God frowns on Doubting Thomases

I have been told that there are journalists in Mindanao who have arms for self defense. In Cebu, journalists use their arms for romancing.

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 “Some of the fastest girl runners in our school athletics run barefoot,” says a Manila sportswriter. Is that shoe?

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 Some Pinoy officials are doubting the US ambassador’s statement about “sex tourism” in the Philippines. Call them “Doubting Thomases.”

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 Commenting on this issue, my favorite sidewalk philosopher Noy Temiong says: “You know, God frowns on those who do not believe what they did not see... Or something to that effect.”

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 The Bible says He kind of scolded the one who doubted that he has risen from the dead because he did not see Him. This “one” is Thomas, his apostle, not the US ambassador.

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 When Ramon threatened to hit Cebu this week, Cebuanos — or many of us anyway — were rattled. Having seen the damage wrought by Pedring and Quiel in Luzon, some people, especially those who believed, lighted “benditadong Candelaria candles” which our lolas say could stop natural calamities.

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 Thailand, like PHL, continues to suffer from floods and mudslides. Now they’re trying to “defend” Bangkok from going underwater. The people in their Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation are busy finding ways to block the huge floodwaters rushing towards Bangkok.

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 Can human effort succeed in stopping floodwaters threatening to engulf a city like Bangkok this late in the day? Some say it’s impossible but those who say this are not Thais. Because the Thais believe it is possible. It can be done. And they’re doing it.

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 Reports have it that Thai engineers are busy right now building emergency floodwalls in areas where floodwaters are rushing towards Bangkok. If the Thais succeed in halting the floods in their eleventh-hour emergency job, that would be something for our National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to ponder.

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 E-mail from someone who goes by the initials GTS of Tagbilaran City: “The US has granted the Philippines $15 million for the education of Filipino children engaged in hazardous forms of child labor. That’s some money. Let’s let it go to where it is intended. OK?”

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 After seeing a young woman speaking on the phone in unladylike manner, a member of a women’s club said to her companion: “Can’t this woman speak on the phone like a gentleman.” Her companion looked at her and shook her head but said nothing.

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