Church officials name thanksgiving chapel at SRP after new Filipino saint

• Share On FacebookShare On MyspaceShare On StumbleuponShare On DiggShare On EmailShare On Print|Share On Facebook_likeMore|

By Bernadette A. Parco

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

SM PRIME Holdings Inc. decided to name the chapel, where the national thanksgiving rite for the canonization of San Pedro Calungsod will take place, after the second Filipino saint.

The chapel, designed by New York-based Filipino-American architect Carlos Arnaiz, was supposed to be named Shrine of Mary, Mother of God.

Check our new look and tell us what you think.

Maria Teresa Mempin of SM Prime Holdings said they also hope to have the site for the thanksgiving mass declared a national shrine.

Fr. Brian Brigoli of the committee on venue of the Cebu Archdiocese said church officials are proposing to have the site declared a historical or heritage site.

“(But) we were told that a declaration cannot be made until after the event. Since the lot is not owned by the Church, with the declaration comes the donation (of the lot to the Church),” he said.

The completion of the chapel and thanksgiving site, located within the 30-hectare property of SM Prime at the South Road Properties, is set on Nov. 15, well ahead of the Nov. 30 event.

Target

Bad weather hampered work on the thanksgiving site but Fr. Raul Gallego, head of the committee on venue, said the target completion of the backfilling, compacting, installation of pavers on roads will be on the second week of November.

Work will also be suspended on Nov. 2 so that construction workers can be with their families to observe All Souls’ Day.

The committee in the Cebu Archdiocese that oversees the preparations of the thanksgiving venue received another setback when Cebu City Hall backed out from its pledge to lay asphalt on the entrance road.

“The (City) Council did not approve the work of backfilling. The original plan was an asphalt road that costs about P4 million. We were told two weeks ago that it would not push through,” said Gallego.

The City Government, though, will shoulder food expenses of workers at the venue, and make arrangements with the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) and security personnel to maintain order during the thanksgiving.

Top brass

The Cebu Archdiocese expects as many as 130 bishops, archbishops and cardinals to attend the national thanksgiving mass.

Committee on liturgy chairman Fr. Glenn Guanzon said they are also preparing vestments more than 1,000 priests, 800 lay ministers and 400 religious nuns and brothers.

The liturgical commission would need 1.5 million pieces of communion wafers and more than 2,000 ministers to distribute these to the participants.

Among those who are expected to attend the thanksgiving are Vice President Jejomar Binay, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

President Benigno Aquino III’s sisters may also attend.

The 2,220-square meter venue of the thanksgiving can seat about 1,000.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 31, 2012.

Charice-Cheesa Collaboration A Cry Against Bullies

By ROWENA JOY A. SANCHEZ

October 30, 2012, 10:15am

'I'm not perfect, but I'm still beautiful,' Charice and Cheesa sing with conviction in their duet (Photo from Charice's Twitter)

MANILA, Philippines - When life gives you haters, create a statement song that would make them cringe.

International singing sensation Charice and "The Voice" Fil-Am semi-finalist Cheesa Laureta did just that with their powerful collaboration, "I'm Not Perfect," an inspirational R&B ballad that encourages victims of bullying to believe in themselves despite being let down by others. It likewise serves as a call for bullies to change for the better.

Cheesa herself wrote the song with her brother Troy, Charice's musical director.

The almost five-minute digital single, released last Sept. 6, is close to Charice and Cheesa's heart, as both of them admit to have been bullied.

"Not only was I bullied when I was little, it came out again throughout the show ('The Voice') through social media," Cheesa told "Balitang America" recently.

Charice, meanwhile, first experienced bullying at the age of seven. The influx of haters didn't stop even as she broke through the international scene.

"Minsan grabe talaga ang ginagawa ng mga tao sa akin, sa amin. Nasasaktan ako kasi, kumbaga, parang gusto ko lang din sabihin sa kanila na, 'Kung sasabihin ko sa'yo, kung ibabalik ko lahat sa ‘yo yung mga sinasabi mo sa'kin, gusto kong ma-feel mo ‘yung nafi-feel ko.' But, at the same time, I don’t wanna do that. Kasi gusto kong ma-realize nila sa sarili nila," she related at length.

The young singers will perform "I'm Not Perfect" in a benefit show in Hawaii next month, the proceeds of which will go to ABS-CBN Foundation's Bantay Bata, added the "Balitang America" report.

When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.

Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City for only P12,000.00/month with its own parking lot. Hurry while the supply of units last. Just call the Tel. Nos. (053)555-8464/09164422611/ 09173373687

SWS: Corruption In LGUs Rising

By ELLALYN B. DE VERA

MANILA, Philippines --- More Filipinos believe that corruption in local government units (LGUs) is more widespread now than in the past year, based on the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results.

The nationwide 2012 Good Local Governance Survey, conducted among 1,500 household heads from Aug. 20 to 28, found that 56 percent of Filipinos still consider the level of corruption now in the city/municipality government as similar to the level a year ago, 33 percent said it is more widespread now, and 23 percent said it is more widespread last year.

The SWS noted that those who see “a lot” of corruption in the city/municipal government hardly changed from 25 percent this year to 22 percent last year.

As compared to last year, the same offices where corruption is considered most widespread occupy the top three positions, namely, the Budget Office (from 40 percent to 48 percent), Mayor’s Office (from 30 percent to 32 percent), and the Engineer’s Office (from 20 percent to 30 percent).

Experience a luxurious and comfortable life + affordable rates and plans. Click here.

The SWS also listed the top 11 offices where corruption happens. These are the Treasurer’s Office (27 percent, up from 5th to 6th), Business Permit and Licensing Office (24 percent, stayed at 5th place), Transport and Traffic Management Office (19 percent, up from 7th place), Accountant Office (18 percent, up from 9th place), and Public Market Office (16 percent, up from 12th rank), Barangay Affairs and Public Assistance Center (13 percent, down from 4th place), Assessors Office (13 percent, up from 13th to 14th place), and Agriculture Office (13 percent, down from 8th place).

Over the past three years, Filipinos’ awareness of any anti-corruption effort of the city/municipal government has grown from 26 percent to 35 percent.

The survey also found 73 percent of household heads satisfied, and 14 percent dissatisfied, with the performance of their city/municipal government, for a net satisfaction rating of “very good” +59 (percentage of satisfied minus percentage of dissatisfied).

Net satisfaction ratings are termed as +70 and above, “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”, +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; -70 and below, “execrable.”

The +59 rating is five points below the very good net rating of +64 (75 percent satisfied, 11 percent dissatisfied) in July 2011, but 15 points above the good +44 (68 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied in September 2009.

The survey also found 70 percent satisfied and 7 percent dissatisfied with the performance of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), for a very good net satisfaction rating of +63, up by five points from the good +48 (58 percent satisfied, 11 percent dissatisfied) in July 2011.

Very good net satisfaction ratings were also obtained by key local officials and institutions: Governor (down from +67 in July 2011 to +56 in August 2012), Mayor (down from an excellent +73 to +65), Vice-Mayor (down from +68 to +60), Barangay-Chairman (down from an excellent +70 to +63), City/Municipal Council (down from +61 to +57), and City/Municipal Police (hardly moving from +53 to +54).

The 2012 Survey on Good Local Governance was supported through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and The Asia Foundation (TAF) Partnership in the Philippines.

 When in Cebu City, please visit  http://gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.  Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City for only P 9,333.33/month. Hurry while the supply of units last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown below.

Tel. No. 555-8464/09164422611/09173373687.

The Virgin Mary is an Intrinsic Element of Christianity

The Virgin Mary is an Intrinsic Element of Christianity

Posted by Dr. Taylor Marshall 

In his Apostolic Letter entitled Marialis Cultus, Pope Paul VI states "the Church's devotedness to the Virgin Mary is an intrinsic element of the Christian Religion." His Holiness even states that we "cannot be Christians without being Marian." Father Stefano Manelli of the Franiciscans of the Immaculate focuses on this passage from Marialis Cultus as a true summary of Catholic teaching regarding Marian devotion.

If a Christian refuses to see God's glorious election in choosing the Blessed Virgin Mary as the perfect Mother of His Divine Son, then that soul does yet see the beautiful plan of human salvation. The incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ for our salvation requires that God the Son have a human mother. It is integral to every single Christian doctrine revealed by God.

I write "refuses" to see the beauty of Marian devotion because it is something that God disperses in the soul through grace. If I person says, "I love Jesus, but I don't love Mary," something disingenuous has occurred. 

The typology of Adam and Eve in relation to Christ and Mary is helpful here. One cannot credit Adam alone for God's curse over the human race. One cannot credit Eve alone. Certainly, Adam was chief and our fall from grace derives chiefly from him.

But death reigned from Adam unto Moses, even over them also who have not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam, who is a figure of him who was to come. (Romans 5:13)

So then, Adam is the Peccator and Eve is the Co-peccatrix. Eve's role is relative, but integral.

The same is true for the New Adam and the New Eve. Christ is God. Mary is not. Nevertheless, Mary's role in the Incarnation and her consenting presence at the foot of the cross does not by itself merit human salvation (a finite human person cannot merit the salvation of anyone). Nevertheless, her role in the saving action of Christ is also relative and integral. One cannot imagine the sacrifice of Christ on the cross without her since she is the loving means by which God the Son gained a human body.

If you struggle with devotion to Mary, take the helpful advice of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. He says that we only gain knowledge and understanding of Mary "on our knees." It is something that cannot be learned in a book. This is yet another reason to pray the Rosary daily.

When in Cebu City, please visit  http://gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.  

Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City for only P12,000.00/month with your own parking lot. Hurry while the supply of units last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown below.

Tel. No. 555-8464/09164422611/09173373687.

Things To Be Careful About While Investing

By Angela Stephan Heasley

Ads by Google

Agoda - Hotels worldwide Agoda.com/Hotels Last minute offers (even same day!) lowest rates, check availability

Best Dividend Stocks WealthWire.com/Dividend_Strategy Build a dividend-paying portfolio using Warren Buffett's Strategy.

Hotel Investment Principalinternational.co.uk/Invest Fully Managed Hotel Investment with up to 14% Guaranteed Returns.

Mutual funds are certainly ways that you can grow your money. But everything has a flip side, and so does a mutual fund. There are some things that you want to keep an eye out for, just to make sure that the problem doesn't snowball into something you can no longer control. One such thing is your own savings and investment. Generally, once you get your pay, you do your best to ration it out to fulfill all your needs. The problem here is that you may not believe your mutual funds need to before some of the things on your list. The answer here is simply to make your payment an automatic one. Make your payments to the mutual funds companies every month automatic, so that you don't really consider whether or not to lay aside that amount for the month. It's already been done in the time you would've spent deciding.

You might also want to keep an eye on your investments. Everyday sighting doesn't help. It'll only depress you. But if you were to look at your investments on a monthly basis, you could see a change. Whether for positive or negative, this change will mean that you don't have to put out your money to be spent on little or nil returns. To avoid losses, you want to diversify. This way even if one of your investments fails because the sector fails another investment in another sector likely stops you from having to drown in losses. While you're investing, watch out for fees that jump out at you from seemingly nowhere. Watch out for things like sales load, or other kinds of management fees that you might have to be burdened with. If these go up, it means that you have less money for yourself, because you're using most of your money to maintain the fund company.

At the end of the day, you have to remember that mutual funds are a risky business. They aren't insured, and no matter how much you diversify your investments, there are chances that you could lose your money. Another thing you want to prepare yourself for is the inevitability that somewhere along the line, you will lose your money. There is no guarantee whatsoever that you must or will receive money when you receive in the market. Many times, the funds perform well below what they should and end up showing poorly on the balance sheet as well. This just goes to show that fund managers aren't omniscient; they will make mistakes at some point. Don't be shocked by it.

Different mutual funds companies offer you various types of mutual fund investment options.

When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. 

Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City for only P12,000.00/month with your own parking lot. Hurry while the supply of units last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown below.

Tel. No. 555-8464/09164422611/09173373687.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Stephan_Heasley

Batam, Indonesia: Giving You More Than a Beach Escapade

By Eljay Castro Deldoc

Ads by Google

Agoda - Hotels worldwide Agoda.com/Hotels Last minute offers (even same day!) lowest rates, check availability

Hyatt Regency Oubaai oubaai.regency.hyatt.com A Stay to Remember Forever. Discover the World of Hyatt Today.

guaranteed lowest rate www.prestigeguesthouse.com lowest rate in the hotel industry cheapest guest house around

If your dream is to escape from the bustling city, spend a holiday in a resort in Batam, Indonesia and experience a beach vacation like no other. Known as one the smallest but busiest island in Indonesia, this tropical getaway is a unique leisure and recreation complex, which features a wide range of activities and attractions for everybody. Situated only 20 km from Singapore and 25 km from Johor, Malaysia, Batam is an ideal destination for those looking for a quick vacation. To experience the best of this wonderful location, here are 5 things that you should do once you set foot in the island.

1. Enjoy a game or two in a top-rated golf course.
If you're a golf enthusiast, you should come to one of the 6 beautiful golf courses on the island, all of which provide high-class facilities. Visit the Indah Puri Golf Resort that boasts a championship 18-hole course. Designed by a notable golf architect, Ronald Fream, this place lies in greenery surrounded by waters. Another recommended course is the Batam Hills Golf Resort, which is part of the Waterfront City development.

2. Indulge in scrumptious seafood dishes.
Batam is considered to be the supreme seafood haven in Indonesia. One of the best dining options here is the Golden Prawn Seafood Restaurant on Jalan Bengkong Laut. Its offers an array of seafood dishes that is fresh and free from preservatives. Some of the bestsellers that you shouldn't miss are steamed fish, chilli crabs, king prawns, and the endemic gong-gong sea snails, which are found only in Riau Islands.

3. Savor a taste of paradise in a charming resort.
There's no better way to make the most of your getaway than by staying in one of the best resorts in Batam, Indonesia. Turi Beach Resort beckons its guest to immerse in a tranquil tropical paradise that offers beachfront accommodations. Here, travelers can bask in the pristine beauty of nature while enjoying the hotel's impeccable services. This sanctuary also provides a slew of exciting water activities, like wakeboarding, windsurfing, and parasailing. Turi Beach Resort is situated at the northern part of the island.

4. Know about Indonesian culture by visiting a sacred site.
Also known as the Laughing Buddha Temple, Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya is a revered landmark in Batam and attracts thousands of devotees and travelers. This structure is regarded as among the largest Buddhist temples in South East Asia. Its main hall houses a majestic statue of Buddha, while its chambers feature images of Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. Apart from being a worship place, the temple is also used as an educational institution for Buddhist teachings.

5. Have a great time in an amusement park.
Spend a fun-filled day with your family or friends at Ocarina Park. This entertainment spot presents a myriad of exhilarating attractions for all ages. Its Ferris wheel, water park, and 3D movie house are some of the facilities that draw most people to this place. There's also a Kiddie Land for children who want to engage in educational games. The park is conveniently located in Teluk Kerang, near the Batam Center Ferry Terminal, which is your entryway to your resort in Batam.

Eljay Deldoc is a full-time copywriter for hotel websites. He is also a freelance writer for radio and theater. He holds a degree in Communication Arts. He's been with the academe for 3 years as a Literature and English Instructor.

When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. 

Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City for only P12,000.00/month with your own parking lot. Hurry while the supply of units last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown below.

Tel. No. 555-8464/09164422611/09173373687.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eljay_Castro_Deldoc

Court Allows Texas to De-Fund Planned Parenthood 

by CNA/EWTN NEWS 10/29/2012 Comment

– wikipedia

NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court has declined a rehearing for Planned Parenthood, which was trying to block Texas’ effort to defund its clinics in the state.

“Today’s ruling affirms yet again that in Texas the Women’s Health Program has no obligation to fund Planned Parenthood and other organizations that perform or promote abortion,” Texas governor Rick Perry said in a statement Oct. 25.

“In Texas we choose life, and we will immediately begin defunding all abortion affiliates to honor and uphold that choice.”

In March, Texas indicated it would forgo federal funding for its Women’s Health Program and established a rule that barred clinics that perform elective abortions, or affiliates of those that do, from participating in the program.

Women’s Health Program provides health care for uninsured, low-income women throughout the state.

Planned Parenthood sued Texas, claiming that the state’s no-abortion provision violated their clinics’ First Amendment rights to free speech and association.

On Aug. 21 a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals removed an April 30 injunction that had prevented Texas from defunding Planned Parenthood until a trial could be held about the issue.

That panel decided that “the authority of Texas to disfavor abortion within its own subsidized program is not violative of the First Amendment right.”

“Today a unanimous appeals court rightfully recognized that the taxpayer-funded Women’s Health Program is not required to subsidize organizations that advocate for elective abortion,” Texas attorney general Greg Abbot said Aug. 21.

“We are encouraged by today’s decision and will continue to defend the Women’s Health Program in court.”

Planned Parenthood requested a rehearing before the full appellate court, but was denied Oct. 25.

Judge Grady Jolly indicated that none of the circuit judges requested that the court be asked about the rehearing petition.

In reaction to the appellate court’s decision, Kenneth Lembrecht, president of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, said in a statement that “This case has never been about Planned Parenthood — it’s about the Texas women who turn to us every day.”

“Politics should never come between a woman and her health care, but in this decision, which conflicts with Supreme Court precedent, it appears it has.”

Reuters reported Oct. 26 that Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas have filed a new challenge against the no-abortion provision in state court.

In a statement, Perry said Planned Parenthood was resorting to state court “in a desperate attempt to find some way to keep making money off Texas taxpayers.”

Said Perry, “We will keep fighting for life, and we will ultimately prevail.”

Texas’ rule against abortion affiliates participating in Women’s Health Program is due to come into effect Nov. 1.

Reuters reported that because of the no-abortion provision in the Texas law, the federal government has said it will not renew its funding for the Texas program. The federal government currently pays for 90% of its cost.

When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. 
Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City for only P12,000.00/month with your own parking lot. Hurry while the supply of units last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown below.

Tel. No. 555-8464/09164422611/09173373687.