KNOWING that I like songs and music, some friends introduced me to two of our latest singing sensations, Adele and Bruno Mars. This development triggered in me the thought that we need to be most careful and very discerning in the appreciation of today’s music.

When I first heard Adele, my first reaction was negative. She sounded drunk, or a woman wronged, mournful, melancholic. My friends immediately assured me it’s worthwhile to be more patient and to try to grow a certain taste for her style.

True enough, when I heard her “Set fire to the rain,” I started to reconsider. She has a very powerful voice, but more than that, it’s a voice with a great ability to shift tones with rapidity, and to think that she’s only in her early 20s.

That flipping style and her very unusual or, I would even say, erratic way of phrasing seem to sound like the rumblings of a volcano nearing eruption. The pent-up emotions and passions are seeking a hole, or making it, to find urgent release.

Then I started to listen to her other songs. “Someone like you” can really make you cry. Those abrupt and sharp shifts from low to high tones can leave you feeling like you are twisting in the wind. “Chasing pavements,” “Rolling in the deep,” etc., reinforce the lingering impression she has a distinctive style that’s worth taking note of.

I examined the lyrics, and what can I say? They seem to be mainly plaintive, sad, and all that. There’s a king of angst, a
sensation of being caught in a corner and not knowing what to do. And with her style, the emotions and sentiments become so transparent and raw they can be easily felt by the listener.

Composers nowadays seem to reflect very well the complicated and confused character of our times. There’s, of course, some merit in that. But I would not allow myself to be taken in by them completely. Caution always helps so as to avoid being swallowed by rampaging emotions. These composers can express the pathos and ethos of the times.

Sometimes, I say, poor Adele. Oh, what she has to go through, and how she is coping with it all! No wonder, Adele is raking in many awards. Must be making a lot of money too.

Then I listened to Bruno Mars and I immediately understood why many people, especially the young, like him. He has such a funny and cheerful style that you like to dance and simply to be carefree. I believe his songs are more of the R and B and reggae types, but he actually blends many genres. That’s versatility for you.

And yet he is also capable of being extremely mushy. His “Talking to the moon” is even haunting. Yes, he has a powerful voice, high-pitched yet solid, and yes, he also knows how to flip not only tones but also in phrasing. What a singer!

I again looked at the lyrics of his songs, mostly if not all composed by him. And again they reflect the temper of the
times—complex, a bit confused, playful, mischievous, rebellious, etc.

But there’s no doubt that together with the tune and beat, they are very catchy, and easily accessible, as the Wiki describes them. Just check out his “Lazy song.” I find it funny, but also disturbing. I know it’s not just a song. It is an expression of today’s mind and attitude.

All these considerations bring us to what I feel we need to do—to be careful, to not easily be taken in by the external charms of the songs and music. We need to go deeper into the spirit that animates them-whether they are good, healthy and safe or not. We have to learn to sift the good from the evil, the safe from the dangerous.

Truth is the more engaging or stimulating or absorbing or, worse, addicting, some things like songs and gadgets are to our senses, emotions and mind, the more we have to refer them to God.

They should not be left to tickle us only in those levels and aspects. They need to be related to God, scrutinizing them
spiritually, not carnally or emotionally, nor even intellectually alone. Those would not be enough. Those only give us a part of the picture, and can be dangerous if not related to God and not assessed spiritually also.

We have to learn to do this. But I am afraid this need is not yet widely felt. Well, we have challenge before us.

San Isidro local officials hitch to the tourism bandwagon but opt for low capital, low impact to the environment tourism.

Considerably new to the stream, San Isidro packs an array of offers that could hook the serious environmentalist as well as those whose concept of tourism is full respect for cultures and environmental education.

Part of its three initial sites for its development includes a two-storey cave, a majestic waterfall and a unique panorama of western Bohol as seen only on a hilltop.

Eyed for tourism activities are Cantijong Cave in Cansague Sur, Kilab-kilab Falls in Baunos and Candungaw Peak in Barangay Candungao, San Isidro Mayor Jacinto Naraga bared.

“These are interesting sites and getting to these sites also open up countless possibilities of entrepreneurship that our people can get into. Small business but one that can perk up our local economy,” he shared.

  “But, first things first”, admits Mayor Jacinto Naraga during a luncheon meeting with Philippine Information Agency which was invited to help them set up its in-town circuit.

“We did not want to get big right away, we have a decent offer of environment adventure and like what Boholanos aspire, we do not want to commit mistakes we can’t do something about later,” Mayor Naraga said.

San Isidro, a town which has adopted Saint Isidore the farmer as its patron saint, wants to do away from mass tourism for now while we still grope on what to do best for our sites, one that will sustain it and deals with the minimum impact on the resources we offer, explains newly designated tourism officer Eric Jinne Flor.

 Not your usual mass tourism site, San Isidro would rather go for the kind of tourists that are aware of what they are into: nature lovers and those who would like to see things the way a true bloodied San Isidro resident would, Flor added.

We just designated two point-persons tasked with setting up of a feasible tourism activity package we can initially test run for May, sources close to Mayor Naraga said.

Recently, the town designated Eric Jinne Flor and Julie Tinaja as tourism point persons.

Flor is the town local civil registrar, public employment officer and concurrently sitting as tourism officer by virtue of the designation.

On the other hand, Tinaja is the Sangguniang Bayan Secretary and sits as the assistant tourism officer, Flor shared.

At the back lines and providing the much needed push to keep everyone going is the town council led by Vice Mayor Eudoxio Asoy and Municipal Planning and Development Office.

A landlocked second district town, San Isidro remains a fifth class, but has proven it can do more than is expected of a fifth class town.

Relishing from its successful hosting of Agbunan Festival, San Isidro residents have awakened their sense of pride and now believes that if there are shortcuts to attaining a new engine for development, it must be an honest to goodness eco-tourism.  (By REY ANTHONY CHIU)

Police Provincial Director Constantino Barot Jr. attributed this to the intensified police visibility in strategic areas of the province, especially Loboc where people flocked to Kruz Dako and Panglao where tourists spent the vacation.

According to Barot, the only noticeable complaint that Panglao police responded during the peiord was regarding the colorum pumpboats anchored by the beach front that caused inconvenience to tourists.

Police officers also closely monitored cockfighting activities and made sure no one violates the rules on Maundy Thursday until the Holy Week is over.

However, the Txtklamo center of dyRD received reports that some individuals managed to secretly engage in cockfighting in some remote barangays on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

On this, the police provincial director said the police force could have responded had the barangayfolk concerned immediately reported the incident to authorities.

Barot pointed out that he always wanted every concern addressed promptly.

In fact, he has deployed one police officer for every barangay.

Police officers had also been deployed to busy areas during Good Fridays such as the Loboc area and the route of the stations of the Cross in Tagbilaran City where concerns on the traffic had been promptly addressed.

In Panglao, the police provincial director lauded the local government unit for creating the Citizens Auxiliary Police.

Members of the Citizens Auxiliary Police might not be issued service firearms, but their presence in the community can already be of big help in curbing criminality.

Barot said other LGUs in Negros Oriental such as Bayawan City already had the Citizens Auxiliary Police since the 1990s yet.

]]> http://www.boholchronicle.net/20120411-holy-week-peaceful.html/feed 0 http://www.boholchronicle.net/20120411-public-hits-o-jet-for-poor-service.html http://www.boholchronicle.net/20120411-public-hits-o-jet-for-poor-service.html#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 02:10:12 +0000 admin http://www.boholchronicle.net/?p=1713 Oceanjet fastcrafts hit snag anew for placing supposed “valued” passengers to an ordeal of an inconvenient sea travel—an ironic clinch of a Holy Week vacation.
Gerry Guidaben of DOLE-Bohol shared a sad experience taking Oceanjet-7 in his return home on Saturday from a fine vacation in Camiguin with family.
Even the supposed air-conditioned accommodation felt like an ordeal in a furnace the whole trip, aside from the misunderstanding with other passengers regarding the seat assignment.
Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Head Norma Enriquez thought the problem on the poor airconditioning had already been addressed by the management of the fast craft since it occurred in the past.
She said the recent incident reported by Guidaben will be raised to Marina-Cebu and discuss the matter with Oceanjet management.
Enriquez hinted that another investigation on the poor services of the fastcraft company would be conducted to address the recent incident.
According to Guidaben, the aircondition of Oceanjet-7 on their way to Camiguin from Jagna was still working on Thursday. But their trip home on Saturday was an ordeal.
First, they were surprised why their seats were already taken by passengers from Cagayan who supposedly took the non-aircon accommodation.
They learned that the crew allowed them to go down to the air-con accommodation since there were still few passengers when the fast craft left Cagayan.
The bulk of the passengers were from Binoni in Camiguin bound for Jagna.
The confusion even resulted to altercation because the passengers from Cagayan no longer wanted to return to their original seats in non-aircon accommodation upstairs.
According to Guidaben, the crew even advised them to just spread out to the remaining vacant seats.
He explained that it would be difficult on their part because they have kids with them and he needs to watch over them in the entire trip.
Guidaben said his wife even pointed out that it would be unfair for the crew to drive them from their seats in favor of those who were not even assigned to the seats.
The crew also asked them to share their seats with their children when in fact, they paid for their (children) seats.
As they sailed, passengers noticed that the aircondition was not functioning.

Most of the passengers went to the open-air area upstairs and they feared that the fastcraft might go out-balanced. Some took off their shirts.

The crew even advised those who sought ventilation by the front portion to go back to their seats, but never tried to solve the problem when the passengers told them that it was very hot inside.

Several passengers, including one of their children, turned pale and dizzy because of poor ventilation.

Guidaben said they had to bear the inconvenience until they reached Jagna only to learn later that the aircondition in the fast craft was just set to “fan” level as overheard from a crew who finally checked it when the last passenger—who happened to be Guidaben’s kid—stepped down.

An administrative officer of DepEd-City shared similar experience of other DepEd-City officials on March 14.

According to the DepEd official, he took the Weesam after having enough of Oceanjet. But the other officials who took the 6 p.m. Oceanjet-8 trip when they returned home from a seminar in Cebu had to bear the inconvenience of poor airconditioning.

The passengers sweat throughout the trip, except those who went up to the open air area of the vessel.

Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
-Because He lives

That song, Because He Lives by Bill and Gloria Gaither, clearly affirms the hope believers have in Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday signifies a new beginning. With the risen Lord Jesus Christ, it is in our hope that we rise above life’s challenges, trials and difficulties renewed and strengthened faith, hope and trust in the risen Lord.

***

As a young child in the old Booy neighborhood, this city, Holy Week, one of the holiest times in Christendom, is a time of believing superstitious and folk practices. I’d noticed that some of them remained last week like decorating doors with palms to ward off evil spirits, never take a bath on Good Friday, monsters and other evil creatures are most powerful during Good Friday, wounds heal longer when acquired during Holy Week, amulets or anting-anting and charms are best empowered and renewed during Good Friday and abularyos or traditional faith healers recharged their powers in the forest and in unexplored caves.

Many years ago, people could only go to church. Families prayed the Stations of the Cross, listened to the Siete Palabras and meditated on the Word and suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. If they decided to stay at home, they should pray or watch The Ten Commandments, Marcelino Pan Y Vino and Himala. The elders also shared stories of miracles and Marian apparitions.

And since we are at it, it won’t hurt if I share stories of Marian apparitions in Bohol relevant-to-the-occasion piece. Here it is:

Miniature image of Mary draws believers to Calape

Steady streams of people continue to shuffle into Roberto Lumba’s house in Sitio Cambag, barangay Tinibgan, Calape town. They pray for healing. They ask for help. Some hold flowers, others candles or pictures. Before them, on an altar of roses and prayer candles, is a miniature statue of a woman, what Catholics now believe is an image of the Virgin Mary.

“Nakit-an nako ang gamay nga statwa samtang nanghipus ko sa mga basiyo. Akong gitan-awa murag si Birhen Maria nga nagdala og bata (I saw a small statue while arranging the cases of soft drink bottles. I started looking at it until I realized it was the Virgin holding a child),” said Roberto, a bottle boy.

He kept the statue inside his home until the Virgin Mary appeared in his dream. The Virgin Mary told him to put her in a modest abode inside the house. Roberto did what the Virgin Mary told him. He looked for a natural stone enclave to hold the Virgin Mary statue and put a pane of glass that shelters the statue.

The image, which measures two inches, was dull when Roberto found it. Months passed, colors of blue and red became visible. Roberto just realized that the image, undeniably, was that of Nuestra Señora Virgen de Regla.

Believers say that the image is miraculous. People from different places in Bohol came to worship the Virgin Mary. They let the statue touched their head and shoulders and kissed the feet of the Virgin praying for healing and a miracle from her.

“Ang Ginoo mag-uban kanato sa kanunay (God is always with us),” Roberto said.

Image of Virgin Mary appears on shell

Faithful and the curious, many carrying flowers and candles, have flocked to barangay Bentig , Calape town to see the image of the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios known locally as Birhen sa Kalooy.

Sofia Dumayac, one of the caretakers of the chapel where the image is enshrined, narrated that sometime in 1800, Maximo Dumayac found a fragment ofantuwang shell or tridacna on Calape beach. From the shell, rose the image of Virgin Mary. This phenomenon generated public interest.

The following is culled from the website:

One evening, Maximo went out fishing but he didn’t have any catch but every time threw the fishnet he would only catch was an empty shell. Maximo threw the shell back to the sea but the shell was once again in his fishnet. He brought it home and put it in one corner of his nipa hut. Once in a while, he would use it as container of feeds for the chickens.

One night, however, Maximo dreamed he was being asked by someone to make a nine-day novena to the Virgin de los Remedios. Being religious and devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he made the novena together with his wife. Strangely enough, after the novena ended, people from neighboring towns of Jetafe and Inabanga went to see the parish priest of St. Vincent Ferrer Church of Calape, asking him on the whereabouts of the Lady in a Miraculous Shell. They claimed that they were asked in a dream to go to the barrio of Bentig, where they will find the miraculous shell. Maximo, unaware that his shell was a miraculous one, showed it to his neighbors and they were the first to discover that there was a strange growth in the once empty Antuwang shell. Maximo then cleaned the shell and kept it inside his baul (old chest). Meantime, people started flocking to his place and donated small amounts of money, which Maximo used in reconstructing his nipa hut.

Time went by and people later on noticed that the growth in the shell had become transformed into an image of a very beautiful and radiant lady. The shell looks like ivory and the miraculous lady seems to be made of ivory. She wears a white long robe, her eyes are beautiful and gentle and even her cheeks and lips are somewhat reddish. Almost every five years, the Virgin would add some trimmings to her robe and mantle, like for instance; she is now wearing a white robe with gold trimmings whereas before, it was not visible to the naked eye. Until today, the image of the Lady, which is about seven inches tall, is still very much attached to the shell.

Devotees of the Birhen sa Kalooy come from as far as Mindanao and Luzon.The chapel, which used to be of wood, is now a concrete edifice built through donations and offerings to the image. Pilgrims continue to come from far and wide to worship the Blessed Mother of Jesus. Up to this day the heirs of Maximo Dumayac take turns in keeping watch over the image enthroned in a more decent home.

Virgin Mary seen in tree stump
Have you heard about the Virgin Mary spotted in a mangrove tree trunk in Riverside, Dauis town? Marian devotees said the appearance of Mary in tree stump is a divine “blessing.”

The image, which resembles the mother of Jesus in her traditional prayer pose, has reportedly been causing local residents to shake and cry in wonder.

Until now, people come see the likeness of Virgin Mary. They offer flowers and candles.

There have been hundreds of “sightings” of the Virgin Mary down the centuries, but recent years have seen her appearing in ever more unusual places.

The earliest known claim was from St. James the Greater who saw the Virgin Mary while he was in preaching on the banks of the Ebro River in Saragossa, Spain in 40 A.D.

The most famous apparitions have been those reported in Guadalupe, Mexico (1531), Rue du Bac, France (1830), Lourdes, France (1858), Fatima, Portugal (1917), and Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina (1984). The most recently Vatican approved apparitions are those from Le Laus, France (1664) which were approved in 2008. The most recently occurring apparitions with full Vatican approval are those from Kibeho, Rwanda which ended in 1989.

***
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The better way to experience a fun-filled summer is to do aqua sports at the Dumaloan Beach Resort in Panglao.

In time for summer, the resort is going full blast with their aqua sports facilities made available for beach fun lovers.

Among the aqua sports available are Parasailing ride, Jetski Seadoo ride, Banana Boat ride, Flyfish Ride, Windsurfing,Wakeboarding,Sea walking, Glass Bottom boat ride and Bungee trampoline.

In addition to this,the resortintroduced recently the”fish spa”, the first of its kind in Bohol.

And soon, the much awaited GoKart at the resort compound.