12 Round of Fruits: The Truth and Falsehood

Before new year sets, I was wondering upon seeing people in the market, keeping themselves busy looking for a set of 12 different kinds of fruits for their table for the new year.

12 Round of Fruis

"What for?" I asked myself.

According to them, that is a tradition to anticipate a prosperous new year. Everyone should prepare 12 different kinds of fruits and put them on their table as the new year sets in.

These 12 different fruits represent a month of bounty, a month of prosperity, and a month of happiness. The fruits should be sweet in taste and good to eat. Sour tasting fruits should be set aside.

I want to know the spiritual implication of this practice. I refer it to the Bible and this is what I found in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 22, verse 2 of the King James Version:

November 1 : 'ALL SALES DAY'

In the Philippines, every November 1 is All Saints Day. The Filipino devout observe it by visiting the departed member of their family in cemetery, or in a memorial park. But for the small vendors, they observe it too as "All Sales Day".

Man buying candles from the vendor along the road

Small businesses are sprouting near the entrance of the cemetery, and even along the road adjacent to the cemetery to sell candles of all sizes; can, basket or bouquet of flowers. They also sell candies, cigarettes, junk foods, and soft drinks, handy fans, hats, hand towels or anything which a small retail stores can offer.

Indonesian Family Planning: Is It Feasible For the Philippines?

"Family planning  Is a Moral Choice"

Walden Bello, a member of the PHL House of Representatives representing AKBAYAN (Citizens' Action Party) and is serving as a senior analyst in the Bangkok-based researched institute Focus on the Global South, has recently visited Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam to investigate family planning program in these countries.

He publicized his recent research on family planning program of Indonesia, which he is recommending an ideal program for the Philippines to adopt.

PHL Prexy: 'No Apology'

PHL President Aquino

Manila Bulletin, one of the major national newspaper dailies in the Philippines, banners today PHL President Aquino's reactions to the embroiled Catholic prelates' request to apologize to them: "No Apology"

Why should the Philippine President Noynoy Aquino be sorry to the prelates whose names were dragged to the infamous scandal of "unauthorized" Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) luxurious sports utility vehicles (SUVs) donations?

PNoy stood firm in his decision not to apologize to those seven involved Catholic Bishops in PCSO vehicles irregularities. He had not done anything wrong with them, he said in an ambush interview of the media yesterday. The alleged "Pajero" anomaly in the state-lottery agency did not transpire in his present administration. It did occur in 2008 and 2009 as to the findings of the Commission on Audit (CoA).

PHL Prelates: 'We Are Sorry'

Sports Utility Vehicle

The "embroiled" Roman Catholic Bishops on the scandal of receiving donations of luxury vehicles from Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) had clarified the issue and cleared themselves peaceably in a Senate hearing called for to investigate the matter yesterday.

They said those donated vehicles they received from PCSO are "intended to help the poor". They're firm to their words that those donations had "no malice" at all.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in a statement said, “we are sorry for the pain and sadness that these events have brought upon you [Catholic faithfuls].”