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Sep 17, 2007

Mitos




this is mitos. my cute 5months mini doberman pinscher. He is just 4inches tall

Mitos!

My 5months old mini doberman pinscher....

Sep 14, 2007

the Original article of Ms. Malu Fernandez

page 1


page 2

Malu Fernandez on the NEWS



Malu Fernandez. got the biggest scare of her life



PERSONA NON GRATA!


I came across an article that made me mad for how many days and even forever. I am talking about an article from Ms. Malu Fernandez a columnist from Manila Standard Today of the Lifestyle and entertainment section. In her article which she described her “so-called” very extravagant vacation in Greece, she mentioned about OFWs. This is the biggest mistake of her life, for saying things about OFWs.

I felt disappointed about the article because my father is an OFW who works in Riyadh as a foreman in a Famous Aluminum Company. This bitch doesn’t have any idea how it feels to work far away from the family in order to earn a living to provide good future for their children. Though she is claming that it was just a joke, she should have respect and kept the side comments to herself.



To Ms. Malu Fernandez,

Subukan mo kaya ang lumagay sa posisyon ng mga OFW at kinakailangan mong lumayo sa pamilya mo para maka hanap ng pera para sa pang araw2 na pangangailangan ng pamilya mo. Tiisin mo ang hirap at pait na nararamdaman dahil sa nangungulila ka sa mga anak at asawa mo na nasa pilipinas. Kung tinatamasa mo ang lahat ng karangyaan sa buhay, di naman cguro makatarungan na ipangalandakan mo kung anong meron ka at sirain ang imahe ng mga taong nag susugal ng buhay para lang may maisusubo ang pamilya nila sa pilinpinas. Sana subukan ng diyos na kahit isang buwan lang ilagay ka sa ganung sitwasyon at ng maramdaman mo naman ang ginawa mong panlalait sa mga OFW. Kung ikaw ay naging kapatid, ina o kahit kamag-anak ko man lang, ikahihiya kita. Ang sama ng tabas ng dila mo. Di mo man lang ni respeto ang damdamin ng ibang tao.

after hearing a lot of comments she wrote again an article

Am I being a diva? Or do you lack common sense?
By MALU FERNANDEZ
Many people often find my direct attitude to be rude or obnoxious. I really don’t mean to be anything but true to myself. Patience is a virtue I sorely lack and dealing with stupidity is something I cannot tolerate but something I have to deal with in this God-forsaken country of ours. How many times do you have to deal with day-to-day activities and find yourself exasperated because of simple-minded people who take two hours to do a 30-minute task? Just go to any government office from the post office to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and you’ll see that anything that can be done in a few minutes takes up more than half of your day.
What irks me the most is bad service when you are paying full price and expected to leave a generous tip. Hair salons are most often guilty of this. I have had the privilege to experience going to high end salons from Frederick Fekkai to Bench Fix when I am being spontaneous or have time to kill at the mall. In truth, all the operators or stylists are skilled but you get what you pay for. My bare minimum requirement is cleanliness and a good massage at the shampoo bowl. But I found out that in this country, it doesn’t pay to make an appointment because the receptionist will almost always make you wait. Although there are a few salons that are strict about it most are not. When one takes the time to schedule an appointment, it is common courtesy for the salon to honor the time allotted and when they don’t they shouldn’t expect anything less but an irate customer whose time has been wasted. These are just some of the stupid things I have to deal with everyday. Life is stressful enough so going to the hair salon should be relaxing and not a pain in the ass.
Big corporations should train their customer service personnel properly. For instance, I spent over 20 minutes on the phone with a customer service person and after answering certain “security” questions, I was politely told that they could not give out the information I needed. So naturally that is 20 minutes of my life that I will never get back again, prompting me to quickly bitch that a simple answer should have been: “Before I verify your identity we would like you to know that we are not allowed to give out information regarding…” Am I supposed to learn how to be patient with people who lack common sense?
I just don’t get it. The minimum requirement for people in this country to even work as a barista in Starbucks is to have a college degree. Do we blame the individual who has no common sense or the education system? A year ago I was asked to teach a fashion class at the University of the Philippines. I said yes to honor my late father who also taught medicine in UP. I also accepted the task as a form of giving back to society. In doing this job, I was paid a measly amount for one semester. The amount did not even cover my gasoline expenses. However, the money wasn’t really the issue, but I noticed the major difference in an American education vs. a Filipino education. Forget about the outdated facilities because these are not even the major problem but the small salaries the educators who are forced to sell things out of their office to supplement their income. So it’s a case of what comes first, the chicken or the egg. If your teachers don’t get paid properly, you end up with low quality educators and the whole cycle just continues even if the young students are eager to learn.
Why is it that you have to hire a college graduate to work as a sales girl? Doesn’t that tell you that the quality of education in this country sucks? It doesn’t require a college degree to do a sales job and yet I am forced to do so because high school graduates end up as maids or house help. Once in a while, I come across a brilliant employee who is at an entry-level job and yet has the brains to be elsewhere but doesn’t have the right connections. How fair is that?
As I type this, I’d like you to know that it’s not about whining, complaining and bitching but just stating the facts. Just recently, I wrote a funny article in my magazine column and my friends thought it was hilarious. It was humorous and quite tongue-in-cheek, or at least I thought so, until the magazine got a few e-mails from people who didn’t get the meaning of my acerbic wit. The bottom line was just that I had offended the reader’s socioeconomic background. If any of these people actually read anything thicker then a magazine they would find it very funny. Most people don’t get the fact that they need bitches like me to shake up their world, otherwise their lives would be boring and mediocre. I obviously write for the a certain target audience and if what I write offends you, just stop reading.
Although it may sound elitist to you the fact is this country is built on the foundation of haves, have-nots and wannabes. One group will never get the culture of the other. Although I could mention that it is easier to understand someone who has a lower socioeconomic background that would entail a whole other page and frankly I don’t want to be someone to bridge the gap between socioeconomic classes. I leave that to the politicians in my family who believe they can actually help. Now I seriously ask you, am I being a diva or are people around me just lacking in common sense? Perhaps it’s a little of both!


she resigned from the Manila Standard but, did not ask for a public apology. until now she is still writing an article and they kept silent about it

Resignation of Malu




Boycott Manila Standard Today

Sep 10, 2007

God's Message to Woman

When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being. When I created man, I formed him and breathed life into his nostrils. But you, woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you. Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity. From one bone I fashioned you. I chose the bone that protects man's life. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do. Around this one bone I shaped you. I modeled you. I created you perfectly and beautifully. Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile. You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life. The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart. Support man as the rib cage supports the body. You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken from his head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand beside him and be held close to his side. You are my perfect angel. You are my beautiful little girl. You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and my eyes fill when I see the virtue in your heart. Your eyes -- don't change them. Your lips -- how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose so perfect in form, your hands so gentle to touch. I've caressed your face in your deepest sleep; I've held your heart close to mine. Of all that lives and breathes, you are the most like me. Adam walked with me in the cool of the day and yet he was lonely. He could not see me or touch me. He could only feel me. So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with me, I fashioned in you: my holiness, my strength, my purity, my love, my protection and support. You are special because you are the extension of me. Man represents my image -- woman, my emotions. Together, you represent the totality of God. So man -- "treat woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile". In hurting her, you hurt me. What you do to her, you do to me. In crushing her, you only damage your own heart, the heart of your Father and the heart of her Father. Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you. In gentle quietness show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.

A Letter From Jesus

Dear Friend,

I just had to write to tell you how much I love you and care for you. Yesterday, I saw you walking and laughing with your friends; I hoped that soon you'd want Me to walk along with you, too. So, I painted you a sunset to close your day and whispered a cool breeze to refresh you. I waited; you never called. I just kept on loving you. As I watched you fall asleep last night, I wanted so much to touch you. I spilled moonlight onto your face trickling down your cheeks as so many tears have. You didn't even think of me; I wanted so much to comfort you. The next day I exploded a brilliant sunrise into a glorious morning for you. But you woke up late and rushed off to work-you didn't evennotice. My sky became cloudy and Mytears were the rain. I love you! Oh, if you'd only listen. I really love you! I try to say it in the quiet of the green meadow and in the blue sky. The wind whispers My love throughout the treetops and spills it into the vibrant colors of the flowers. I shout it to you in the thunder of the great waterfalls and composed love songs for birds to sing for you. I warm you with the clothing of My sunshine and perfume the air with nature's sweet scent. My love for you is deeper than the ocean and greaterthan any need in your heart. If you'd only realize how I care. I died just for you. My Dad sends His love. I want you to meet Him. He cares, too. Fathers are just that way. So please call Me soon. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait because I love you.
Your Friend,
Jesus






After reading the letter, i was bursting in tears. I realized how selfish I am and not even notice how Jesus tried to reach out for me. I always pray and asked so many things, yet I don't even sapre a time to thank him everyday. I felt very sorry and guilty. This letter opened my eyes to things that I never appreaciate not knowing that it is a blessing. Thank you very much Lord for everything and for the unconditional love you gave. I love you too.

Aug 26, 2007

Nursing Licensure results!

If you want a copy of the June 2007 Nursing Licensure exam.. pls leave your email in the cbox on the left corner.. thanx!

Apr 9, 2007

ISLAND OF THE SORCERERS


Siquijor


A place where my grandfather was born. I remember a black book
given to me by my mother before she left the Country. She told me it was also
given to her by my Grandfather. everything was written in Latin language,
unfortunately I can't seem to find it. It might be... If it's still wid me
now... i will be a great sorcerer! hehehe


I really wanna go back to the hometown of my mother... someday
soon

below is an article i have read about Siquijor

ISLAND OF THE SORCERERS
By James McClenon
(1985)

Siquijor Island is reputed to be a place where black magic is regularly practiced. Siquijor, located between the large Visayan Islands of Negros and Mindanao in the Philippines, has a population of about 70,000 and a circumference road of about 75 kilometers. Although the residents of Siquijor are poor, they are not “primitive.” National newspapers arrive daily from Dumaguete City on Negros Island, 21 nautical miles to the west. People on Siquijor use cars, buses, motorized “tricycles” and motorcycles for transportation. Fishing, farming (coconuts, root crops, rice and corn) and cottage industries are the predominant sources of income.

Various sociologists and anthropologists have studied sorcery and folk medicine in the Visayan Islands (which include Siquijor). Dr. Richard Lieban’s Cebuano Sorcery: Malign Magic in the Philippines (1967) describes his research in Sibulan, a rural municipality on Cebu Island. Some graduate students at Silliman University in Dumaguete City published a report on “Sorcery in the Framework of Folk Medicine on Siquijor Island” in the Silliman Journal in 1971. These studies reveal a complex relationship between the belief in sorcery and the process of modernization. If we understand sorcery on Siquijor, we many be able to predict changes in our own society due to the growing acceptance of psychic phenomena.

Most Siquijor Islanders consider the practice of sorcery a sin against their Catholic faith. Although some told me that no sorcerers live on Siquijor, I had little difficulty gathering names of mananambals (folk healers) who treat both natural and supernatural maladies, some of which are believed to be the result of sorcery. Other kinds of folk healers also exist. A manghihilot is a kind of masseur who can set broken bones. A mananabang is a midwife. A bula-bula (referred to in the Silliman University report as a mambolo-bolo ) practices a special magic most suitable for treating skin ailments but also applicable to many other medical problems.

Of the respondents interviewed by the graduate students from Silliman University, 69 percent believed that sorcery is practiced on Siquijor Island and 73 percent said that they were afraid of it. Only 10 percent believed that sorcerers could cause disease and death. Although my impression is that this level of belief has remained unchanged during the past 14 years, the complexity of this belief is not reflected in statistics. For example, one man stated that he did not believe in sorcery or the “quack doctors” (folk healers) but later warned me that another man’s grandmother was a mananambal who could kill through magic. Although no one admits to practicing sorcery and many desire not to believe in it, some mananambals are thought to attempt it at times.

Perhaps 50 different major sorcery techniques exist. A description of a few of these methods, which vary slightly between practitioners, demonstrates the complexity of this aspect of Siquijor’s folklore. The best-known method is called the barang , the name of a local beetle. Some islanders believe that various beetles can be used.

The sorcerer first ties a six-inch length of thread to the legs of three beetles. Sometimes a special breed of barang , which has seven legs rather than six, is raised specifically for use in sorcery. The sorcerer commands the beetles to go to the victim’s house, wait until night and enter the person’s sleeping body. After the beetles lay their eggs inside the body, they return to the sorcerer who inspects their threads. If the threads are bloody, he knows that the curse has been placed effectively. The beetle’s eggs hatch in the victim’s stomach causing ulcers, swollen abdomen, aches all over the body and other maladies. If not treated by a mananambal , who often begins the healing process by magically removing small insects, the person will die.

To practice an alternate method, hilo , the sorcerer goes to a special haunted place, sets out sharp bamboo blades and prepares an altar with an offering to special spirits. The ceremony attracts poisonous snakes which leave blood and venom on the blades. These substances are mixed with various herbs to form a sticky wax-like compound which can be put in the victim’s food or drink, touched to his body or merely buried in a place where the person will step. These and similar hilo techniques then produce the desired sorcery symptoms, according to the islanders.

Some forms of sorcery require fashioning a doll and damaging it in the same manner as the victim is to be harmed. The doll is often prepared using rituals vaguely related to those of the Catholic Church and to forms of Latin prayers. For example, the doll might be baptized at the instant that a baby is being baptized within a church.

To practice la-ga, the sorcerer adds hair, saliva, waste, a picture or some article belonging to the victim to an herbal mixture and boils it over a special fire with ritual prayers. The victim is expected to suffer and die in the manner desired by the sorcerer.

Some forms of sorcery are designed to punish adulterers. Lieban describes antiwal , a method that requires an herbal concoction containing the joined genitals of two turtles, killed whiled engaging in sex. If the victim wears clothing on which the substances had been applied, the adulterous couple will be unable to disengage after sexual intercourse. The spell can be broken if the first person to see the joined couple takes off all his clothes.

Mananambals know counter-measures, which generally involve herbs, for each sorcery method. One mananambal , Nicolas Agan, showed me his collection of herbal remedies. The victim may be required to place a compress on his chest or stomach, to eat or drink a remedy or to stand in the smoke of a fire constructed with special wood and herbs. The herbs must be gathered on special days, particularly Good Friday before Easter. Roots, bark or leaves gathered from the east side of a tree bring about healing. Similar substances taken from the west side are used in sorcery. The area around San Antonio, on the highest mountain of Siquijor where Agan lives, is known as the “graduate school of sorcery.” Every Good Friday herbal practitioners from other Filipino Islands and the local mananambals visit the area to gather herbs, cook up concoctions and perform rituals.

An alternative method for treating diseased patients is undertaken by bula-bulas . I accompanied French journalist Grimm Gilles who sought treatment for a cut on his thumb from one bula-bula , Cosmi Bunachita. As I snapped photographs, Bunachita held a glass filled with water over Gilles’ thumb and blew into it through a bamboo tube. The water became cloudy, a sign that the infection was being removed. The bula-bula repeated this symbolic cleansing process and again the water magically became murky. The third time the bula-bula blew though the tube a small bone with crosses painted on it seemed to appear instantly in the glass. After further blowing through the tube created more murky water, the bula-bula blew into the cloudy water and it magically became clear, a sign that the infection had been removed.

Gilles, an unconvinced skeptic, refused to allow Bunachita to apply an herbal salve to his thumb. He assumed that the bula-bula had used sleight of hand to create the magical effects. The Silliman researchers detected exactly that form of fraud as they observed one bula-bula . Unlike mananambals , who practice their art on a part-time basis and receive little compensation, Bunachita supports himself through healing and has achieved a degree of wealth through the contributions of grateful patients. Bunachita requested and received only one peso (about five American cents) from Gilles who felt that nothing miraculous had occurred.

One informant told me that during the 1960’s American professors at Silliman University had tested Bunachita under controlled conditions. He blew through a clear plastic tube into a sealed glass test tube while treating experimental subjects. The water magically turned cloudy when the subjects were sick but remained clear for the healthy ones. Objects such as stones, trash or bones (larger than the tube) appeared in the sealed test container after the sick patients were treated. Although the professors maintained skeptical supervision, they reportedly could not explain their observations. Later, when I visited Silliman University, I found no one who knew of this test or any written record or it. Apparently this story is merely part of the folklore that surrounds the healers of Siquijor.

Various persons told me that bula-bulas are best at curing skin disorders which do not respond to traditional medical treatments. One bula-bula sometimes makes large objects seem to materialize, shattering the glass container. When my wife and I visited the bula-bula , Isador Bucol, I hoped that he would perform such a magical feat. He did not. But after my wife showed him a rash on her hands, he recommended an herb that grew in his front yard. The remedy seemed effective.

All the mananambals that we visited (Nicolas Agan, Pastor Dohaylonsod and Wilhelmina Sibonga) claimed that their abilities came “from God,” rather than through training. Their patients came from all over the Philippines. Some are diagnosed as having natural disorders and are sent to medical doctors. Others have problems caused by spirits. Some have sicknesses caused by sorcery. All of these mananambals stated that, although they did not practice sorcery, some of the many other folk healers might.

People most often consult sorcerers in an attempt to “solve” marital problems and land disputes. Divorce in the Catholic Philippines is not legal, making infidelity a particular problem. Jealous wives and mistresses sometimes ask a sorcerer to eliminate their competitors. Land boundaries often are poorly marked and corrupt court systems can make arbitration unsatisfactory. Persons who feel wronged by their neighbors sometimes seek justice through sorcery.
4
One folk belief surrounding malign magic is that any attempt to harm an innocent person will not work. A sorcerer is expected to investigate a claimant’s case to determine if an injustice has occurred before accepting the task of sorcerizing the suggested victim. One sorcerer described a case to Lieban in which successful sorcery had occurred: “My conscience is clear because this is done only against those who are guilty of wrongs against their fellow man….Some people believed that the man got sick because he claimed land that was not his and God punished him. That is the right idea.”

Although sorcerers are feared by many, they are considered different from witches. Witches are thought to work evil without considering the justice of their actions and without conducting rituals. The witch’s power is thought to be inherited although sometimes the evil ability is transferred though touch. If the affected person does not accept the role of the witch or seek a healer’s aid, he will die. Some islanders told me that there are no witches in Siquijor, hinting that all had been killed in the past. Others said that witches hid in the caves in the mountains. In the 1960’s an old couple died when their house was dynamited during the night. Villagers believed that the victims conversed with evil spirits.

It is difficult to determine the degree to which sorcery attempts are related to the suffering of the persons diagnosed as sorcery victims. Since sorcery is a secret activity, the sorcerer’s successes and failures generally are hidden. The belief that sorcery symptoms are always psychosomatic is not necessarily well-founded. In fact, sorcerers rarely allow their victims to learn of the curse attempt, so it is unclear why sometimes there is such a close relationship between the ritual and the victim’s disorder.

Medical doctors have diagnosed alleged sorcery effects as cancer, abdominal tumors, stomach ulcers, portal cirrhosis, ovarian cysts, peritonitis, gastrointestinal neurosis and cerebro-vascular accident (in the case of a man who died soon after being sorcerized). Most mananambals would not argue with these diagnoses but suggest that sorcery caused the problem.

When the mananambal is unable to effect a cure, as sometimes happens, it is assumed that his power is insufficient to overcome the sorcerer’s. When the sorcerer is unable to affect a victim, it is assumed that the person is innocent or protected by a powerful charm. Although it is almost certain that some persons who are diagnosed as suffering from sorcery have not been the target of a sorcerer’s curse, the ideology supporting malign magic is never called into question. Like medical doctors, mananambals sometimes disagree regarding a diagnosis but unlike doctors they do not charge when they fail to effect a cure.

One symptom of sorcery, diagnosed by medical doctors as gastrointestinal neurosis, is highly unusual. The victim’s stomach swells and recedes with the rise and fall of the tides, a condition leading to death if not treated by a mananambal . Although many people I interviewed said they had never actually seen anyone who suffered from this disorder, mananambals and their relatives told me that they had seen many cases. I feel confident that such cases occur; the president of Silliman University told me he had seen such a case himself.

Sorcery exerts a degree of social control over the islanders. People try not to allow conflicts to reach the stage where sorcery might be used. Sometimes adulterers, believing that they have been sorcerized, return to their spouses. Lieban relates to a case in which a sorcerer performed the ritual la-ga , using fingerprints left by a thief. Later a man suspected of being the thief suffered and died from a “swollen stomach.” After his death some of the stolen property was found in his room.

I wish to emphasize, however, that Siquijor Islanders are not hostile or unfriendly because of their fear of sorcery. Abe Vega, a Peace Corps volunteer assigned to Siquijor, described the atmosphere far differently. “In Dumaguete City during my training people often made jokes about the danger of my going to an island full of sorcerers,” he told me. “Actually sorcery is not an important part of life here. People might turn to it in cases where there is severe conflict but it doesn’t involve me in any way.”

Vega told me about another volunteer who sought the advice of a mananambal for her respiratory problems. He told her that an enchanted rock in her backyard was the source of the disorder. After she moved, her problem was alleviated. Vega suggested that her moving away from a dusty area explained the “cure.”

Vega also related the tale of a bachelor who loved a woman who detested him. The man obtained an herbal love potion from a mananambal , the use of which proved highly effective. Everyone was amazed that the woman quickly developed an intense love for the man, one so strong that she cried when they were apart. Unfortunately, the effect wore off after they were married!

Some people explain the prevalence of folk healers on Siquijor as a result of the healer’ low fees, the shortage of medical doctors and the healer’s concern for the total wellbeing of the patient. None of these explanations is entirely satisfactory.

Although mananambals generally request just token payment only after achieving a successful cure, patients sometimes travel long distances to consult them (even all the way from Manila). Patients also are sometimes required to pay church officials for special masses that are part of their “treatment.” Although a modern hospital has been built on Siquijor, some patients invite mananambals inside, hoping that their herbs will aid in their recovery. Some mananambals and bula-bulas treat their patients in the same “clinical” manner as do medical doctors; yet they still attract many persons requesting aid.

“Why do so many people consult these folk healers?” I asked a skeptical islander. “Because the doctors cannot help them,” he replied. “They have problems which can be cured only by a quack doctor.”

Lieban suggests that the practice of sorcery and folk healing may increase in some Third World societies due to the disorganizing effects of modernization. Increased land disputes and marital strife may be associated with “progress.”

Previous investigators note that, although there is a tendency for less-educated persons to seek treatment from folk healers, some of these seeking aid are highly educated. I found that educated respondents often reported seemingly valid reasons for belief (and astonishing anecdotal stories); yet they cautiously qualified their statements.

For example, attorney Anastacio Lozano, formerly a local court judge, consulted a medical doctor when he began suffering from a strange sickness. The doctor suggested that he also seek advice from a folk healer because his illness seemed unusual. Wilhelmina Sibonga, a mananambal , told Lozano that he had been sorcerized by a man involved in a court case over which he had presided. Sibonga accurately described a man involved in one of Lozano’s recent cases, a remarkable feat since she had ho way of knowing the case, the man or even the judge’s decision to visit her. Lozano was even more astonished when her herbal remedies proved effective. “For a while I believe,” he told me, “but I cannot be certain.”

Lozano also told me of a court case in which a woman from Cebu Island claimed to have sought aid from a mananambal who was rumored to be a sorcerer. She wanted her husband’s mistress killed. The mananambal asked for 500 pesos and told her to wait in Cebu. Later the woman returned and asked the mananambal why nothing had happened to the mistress. He requested more money, a picture of the victim, a piece of the adulteress’ dress and two fighting cocks. Although the woman brought these things, the sorcery had no effect. She brought a lawsuit against the mananambal seeking to regain her money. Apparently many people on Siquijor were afraid of the mananambal – none would testify in support of the woman’s claims. The suit was dismissed when the mananambal denied ever having met the woman.

Prof. Salador Vista, head of the anthropology/sociology department at Silliman University, has studied Siquijor’s mananambals for three years. I asked him if he thought the bula-bulas , mananambals and sorcerers on Siquijor ever demonstrated authentic psychic phenomena. “I would not be able to say,” he replied. “ But I too have seen the bula-bulas make objects appear instantly in the glasses and remarkable herbal cures occur under the direction of mananambals . Yet I cannot say if these things are actually paranormal.”

Once Professor Vista sought treatment from a bula-bula for a seriously infected foot. He experienced an astonishing recovery the day after the treatment. He told me of a German researcher who visited Siquijor each year on Good Friday to learn herbal magic from the mananambals . This researcher seemed convinced of the mananambals ’ (and sorcerers’) authenticity.

The president of Silliman University, Venacio Aldecoa, Jr., also described to me remarkable effects produced by bula-bulas who had healed his daughters of skin diseases after medical doctors had failed to help them. Although he closely watched many bula-bula performances, he was uncertain about the phenomena’s authenticity. He also told me of cases in which mananambals successfully treated people after medical doctors had given up.

If Westerners come to accept psychic phenomena as real (as public opinion polls in recent years have indicated they are doing), more attention probably will be devoted to malign magic and to ways of countering if. Already in the United States the military and CIA have shown interest in Para psychological research. Yet if this interest increases, it can be expected that sleight of hand, which the Silliman researchers saw, will also be used more frequently to deceive investigators and the public.

Although Westerners may have better methods of dealing with marital strife and land disputes than do Siquijor Islanders, our system of criminal justice could stimulate sorcery. Robbery and rape victims, unsatisfied with the court system, might turn to sorcerers for justice. This might contribute to a kind of social control, since guilty individuals might suffer from the fear of being cursed. But this positive effect of sorcery would be offset by many negative effects. We can predict that psychosomatic symptoms, associated with sorcery, would increase. Some persons would believe that their psychosomatic problems had been caused by sorcery and might retaliate. Sorcery, although it may possibly produce real effects, generates many spurious phenomena. The effects of malign magic are closely related to belief, even false belief.

The best source of action may be not to worry about the possible effects of malign magic. President Aldecoa told me of malign magic. President Aldecoa told me of a wise Visayan saying about sorcery: “Don’t believe in it. Just try to avoid it.”

Apr 8, 2007

I Created You


One day, as usually was the case, a young waif, a
little girl, stood at the street corner begging for food, money or wathever she
could get. Now this girl was wearing very tattered clothes; she was dirty and
quite disheveled.

As it happens, a well-to-do young man passed that
corner without giving the girl a second look. But when he returned to his
expensive home, his happy and comfortable family, and his well-laden dinner
table, his thoughts returned to the young waif and he became very angry at God
for allowing such conditions to exist.

He reproached God, saying, "How can you let
this happen? Why don't you do something to help this girl?"

Then he heard God in the depths of his being respond
by saying, "I did. I created You!"


Sometimes we neglect to see people around us who need our help. We are too busy minding our own things and forget why God created us....

Happy Easter everyone

Bend, but Don't Break


One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream, and listen to the chirps of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their upright or original position after the wind had died down.

When I think about the bamboo tree's ability to bounce back or return to it's original position, the word resilience comes to mind. When used in reference to a person this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches the limits of a person's emotions.
Have you ever felt like you are about to snap? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.

During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally drained, mentally exhausted and you most likely endured unpleasant physical symptoms.
Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend but don't break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.

A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant ordeal. With hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant ordeal may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having.
If the going gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don't break!

tatoo on my back


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