Fake Christians; Saying One Thing and Doing Another

                   By Vic Odarve

From neighborhoods and elsewhere these Christians are saying one thing and doing another!

They manage illegal businesses, exploits people, and corrupt; yet pious outside but rotten inside. With just a few months from illegal business such as drugs trafficking and money laundering, they become an instant millionaire. More or less of these businessmen exploited their workers by paying low or underpaid salaries or under contractual status. Still, others are corrupt by not paying due taxes to the government. But observe them during religious rites and ceremonies, they give offerings and talk like a true Christian; that is, saying one thing but doing another. They are fake Christians!

Several pieces of research showed that most millionaires were traced from illegal businesses such as drug trafficking. Their unexplained wealth and various acquired properties cannot be drawn up with proper documents. Such was the case of Senator Leila de Lima which many people believed that she has received millions from the drug lords operating inside the Bilibid to finance her campaign during the election. To date, she is languishing in jail. Being a religious person, she has already forgiven the “Judases” in her life, including her former driver and lover, Ronnie Dayan, who has turned against her. “I commend these sinners to God almighty and offer them mercy,” the senator stated.

ABS CBN,  a flagship of the Lopezes corporation seemed to be populated by people of genuine religious faith, but lately it was discovered by government investigation that it is not paying proper taxes. A lot has been discussed in the franchise hearings, from ownership issues, citizenship, tax avoidance mechanisms and labor claims.The same is true for the Philhealth where corruption was serious that battered the whole leadership of the organization.

In employment, working class people which are the driving force behind the capitalist production, are exploited by having low salaries and contractual status. Although they contributed profits in the business operation and considered as the core builders of beautiful palaces and buildings, their employers seldom give them incentives and benefits enjoyed by permanent employees. Dubai, for example, a city renowned for glitz and boast the world’s tallest building, migrant workers who build its grandeur are paid below the standard wages.  These low paid migrant workers are often housed in filthy conditions and treated like a slave during the dark ages. In the Philippine setting, the end of contract scheme employed by some employers deprives the workers and their families of enjoying the benefits given in the law.

             Very religious

There are millionaires who often donate large sums to religious activities and politicians during the campaign period, acquired more profit from their businesses by not paying the right taxes to the government. To date, various business magnates are under reviewed by the government. To name few, Tan has almost P30 billion tax deficiencies, the Mighty corporation has an estimated excise tax liability of P 9.564 billion, and Dunkin doughnuts have also billions of unpaid taxes. But when questioned by media men, they seemed philanthropic but are practicing another.

A novel interpretations of Christian doctrines teach that saying one thing and doing another are persons with questionable credibility. Credibility is our own choice of path in our life. It is a commitment; to be a liar or not. In math, it is a domain, the lower and upper limits in integral Calculus, representing the area that covers your life. It is reliability. If credibility is questionable, a “credibility gap” is said to exist. Nobody wants to befriend you except people with the same color as yours!

Today, there is spate of fake Christians; saying one thing but doing another!

 

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Old Pictures; Beyond Forgetting

        By Vic Odarve

Seemingly unimportant and usually taken for granted or forgotten, old photographs capture precious moments, recall the details, and remember the traces of footprints of our yesteryears. Old photos are the living witness of the happiest or saddest moments; allows to recall all the details down the road and rewinding how life was spent in the times of our life.

          Boy Scouts of the Philippines

Yes, in my ancestral home, old framed pictures hanging on the wall remind me where I spent my childhood days, my great-grandparents’ heydeys, and some of the most memorable parts of my life. In one of the photos, I was once a platoon leader of a boys’ scout group ready for jamboree competition to a nearby village. We were in complete uniform with a cap on the heads in a scout drill formation. Even in black-and-white, it was easy to tell that we were then kids schooling at Mayana Primary Schools. Scouting has been a part of my life for longer than I can remember. My parents told me that I have always loved scouting life during my primary education. And this old picture confirms!

Upon scanning more of the pictures, old memories gradually flashback and forth in my minds from the events of the distant past. The traces of memories that appear to disintegrate over time seem real and fresh. Looking back to my childhood days, with the days spent together with our great grandparents and country people, these memories are beyond forgetting!

Mayana basketball team 1977

It is indeed enjoyable to see these old pictures. It stirs our memories and recalls the days of our youth. I would like to rewind the good old days when we played basketball games during fiesta celebration. Now, the village of Mayana is one of my favorite getaway destinations. Going back to the old trail of the San Miguel Academy, I can feel like walking through mist and clouds along the mountain ranges, meet all the fairies and magical creatures, and watch the birds doing orchestra along with the canopies. Remembering my good old childhood days, it is sort of feeling that cannot be captured on camera and more than the old pictures hanging on the wall.

There really is no place like home. Old pictures remind me the places and events where I come from; the land of my birth, and with all its diversity, the good and the bad, I would like to go there first over anywhere else in the world. It is just proper to share our good old days and momentous moments to our sons and grandsons how we spent our lives before.

The Bible puts it;

“Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons”. Deuteronomy 4:9

For us the living, the old pictures keep us remember and stir our memories. It is beyond forgetting!

 

 

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I Know Why Students Jog

              By Vic Odarve

Every Thursday morning at 7 am! It is a jogging time. Security people check the girl’s and boy’s hostels if somebody is still in their rooms or quarters. All must voluntarily leave their rooms and join the weekly jogging. It is traditionally a minimum 3-km run affair; that is all students must jog at least 3 kilometers in an oval playground. Around 5,000 qualified students must join the jogging as part of their school fitness program. This is integrating physical activity into the school curriculum. Sound body means sound mind!

Caritas University, Enugu State,Nigeria

This is the picture of the student’s life at Caritas University, Enugu State, Nigeria. Uniquely African way of academic life! We seldom saw likely thousands of students lined up once a typical week for the jogging activity in a private university. After few possible minutes of an important announcement, the game started by stretching exercises evidently to gently loosen their muscles prior jogging proper.

Jogging is a slow pace running and virtually all the students can do it. Some do it to get in shape, stay fit, and have fun. But most participants do it for fun, indeed, imagining themselves to be one of the thousand students doing a circuitous route in a campus playground. And they enjoy themselves! Their faces show a thousand smiles! This is also a part of their social activity and camaraderie.

The private school, on the other hand, sincerely believes that regular exercise enhances the student’s mental well-being along with their physical health. In fact, numerous studies indicate that student’s academic achievement and physical fitness are positively related. Jogging also increases life span and typically reduces an aging effect, fights obesity and high cholesterol level, and improves tremendously study level concentrations.

Thus, the school teaches the students the importance of physical fitness, incorporate regular exercise as part of their lives and jogging as the main exercise. In this unique way, students are kept fit, active, and healthy.

Instantly seeing thousands of radiant faces smiling as these students jogging their way along the university oval playground of Caritas University is something to behold. This is a fun run for a cause in some active part of the developed world!

Now I undoubtedly know why these typical student’s jog!

 

      

 

 

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The Pharisees in our Modern Time!

      By Vic Odarve

Like in biblical days when Jesus justly condemned the hypocritical Pharisees, we also often see these people in our society today. Only, they are cleverer than before! They are very religious people, but a conduit to a prominent politician and sometimes a bagman for corrupt government officials. Others are holding an important government position but serve as an instrument for an oligarch that owned several corporations to pay less tax. Pious outside, but rotten inside! They are the Pharisees in our modern time!

They are, indeed, very religious. Carefully observe the church during Sunday masses! They traditionally occupy the front seats; do bible reading, and active in religious organizations. They donate money and even do some charitable works and finance some religious activities. They loved to be instantly recognized and greeted everywhere, even in the churches and the private marketplaces. But on the other side, they are the conduits of siphoning billions of moneys in connivance with the corrupt government officials.

Such traditionally was the case of ABS-CBN, the crown jewel of the Lopez group of private corporations that sets them apart from the other oligarchs. They have been undoubtedly influencing traditional politicians to do their bidding; perverting information, and news to protect their family politico-economic interests. Investigation discloses a lot of violations that include ownership issues, citizenship, tax avoidance mechanisms and labor claims. DBP loans granted to the Lopezes that were written off in 2006 amounted to P1.667 billions. Per calculation, the company should have paid P3.3 trillion to the government for taxes,etc. As came out, some senators and congressmen who are very religious in the eager eyes of their constituents are all part of a script in an age-old game of corruption that has destroyed the moral fiber of the Philippines.

On ethical PhilHealth issues, the considerable bulk of corruptions typically happens in the regional level. When the high-profile cases are filed in the Ombudsman’s office, the agency's national office whitewashes the official complaints filed against regional officials. That is another way how corruption persists at PhilHealth. A Senate hearing also revealed that the PhilHealth President had approved the agency's questionable information technology budget and also promoted officials already charged for alleged corrupt practices.

As always in social history from the time of Christ to the present, the picture repeats itself. But as technology advances the Pharisees are more pious outside and rotten inside. Their footprints in the bible persistently refuse to die in the conscious minds of the local people! Watch out. These modern Pharisees are coming in great numbers!

 Here are some poems written in Bol-anon dialect at my you tube channel Balak Bol-anon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5kFbYndPWG5-PrjCZF4SRA

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The Joy of Helping Others

               By Vic Odarve

My office is open to all students except on some special occasions. And one day, a student came asking assistance on how to derive the famous Einstein equation E= mc2. Upon recognizing that he was not my student, I asked him “How do you know that I can derive the equation?” My friend told me, Sir”, he replied warily.

Madonna University

Then on another occasion, students came to my office bringing laptops and asking more tips on solving problems on matrices, statistics, and linear programming using MS Excel. The same thing: most of them were not my students! Then I asked them, “How do you know that I can help you?” Our friends told us, Sir”, they replied in unison.

“No problem”, I said to myself. I love to help students. A little help would mean a lot to them. These students are resourceful, and they are making the best of things while I am still in this university.

Then one day somebody knocked my office door. I was surprised. He was not a student! He was a university professor and an owner of a mall in the community. He requested for a website design for campus students! I was overwhelmed! I was wondering how he got the information. Without asking questions and hesitation, I made one for him! Later I found out   that students told him that I am making a website for free.

That was it! I designed a website for free. It was a good website design and it attracted students’ attention. It became a big hit in the campus! The news spread like a wildfire in the entire university. Students were asking who design the website! The word was spreading.

Elele Campus, Nigeria

 After a few months and upon their request, I conducted a seminar on website design inside in the campus. The seminar drew much attention to students and community people alike. There I found myself speaking in a huge crowd that I never expected. My heart filled with joy. I could see on their faces how happy the students and community people were!

That’s how the things started. From a student who came to know the E= MC2 and ended on a seminar engagement on website design!

This is life. A little help makes a big difference to our neighbors. Just by helping others freely without expecting something in return! Helping others by sharing your knowledge gives you a happiness that money can’t buy. The events become the opportunity for growth. It motivates us to do more and make our life fulfilling. You feel that you are adored and loved by the students as well as the community people. Sharing our knowledge to the less fortunate makes you always feel happy. It also brings joy to our neighbors, too! You have done something good to your brothers and pleasing to the eyes of our Maker. The bible says,

“Let each of us bring joy to our neighbors helping them for the good purpose, for building up.”– Romans 15:2

 I did it for the glory of God the Father! And to the one sitting on His right hand where no angels and prophets were ever admitted!

 

 

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