Philippine Asian News Today Vol 21 No 3 | Page 7

February 1 - 15, 2019 OPINION PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY  Rey Fortaleza - Publisher Carlito Pablo - Editorial Consultant Rosette Correa - Senior Editor Jun Cordero - Associate Editor Writers - Crisanta Sampang ; Columnists - Geoff Meggs, Ben Berto, Editha Corrales, Mon Datol, Fr. Jerry Orbos SVD, DeeDee Sytangco, Alan Samuel, Erie Maestro, Sandee M. Ed Malay, Jayne Anastacio, JJAtencio and Willie J. Uy (Manila Bureau Chief) Alvin Barrera / Mon Correa - Graphics and Layout ; Rolly Fortaleza - Graphics Design JoelCastro - Website; Julian Fortaleza - Sports Editor; Liason Officer: Christian Cunanan; Photograher -Apple Plata Reyfort Publishing & Entertainment Office Add: 9955 -149th Street, Surrey, B.C. V3R 7N2 Email: [email protected] Website: www.philippineasiannewstoday.com Tel: (604) 588-news (6397) Fax: (604) 588-6387 Copyright of letters and other materials submitted and accepted for publication remains with the author, but the Publisher may freely reproduce them in any other forms. Opinions and views expressed are of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY. E-mail: [email protected] Breaking Point By Rosette Correa Scientists in New York recently discovered that fish can recognize themselves. They did their experiment on ten fish, where they tagged the fish under their bellies. Those that were tagged kept scratching that side as if trying to remove it. The article concluded with the question, “What does this mean?” Indeed, what does this mean? My question is, “Why are we putting money into research like this, instead of putting it in more important research like a cure for cancer, or maybe feed a small nation with the money?” The research comes from New York, a state which has been under plenty of attention when it became the first state to allow abortions up until the minute of birth. This mean means that if the mother decides not to have the baby while on the delivery table, the doctors can kill the baby before if gets out, because, according to the US law (and Hillary Clinton), an unborn child is not a person yet and has no legal rights. According to the new law, women who undergo mental and physical anguish during birth has a right to stop the birthing process as part of their pro-choice right. What mother giving birth does not undergo mental and physical anguish? All of us do! There is not one mother who gave birth to her children who will not admit to such distress. And there is also post-partum depression as well, and mothers who go through it seek professional health Bulong Pulungan By Deedee Siytangco Reprinted from Manila Bulletin ANGEL THOUGHTS ‘The only things you can take with you when you go on your final journey are the things packed in your heart. So start packing!’ ************* The US side of the majestic Niagara Falls has frozen over, thanks to a snowstorm. Climate change is the culprit. And after Niagara Falls, what else? The glaciers melting? Here, there is a dry spell affecting a big area in Davao. The temperature has dropped in NCR and in Cavite, the flu bug is running wild. Climate change, too? Take care, dear readers. Take a lot of vitamin C and citrus fruits, and stay clear of crowded places. *************** Today is the formal launch of Save Manila Bay or the Manila Bay Clean Up project of the DENR (Saludo kami kay Sec. Roy Cimatu) and the government so that they can be better mothers and better people. This calls to mind an anecdote that I read about a doctor who was being asked by his patient to get rid of her current pregnancy because she just gave birth the previous year to the child she was holding in her arms, and they won’t be able to afford or handle another one. The doctor surmised and told the woman, if that was the case, then they should just kill the one she was holding in her arms so that she won’t have difficulties and complications brought about by an abortion, and that she should keep the one in her womb instead. The woman was appalled and told the doctor that that would be murder, and the doctor said, “But wouldn’t killing the one inside be murder, too?” So, “aborting” a child about to be born is not murder, according to New York. Virginia is soon to agree. Canada doesn’t have a law, and may as well be killing babies before they are born, too. There have been twelve states who introduced the “Fetal Heartbeat Bill” in legislation, but they have all “died” by getting vetoed. Although it still isn’t a fool-proof law, as life begins at conception, the bill is a start. It seems that no one wants to defend the human unborn child, and we are talking about the future generation. When we legislate and put into law measures that kill rather than preserve life, we can no longer be called a “civilized” society. When did we become a world of haters of Go Fish babies? When did we become a murderous society by giving a legal reason to kill the innocent, and still have the gall the call ourselves a “civilized” society? US President Donald Trump’s State of the Nation address scored well with the Christian voters when he made a call against late-term abortions. Nancy Pelosi, a big supporter of abortion, put on her best smile during his address, but was obviously not pleased. Whether Trump is using this as a campaign initiative is irrelevant. The fact that people are starting to speak up and are defending the unborn is what is relevant. The same thing is happening in Canada, with Conservatives like Doug Ford and Jason Kenny are not afraid to say that they are pro-life, one thing that any Liberal can never admit to because of the party’s pro-choice policies. When a dog or cat is hurt or mistreated, everyone screams, “Foul!” and we start putting up GoFundMe collections to protect the animal, but when a baby, nameless, unknown, unable to speak or to defend himself/ herself and ask to be spared his/her life, and apparently “not human yet” is aborted, no one flinches. We spend so much money on protecting a species of animal by protecting their offspring while in vitro (such as the panda and the orca), but a human child doesn’t get the same protection. There are many circumstances that affect a call to saving the life of the mother in potentially difficult pregnancies, and even then, there are many steps taken to ensure that that is the only solution to the medical issue, but I believe the right to chose to abort an innocent life is not one of them, as sometimes we are given a chance to chose before we do get pregnant. When we put money and effort into studying whether fish can recognize themselves and self-assess, rather than saving the life of the unborn or put money into the medical care of people who cannot afford the medicines they need not covered by medical insurance, then we know our hard-earned tax money has gone to the sewers. The worst part of it is that we are more concerned about what a fish thinks than saving the life of another. Sad. All hands on deck to save the Manila Bay! agencies mandated to protect the bay, together with the local government units in the NCR. Most importantly, it has the full support of the private sector, led by the elite Manila Yacht Club and the rotary clubs. Members of the Manila Yacht Club and Rotary Club are gung-ho about this and full of praise for the quick action of Sec. Cimatu once the problems were brought to him. They expressed their full support to the DENR boss for the Manila Bay cleanup project, which covers Metro Manila, Laguna, Pasig, Cavite, and Batangas. Commodore Robert “Bobby” Joseph Jr. extolled Sec. Cimatu for taking on this “gargantuan mission” to rehabilitate the bay. “You have to admire Sec. Cimatu for taking up the cudgels for the mess that is Manila Bay. The bay is one of the top tourist attractions of Manila and it’s about time we show the tourists and the Filipinos abroad that we are capable of taking good care of it,” said the Commodore. J o s e p h praised the DENR for having completed the rehabilitation of Boracay despite opposition and criticism from certain sectors. He expressed confidence that the Manila Bay project will succeed for as long as the DENR has a determined leader like Sec. Cimatu. After inspecting the Manila Parañaque mayor Eedwin Olivarez, Corregidor Foundation Bay area to learn the chair Cynthia Carrion Norton, Bobby Joseph, and RCM extent of the problem, Jack Rodriguez, who is also vice-chair of the Save Manila he lost no time in Bay of the Manile Yacht Club galvanizing the forces Bobby Joseph was elected Commodore of the DENR, meeting with all the sectors after getting a firm grip of MYC last Nov. 17. Upon taking over the position, he announced an initiative for on the problem. Our good friend, tourism advocate, the club to do its part in WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM CONT PAGE 32