Filipinos Helpful How To

What Is a Holding Cross and How Can It Help You? #HelpfulHowTo

A holding cross, or a comfort cross, as it is sometimes called, is an asymmetric cross that is made to fit ergonomically into the palm of one's hand and is used during prayer. It is thought that the holding cross is based on an ancient design found in ancient European chapels. Although the origin of the holding/comfort cross tradition is not known, it is thought that it dates back to the early Christians.

Holding crosses are made out of many different types of wood, but in my opinion, none is more appropriate than a cross made out of the olive wood pruning of trees that grow in the very region that Jesus was born - in the area around Bethlehem. Olive trees have scattered the landscape there since biblical times, where they grow both in terraced groves and on the hilltops. The oil from the fruit of the Olive Tree has been used for religious rites since biblical times. Since the olive tree is a protected species in Israel and cannot be cut down, all olive wood artifacts are made only from the trees pruning. Olive wood items are imbued with spirituality, and do not require much care since olive oil is naturally protecting them from corrosion and changes of color. In time the holding cross will develop its own patina from frequent handling. No two crosses will ever look the same due to the variations in the grain on the wood.

Who should have a Holding Cross?

Anyone who is in a time of struggle or loss and is looking for guidance.

Anyone who needs to find comfort and is looking for solace.

Anyone who is struggling to cling to their faith.

Anyone who is looking for a companion for their prayers and meditation.

If you or someone you know is ill simply holding the cross may be the best way to pray.

The cross, as a symbol has a very meaningful and deep message of faith, belief and hope. Although as a jewellery trend it somewhat losses it true essence, however, whether one wears it for religious belief or as a style statement, someone keeps it as a cherished Jewellery item or as a blessing from Christ, in my opinion it is still a very powerful symbol and for centuries to come will be known to mankind as a symbol for hope, beauty, power and GOD. Cross Pendant is such a gift that any one that gets it or buys it will cherish throughout their life.

A holding cross is the ideal gift to mark most gift giving occasions such as a baptism, confirmation, birthday, Easter, Christmas or just to give to someone to say Thank You. It is recommended to keep a supply of these crosses ready to give to your loved ones in their times of need.

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Sorry to hear that the Pinoy Administration are experiencing between a rock and a hard place; the truck ban of the Manila Mayor Estrada caused port congestion and traffic problems. Not only that, businesses were affected and the employees too.

This implementation did not improve the situation but make it worse. I think change the plan if needed? There's nothing wrong with trying another solution until you succeed, isn’t it?

Manila passed an ordinance without thinking its consequences to neighboring cities and the entire Metro Manila. Mayor Estrada version of TRUCK BAN included the BANNING of travel of EMPTY CONTAINERS during the allowable hours, that led to the port congestion as many empty containers were not loaded to departing ships. That 60% of the cargoes are intended for Metro Manila, but he Mayor banned many of the main arterial roads some even 24/7 from port to these neighboring cities and even from port to inner Tondo and Binondo.

But since it caused problems, the government must have to take immediate solutions to iron out while minimal damages were being undertaken. A mistake of its components must be undertaken by its major leaders in preventing to spread the problems nationwide.

There’s no use of apologizing to the people because, Filipinos needs instant action and solution. And, those implemented actions must be in a long-term to prolong the usage with positive effect to our society.

However, not only the stakeholders are affected but also the working people. The government must also consider other businesses that are affected by traffic. Look what’s happening, there is enough movement to push for this ordinance. Manila, in essence, decided to fight back by drawing a line on traffic whether it is building a new port, fixing BOC release permits or another possible long term solution. The President has to take the port congestion seriously and not rely on Manila to accommodate to clog its lanes forever. So far Mayor Estrada is willing to talk, but pointing fingers is not going to solve the problem. The Pnoy Administration should force BOC to change its ways for the betterment of the whole problems.

Many Filipinos who do not understand the logistics of cargo transport suggested the use of Batangas and Subic ports; maybe at present situation, now that the PPA had decreased their rates in these 2 ports. Batangas is starting to experience congestion already. But prior to this crisis, it’s cheaper to import even for Calabarzon locators via Manila ports even at the height of ports congestion with tons of charges like port congestion fee, demurrage, container imbalance, and storage.

The truck ban affects the entire nation as far as trade movement is concerned. Likewise, it affects ordinary commuters when traffic is stalled.

Another major crisis at present is the traffic caused by this MRT3 maintenance and management problems. The riding public is to sacrifice their time, energy and money just to make sure the train system in EDSA is secured. Not only is the MRT3, the traffic congestion along the main road of EDSA’s also growing that our government must take immediate action.

There should be a meeting between the MMDA and the Mayors of neighboring cities for these problems through the initiative of the president. This should be immediate and no option for Pinoy Administration to apologize to the Filipino people.

Source: Pulkit Rohatgi @GoArticles

How to Preserve Your Mental Well Being in 5 Easy Steps #HelpfulHowTo

Adjusting with the life is the only keyword to preserve your health both physical and mental aspect of life. Stress and loneliness are the greatest devil to disturb your mental state. The definition of health comes from a relax soul which is a part of you and consists of your mind, character, thoughts and feelings.Explore the methods you can adopt in your life to get a free n relaxed mental health.

1. Become social

The best method to become mentally stable is to be as much social as you could because loneliness disturbs your mental state, try to make relations, experience each sort of people around your environment. Join social communities which will help you indulge in different activities which will help in stabilizing your mental state and keep your mind busy and healthy.

2. Eat healthy

Always said that state of mind depends on what you eat, always prefer healthy food in your diet, avoid eating things that doesn't suits your routine or makes you difficult to digest, prefer healthy snacks which will help your digestive system to be stabilize and help in preserving your health.Avoid much of the oily food as it increases your cholesterol level in the body that proves to be harmful.Always go for much of nutrition diet.

3. Exercise Daily

Stretch and relaxation should be a part of once life cycle; experts believe exercise releases chemicals in your brain that make you feel good. e enhances your health, early morning yoga is the best way to preserve your health, if you face problem in adopting the yoga steps, you can easily adopt some yoga for beginners tutorials for learning and keeping yourself fit and relaxed.

4. Do something your good at

Do what you love doing, what you enjoy doing the most, that will help in relieving stress and make your mind function properly which in turn result in achieving something which boosts your self-esteem.That will increase your self-confidence and boost up your further activity and keep you lively among people and make you tension free.

5. Take a Break

A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health. Hangout with friends or family or your beloved once which will help in releasing all your stress and making you relax, vacations in holiday homes or some hill stations or an adventures trip will help in relieving stress and make you excited

The Presidency of Benigno S. Aquino III began at noon on June 30, 2010, when he became the fifteenth President of the Philippines, succeeding Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Aquino is the third-youngest person to be elected president, and the fourth-youngest president after Emilio Aguinaldo, Ramon Magsaysay and Ferdinand Marcos. Aquino is the first president to be a bachelor, being unmarried and having no children. Aquino is the first graduate of Ateneo de Manila University to become president.

The presidential transition began on June 9, 2010, when the Congress of the Philippines proclaimed Aquino the winner of the 2010 Philippine presidential elections held on May 10, 2010, proclaiming Aquino as the President-elect of the Philippines.

Ever since after his proclamation, he carried his own mandate by eradicating negative elements in the Philippine political system. He wanted the Philippine economy to increase in terms of its GDP.

Thus, at present his administration was shaken by so many negative setbacks through the insistent of other political groups from different sectors of the society. His political enemies were making news media as the primary element in tarnishing his image and even his management of the political system in which Filipinos urged him to step down.

Moreover, the latest news, that he’s planning another term of his leadership. The media and the citizens were crying about it, in which street demonstrations started to evolve naturally.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution shall prevail that the next Presidential election will be held after his term. There’s no way that President Aquino could continue serving the Filipino people. Some rumors were spreading that Charter Change’s possible.
His administration was tarnished by more negative outcome that people thought his appointed officials had done minimal services to the Filipino people. In fact, the problem of MRT3-EDSA cannot give much solution coming from DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya. It made worst in maintaining its operations that last August 2, 2014 – derailment of the coasters happened. Up to this date, still train breakdown’s showing continuously.

Another negative aspect with his administration was the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) in which, he allocated funds to those projects that needed priorities at hand. The Supreme Court concluded that DAP’s unconstitutional, but President Aquino continuously defended it as legal. At present, the three impeachment complaints are being tackled at the Senate.

Moreover, the Pork Barrel issues still the primary concern of his political detractors, to abolish permanently because it causes corruption inside the political system. Currently halted by Aquino government and the case of Janet Napoles was still under investigation together with the three senators.

In addition, more Presidential hopefuls were very eager to announce their candidacy in advanced. They wanted the highest position in the Philippine political system. But my question is: Are they really sincere in serving the Filipino people? By ways of uplifting the standard of living, development of every sectors of the country’s economy, building more infrastructures, creating more decent jobs, eradicating crimes, educational uplifting, developing modern technologies, agricultural movements, defending territorial boundaries, etcitera, etcitera...

The list is endless.

BCDA Wants The Public To Believe That They Are Partner of CJHDevco in Developing Baguio According To Its Published Open Letter #HelpfulHowTo

The story continues for Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) against Camp John Hay Development Corporation (CJHDevCo) that Arnel Casanova posted an open letter that could otherwise change his image to all Filipinos, the City Government of Baguio, the Mayor and the residents of Baguio City as a whole. Is this another strategy of BCDA President to conquer the minds of the people involved? And, to clean his image and actions as positive, helping all the residents of Baguio and its neighboring areas?

The open letter consists of the things that he was supposed to say personally to Mayor Mauricio Domogan, but he opted to at the BCDA website because, he knew that Mayor Domogan won’t give-in to his never ending negative actions against CJHDevCo, who only wanted that the MOA be followed and continue to manage Camp John Hay.

Remember that anything when settled amicably will give positive results and development ensues. Why BCDA not following the agreement that has been executed between CJHDevCo and discrediting it publicly? Is there another company involve?

Let’s take a look of what transpired before:

CJHDevCo operations were adversely affected of the delay, resulting in losses of P1.445 billion, which was increasing daily and has accumulated lease payment arrears to the BCDA in the staggering amount which belongs to the people of Baguio and the surrounding municipalities. As such, the agreement was first restructured in 2000.

CJHDevCo was supposed to pay an annual rent of P425 million or 5% of gross revenues for the first 5 years of the lease, whichever was higher. This meant that for 1998, 1999, and 2000, the government was supposed to receive P1.275 billion in rental payments.
The estafa charges filed against Sobrepeña was the damages worth P1.15 billion from owing BCDA , believing that CJHDevCo was capable of paying its annual rent which misleads the government under the terms of the 1996 lease agreement.

Robert Sobrepeña arrest proved BCDA purpose in gaining the momentum while the court decision in Singapore still in progress. President and CEO Arnel Paciano Casanova said, “We laud the DOJ in this breakthrough decision to make fraudulent businesses accountable to the people and to protect the interest of the public from fraudulent schemes. The DOJ’s ruling puts CJHDevCo’s former Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with BCDA as well as all other agreements that CJHDevCo has entered into with its locators, buyers, and business partners in question.

CJHDevCo willingness to fulfill its financial obligation to BCDA provided the government must abide by the contract they both executed. But subsequent moves by BCDA, suggest no end in sight in the near future.

So, this open letter’s another move by BCDA to prolong the case while they’re planning their next moves? Or to clean its image when election time comes 2016?

Open Letter Link of BCDA President Arnel CasanovaAn Open Letter For Honorable Mauricio Domogan And The City Government Of Baguio

REPLY TO THE PUBLISHED OPEN LETTER OF BCDA PRESIDENT & CEO ARNEL PACIANO D. CASANOVA: REPLY TO THE PUBLISHED OPEN LETTER OF BCDA PRESIDENT & CEO ARNEL PACIANO D. CASANOVA

To be fair I posted the 2 published open letters for your reference as to why this case still continues.

The delay caused CJHDevCo to deteriorate with the revenues while the government of Baguio and its residents suffer for not granting CJHDevCo projects to be completed. These projects when completed could give more jobs and revenues to the City of Baguio. Also, CJHDevCo could resume their revenue-generated management of Camp John Hay.

Developments and progress in Camp John Hay in Baguio City are not realized because of BCDA but still, Arnel Casanova wrote an open letter seeming to describe them as so. BCDA wants the public to believe that they are partner of CJHDevco in developing Baguio when in fact it's more like just making life difficult for CJHDevCo.

The 5th SONA 2014 highlights the achievements of the government on education, social services, economy, improvement, infrastructure, calamity efforts, jobs, rehabilitation after typhoons and earthquake, modernization of AFP, security, ARMM Bangsamoro and livelihood.

More subjects to be focused on with Pnoy Administration to prosper into the development that all Filipinos were waiting to happen. It’s within his power to establish such programs to elevate ways and means in dealing with poverty-stricken sectors of our society.

The infrastructures should always be developed to catch-up the developing countries in the Southeast Asian nations. The Philippines has the edge in terms of development compare to its neighboring countries.

Under the controversial DAP, PNoy said that around P1.6 billion fund was given to Training-for-Work Scholarship Program of TESDA. A total of 223,615 beneficiaries have graduated with an equivalent of 146,731 graduates currently working.

This is a good sign of developing the livelihood of every graduate to push forward their lives into the future. Hoping that more graduates could make it successfully every year. TESDA could produce more qualified workers locally and abroad with its standardization of educational system.

President Aquino also boasts the Expanded Conditional Cash Transfer program which has started this June with a budget of 12.3 billion. According to him, the poverty incidence went down to 24.9% in the first quarter of 2013.

Despite of the said achievements and plans of the government, thousands of protesters marched along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City toward Batasan Pambansa as a sign of disgusted people over the Pinoy Administration. According to them, Aquino is the pork barrel king as they have showed "holDAPer" effigy which pertains to the President's DAP.

So, these protesters were doing their share in making the chaos out of SONA and rate the President. I think they’ll rate it as 0 to substantiate their pains why Pnoy applied DAP without their knowledge? They wanted it to show to the world that the President made a mistake and step down at once? But it won’t happen.

The President did not mention the issue on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) with many of the politicians was involved. Also, he failed to include the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill in his SONA. The measure aims to eliminate corruption in the bureaucracy by giving the public greater access to government transactions and records.

Maybe the leftists wanted to hear these things to heighten their desire to be talked about and acted at once in the streets; to demonstrate and show their sentiments as barkers of peace and truth, the brave democratic citizens who represent the small disgusted geniuses behind this street drama of all time.

Whoever our elected President in the future, unsatisfied citizens will surely make another chaos to demonstrate their feelings towards our leaders. In fact, the word satisfaction’s not on their vocabulary.

Unification of minds and hearts of all Filipinos is the key to develop gradually while our faith keeps intact forever.