Triumph and tribulations

Recent events have unveiled stories of triumph and tribulation for our country and our people.

First, there was that unexpected victory of our women athletes in New Zealand! Our salute, standing ovation, and thank you to our Filipino women athletes for their first Women’s Football World Cup win vs. host New Zealand!

Filipino Sarina Bolden scored the Philippines’ historic match-winning goal (1-0) to the delight, especially of proud Filipino supporters who watched the game in New Zealand!

Thank you also to our Philippine Women’s Softball Team who gave their best to qualify for the World Cup Finals.

Many of our student athletes from all over the country are now participating in this year’s Palarong Pambansa.

Three brothers participating in this year’s games, in a TV interview, shared how they managed their time selling food items in the afternoons so they can support themselves for the palaro. Many like them are aspiring for victory, for triumph despite their tribulations.

If only government provided more support and incentives for our young, promising athletes, how much more triumph and honor will our country experience from now on in the global stage of sports?

Oh, if only pork barrel will be channeled instead to our athletes and needy, rather than to undeserving local and national officials! Imagine how many more athletes can be supported to win their national and international games from now on?

Moving on, typhoon Egay that is exiting from the Philippines soon has caused tribulations among our people and communities, especially in the north. Farms have been devastated, afflicted farmers once again crying out for assistance, flooded areas and typhoon survivors awaiting relief and rehabilitation. Several families in deep pain --grieving over the loss of loved ones.

Time to rally the whole nation and every Filipino, not only to pray but also to extend their generous support to those adversely affected by the recent typhoon.

Let us also hope the next forecasted typhoon will spare our people and our country. May the sun shine again and soon throughout our land.

Again, if only government funds were genuinely, honestly used for effective disaster preparation and management, so much typhoon and other disaster-related tribulations could be avoided!

Can our Filipino people unite once more to rally vs. pork barrel and for transparency and honesty in the use and allocation of public funds?

Can our Filipino voters finally show their power and elect honest, public servants in their barangays? Will Filipino votes realize that if they will not sell their votes, they will emerge as the real winners, genuine victors if they elect genuine public servants to bring them out of their tribulations?

The last typhoon brought so much rains. Oh, if only the rains were saved!

When will our people, especially local/national officials, realize the value of saving/harvesting/using rainwater for productive purposes?

Oh, if only more of our people, especially officials, will heed these words of Prof. Glen Green: “Last week it rained 15cm at our house according to our raingauge. So multiply that by our 100m2 roof - this gives 15m3 or 15 cubic meters or 1,500 liters of water God delivered straight to your own roof.

“On average. Cebu gets about 1.6m of rainfall, or collected from that same 100m2 roof, about 160 m3 of rainwater, all free of charge, if you have a tank.

“We have a cistern that holds just under 20m3, so it could be filled 8 times. This is so much water that the vast majority just passes through...All households wouldn't need any other (water) source than their own roofs.

“This water can be used for all purposes: washing, toilets, watering plants, bathing, except drinking. Most get bottled water for drinking anyway. So don't waste God's gifts given directly to you!”

No expensive desalination needed too!