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CNS Story: LABOR DAY Aug-7-2013 (750 words) xxxn Bishop says joblessness, exploitation denying millions 'honor, respect' By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Millions of workers are being denied the honor and respect they deserve because of a lack of jobs, underemployment, low wages and exploitation, according to the bishop who heads the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. "Earlier this year, Pope Francis pointed out, 'Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. ... It gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one's family, to contribute to the growth of one's own nation,'" said Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., in the U.S. bishops' annual Labor Day statement. "Unfortunately, millions of workers today are denied this honor and respect as a result of unemployment, underemployment, unjust wages, wage theft, abuse and exploitation," Bishop Blaire said. The 1,200-word statement, dated Labor Day, Sept. 2, was available Aug. 6 on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, www.usccb.org. "The economy is not creating an adequate number of jobs that allow workers to provide for themselves and their families," Bishop Blaire said. "More than 4 million people have been jobless for over six months, and that does not include the millions more who have simply lost hope. For every available job, there are often five unemployed and underemployed people actively vying for it. This jobs gap pushes wages down. Half of the jobs in this country pay less than $27,000 per year. More than 46 million people live in poverty, including 16 million children." In his message, Bishop Blaire quoted from "Gaudium et Spes" (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World), one of the more influential documents of the Second Vatican Council: "While an immense number of people still lack the absolute necessities of life, some, even in less advanced areas, live in luxury or squander wealth." "How can it be said that persons honor one another when such 'extravagance and wretchedness exist side by side'?" he asked. Those words, Bishop Blaire noted, "seem to be just as true today." Bishop Blaire also quoted from Pope Benedict XVI's 2009 encyclical "Caritas in Veritate," ("Charity in Truth"), which also dealt in part with the specter of inequality. "The dignity of the individual and the demands of justice require, particularly today, that economic choices do not cause disparities in wealth to increase in an excessive and morally unacceptable manner," Pope Benedict said, "and that we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment for everyone." Bishop Blaire spoke of the importance of unions in his statement. "Since the end of the Civil War, unions have been an important part of our economy because they provide protections for workers and more importantly a way for workers to participate in company decisions that affect them. Catholic teaching has consistently affirmed the right of workers to choose to form a union. The rise in income inequality has mirrored a decline in union membership," he said. "Unions, like all human institutions, are imperfect, and they must continue to reform themselves so they stay focused on the important issues of living wages and appropriate benefits, raising the minimum wage, stopping wage theft, standing up for safe and healthy working conditions, and other issues that promote the common good." The bishop also spoke about how workers' issues are tied to other issues. "High unemployment and underemployment are connected to the rise in income inequality," he said. Such inequality leads to an erosion of social cohesion, he said, and puts democracy at risk. "The pain of the poor and those becoming poor in the rising economic inequality of our society is mounting," Bishop Blaire added. At its best, private enterprise creates "decent jobs," contributes to the common good and puts people ahead of profits, he said. "Whenever possible we should support businesses and enterprises that protect human life and dignity, pay just wages and protect workers' rights," Bishop Blaire added. "We should support immigration policies that bring immigrant workers out of the shadows to a legal status and offer them a just and fair path to citizenship, so that their human rights are protected and the wages for all workers rise." At the end of the Mass, the congregation is sent forth to "go and announce the Gospel of the Lord," he noted, and everyone departs with "a sense of mission to show one another honor by what we do and say." "On this Labor Day, our mission takes us to the millions of people who continue to suffer the effects of the current economy," he said. END

Politics, Economics and thoughts that matters:

The material poverty of the many, cannot be solve by the few. - Rodolfo Panizales

Goodbye to our Beloved, teachers.

Most of you have heard this saying that in every successful leader or presidents, there is always a teacher or teachers behind. The teacher can be your parents, or your school teachers. Did you know while in grade school and high school, we spend more time with our teachers, than with our other siblings ? 

The story I am sharing, is the story of one of my college professors. She taught freshman English and public speaking subjects among the graduating seniors in college. I was one of her many students. 

I never liked seating in any classrooms while in grade school, high school and college. There were few teachers that I really liked listening to.
Some teachers does not make sense when they teach. I noticed that it appeared that they do not understand many of the concepts they were teaching, or they are just too lazy to elaborate further and give excellent examples ? The English subject was not an exception, though it is technical. Professor Ticao was one of my few exceptional teachers. She can be hard on any students, and a bit stingy when she award grades. I was an average English student. I passed. In my senior year in college, Professor Ticao became my public speaking teacher and adviser. This subject I loved. I practiced speaking and as well as preparing many speeches I wrote while completing the academic subject. I excelled in the Public Speaking subject, I got an A- ( 1.5/90-95 ). One of my proudest moments in my academic life. The Public Speaking college course was not easy. I enjoyed and excelled on it not because I was a genius in Public Speaking, it was more because our Professor Ticao motivated all of us to learn and excell in the college course Public Speaking. Professor Eda Ticao is one of my favorite teachers, I hope she knew she taught me very well, that not a single day during my speaking engagement I would not think about her, how she impacted my life and profession.
Thank You, Professor Eda Ticao.

NELSON MANDELA, A HUMAN EXAMPLE.

The late President Nelson was not a perfect person. He was a human being just like you and I. But, in the inner recesses of his heart, he was a great person with great potentials towards greatness. President Nelson Mandela was a man. He made mistakes, but humbled himself and inspired millions of people. 
President Mandela was not a born leader, he became not just a leader, but a great and visionary leader. Through his years in prison, President Mandela perfected forgiveness and reconciliation, a saintly act; To him it was wisdom, a divine one. We salute him, and say goodbye to him today, December 5, 2013. President Nelson Mandela reconciled with God.

 

THE OTHER HEROES...

The many heroes we read about have received their rewards by societal recognitions and other material benefits while alive, and after death.
Many other heroes remained silent if not obscure. They do not want people to know what they do for others. Some preferred to do the right thing without the media hype. Many of those heroes are the daily and seemingly ordinary folks at school, offices, and other commercial places. Your janitor, and the other cleaning crew of a business or establishments. The cleaner of a laboratory researching on diseases that will cure millions of people, the caretaker of your elderly parents or relatives in  nursing homes, the direct staffs that work with special needs children and adults, the bus drivers that takes your priceless assets to school Monday to Friday, your children. The security guards that checks ID and literally the first line of defense of any institution or establishments, and Shopping Malls. We often miss, or took them for granted. 

PiLIPINOS Yesterday and today...remembering Andres Bonifacio

Many Pilipinos born in the Philippines speaks at least 3 to 4 languages.
Despite of material poverty, many Pilipinos attended college. Some completed graduate schools and considered by many foreign employers as one of the most talented professionals in the world. 
General Douglas MacArthur spoke highly of Pilipinos, and many other notable Americans and U.S historians. Despite of material poverty, Philippines emerges as one of the most promising economy of Asia. That explains the presence of more than 200+ multinational businesses in the Philippines. Philippines is extremely rich in agriculture and aquatic resources. Formerly in the 50's,60's and 70's as the rice granary of Asia if not the world. Many agriculture lands suffered from exploitation of foreign businesses, notably researches were made in disguised of helping Philippine agriculture, instead destroyed many rice lands because of the introductions of pesticides and fertilizers made by foreign companies. Today Philippines is experiencing agriculture nightmares and the environment is polluted by factories and industrial plants including mining explorations.

Andres Bonifacio the de facto Philippine National Hero was born November 30, 1863 in Tondo, Manila
There are so many Pilipinos like Americans, Irish, Italians, Germans, and French who fought for independence. Many Philippine heroes died liberating the Philippines from foreign aggressions. 

REMEMBERING THE HEROES OF THE PHILIPPINES...

Andres Bonifacio was born November 30, 1863 in Tondo, Manila, Philippines. He is considered the de facto National Hero of the Philippines by some people and historians. Jose Rizal who was executed by the Spaniards was declared the National Hero of the Philippines.

Philippines has so many heroes. The Philippines like France,USA and many other countries struggled to have independence from foreign control and dominations. Philippines experienced 4 conquerors namely the Spaniards, the USA government, the Japanese Fascists Regime, the USA government and multi-national businesses. Today, Philippines is one of the poorest nation in the Far East of Asia. Paradoxically, Philippines is extremely rich in agriculture, aquatic resources, minerals, oil, and the most important of all, the People. Pilipinos are one of the most educated in Asia. Many Pilipinos speaks at least 3-4 languages. Many Pilipinos speaks English and Spanish compared to other Asian countries. Besides English, many speaks tagalog and other local languages. Philippines is an island nation.