A Happy New Year to one and all!

How time does fly indeed! It’s December 31st, our last column for the Year 2011 and all those articles we’ve written about current events eventually becomes part of our history. As the years fly past us… the days just get shorter, the nights, even shorter. As the old saying goes, “Like is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer it gets to the end, the faster it rolls.” As far as the Year 2011 goes, were up to our last square and tomorrow, we merely open a new roll of toilet paper… marked with the Year 2012.

Now whether the Year 2012 is our last roll of toilet paper, only God knows the answer. Of course, if the Mayan Calendar is to be believed, the Year 2012 is the year that their calendar ends… therefore they interpret it as the end of times. But we are not Mayans and our Lord Jesus Christ even said that as far as the end of the world is concerned, even he doesn’t know when this would happen as only the Father knows this.

While the world suffered through natural catastrophes in the Year 2011 starting with the New Zealand earthquake in February and followed by the Japan earthquake and tsunami in March, then followed by the flooding that hit hard the Central Plains of Luzon, especially in Bulacan and Pampanga and culminated by Typhoon Sendong last Dec.17th in Northern Mindanao and Negros Oriental one can really say that Mother Earth was quite busy in the Year 2011. It just makes us wonder what lays ahead for us in the coming Year 2012… more natural disasters?

We know too well that we can’t control anything that is considered an act of God. But Filipinos are a hardy bunch of people who have been to various types of typhoons and other disasters, but so far we have coped with it. But what we should be wary of are man-made disasters that do far more damage than any natural disasters. By this, I’m referring to the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill that Pres. PNoy so impatiently wants it passed in Congress.

I guarantee you that if the RH Bill is passed and made into a law; it would kill millions of unborn babies, whom we considered “The Innocents” of our time. When that foul deed is done… God will punish this country like what he has done to the nations that turned their backs away from God.

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Speaking of the RH Bill, the Year 2011 brought me a record number of emails. I always answer each and everyone of them. But too often, those that we promised to print get waylaid due to other important items we have to publish. So allow me to print an emailed response to our column last Dec.13th about Foreign Agents Funding the RH Bill.”

“Yes and Yes! Bobit. Definitely! This cannot be denied I found this to be very true, early on. Two years ago when I attended a Senate Hearing sponsored by the so-called “Philippine Legislative Committee for Population and Development (PLCPD)_ where Senator Mechai, Thailand’s Condom King, was invited to share his “out-of-the-box” strategies for population control. They were able to reduce the number of children per family from 7 in 1995 to only.5 in 2005. An open forum was held after his message and a panel was invited to moderate the questions.

Would you believe who catered the plentiful and delicious snack? Via Mare! I was convinced right then and there that the sponsors for the hearing were not ordinary folks. I have attended previous hearings in the Senate (like Miriam’s Giant Billboards proposed S.B.) and snacks were never that sumptuous. Well, the “Mahadera” that I am, I raised my hand immediately and when I was asked to introduce myself, I first announced “They say many children cause the poverty of the Philippines so I hereby accuse myself as causing poverty because I have 13 children and 33 grandchildren with more coming.”

Of course, this brought laughter. After it died down—I thanked the Senator for his coming to share their strategies. But I followed this with my concern “I am the head of a village and should I adopt a strategy he shared; to give 2 piglets to a mother who will not get pregnant in 2 years and 4 piglets to one who will not in 4 years, I may end up with more pigs than people in my village.” Another burst of laughter.

But when it died down, I turned serious and told the Senator that Our Country is not Poor. It is very rich. It has vast undeveloped natural resources and very good human resources. We even export them. What we need is good education down in the grassroots, which many very wealthy taipans can well support so we can develop our natural resources ourselves and not wait for foreigners. With good education, parents will know whom to “plan” for a family responsibility. Thanks Consuelo D. Sison Administrator Alpha Village Widow of WWII USAFFE Veteran Atty. Domingo Sison.” HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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For email responses to this article, write to [email protected] or [email protected]. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.

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