Hope amid disaster

“Water, water everywhere, and not a drop (of safe) water to drink,” could be said of the recent in a series after recent typhoons brought floods that devastated the country. Typhoon “Juaning” flooded and contaminated water sources in vast areas of east of the country from northeastern Visayas all the way up to central and northeastern Luzon. The storm destroyed lives, homes, farms and livestock, and caused, rapid modern building developments, landslides in a local “fulfillment” of Al Gore’s warning years ago in his documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” So “better late than never,” the country awoke and began implementing greening and environmental campaigns and activities.

Aside from all the destruction from natural disasters, our country is also bedeviled by the flood of moral decay in fatal ambushes and killings, child molestation peaking in cybersex and an inordinate obsession with sex, and threats to family life with the controversy over the Reproductive Health bill.

Before I started to write this yesterday, the daily morning Mass on the Catholic EWTN channel aired from Birmingham, Alabama in the United States had as guest Mass celebrant Filipino Bishop Ramon Villena of the Diocese of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. In his homily, he explained the stand of the Catholic Church in the Philippines against the RH bill.

In the wake of all these, last Friday, the world was stunned with the bombing in Norway of its capital, Oslo, followed by a shooting rampage in the nearby island of Utoya, all resulting in 76 deaths. All this was carried out by a blond, blue-eyed Norwegian youth, Anders Bering Brievik, who confessed to the shooting. Photos show him to be good-looking, cool and collected, but reports say he’s been involved in a rhetoric of hate.

This was an incredible tragedy, the worst postwar carnage in a country that is known for hosting the Nobel Peace Prize awards. In the wake of widespread out-pouring of grief in the country marked by a vast national floral offering and world sympathy, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg declared: “We will not be intimidated.” And the police are now working with its citizens to return the country to normalcy.

Then last Monday, here in the Philippines, President Benigno Aquino III delivered his State of the Nation Address. Having taken notes as I tuned in to his 53-minute address, I thought it comprehensively covered what was so far accomplished in his first year and what problems need to be dealt with in cooperation with officials and the rest of us. Since then, media has been awash in opinions critical, approving and contributive with suggested possible solutions.

By the way, July 25th this year was the 147th birth anniversary of the Filipino “Sublime Paralytic” Apolinario Mabini.

Meanwhile, in our Zonta I monthly meeting last July 21st, we were happy to learn that one of our active longtime members, Anita Sanchez, is a candidate for the position of Zonta area 3 director, and we look forward to her eventually making it. We also welcomed new Zonta I member Pilar del Rosario-Puno who will be informally inducted on Aug. 18th. Meeting her, I learned she is the sister of the late Ramonito del Rosario, a popular and longtime colleague of mine on my former long-running noontime radio program “Campus Capers.”

During the meeting, we also heard the final report on our work and final donations for and the forthcoming eventual closing of our successful two-year assistance project with the Gothong public elementary and high school. We also discussed updates on our fund-raising projects, a fun run, a fashion show and our participation in the Beautiful Cebu City project. A report on the executive committee meeting of our Cebu Girl Scout Council last Wednesday, will hold for next week.

Congratulations to Rep. Manny Paquiao, newly honored as “Habitat for Humanity Hero Ambassador” by Habitat chairman Fernando Zobel, for providing homes to underprivileged families in Sarangani. He “who embodies the organization’s advocacy of fighting poverty and inspiring Filipinos to work together for the cause.”

Till next week, then, as always, may God continue to bless us, one and all!