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COVID-19 vaccine availability gives hope for Asian American and Pacifi c Islander May Heritage Month

CDC continues to provide guidelines on safely gathering, traveling for fully vaccinated people

By Staff

May is Asian American and Pacifi c Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a celebration of AAPI achievements and a time for the country to recognize our community’s contributions throughout U.S. history.

This year, in the face of anti-Asian hate incidents and our community’s continued economic and social challenges, AAPI Heritage Month takes on a new meaning: Hope. As of this month, anyone aged 12 and older is eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. States are also seeing increases in the availability of vaccine appointments, a shift from previously hard-to-get appointments.

As of May 17, the CDC reported 157 million Americans have made the choice to be vaccinated. Among this number, at least 5.9% of Asians (non-Hispanic) and 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacifi c Islander groups have had at least one vaccination—that’s approximately 5.44 million loved ones! Moreover, since the start of vaccine distributions, more than 84.5% of older Americans (65-Plus adults) have been vaccinated—a dramatic shift in numbers that shows the wider community is doing their part to protect our elders and others by getting vaccinated.

This means that 5.44 million AAPI community members are on their way to resuming the activities that they miss— seeing family and friends near and far, gathering with the older generation, and traveling. And, vaccines are preventing nearly 100% of hospitalizations and deaths from COVID. This is proof that the vaccines are eff ective.

In a recent AARP panel, Dr. Adelaida M. Rosario shared about the unique challenges of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacifi c Islander (AANHPI) communities in receiving information about the vaccine.

“The AANHPI community is extremely diverse and therefore, there isn’t a one-size-fi ts-all approach with communications,” said Rosario. “The Department of Health and Human Services has been working on a number of print materials and virtual materials in the relevant languages so we can reach the community in their native tongue.” Rosario was referring to a new national campaign that includes outreach and advertising to more than 15 AAPI communities, called We Can Do This.

“In addition to this pandemic, there’s this heightened negative attention right now, focused on the Asian American community because of all the stereotypes and it’s terribly unfortunate,” Rosario added. “It becomes a ‘double pandemic’ essentially for all of our older Asian American community members because they’re dealing with all of this awful discrimination in addition to, layered with, this health crisis.”

Rosario acknowledged that there are side eff ects for some people but said that it is “small numbers” and “rare occurrences” of illnesses compared to the millions who are fully vaccinated and have experienced minor side eff ects but are otherwise “doing fi ne.”

“The benefi ts so far outweigh these small risks. The same kind of risks that any parents taking their small child to get their series of shots, you’re up against the same numbers,” Rosario said. “These rare occurrences are happening, but we’re really celebrating the successes that we’re seeing with the numbers of infections dropping and the successful inoculations at a population level that’s currently occurring not only in the United States but across the world.”

Before any vaccination, if you have questions, talk to your local healthcare provider or physician. If looking for additional resources, turn to your trusted local leaders. If you have access to the Internet and are able to search for information online, visit trusted sources like the CDC and visit vaccines.gov to fi nd vaccines near you.

Ultimately, one more person who has received the shot is one more step toward returning to life as it was before the pandemic. Encourage those around you to get vaccinated—from your college student to your grandparents, from your friends to your colleagues. With the country inching closer to 65% vaccinations this summer, there is tremendous progress that we are making together and next year should have a diff erent outlook. By AAPI Heritage Month in 2022, the entire country can be vaccinated—we can do this!

Dr. Adelaida Rosario

Appreciate nurses: We can all do our part to help end the pandemic

By Raynald Samoa, M.D., Endocrinologist

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been inspired by the strength and resilience of California’s nurses, many of whom are Asian Americans and Pacifi c Islanders (AAPI). This May and every day, I urge everyone to express appreciation to nurses by helping to end the pandemic.

As we celebrate Asian Pacifi c American Heritage Month and Nurses Month this May, let’s pause to honor California’s nurses, who have never wavered in their dedication to us during the pandemic. In fact, some of them paid with their very lives. We can never repay the nurses who lost their lives on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we can help honor them and thank the nurses who are still hard at work in hospitals and health clinics across California.

I urge all Californians to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and to continue following public health guidance so that we can help end the pandemic. People must continue hand-washing and social distancing, as well as wearing well-fi tting masks when appropriate. Simply put, we all need to do our part for our nurses.

According to a 2016 Healthforce survey by UCSF, more than one-fourth of California Registered Nurses are AAPI, with Filipinos at 17.6% and Asians who are not Filipino at 8.8%. The survey also showed that non-Filipino Asians and Pacifi c Islanders account for more than 11 percent of nurses under 45 years old. Additionally, news reports from Propublica and LAist have chronicled the devastating eff ect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Filipino health workers.

We have read the stories about the death rate among AAPI nurses and recognize that some nurses also face fear amid increases in anti-Asian hate incidents during the pandemic. This May is the best time for us to come together in honoring nurses through our actions: wear our snug-fi tting masks, wash our hands, get vaccinated. This is how we show our nurses we appreciate them, we care, and we want this pandemic to end.

Visit https://myturn.ca.gov to fi nd a vaccine site nearby and to register for a convenient appointment time. Or call the state’s COVID-19 hotline 1-833-422-4255, where translators are available in 250+ languages. (Editor’s Note: The writer is with the City of Hope and Clinical Lead for the National Pacifi c Islander Covid-19 Response Team (NPICRT) , City of Hope and Clinical Lead for the National Pacifi c Islander Covid-19 Response Team (NPICRT)

Gov. Newsom...

(From page 1) prepared than ever to face wildfi re season,” Newsom said.

Meanwhile, Governor Newsom, together with Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl, announced an agreement that opens up the West Coast for off shore wind development for the fi rst time in the state’s history.

The agreement was described as a promising development that could help achieve the state’s clean energy goals, bolster renewable energy sources and create new jobs and investments in California. “Developing off shore wind to produce clean, renewable energy could be a game changer to achieving California’s clean energy goals and addressing climate change – all while bolstering the economy and creating new jobs,” said Governor Newsom.

Upside...

(From Page 11)

Today he works with younger folks to stop the intergenerational cycle of violence.

“We can’t talk about domestic violence without talking about oppression, racism, internalized oppression and generational trauma” as a start to overcome the impact Tello said. He touted as “most signifi cant” the power of prayer that he said saved and transformed him; “Spirituality, sense of hope, of vision that sees you as sacred even with your wounds.” ***

Cherie Querol Moreno is Executive Editor of Philippine News Today. Offl ine

(From Page 13)

refer to a boom and bust cycle that had been plaguing the Philippines since the post-World War II era. I fear that the current economic bust will be permanent if the wrong leader is elected next year.

It is becoming clear that the current second quarter of 2021 will again see the country’s gross domestic product decline, making it six consecutive quarters of negative growth. I’ve said it before and I say it again: the Philippines is not only in a deep recession, it is actually in the middle of a dangerous depression.

The refusal of Aquino and Ramos to meet with Duterte and his allies Estrada and Macapagal-Arroyo, and the subsequent cancellation of that meeting, sends a strong signal to the business community, in particular.

Next year will mark a big turning point. What is unknown is what direction the country will take.

The greatest disaster will be if the people make a wrong choice, or will see the wrong leader rammed down their throats via massive cheating.

Either way, the country will be in deep doodoo.

In my book, there are only three leaders who have the wherewithal to lead the Philippines out of the mess it’s in now. And just for the record, I am in no way, shape or form connected with any of them.

But the only rational choice to fi x the sinking ship that is the Republic of the Philippines are, 1) Vice President Leni Robredo, 2) retired Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio, and maybe, just maybe, 3) former senator Antonio Trillanes.

Anyone else will only turn the country back to the banana republic it used to be in the not-too-distant past. Immigrant’s story... (From Page 13)

Kong where they say smallpox prevails. But the true reason is that, as America is against Chinese immigration and now they are campaigning for the elections, the government, in order to get the vote of the people, must appear to be strict with the Chinese, and we suff er. On board there is not one sick person…”

The prejudice and restriction against the Chinese people during Rizal’s time is the same prejudice and restriction that Muslims and refugees are facing today. The contagious disease (small fox) is today’s “terrorism,” and we suff er because everyone is aff ected or impacted by this prejudice.

Rizal’s sharp mind helps to explain partly how Trump won in 2016--- restrictions against immigration and blaming immigrants and the powerless. The way the nation was divided and how America’s race relations suff ered a setback during Trump’s presidency is glaring proof. The new administration hopefully will put us back on the right track. Health & Wealth (From Page 12)

Amazon in Paperback or E-Book. The paperback retail price is $25.95 per copy, plus shipping and handling. (ART GABOT MADLAING is accredited and commissioned Notary Public and licensed Real Estate Broker (DRE#00635976) in California since 1981. He is the founder of MOBILE SIGNING SERVICES, FITNESS FOR HUMANITY (aka FITNESS FOR CHRIST) and ACAPINOY. Art is active Evangelist with the GOLDEN GATE CHURCH OF CHRIST, San Francisco, California. )

PerryScope... (From Page 12) interesting. At this point, the presidential candidates -- including those who would run for vice-president if they failed to gain traction in their run for the presidency – would be fi ghting each other in a free-for-all (labo-labo) contest with the candidates forming their own coalitions or political parties. By the time the slates are fi nalized, the leading presidential candidates would choose their running mates, who some of them were their former rivals. There would probably be fi ve or six pairings left that would slug it out until Election Day on May 9, 2022. Since the president and vice-president are elected separately, the two winning candidates could come from diff erent political parties, which happened quite often.

Various personalities have directly and indirectly hinted on the possibility of running for president or vice president. Polls taken in April show the following in order of popularity: Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte (27%), former Senator Bongbong Marcos (13%), Senator Grace Poe (12%), Manila Mayor Isko Moreno (12%), Senator Manny Pacquiao (11%), Vice-President Leni Robredo (7%), and Sen. Bong Go (5%). Others who are mentioned are: Sen. Bato dela Rosa, former Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Sonny Angara, Sen. Richard Gordon, and former Senator Mar Roxas.

It’s interesting to note that in the past three presidential elections, the front-running presidential candidates eventually lost in the election. In 2016, the early favorite for president was Vice-President Jejomar Binay who came out fourth after Rodrigo Duterte (the winner), Mar Roxas, and Grace Poe.

In 2010, Senator Benigno Aquino III and Senator Manny Villar were statistically tied in the Pulse Asia poll at 38% for Aquino and 37% for Villar. But the fi nal tally showed Aquino winning over former president Joseph Estrada and Villar, who came in second place and third place, respectively.

In 2004, the late action hero Fernando Poe Jr. was the front-runner ahead of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who came from behind to beat Poe in the election with a margin of just over one million votes, the closest margin in Philippine election history. Ping Lacson came in third place.

Does that mean that Sara Duterte would also slip and fall short of winning the presidency a year from now? There is still a lot of water that will fl ow under the bridge, so to speak. A great deal of what Papa Digong’s performance in the last year of his presidency would aff ect Inday Sara’s future presidential candidacy. With all the controversies that he got himself into and the dire economic situation the country is in right now, it could drag her down the political sewer. First of all, Sara doesn’t have national experience in governance. She’ll be pitted against sitting senators, the current vice-president, and the popular current mayor of Manila.

What is interesting – and intriguing – is the candidacy of Bong Go. Why would he run for president against Sara, the president’s daughter? But Duterte himself doesn’t approve of Sara running for president. “My daughter is not running,” he said. “It’s not for a woman.” “My only sin is the extrajudicial killings. The job would ‘make her crazy’ if she won the offi ce,” he said. But the extrajudicial killings are not just a sin, it’s a crime against humanity. Besides, it could all be part of “strategic denial,” which is the popular ploy early in the game.

As a matter fact there is a move in Congress to amend the constitution to allow the president to run for re-election, which I think is not going to happen. They had been trying to extend the president’s term since the time of former president Fidel Ramos but had never gained national or congressional support. It reminded people of the Marcos years when he extended his rule by declaring martial law. Never again would the people allow another dictator rule over them.

Quo vadis, Leni Robredo?

And this brings to mind Vice-President Leni Robredo’s own political future. She revealed recently that her lack of resources was aff ecting her decision to run for a possible presidential run in 2022. While she is still considering running in 2022, speculation is rife that she has been preparing to run for governor of Camarines Sur, her home province. However, her spokesperson said there is no ”truth” to rumors that she is running for governor.

So there you go, the presidential musical chair game of elimination has started. There would be a lot of speculation, rumors, claims, and denials as the presidential hopefuls parade themselves in a circle hoping to remain in the game until there is just a person left who would then become the presidential candidate of their party.

And then there is the scramble for the vice-presidential spot. Indeed, the presidential musical chair game is bloodless but only the fi ttest or cheatest wins. (PerryDiaz@gmail.com) Diliman way

(From Page 12)

witnessed his own humiliation and the dishonor of his offi ce because Justice Carpio would have torn him to pieces and make mince meat out of him. So hurling a challenge to Justice Carpio for a formal debate on the issue of the West Philippine Sea is a horrendous mistake. Obviously, President Digong did not stop, look and listen nor did he look before he leapt. Now, he is left with nothing but irretrievable embarrassment. Sideshow: President Digong vented his ire on Former Foreign Aff airs Secretary Alberto del Rosario for blaming him on the current problem at the West Philippine Sea. Duterte said that it is Del Rosario who is to blame for allowing Philippine ships protecting the Scarboroigh Shoal to leave the area during the stand off with Communist Chinese vessels during his term as the top foreign aff airs honcho. So, President Digong said it is Del Rosario who should be charged with treason and, if he continues to hold power, he would hang Del Rosario for being a traitor. Del Rosaro countered he had nothing to do with the withdrawal. To begin with, he was not Commander of the Navy who was in control of his ships neither was he the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who is the superior authority of the Navy Commander nor was he the President of the Philippines who Commands those two offi cers. Moreover, Del Rosario said further that the withdrawal of the Philippines ships was due to an agreement with Communist China, brokered by America, that both countries shall withdraw their ships from the area to lessen tension in the region. Our country complied with the agreement but corona virus Xi Jing’s country did not - Communist China’s ship stayed. Who is to blame – the one who complied with the agreement or the one who did not? In eff ect, Del Rosario was saying that President Digong does not know what he is talking about. Reading between the lines – Del Rosaro was really saying that President Digong lost his marbles. Did he? What do you think? Enters the rookie: So the formal debate is off ! President Duterte is sending Harry, the Rookie, as his representative to debate with Carpio. Why should Carpio debate with the running dog of the President? Does he belong to the same gender classifi cation as Harry – the Rookie – and he would like a show? Netizens are suggesting that Carpio should engage the services of Vice Ganda – the Horse. – represent him in the debate, with full media coverage That would really be a great show! It would be the greatest entertainment for the entire season of the Xi Jinping corona virus. It should be held either at the Philippine Arena or Araneta Coliseum, observing the required health protocols with tickets sold and huge donations welcome to fi nance the community pantries which are cropping up all over the place – showing the best in the Filipino. President Duterte and Justice Carpio should both grace the occasion and give moral support to their representative. After the debate, the audience should be required to vote on who should be declared winner. Judging their performances on stage – I predict Vice Ganda will be the runaway winner. Why? Harry will be scared for fi nally meeting his match. Harry really has more bark than bite. Vice Ganda is a sharp raconteur with a lot of sound bites which will throw Harry into oblivion which he certainly deserves.

May 27-June 2, 2021 28 WHO, Switzerland launch global BioHub for pathogen storage, sharing and analysis

GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Swiss Confederation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch the fi rst WHO BioHub Facility as part of the WHO BioHub System, which was announced in November 2020. The facility will enhance the rapid sharing of viruses and other pathogens between laboratories and partners globally.

Based in Spiez, Switzerland, the facility will serve as a centre for the safe receipt, sequencing, storage and preparation of biological materials for distribution to other laboratories, in order to inform risk assessments, and sustain global preparedness against these pathogens.

“Close international collaboration to ensure the timely sharing of epidemiological and clinical data as well as biological materials is of utmost importance. Switzerland supports the WHO BioHub initiative in its initial phase by providing the necessary infrastructure of a Swiss biosafety laboratory in Spiez. With this, we hope to contribute to the establishment of an international exchange system for SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging pathogens,” said Swiss Federal Councillor Alain Berset.

Currently, most pathogen sharing is done bilaterally between countries and on an ad hoc basis, which can be slow, and leave some countries without access to the benefi ts and tools. The BioHub will enable Member States to share biological materials with and via the BioHub under pre-agreed conditions, including biosafety, biosecurity, and other applicable regulations. This will ensure timeliness and predictability in response activities.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and other outbreaks and epidemics have underscored the importance of rapidly sharing pathogens to help the global scientifi c community assess the risk and develop countermeasures such as diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO DirectorGeneral. “The BioHub System is an important step towards facilitating this fl ow of information. We thank the Swiss Government for its support in establishing the fi rst BioHub Facility.”

In parallel, WHO will broaden its BioHub System for the use of biological materials by qualifi ed entities – such as manufacturers – for the development of medical by-products for fair allocation to countries. WHO is currently running a pilot phase, using SARS-COV-2 and its variants, to test the feasibility and operational arrangements for sharing such materials with the facilities of the BioHub System.

Following results from the pilot project, the BioHub will expand from SARS-COV-2 and its variants, to other pathogens, and connect partners with other repositories and laboratory networks in 2022.

Cheers, To health!

PHILIP S. CHUA

Heart of Hope

Without water, there would be no life on Planet Earth. The normal lean adult body is made up of about 70% water (50% intracellular; 15% interstitial; and, 5% in the blood plasma) and only 30% solid mass. This is an amazing fact which many of us don’t realize. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day benefi ts us in more ways than one. Adequate water intake helps us look and feel better by maintaining our blood in perfect liquid form to carry oxygen and nutrients to the cells, regulating our body temperature, assisting our kidneys eliminate harmful wastes and elements, lubricating our joints, revitalizing our dull skin and keeping our weight in check, to list some of its numerous major functions. Our daily normal physiologic fl uid loss (without exercise, illness, etc.) is as follows: Infants (2-10 kg): 300-800cc; Child (10-40 kg): 840 -1500 cc; and Adult (60 kg): 1800-2100 cc. The minimum 8-glasses-a-day (250cc per glass) recommendation for an adult barely equals the daily fl uid loss. On the average, therefore, the replacement should actually be about 10% more than the daily fl uid loss. Since the human thirst mechanism is not very reliable (most often thirst is mistaken by our brain for hunger), drinking at least 8 glasses a day is a good rule to follow, whether one feels thirsty or not. In most instances, dehydration has already taken place before the person feels thirsty. Don’t wait for dryness of the mouth, nasal passages, eyes, and any of those symptoms listed above before drinking water. It is best to pre-empt thirst. If we don’t drink enough water, a host of problems, in varying proportional degrees, can occur, like fatigue, headaches, irritability, mental dullness, sagging skin, retention of toxic wastes in our body, weight gain, kidney stone formation and urinary tract infection. If dehydration is severe, shock and death could ensue. The best fl uid to satisfy our thirst is properly fi ltered water. Not cola drinks, coff ee or alcoholic beverages, all of which cause us to urinate and further lose more fl uids, not to mention their adverse side-eff ects on the heart, kidneys and liver. Nothing is better than the old fashioned clean, fresh, sparkling water.

Beyond 8 glasses There are many situations where the 8-glassesa-day recommendation will not be enough. These include the following: 1. Exercising: where one loses a lot of fl uids through breathing, perspiration and urination. The rule of thumb is to replace every pound lost with 2 glasses, or four glasses for every 1000 calories burned off . 2. Dieting: water suppresses the appetite (by fi lling the stomach and “fooling” the brain) and also speeds up body fat metabolism and water elimination through the urine, leading to weight loss. 3. Traveling: the atmosphere on board airplanes is very dry, causing dehydration, hence more fl uid intake is recommended. A glass of water for every hour of fl ight is the minimum replacement recommended. 4. High altitudes: the very low humidity and the natural body adaptation (deeper, heavier and more frequent breathing) among mountain climbers, hikers, skiers, etc. lead to more body fl uid losses, and require more than 8 glasses a day to replace. 5. Pregnancy: the blood volume of a pregnant woman increases, so she needs more water to maintain the proper fl uidity for blood to circulate normally and with ease. For an individualized advice, please discuss this with your obstetrician. 6. Nursing: At least four more glasses of water a day, on top of the 8, is needed by nursing mothers to help ensure adequate milk supply. 7. Illness: Any ailment, like infection or diarrhea, etc., speeds up body water depletion, and so added water intake is needed. 8. Age: Older people, and infants and babies, are at a higher and easier risk of dehydration, from almost any cause, so they require more water intake than normal adults.

More on water Here are some interesting and helpful information about water: 1. Seventy-fi ve percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated. We don’t have statistics for the Philippines, but I suspect the incidence could be the same. 2. In 37%, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger. This leads to overeating and weight gain. Drinking a tall of glass of water before each meal will help one lose weight. 3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%. Male potency and female lubrication are reduced by dehydration. 4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters reported in a University of Washington study. 5. Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue. 6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could signifi cantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of suff erers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory trouble with basic math, and diffi culty focusing on the computer screen or a printed page. 8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

A toxic beverage

Do you know soft drinks are unhealthy and increase the risk for metabolic syndrome? 1. In many parts of the United States the highway patrol carries two gallons of cola drinks in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident. 2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of cola beverage and it will be gone in a few weeks. 3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of cola drink into the toilet bowl and let it sit for one hour, then fl ush clean. The phosphoric and citric acid in it removes stains from vitreous China. 4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in cola drink. 5. Pour a can of cola beverage over car battery terminals to bubble away the corrosion. 6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in cola beverage to the rusted bolt for several minutes. 7. Empty a can of cola into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. This will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield. 8. The active ingredient in colas is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis. 9. To carry cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials. 10. The cola soft drinks have been using it to clean engines of cars and trucks for decades! Stay away from soft drinks; they are toxic. Clean fi ltered water is the healthiest drink.

Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/ author, a Health Public Advocate, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

INSPIRATIONAL ARTICLE FOR THE WEEK

LOOKING BACK WITH GRATITUDE OR REGRET

By TIM PEDROSA

Many of us feel deep regret after we quit going after our goals because it is only after we have thrown in the towel that we realized that success was actually so close, only if we have persevered. We learned a lot of important opportunities when we don’t give up like: we have more experience; we develop our sense of optimism, discover who we truly are and where our strengths lie; we store up happy memories as we strive for success; we become a positive role model for others who wish to achieve their goals as well and we achieve the success we are striving form. I have learned not to give up before the miracle happen; that there is no failure except in no longer trying; and that we never give up, even when many indications show, we should. Things are not always easy, but we just have to keep going and don’t let the small stuff bog us down. Life does not allow us to go back and fix what we have done wrong in the past but it does allow us to live each day better than our last. I do not usually listen to what anybody says except the people who encourage me. I keep on going and try to concentrate on what I want to do. It does not matter how slowly I go as long as I do not stop. The choice to keep going in spite of so many odds is an incredible trait that we human beings have. I’d rather have a life full of mistakes than a heart full of regret. Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right place.

When we decide to do something that is life changing, we are giving our time; we are spending a portion of our life that we can never get back. So let us make sure that we spend our time on something we will not regret. Nothing in the world can replace perseverance, talent does not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent, genius does not; unrewarded genius is almost legendary, education does not. The world is full of useless educated people. Perseverance and determination alone are omnipotent. Usually when one door closes in our life, we tend to stay there and we stare at this closed door full of regrets and sorrow. We do not realize that at the very moment this door closed, another door opened for us. I have learned that good days give us happiness, bad days give experience, worse days give lesson, and best days give memories. Let us not cry over the past, it is gone; let us not stress about the future, it has not arrived yet; but live in the present and make it beautiful. At the end of the day, let us be thankful that our blessings are bigger than our problems. Don’t regret knowing the people who came into your life. Good people give you happiness, bad people give you experience. The worst people give you lessons and the best people give you memories.

Erosion and Deposition

We all are familiar with soil erosion; a movement where a piece of land with the action of water from the rain on it and other elements in nature little by little dissipates or disperses itself, or depletes itself, or that it slides away. An erosion process is not a positive thing; this is opposite to deposition, which is a process of building up, it is banking, one deposits in order to let grow some savings. Deposition is for gaining, erosion is for losing; deposition is edifi cation, erosion is destruction. In our life with God, moral and spiritual erosion must be avoided. But deposition should be what we rather must seek for, a building up or development in virtues from good habits or the good qualities that become our character. I believe you will agree with me, dear reader, that there has been some moral and spiritual erosion happening: Fifty years ago, or even from recent past, people were more inclined to go to Church; at present, going to Church is a relative thing. Few decades ago, going to Church was considered to spend a quality time with God; thus, people would dress up their best – the Sunday’s best; now, “dress as you like, after all it is better you are there in Church than not going to Church at all.” Fifty or so years ago, children would not yell back at their parents. It would be a big deal of malice for a child to respond disrespectfully his parents. In our time, I have seen children yelling back at their parents, children having more command over their parents, than the parents over them. We all know that parents always want the best for their children; and so, disciplining them is an important task of parenthood. Nowadays, parenting and parenthood is even put into question what it is about. The fundamental values and truths about parenting and parenthood are replaced with pragmatic principles which can be incoherent with Christ’s teachings. Some decades ago, people are inclined to be silent when in Church, inclined to pray before Mass as they come punctually. Nowadays, people tend to be noisy in Church as the Church is treated more like a social space; talking or texting or playing with cell phone even while Mass or other liturgical celebration is going on. Tardiness is a challenge to many since I can remember, and has worsen with the justifi cation: “Well it is better late than never coming at all.” These are realities of erosion in our moral and spiritual life, individually or communally. The list can go on and on, especially with the experience of the pandemic as it ushered the sort of new normal to our existence. Did God change as to be highly respected and honored that in our time we will no longer mind to serve Him best each day? No, He did not change; but we change. And our change is unfortunately of deterioration. Did respect and honoring of parents, of elders, change? No, but the trying to exert more eff ort by parents in instilling into the children the values and good moral character has declined. Or even if the parents did try, the children are infl uenced by their current environment. The fact is, we have been and continuing to experience the erosion of our moral and spiritual values; and many times we are not aware of it. Think of yourself, dear reader, your own experience of faith personally, have you noticed negative changes, erosions of the faith, relativizing of moral principles, adulteration of Christ’s teachings? What were the good things you used to do, and now you are no longer doing them? Can you see the good lessons and values you learned from your own childhood in the children of today? The fi rst step to solving a problem is by accepting and knowing there is one; denying it will only give it chance to worsen it. We have to stop this moral and spiritual erosion beginning in our own lives. The Holy Spirit dwelling in us is building us up, all we have to do is cooperate. We must give constant and consistent eff ort to develop our good qualities to become our character. We must persevere in our good habits to make them virtues, and our virtues should grow that we are identifi ed with them. Increase not decrease, forward not backward, deposition not erosion, are what our journey of faith and spiritual life must be. May the Blessed Mother Mary, the Help of Christians, inspire and continually intercede for us in our daily moral and spiritual endeavor. Amen. You can still read this article in my website, faithexpressions.org, or view us in YouTube, Faith Expressions, for other refl ections. Afl ame The Heart REV. JOSE PELAGIO A. PADIT, SThD

Recipe of the Week

Ground Pork Adobo with Quail Eggs

Here is the recipe of my Ground Pork Adobo with Quail Eggs.

Ingredients:

1 kilo ground pork 1 can boiled quail eggs, drained 3 medium sized potato, skinned, cut into cubes 1 small onion, peeled, chopped 1 head garlic, peeled, crushed, chopped 2 tsp. crushed peppercorns 3-4 pieces bay leaf 1/2 cup vinegar salt cooking oil

Cooking procedure:

In a wok heat generous amount of oil and stir fry the potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes or until the edges start to turn brown. Remove from wok and keep aside. Using the same wok sauté the garlic and onion until fragrant, then add in the ground pork, crushed peppercorns and bay leaf and stir cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vinegar and about 1 to 1 1/2 cup of water let cook for about 2 to 3 minutes without stirring. Season with salt to taste. Now add in the potatoes and continue to simmer for 5 to 8 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and has turn in to an oily sauce. Now add in the quail egg and continue to stir cook for a couple of minutes. Serve hot with a lot of rice.

Sunflower farm reopens in Ilocos Norte

LAOAG CITY – The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is taking a toll on everyone’s lives but nature has its own way of lifting one’s spirit.

In a quaint village of Maruaya in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, thousands of sunfl owers are again in full bloom, ready to mesmerize visitors, reported PNA’s Leilanie Adriano.

Adding more vibrant colors of exotic fl owers this year, the local government-initiated agro-tourism site here has reopened this month to ward off the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

For visitor Quirino Agustin, the Piddig sunfl ower farm has its “own unique Beef Spareribs Adobo with Oyster Sauce beauty that relieves stress” from continuous lockdowns and containment due to Covid-19.

Located about 25 kilometers or less than an hour’s drive from this city, the Piddig Organic Farmer’s Association started to develop a two-hectare fl ower farm and food garden as a show window of the town’s best practices in sustainable agriculture.

At the height of Covid-19 outbreaks in various parts of the province, farmer-cooperators here continued to improve the sunfl ower maze which has now grown into four patterns.

Barely two years in operation, the Piddig sunfl ower farm has added more features and amenities this year. Aside from its fl ower heart and blue ternatea tunnels at the main entrance with improved parking area and clean toilets, this enchanting haven for Instagram-able sites now features a lagoon with center island gazebo, a hobbit house or reading nook, a petting zoo of farm animals, a fi sh pond where visitors can catch and grill at the cottages for rent.

In-season fruits and vegetables are also available for “pick and pay”. There is also an actual demonstration of Piddig’s traditional extraction of sugarcane juice with the help of a carabao (water buff alo) which is made available by schedule only.

Maruaya resident Lourie De Leon said, “I love my place more than ever as it has become a word of mouth of visitors who have been here. This has also provided us additional income as we generate more livelihood and employment here.”

Due to the pandemic, the management said they have reduced the entrance fee from PHP100 to PHP50 per person. Children aged 12 years old and below are free of charge. They are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily even during holidays.

According to town mayor Eduardo “Eddie” Guillen who serves as adviser of the farmer’s organization that runs the agri-tourism site, the town of Piddig is thankful for the generous support of various government agencies for assisting and empowering local farmers as producers and entrepreneurs at the same time.

Deviating from the old norm where individual farmers do it on their own, the local government of Piddig has pioneered in consolidating farmers so that they can easily tap resources of various national government agencies for support.

The establishment of Piddig’s agro-tourism site is just among the numerous undertakings in the municipality, making it a worthy example of good governance and sustainable and inclusive development.