Beware of placing too much expectation on others

Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. (2

Timothy 4:9-10)

Adversity molded the apostle Paul into the greatest warrior for Christ the world has ever known. But there were times when adversity and disappointment took its toll on this rugged warrior. We can sense Paul's hurt and discouragement near the end of his second letter to Timothy:

Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica... At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me... Do your best to get here before winter (4:9-11, 14, 16, 21).

Do you hear the pain in those words? Twice he urges Timothy to come to him. Do you feel his anguish when he twice speaks of being deserted by his friends?

In most of his letters, Paul seems to have an invincible spirit. Yet he was a man who suffered, felt betrayed, and was at times very lonely. However, Paul chose

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Continued from page 4 separate statement posted on its official Facebook page.

The meeting also focused on several programs or projects aimed at strengthening support for rice farmers, including assistance and market expansion to sell their produce and increase their income, RTVM said.

Garafil said Marcos, aside from his commitment to further strengthening financial support to local farmers

Danny Hernaez From Whom All Blessings

to look at life from a heavenly perspective. That's why he could write:

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

Paul had experienced a level of opposition and suffering that you and I can scarcely imagine. People said they would do things but did not follow through. He could not depend on certain people. Yet he was not crushed, and he refused to give in to despair. He viewed his life as a continual process of dying. His goal was to live in such through the loan financing program, also pledged to apply the "best" practices being done by Central Luzon farmers to other areas in the country.

“We would like to apply kung ano ‘yung ginagawa ninyo dito sa Central Luzon… so we can apply sa ibang areas (We would like to apply what you are doing in Central Luzon to other areas),” Marcos said, as quoted by the PCO.

From January to November 2022, the National Rice Program has served about 1.06 million rice farmers and 3,528 farmer cooperatives through

On this seventh Sunday in Ordinary time we continue reading the Gospel of Matthew chapter five that is actually a continuation of the discourse of Jesus on the fact that his mission was indeed to fulfill the law and not to abolish it. This fulfillment of the law truly introduces us to the new law that Jesus proposed his disciples to follow. This law of love which he pronounced only in the last days of his ministry he first manifested in the way he related himself with others, through his parables of forgiveness and reconciliation, healing miracles and other miracles that revealed the omnipotence of His Father and the ever present concern that he had for the poor and the helpless. In this long process of his ministry he introduced the real spirit that the law which every Christian disciple should embrace only once he is truly converted.

In today’s gospel however, Jesus directly reversed the law of relationship that governed the usual Jewish society where one was expected to duly respond to the action of the other corresponding to that one has been acted upon such as what the saying goes “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” A disciple of Jesus is rather asked “to offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you and do not turn your back one wants to borrow.”

Do you think that one who is not been converted to live according to the beatitudes, namely, being meek, patient in suffering, peace-making, enduring insults and persecution in the name of Jesus, could ever follow such new commandment? Certainly only those who have encountered the commuters.

Lord and freely followed him and his new commandment can embrace such new understanding of the law. Furthermore Jesus has completely made a new order of personal relationship when he reversed the saying “you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” asking his disciples to all everybody, “but I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,…” This is a declaration of universal love for all since every person shares in the dignity of being children of God, since Jesus says “that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” Indeed this confirms what Jesus mentioned in the gospel last Sunday that his disciples should be righteous and this righteousness that we should have must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees lest we miss entrance into the Kingdom of heaven. Truly Jesus has come not to abolish the law and the prophets, but he fulfilled this law of Sinai by preaching the law of love that has been pronounced in detail in the Sermon on the Mount of the Beatitudes.

Philippines as a prime tourist destination.”

“Improving and modernizing the country’s transportation system will be crucial to ensure tourists enjoy their travel and vacation experience,” Bautista said.

He cited the new passenger terminal building of the Clark International Airport, the ongoing construction of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan, Sangley Point International Airport in Cavite, improvement works at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and the Bicol International Airport.

To date, he said the DOTr and the Department of Tourism are working together towards improving the local economy through tourism.

“We are closely coordinating with the Department of Tourism towards boosting tourist arrivals,” he said.

In the maritime sector, the DOTr is working with the Philippine Ports Authority to improve commercial and social tourism ports with the goal of more efficiently moving passengers and goods while lowering costs.

Proposed VAT refund for tourists seen to increase shopping by 29% competitiveness among its peer and neighbor countries,” Salceda said. He said the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, does not yet provide a legal basis for such a system, which foregoes gross valueadded in the tourism sector. a way that the life of Jesus would be revealed in his response to adversity.

The chair of the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday said the proposed value added tax (VAT) refund mechanism for foreign tourists is expected to increase annual tourist expenditures on shopping from PHP59 billion to PHP69.2 billion.

During the committee hearing, Albay Representative Joey Salceda said that based on a simulated model, tourist spending on shopping, accounting for increased tourist arrivals as a result of the refund system, will increase to PHP76.58 billion, or a total increase of around PHP17.6 billion in tourist sales, representing a growth by 29.8 percent.

He said high VAT rates on tourists have significant negative effects on consumption volume for hotels and restaurants, adding that the reduction in tourist consumption in these areas is 1.5 percent for every 1 percent in unrefunded VAT.

“The credibility of the VAT refund system appears to affect the destination choices of shoppingfocused tourists. This is particularly the case for Australia, where a credible VAT refund system has created a tourist shopping industry," he said.

He also suggested that the Bureau of Internal Revenue adopt best practices in international VAT refund mechanisms.

Beware of placing too much expectation on others. Realize that people will let you down from time to time, but do not let that impact your faith. Trust God to work even through these disappointments.

The disciples thought they suffered their greatest defeat when Jesus died on the cross. However, this defeat became the greatest victory on earth. Christ's death gave liberty. Forgiveness came to all men. New life came forth - new strength for the disciples. Resurrection and new life came as a result of a "defeat."

<(((>< the provision of hybrid and inbred or certified seeds, production-related and post-harvest machinery, small-scale irrigation, as well as extension and training activities.

The program has also established Hybrid Rice Model farms. Under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Program, the Landbank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines granted PHP3.37 billion in zero-interest and noncollateral loans to 10,643 rice farmers and 197 borrower organizations and cooperatives. (MNS)

Railway projects are in full swing such as the North-South Commuter Railway project, the Metro Manila Subway project, the Common Station, the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT7), the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1) Cavite Extension, the Philippine National Railway North and South Long-Haul project, the Subic-Clark Railway, and the Mindanao Railway.

In Metro Manila, he said the EDSA Busway has improved the mobility of

He noted that the Palace has already approved for piloting, following a proposal, to institute a VAT refund system for tourist purchases from the Private Sector Advisory Council.

“The Philippines remains one of the few major Asia-Pacific tourist destinations without a working VAT tourist refund mechanism. Only India and Cambodia are the other countries in the top 15 tourist destinations in Asia-Pacific with this gap in procedure. This reduces the country’s

“For example, most revenue authorities allow a full rebate, but charge a service fee paid to the collecting and refunding agent. Revenue authorities also typically employ an agent, who collects a service fee between 0.8-6 percent of the total sale. Most revenue authorities also require a minimum purchase value to process a refund application," he said.

Salceda is also filing a counterpart measure in the House “to expand the discussion on the proposal.” (MNS)