Happy Birthday to me Melinda Mei Magsino

Today is Melinda Mei Magsino birthday. we need to pray for her. she was very talented lady. she was against the bad governance. read full article about Melinda Mei Magsino on LinkUpIT.Com

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Pilgrimage to 14 Batangas churches

The Taal Basilica was built in 1575 a year after the founding of Manila.
In 1974, this monumental church was declared a national shrine.

    NO OTHER season have the Catholic churches been so alive for a longer period of time than during Lent, when most people leave work or whatever preoccupation they have to meditate on their wrongdoings inside their favorite church or churches while doing the Stations of the Cross.
Indeed, no other occasion has captured the attention of Batanguenos into repentance for their sins than the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In Batangas, where people don't whip themselves in public or have themselves crucified, the sacrifice is done through fasting and church visits or the Visita Iglesia.
Stations

The Batangas City's Basilica of the Immaculate Concepcion is also included

 in the list of pilgrims'  Visita Iglesia every Holy Week.

Completing the 14 Stations of the Cross with prayers said in 14 churches in different towns and cities is like Christ's journey to Mt. Calvary.
"Sometimes people pray two or three station prayers per church, but most of us visit 14 churches to complete the prayer," Tito Aguirre, Batangas' former provincial information officer, said.
Instead of crosses on their shoulders, as what Christ carried up to Calvary, the people carry rosaries and prayer books with them inside the churches in front of the symbols of the stations.
They go in groups or with families and neighbors on a route that will take them to 14 churches in 14 towns. The observance lasts the whole day, starting at 9 a.m. or from night, starting at 7 p.m., till dawn. That would represent their sacrifice on the season that commemorates the death and resurrection of Christ.
Some of the Visita Iglesia tours start on Maundy Thursday, after the confession.
"In Batangas, most pilgrims start the Visita Iglesia on Good Friday, after 3 p.m., which commemorates the death of Christ on the Cross," Aguirre said. "Some towns, like Bauan, even bury Christ."
In a procession from the Catholic Church, the faithful bring the statue of Christ on the Cross all over town and end up at the public cemetery, where Christ is supposed to be buried.
Also, on the night of Good Friday, the wake of Christ is held in church, with the statue of Christ lying down and covered by cross displayed inside the church for the faithful to remember His death.
Most visited
In Batangas, more people visit those churches with historical and miraculous backgrounds, such as those in Taal, Alitagtag, Cuenca, San Jose, Lipa City, Batangas City and Bauan.
As they start the tour from their hometowns, the churches that they must visit include the Taal Basilica and the Shrine of Caysasay near the church, Batangas City's Basilica of the Immaculate Concepcion, and the San Jose Church. Among the most visited are Lipa's San Sebastian Cathedral, the Carmel Church, and the Redemptorist Church.

It's worth the trip. Inside the Taal Basilica.

The Taal Basilica was established by the Agustinian priests in 1572, a year after the founding of Manila. The monumental church was declared a national shrine in 1974. Not far is the Shrine of Our Lady of Caysayay, where the image of the Virgin Mary appeared in 1603.
A short distance from the shrine is the Balon ni Sta. Lucia (Well of Sta. Lucia), where an elaborately carved arch was constructed over a spring whose waters are said to have healing powers. It is also said to have been the site of the Virgin's apparition. Made of coral stone, the arch was constructed in the 18th century.
Another favorite of pilgrims are the churches of Alitagtag and Bauan, where the miraculous cross that warded off evil spirits and even provided water to residents in 1695 was cut in half.
The two halves of the cross were placed in the two churches and were joined only during the towns' fiesta celebration. Both churches were constructed under the tutelage of the Augustinian priests.
From Alitagtag, people go to San Jose Parish Church, which provides a relaxing and solemn atmosphere, and then to the Batangas City Basilica or straight to Lipa's San Sebastian Cathedral or the Redemptorist Church.
The basilica was constructed in 1575. This was also the site where the miraculous Sto. Nino de Cebu floated back from Cebu for several times in 1580.
In Lipa, the Visita Iglesia will never be complete without a visit to the Carmel Church, the site of the shower of rose petals, the apparition of Our Lady of Mediatrix in 1948, and the dancing sun in 1991.
The management of Bluroze Park, a nature park in Barangay Lodlod, has also constructed its own 14 Stations of the Cross and a garden of saints where campers during the Lenten season can pray.
The Marian Center, near the Carmel church, also has its own Stations of the Cross.
Abstinence
Since Maundy Thursday, as Catholics abstain from eating beef, pork, chicken and other meat products, during the Visita Iglesia, they are not allowed to eat anything. But an occasional drink of water is allowed.
Until the visita is complete, the devotees must endure hunger as a symbol of sacrifice.
Gone are the days of wearing sutanas, as people are now allowed to wear casual clothing. Casual attire does not include revealing or sleeveless outfits or mini skirts.


Pilgrimage to 14 Batangas churches.
Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
 April 17, 2003 | Copyright
(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Byline: Mei Magsino, Taal, Batangas

Medical mission gives smiles to poor kids

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
 | April 28, 2005 | Copyright
(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Byline: Mei Magsino, Batangas City
NINE-YEAR-OLD Hernando Arevalo Jr. has a reason to smile now. After the operation that corrected his cleft palate, his mother Florencia wouldn't have to be called at the principal's office anymore for the troubles his brother Rommel get into defending his brother from his tormentors.
Junior was born with a cleft palate that left him with a speech defect for nine years, a disability that also became the subject of ridicule among his classmates at the Barangay Bulihan Elementary School in Malvar town.
"That's why when we heard from the social workers in Malvar that there [would be] a medical mission at the Batangas Regional Hospital, we immediately inquired how to avail of the free operation that will correct Junior's cleft palate," Florencia said.
When she took Junior to the hospital on April 1, he underwent operation that afternoon.
Florencia said she had been called to the principal's office twice when Rommel, Junior's younger brother, punched the face of a boy who mocked Junior.
She said Junior was over-aged for the second grade because he was scared to go to school. He feared that his classmate might tease him.
But when his younger brother Rommel convinced him to go to school with him, with the promise that he would defend Junior, he started schooling.
Junior was one of the 50 children from different towns in Batangas and Laguna provinces who were given free surgery to correct their cleft palates, a congenital defect caused by genetics and environment.
"Majority of the cases of cleft palates that we have operated on were caused by genetics. One or two people in the family had a history of the defect and it was passed on. Some of the cases, however, were caused by the environment, the mother had smoked or taken drugs that affected the baby," said Dr. Mel Cruz, the chief surgeon of the medical mission.
Cruz, with seven surgeons from Manila, performed the free surgeries at the BRH with the Philippine Band of Mercy (PBM), a non-government organization that helps children with disabilities, from March 30 to April 1.
In the Philippines, people with cleft palates are called ngongo.Cruz said this defect starts as early as the unborn baby is developing.
Cleft lip and cleft palate can occur on one side (unilateral cleft lip and/or palate), or on both sides (bilateral cleft lip and/or palate), she said.
Because the lip and the palate develop separately, it is possible for the child to have a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or both cleft lip and cleft palate.
"The procedure to correct that defect is already widely known, but some parents would rather let their children grow up with that disability. One cause is their lack of financial resources, as the operation would really be expensive if done in a private hospital. Also, some parents don't know what to do. Still, other parents believe that the defect is God-given and therefore should not do anything to change it," Cruz said.
But for those given the chance to have the free operation on their son or daughter, the medical mission was God-sent.
"My daughter Melody is a smart girl, and she is very beautiful. As a parent I won't let her grow up with her cleft palate that would make her the object of ridicule of some people," Edeline Abdon said.
Only two years and six months old, Melody has been active, trying to talk to the hospital staff, making them understand her words.

Batangas execs slam delay in road project.

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
 | November 12, 2002 | Copyright
(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)
BATANGAS CITY-Local officials here have asked the Department of Public Works and Highways to look into the long delay in the completion of the P50-million road widening project that links Sto. Tomas town and Batangas City via the 40-kilometer Star Tollway, popularly called the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) Highway.
The three-km access road from Barangay Balagtas leads to the Batangas Port, which is being groomed to become the country's alternative to the Port of Manila.
The Manila port has been blamed for congestion in traffic in the metropolis as trucks coming from the busy port have to pass through the city's already jampacked roads and streets.
The officials, who requested not to be named, said the project has been stalled for quite sometime due to the insistence of two top DPWH officials to take over completion of the project from private contractors who had made preparatory works on the four-lane highway.
They said "the DPWH director for Luzon and the DPWH Region 4 director were exerting pressure on the private contractors to give up the access road project by imposing stringent conditions for its completion."
The Inquirer tried several times to contact DPWH assistant secretary Florante Soriquez, the official in charge of Luzon projects, and DPWH IV-A regional director Nestor Agustin but they were always out of their offices.
The same Batangas City officials said the two public works officials are holding back the approval of the additional contract of work for the private contractors unless the contractor agrees that the DPWH takes over the project.
"In effect, what these DPWH officials would want to happen is make the private contractors mere dummies in that portion of the project while they (DPWH) undertake its completion," one city official said.
The cost of the uncompleted portion of the project is estimated at P22 million.
Another official noted that despite the performance record of the private contractors in public infrastructure in Batangas, the two DPWH officials would not want to release the additional contract of work.
"The bottom line here is these contractors are wary that their records will be tarnished if they allow the DPWH to take over the project under their contract names," he added.
The officials asked Public Works Secretary Simeon Datumanong to order an investigation, saying the road project would benefit the town and bring progress to the entire province. Mei Magsino, PDI Southern Luzon Bureau

Doctors take time off to treat poor Pinoys.

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
 | November 21, 2002 | Copyright
(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Byline: Mei Magsino, San Juan, Batangas
DR. BERNIE Palomares and wife Elba, both pathologists, packed their suitcases for a month-long vacation in the Philippines. They have been working in Loris Hospital in South Carolina since 1974 and have their own clinic in the United States.
When their plane landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Nov. 8, the couple did not take any connecting flight to Boracay or Palawan, or any tourist spot in the country.
They met with four fellow doctors from the US and the coordinator of the medical mission in San Juan District Hospital in Batangas, where they were scheduled to do major and minor surgeries for free.
Nine Filipino doctors from Manila joined them in San Juan, four of them from Batangas.
The medical mission was a joint project of the Rotary Club of San Juan, the Winthrop Harbour Lion's Club (Chicago, Illinois, USA), and the Batangas Crown with the support of the Lion's Club International Foundation.
From Nov. 9 to 15, more than 200 patients, some of them coming from the neighboring town of Lobo flocked to the medical mission in this town.
On the first day alone, the mission performed eight major surgeries and 15 minor operations. The surgeries involved hysterectomy, ovarian surgery, thyroid surgery, goiter operation, cataract operation, and cyst and myoma removal.
"After this mission, it's not even a vacation yet," Bernie Palomares said. They were supposed to have three more medical missions.
"We've been doing this for 16 years, and always, after helping my fellow Filipinos, it never ceases to give me that kind of satisfaction," he said.
Bernie could have been earning big bucks in the US for a 30-day work, or he and his wife could have been basking on the beaches. But they chose to take time off to go to the Philippines and give free medical services to Filipinos.
"There is more need in the Philippines," he added, "We could go somewhere else, but I prefer to help my fellow Filipinos. Here, I could empathize more, relate more, and help more."
Psychic satisfaction
Dr. Robert Gormley, an ophthalmologist from Niagara, got a call from Dr. Jeffrey Zervos and Dr. Palomares, his friends who have been giving free medical missions in the Philippines.
"I packed my bags and just came here," Gormley said. "There's the need here. And if the people think they're lucky to have us, they're wrong. We're the lucky ones because we, doctors, get some kind of psychic satisfaction in doing this."
Gormley said doctors like him have been doing medical missions all over the world.
"It's like payback time," Gormley said. "We, doctors, have been blessed to get to where we are now. And we need to give back something to the people."
Dr. Jeffrey Zervos, an ophthalmologist from Minnesota, said the medical missions have been giving doctors like him the incomparable satisfaction that some people are still alive now or will live longer because of their free service.
"It feels so satisfying to know that somehow, you have made a difference in the lives of these people and they would remember that for as long as they live," Zervos said.
It was Zervos' third time in the Philippines doing free medical treatments and surgeries to poor patients.
He has known Brenda Yonzon, the medical mission coordinator for two years. He said the two of them have been helping each other plan the mission.
But why choose the Philippines?
"I see the need here is greater," Zervos said, "and my wife, Marichu, is a Filipina. She's from Bauan town, also in Batangas."
On their first day, Zervos already performed three major surgeries.
"People here are very appreciative," he added. "And it feels good to help people and asking nothing in return."
Volunteerism
For surgeons Dr. Robert Sy and wife Dr. Marissa Sy from the Chinese General Hospital, the medical missions have been giving them an uplifting feeling of having helped people from the remote areas of the Philippines.
Like the American doctors, they also took a vacation leave to join the medical mission.
"We've been volunteer doctors for decades now," Marissa said. "And we have encountered so many difficulties in the past. Sometimes, we perform a sensitive operation inside a schoolroom with no lights on, just a flashlight, or just under a sampaloc tree. But we have to make do with what is available. We volunteered for it. But after the operation, it feels so good to be hugged by the people whom we have helped."
"If we don't do this, who would?" Robert said, "If there are no medical missions, sick people who can't afford to pay the hospital bills won't have another chance at life. And in the Philippines, there are so many people who need medical attention but don't have the money."
The couple brought their own anesthesiologists from the Chinese General Hospital, hospital equipment and medicines to the San Juan District Hospital where the mission was held.
Robert recalled the time when a former patient from Nueva Ecija came to the hospital to give him three pieces of macapuno. The patient said those were the first fruits of his macapuno tree that he planted after his surgery.
"He said he wanted me to have the first fruits of his labor after I saved his life when I operated on him for free," Robert added.
"For me, it's not the gift that counts, it's the gesture of the people whom doctors like me have helped that gives me the kind of satisfaction you get nowhere else."
Amazing
"These doctors are amazing," Rotarian Mariquit Reventar said, "they come from as far as the United States and give people a second chance at life but they ask for nothing in return."
During the week-long medical mission, where the Rotary International and the Lion's Club joined forces for the first time to help the people, hundreds of patients got another chance to live a healthy and longer life-courtesy of the doctors who decided to make a difference.
"I believe in medical missions which perform surgeries as this one," Reventar said. "They create a bigger impact on the people's lives," she added.
Belen Sevilla, a 78-year-old cataract patient who had just been operated on, said she has never lost faith in God.
"God sends us angels," she said. "And I'm going to see again because God has sent one to make me see the world again."

Church seeks national shrine status

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
 | November 07, 2002 | Copyright
(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Byline: Mei Magsino
FOR pilgrims on visita iglesia (visiting churches), the 237-year-old San Jose Parish Church is always in the top five in their itinerary list.
Some devotees say the church gives them a sense of total peace and serenity that other places do not have. But others say it is the feel of homely atmosphere that makes it a must-visit, even for travelers.
"Bathed by the serene light of a tropical moon, its silver cupola majestically lifted to the stars as if to beg a prayer, and its massive walls nearly concealed among the cool and familiar shades of perfumed calachuchi, caressing acacia trees and drifting coconut palms, the parish church of San Jose, Batangas, stands as a glaring symbol of man's earthly existence, his dream to comprehend the cosmos, and his enduring faith in an Almighty God," wrote Fr. Rey de la Cruz of the beautiful and artistic church of San Jose in the "Prelude" of the "Golden Book of San Jose" published 30 years ago.
Many books and poems have also been written in praise of the parish church, which the people of San Jose were able to preserve through individual labor, expertise and hard-earned money that they volunteered to give for its improvement.
Built in 1765 during the administration of Spanish friars of the Order of St. Augustine, the church is now run by the Oblates of St. Joseph. Today, it still has the same charms that attract people to spend even a short while in prayer or visit the structure whose artistic value has been preserved for centuries.
For the local residents, the church deserves to be recognized as a national treasure.
According to parish priest John de Castro, OSJ, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines is set to declare the church a national shrine.
Centuries-old
Nestled on top of a hill surrounded by age-old trees and ancestral homes that gives more attraction to the small town of San Jose, the church stands even more majestically.
The town, situated between the booming cities of Batangas and Lipa, has always been a stopover for travelers. One of the province's biggest food baskets, San Jose is known as the egg producer of Luzon, supplying 60 percent of Metro Manila's egg and chicken requirements daily.
As most of the town's residents are medical professionals who are also engaged in livestock business, it seems amazing that they still have the time and effort to spend preserving a historical and religious landmark.
"The attitude of the parishioners of San Jose reflects that of their patron saint's. From the very beginning, they have volunteered to carry the stones, sands, mortars and other building materials to the site and build this beautiful church, convent and patio that we have today," De Castro said.
How a massive edifice has come to survive the test of years, wars and weather has also become a wonder.
Built on April 26, 1765, the structure still stands alive with its architectural design intact and its interiors still promise marvel to the eyes for more years.
The external paint color has changed, but the awe and serenity are still there.
Outside, some of the calachuchi are gone, but the acacia trees have grown so big that they seem to adorn the church facade with dainty pink flowers during summer while providing cool shade to the people and the structure.
Everyday, travelers are seen going up the steps to the church to rest and pray, while those coming in cars park under the cool shades of the trees and visit the church.
Charm
The imposing central dome is still the dominant sentinel that it used to be, watching with vigilance and care over homes bound by tradition and charity.
During World War II, when most of the places of worship were bombed by the Japanese forces, the San Jose Church suffered only slight exterior damage. It was repaired by the parishioners as soon as the war ended.
"When the spirit of unity is in the people, and they move as one, nothing can destroy this church," Dr. Miguel Ambal, a businessman, said.
The interior is still a real marvel. The paintings on the ceiling remain amazing. Except for the cornices, everything else inside the church is original.
The latest additional oil paintings done by famous contemporary artists are a colorful catechism.
The inscriptions "Ite ad Joseph", superimposed with its Filipino translation "Magsakdal kay Poong San Jose" on the main arc supporting the giant cupola, greets every worshipper and leads him to train his sight at the beautiful antique statue of St. Joseph, enshrined at the highest portion of the main altar.
From this vantage point, the statue is seen cuddling the child Jesus with paternal care over the Blessed Sacrament right beneath the feet.
St. Joseph is the same protective foster father who took care of Jesus in his home in Nazareth. Like their patron saint, the parishioners, according to De Castro, have been taking good care of their church.
Priceless treasures
Antique works of art that came from as far as Italy have been one of the most captivating features inside the church.
The gold tabernacle is one priceless piece. The figure of the mother pelican bird feeding its chicks with its own blood etched on the door of the tabernacle reminds everyone of God's unconditional love for men. It is the most central and focal point inside the church and is always partially covered with thin laces embroidered with semiprecious stones. It is perennially kept clean by the ladies of the Parish Liturgical Environment Committee.
The pulpit from where the priests used to preach is preserved intact. It is adorned with gold leaves, symbolic of the words of God heard through the preacher.
But many of the precious antiques are gone. The antique giant lamp that used to dominate the altar is missing.
According to the church manangs, during big celebrations, the tall brass candle stands used to fill both sides of the aisle from the main door to the communion rail.
Today, only six of the antique candle stands are left.
A beautiful stole brought by Italian fathers was also gone. In 1971, it was borrowed by cursillo staff members but was never returned. It was later declared lost.
Many more antique pieces are missing and the Parish Historical Commission has been tasked with the impossible mission of recovering them.
"But in reality, and even history can prove it, the real priceless treasure of San Jose are the people who have been working hard and volunteering to help us," Father De Castro said.
Inspiration
Despite the lost treasures, the people still help renovate the church.
The Parish Finance Council, headed by lawyer Asuncion Kalalo and Irene Ambal, held a concert on Oct. 12 to raise funds for the improvement of the church.
"When the project was announced, the people moved to help us," Ambal said. "Even the singers agreed to help even on our first meeting."
Nestor Quartero, entertainment editor of a national newspaper, who is also a devotee of St. Joseph, was the one who arranged the meeting with artists Aiza Seguera, Dulce and Marco Sison.
"The negotiation went on smoothly," Quartero said. "The singers instantly recognized the need and they didn't even demand so much from us."
According to the parish priest, the proceeds of the concert will be used to improve the facilities of the church and the construction of the Convento de San Jose on the left side.
"We are hoping that the CBCP will declare our church a national shrine," De Castro said, "We have been preparing for that since June. And with all the help we've been getting, having a church and parishioners this united is inspiring enough."