Stand and be counted

As best I can, I avoid writing about the same topic for two publications. Today however, I make an exception to that rule because I am very concerned about how a proposed bill in Congress could sneak up on us and rob us of our freedom of religion.

There is now a proposed bill lurking in the halls of the Batasan entitled “Religious Freedom in Government act” that would ban the observance, practice or display of anything related to religion. The proposed bill wants to prohibit opening prayers, blessing of offices, display of religious icons such as the Sto. Niño or the Virgin Mary and conducting “religious activities” such as bible study, reading the Koran, or even mass weddings inside government buildings and publicly owned property.

In effect, the bill as proposed by Kabataan Party list representative Raymond Palatino will outlaw saying prayers in all public schools and State Universities, and effectively interfere with the practice of religion among Catholics, Muslims, Protestants etc. Knowing how passionate and zealous Cebuanos, Visayans and the people of Mindanao are about their respective religious beliefs, I feel compelled to raise the alarm before the next generation wakes up to discover that their religious freedoms were curtailed because “WE”, did not stand up to fight for them.

When I wrote about the same topic in the Philippine Star, one reader responded with the words: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”. That classic line has often been attributed to Edmund Burke the British Member of Parliament from 1765 to 1794. But now research is claiming that the lines came from the movie adaption of the book “War and Peace”.

Interestingly enough, Edmund Burke did say something that is probably even more appropriate under the present circumstance: “Nothing is so fatal to religion as indifference”. Regardless of our individual religious beliefs, we all have a duty to defend everyone’s faith not against other religions but against those who would deny us our rights to practice our beliefs.

Whatever opportunities or tools you have available, everyone must act to let Congressman Palatino and his horde that we will not take his bill sitting down. We need to let Palatino and people like him know that there is a heavy price and cost for anyone who attempts to undermine our constitutionally protected freedom to worship. As Edmund Burke also said: “There is however, a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue”.

If you don’t feel hard pressed to act on this matter, just consider how the United States Supreme Court ruled out prayer and reading the Bible in all public schools.

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To pet or not to pet, that’s the debate!

Unbeknownst to many, there is a growing discussion regarding a tourist attraction, located in Oslob, Cebu. This concerns how local fishermen have reportedly been feeding the whale sharks that pass through Oslob resulting in the whale sharks losing their natural fear of man and actually behaving like pets or circus animals and staying in Oslob longer than normal.

The debate is not just about whether or not locals should feed migratory animals but also how it affects local economies and tourists. Those who have been to Oslob and interacted with the whale sharks only have rave reviews for the encounter because almost everybody who’s been to Oslob has swam with whale sharks. In comparison, the highly regulated whale shark encounters in Donsol, Sorsogon is a “Hit or miss” adventure dependent on the seasonal presence of whale sharks. Informal surveys on the chances of a Butanding encounter indicate that you have a better chance in Oslob than in Donsol.

So now people are arguing about the well being of animals as well as the satisfaction rating that tourists have. The Oslob supporters believe that the Oslob model is actually beneficial to the whale sharks because they are really cared for and protected within the coastal community. Since they are fed regularly there is a better chance for reproduction. Another point is the fact that the whale sharks are not caged or fenced in. 

Marine experts on the other hand believe that the whale sharks should be left to their own devices and not be distracted from their migratory behavior. In the Donsol model, legislation and regulation came out to protect the whale sharks so as not to disrupt or frighten the creatures away, which in turn would insure their annual visits.

I suspect that the brewing debate may turn into a fiercely contested matter especially if Oslob becomes the preferred vacation spot of whale sharks passing through the Philippines. Perhaps this possibility is something that the leaders of Cebu province and Oslob should begin to work on.