAGLIAWAN - LSDE; ROLLIE MONTILLA - Eastern Times; MARK MORALLOS-DYDW Tel. No. 321-4833 Telefax 053-321-5591

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NEWS

Sunday, 23 December 2012

Army forms peace organizations

ORMOC CITY - The government troopers operating in Leyte are to establish peace organizations in the villages as part of their strategies in intensifying governments efforts in the campaign against insurgency in this island, a military commander told reporters in an interview at his office here. Colonel Rafael Valencia, 802nd brigade commander, 8th infantry division, Philippine Army, based here, said that his brigade is now focusing more on the peace operations in solving the insurgency in his area of operation C o l . Va l e n c i a t o l d reporters that as part of their strategies his brigade is presently organizing the barangay peace and development organization (BPDO) in the village level. Valencia claims that those BPDOs are volunteer peace advocates who are at the same time assisting the local government units in crime prevention in their respective barangays or municipalities. Va l e n c i a i n f o r m e d reporters that their organizing efforts for the BPDOs is gaining ground in the hinterland barangays of Leyte spearheaded by the 19th Infantry Battalion based in Kananga, Leyte under the leadership of its battalion commander Lt. Col. Alejandro Nacnac. Valencia disclosed that presently there are a total of 17 BPDOs organized in two towns and 1 city in the province of Leyte He added that there are 13 BPDOs in Carigara town with 2481 members; 1 in the municipality of Kananga with 350 members while there are 3 organized BDPOs in this city with 636 members.
(RESTITUTO A.CAYUBIT)

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Leyte remains peaceful despite increase in crime rates- LPPOC

TA C L O B A N C I T Y The province continue to be peaceful despite an increase on crime rate or crime reported to the Philippine National Police said Leyte PNP Police Chief Inspector Alex Daaco in his presentation at the Leyte Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting. The LPPOC meeting was presided by Governor Mimmiette Bagulaya and director from the Leyte Provincial Interior and Local Government Artemio Caneja, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Regional Director Rolando Rodriguez and Colonel Rafael Valencia of 802 nd Brigade of the 8th Infantry Division. Based on the record o f L e y t e - P N P, c r i m e accumulated this year from January to November 31 had reached 1,488 or a 5.46% increase as compared to 1,411 crimes recorded in 2011. On the 1,488 crimes recorded; 638 were recorded as index crime; 519 are crimes against person and 119 are crimes against property. Daaco added that in the crimes against person there are 160 cases of murders, eight cases of rape and one and not endorsed by the President. I have my own line. I toed my own line, Noel said. The approval of the measure was sealed when the President certified the measure as urgent. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the measure and is expected to be signed into law by the President before the year ends. Noel said that ever since, his stand on the issue has case of kidnapping. In the crimes against property, 72 reported cases of robbery, 32 case of thief, two cases of cattle rustling and one case of carnapping. Seventy-nine most wanted criminals were arrested by law enforcers of Leyte province and another 786 arrested individuals who are included in wanted list for various cases committed in different towns in the province. The Leyte PPO also reported 404 operations against illegal gambling and 354 cases were filed in court. In their operation against loose firearms, 35 been no, a position taken by the Church. I have to go on record and that I have voted no (for the approval of the RH bill),Noel said. Noels colleague at the An Waray party-list, Rep. Neil Benedict Montejo, also voted for the non-passage of the measure. However, Noels wife, Malabon Rep.Veronique Jaye Lacson-Noel, was one of the vocal advocates of the RH bill. Rep. Noel said that people were arrested by law enforcers in Leyte province and they were able to file 36 cases in court. Daaco added that in the operation against loose firearms they were able to confiscate 11 high power firearms and 53 low powered firearms. It was also recorded by the PNP that the month of May accumulated with the most number of crimes every year together with the month of December, which is attributed to the various celebrations conducted on those months. (ROEL
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I voted...
from page 1

A p r o l i f e r, L i g a y a Anacta-Acosta of the Human Life International regional director for Asia and Oceania, claimed that Noel voted for the approval of the RH bill, a measure strongly opposed by the Catholic Church. Leaders of the Catholic Church in the country claim that the RH bill is anti-life. Thus, should not be approved by Congress

with his decision to vote against the wishes of the administration, he is not discounting the possibility of a backlash. There could be some repercussions considering the fact that I am a leader at the House, he said. I hope there is none, Noel, who chairs the powerful account committee, added. He said that he never have any regret on his stand. Noel said that he was not approached by any leader of

the Catholic Church for him just to cast no for a vote. I was never pressured by the Church, he said. He stressed that he was consistent with his stand on the issue and he would never

change it. Although it is already water under the bridge and as a legislator, I have to follow it, Noel said. But I still maintain on my no vote, the solon said.

Sunday, 23 December 2012

NEWS

Leyte Samar Daily Express

Intensive weight loss programs might help reverse diabetes

Type 2 diabetes has long been thought of as a chronic, irreversible disease. Some 25 million Americans are aicted with the illness, which is associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, as well as high blood pressure. Recent research demonstrated that gastric bypass surgery--a form of bariatric surgery that reduces the size of the stomach--can lead to at least temporary remission of type 2 diabetes in up to 62 percent of extremely obese adults. But can less drastic measures also help some people fight back the progressive disease? A new randomized controlled trial found that intensive weight loss programs can also increase the odds that overweight adults with type 2 diabetes will see at least partial remission. The findings were published online December 18 in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association. The increasing worldwide prevalence of type 2 diabetes, along with its wide-ranging complications, has led to hopes that the disease can be reversed or prevented, wrote the authors of the new paper, led by Edward Gregg of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study tracked 4,503 overweight adults with type 2 diabetes for four years. About half of the subjects received basic diabetes support and education (including three sessions per year that covered diet, physical activity and support). The other half received more intensive lifestyle-intervention assistance. This second group received weekly individual and group counseling for six months, followed by three-sessions each month for the next six months, and refresher group sessions and individual contact for the subsequent three years. The interventions aimed to help individuals limit daily calories to 1,200 to 1,800-in particular by reducing saturated fat intake--and to help them get the recommended 175 minutes per week of physical activity. After two years about one in 11 adults in the intervention group experienced at least partial remission of their diabetes, meaning that a patients blood sugar levels reverted to below diabetes diagnosis levels without medication. Only about one in 60 in the control group, which received only basic support and education, saw any remission after two years. The findings suggest that partial remission, defined by a transition to prediabetic or normal glucose levels without drug treatment for a specific period, is an obtainable goal for some patients with type 2 diabetes, the researchers noted. The improvement, however, was not indefinite for everyone. After four years, only about one in 30 people in the intervention group were still seeing an improvement in their condition. Researchers think that regaining weight and falling behind on diet and physical activity goals increase the risk that people will return to a diabetic state. About one in 75 in the intervention group saw complete remission of their diabetes, in which glucose levels returned to normal without medication. The study did not find, however, that individuals in the lifestyle intervention group had lower risks for heart trouble, stroke or death than did those in the control group. This recently led the National Institutes of Health to halt the [trial], noted David Arterburn, of Group Health Research Institute in Seattle, and Patrick OConnor, of HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research in Minneapolis, in an essay in the same issue of JAMA. Similar results have come out of studies looking at more intensive medical treatment of diabetes. A more potent intervention-bariatric surgery--already appears to achieve what intensive medical and lifestyle interventions cannot: reducing cardiovascular events and mortality rates among severely obese patients with type 2 diabetes, they noted. As with any disease, however, prevention is the best strategy. The disappointing results of recent trials of intensive lifestyle and medical management in patients with existing type 2 diabetes also underscore the need to more aggressively pursue primary prevention of diabetes, Arterburn and OConnor noted. One recent study found that compared with no treatment at all, lifestyle interventions reduced the onset of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent in people with pre-diabetes (and the medication metformin reduced the onset rate by 31 percent). Bariatric surgery seemed to reduce the onset of diabetes in obese patients by 83 percent, Arterburn and OConnor pointed out in their essay. For people who already have diabetes, however, those who are still in the early stages and those with the biggest weight loss and/or fitness improvement had the best odds for beating the disease. And even if lifestyle interventions arent capable of dialing back the disease entirely, any reduction--whether through lifestyle or other changes-in the need for medication and in medical complications due to diabetes can be considered an improvement in managing the disease, which already costs the U.S. health system $116 billion each year and is estimated to aect 50 million Americans by 2050. (From the wires)

How professional Santas avoid the flu

A lot of kids must sit on Santas lap before he can hop in his sleigh on Christmas Eve, but Santa has to be extra careful during flu season if he wants to stay healthy into the New Year. John Sullivan, a professional Santa Claus in Chicago, said he never turns down a child, even if the childs nose is runny. Ill see him. Ill talk to him, Sullivan said. Thats just a risk that frankly comes with the job Santa cant go around wearing a surgical mask! Since children actually exhale more flu virus than adults because their immune systems are immature, Santa and other people who work with children are at greater risk for coming down with the flu, said Dr. William Schaner, chairman of preventative medicine at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. Of course, Santa is leaning over the child and listening carefully. Hes in the breathing zone of all these children, Schaner said. They come into very close contact with a myriad of children, and children are the great distributor of respiratory viruses. Not only do children exhale more of the virus in each breath than adults do, but they also exhale it longer: 24 hours before they start feeling sick until after they feel better. It is likely because children are experiencing these viruses probably for the first time, and that their immune systems are not trained to combat the viruses and shut down the virus production mechanism quickly, Schaner said. Schaner said its important for professional Santa performers like Sullivan to get their flu shots, keep up their fluids and get enough sleep and exercise during the holiday season so that their bodies can fight the flu if they come in contact with it. Sullivan has been Santa Claus every holiday season for more than two decades, and he never misses a flu shot, he said. He started in malls and now does private events at homes, oces and daycares. A lot of times when you pick up a baby, you can feel in their lungs that theres congestion, he said. Ill tell the parent the baby has cold Frankly, if Im Santa, I never reject a child. He said hes gotten mild colds, but nothing serious, and hes always mindful to avoid getting other people sick if hes not feeling well. Near Orlando, Greg Thompson runs The Santa Company, which has seven Santas, including Thompson himself, who has been dressing as Santa since he was 14. (Id discovered Santas secret, so I decided I wanted to be him.) That first year, Thompson was 129 lbs., so his grandmother helped him stu a pillow under his puy jacket to complete the costume. (From the wires)

A continuing recognition to Leyte Samar Daily Express as it celebrates its 13th Anniversary and 25th Foundation Day!
From:

The Philippine Councilors League Leyte Chapter congratulates LSDE on its 13th Anniversary & 25th Foundation Day
From:

Hon. Jerry Sambo T. Yaokasin

Councilor Tacloban City Waray Bisyo kundi Serbisyo Councilor, Palo Leyte President, PCL-Leyte Chapter

Hon. Wilson S. Uy

Leyte Samar Daily Express

OPINION

Sunday, 23 December 2012

Leyte Samar

DAILY EXPRESS
POSITIVE * FAIR * FREE

Dalmacio C. Gral Publisher Ven S. Labro Editor-in-Chief Abelardo G. Orteza Managing Editor Alma M. Gral Business Manager
The Leyte Samar Daily Express is published daily with editorial and business ofces at G/F Knights of Columbus Bldg., 187 P. Zamora St. Tacloban City CONTACT Tel. Nos. 321-4833/ 523-7373 Fax. (053) 321-5591 WEBSITE leytesamardaily.net EMAIL ADDRESS EDITORIAL lsdaily2@yahoo.com ADVERTISING lsdaily_ads@yahoo.com All rights reserve. Except as permitted by law, no part of Leyte Samar Daily Express may be re-produced or distributed in any form or by any means stored in a database or retrieval system without its prior written permission from the publisher. Commentaries from readers whose identities they prefer to remain anonymous can be accommodated as blind items. It will be our editorial prerogative, however, to verify the veracity of such commentaries before publication. Letters should be as brief as possible, and sent with the writers name,signature address and phone numbers (if any) to: Letters to the Editor, Leyte Samar Daily Express, They may be edited for length and clarity.

EDITORIAL

Butchering the wild

other forms of life on earth. Yes, most of us are not really for the preservation of so-called endangered species. Hostility against animal life in the wild prevails particularly among people in remote areas where these animals needing such protection exist. This culture has been handed down for generations. Adults practice it in the presence of the young ones who, eventually, pick up the behaviour and put the same into actual practice. Like brainwashed executioners, they tend to think that every animal their eyes catch sight of deserves to die in their hands. And the killing spree may just be for the sheer fun of it. At the sight of a snake crossing their path, or of a bird hovering above them, or of a deer appearing in the thicket, they quickly arm themselves with stones or sticks to kill them all, as if the reaction had become part of their instinct and they cannot help but obey it. The least that

s we celebrate the Christmas season trying to emphasize love for our fellowmen, we tend to forget that we, on the other hand, are hostile to

they would attempt to do is to capture the animal but still with the aim of butchering it sometime later. This hostile tendency is too contradictory to how people from the urban areas regard these creatures. Not wont to seeing these creatures, these people are dying to excitedly watch these agents of nature, treasuring them, and doing what they can to preserve the same for future generations to see. Its among these folks that efforts at saving wildlife are hatched, with the government backing them up. Unless the people living close to endangered species are made to realize the importance of saving the wilds inhabitants, those efforts will make no headway. Still, much education campaign should be done. It would be like uprooting a culture that had been part of the peoples instinct. It would be akin to erasing from memory that which the people have witnessed from their ancestors the act of killing the wild.

Christmastime in the Waray Region circa 2012

MALIPAYON NGA PASKO 2012 HA IYO NGATANAN! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU! QN makes these greetings to Waray and non-Waray people, especially readers of Leyte Samar Daily Express, two days ahead of Christmas Day. Thats because, the next time QN will appear on this page will be Thursday yet. QN wont be around here by December 25. In the internet, though, this column will be present and available until maybe even two years after 2012. Yes, QN, like many other fulllength or summarized items, will be archived in the FaceBook social network. And speaking of FaceBooks, I have a personal account in my own name, and sometimes QN appears there either as a

Quidnuncs Neighbor
chito dela torre link to a web or in full (after clicking the entry more... at the end of the first few displayed sentences. FaceBook pages of some of my FaceBook friends also display titles or references to my opinion column. And by the way, sometimes, extracts of what I write here also appear in either the Feedback or Message Board sections of samarnews.com a general information website owned by my dearest friend engineer Ray P. Gaspay, chief operations engi-

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neer of Decobeam Cable Television in Catbalogan City and founding president of Catbalogan Cable TV Media Advocates Nucleus (CCATMAN). *** Towards Christmas, people in the Waray region have so much money. That is very true among government employees (national and local) and those in the private business sector. Most stores, both big and small, in the seven cities in the region (Tacloban [the only highly urbanized city and serving as the regional capital of the Warays], Ormoc, Calbayto page 6

Sunday, 23 December 2012

OPINION
reflection
By: Fr. Domie G. Guzman, Jr. SSP

Leyte Samar Daily Express

Bumps, setbacks, defeats

we should learn how to keep our cool not just out of tactic but rather out of love and complete trust in the providence of God. But it should not be the cool of not doing anything. We need to intensify our prayers and sacrifices, and launch into a more ardent campaign of evangelization about human life and sexuality, marriage and family, etc. The idea is not to defeat opponents to the faith. It is to convert them. For this, we need to study the doctrine of our faith very well, assimilating them to the extent of making it the flesh of our flesh, and then quietly and continuously going into a personal apostolate of friendship and confidence where from heart to heart, and not through the noise of the world, we transmit the saving truths of our faith relevant to the RH Bill. Lets not waste time judging the motives of those who are pro-RH. Thats not our task. And in the gospel, we already know the possible motives of those who killed Christ. There was pride, hatred, envy, articulated in a variety of ways that ultimately led to Christs crucifixion. But in the end, Christ asked his Father to forgive themfor they know not what they were doing. This is the extreme of charity to which we are also called. But for all that, we have to realize also that we need to defend our faith, the truth in charity. And so, we can also go through the human means available for this purpose without losing the spirit proper of a child of God. Yes, we can enter into debates, join rallies, do all sorts of political maneuvers, but in charity.

Two Women Mentors for Christmas

Although there is something sentimental about Christmas, it is more than a retelling of the event of Bethlehem 2000+ years ago. The real novelty of Christmas is a proclamation of faith: God is not simply a transcendent being sitting in glory; God dwells among us. The Baby Jesus is no mere child. He is the Human Face of God, the Incarnate Divinity. Hence the angel revealed Jesus as Emmanuel (God-withus). Christmas is the mystery of the Eternal breaking through history, of the God without origins undergoing human birth. Women know best about birthing. They are the ones who go through nine months of infanticipation, and they go through the inconveniences of birth pangs. Hence, on this last Sunday of Advent, we have the story of Mary and Elizabeth, two women teaching us about welcoming the God-with-us. God Wants To Live in our Person! Southwest of Jerusalem is the Basilica of Ein Karem, which marks the water well where Mary, coming from the hills of Judah, was welcomed by her elderly cousin Elizabeth. A pilgrim is dramatically welcomed into the premises by two striking steel statues of the pregnant Mary and the pregnant Elizabeth greeting each other. Both are shown holding their swollen tummies indicative that both of them have been visited by God whose blessings made them experience motherhood, the fullness of their persons as female. God wants to fill us not just with material and spiritual consolationsbut with himself living in us. The Apostle Paul ecstatically declared: It is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me. We Welcome God in Faith and Hope Both Mary and Elizabeth had to open their lives to God by surrendering their reasoning and will. It seemed hard for Mary, a young woman of marriageable age, to have a child without the part played by a human father! Added to this would be the social and cultural taboo of being pregnant while engaged! Harder still it is to comprehend how an old and long-barren lady, passed childbearing age like Elizabeth, is to conceive a child! However, with God all things are possible. And how did these two women, in the impossibility of their respective human situations, yield to Gods marvelous ways? Looking up at the mural that adorned the welcoming arch on the basement of the Basilica of Ein Karem, I noted two interesting portraits. One side of the arch has the picture of the young Mary with folded arms over her chest, and with a downward gaze. Over her is the word Fides (Faith). On the opposite side of the same arch is painted the elderly figure of Elizabeth with her eyes gazing downwards, and with her hands clasped in prayer. Over her is the word Spes (Hope). Elizabeths is a story of Hope. Amidst all the negative experiences she could have had through her years of being childless, a state associated by most Jews with a curse or a divine punishment, Elizabeth needed to see all with the brightness anchored on Gods benevolence. Marys story is one of Faith. Virgin and inexperienced, she had to strongly trust that God knew what he was doing! Therefore, Elizabeth complimented Mary at the end of our Gospel reading: Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. A whole year has passed us by with mixed experiences. To welcome the ways of the Emmanuel, which do we need in greater measure: Marys Fides, or Elizabeths Spes? God Surprises All Young and promising like Mary, or old and seasoned by trying times like ElizabethWe are all invited: believe and be blessed.

Commentary
FR. ROY CIMAGALA We have to learn how to cope with these situations. They are unavoidable in life. As the Book of Ecclesiastes says: There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance...a time to get, and a time to lose...All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven. So, lets just take it easy, and avoid getting upset or afraid or desperate unnecessarily. God is in control. What we have to do is to carry out what clearly is incumbent on usour ordinary work, our daily duties that should be done with love for God and others. We should avoid extrapolating things out of a misplaced zeal, or selfrighteousness, or simply out of fear to lose and desire to win and dominate. Gods all-abiding providence is driven solely out of love and mercy. His justice is included there. And while we can not fully decipher the mystery of Gods ways and providence, we have to see to it that we too are driven by love and mercy in our attitude and reactions to anything that happens in our life. Our sense of justice should be subordinated to love and mercy. Our plans and strategies, the moves that we have to make, should be animated solely by love and mercy. This is Gods way as shown clearly by Christ and the saints who followed him. Remember that time when the disciples told Christ to rain fire on those who did not receive them? (Lk 9,51ff) Christ rebuked his disciples, saying: You know not of what spirit you are. The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save. Its good to meditate on the passion and death of Christ, for from there we can get the clear idea of how to face trials, insults and mockeries, setbacks and apparent defeats and losses in our life. Why did Christ for the most part simply keep quiet during his trial? What is the significance of his reply to Pilate, My kingdom is not of this world...? Why did he allow himself to be buffeted, crowned with thorns, crucified, pierced by a spear, and finally to die? Lets consider the lives of some saints. St. John of the Cross, for example. He was really badly treated even by his own confreres who imprisoned him in a dark dungeon for 6 months. If he was not a man of God, he would have gone crazy and died. But instead, he found light in darkness, and a certain freedom of soul in his forced physical confinement. And from that experience, he produced a very lyrical set of poems that savored exquisitely of the spiritual, mystical and supernatural. Now that we are into the RH Bill debate, and it seems that the pro-RH side is gaining headway,

The Sower
Gospel (Lk 1:39-45) MARY set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Marys greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
Prayer for the Nation and for Those who Serve in Public Ofce
God, our Father, you guide everything in wisdom and love. Accept the prayers we offer for our nation; by the wisdom of our leaders and integrity of our citizens, may harmony and justice be secured and may there be lasting prosperity and peace. Almighty and eternal God, You know the longings of our hearts and You protect our rights. In your goodness, watch over those in authority, so that people everywhere may enjoy freedom, security and peace. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. (Courtesy of Daughters of St. Paul)

Pray the Holy Rosary daily for world peace and conversion of sinners (The family that prays together stays together)

Leyte Samar Daily Express

mar] in the defunct Leyte Forum until Marcos flew out of Malacaang at the climax of the bloodless Peoples Revolution in February, 1986), all the Express publications gained recognition, acceptance, and respect from all sectors of society. The newly acquired preprinting equipment that Massey acquired and installed only last October, 2012 will surely improve further the media service capability of the Express family of publications, hopefully starting early in year 2013, which is just around the corner, so to say. Improvement will also come in terms of the Express being able to accommodate more printing jobs. That can be seen when the election campaign period officially sets in, coupled by the demands for printing of annual souvenir programs as graduation approaches. *** Taclobanons were surprised anew by new groups of carollers. The new ones included the singing group from Childrens Joy Foundation Inc. (CJFI). Before rendering their one-noel-perhouse carolling, the group would serve an un-addressed letter (on a Christmas-theme colored background) o the home to be carolled. According to that letter (signed by project coordinator Ms. Amy D. Roncesvalles):

NEWS
Again, Yuletide season is approaching and as early of this month, we are knocking on your heart to let the spirit of love will freely flow the sympathy of giving and love. Our rondalla caroling group would like to serenade you in your yuletide season activities or any gathering in your home, office or establishments to express our sincere thanks and perform our God-given talents in singing, dancing and playing musical instruments.... (sic). Early yesterday morning, a small group of middleaged carollers, one with a big bass drum, first stopped at a store by the pier boulevard to buy pirated music compact discs. In Basey, a nonBasaynon male tenor made brief single noel renditions at selected open doors the other day. In many wheres, children go from house to house nightly, and although often out of tune, do their carols, sometimes with one or two of them dancing Gangnam. *** Revolutionary culture is a powerful revolutionary weapon for the broad masses of the people. It prepares the ground ideologically before the revolution comes and is an important, indeed essential, fighting front in the general revolutionary front during the revolution. Mao Tse Tung, On New Democracy (January, 1940)

Sunday, 23 December 2012

from page 1

Christmastime...
from page 4

DOH...
areas where fireworks can be launched and displayed and viewed by the public at a safe distance. Leading firecracker recorded by the health agency that was the cause of firecracker-related injuries among children is piccolo. Its availability and accessibility for children had contributed a lot for causing it as the major firecracker that hurt children during revelry celebration. This is why we are campaigning for celebrating Christmas and New Year by using alternative noise makers like blowing horn, playing music, cans and utensils and community fireworks display, the doctor stressed. The conduct of fireworks display sponsored by local government units would help in minimizing and reducing number of firecracker victims and they are hoping that this would be done by local government units. We are thankful to all LGUs who are doing firework display because it lessen the number of people who uses firecrackers during Yuletide season, said Aranza. But what is important, according to Aranza, is to use that celebration as time to reflect on what every person had done and accomplished in the entire and plan and what they would do and change in the coming year echoing the statement of Health Secretary Enrique T. Ona. Furthermore, Aranza said that starting yesterday they conduct orientation on health personnel for their preparation in assisting cases of firecracker victims which they will do again on the 28th of this month. But we are already in code white alert, which means that we are on full alert and monitoring status on firecracker related cases and our medical supplies are already ready in case there are emergencies, he stressed. We hope that a minimal number of cases will be brought to us this year as we celebrate the Yuletide season in a more peaceful and meaningful way, he added. (ROEL
AMAZONA)

og, Catbalogan, Baybay, Borongan, and Maasin), teem daily with men and women, young and old, disabled and well, rebels and soldiers who keep buying for either their regular home needs or the yuletide season and Christmas Day itself. At no other time in the past have splurge buying in the Leyte-SamarBiliran area been like todays. Yes, even farmers, small tillers and anglers, and domestic helpers and run-errands keep coming out with cash in their wallets, purses bags or pockets. Thank the Aquino administration for this situation? Yes, yes, yes. Its all because President Noynoy Aquino has been managing well the administrative and economic affairs of the Philippine government and keeps eradicating corruption and weeding out the corrupt and scalawags. Malacaang has not been saying so much about this, yet what the Filipino nation keeps experiencing bears truths to the smooth progress that our country is having for a straight 2-1/2 years now since Noynoy sat as chief executive of the Philippines. The radically improving peace across the Philippine archipelago also contributes to this remarkable achievement, thanks to the improving leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and its commander-in-chief, His Excellency President Benigno Noynoy S. Aquino III. Thanks too, to the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies. Yes, thanks, too, to all the rebels and insurgents for going slow in their respective avowed ideological campaigns, because in many ways, that gesture has reassured the peace and order in both rural and urban communities. Of course, thank you, Dear God, although in unseen ways, for leading our government and nation to a better today. *** Congratulations to publisher Massey Grafil of Leyte Samar Daily Express and other Leyte Samar Express publications for reaching the 25th year of his self-imposed career as publisher. It is to his credit that the Express newspapers, very notably the Leyte Samar Daily Express, stand out as the dignified icon of newspaper journalism in all of Region VIII. Through his efforts, plus the business acumen of his wife, Alma (whom I worked with , under our editor-in-chief, attorney Cornelio Umil [who would later on become a state prosecutor assigned to the province of Eastern Sa-

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Sunday, 23 December 2012

NEWS

Leyte Samar Daily Express

PNP,Comelec, private sector urge politicians, bets on peace covenant

C A M P R U P E RTO KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte The Philippine National Police and the Commission on Election (Comelec) together with the private sector are urging politicians and those who will be running this forthcoming elections to join them in the peace covenant signing that will make politicians promise to abide by the law and ensure peaceful and orderly election by not engaging into hiring of private armed groups. Through a peace covenant, Philippine National Police VIII Regional Director for Operation Police Senior Superintendent Edgardo Basbas, said that starting January of next year, their agency together with stakeholders of this forthcoming mid-term election will gather and unite for a common cause of urging politicians to sign a peace covenant which they will start first in the province of Samar. We are in partnership with the Diocese of Calbayog headed by Bishop Isabelo Avarquez, said Basbas. The peace covenant signing will be held on January 13, in Calbayog City, one of the eight identified area in the province of Samar as Category 1 priority area by the PNP due to intense political rivalry. After Samar, the PNP will conduct another peace covenant in another province in the region. The PNP is hoping that through this covenant signing we will achieve our goal of having a more peaceful and orderly election we are hoping that no violence should happened next year during the entirety of election process, Basbas stressed. Among the expected personalities to appear in said peace covenant signing are the rival political families of Tan in the second district of Samar and Uy in the first district of Samar who have both family members aiming for a top provincial seat. Currently, Sharee A n n Ta n h o l d s t h e gubernatorial position in Samar province, together with her younger brother, Stephen James Tan, who sits as the vicegovernor. Rosa Jessica UyDelgado, the daughter of former Calbayog City Mayor Reynaldo Uy is running against her in the gubernatorial seat. The peace covenant signing in the region, according to Basbas, is just a replication of what they had done in the 2010 elections wherein all candidates of the region were gathered in the city of Tacloban to sign the peace covenant in front of representatives from the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines, church people, causedoriented groups, human rights agency and media practitioners. On said year, the PNP had recorded a minimal case of election related violence which they wanted to lesser it more this forthcoming 2013 elections. (ROELAMAZONA) BETHANY HOSPITAL
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Sunday, 23 December 2012

Christmas

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