November 16 - 30 , 2016 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY OPINION A7
Bulong Pulungan
By Deedee Siytangco
Reprinted from Manila Bulletin
ANGEL THOUGHTS
He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree . — Roy L . Smith
Where are all the Christmas “ belens ” or mangers of yesteryears ?
The scene depicting the holiest of nights used to grace some hotel lobbies , the COD display in Greenhills and the awnings and facades of Ayala ’ s Business District every Christmas season . While the show of lights behind the Philippine Stock Exchange is spectacular , this author — and I am sure a lot of the readers , too — are yearning for a Christmas celebration with the Christ Child , Mary , and Joseph in the center . My colleague Jullie Yap Daza suggests a road trip this season to the province of Tarlac to visit the competing “ Belens ” in each town and municipality . They are all beautiful , reverential , and creative . This is a treat for all , like the giant San Fernando lanterns are .
Anyway , with the official start of the Christmas season in our beloved country , I remember with love and prayers my beloved Sonny who loved Christmas ! It has been 11 years since he was called “ home ” and while my mind understands , my still broken heart just remembers him with love and more love ! Thank you for your remembrances and prayers .
Congratulations to my dear , dear friend , “ angel ” Glenda Barretto with the star-studded launch of the Via Mare ’ s 20th anniversary book at the Ayala Museum .
Glenda has guided this iconic restaurant through 40 delicious and trendsetting days and has inspired younger chefs and entrepreneurs ( like my daughter Sandee Masigan with her XO ’ 46 Heritage Bistro ) to follow her in promoting Filipino cuisine . Generous with her talents , she has shared her culinary talents and management gems and this book is a tribute to that “ giving back ” for happy clients and colleagues .
The coffee table book published by Anvil and edited by Michaela Fenix , and designed by Jeannie Lynn Pena , contains recipes , menus , and memories from gala dinners Via Mare catered for presidents and their families from Marcos , Ramos ,
Love letters from Pat Boone
Estrada , Arroyo , PNoy , and the simple inaugural breakfast of Duterte . The book is available now at Ayala Museum and other bookstores . * ** This Christmas season , we all need the happy sounds of Pat Boone and his all-time hits . Seriously now … we have the biggest , merriest , longest Christmas celebration in the world . But let ’ s remember why we have Christmas — to welcome the birth of the Savior , Jesus Christ !
With Pat ’ s wholesome and endearing personality and the magic and power of his music and as a motivational speaker , the concert should be fun , so bring the whole family .
He is expected to sing his most popular Christmas carols , such as “ White Christmas ,” “ O Come All Ye Faithful ,” “ Silent Night ,” I ’ ll Be Home For Christmas ,” “ God Rest \ Ye Merry Gentlemen ,” “ O Little Town Of Bethlehem ,” “ Silver Bells ,” and his greatest hits , including “ Love Letters In The Sand ,” “ Ain ’ t That A Shame ,,” “ Friendly Persuasion ,” Bernardine ,” “ April Love ,” “ Speedy Gonzales ,”
“ Deep Purple ,” “ Blueberry Hill ,” “ Fascination ,” “ Tennessee Waltz ,” among many others .
A Merry Christmas with Pat Boone is presented by Ovation Productions in cooperation with Philippine Star , Manila Bulletin , and Business World . * * * Not many know that Nov . 19 was World Toilet Day , a United Nations day of observance of the global sanitation crisis . Toilet sanitation is a topic that is not often discussed , but as germ experts , Domex leads the cause for clean toilets in the country .
In our part of the world , 443 million days of school are missed because of diseases caused by germs found in unsanitary toilets — that is equivalent to one month of school missed by every child in the Philippines . Maria Luisa Orezca president of the Philippine Public Health Association said , “ The issue of toilet sanitation in our country is important . There are several germs found in toilets that cause sicknesses .”
Such germs are fungi , which cause skin diseases ; gram negative bacteria , which causes diarrhea ; and myco bacteria , which is the cause of tuberculosis . Committed to raising hygiene standards , in the last three years Domex has participated in the One Million Clean Toilets project where they pledge to educate one million people on proper toilet sanitation every year . This year hits their three-million mark .
“ We are very passionate about our mission to fight disease . And we continue to our pledge of clean toilets through our partnerships with the Philippine Public Health Association , Maxicare , and UNICEF ,” said Domex brand manager Patricia Deyto-Santos .
Just because a toilet smells nice and looks sparkling-clean is not enough as a spotless toilet also does not guarantee that it is germ-free . Domex ’ s R & D manager Amor Montefalcon- Prieto says , “ In order to stay 99.9 percent germ-free , it is essential to use a specialized toilet cleaner that not only cleanses but kills germs . Consumers might be content with using thin bleach and laundry detergent . While they may clean the toilet , they do not kill germs thoroughly .”( mb . com . ph )
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