Opinion

I still have to visit the small island of Bolila in Barangay Asia, Hinoba-an, but I have learned some interesting accounts about the place when it comes to the community's initiatives in protecting the natural ecosystems.Last week, I facilitated the online discussion, participated in by representatives from the local government units of Barangay Asia and Hinoba-an, Provincial Environment Management Office of Negros Occidental, Bolila Island Mangrove Community Association (BIMCA), and Philippine Maritime Police, as part of the processes in developing the site management and development plan of the Island and its surrounding coastal waters.The local government of Hinoba-an, under the leadership of Mayor Ernesto Estrao, considers Bolila Island as one of its ecotourism destinations. Th...

Jesus left Nazareth when he was about 30 years old to start his ministry. He traveled around Galilee preaching the kingdom of God, healing the sick and driving out demons. Soon his name became known all over the region and even beyond as an extraordinary teacher and wonder-worker. People sought him from everywhere to listen to his word and be cured of their illnesses.In today’s gospel, we see Jesus returning to Nazareth. One would expect a hero’s welcome from his townsfolk who could only be proud that one of their own has become famous and put their little town on the map. Instead, Jesus received a different reception.At first, his townmates listened to him as he preached in their synagogue. They were astonished by his eloquence and the power of his word. Soon their astonishment tu...

The country was seemingly caught by surprise Thursday last week when an announcement was made that the 15th president of the Republic of the Philippines, Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, died due to renal disease secondary to diabetes.Aquino, 61, popularly known as PNoy during his presidency, had barely been in the limelight, especially lately, after his presidency ended in 2016. Numerous eulogies, coming not only from his Cabinet members and others who had directly worked with him but also from ordinary citizens, have been given to PNoy. His remains were cremated several hours after his death and the inurnment was held Saturday at the Manila Memorial Park.PNoy's death made me realize that it was during his term of office, from 2010 to 2016, when I had a lot of assignments provi...

As I was writing this homily, a close friend called to inform me of the death of a mutual acquaintance. Minutes earlier, I received a text about a confrere (and a student of mine) who is scheduled for brain surgery with a minimal chance of survival.Yesterday, we were shaken by the news of the fatal vehicular accident of one of our seminarians, and we had just buried one of our priests the day before… I could go on and on with this tale of woes. With covid-19 and its dreadful consequences, never has the reality of death and our own mortality been so clear and present as in these times.Death is the great equalizer of life; it respects no one. Rich or poor, young or old, important or insignificant… it spares no one. In today’s gospel, we read the story of Jairus, a powerful member of ...

For over a year now, I got used to working at home and barely leaving the house unless it’s really necessary. My life has been online chatting, Zoom webinars, online courses, and a few civic and social activities that needed physical presence.I got more comfortable after getting my second vaccine shots but I continued to limit going out just once a week and still with face masks on.I was overly careful because of my comorbidities and because my granddaughter sometimes stays with me.But over a year later, the inevitable happened. COVID invaded our home and infected half of the people in our household.It all started when my brother, Nonoy, needed a medical procedure. Since he lives quite a distance from the city center, he and his family transferred to our family home, where ...

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the first guidance for health providers on how to treat patients with "long" COVID-19 infections, defined as those experiencing symptoms of the virus at least 4 weeks after a confirmed acute infection. The term “Post-COVID Conditions” is an umbrella term for the wide range of physical and mental health consequences experienced by some patients that are present four or more weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection, including by patients who had an initial mild or asymptomatic acute infection.Many post-COVID conditions can be diagnosed clinically based on history and findings on physical examination. Others might require directed diagnostic testing with the understanding that such clinical assessments may be...

The Negros Occidental Environment Week kicks off with a thanksgiving mass and opening ceremony at the Social Hall of the Capitol in Bacolod City Monday morning, June 21.It is expected that Governor Eugenio Jose "Bong" Lacson will open the weeklong celebration, which is already on its 29th year. The province has adopted the theme of the World Environment Day, “Ecosystem Restoration,” held on June 5, for this year’s commemoration.The Provincial Environment Management Office spearheads the Environment Week, in partnership with various government and nongovernment institutions and organizations. Numerous activities have been lined up reflecting and demonstrating the restoration of various ecosystems, from uplands to marine environment.The whole country is also observing the Environ...

Life is often likened to a sea voyage. The analogy couldn’t be more fitting as the sea is not our natural home and its liquid state evokes an eerie feeling of instability and insecurity. Thus, the storm at sea presents a perfect picture of the overwhelming difficulties of life.Images of raging waters and turbulent seas abound in the Old Testament and in ancient literature symbolizing the unruly forces of chaos and man’s total helplessness in its face.We read of the deluge in Noah’s time that decimated the human race and the waters of the Red Sea that wiped out the Egyptian army. In desperation, the psalmist turns to God and cries, “Save me, O God, for the waters have risen to my neck…” “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.”In the gospel we find the disciples caught in a lif...

Last week, CLMMRH Medical Director, Dr. Julius Drilon, announced that results from their molecular laboratory, where most swab tests from Bacolod residents are being processed, showed a high positivity rate of more than 40 percent. That’s four out of ten people being swabbed, testing positive.That is exactly what happened in our household. After our brother, Nonoy, tested positive, 11 of us left at home got swabbed and five tested positive. That’s the reason why I missed out on my columns in the last two weeks because of a family crisis and the anxiety of awaiting the swab results.Over a week ago, the medical community also appealed before the city government for stricter enforcement of health protocols and asked for a “time out.” But in a joint meeting with the business community,...

Higher levels of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in a population are tied to lower rates of infection in unvaccinated younger individuals (those 16 years and below who not yet eligible for the vaccine at the time of the trial). This is according to an observational, real-world study in Israel and published in Nature Medicine.The study lead by investigators from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Maccabitech, Maccabi Healthcare Services, and Tel-Aviv University, involved mining vaccination records and COVID-19 test results gathered during a rapid vaccine rollout in 177 communities. They found that vaccination rates in each community were linked to a large subsequent decline in COVID-19 infections in the unvaccinated youth. For every 20 percentage points of ...