In a predominantly Catholic country, it takes guts to go around flower shops and give away free condoms on Valentine’s Day – even if it’s part of a campaign of the Department of Health. But Secretary Esperanza Cabral did it anyway and she’s now under fire from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) ... (more)
Christmas ham and Ragnarok
Posted on December 17, 2009 · 10 Comments
According to the news, the price of Christmas ham will probably go up by another seven per cent next week. The announcement was made by the president of the supermarket association who did not clarify whether the organization was imposing the price increase arbitrarily to mercilessly jack up its members’ profits or whether it is ... (more)
A benighted and repressive Comelec
Posted on November 17, 2009 · 28 Comments
Just last week, in the column “Sometimes, TV doesn’t suck”, I asked whether religious persons make fair and objective leaders who will think, decide and act in favor of the common good rather than in compliance with their own religious biases. Today, I have to ask that question again in reaction to the Comelec’s resolution ... (more)
Sometimes, TV doesn’t suck
Posted on November 11, 2009 · 20 Comments
Late on Sunday evening, I was able to catch the last portion of the most recent of the 2009 Intelligence Squared debate series on BBC News Network. The title of this column is a recast of a statement in an article in Current.com, “TV doesn’t always suck,” describing the debate. The topic of the debate: ... (more)
Faces of death
Posted on November 4, 2009 · 49 Comments
After a long weekend of hearing and reading nothing but remembering the dead, I found myself musing about the concept of death itself – its significance in culture, law and religion. Among all human experiences, nothing can be more steeped in mystery than death and what we associate with it range from the hilarious to ... (more)
Away for the weekend
Posted on September 19, 2009 · 18 Comments
I’m away for the weekend and it’s something I decided on the spurt of the moment. Remember when I wrote about how important it is for me to have my alone time, even for just a few minutes everyday? Sometimes, a few minutes isn’t enough. I hit a snag somewhere, I was on a constant ... (more)
Religion and science
Posted on January 8, 2009 · 7 Comments
The death of John Travolta’s teenaged son, Jett, sparked speculations that Jett was autistic and that his death could have been prevented had his parents allowed conventional medical treatment for the seizures the boy suffered from for most of his life based on the teachings of the Church of Scientology to which they belong. Jett’s ... (more)
Look who's being anti-progress
Posted on March 17, 2004 · 1 Comment
The Philippines today has the highest birth rate in Asia. ”If our birth rate is to go unchecked, it will impact on food production, health and education services, the environment, housing and so on. It will be a major problem for any government,” he [Tomas Osias, executive director of the Commission on Population] said. [The ... (more)
Issues on marriage and birth control
Posted on January 17, 2004 · 5 Comments
Gloria Arroyo, in deference to the will of the Catholic Church, has adopted a government policy that encourages natural, not artificial, birth control. This is a sore issue with me, really. But, perhaps, not sore enough to prevent me from mulling over the subject still. Just what is the big objection to artificial birth control ... (more)
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