...the happy nations

Filipinos 'third happiest' in Asia, says report

 

 

By Kim Arveen Patria

Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

 

Thanks to happiness inside the home, Filipinos emerged as the third happiest people in Asia in 2013, a new report showed.

 

 

Thanks to happiness inside the home, Filipinos emerged as the third happiest people in Asia in 2013, a new report showed.

The Philippines was named the third happiest among five countries in Asia assessed for innovations firm Eden Strategy Institute's Happiness Index.

The country scored 90 points in the Happiness Index, which the Eden said is based on more than 200 million social media accounts in the five countries covered by the study.

Singapore was deemed the happiest country in Asia with a Happiness Index score of 518 points, followed by Malaysia, 245 points.

Ranked lower than the Philippines was India with 29 points and Indonesia, 11 points.

"In the Philippines, happiness comes from a sense of large, extended families," Eden said.

It added that predominantly Catholic Pinoys "have a predisposition to look for the best in everyone".

"They are taught from young to support the underdog, find joy in hard work, and smile at hardships," Eden said further.

The report was released in time for the United Nations-declared International Day of Happiness, Mar. 20.

"Policymakers are questioning the sustainability of pursuing economic growth, in the light of global social, environmental, and governance challenges," Eden said.

It also noted how several countries have initiated efforts to measure "gross national happiness" versus gross domestic product as a quality of life indicator.

The Philippines' National Statistical Coordination Board has recently included its own Happiness Index in its statistical data.

 

 

...the Asian candidate for Pope

Asia's 'humble' candidate for pope, Cardinal Tagle

 

By Cecil Morella | AFP News

07 March 2013

 

 

 

Reuters/REUTERS - Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle attends a prayer at Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican March 6, 2013. Catholic cardinals said on Tuesday they wanted time to get to know each before choosing the next pope and meanwhile would seek more information on a secret report on alleged corruption in the Vatican. REUTERS/Max Rossi

 

 

Asia's best hope for the papacy, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, is a young, electric orator who has been outspoken about the need for Catholic Church leaders to be more open and humble.

 

Born to a working-class couple in a then-rural town two hours' drive south of the Philippine capital, Tagle rose to become Archbishop of Manila in 2011 at the age of just 54.

He was named a cardinal in November last year, becoming the official chief spiritual leader to the Philippines' more than 80 million Catholics.

This came shortly after Tagle was summoned to Rome for a synod to map out the way forward for the Church, which has been rocked by scandals over sexual abuse by paedophile priests going back decades.

"The Church must learn humility from Jesus," Tagle said in a speech to the synod, arguing that spreading the faith in a secularising world would be more effective if the Church learned to listen to the people.

"(You) may be saying the right things but people will not listen if the manner by which you communicate reminds them of a triumphalistic, know-it-all institution," he said according to an account of the speech by Vatican Radio.

At another Vatican conference last year, Tagle urged the Church in Asia to tackle the sex abuse issue before it became a full-blown crisis there, and put in place safeguard measures that take into account the region's cultural norms.

Tagle, 55, is widely regarded as enthralling speaker, eloquent and with a soothing voice.

He has refused to discuss his chances for the papacy but, at a public seminar in Manila last month, said Church leaders needed to do a better job of reaching out to people within their communities, particularly the youth.

"The young want to be connected," Tagle said at the forum.

"That is the basic of the faith -- (to be) connected to God, connected to others, to the Church. We need to go back to that fundamental."

Tagle showed remarkable empathy, discipline and intellect as a boy, according to one of his mentors, Father Romeo Ner, 72.

"He was always number one in school. He was very interested in helping the poor even at a young age, and he was very close to the Church," Ner told AFP.

"I was amazed because he knew how to recite the rosary and all of its mysteries when he was just three."

Tagle is well known in the Philippines for not riding in his official car when he was a bishop, chatting with all comers after mass, and even regularly inviting beggars to dine with him at his residence.

Ner said that as a young priest, Tagle was involved in raising money for parishes that served poor areas, where he developed a taste for braised chicken feet -- a staple in the slums.

"Giving the poor their true dignity is his passion. He loves them," said Ner, who as then vicar general of Tagle's hometown was instrumental in making him one of the country's youngest bishops in 2001.

 

...the anthem singer for World Youth Day in Brazil

Pinoy vocalist to sing World Youth Day anthem in Brazil

 

GMA News

February 23, 2013

 

 

Ooberfuse, a London-based electro-pop band fronted by a Filipino-British vocalist, has been chosen to record the English version of the official anthem for this year’s World Youth Day from July 23 to 28 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Composed of singer Cherrie Anderson, keyboardist Hal St. John, and guitarist Nico Cox, the band translated “Hope of the Dawn” from the original Portuguese composition “Esperanca do Amanhecer.”

“We are very happy, honored and humbled to have been given the opportunity to sing the official World Youth Day song in English,” Anderson said in an e-mail interview with GMA News Online.

Translating the song was “daunting,” Anderson said, because the band members are not fluent in Portuguese.

“[The song] is as much a tribute to a trans-Atlantic spirit of collaboration as it is to the power of the Internet and modern media,” said Cox.

“After multiple Twitter and e-mail messages recommending improvements and refinements, and numerous large music-data file downloads and uploads in Rio and London, ‘Hope of the Dawn’ was eventually born,” Cox added.

The result: a version that “remains loyal to the Portuguese original, but still reflects the style and ambience of the group,” said Phil Ross, national coordinator for the UK World Youth Day attendees.

Ooberfuse was formed in 2010 when its three members met at a church event, started to play music together, and joined the “Live and Unsigned” competition, where it was named Most Original Band and One of the Best Unsigned Live Musical Acts in the UK.

After singing the youth anthem for Pope Benedict’s UK visit in 2010, the band performed before an audience of 2 million at the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid.

Now working on its third album, the band will be performing in Portugal, the US, Germany, and Italy this year.

Filipino influences

With one band member being Filipino—Anderson’s mom is from Leyte—it’s inevitable that Filipino influences would weave their way into Ooberfuse’s music.

“In some of our songs, we incorporate a Filipino instrument—the kulintang—which many of the UK people love,” said Anderson.

Anderson, who confesses to enjoying Filipino food like inihaw na baboy, tortang talong, pandesal, and taho, regularly visits the Philippines, where her parents are now based.

“I admire Filipinos’ love for God and family, love for all things musical, and their positive outlook in life,” Anderson said. - VVP, GMA News

...the next potential popes

Cardinal Tagle in Reuters list of potential popes

 

By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor

published in abs-cbnnews.com

02/11/2013  

 

 

 

PARIS - With Pope Benedict's stunning announcement that he will resign later this month, the time may be coming for the Roman Catholic Church to elect its first non-European leader and it could be a Latin American.

The region already represents 42 percent of the world's 1.2 billion-strong Catholic population, the largest single block in the Church, compared to 25 percent in its European heartland.

After the Pole John Paul and German-born Benedict, the post once reserved for Italians is now open to all. Who gets the nod depends on the profile of the new pope that the cardinals who elect him at the next conclave think will guide the Church best.

Two senior Vatican officials recently dropped surprisingly clear hints about possible successors. The upshot of their remarks is that the next pope could well be from Latin America.

"I know a lot of bishops and cardinals from Latin America who could take responsibility for the universal Church," said Archbishop Gerhard Mueller, who now holds the pope's old post as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

"The universal Church teaches that Christianity isn't centred on Europe," the German-born archbishop told Duesseldorf's Rheinische Post newspaper just before Christmas.

Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, head of the Vatican department for Christian unity, told the Tagesanzeiger daily in Zurich at the same time that the Church's future was not in Europe.

"It would be good if there were candidates from Africa or South America at the next conclave," he said, referring to the closed-door election in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.

Asked if he would vote for a non-European over a European candidate if they were equally qualified, he responded: "Yes."

If the next conclave really is Latin America's turn, the leading candidates there seem to be Odilo Scherer, archbishop of the huge diocese of Sao Paolo, or the Italian-Argentine Leonardo Sandri, now heading the Vatican department for Eastern Churches.

Peter Turkson from Ghana, now head of the Vatican's justice and peace department, is often tipped as Africa's frontrunner.

About half the cardinals who can vote are from Europe, even though only a quarter of the world's Catholics live there. If the conclave tilts to the Old Continent, Vatican watchers say Angelo Scola of Milan is in pole position.

Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, a former student and close ally of Benedict, is also considered a strong candidate.

FRONTRUNNERS FOR NOW

While there are no official candidates, here are "papabili" (potential popes) the most frequently mentioned recently. The list is in alphabetical, not in order of their chances, and will probably change between now and when the conclave is held, most likely in March.


- Joao Braz de Aviz (Brazil, 65) brought fresh air to the Vatican department for religious congregations when he took over in 2011. He supports the preference for the poor in Latin America's liberation theology, but not the excesses of its advocates. Possible drawbacks include his low profile.

- Timothy Dolan, (USA, 62) became the voice of U.S. Catholicism after being named archbishop of New York in 2009. His humour and dynamism have impressed the Vatican, where both are often missing. But cardinals are wary of a "superpower pope" and his back-slapping style may be too American for some.

- Marc Ouellet (Canada, 68) is effectively the Vatican's top staff director as head of the Congregation for Bishops. He once said becoming pope "would be a nightmare." Though well connected within the Curia, the widespread secularism of his native Quebec could work against him.

- Gianfranco Ravasi (Italy, 70) has been Vatican culture minister since 2007 and represents the Church to the worlds of art, science, culture and even to atheists. This profile could hurt him if cardinals decide they need an experienced pastor rather than another professor as pope.

 

- Leonardo Sandri (Argentina, 69) is a "transatlantic" figure born in Buenos Aires to Italian parents. He held the third-highest Vatican post as its chief of staff in 2000-2007. But he has no pastoral experience and his job overseeing eastern churches is not a power position in Rome.

- Odilo Pedro Scherer (Brazilia, 63) ranks as Latin America's strongest candidate. Archbishop of Sao Paolo, largest diocese in the largest Catholic country, he is conservative in his country but would rank as a moderate elsewhere. The rapid growth of Protestant churches in Brazil could count against him.

- Christoph Schoenborn (Austria, 67) is a former student of Pope Benedict with a pastoral touch the pontiff lacks. The Vienna archbishop has ranked as papal material since editing the Church catechism in the 1990s. But some cautious reform stands and strong dissent by some Austrian priests could hurt him.

- Angelo Scola (Italy, 71) is archbishop of Milan, a springboard to the papacy, and is many Italians' bet to win. An expert on bioethics, he also knows Islam as head of a foundation to promote Muslim-Christian understanding. His dense oratory could put off cardinals seeking a charismatic communicator.

- Luis Tagle (Philippines, 55) has a charisma often compared to that of the late Pope John Paul. He is also close to Pope Benedict after working with him at the International Theological Commission. While he has many fans, he only became a cardinal in 2012 and conclaves are wary of young candidates.

- Peter Turkson (Ghana, 64) is the top African candidate. Head of the Vatican justice and peace bureau, he is spokesman for the Church's social conscience and backs world financial reform. He showed a video criticising Muslims at a recent Vatican synod, raising doubts about how he sees Islam. (Additional reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Giles Elgood)

 

...the Cory's legacy

Walesa: Cory made impact on Poland's democracy

 

 

GMA News Online

26 November 2012

 

 

 

 

 

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former President of Poland Lech Walesa on Sunday recognized the influence of the late Philippine President Corazon Aquino on his country's own fight for democracy.

"For sure there were a lot of solutions which she [Cory] gave to us which we could also use in our own building up of democracy," Walesa said on the sidelines of the 9th Media Nation Summit in Tagaytay, where he spoke with the aid of a translator.

Walesa, 69, also spoke of his admiration for the 1986 People Power revolution and its leader Cory, mother of the current president Benigno Aquino III.

Walesa, along with Cory Aquino, Nelson Mandela, and only a few others, is considered one of the symbols of the democratization that swept the world in the late 20th century.

He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for leading a workers' movement against the communist regime.

He was elected President of the Republic of Poland in 1990 and, during his term, saw Poland through privatization and its transition to a market economy.

Walesa did not elaborate how Cory influenced Poland but said in his speech delivered before journalists at the summit that "in this world nothing happens by accident."

"We always have an impact better or less. It's very difficult to measure what impact it did have," he said.

Also part of his admiration of Cory stems from the Catholic wellspring of Aquino’s faith.

Walesa, as well as the majority of Poles, is a devout Catholic.

Beautiful Philippines

But in his speech, Walesa said there is still a lot to be "corrected" in the Philippines.

"You can do much more here. I see your possibilities," he said.

He specifically said that the country has "so many beautiful things which are not yet used."

"How much beauty there is here... how beautiful the girls here. If I could be a little bit younger I'd stay here," he added with a laugh.

He likewise said that in issues concerning the future of the country, the media plays a big role.

"Media have the most important role in today's world. You have to provoke a discussion. So now media move a little bit," he said.

After losing his re-election bid in 1995, Walesa established the Lech Walesa Institute, enabling him to remain active both on the international stage. — BM/HS, GMA News

...the new PH cardinal

 

Pope names six new non-European cardinals

By by Francoise Kadri

AFP News

25 Novemner 2012

 

 

Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday consecrated six non-European prelates as new members of the College of Cardinals in a development welcomed by critics concerned that the body which will elect the future pope is too Euro-centric.

The elite body "presents a variety of faces, because it expresses the face of the universal Church," the 85-year-old pontiff said during the ceremony -- called a consistory -- in St Peter's Basilica.

"In this consistory, I want to highlight ... that the Church is the Church of all peoples," he said.

The solemn ceremony saw the new "princes of the Church" receive gold rings and birettas -- their scarlet colour signifying the blood of martyrs, or those willing to die for their faith -- while kneeling before the pontiff.

The pope drew criticism in February, at the height of the "Vatileaks" scandal, when he created 22 new cardinals of whom 16 hailed from Europe.

Benedict, who was elected pope in 2005, is a respected theologian often seen as hewing closely to a traditionalist line who has championed Christianity's European roots on countless occasions.

Saturday's new cardinals come from Colombia, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, the Philippines and the United States and join the elite body that advises the pope and elects his successor upon his death.

They are American James Michael Harvey, Lebanon's Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, India's Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, John Onaiyekan of Nigeria, Colombian Ruben Salazar Gomez and Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines.

Announcing the names of the new cardinals last month, Benedict told bishops that he wanted to show that "the Church belongs to all peoples, speaks all languages."

Saturday's consistory, Benedict's fifth, follows the death of several cardinals in recent months and will bring the number of those eligible to vote back up to the maximum of 120.

Cardinals must be under 80 years old to take part in a papal election although they can stay on as non-voting cardinals after they reach that threshold.

There are now 62 European cardinals eligible to vote compared with 67 in February, as well as 14 North Americans, 21 South Americans, 11 Africans and 11 Asians.

Cardinal James Michael Harvey, USA

Harvey, 63, who hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been the prefect of the pontifical household since 1998. The best known of the new cardinals has been made the archpriest of the Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls, one of Rome's most prominent basilicas.




Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Philippines

Another of the new cardinals, Manila Archbishop Tagle, at age 55 is viewed as a possible candidate to succeed Benedict.

The last to receive his biretta on Saturday, Tagle was visibly moved, wiping away tears after a long tete-a-tete with the pope, to applause from the congregants.

Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, Lebanon

Rahi, 72, became the second Maronite cardinal alongside Monsignor Nasrallah Sfeir, also of Lebanon. Rahi has frequently warned over the rise of Islamism, and his elevation is seen as a gesture towards a multi-faith Lebanon at a time when the country is threatened by the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, India

Trivandrum Archbishop Thottunkal of India became the youngest member of the College of Cardinals at age 53. His elevation was seen as a bid to encourage India's old but dynamic Church, little known in the West.

Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Nigeria

As for the 68-year-old Onaiyekan of Nigeria, archbishop of Abuja, he is another "papabile", or potential pope, who has shown courage in the face of inter-faith hatred at a time when his country faces attacks against Christians by the Islamist sect Boko Haram.

Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez, Colombia

Another man of peace is 70-year-old Gomez of Bogota, who has fought tirelessly for national reconciliation with Colombia's FARC rebels.

...the 2nd Filipino saint

Philippines celebrates canonisation of saint

By Philip C. Tubeza in Manila/Philippine Daily Inquirer |
Asia News Network
21 October 2012

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - As thousands of Filipino Catholics troop to Rome, millions more across the Philippines are gearing up to celebrate the canonization of the country's second saint, a missionary killed 340 years ago who is being promoted as a youth hero.

The Catholic faithful are expected to gather in different church events as the nation's major television networks broadcast live Sunday's ceremony at the Vatican during which Pedro Calungsod, who was hacked to death while trying to convert locals on the Pacific island of Guam, will be made a saint.

Pope Benedict XVI will formally raise Calungsod to the altar.

According to the church website sanpedrocalungsod.com, more than 1,000 young people from across Metro Manila will gather at the Sto. Nino de Tondo Parish in Manila from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday to watch the canonization.

Around 600 young people are also expected to gather at the Good Shepherd Cathedral Covered Court in Novaliches while the Federation of National Youth Organization (FNYO) will also celebrate the event in Makati.

Dubbed "Pedro at Ako," the FNYO event will be held at the Savio Dome of Don Bosco Technical Institute-Makati from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In Cebu, the Commission on Youth of the Archdiocese and the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue have invited Catholics to watch a live telecast of the events in Rome.

The gathering, which includes a drama on the life of the second Filipino saint, talks and trivia games, will be held at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.

5,000 Filipino pilgrims

About 5,000 Filipino pilgrims are expected to accompany the Philippines' Roman Catholic Church leaders to the Vatican for the ceremony.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, who arrived Friday in Rome, will lead the Filipinos who will witness the canonization of Calungsod.

Binay was designated by President Aquino to head the official Philippine delegation to the ceremony.

He will attend the Holy Mass at Saint Peter's Square that will signal the start of the canonization rites for Calungsod and six others.

Calungsod is the second Filipino saint after St. Lorenzo Ruiz who was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987.

A procession of the new saint's icons will be held at the Basilica of Santa Pudenziana later in the evening.

"The presence of the thousands of Filipinos here and the millions more around the world who are eagerly awaiting Blessed Calungsod's canonization as the second Filipino saint reaffirms our faith as a nation. I hope his dedication and sacrifice will serve as an example for the Filipino youth to emulate," Binay said in a statement released by his office in Manila.

At home, devotees have begun flocking to Ginatilan on the central island of Cebu, a small farming town that claims Calungsod as its own, while saint souvenirs have become popular items across the nation.

Wood carvers were reporting an increase in the demand for statues of the would-be saint, according to a report on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website.

1,000 statues a week

"There are many orders coming from different provinces ... from old and new clients," said Kevin Cagayat, whose father Justino was commissioned by the Jesuits to carve the official statue of Calungsod.

The statues, ranging from eight inches (worth 350 pesos or US$8) to four-feet tall (40,000 pesos or $960), are made of either resin or wood.

"Since August, high demands and orders forced us to produce around 100 statues a week," Cagayat added.

"Also, in times like this where the demand is very high and there are rush orders, we also outsource workers to do the carving and finishing touches," he added.

Limited edition stamps

The Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost) will also inaugurate a stamp at the Edsa Shrine in honor of Calungsod during the noontime Mass on Sunday.

"The single stamp design illustrates Blessed Pedro holding a palm leaf on his left hand and his right hand at the chest signifying his deep Roman Catholic faith.

On the right side is the missionary route to the Marianas Island," PHLPost said in a statement.

The postal service said it was issuing 50,000 of the "limited edition" stamps worth 9 pesos each. They will be available from Oct. 22 to Oct. 20 next year at selected post offices nationwide.

Those interested could also call the PHLPost postage and philatelic department at 527-01-32.

"There is something about him that touches the heart of the Filipino Catholics," Fr. Francis Lucas, a media officer with the CBCP, told Agence France-Presse.

Calungsod will be made a patron saint for young people, partly in recognition of his age-believed to be just 17-when killed in 1672.

According to the official account of his short life, hostile tribesmen hacked Calungsod and a Jesuit priest he was assisting to death in Guam where they were trying to convert locals to the Catholic faith.

He qualified for sainthood last year after the Vatican officially recognized a 2002 "miracle" in which a woman in the Philippines already declared dead from a heart attack was revived after a doctor prayed to Calungsod for help.

The Philippines is regarded as Asia's bastion of Catholicism, with 80 percent of the population adherents to the faith, thanks to more than three centuries of Spanish rule that began in the 1500s.

Migrant workers' saint

Calungsod will become only the second Filipino to be canonized after Lorenzo Ruiz, another missionary, who was killed in Japan in 1637 and made a saint in 1987.

Lucas said Calungsod's youthfulness and travel to a foreign land held special resonance in the Philippines, where the average age is 24 and 10 percent of the population have gone abroad to work.

"We consider him to be a saint of migrant workers because he went abroad to represent the Philippines," Lucas said.

The church has sought to maximize Calungsod's appeal to young people with an Internet campaign that includes a website showcasing his life and featuring music videos, as well as a social media drive.

One Facebook site on Calungsod has more than 8,000 "likes" and streams of positive comments, as well as appeals to him for help.

"Dear Saint Pedro, please take care of my good friend Julie who is fighting cancer," one comment on the page said.

Although Calungsod's birthplace is unknown, he is listed as coming from the central Philippines and Ginatilan residents point to the many people surnamed "Calungsod" who have lived in the town over the centuries.

"We have death records, marriage records and birth records ... so we believe, 80 percent, that he is from our town," Ginatilan Mayor Antonio Singco told Agence France-Presse.

Parish worker Salvi Cadungo, 56, said the link to Calungsod was a major source of pride, comfort and hope to residents who largely make their living growing coconut, bananas and corn.

"We are all so happy here. We are a small town in a corner of the Philippines, but now everyone knows we produced a saint," she said.

With reports from AFP and Jerome Aning

COPYRIGHT: ASIA NEWS NETWORK

...the Pinoys in Kiwi country

Pinoys help rebuild NZ city destroyed by earthquake By Nicholas Jones  (The Philippine Star)  October 20, 2012

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos will play a key role in rebuilding a New Zealand city devastated by earthquakes, an example of growing ties between the two countries to be strengthened when President Aquino visits on Monday.

 

Aquino will be in New Zealand for two days and will head a group including a large trade delegation and members of the Cabinet.

 

Trade and business cooperation will be a focus of the visit, with the Philippines targeted by New Zealand as its third-largest market for dairy exports such as milk.

 

But with New Zealand’s Filipino population growing rapidly, cultural ties are also bringing the two countries closer.

 

That has been underlined by Filipino tradespeople’s help in getting Christchurch back on its feet.

 

The city was devastated by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in February 2011 which killed 185 people – including 11 Filipinos – and left much of the central city in rubble.

 

The cost of the rebuild is estimated at $25 billion and will continue for several years.

 

But with a total population of 4.4 million, there are not enough local tradespeople to get the job done.

Nathanael Mackay, manager of NZ Immigration’s Manila branch, said working visas for the Christchurch rebuild had already been granted to 157 Philippine nationals.

 

That number will grow as the rebuild intensifies, with New Zealand construction companies visiting the Philippines to recruit workers.

 

Up to 30,000 workers – local and foreign – will be required during different times of the work.

 

“The rebuild is expected to create a variety of work opportunities in the Canterbury region, particularly for skilled tradespeople such as painters, carpenters and plasterers,” Mackay said.

 

The Philippines was a main skilled labor market being targeted by New Zealand employers, the others being Ireland and the United Kingdom.

 

Mackay said his office had created a website with the relevant information, and stressed work visas needed to be obtained before arriving in New Zealand.

 

 

Cultural links

 

 

New Zealand Ambassador Reuben Levermore said the Christchurch recovery was just one way the countries were being linked culturally.

 

 

He said the Filipino community in New Zealand had almost doubled in size since the last presidential visit in 2007.

 

 

“Small numbers in Philippine terms... heading towards 40,000 people – but that’s also heading towards one percent of our population,” he said.

 

 

Most of those people were skilled migrants, Levermore said.
 

The Philippines is currently New Zealand’s fourth-largest source of skilled migrants.
 

“These are people who are engineers, nurses, IT professionals, and now dairy workers as well. And they have a good reputation,” Levermore said.

 

 

His sister has a dairy worker from Mindanao on her farm in New Zealand’s mid-Canterbury region.

 

 

“If you live in rural New Zealand, you’re probably not going to know much about the Philippines. But again, it’s that human element.”

 

 

Levermore said as people learn more about each other they would do more together – whether in tourism, business, or education.

 

 

“Maybe in time New Zealanders might start to think, I’ll go on holiday there. We go to Bali, we go to Vietnam and Thailand.”

 

 

Filipinos had proven themselves ideal migrants to New Zealand, Levermore said.

 

 

“They speak English, they are very outgoing, friendly people who integrate well. And the fact that most Filipinos are Catholic, means they connect well to our Catholic communities in New Zealand.”

 

 

Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang, speaking to The STAR before he flew to New Zealand this week, said those shared values were at the base of the countries’ relationship.

 

 

President Aquino’s party will also visit Australia after two days in New Zealand.

 

 

“It doesn’t always make it to the headlines, but the ties are deep, they are historical, and they are multi-faceted,” Carandang said.

 

“We are a Christian-based democracy. And there aren’t many of those in Southeast Asia. We have shared values with Australia and New Zealand.”

 

 

Business high on agenda

 

 

During the state visit, the Philippines and New Zealand are set to sign a number of agreements to expand business between the countries.

 

 

The finalization of the Philippine Dairy Development Program and a Memorandum of Agreement on geothermal energy cooperation are likely to be on the agenda.

 

 

Levermore said energy was an example of how New Zealand expertise could benefit the Philippines.

 

 

The countries had much in common in terms of energy generation, with both producing hydro and geothermal energy, he said.

...the women's advocate

Pinay advocate of women's rights receives Holy Cross medal from pope

 

July 9, 2012

GMA News

 

A Filipina advocating women’s rights and dignity has been awarded the Holy Cross Pro-Ecclesia et Pontifice medal by Pope Benedict XVI.

In a news report on its website, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said the award was conferred on Dr. Zenaida Rotea at the Santa Maria Goretti Parish in Manila.

 

The medal is given to lay people and clergy who have given zealous and outstanding service to the Church.
 

CBCP president and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and Marbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez led the awarding ceremony.

 

“Rotea has worked for many years as a volunteer and leader on women empowerment and a former executive secretary of the CBCP’s Office on Women which is at the forefront of the church’s campaign against the exploitation of women,” the CBCP said.

 

According to the CBCP, Rotea served in the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) of the Philippines as an active member for 28 years.

She also served as its president from 1996 to 2000.

 

During Rotea’s term, the CWL adopted a national action program that established women’s desks in the dioceses for counseling victims of violence, rape, incest and sexual harassment.

 

The CWL also organized seminars and meetings focusing on legal literacy, family code, illegal recruitment, poverty alleviation, skills training, and cooperatives.

 

Rotea in 2000 led the formation of the Catholic Initiative for Enlightened Movie Appreciation (CINEMA), which promoted discerning appreciation of film according to Christian values. - VVP, GMA News

...the Holy See awardee

PH envoy receives Holy See Award from Vatican

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

05/29/2012

 

 

MANILA, Philippines – The Vatican has conferred the Holy See Award with the Order of Pius IX, Class of Dame to Philippine Ambassador Mercedes Tuason last May 23.

 

 

 

 

The Holy Chief of Protocol, Monsignor Fortunatus Nwachukwu, assisted by Monsignor Guillermo Javier Karcher, 1st Class Attaché of the Secretariat of State, presented the award to Ambassador Tuason during the awarding ceremonies held at the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

 

In his remarks, Monsignor Nwachukwu said that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has decided to give the award to Tuason for her "significant contributions in the advancement of bilateral relations between the Holy See and the Philippines". The award is signed by His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State of the Holy See.

 

Tuason was accompanied by Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General Danilo Ibayan, Executive Assistant and Confidential Secretary to the Ambassador Josephine Bantug, and Father Jess Dajac, Filipino Roman Catholic priest of the Congregazione Clericale Missionariedella Fede.

 

The Order of Pius IX, also known as the Pian Order, is a Papal order of knighthood founded on 17 June 1847 by Pope Pius IX.

 

Although the Pontifical Orders of Knighthood of the Holy See were originally founded and available for giving honors to gentlemen only, the Holy See Secretariat of State in November 1993 issued instructions that the Pontifical Orders of Pius IX, Saint Gregory the Great, and of Pope Saint Sylvester were also open for awarding to ladies.

 

Living recipients of the higher ranks of the Order of Pius IX include H.E. Giorgio Napolitano, President of the Italian Republic, H.M. King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and H.M. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

---

...the Mother of pro-life

Pinay nun, 'Mother of pro-life movement' in PHL, receives award in Korea

 

March 5, 2012

GMA News

 

 

A Filipino nun, Sr. Pilar Verzosa, called the mother of the prolife movement in the Philippines, received an award in Korea for promoting and defending the dignity of life.

According to a news release of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Monday, the Seoul Archdiocese's Committee of Life conferred the award on Verzosa near the Myeong-dong Cathedral in Seoul.

The “Mystery of Life Award 2012” was handed out by Seoul Archbishop Nicholas Cardinal Cheong Jinsuk on February 15.

Verzosa was also awarded 30,000,000 KRW (P11,496.49).

The CBCP said Versoza was chosen as the winner in the field of Social Action, "for her outstanding achievements in the promotion of the dignity, care and defense of human life."

The Seoul Archdiocese set up “The Mystery of Life Award” in October 2005 to support the scholars in the field of Bioscience and Humanities.
 
It also supported people in the field of social action who are acknowledged to have made great contribution to pro-life activities.

Aside from Versoza, the other awardees included:
 

• Emma Freisinger, an 80-year-old Austrian nurse who has been working with the Koreans who have Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) since she was 27 years old;

• Professor Oh It Wham of Catholic University of Seoul, who has been developing the adult stem cell therapy to prove its effectiveness over the embryo stem cell therapy, a procedure that the Catholic Church considers as "immoral," and

• Fr. Cheon Hyun-Ho, an environmentalist activist.

Pro-life Philippines

During the awarding ceremonies, Verzosa gave a presentation about the projects of Pro-life Philippines, which she founded and served as national coordinator for 30 years.
 
Pro-Life Philippines has also lobbied against the introduction of so-called "D.E.A.T.H. (Divorce, Euthanasia, Abortion, Two-Child Policy, Homosexuality, Same-Sex Marriage) bills," particularly the reproductive health (RH) bill in Congress. - VVP, GMA News

...the Mardi Gras

PH Featured in 'Mardi Gras'

 

By ELLSON A. QUISMORIO

February 25, 2012

Manila Bulletin

 

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines took centerstage as the featured country in this year's "Mardi Gras" celebration in Alexandria, Louisiana, the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago told the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Saturday.

The Mardi Gras is a Catholic-inspired celebration that involves eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season (which begins on Ash Wednesday) and includes the wearing of masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dances, and community parades. The celebration is markedly popular in Louisiana in the United States, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, and Quebec in Canada.

...the 2nd Filipino 'saint'

Blessed Pedro Calungsod to be declared 2nd Filipino saint

By Shielo Mendoza

Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

 

 

 

A poster depicting Pedro Calungsod hangs on the facade of St. Peter's square.

 

The Vatican announced Tuesday that Blessed Pedro Calungsod of Cebu will be canonized as a saint for the Roman Catholic Church.

Once canonized, he will be the second Filipino Catholic saint following Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, who was elevated to sainthood in 1987.

According to Vatican’s news site, Pope Benedict XVI has officially approved the promulgation of decrees for canonization of Calungsod and six others who have been said to have performed miracles. No definite date, however, has been set for the canonization rites.

The authorized miracle of Blessed Pedro Calungsod reportedly happened in 2003 at a Cebu hospital when a woman who was clinically pronounced dead for two hours was allegedly brought back to life through the intercession of Calungsod.

A young martyr
Calungsod, together with companion Blessed Diego San Vitores, was killed while doing missionary work in Guam in 1672. He was 17 years old then. Through their missionary efforts, many were converted to the Roman Catholic Church through the Sacrament of Baptism.

A plot to murder Calungsod and San Vitores started through false accusations that the missionaries were spreading poison through the ritual of the pouring of water or baptism. They were both caught and murdered after baptizing a mother and her child.

Because of his association with the Chamorro natives of Guam, Calungsod is often portrayed with a crucifix and a palm leaf.

Calungsod, who was described by Vatican as a lay catechist and a martyr, was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

The other six candidates for canonization together with Calungsod are: Blessed Giovanni Battista Piamarta, Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth and of the Congregation of the Humble Sister Servants of the Lord; Blessed Jacques Berthieu, French martyr and priest of the Society of Jesus; Blessed Maria del Carmen, Spanish foundress of the Conceptionist Missionary Sisters of Teaching; Blessed Maria Anna Cope, German religious of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse; Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, American laywoman; and Blessed Anna Schaffer, German laywoman.

...the Hope University honoree

UK university honors Ateneo's Fr. Nebres

by Jomel Anthony Gutierrez,

ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

08/30/2011

 

LONDON - The former president of the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) has been given an honorary Doctorate of Letters by Liverpool Hope University. 

Father Bienvenido Nebres, S.J. received the award at the university's recent commencement program in Liverpool. 

 

 

 

According to the Liverpool Hope University website, the university acknowledged Father Nebres’ significant contributions in the field of education and social justice not only in the Philippines, but also in the entire Southeast Asian region.  The university also honored him for his outstanding academic record.

 

The university website also cited Father Nebres’ active involvement when the Philippines was under martial law. He was one of the staunch supporters of the Church’s efforts against the Marcos regime that helped topple the dictatorship through the 1986 People Power Revolution.

 

Father Nebres was the longest-serving President of Ateneo de Manila University.  His leadership began in 1993 and ended last April.

 

The Philippine Embassy in London also invited Father Nebres for a special meeting with embassy officials and UK-based Ateneo alumni.

 

During the meeting, he reminded Filipinos of the current state of education in the Philippines, where many are forced to stop schooling because of poverty.

 

“There are 2.4 million children who go to elementary schools every year, by Grade Three, 500,000 had dropped out already. By Grade Six, 800,000 thousand had dropped out,” he said.

 

Father Nebres noted that without education, change is not possible in the country.

 

“Without education nothing happens. Education and health can empower you,” he said. 

 

But Father Nebres emphasized that the main reason of poverty in the Philippines is not completely caused by corruption.

 

“When people ask me what’s the main reason for poverty in the Philippines, of course corruption is a problem and so forth. But I tell them I don’t think it’s the biggest problem. The biggest problem is the disconnect,” he asserted.

 

He explained this disconnection as the ‘emotional gap’ between the people with resources and those who are in need. 

 

He also stressed that this ‘emotional disconnection’ has caused the Philippines' unchanging landscape in terms of development and progress.

 

In order to stop this disconnection, he encouraged everyone to help rebuild the nation by providing support to local communities by helping schools.

 

Father Nebres cited the example of Pinoys in Guam who started support programs. “The Filcom community in Guam sent a container of books. They also provide eye glasses,” he said.

 

According to him, another way to bridge this emotional gap is to personally visit schools around poverty-stricken areas in the country, where different institutions like Ateneo carry out feeding programs for schoolchildren from poor families.

 

“To connect is the best way to build the nation. For example you can visit the Philippines and go to the lunch break of the students who are being fed,” he said.

 

Father Nebres also pointed out the importance of the role of the country’s decision-makers in achieving stable progress for the Filipino people.

 

“We only make progress when more and more decision-makers feel the problem. When they do, things will begin to change,” he said.

 

The former ADMU president is currently a member of the board of trustees of Georgetown University, Regis University and the Asian Institute of Management.

...the Benemerenti awardee

Pope confers awards on Filipinos

By ROY C. MABASA

August 5, 2011

Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — Pope Benedict XVI has conferred the Benemerenti awards on two Filipinos residing in the United States in recognition to their long and exceptional service to the Catholic Church, their families and community.

According to the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, Pope Benedict XVI conferred the Benemerenti awards on Titus Verzosa and Nellie Hizon.

Instituted by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, the Benemerenti medal ranks second after the Cross Pro Ecclesia  et Pontifice and is bestowed upon Catholic men and women who have rendered significant service to the Church and society.

The Benemerenti is a gold Greek cross depicting the image of Christ, his hand raised in blessing. On the left of the transverse arm of the cross is a depiction of the tiara and crossed keys, and to the right is the sheilf of the current Pope and his motto. On the reverse is the word Benemerenti, which means "good merit" and the ribbon is made of Papal colors, yellow and white.

According to accessible records, only t75 individuals received the award from 1949 to the present. Verzosa, a resident of Fresno, California, received the medal for his 17 years of dedicated service and leadership as a choir director, finance council member and a coordinator of several fund-raising events for St. Mary Queen of Apostles parish.

The medal and the accompanying certificate from the Holy See were presented to him last February 20 during a Sunday mass by the parish priest, Fr. Timothy N. Cardoza.