Vol 40, No 1 JANUARY 2006

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OSCAR V. CRUZ, D.D. ART T. NG JO IMBONG E DITORIAL BOARD PEDRO C. QUITORIO III EDITOR -IN -CHIEF BALTAZAR R. ACEBEDO A SSOCIATE E DITOR DENNIS B. DAYAO M ANAGING E DITOR EULY BELIZAR ROY CIMAGALA ROLANDO DELA ROSA ROY LAGARDE LOPE ROBREDILLO S TAFF W RITERS ROWENA DALANON C IRCULATION & SALES MANAGER LEAH KATRINA CARIASO F INANCE OFFICER
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Quote in the Act

Fullers article uncovers a fissure in the block-wall of government secrecy and gives us a good look at the worm-infested core of imperial rule. Global terrorism flows from Washington like a toxic river that has breached its banks and threatens to flood everything in its path.
Mike Whitney, of Washington, USA, annotating Max Fullers article Crying Wolf: Media Disinformation and Death Squads in Occupied Iraq (Global Research) which theorizes that United States intelligence agencies are behind the vast incidents of murder and torture being carried out in Iraq.

The most important question is the legitimacy and competence of no less than the holder of the highest office of the country. Unless there is not only a legal but a real closure of this national and fundamental issue, looking at the new year as a truly new year with new realities is falsity.
Archbishop Oscar Cruz, of Dagupan in the Philippines, expressing about his new years thoughts on the countrys lingering political crisis.

He will leave two legacies, perhaps of equal importance: a military legacy of conventional audacity and innovative antiterrorism, and a diplomatic legacy of flexibility and openness toward Palestinians.
Michael Oren, senior fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem and author of Six Days of War, opining on Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharons historical legacy.

He does have a drivers license, but that license is not specified for a motorcycle. Its an infraction. In technical terms, its illegal.
Officer Sara Faden of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), USA, on California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggers admission of not having a proper license to drive his motorcycle even after figuring recently in a minor accident with his motorbike. LAPD later decided not to cite the governor.

God considers this land to be his. For any prime minister of Israel who decides he will carve it up and give it away, God said, No, this is mine. I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course.
US evangelist Pat Robertson, on alluding that Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharons stroke was divine retribution, which generated resentment from the Israeli government.

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IMPACT January 2006

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IMPAC T

January 2006 / Vol 40 No 1

CONTENTS
EDITORIAL

Moral Ascendancy ........................................................ 25

COVER STORY

Peace in a Divided World ........................................... 16

ARTICLES

Globalization and its Impact on Catholic Higher Education .......................................................................... 4 The Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED) ............................................................................... 8 Happy and New? Think Again ................................. 12 The Persistency of Insurgency in the Philippines . 14 Sex and Gender .............................................................. 22
STATEMENTS

In Truth, Peace: A New Years Message ............... 26 New Years Message .................................................... 27
DEPARTMENTS

Quote in the Act .............................................................. 2 CINEMA Review ......................................................... 23 Quotes in Quiz .............................................................. 23 From the Blogs ............................................................... 24 From the Inbox .............................................................. 28 Vanilla Bytes ................................................................. 29 News Briefs ...................................................................... 30

Having traveled to another land at the opening of this year, say, Hong Kong which is how far an 'expiring miles' plane ticket could go, one couldnt help but make comparisons as a better option than bewail like it was by the rivers of Babylon over the misfortunes that has befallen to a dear homeland the year past. Hong Kongs subway may be the best so far in the whole world todayfar better than the cavernous ones in New York or the rough rails of France. In this Asian neighbor, there is work and opportunities for a descent living swarm aplenty. Government projects flow in abundance and are delivered maybe as fast as budgets would magically disappear in the Philippines without qualms or squalor. And there is no problem with their political leaders who have never been accused, at least of late, of stealing or cheating or deceiving the populace. But why the chasm of disparity? People in this foreign land dont even have the penchant of going to mass on Sundays. Or attending Santo Nio processions, kidded my companion albeit with a tinge of sarcasm. They dont have the seven sacraments and the Ten Commandments like we do. And they dont have a president who reportedly talks directly with God, with much better facility than an Archbishop in the North does or does not. There should be a hell of a problem somewhere. Impact opens the year with a story on the issue of peacean issue that is as old as mankind itself. To paraphrase rather non-exegetically the Letter of Paul to the Romans, mankind has been groaning for the coming of peace which, for Christians, is the coming of the Christ and the consequent transformation of realities into a new heaven and a new earth. But while founders of world religions preach about the coming of peace through an inner transformation that leads to cosmic tranquility, world leaders, as history bears, do not buy the theological route to global harmony. For, simply put, politics being an exercise of powerand sustainable peace may not be complementary companions at all. Which is probably the reason why, the acquisition of nuclear arsenal and gadgets of strategy and war soar in annual budgets of governments dwarfing whatever budgetary allocations there are that may promote understanding and peace among nations. Read on.

Volume 40 Number 1

A
by Leonardo Z. Legaspi, OP, DD Nations of Globalization Economic

lobalization has become a sort of fashionable buzz-word. It is quite often said but seldom with the same meaning. It is in fact one of those far-reaching concepts which are used by different people to explain facts which are of a completely different nature. Even when qualified as economic, globalization can still be associated with a variety of phenomena. The first notion of economic globalization is that of an ever-growing expansion of transborder financial flows and their impact upon the monetary and exchange policies of national economies. The effects of the financial dimension of globalization are somewhat disputed. If the mobility of capital that flows across borders can be seen as an efficient way to allocate resources world-wide and to channel them to developing countries, their volatility and their possible use for speculative attacks against currencies are thought to pose new threats to the economic stability of countries. In other words, the virtually free movement of huge capital flows creates both opportunities and risks. Another notion is the globalization of production and the ensuing expansion of world trade flows. The domestic contents of most goods have diminished, and intermediate production stages now take place in different countries. Final products specifically technology intensive ones can hardly be considered to be full made in a given country. This is the result of the interplay of several new trends, including reduction in the costs of the mobility of production factors and the economies of scale required by increasingly sophisticated production processes. International trade of intermediate goods is conducted primarily among industrial units of the same company. Corporations frequently structure their activities to fit marketing and production strategies designed to enhance their global or regional competitive position. Countries are selected for investment by those companies on the basis of the overall advantages they present. This has led to increased competition for foreign investment among countries, particularly developing ones. As opposed to the sixties and even the seventies, when controls and restrictions were deemed necessary to discipline the operations by transnationals in their markets, developing countries have

been reformulating their trade and economic policies, in part to offer an attractive domestic environment for foreign investment, which is needed to complement their generally insufficient rate of domestic savings. Another dimension of economic globalization is thus a growing uniformity in the institutional and regulatory framework in all countries. For the globalization of production to take place, rules in different countries need to be made similar, so that no artificial advantage prevails in any of them. Examples of these rules are the introduction of the World Trade Organization (WTO) of international standards for intellectual property rights and trade related aspects of investment measures. Matters that were once considered to fall primarily within the domestic jurisdiction of each State are now subject to multilateral disciplines. Naturally, there are limits to such uniformity due to national differences. The interplay of global trends toward uniformity and national identities is a complex one. Finally, economic globalization is linked to a revolution in production patterns leading to a significant shift in the comparative advantages of nations. The competitive position of a country relative to others is determined more and more by the quality of its human resources, by knowledge, by science and technology applied to production methods. Abundant labor and raw materials are less and less a comparative advantage, to the extent that they represent a diminishing share of the value added in virtually all products. This irreversible trend makes it unlikely for countries in the South to succeed solely on relatively cheap labor and on natural resources. The Consequences of Economic Globalization The Changing Role of the State Hand in hand with economic globalization goes a change in the role of the State. Globalization means that external variables have an increased bearing on the domestic agenda, narrowing the scope for national choices. Requirements for external competitiveness have led to greater homogeneity of the institutional and regulatory frameworks of States and these requirements have left less room for widely-

differentiated national strategies with regard to labor and macro-economic policy. Fiscal balance, for instance, has become a new dogma. The Maastricht Treaty of the European Union, which sets limits within the budget deficit of its members, has to be maintained. Both international public opinion and market behavios have also come to play a role in redefining the range of possible actions by States. Information flows freely and rapidly. If, for example, the news is disclosed that any particular country is having difficulties controlling its budget deficit or is going to hike its interests rates, world financial markets make decisions based on that information, which will have an impact on the country concerned. Countries, their leaders and the policies they are pursuing are under the close scrutiny of the world public opinion. Any misdeed or step judged by these immaterial entities to be in the wrong direction may exact penalties. Conversely, developments or decisions construed to be positive are rewarded. International public opinion and, above all, markets tend to be conservative, to follow certain orthodoxy in economic matters. They establish a pattern of economic conduct which admits little variation in a world of immense variety of national realities. The complex process of adjustment must not ignore such diversity. This complex process requires a change of attitude and a determination to fight against vested interests in the public sector. But there is no alternative. Some Public Implications of Economic Globalization One may have the impression that the globalization process responds only to market forces. From the perspective of both the allocation of financial resources and decisions concerning productive investments, the market is really a decisive factor. But we should avoid the mistake of drawing, from this fact, misleading conclusions. The first such misleading conclusions would be to consider globalization as the result of market forces alone. This is not true. The framework within which the market operates is politically defined. The power game among nations is not absent. Neither is the possibility of economic cooperation among States. Foreign trade negotiations are still conducted through dialogue among States, in particular those concerning the definition of the rules in

IMPACT January 2006

Globalization and its Impact on Catholic Higher Education

First of a series
(This series is a reprint with permission from a recent book edited by Msgr. Jose R. Rojas entitled Light to All )

Volume 40 Number 1

G l o b a l i z a t i o n
which competition occurs. Economic clout is a key factor in these negotiations, as well as in the settlement of bilateral trade disputes. In some cases, economic powers invoke their influence to circumvent the very multilateral disciplines they themselves have proposed. Subsidies in agriculture clearly illustrate this trend. The recent movements towards the creation of schemes of regional integration, which are characteristics of the nineties, are also initiatives with which governments have tried to influence the direction of economic globalization. The second dangerous conclusion would be to transform the market into a form of ideology, according to which everything that falls into line with market forces is good, positive and brings development, whereas every political decision meant to regular competition forces is viewed as negative. It is precisely the recognition that there are limits to the market that enables us, developing countries, to act politically in defense of our national interests. But the forms of such action, of regulating the globalization process, vary among different developing countries. Whether or not we want it, economic globalization is a new international order. We must accept this with a sense of realism lest our actions be devoid of any effective impact. This does not imply political inertia, but a whole new perspective of how to act on the international stage. From Miracle Economies to Stricken

a n d

i t s

I m p a c t

The issue of globalization is crucial in this part of the world. In East Asia and Southeast Asia, the one-time miracle economies are struggling today to stop the destruction, which swept through their societies in a matter of months the impressive growth they accomplished through many years of hard work. Policymakers and economists from Japan to India are pointing to globalization as a threat to national well-being, pointing to open borders as formidable doors beyond their control to stem the free flow of finance, business, trade, ideas and cultural values from the North to the South, from the capitalist societies to the poor economies, from the industrialized and stable countries to the agriculture-based and unstable economies. Before the crisis, many Asian governments welcomed the forces of globalization, as market liberalization and broader

integration of Asian economies to the global market spurred rapid growth across Asia. Rising living standards made people, especially the local elite and upper middle class families, willing to tolerate governments which were authoritarian, which were hiding behind public relations slogans such as performance-based legitimacy, guided democracy, constitutional authoritarianism, or activist government, in countries such as South Korea, Indonesia and China, where growing prosperity and political repression went hand in hand. The feeling was that behind the Asian embrace of globalization, economics could be separated from politics. It was a western notion, which imposed cultural norms in their Asian clients. That assumption, needs to say, was and has always been in doubt. Politics always goes with business, government, military, church and diplomacy in Asia. Failure to observe this truth now have resulted in millions thrown out from work in Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Russia; and even Japan and Hong Kong have suffered from the Asian financial crisis. Governments have been forced to provide more resources to compensate the victims of global economics and financial forces. It has become clear that embracing globalization demands political, social, cultural costs. Transparency, accountability and the rule of law are necessary for global economythat is, the guidance of globalists from the West. Given Asias background, these globalists are suspects and less welcomed, despite the rush to embrace them by Asias elite sectors. Some Asian leaders therefore have denounced globalization as a new form of western imperialism. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir bin Mohammed has accused the West of using financial markets to bring Asia to its knee. Similar sentiments have been voiced by officials and intellectuals of China, Indonesia, India and Japan. Even Singapores Lee Kuan Yew has been shaking his head in pointing out that Asia is suffering such devastation without being responsible for the financial crisis directly. However, no Asian country appear likely to reverse course and reject globalization. For Asians, the North Korean and Burmese models are viable alternatives to the global economy. Governments of South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines have welcomed the opportunity for reform. But if the current signs of recovery in Asia fail to live up to expectations, a lasting backlash could develop against the West. It could further harm

Asian interests and downgrade American influence in the South. The West must recognize the legitimacy of Asian concern over eroding values and social cohesion. Internal fragmentation is an authentic threat in the multi-ethnic state that characterizes much of Asia. In turn, Asia could recognize that Western countries have also been buffeted by globalization and that managing its challenges will be a central item on the policy agenda of Washington, London, Paris and Bonn long into the 21st century. This Asian experience of globalization defines the challenge of globalization in this part of the world: to make the transition from recognizing the existence of global problems to devising concrete instruments and establishing effective mobilization for change among Asian countries. It is in this context that I see the challenge to Asian universities and to Catholic universities. They are the highest formalized institutions of learning, research, instruction, extension services and social critique. They have teams of professors, instructors and research schooled in different disciplines and branches of knowledge. In Asia, during this critical period in its history, the uni-

IMPACT January 2006

o n

C a t h o l i c

H i g h e r

E d u c a t i o n
from traditional topics to contemporary issues is a common occurrence further leaving the universities behind other alternative institutions emerging to respond to these new phenomena. 2. Open debates and topics. In the hundreds of seminars, workshops, and conferences conducted by universities every year, involving in-house faculty and professors or invited resource persons from industry, science, government, the community, international scholars, there is a consistent lack of focus on in-depth movements and developments which are the burning topics occupying the biggest, most powerful, and often hidden or covert institutions of the world. 3. Research investigations. There is a wide dearth of lack of concern or investigations into these topics by the different research institutes or bodies of universities that they virtually get buried in the forgotten inventory of should be universities researches. 4. Extension services. In their extracurricular activities, universities fail to bring into their ambit of operations the type and kind of community services which would expose the general public to the complex and impactful programs and policies of the worlds most powerful institutions and agencies. Particular Implications for Catholic Institutions of Higher Learning The issues of globalization impose on our institutions of higher learning additional challenges. Globalization is a historical dynamics that embraces not only the realm of economics but also that of science, history, culture, and religion. It calls for a greater integration and conformity on the part of individual and groups as necessary for survival in human society. Although some thinkers suggest that it can remedy the worlds development problems, its future is frightening in view of its inherent contradictions that are ethically unsound and economically inappropriate in the struggle for just, sustainable, and participatory societies. Therefore our Catholic Universities should bring into the public debate on globalization our Social Teachings, the Catholic ethics vis--vis globalization. I

versities can contribute to make the transition successful. Unfortunately, taking the forefront in this issue are the research think tanks, government and international foundationsnot universities, not Catholic universities, particularly our Catholic universitiesstill steep in the traditional arts and sciences, are unable to move into new areas of intellectual challenge and to engage in public debate and scrutiny. So far removed are the universities and academics that they themselves are not called in to help sharpen the globalization issues or to identify alternative approaches or propose solutions beneficial to the welfare of the poor and salaried middle class. The elite, who comprise these discussants are not concerned about whether their rhetoric will boomerang back to their face and plunge them down to the problems with which the poor have to grapple with. They are above the negative impacts of these interventions and are equipped with resources to move above and beyond these problems. Why this palpable absence in the public discourse on globalization? There are several reasons or causes. Let us go over them briefly.

1. Universities have failed to shift their focus of attention and energy from the traditional actors of the institution itself, its faculty and experts, and its own primary concerns, to the more significant actors today of students, employers and society in general. By being so inward-looking, universities have missed out in addressing the concerns of their most important stakeholdersthe students and society. 2. Universities have not become sufficiently aware of the rise of the alternative institutions which provide learning, skills, knowledge, and non-formal education and training programs for a wide range of clienteletraining institutions by private business, research centers of government agencies, development agencies of multinational corporations, foundations, etc. These alternative agencies tend to become more costeffective, market-oriented, flexible and responsive to changing forces in the external environment. 3. These alternative learning and education/training institutions have incorporated the latest communications media, information technology, and skilled resource persons in their delivery systems, making the age-old lecture room, blackboard and chalk, and lecture methodologies appear so old, decrepit, ineffective, and out-of-date. 4. They are also one with the contemporary and future world, attuned to the prevailing questions and probities which touch on the future of mankind and this endangered planet. To be able to truly and effectively assist our counties make the transition the universities in Asia must seriously look into the following: 1. Instruction and programs of studies. These are new curricula or modern interventions based on market demand studies which can incorporate current events into a wide variety of programs such as liberal arts, economics, history, social science, political science, etc. Too often, the curricula contents were designated a decade ago, which hardly any updating; more with no reference to the issues which deeply intrude into peoples lives. The failure of universities to move their studies

Volume 40 Number 1

he Ateneo Center for Educational advantage, our educational institutions University. Since 1997, ACED has trained Development (ACED) was estab- are expected to achieve these twin goals: a total of 1,700 public school teachers in lished by the Ateneo de Manila Uni- Raise our national average in comparison about 14 DepEd divisions in Metro Maversity in 1997 in response to the call of to other countries on the one hand and, nila, Laguna, Pampanga, Aklan, closing the gaps the gap between our reduce the lower average variation below Kabankalan City (Negros Occ.) and Davao country and our Asian neighbors, and at that national average on the other hand. City. the same time the gap between Ateneo and While the policy of universal public eduThe Center recently conducted an the rest of the country. In a larger vision, cation has its merits, there is no denying impact assessment of the PSTTP through as a Christian Catholic University, closing that this has stressed the quality of our a special project called Baliktanaw this gap means continuing Jesus mission educational system near its limits. Teachers Congress, Revisiting the to create a community, within our families, ACED-PSTTP on February 20, 2004. This within our country and with our neigh- The ACED in Action: provided ACED an opportunity to ask bors, to be able to share and care for one past trainees of the teacher training proAs a response, the ACED was estab- gram of specific improvements in their another, closing the gap between God and lished to provide a systematic, high impact teaching career and classroom manageus. Focusing on the public educational and visible program of support for public ment styles. The survey revealed that on system where more than 90% of our Fili- school systems in the Philippines. Specifi- professional development, majority of pino children are enrolled, ACED became cally, the Center focuses it efforts in four teachers were (1) asked to teach a higher an important instrument of the university major areas of educational development: section, (2) given additional teaching in utilizing its resources to reach out to (1) Teacher Training and Development, (2) load and (3) given supervisory work afpublic schools, as a commitment to its Management Development for Schools, ter they have participated in the ACED missionan Ateneo that is not simply (3) Research & Development, and (4) Cur- program. involved in the formation of individuals riculum, Textbooks and Instructional MaIn terms of classroom management, who will be leaders in bringing about de- terials Development. teachers were able to (1) promote coopvelopment and change in the erative learning among their country but as an institution students; (2) construct quizplaying a role in institutional zes/tasks that promote critichange and development, "We strive to give them the best cal thinking; (3) write lesson particularly in the education plans that are more appropriprograms run by our best people. sector. ate; (4) use other resources But we also acknowledge that even In a larger perspective, (print/non-print) to enrich ACED responds to the relearning; (5) develop innowith the best program in mind, we newed call to involve privative instructional techmust remain sensitive to the unique vate entities in improving canologies; and (6) conduct pacities of public schools, new/alternative class activiconditions of the public schools." especially during a time of ties and instructional techpolitical and economic crinologies. sis: real per-capita spending on basic public education Principal Empowerment Program continues to lose impact as population The Public School Teacher Training Among the new programs of ACED is grows and teaching productivity has re- Program (PSTTP) the Leadership Program for public elemenmained low as evidenced in the declining Its flagship program, the ACED Pubachievement levels of Philippine public lic School Teacher Training Program tary and secondary school principals. schools vis--vis their Asian counterparts (PSTTP), provides public school teachers ACED realized that the development and in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. with opportunities to improve their con- training of public school heads as organiInternational standardized tests like tent development and instructional skills. zational professionals is as important as TIMSS (Trends in International Mathemat- This gives participants a stronger sense of its PSTTP, as this addresses the problem ics and Science Study), which shows that proper instruction and classroom man- of managing scarce school resources. This we are ranked 3rd from the bottom, have agement, in order to create a better learn- program is a whole year program that kicksmade the obvious more threatening: our ing environment. A team of faculty from off with a three-day and two-night live-in educational system is gradually falling the Loyola Schools, Grade School and colloquium that will provide a venue for apart. These findings are consistent even High School develops the modules and conversations on the important aspects of with our national exams, revealing that conduct the classes every Saturday morn- their roles, common concerns and chalonly half of our students in the public ing at the Ateneo campus for a total of 80 lenges as school heads. school have mastery of the core subjects hours (about 20 consecutive half-day sesThis activity also hopes to prepare in our curriculum (52 percent in Elemen- sions spread out from July to February of them in the succeeding academic modtary, NEAT 2001; 53 percent in Secondary, the school year). Public elementary and ules/sessions in the school year by NSAT, 2001). secondary school teachers are trained in strengthening their competencies, improvThese macro problems have a large the areas of English, Mathematics, Sci- ing their beliefs and attitudes, and in the implication for us as a Developing state. ence and Information Technology. At the process, increasing their effectiveness; Our main resource as a nation remains in end of the training, participants receive a after which eight academic modules are our skilled labor. For us to sustain this Certificate from the Ateneo de Manila designed based on the pressing problems

IMPACT January 2006

Fr. Dan McNamara, S.J. of Ateneo de Manila Universitys Physics Department demonstrates a physics concept during ACEDs Supervisors Training Seminar for public schools.

The Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED):

The Ateneo de Manila Universitys Response to the Call for National Development through Public Education
by Anne Lan H. Kagahastian-Candelaria and issues raised during the colloquium. These will then be delivered by a team of administrators and faculty from the Grade School, High School and the Education Department of the Loyola Schools beginning August through February. They are partnered with respected practitioners from the public education sectors in both the development and delivery of the modules. School-Community Development Framework During the course of ACEDs dynamic engagement with public schools and other major sectors involved in public education, it realized that macro-level involvement should be complemented with micro-level initiatives so that the target beneficiariesthe pupils in the public schoolcan fully experience the impact of such interventions. Thus, from May 2001 to June 2004, ACED managed a special project launched by the Ateneo de Manila University in partnership with Mr. Washington Sycip and Mr. Alfredo Velayo with an immediate goal of building commitment among the school leadership and school community, the Local School Boards and the business and civic groups. Dubbed, Project SSPEEd (Sectoral Support for Public Elementary Education), the project provided ACED with significant lessons and insights on how it can fuse macro-level interventions and micro-level involvement. Furthermore, SSPEEd provided a framework on how institutions can assist the public schools and create impact in the surrounding urban poor communities as well. At this juncture, the ACED finds ripe opportunities to link its more institutionalized networks and programs with a more grassroots approach towards addressing sustainability, effectivity and efficiency. Thus, ACED has since then moved into its other educational development areas. Specifically, ACED remains an active catalyst in the public schools and commu-

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Student of Payatas-B Elementary School doing remedial work in Mathematics.

nity as it has committed to support to the following public elementary schools: Payatas B Annex Elementary School Located in Barangay Payatas Trese, Payatas B Annex Elementary School has a population of about 820 pupils. Although the latter has had a hundred percent completion and graduation rate since it was established, it is ironic that it has dealt perennially with non-readers at all levels. The school started in 2001 with 81 nonreaders that ranged from 35 in Grade one to six. With the constant influx of pupils every year, the school currently has 199 non-readers, majority of which are found in the first grade. Payatas C (Madja-as) Elementary School The school is one of the most depressed urban poor areas in Quezon City. Although the school was established in 1983 through community bayanihan efforts, it has been deprived of infrastructural improvements, particularly new school buildings, since the school lot is not titled to the school or to the government. Lupang Pangako Elementary School The school is located about a hundred meters from the dumpsite in Payatas, Quezon City. Expectedly, majority of its 60,000 residents are informal settlers and relocates, around 15% of whom survive by garbage scavenging. Although such cir-

cumstance clearly puts the school in a clear disadvantage, the school leadership has succeeded in increasing the number of classrooms and computers. Bagong Silangan Elementary School This school is in Barangay Bagong Silangan, an urban poor community adjacent to Payatas, not far from the Batasan Complex that houses the House of Representatives. Bagong Silangan Elementary School has a population of about 6,000 pupils including more than 200 preschoolers. Even with infrastructural improvements and the construction of two three-storey buildings over the past two years, overcrowding remains to be a problem. This intimate partnership with the schools allows ACED to understand indepth the situation being faced by the public education sector as well as try to adopt and implement intervention programs that will help the school as an institution (or a system). This undertaking is rooted in the objective of preparing the school and community initiate and manage future systems and programs for the improvement of the whole school in the areas of infrastructure, human resource development, networking, and professional management of school and its relations with the community. This endeavor involves three stages: (1) School-based Research, (2) Strategic Plan-

ning with the school and community and (3) Capability-building training/programs that will support the implementation of the school plans. ACED firmly supports the precept that schools and community should establish a good communication system between one another to help identify problems as well as solutions concerning their childrens education and future. For this school year, ACED has already organized two school-based strategic planning workshops at the Ateneo on May 6-8, 2005 for Bagong Silangan Elementary School and Lupang Pangako Elementary School and on May 26-28, 2005 for Payatas B Annex Elementary School and Payatas C Elementary School. Facilitated by seasoned community developers, the workshops helped representatives of the school and communityteachers, principals, parents, pupils, barangay and LGU officials identify problems and construct feasible plans for three years. Each completed school plan becomes ACEDs basis for crafting capability-building programs in partnership with various institutions within and without the University. Research and Development Grounding on all these work, ACED believes that it should engage itself in research initiatives that will help other institutions set-up their own programs for the public education sector. Its recent research endeavor, entitled The Local School Board: Managing Local Reforms in Education takes a look at four cases of Local School Boards that have managed, developed and sustained programs that uplifted the quality of public education in their localities. The study analyzes important issues in reforming public education and good governance such as the role of leadership in reform, approaches to a more participatory process of reform, and transparency and accountability in resource mobilization, generation and utilization. The study was collaboration between ACED, Ateneo School of Government, Ateneo de Manila Political Science Department and Synergeia Foundation. It is funded by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Foundation through the Ateneo Center for Social Policy. The ADMU Soul: We Believe In all of ACEDs undertakings, whether in its Teacher Training Program,

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u c a t i o n a l
Leadership Program or its schools-andcommunity-based work, it seeks the support of all stakeholders in public education. This call of unity, to come together as one big community, to address the problems of public education has enabled ACED and the University to extend its resources to more teachers, principals and schools. Indeed, the burden becomes light if everyone helps carry the basket. The private sector and civic groups, over the years, have been generous partners to both the ACEDs training programs as well as some school-based projects. The local governments through its Local School Board readily allocates counterpart funding in every program that their teachers, principals and schools participate in. Funding support also comes from various government officials ranging from Congressmen to City Councilors. Civil society groups, local NGOs, local neighborhood groups, PTCA (Parent Teacher Community Associations) also participate in the planning and implementation of the schoolbased projects. Internally, the various units in the Ateneo de Manila University supported the ACED programs in many touching ways. Faculty and administrators willingly devote their Saturdays to train public school teachers and principals despite their full academic load from Monday to Friday. The University allocates an

D e v e l o p m e n t
amount equivalent to a 50% tuition discount for public school teachers currently attending the ACED programs each year for the last 7 years. And even if now that units are no longer required, the University has graciously offered discounts for the use of facilities, classrooms, library, and other resources to all ACED participants for the duration of their program. Students are also encouraged to reach out to the public schools. In fact on various occasions, ACED has conducted advocacy sessions for both students and faculty of the University concerning the crisis being faced by the public schools today. Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead There is one big lesson to be learned in the ACED experience of bringing forth social development through addressing the needs of public education, that is TRUST. We, as a nation, should learn how to trust each other in critical and challenging times. As an institution, ACED maintains a strong working relationship between the DepEd, the various government officials, private sector, civil society because it has been operating on a relationship grounded on the credibility and trustworthiness of the Ateneo. We strive to give them the best programs run by our best people. But we also acknowledge that even with the best program in mind, we must remain sensitive to the unique conditions of the public schools. We consult with our best people, but we also consult with people who know what is suited and needed by the public schools the public school themselves. For the past 8 years, ACED has engaged itself in various programs that helped shape the lives of children, teachers, school heads, and parents by showing them that if we just work together and trust one another, the crisis can be contained and eventually solved. However, the most valuable realization derived from this experience is that, in the Universitys attempt to heed the call to close the gaps between our country and our neighbors and between Ateneo and the rest of the public schools in the country, we have actually closed another kind of gap that is of equal, if not of more, importance as wellclosing the gap between ourselves. As a big university, the Ateneo has numerous academic units as well as nonacademic offices catering to thousand of students from the Grade School, High School, Loyola Schools and the Professional Schools. Finding a common direction in fulfilling that mission of serving others through public educational development programs has transformed the Ateneo from a rigid academic institution into a community of people who is committed in transforming this nation into something great. The challenge now is to multiply these programs into the various provinces in order to hasten public educational reforms that will help rebuild our country. ACED receives a lot of request to conduct programs and similar endeavors in the provinces. Since ACED coordinates and utilizes only existing resources and efforts of the university, it can only answer certain requests if there are available resources at that time. Thus, ACED calls on other academic institutions to consider offering educational development programs to help uplift the quality of public education towards a faster recovery of our nation. After all, our nation can become great again if we all work towards improving our educational systemhopefully, for them not to commit the same mistakes we made. I
(Anne Lan H. Kagahastian-Candelaria is currently the Managing Director of the Ateneo Center for Educational Development or ACED. She also teaches Fundamentals of Public Management, Current Issues in Philippine Politics and Governance, and Introduction to Politics and Governance at the Ateneo de Manila University. The above article is her paper presentation during the 2005 National Convention of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines held last September 14-16, 2005 in Davao City Ed.)

Dr. Arsenio Honrejas, Payatas-C Elementary School Principal, with PCTA officers and teachers during ACEDs School/Community-based Planning Workshop.

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very beginning of a year Im always tempted to call out, We say, HAPPY NEW YEAR! But is the yearly noisy merrymaking all there is to happiness? Are our new acquisitions, new cars, new clothes, new pairs of shoes, new years resolutions and other externals all there is to being new? This is the challenge that thinking people, the young ones and the young once, ask: Is HAPPY NEW YEAR really HAPPY and NEW? Is it a reality or just a stale wish? I once greeted my spiritual director in high school seminary, Happy New Year, Father! His answer was as quick as it was startling, Its up to you! I thought it was a witty way of saying that what we do with our lives is one big factor to making our year happy and new, save for the fact that very often even our best decisions and actions dont translate into happiness or even newness. What or who really makes us happy and new? We dont have to rack our brains for the answer. Right. Only God does. Because of this we start the year, for example, with the celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Why? Because she is filled with God. She is our example and model par excellence of the truly happy person with an endlessly new freshness in her. The archangel Gabriel describes her characteristic situation at the Annunciation by the Greek greeting kecharitomene, (Hail, favored one. The Lord is with you [Lk 1:28]). In truth, the Lord was dwelling in her womb as he has always been dwelling in her whole person. When we say she is the Blessed Virgin Mary, we have to remember that blessed is another expression of the original Greek favored one which is translated into the Latin beata, that is, happy. Mary is happy because her whole self, her whole life is filled with the Lords presence. Gods presence in her womb makes happiness possible for others too. So says Elizabeth in Lk 1:44: For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leapt for joy. The book of Numbers confirms this conviction that blessedness comes from God because the very blessing God asks Moses to bestow on Israel is one that points to God himself and his acts among his people and the world. The Lord said to Moses: Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! (Numb 6:22-26). Experts of the Scriptures say that these words are, in a real sense, revelatory of God as Trinity and of the Triune Gods distinct acts as Father, namely, being Creator and Protector; as Son, namely, being Revealer of Truth (of God and of man); and as Holy Spirit, namely, being Inspirer and Source of Peace. St. Paul in his letter to the

Galatians tells us that the life of this Triune God was given to us, as adopted sons, through the Son born on Christmas Day but that this Son was born of a woman (Gal 4:4) who, we know, is Mary. If someone helped you get a promotion at work or in your career or profession you will, no doubt, be very grateful to that person. Mary helped us obtain the highest and most undeserved promotion from being images and likenesses of God to being children of God by consenting to be the Mother of Gods Son. For this reason we owe Mary an immeasurable and eternal debt of gratitude. Indeed for this reason alone we owe Mary every expression of honor we can give, otherwise known as hyperdulia (the highest honor/veneration given to a human being, higher than that we give to the saints) but not equal to the worship we render only to God himself, otherwise called latria. A saying has it that the greatest honor we give a person is imitating that person. The evangelist Luke tells us that one essential character of Mary worth imitating is her total openness to God, especially as reflected in her deeply prayerful attitude to the events surrounding her life and that of her Son Jesus. Lukes expression, And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart (Lk 2:19) is another way of saying Mary was a deeply prayerful person since she constantly listened to God. Prayer, according to the experience of the Mother of God, the happiest and the ever new solitary boast of our race, is listening not only to what God is saying by word, i.e., through the Scriptures, but also to what he is saying nonverbally, i.e., through the events of life. Mary stands out as a pray-er or person who prays: constantly open and humbly submissive to God in everything. From the very beginning Mary is filled with God whose presence allowed no trace of original sin to touch her. There is little wonder, then, that she became the Mother of God. But also because of her openness to God who is the Fount of all Truth, in Mary we find perfect peace. In fact, who can forget that being Mother of God, Mary is also Mother of the Prince of Peace? This years papal theme expresses it: In truth, peace. Pope Benedict XVI in his first message on the 2006 World Day of Peace, says that peace is founded on the truth, truth about God and truth about who we are. For example he says that there are two present threats to peace in our world: nihilism and fundamentalism, the root of terrorism. Both teach us lies about God and ourselves. Nihilism denies Gods existence and his provident presence in history; fundamentalism strives to impose its perceived truth(s) about God and thus disfigures his loving and merciful countenance, replacing him with idols made in its own image (Benedict XVI, The Problem of

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Happy and New?

Think Again
by Rev. Euly B. Belizar, Jr., SThD Truth and Untruth is Concern of Every Man and Woman, Message for 06 World Day of Peace, n. 10). In consequence, these two threats try to make us believe two lies: that we can either live without God or impose on others, even by violent and unjust means, our convictions about him. Quoting John Paul IIs message on the 2002 World Day of Peace, the Holy Father reiterates, Those who kill by acts of terrorism actually despair of humanity, of life, of the future. In their view, everything is to be hated and destroyed (John Paul II, Message on the 2002 Word Day of Peace, n. 6). How do we deal as Christians with the threats of nihilism and fundamentalism? For a very good start, lets look on Mary. Her pervasive openness to God through prayerful listening to his Word is the bane of nihilism. Her loving attention to Elizabeth and the newly married couple at Cana who ran out of wine teaches us that service in love is the best expression of true religion, not violent imposition of our religious views. If we as individuals and as communities truly follow in her steps we would be able to experience peace which St. Augustine calls tranquillitas ordinis (the tranquility of order), explained by Pope Benedict XVI the Holy Father as a situation which ultimately enables the truth about man to be fully respected and realized (Message for 06 World Day of Peace, n. 4). What is the truth about man? That we are Gods children, brothers and sisters to one another and to all other human beings. Therein lies the key to peace. Henry Ford was once asked the secret of his successful marriage on its 50 th anniversary. He answered: I use the same formula that you see with my cars: I stick to one model. We can also be successful men and women of peace by sticking to one human model: the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Mother of Peace. I

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A
he raid in Albuera, Leyte, about 570 km southeast of Manila, started at 8:30 p.m. local time January 6 when a leader of New Peoples Army (NPA) rebel group shouted, attack! No one was hurt when 15 rebels stormed a police station adjacent to the municipal hall but they carted away 21 pieces of M-16 rifles and nine .38 caliber pistols deposited at the polices armory. Few meters away from the station were around 40 more insurgents serving as lookout. To slow down any pursuing rescue team, they burned tires and strewn rocks and other rubbish on the road as they fled aboard two vans and a multi-purpose cab. Nine days after, 4 soldiers were killed and eight were injured in an ambush in Motiong, Samar province. This recent attack is reportedly intended to give a punch to the government forces as rebels made good on their vow to intensify offensives. It has been more than year now since the negotiations between the Arroyo government and the communist rebels aimed at ending the five-decade-long conflict was suspended with still no substantial progress in sight. Peace remains as vague as ever. A framework to guide the actual peace talks in fact have already been made ever since the past administrations but clashes of opinions and apparent distrust on both sides is on top. In August 2004, the National Democratic Front (NDF) postponed formal negotiations with the government to comply with its obligations according to the Hague Joint Declaration approved in 1992 and other agreements. It proclaims the need for peace talks to address the roots of the conflict and arrive at reforms. At least three substantive issues awaited discussion: constitutional reforms, socio-economic reforms and disposition of forces that are the core of the present armed conflict. President Arroyo announced her plans for furthering peace talks as one of the key issues to be tackled by her government this year. Whether the process will move on, it remains to be seen. Apparently, the peace dialogue with the National Democratic Front (NDF) is at a crucial juncture. In fact, Luis Jalandoni, NDF spokesman admitted that the chance for peace talks is already dim. The rebel group had broken off formal negotiations last year and cited governments failure to honor agreements it had forged with them. Prejudicial questions In 1995, the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) was mutu-

S
Adviser on the Peace Process Rene Sarmiento. The Norwegian government is considering possible setback in its role as neutral facilitator had it aligned itself from the said terrorist listing. Norway has been active participating settlements all over the world. The first round of the resumption of peace talks was held in Oslo in April 2001. The GRP and the NDF Peace Panel approved to cooperate in finishing the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms within six months from June 2001. Unfortunately, during the second round in June 2001, the GRP postponed indefinitely the peace talks until 2004 because of the killing of Colonel Rodolfo Aguinaldo by the NPA. The Norwegians are very much interested in the progress of the peace process. They were concerned when the talks were disrupted because of Aguinaldos death. But Norway has always been open to host the talks whenever the two parties are ready. More road blocks There seems to be a bigger problem. Negotiations were said to resume in October 2005 but were postponed again after the communist rebels called for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyos resignation following a jueteng expose and the alleged wiretapped tapes that implicated the President in poll fraud. The CPP-NPA-NDF has been encouraging mass movement for the ouster of President Arroyo. She is declared by the people as unfit to govern because of loss of trust and credibility due to evidence of massive cheating in the elections, corruption and subservience to the US. The NDF proposed that the Arroyo administration should be replaced a transitional council composed of representatives of different mass movements and the broad united front but stated that they are not going to participate in such council. Such council shall be the field of work of the legal democratic movement. But the government is still determined to push the peace negotiation this year. Whether the mired negotiations between the Government and the NDF will succeed, its still anybodys guess. Theres a sparkle of hope for as long as there are Filipinos who call as absurd the killing of Filipinos by Filipinos, says a peace advocate. But the roads for a resolution to this one of the worlds oldest insurgency problem are present, and peace advocates said that every administration should pursue, even if it has to keep its patience to the limit for its quest for a genuine reconciliation with all anti-government groups in the country.

ally approved to protect the panelists. On October 5, 2005, however, the government suspended the JASIG as a response to the NDFs persistent refusal to peace negotiations and continued atrocities committed by the rebel forces. Just last January 10, communist rebels attacked three mobile phone transmission towers. The government also condemned the use of landmines by the rebels in their offensives as violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). With the move, 97 NDF personnel covered by the JASIG with standing warrants of arrest can be arrested and the suspension of their criminal proceedings can be lifted Testing the governments sincerity to pursue peace, the NDF is desirous that the government resolve the following issues before the Govt-NDF talks are resumed: Terrorist listing. The NDF demands the government to at least speak out against the US and European terrorist listing of the CPP-NPA-NDF. Instead of protesting US intervention, the Arroyo regime in fact invites it, the CPP said in a statement. Indemnification of human rights victims. Almost 10, 000 victims of human rights violations under the Marcos dictatorship have won their case in the US Court of Hawai. But NDF protested that the government reamin unjust to these victims by preventing them from seeking justice in the Philippines. Release of political prisoners. During the formal peace talks in Oslo on June 22, 2004, the NDF negotiating panel presented a list of 270 political prisoners and asked for their release. Of high priority are some Mamburao farmers, the sick and the elderly, women and children, and those whose release orders were signed already by President Arroyo in 2001 but have not yet been released to date. Acts of killings. The NDF urged the government to make effective steps to stop the killings of human rights advocates and militant leaders and members. Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples Rights documented more than 400 extra-judicial killings and 130 disappearances since Arroyo assumed power in January 2001. Host country Little headway has been made. Norway would not align itself with the US and European list of terrorist organizations. It is a positive development. This means that Norway is still willing to continue their role as third-party facilitator in the peace talks between the GRP and the CPP-NPA, says Deputy Chief of the Office of the Presidential

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The Persistence of Insurgency in the Philippines

by Roy Q. Lagarde

The NDF has yet to decide again with the invitation of the government for another round of dialogue and the scenarios are not that invigorating. Digging the roots Inspired by Soviet communism, it was in 1930 when the maiden Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) was organized and aimed to establish a Soviet-type government in the Philippines. They also formed a military arm known as Hukbalahap, which kept the resistance throughout the Japanese occupation and contributed significantly to the return of the United States in 1944. At its most basic, the ideal of communism is a system in which everyone is seen

as equal and wealth is distributed equally among the people. There is no private ownership. After the War, the Huks took part in the formation of the independent government in 1946, and participated in the political arena. Its winners, however, were not allowed to take seats in the legislature because they were communists. Hence, they resumed their armed struggle calling themselves as Hukbong Magpapalaya ng Bayan (HBM). The CPP then, was re-established on 1968 following Maoist ideology in analyzing the chronic crisis besetting the country. They cried foul against US intervention in Philippine politics and denounced landlord domination of the countrys economy. It was during the Marcos period that the CPP sym-

pathizers and members started to increase and mutated into an armed struggle thru the NPA, CPPs military arm formed in 1969, against Marcos dictatorship. Its political arm or the umbrella organization of all leftistsoriented groups in the countrythe NDF, was set up in the 1970s. At its climax in the 1980s, the NPA controlled more than 25,000 troops and drew middle-class support for fighting the Marcos regime. Its ranks at present, however, dwindled to an estimated 8,000 but still the rebels have become more active in conducting offensives with government forces in the previous months. Immediately after former President Aquino came to power in 1986, she started talks with the NDF but the negotiations collapsed in 1987. More dialogues have been made by the next administrationsfrom Ramos to Arroyo, but so far, they have not been successful. Communism in Eastern Europe collapsed for a number of reasons. One factor was because it had no political basis or support. It was riddled with economic problems and, in comparison to capitalism, was a complete failure. More so, like their former comrades in Russia and Eastern Europe, communism is dead in the hearts and minds of its people in China. Now, even communist party leaders are conceding that private enterprises are there to stay as an important part of the socialist, market economy. Why has communism lingered like a malady in the Philippines? While much of Asia has discarded communism for capitalism, resilience of communism still persists in the Philippines. The reasons are simple, according to analysts. Poverty and social inequity are growing, and the political levers are held by the landowning Philippine elite, which has dragged its feet on agrarian reform since the restoration of democracy in 1986. Even our governments counter- communist insurgency efforts have been characterized by brutality and corruption and some people are of the belief that a section of the military feels it is in its interest not really to totally defeat insurgencies, because it gives them something to dofinancial gains if you may. At the end of the day, it can be argued that the best panacea to insurgency is good governance. On the premise that communism thrives on conflict or contradiction, it was the bad governance of Marcos that gave it a lift, on the same breath that it plummeted during the administration of Ramos. It is no wonder therefore that this Arroyo government is an encouragement to the growth of communist insurgency in the country. I

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patent paradoxor so it is. While the first day of the year, January 1, is greeted with the annual celebration of World Peace Day, the more inescapable it seems to rather easily be engulfed by the dumbing din of unpeace division, conflicts, strifes and wars, violence, terrorism, aggression and oppression, assault on civil liberties and human rights, etc.all in the intra-national or domestic, national, regional, international, and global levels. While modern-day advancements in information and communication technology would have supposedly narrowed the gaps to bring forth Marshall McLuhans global village, peoples and nations, as it were, are invariably coming apart, if not polarized, at the seams. Ostensibly, contemporary world eventsor, bluntly put, protocols of the new world (dis)orderundeniably unveil the despicable indicators of unpeace: the continuing profligate occupation of alien territories and subjugation of peoples by powerful countries (US on Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.; Israel on Palestine; Russia on Chechnya and areas of Asian Dagestan; China on Tibet; Pakistan and India on Kashmir; Indonesia on West Papua and Timor Leste; Morocco on Western Sahara; and a lot more); the ethnic and religious strifes in Sri Lanka, Bosnia and Rwanda; the lingering tensions between China and Taiwan, North and South Koreas; the domestic armed struggles in some countries (the Acehnese in Indonesia; the NPAs in the Philippines, not to mention the countrys deepening political crisis and alarming incidents of terrorism and criminal activities); intra-national and global arms trade; and, of course, not excluding the heightened global anxiety and fear carried out in the name of Americas war on terror resulting to massive assault on civil liberties and human rightsboth in domestic and international frontsand thus, more than ever, as not only few aptly observe, fragile freedoms are unwittingly held under pressure in virtually every corner of the globe. Inarguably hence, on cursory blush, the contemporary world, or even likely since time immemorial, is yet bereft of a universal and lasting peace, let alone the annual observance of World Peace Day. Present-day realitiesakin to the greedy protocols of global hegemonyundeniably eschew or evade the possibility, much less the immanence, of a genuine human solidarity, world peace and cooperation. Even more, for some, this candid estima-

S T O R Y
But, what did precipitate the contemporary unpeace or declining world order? Professor Richard Falk, a noted international law and human rights expert, readily attributes Americas imperial geopolitics as the principal culprit for the present-day unpeace and declining world order. Similarly too, Chandra Muzzafar, president of the International Movement for a Just World, cannot agree more in blaming Americas grand agenda of global hegemony that hurriedly sent its war drums beating to invade Afghanistan and Iraq after the 9/11 tragedy and thereon precipitated likewise Americas global war on terror. Not that US global hegemonic pursuits, and so with its grim consequences of having claimed millions of human lives, did only commence with the September 11, 2001 tragic eventit even dates further back to the 1940s. Chandra Muzzafar, in his article The Tyranny of Terror; the Triumph of Truth , published in the November-December 2001 issue of Impact, particularly notes, US hegemony extends throughout the world(it) began on 6 August 1945 with the bombing of Hiroshima which obliterated thousands of innocent people from the face of the earth. It is estimated that 3 million people died in Vietnam and Indochina so that the US could maintain its hegemonic power. And in Panama, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Chile, and indeed the whole of Latin America, from fifties to the eighties, tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children had perished as a result of a superpowers desire to perpetuate its control and dominance through covert operations, espionage activities, assassination squads, economic strangulation and organized political subversion. Likewise, on hindsight, authors Johan Galtung and Dietrich Fischer (To End Terrorism, End State Terrorism, December 2002 issue of Impact) claim that since 1945, the US has intervened abroad 67 times causing 12 million deaths, about half through overt action by the Pentagon and the other half through covert action by the CIA. And what about the death ledger sheet of Americas terror war in Iraq? Only last month, early December of 2005, US President George Bush openly admitted before media reporters: How many Iraqi citizens have died in this war? I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis. Weve lost about 2,140 of our own troops in Iraq.

tionnay an outright oversimplification but albeit bordering likely on upright pessimismof current declining world order has been pushed further to even render the futility of the ever-strident yet neverending debate or discourse on peace, or world peace in particular. Really, its but quite exasperating, if not plainly futile, to be talking about peace when year in and year out, the victims of oppression, aggression and exploitation continue to suffer their lot and whereas the high and mighty hold on to the status quo of conflict, violence, aggression, or oppression to perpetuate their dominance. I am certainly for peace, but perhaps it is high time to stop talking or cut short on rhetorics and rather delve on concrete action or tangible results for peace, a prominent Catholic archbishop from the Philippines recently said. Curiously, wherefore, have the affairs of this one civilized world helplessly pushed us to acquiesce both the egregious impossibility, seemingly so, of collective human solidarity or world peace and the inevitability of war or violence? Or, have war, violence or aggression inevitably become a permanent scourge, a sine qua non to humanity and the world? Pax Americana: The root of unpeace or declining world order In such spheres of war, inter-societal or inter-national aggression, terrorism and armed conflict, the truism on the cyclical notion of history (history repeats itself) can no less be adduced. Gone are the grand old glories of the Roman Empire, the regal exploits of Spanish and Portuguese conquistadores, the purportedly benign pursuits of English and American colonialism, the horror of Hitlers Germany and World War II, and others morebut their similar repressive, exploitative, or oppressive upshots are invariably reverberated even more to this day. The Israeli occupation and settlement of the West Bank and Gaza, the Iran-Iraq war of 1980, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Chechnya, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the US in Afghanistan and Iraq, China in Tibet, the Russians in the Caucasus, India and Pakistan parceling up Kashmirto mention a feware but present day repetitions of humanitys cyclical history of war, violence and armed conflict. Indeed, then as now, the fate of weaker nation-states are decided, if not dictated, by other powerful countries.

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Peace in a Divided World

by Bob Acebedo

The marks of a declining world order are inescapably tellingpolarization of world powers with the US spearheading the global hegemony, vicious violence of terrorism and counter-terrorism, repressive upshots of globalization, domestic and global arms trade, religious and ethnicracial strifes, and more. Are there yet chances for peace?

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Americas imperial geopolitics or global hegemony provided its agenda for a new world order (if disorder?)Pax Americanaequally spelling out its hegemonic stance on world peace. For the US, to maintain peace is to prepare for warand for Bush, the world must accept war as the only moral and workable option. But, verily, this is a rather eschewed world order policy cadged from Americas abattoir of global imperialism; while projecting itself as the worlds super cop, America exposes all the more its latent hegemonic interest of global economic domination. President Bushs neo-conservative policy-approach of unilateralism best exhibits or reflects Americas imperial geopolitics. Bushs strategic agenda or plans were made evident in the National Security Strategy document released in September 20, 2002. This document laid out in stark, arrogant detail the US military strategy and its political rationale. It dismisses deterrence, containment and other strategic perspectives as Cold War relics. It unashamedly adopts unilateralism as an approachon convincing or compelling states to accept their sovereign responsibilities. It speaks in blunt terms what it calls American Internationalism, i.e., ignoring international opinion if that suits US interests. It asserts an American right to preemptive attack against its perceived enemies whether individuals or governments. Of course, Americas enormous military superiority worldwidea principal requisite in carrying out its hegemonic endscannot at all be doubted. From the outbreak of World War II, Americas 174,000 US Army reportedly rose to 1.4 million standing army and 2.5 million reserve army in 2001. And by far, as of date, the US maintains overseas military bases in almost 60 territories worldwide, which includes: Afghanistan, American Samoa, Antigua, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Columbia, Cuba, Curacao, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Greenland, Guam, Honduras, Iceland, Diego Garcia (Indian Ocean), Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Johnston Atoll (Pacific), Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kwajalein Atoll (Pacific), Kygyzstan, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, St. Helena (Atlantic), Tajikistan, Turkey, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Virgin Islands, Wake Island (Pacific).

S T O R Y

The War on Terrorism The 9/11 tragedy it was that prompted the Bushs administrations launching of the global war on terrorism. Americas invasion of Afghanistan and its unprovoked aggression in Iraq, as well as the appalling assault on civil liberties, have been carried out in the name of the war on terror. Since then, President Bush has relentlessly been trotting around the globe preaching the gospel of terror war and prodding other nation-states to follow suit in drawing up and enacting counter-terrorism measures that range from stringent overtcovert police action to government-state legislations that run across or closely stifle human rights, civil liberties and fragile freedomsand suddenly, every corner of the world, from Bethlehem to Bogota, is deigned prone to terror. Touted as Total Information Awareness, the Pentagon mustered every potential of modern information-communication technologyclosed circuit TV, biometrics, national identity cards, PC monitoring, remote-sending satellites, CAPPS (Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening Index), etc. to scour data or information for the US Master Terror Watchlist, which now has more than five million names on it. The world picture of post-9/11 War on Terror is remarkably chilling. The US continues to hold over 600 detainees in

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, outside the protection of US courts and law. The US Patriot Act which restricts the rights of both citizens and non-citizens, has provided a template for anti-terrorist laws in many countries. In Britain, more than 500 people have been arrested on terrorist-related charges. Italy and Holland are number one and two in Europe in wiretapping their citizens. In Iraq, about 20,000 armed soldiers are employed by private military contractors, mostly from Britain and the US. Russia has consistently used War on Terror as an excuse to engage in extrajudicial executions, arrests and extortion of civilians as part of its continued occupation of Chechnya. The Australian government has scapegoated asylum-seekers as potential terrorists and either prevented them from entering or kept them in prison camps. In Djibouti, 100,000 residents were expelled in October 2003 because they represented a potential terrorist threat to the peace and security of the country. In Southern Thailand, Thai security forces were responsible for the death of 78 Muslim demonstrators in fall of 2004. Bangladesh is trying to amend its telecommunications law to make illegally intercepted emails usable as evidence in Court. In Uganda, the suppression of Terrorism Bill 2001 imposes a mandatory death sentence for terrorists. These and others more are appalling consequences of Americas global war

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Peace
on terror. However, criticspeace advocates and human rights activistsfrom all over the world are quick to assail that Americas War on Terror is primarily missing the point: it has miserably failed to address the real roots of terrorism and has instead diverted the worlds attention from the deeper roots of global insecurity as poverty, disease and environmental decline. Critics contend that terrorism cannot simply be eliminated or resolved by a demonstration of military force, dispatching troops, sealing borders, or creating a world garrison state in which peoples may come to witness global surveillance, an all-inclusive control of private life, and a drastic reduction in the free circulation of citizens across the planet, across borders. Terrorism, according to Michael Renner of Worldwatch Institute, is only symptomatic of a far broader set of deep concerns that have produced a new age of anxiety. Accordingly, Radmila Nakarada, Belgrade University professor, points out the far deeper roots of terrorism: unresolved national aims or denial of statehood, and the inhuman side of globalization. Responses (to terrorism) have been inappropriate because a blind eye has been turned to the deeper ethnic, social and cultural roots of terrorism. The most widespread forms of terrorism is linked to the unresolved national aims and the denial of a statehood that is violently pursued. The tragedy in America represents a novelty because, for the first time, the target was not just the US as a state but as the hegemonic actor of global orderthe repressive, inhuman side of globalization is a powerful source of terrorism. Hand in hand across the planet march the fabulous wealth of the greedy giants, and the globalization of poverty. The passive hopelessness and helplessness is transformed into active extremism and fundamentalism which constitute the broad social base of small terrorist groups. In addition, the aggressive globalization driving forcefully the world into a uniform cultural mould inevitably provokes violent reactions, noted Nakarada in his article The Tragedy of a Tragedy: Global Terrorism and Repressive Globalization. But, as poverty has often been factored to fuel terrorism, Chandra Muzzafar of the International Movement for a Just World particularly opposes the claim. In

in

Divided

Word

an interview-article published in the March 2003 issue of Impact, Muzzafar explained, In many of the analyses that have emerged on the causes of terrorism, poverty has often been suggested as one of the factors. This is totally off the mark. Individuals and groups sometimes resort to acts of terror in their attempt to thwart the hegemonic grip of some state or power, which, in their opinion, has denied them justice or dignity. The people involved in those acts of terror may be quite wealthy, as Osama was, or well educated or even religious in the conventional sense. It is their perception of the denial of justice and dignity which is the critical factor. And what appears to figure prominently in their notion of justice and dignity is the question of identity and sovereignty. The struggles of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Basque movement in Spain, the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka, the Chechens in Russian, the Kashmiris in India, the Palestinians in the Middle East all revolve around dignity, identity and sovereignty. Indeed, if there is any one issue that is central to the problem of terror it is the desire to affirm and assert ones identity. The War of Peace Ideologies or Models In such age of a declining world order, not only the vicious cycle of violence (as that of 9/11 to Afghanistan and Iraq invasions), of lingering protracted intra-national and inter-national strifes or

conflicts, of terrorism and counter-terrorism conspicuously spawn to the fore but even also the likely irreconcilable clash among peace ideologues who are all contriving to proffer their individual proposals or models of social order and peace. Likely enough, peace has invariably become more complicated a concept to be defined as it has even more become less realized in the concrete world order. Certainly, however, all peace ideologues and advocates agree on the notion that peace does imply not only the negation or mere absence of war, conflict, or violence (such otherwise naively smacks of vacuous tranquility) but importantly the active or workable presence and immanence of Justice, Dignity, Freedom and Sovereignty, Truth, Compassion and Respect. But even so, just as the absence of conflict or violence in a given situation is already pragmatically elusive (and, more so, is practically impossible in such case as total or absolute absence of conflict or violence), the relatively varying notions and explications of Justice, Freedom, Sovereignty and Dignity equally pose to be problematic among different cultural settings. Indeed, even as the current declining world order has unfailingly accommodated the strident yearning for peace, ideologies or models of peace and social order do vary in many ways than one. One, peace has often been associated with development. Simply put, peace springs forth with development. But again, development is obviously so broad a term as it is in meaning and concept and is

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C O V E R
openly suspect to some qualifying or delimiting specificationseconomic, cultural, religious-spiritual, etc. The problem becomes manifest when peace is narrowly equated to construe a limited aspect of development, e.g. economic, and the other essential elements are overlooked. Then, there is the classless society ideological model of peace, represented by Marxist-communism. Peace, it is argued, is attained at the cost of relentless class struggle or conflict. However, the utopia of classless society has been proven historically, if not pragmatically, unfeasible as demonstrated by the breakdown of Communist Europe. Also, othersAsians particularly would yearn with coveted emulation for peace formulae demonstrated or modeled by the touted economic miracles of developed countries in Asiathe stateauthoritarianism of Singapore, the democratic religious-political tolerance of Malaysia, the protectionist approach of Japan, and others. But still, it may be gleaned that Asia is so diverse in culture that individual countries have trekked the path of development along with their endemic cultural ingredients. But, on the whole, notwithstanding the foregoing models or approaches of peace, Hannah Newcombe of Peace Research Institute Dundas contends that the debate or battle of peace models viewed on long-range, fundamental approachesis narrowed down to only two basic models: one is world federal government and the other is principled nonviolence. The proponents of these two alternatives to the current world order, according to Newcombe, have not always been on friendly terms. The pacifist wing of the peace movement has faulted world government model for its continued reliance on violence i.e. enforcing world law against international criminals, or UN peacekeeping forces using weapons, even if rarely. The internationalist wing of the peace movement saw nonviolence as offering no answers to the problem of deliberate evil-doers, Newcombe said. The two approaches or models, world federal government and principled nonviolence, if taken to extremes, have their individual definitive drawbacks. Newcombe explains the individual characteristics and limitations of the two models: At its worst, the world government proposals are too centralizing, even if federal structure is postulated. They make Hobbesian assumption about human nature, and extend them to the international arena: just as individuals need a strong government to prevent them from mutual killing and stealing, so do nations. The Hobbesian solution is adopted, giving the government a monopoly of violence. Some schemes suggest that nuclear weapons should be transferred to the world government, while individual nations are disarmed. This begs the question of tyrannywhat if those centralized weapons of mass destruction are used to terrorize everybody into obeying a tyrant? The world government model at its worst is too state-oriented, ignoring other actors on the world stage, such as peoples organizations, churches, or multinational corporations The nonviolence model also has drawbacks. It tends to be anarchist, as does the Green Movement. While small may be beautiful, global problems still require global solutions. Radioactive contamination, acid rain, and global warming do not respect national borders, or even the borders of bio-regions. The movements model of human nature tends to be in the noble savage tradition of Rousseau: people would get along just fine if governments left them alone. Human nature is likely to be somewhere between the conceptions of Hobbes and Rousseau. The prohibition of violence is sometimes too extreme; a pilot gone crazy and about to bomb Russia and trigger nuclear war should not be shot down, according to this absolutist view. Also, avoidance of verbal and psychological violence as well as physical violence would leave us almost unable to communicate in conflict situations. No manipulation or coercion? This seems equally unrealistic; we all do it all the time, though usually without physical violence. Moreover, in practice the nonviolent movement also manipulates and coerces others. While the world-government is too statist, the nonviolence movement is too individualist. Grounds for Optimism In the face of the current declining world orderpolarization of world powers spearheaded by Americas global hegemony; inhuman or repressive consequences of globalization; domestic and global arms trade; religious, ethnic and racial strifes and violence; global

S T O R Y

anxiety of terrorism and counter-terrorism; intra-national and inter-national armed conflictsare there yet chances for peace? Indeed, even peace ideologues are not one in contriving a common formula for peace. But there is no arguing though that the world certainly shares a common humanity and that peace is indeed an irrepressible yearning present in the heart of each person, regardless of his or her particular cultural identity. For such, hence, some common grounds may be postulated to pave the way or chances of peace. One, theres no denying that man is social by nature. The Second Vatican Council aptly puts it: God did not create man for life in isolation, but for the formation of social unity. And even a consideration of mans physical and psychological characteristics also shows mans natural sociability. Hence, between the individual man and society, the common good holds eminence over the private good. If peace then can be equated as good, it is imperative that it be oriented towards the good of societyor the greatest interest for the greater number of peopleover private good or individual interest.

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New Year's / from p. 27

articuprocess is accounted for in the Bible as an angel wrestling with him the whole night. At the end, he was given a name, a new one, a new beginning because of what he discovered in himself. He was called Israel, that is, strong with God. That night experience gave Jacob the strength to face his brother and all the other succeeding events of his life. He was reconciled not only to his brother, but to himself. The night helped him did that. Yes, the night offers inwardness, it offers aloneness. Freed of vision, we see inside. Primary concerns emerge; much that seemed demanding and important is now seen as a trick played by the light. As one poet said: Darkness is the black cape of the magician laid gently upon the world, until all that seemed certain vanishes, and we question comprehension itself. We can then search in a new way. It is no wonder that God works at night. When he cre-

ated the sun, the moon and the stars, the birds of the air, the fishes in the sea, the beasts in the field, and finally man, he was actually hovering in the darkness of chaos, of night. When he freed His people from the slavery of Egypt, he was there under cover of the night, fighting alone the enemy of his chosen people. And when the fullness of time came, God came into this world to bring peace to all men of good willit was night. And so, when I saw our people braved the nights of Christmas and shook off with disdain the heavy rain, the muddy road, and the black outs, then with high hope I said: Our nation will survive. It nurtures people who know the power of the night and the need for God. Happy New Year! +LEONARDO Y. MEDROSO, DD Bishop of Borongan

Another is that, in such an imperfect world, theres no arguing the fact that all forms of violence, including verbal and psychological, cannot be totally eradicated or eliminated; otherwise, as Newcombe said, avoidance of verbal and psychological violence as well as physical violence would leave us almost unable to communicate in conflict situations. Moreover, Newcombe adds, the absence of any form of manipulation or coercion seems equally unrealistic. But even so, notwithstanding the declining order, the imperfect world is certainly not devoid of order or, nonetheless, the possibility for greater order or growthand hence, likewise the possibility or chances for peace. Finally, no doubt, violence indeed germinates or begins in the minds or hearts of people. Hence, the efforts or work of peaceand its related tenets as intercultural sensitivity, mutual respect, shared spirituality, sense of social justice, etc.to conquer or resolve violence should likewise begin in the hearts and minds of people. Peace, wherefore, likewise srpings forth from the heart of man and a heart of peace might just as well pave for a world of peace. I

Oh God, bless this nation in crisis.

Heal our countrys wounds. Unite the Silent Majority who long for truth, justice, and peace. Grant us the power and wisdom to fight for the common welfare. Help us seal the door where evil dwells. May light, love and grace restore Gods plan for us.
http://www.silentmajorityprayer.org/

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S
ements with an arbitrary and abrupt move. There are other manifestations of the same paranoia. Another feminist group, now banding themselves as an NGO in Bohol, is busy teaching young girls about the different techniques of safe sex, including a taste test of the different flavors condoms now have. The problem with the radical feminist movement is that while it raises legitimate questions and issues worthy of public attention and concern, it also pursues and promotes an ideology that not only is antiChristian, but also is clearly anti-human. Thus, its proponents deftly use nice words and concepts, such as reproductive health, responsible parenthood, and the like, while at the same time rewriting moral law by promoting contraception, sterilization, even abortion. They can talk about rights of women over their own bodies, taking this to mean that women have the absolute right to do anything with their bodies because these are theirs. In short, the Church should not pontificate on this matter. Let the women be absolutely free with respect to their bodies! Now, in many international conferences, radical feminists not only make a distinction between sex and gender, between the natural differences between men and women and the cultural and historical attitudes related to these natural differences. They are separating them, detaching gender completely from sex, and making gender a purely cultural thing with no relation to the sexual nature of the person. Thus, because of this emphasis on gender, as defined and understood by them, any person can be anything he or she likesmasculine, feminine, homosexual, bisexual, etc., irrespective of ones natural sexual condition. Every so-called sexual orientation chosen by a person would just be all right. This is the kind of mentality that is being propagated by some feminist groups these days. This is a clear case of what is termed by the present Pope as moral relativism about which he is warning all of us. This is neither progress nor growth in maturity. This is a regression to barbarianism. While we all have to love one another as we are, this charity does not mean we can totally forget the objective truth of things. We have to learn to blend both, because one without the other nullifies or empties both. I

Sex and Gender

by Fr. Roy Cimagala

f the title baffles you, it may be because you are still happily unaware of the questionable moves some radical feminists are making in many places nowadays. This may still be a good thing to have, but I must hasten to say that we cannot and should not be naive and complacent with this development. Though it affects more the advanced countries, it is actually also affecting us in our own country. Even in my native Bohol, once a sleepy place but now, thanks be to God, bustling with life due to tourism, these disturbing maneuvers are taking place.

Imagine, in a supposedly Catholic school run by nuns, the little girls are taught not anymore to address God as Father, because according to them God has no sex and gender. Similar efforts to neuter Jesus Christ are reportedly being made too. The parents, of course, were alarmed. A mother complained why such fuss was raised over this matter, when it is quite clear that in the Bible, God is referred to as Father or Son or Holy Spirit. This, to me, already sounds like a radical feminist paranoia, that tries to undo well-entrenched historical and cultural el-

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E N T E R T A I N M E N T
Author C. S. Lewis is said to have believed that anything worth reading will be appreciated by everyone, whether he is aged 5 or 50. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe proves Lewis is right about believing so. Young and old alike will find meaning in the film which is replete with religious symbols that are unmistakably Christian. Aslan the lion is Christ-like in his being a willing victim ... killed in a traitors stead?he is slain in a ritual on a stone table, but he also resurrects, first witnessed by women, and revives with his breath the Narnians that had been turned to stone under the spell of the White Witch.
(Date Reviewed: 13 January 2006 @ cbcpworld.com/cinema)

CATHOLIC INITIATIVE FOR E NLIGHTENED MOVIE APPRECIATION

Title: NARNIA Running Time: 139 mins Lead Cast: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Liam Neeson (voice) Director: Andrew Adamson Producers: Mark Johnson, Philip Steur Screenwriters: Ann Peacock, Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Stephen Mcfeely Music: Harry Gregson-Williams Genre: Fantasy Cinematography: Donald McAlpine Distributor: Walt Disney Location: England Technical Assessment: @@@ Moral Assessment: ### CINEMA Rating: For viewers 13 and below with parental guidance

o keep them away and protected from the Nazi air raids, the Pevensie children?Lucy (Georgie Henly), Edward (Skandar Keynes), Edmund (William Moseley), and Susan (Anna Popplewell)?are evacuated from London and sent to live in the huge country house of an eccentric professor (Jim Broadbent). One day, while playing hide-and-seek, Lucy, the youngest, enters a veiled armoire to hide but instead walks into a wintry landscape where she is befriended by Mr. Tumnus, a faun (James McAvoy). She returns home to tell of her experience but nobody believes her, until her brother Edmund sees for himself the truth of Lucys story. Then all Pevensie children venture into the magical world of mythical creatures and talking animals to rescue Mr. Tumnus who is imprisoned for fraternizing with Lucy. They eventually get involved in a fight and take the side of Narnias lion Aslan (voice of Liam Neeson) against the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton). C.S. Lewis beloved childrens fantasy, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was first published in 1950 and has since been made into a stage production, television series and animated feature. Disneys $150-million adaptation of this first of the seven chronicles is a cinematic marvel that amazes us with fantastic computerized images that enhance instead of upstage the human presence in the film. It is an imaginative but faith-friendly film that remains true to the adventure story and truly delivers Lewiss message of heroism.

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Royalty-Free/CORBIS

Evangelization
vangelization is the fundamental mission of the Church. The mission mandates and commits the Church to proclaim the Gospel truths. The proclamation is focused on the good news of human salvation brought about by the life and teaching of Christ. The teaching is focused on the love of God and the love of neighbor. Love of neighbor means to guide the wealthy and to help the poor, to advise the powerful and to assist the weak, to correct what is wrong and promote what is right, to counter vice and inculcate virtue. Love of neighbor covers working not only for charity but also for justice, preaching not only for the forgiveness of sinners but also asking their repentance, looking not only for the eternal good of people but also for their temporal welfare here and now. Love of neighbor includes not only praising the Lord but also caring for people, not only teaching piety and devotion but also engaging in social action and reform, not merely arranging novenas and processions but also censuring lies and deceit, searching for truth and working for peace. Evangelization is not exactly a sacristy work, neither does it imply a comfortable and serene lifestyle, nor a simply pleasant and pleasing activity. Otherwise the first Evangelizer, Christ, would not have been denounced and tortured, crucified and killed even. If the Church plays blind, deaf and dumb to fraud, graft and corruption, to violation of human rights and injustice, to socio-political immorality and demagoguery, such would be a mockery of evangelization, and insult to love of neighbor, a betrayal of her mission. The Church should be the constant worry and big headache to those who play god and exploit people, who act as the owner of the country and the Lord of the citizens. They cannot do it for long, much less, for keeps. Reason: they are not and will never be! Evangelization is not for those who love themselves but not their neighbors, who only see the beauty of heaven but overlook the dirt on earth. Among others, let the present administration know, understand and remember what evangelization really is.
www.ovc.blogspot.com

Hungry Republic
T
he once vainly proclaimed Strong Republic has degenerated into a Gambling Republic. It has in fact even now deteriorated to a Hungry Republic. What is very strange is that while the peso has become strong, it has less buying power. There are lesser meals taken in the country. Hence, there is hunger among many people of this once happy and peaceful republic. There are more taxes yet there are less public services rendered in the land. The composite national debt is much bigger but national development is meager if any. Those in power sing promising songs but the common tao hear distressing cries. As the Administration makes more and more elating promises and glowing predictions, people experience bigger despair and discontent. Whatever happened to the glorious Ten-Point Agenda trumpeted in 2004 before the elections? Where became of all the glowing post-election SONA highlights? How come all the glory thereforth kept going and is now all gone? Seen a rich country, yet the government is bankrupt and the people are now poorer. Considered as a paradise, both the professionals and simple workers however are leaving it behind. Called the Pearl of the Orient, there are nevertheless continuous travel warnings to foreigners to avoid seeing it. Time and again the Administration claims a fast growing economy, still it is but the OFW composite remittance that keeps the country afloat. Something must be radically wrong neither with the country nor its people but with their governance. There should be wrong persons holding key public offices in the land. The liability cannot be on the followers but their leaders. The ultimate victims of this pitiful phenomenon are the samethe people in general, the women and children in particular. History teaches the empirical lesson that empty stomachs have no ears. A hungry republic cannot continue to stand. A hungry people will not suffer long and much. Promises do not remedy hunger. Simply big words do not fill even but a small stomach. The mere rhetoric of the Administration and the loud complimenting chorus of the its well clothed and much fed minions would not satisfy national hunger. Something somehow shall give in sometime.
www.ovc.blogspot.com

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IMPACT January 2006

Moral Ascendancy
ome call it high moral ground. Others say strong moral authority. There are those who know it as moral ascendancy. They all mean essentially the same: The well felt moral persuasion of someone who is held beyond suspicion of evil design and malicious agenda. And blessed are those who wield moral ascendancy. This is especially applicable to those in tenure of a public office which is considered a public trust. The same has a particular relevance for someone who exercises no less than the highest executive office in the land. It is rather easy for someone to govern when he or she enjoys the respect and confidence of the public. It is a matter of course for citizens to follow and abide by the biddings of their leader who lives with righteousness. Moral ascendancy is what connects the one governing and the governed, what cements their mutual appreciation and deference. Moral degradation is the exact opposite. It is both a sad and pitiful spectacle to behold followers making fun, doing odious effigies,

texting bad jokes about their leader. But it is even more lamentable and pathetic when the leader concerned appear unconcerned and unmoved by such degrading actions and disrespectful reactions. Herein lies the fundamental socio-political predicament of the Malacaang President. There is the common perception that it is much more important for her to be practical than to be moral in what she plans and does. It appears to many that she seems more preoccupied in keeping armed power than in having moral authority. The result of her perceived lack of moral ascendancy is predictable. Her motives and plans, her programs and projects are met, rightly or wrongly, with suspicion and rejection. She may want to lead but it is not followed. She may be working hard but to no avail. Unless a leader enjoys even but the semblance of moral ascendancy, the leadership is doomed to fail from the very start. This is the basic premise of the big and lasting socio-political liability of the proclaimed not acclaimedPresident.

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In Truth, Peace
A New Year s Message

ollowing the tradition by his predecessors, Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, Pope Benedicts XVI has issued a message of peace for today, the first day of January 2006. Our greetings then to one another Happy New Year must include our desire to be with the Holy Father in praying and witnessing for peace, not only today but throughout the coming year.

F
26

The theme chosen for this years reflection is In Truth, Peace. This theme express the conviction that wherever and whenever men and women are enlightened by the splendor of truth, they naturally set out on the path of peace. St. Augustine described peace as tranquillitas ordinis, the tranquility of order. By this St. Augustine meant a situation which ultimately enables the truth about man to be truly

respected and realized. Hence, the way of peace and the way to peace is by respecting the truth about man, i.e., the truth about the persons I am leading or in contact with. In this way I will learn how to be in right relationship with him/her. Respect for the truth of a person produces a peaceful relationship with him/her. The Holy Father wrote: Any authentic search for peace must begin with the realization that the problem of truth and untruth is the concern of every man and woman; it is decisive for the peaceful future of our planet. Wars and production of weapons, acts of terrorism, violations of human rights, disturbance of harmonious coexistence; these have their source in untruth or false beliefs about man. The truth of peace calls upon everyone to cultivate productive and sincere relationships; it encourages them to seek out and to follow the paths of forgiveness and reconciliation, to be transparent in their dealings with others, and to be faithful to their word. All kinds and all manners of lies are likely to disturb peaceful relations of people to one another. Lying is linked to the tragedy of sin and its perverse consequences, which have had, and continue to have, devastating effects on the lives of individuals and nations. Pope Benedict XVI continues his message: If peace is to be authentic and lasting, it must be built on the bedrock of the truth about God and truth about man. This truth alone can create sensitivity to justice and openness to love and solidarity, while encouraging everyone to work for a truly free and harmonious human family. The foundations of authentic peace rest on the truth about God and man. At this point in time, in our country, if we want to work for national renewal and transformation, if we want peace in our social and political relationships, we must make every effort to value and to witness to truth. This is very basic in human transaction. Truth is the foundation of integrity, credibility and accountability. The opposite is true: lies destroy integrity, credibility and accountability. Truth builds, untruth destroys. We can apply this to simple friendship, family and community relationship, social order. Parents, businessmen, leaders in all levers of society must build their integrity and credibility on the bedrock of truth. This is how to build peace. In truth, peace. +ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO, DD Archbishop of Jaro President, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines

IMPACT January 2006

s the year 2006 steps hesitantly into our life and history, I would like to extend this message of hope. 2005 has been a tumultuous year. Endless inquiries in the senate and in the house of Congress, rallies and political protests in all their eerie forms and grotesque shapes, accusations and counteraccusations, exposition of unheard-of scandals and variegated scams allegedly perpetrated by our top leaders, wiretapping, destabilization talks, revolutions, civil disobedience, what have you, have been the main course for the days, weeks, months of the year 2005. All these did not bother me so much. I know, after all, that tayo ay mga pinoy, that is, we can go over it. But when the congressional investigation of the hello Garci case started, I shuddered. I said to myself: this is it, this is our end. The investigative process seemed to dramatize that there is nothing wrong in flaunting with the law provided we are wise and crafty. It wrongly projects an image that the law is there to be used as a shield, a safety net for ones wrong doing; that it is easy to tamper with the law and get away with it by flourishing the magic wand of ones knowledge of the law, manipulating it to ones selfish advantage, mixing lies and truths together in one single stroke. I tremble, because no society can long stand when its laws that bind members together in a harmonious and dynamic whole are used for selfish motives, with complete disregard for the common good. But then, something happened. There was a sudden relative silence on the issue in the whole nation and the mass media, the papers, radio and television veered on other interests than political squabbles. The atmosphere of December got clearer and cleaner, the people became more calm, composed, serene. What happened? It was just days before Christmas. People were seen retiring to the silence of their homes and places of prayer. They braved the otherwise dumpy and dark night to attend the Misa de Gallo novena days, as if seeking for the needed respite from the world. I myself went to these nights of novenas, starting from the remote parishes up to the Cathedral. In all of these churches, inspite of the stormy weather and the black outs, people were seen in throng, praying on their knees. There, I concluded: Our nation will survive in spite of the rather hopeless situation. We have citizens who know how to solve their problem: they know well the power of the night and the power of prayer.

New Years Message

We are best touched by night. Perhaps it is because it gives one the sure reenactments of childhood experiences, a time when one sees his early tender years with full clarity and force. It is a time when our estimate of the world is not so confident, when it contains things and events that make us shudder. Sooner or later, the night finds us alone. And man is not prepared to face himself. He is afraid of the dark, he is afraid of himself. This brings us to the story of Adam and Eve who were ashamed of their own naked bodies after eating the forbidden fruit. When God called them up, they were hiding behind the tree, more afraid to present themselves naked to God. God has to cloth them to keep them

calm. I too remember the story of a great existentialist philosopher of our times. The story says that one day he looked at himself in the mirror. He could not recognize himself; he was so disgusted at what he saw that with his bare fist he shattered the large mirror that reflected him. Yes, it is not easy to face oneself. And yet, it is only in this act of facing and confronting ones own self that man finds his inner strength, his hidden resources, his power, which man cannot do unless he is covered by the magical canopy of the darkness of the night. The story of the beauty and the beast bears this out
New Year's / p. 21

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Be Happy Today!
e convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frus trated that the kids arent old enough and well be more content when they are. After that, were frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, or when we retire. The truth is, theres no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. Its best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with...and remember that time waits for no one. So, stop waiting * until your house is paid off * until your kids leave the house * until you go back to school * until you lose ten pounds * until you gain ten pounds * until you finish school * until you get married * until you have kids * until you retire * until summer * until spring * until winter * until fall * until you die There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Sowork like you dont need money, love like youve never been hurt, and dance like no ones watching.
rowena.dalanon@cbcpworld.net

A KEEPER

grew up in the 50s/60s with practical parents. A mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had a name for it... A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones. Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish-towel in the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep. It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing. I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew thered always be more. But then my mother died, and on that clear summers night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isnt any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away...never to return. So... while we have it... its best we love it.... and care for it... and fix it when its broken...... and heal it when its sick. This is true for marriage..... and old cars.... and children with bad report cards..... and dogs with bad hips.... and aging parents..... and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special..... and so, we keep them close!
rowena.dalanon@cbcpworld.net

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IMPACT January 2006

Images/CORBIS

Images/CORBIS

Sites on Focus
by DENNIS B. DAYAO Last December 2005 issue, we have showcased some school website CBCPWorld had developed. In this January issue of Impact, we are featuring parish websites. For some reasons, parish websites are used as a means of connecting parishioners with their pastors and staff through special messages or sermon/homilies. It is also an easy way for church members to get to know their parish priest and committees, the foundation of the parish, and learn of their views on ethical and timely issues. Extending and harnessing the power of the web to futher deliver the good news.
http://www.rcam.org/spcp

http://www.cbcpworld.com/ christtheking-taytay

On May 15, 1983, the Doicese of Antipolo founded the Chirst the King Parish on the small barrio of Muzon, Taytay, Rizal. Together with the concerted efforts of Fr. Peter Julian Eymard C. Balatbat and the parish pastoral council, the reconstruction of the church is now coming to a realization.

Originally under the stewardship of the Congregation of the Passion, the St. Paul of the Cross in Concepcion Dos, Marikina City was established on April 21, 1975 by the decree of His Eminence, the late Jaime Cardinal L. Sin. In February 2004, the parish was turnedover to the care and shepherding of the Diocese of Antipolo with Fr. Ric Eguia as the parish priest and Fr. Jimmy Padilla as parochial vicar. Their joined efforts brought another milestone in the history of the parish.

http://www.rcam.org/olmbsp

The feast of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament is celebrated every 13th of May. Akin to its origin, St. Peter Julian Eymard, known as "The Priest of the Eucharist" and "The Apostle of the Eucharist" founded the "Congregation of the Most Blessed Sacrament" at Paris on May 13, 1856. Under the leadership of Fr. Jade Licuanan, he continues to lead the community in achieving the dream of having a new, beautiful and bigger parish church and in moving towards being a renewed Christian community.
http://www.rcam.org/olup

Located at United Paraaque Subdivision 5, Sucat, Paraaque City, the Our Lady of Unity Parish is still growing since its establishment on July 1, 1989. As the third parish priest installed, Fr. Amado V. Gino is strengthening its parish mission of deepening the faith and encouraging participation in all sectors of the parish community. The parish feastday, which was subsequently transferred, is celebrated on September 8 in honor of the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mother - Our Lady of Unity.

http://www.cbcpworld.com/htp

The Holy Trinity Church is a Parish Church located in Quezon City. Founded in the early 1970s, it aims reaching and influencing the whole community, touch every sphere of human life and guide them in their spiritual pilgrimage into the future that God is calling. Fr. Joseph Raymund Biliran, the parish priest, goes to the mission areas in the parish and touches the hearts of parishioners through the BEC approach.

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CAMBODIA

INDIA

HR groups demand re- Repeal Colonial-Era lease of jailed activists Sodomy Law
Human rights advocates are pressing the Cambodian government to release jailed leading human rights activists Kem Sokha and Yeng Virak. The arrest of rights activists, as well as recent show trials of opposition politicians, is a throwback to the days when Hun Sen ran a one-party state, said Brad Adams, HRW Asia Director. Sokha, Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) president, and Virak, Community Legal Education Center (CLEC) Director, were detained on December 31 in connection with handwritten comments attacking Prime Minister Hun Sen on a banner flaunted at an International Human Rights Day celebration recently.
CHINA

ports, according to figures from oil company BP PLC.

TAIWAN

The new arrest of four gay men in Lucknow last January 4 shows that Indias colonial-era sodomy law continues to threaten human rights and encourages the spread of HIV, Human Rights Watch said January 11. Nabbed suspects were charged for operating a gay racket on the internet, as well as of engaging in unnatural sex. Scott Long, director of Human Rights Watchs Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program said: Indias government clings to the criminalization of homosexual conduct, which only prevents people from coming forward for HIV/ AIDS testing, information, and services.
KAZAKHSTAN

Taiwan develops new cruise missile

Taiwan has produced another type of cruise missile as part of their strategy of active defense. Three prototypes of a new cruise missile were developed with a potential range of 1000 km, more than enough to reach targets along the coast of mainland China. Dubbed Hsiung Feng 2E (Brave Wind), the missile will be deployed on mobile landbased platforms and initial plans are drawn for the production of up to 50 missiles before 2010 and up to 500 missiles after 2010, Janes Defence Weekly said in an article published January 11.

ties. HRW also said that flawed blacklists were used in the 2003 war on drugs wherein around 2,500 Thais were killed in unexplained circumstances.
PAKISTAN

15 killed in gas field blast

Twelve of around 40 militants attacking a gas field adjacent the small town of Pir Koh, in troubled south-west Pakistan were killed in fighting with security forces on January 12. Baluch militants have been battling for decades to fight over the control of gas and other natural resources. Government forces launched its recent offensive in Baluchistan after a December 14 rocket assault on a paramilitary base when President Pervez Musharraf was visiting a nearby town.
SRI LANKA

Kazakhstan opens pipe- THAILAND line to China Blacklists create cliNo spitting campaign Via East Asia Watch, mate of fear HRW ahead of Olympics
Xinhuanet has reported that the Beijing municipal government will launch a major antispitting and anti-littering campaign ahead of the citys hosting of the 2008 Olympics. For everybodys ease, Beijing will set up trash cans every 100 meters in the citys main avenues and other public areas and provide handy sanitary bags for people to spit into on buses, taxis and other public facilities. Kazakhstan has opened a new oil pipeline to China. The 625-mile pipeline designed to carry 140 million barrels of oil a year. Kazakhstan is aiming to more than double its production from 1.3 million barrels to 3 million barrels a day by 2015. For China, the new route is a key step toward securing adequate foreign energy supplies for its booming economy. Out of Chinas total oil consumption last year of 6.7 million barrels a day, almost half came from imThink tank Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Thai government to end its use of blacklists of suspected militants, which could lead to arbitrary detentions and mistreatment of people in custody. HRW research revealed that with more than a thousand deaths since a new spate of insurgency began in January 2004, Thai authorities are increasingly using flawed blacklists to pressure Muslim villagers to turn themselves in to the authori-

Rebels attack navy boat, 15 missing

Fifteen sailors were missing and feared dead after suspected Tamil Tiger rebels attacked a naval vessel off Sri Lankas east coast early dawn on January 13. According to reports, the recent incident comes amid series of attacks against the islands government forces by the suspected leftists who have warned to continue their armed struggle unless given wide autonomy.

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