Sts. Sergius and Bacchus: Together forever

Sergius and Bacchus were very popular throughout Late Antiquity, and churches in their honor were built in several cities, including Constantinople and Rome. The close friendship between the two is strongly emphasized in their hagiographies and traditions, making them one of the most famous examples of paired saints. This closeness led the historian John Boswell to suggest that their relationship was a romantic one; though other historians have widely rejected this theory, it has led to popular veneration of Sergius and Bacchus in the gay Christian community.

The close friendship between the two is strongly emphasized in their hagiographies and traditions, making them one of the most famous examples of paired saints; scholar John Boswell considers them to be the most influential set of such an archetype, more so than even Saints Peter and Paul.^[5][6] In his Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, Boswell further argues that Sergius and Bacchus's relationship can be understood as having a romantic dimension, noting that the oldest text of their martyrology describes them as erastai, which can be translated as "lovers".^[7] He suggested that the two were even united in a rite known as adelphopoiesis or (brother-making), which he argued was a type of early Christian same-sex union or blessing, reinforcing his view of tolerant early Christian attitudes toward homosexuality.^[7] Boswell's methodology and conclusions have been disputed by many historians.^{[2][8][9][10][11][12][13]}

The saints' story is told in the Greek text known as The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus. The story is ostensibly set during the reign of Roman Emperor Galerius (305 to 311), though it contains a number of contradictions and anachronisms that make dating difficult. The work itself may date to the mid-5th century.^[2]
According to the text, Sergius and Bacchus were Roman citizens and high-ranking officers of the Roman Army, but their covert Christianity was discovered when they attempted to avoid accompanying a Roman official into a pagan temple with the rest of his bodyguard. After they persisted in refusing to sacrifice to Jupiter in Galerius' company, they were publicly humiliated by being chained, dressed in female attire and paraded around town. Galerius then sent them to Barbalissos in Mesopotamia to be tried by Antiochus, the military commander there and an old friend of Sergius. Antiochus could not convince them to give up their faith, however, and Bacchus was beaten to death. The next day Bacchus' spirit appeared to Sergius and encouraged him to remain strong so they could be together forever. Over the next days, Sergius was also brutally tortured and finally executed at Resafa, where his death was marked by miraculous happenings.^[2]
 

read more on: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergius_and_Bacchus

Hanggang sa Huling Hibla ng T’nalak

by Leo V. 

Sining…mula sa kislap ng mga mumunting bituin sa kalawakan, sa paghimbing at panaginip na inihabi ng mga matatandang kababaihan sa isang telang ibinuo mula sa puno ng abaka, ito, ang tunay at autentikong sining ng mga Pilipino. Lahat ay sining, magmula sa pananamit, pagsasalita, at pag-uugali, lahat ay may kauukulang pamantayan ng kagandahan. Ito ang tradisyon ng mga Pilipino, pinong pag-aasal, at purong puso ang iginugugol sa bawat gawain.

Ang sining, ayon kay Webster ay “the production, expression, or realm of what is beautiful”. Kung ang tradisyunal na sining ay nakikiisa sa kultura at gawi ng mga Pilipino, at kung ito’y ihahalintulad sa deskripsyon ni Webster sa sining, marahil nangangahulugan rin ito na sa kagandahan ng ating kultura noon, maihahalintulad rin ba ito sa isang awtentikong sining?

Ang Pilipinas ay kilala ‘di lang sa Asya ngunit sa buong mundo bilang tahanan ng mga magagaling na artists at bansa ng mga taong mahilig sa arts.  Kahit saang dako ka man mapunta sa Pilipinas ay tiyak na may ilan silang maipagyayabang na produkto ng mga malilikahaing kamay ng mga lokal na eksperto sa sining.

Tunay na maipagmamalaki ang tradisyunal na sining at kadalubhasaan ng mga mamamayan ng Pilipinas. Magandang isipin na ang mga dalubhasang ito ay hinasa na sa kani-kanilang sining mula pa pagkabata at hinubog na ang kani-kanilang mga kamay at kaluluwa sa paglikha at pagtatanggol ng sining hanggang sa kamatayan.

Ilang ulap na ang dumaan, ilang pagsubok ang lumipas, ilang tela na ang hinabi, at sa kasalukuyang panahon, nakalulungkot lang, tila lahat ng mga itinuring na gawain ng purong puso at pinong kumpas ng mga kamay ay tila isang larawan sa panginorin na unti-unting lumalabo at kumukupas.

Dati-rati’y umaabot ng higit-kumulang apat na buwan ang paghahabi ng isang T’nalak, itoy isang telang inihabi na nagpapakita ng pagkakasunod-sunod na pangyayari sa isang panaginip ng mismong manghahabi. Mula sa pagkuha ng hinimay-himay na habla ng abaka hanggang sa mismong paghabi gamit lamang ang kamay at paa,, lahat ng proseso sa paggawa ay nangangailangan ng ingat at naayon sa tradisyon.

 Itinuturing na isang mahalagang kasangkapan ang T’nalak sa tribu ng T’boli, ito ay nagsisilbing simbolo ng pag-iisang dibdib ng lalaki at babae, at nagsisilbi ring pamana o “heirloom” ng magulang sa anak. Ngunit sa ngayon, ang dati’y sagradong T’nalak ay ngayo’y ibinebenta na at itinuturing bilang isang simpleng produkto ng komersyalismo.

 Kung dati’y inaabot ng halos apat na buwan ang paggawa ng isang T’nalak, ngayo;y minamadali na ng mga “dream weavers” ang produksyon upang umabot sa deadline na  ipinapataw ng kani-kanilang industriyalisadong amo. Nasaan na ang kultura? Ni hindi na nga pinapatawan ng naka akmang ritual o orasyon ang dapat sanang isang mahalagang instrumentoat simbolo ng isang buong tribu.

Ang pagbabago ay hindi nakasasama kung ang pagbabago mismo ay dumidinig sa mga pangangailangan at kabutihan ng pangkalahatan. Diba’t kailan lang umusbong ang balitang tumaginting sa tenga ng mga pari’t Obispo, madre at iba pang miyembro ng konserbatibong Iglesia Katolika? Nilagyan ng condom ang krus, ginuhitan ng kung anu-anong bandalismo at nakakaasiwang marka ang imahe ni Hesu Kristo, ito ba ay isang sining? Kailan nga ba maitatawag na sining ang sining? Dahil ba sa gawa ito ng isang dalubhasa? Gawa ng artist?

Hindi ba’t ang kahulugan ng art ay isang ekspresyon ng kadalubhasaan sa paggawa ng bagay na naayon sa pamantayan ng kagandahan? Ako’y nagulat sa balita sa telebisyon nang nabenta ang isang larawan ng toothpick na iginuhit ng isang tanyag na artist sa Estados Unidos sa halagang 3000 dollars, o tumataginting na 138 000 pesos. Isang toothpick na kahit isang bata ay kayang kopyahin.

Ang pagkawala ng kalaliman ng tradisyunal na sining Pilipino ay epekto nang pagbabago ng panahon at dala na rin nang matindig impluwensya ng komersyalismo at globalisasyon, kung saan ang lahat ng mga nakaugalian ay unti-unting nagbabago. Tama bang makibagay tayo sa kung anu ang nauuso at bago at isasawalang bahala ang isang maganda at maipagmamalaking kultura? Kung ako ang tatanungin ay hindi. Bakit natin babaguhin ang isang bagay na hindi naman kailangang baguhin?

Kung sana’y nalalaman lang ng lahat ng Pilipino ang tunay na kahulugan ng isang kultura at tradisyunal na sining, marahil isa na tayo sa mga tao sa mundo na malaki ang respeto sa sariling bansa at kultura nito. Mayaman ang ating kultura, huwag nating hayaang mawala ang kahalagahan nito.

Isipin at isa puso natin lahat ng iniambag na dugo at pawis ng ating mga ninuno upang mabuo ang isang magandang kulturang nagbigay daan sa pag usbong ng magandang sining. Pangalagaan natin kung ano ang natitira at huwag nating hayaang masayang lang ang huling hibla ng T’nalak.

 GOOD PUBLICITY for Dan Brown...

MMDA worries about the bad image that

Manila, gates of hell? MMDA fumes

By Mike Frialde (The Philippine Star) | Updated May 24, 2013 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines - Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino yesterday joined the bandwagon of critics slamming Dan Brown for his latest novel “Inferno,” in which the author describes Manila as the “gates of hell.”

Tolentino said he wrote Brown a letter telling him that his description of Manila was “inaccurate.”
“We write to you with much concern regarding your recently published novel ‘Inferno’ and its mention of Manila being defined by a number of terrible descriptions of poverty and pollution, among others, having ‘suffocating pollution, and a horrifying sex trade’ and worse, being alluded to as ‘gates of hell’,” Tolentino said in his letter.

“While we are aware that yours is a work of fiction, we are greatly disappointed by your inaccurate portrayal of our beloved metropolis. We are displeased with how you have used Manila as a venue and source of a character’s breakdown and trauma, much more her disillusionment in humanity,” Tolentino added.

Tolentino defended Metro Manila as a “center of Filipino spirit, faith and hope.”
“Our faith in God binds us as a nation and we believe that Manila citizens are more than capable of exemplifying good character and compassion towards each other, something that your novel has failed to acknowledge. Truly, our place is an entry to heaven,” Tolentino said.
Tolentino invited the bestselling author to visit Manila.

The End of Filipino Time

 Finally, Philippine Standard Time, Institutionalized...why it took so long???

From an article :

Aquino signs law setting Philippine Standard Time

 @http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/05/23/aquino-signs-law-setting-philippine-standard-time-283808

Thursday, May 23, 2013

MANILA -- President Benigno Aquino III has signed into law a consolidated bill setting the Philippine Standard Time (PST) and institutionalizing the first week of the year as the "National Time Consciousness Week."

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a press briefing on Thursday, said Aquino signed last May 15 Republic Act 10535 or "An Act to set the Philippine Standard Time in All Official Sources throughout the country, to provide funds for the installation, operation and maintenance of synchronized time devices to be displayed in key public places and to declare the first week of every year as National Time Consciousness Week."

The new law otherwise known as The Philippine Standard Time (PST) Act of 2013 is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 3284 and House Bill No. 164 that was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on February 4, 2013.

The Act mandates all national and local government offices to display Philippine Standard Time on their official time devices, including bundy clocks, in accordance with the official time provided by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) using its network time protocol.

All of these offices shall coordinate, at least once a month, with the Pagasa to synchronize their official timepieces and devices.

The Pagasa's Time Service Unit, in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (Dost), shall be tasked to monitor, maintain and disseminate the PST throughout the country. The Pagasa shall operate and maintain a timekeeping system to perform these functions and shall endeavor to install and maintain sufficiently large and prominently displayed synchronized time devices in all their field stations and in key public places.

The procurement of equipment necessary for the automatic dissemination of time with global positioning system (GPS) shall be in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act). The DOST shall be the procurement overseer of the said equipment. 

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will also require the participation of all government and private television and radio stations to ensure synchronization of timekeeping devices even in the most remote parts of the country.

Owners of private television and radio stations who shall fail to calibrate and synchronize their time devices with the Philippine Standard Time during their broadcast shall, upon hearing and due proceedings, be penalized with a fine of not less than P30,000 but not more than P50,000 in the first offense. A subsequent offense will merit a revocation and cancellation of their franchises to operate.

The fine to be collected as penalty for the violation of this Act shall be deposited in the general fund of the National Treasury.

The law also institutionalizes the first week of the year as "National Time Consciousness Week."

The Pagasa, in coordination with the Dost, the NTC, the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of National Defense, Department of Health, the Department of Education, and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched), shall promulgate the necessary guidelines for the effective implementation of the calibration and synchronization of the timekeeping devices and implementation of this Act within 90 days from the effectivity of this Act. 

This Act shall take effect after 15 days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in two 2 newspapers of general circulation. (SDR/Sunnex)

Marriage Equality Act

If I were a legislator, this would be the bill I'd be pushing for...but I know the country isn't ready for this yet.

Title: Marriage Equality Act

Executive Summary:

           

Homosexuality in our country, the Philippines is evidently not acceptable compared to other developing countries. Discrimination is still very much evident as some people still refuse to accept the existence of the third sex and other times, limit their expectations, assuming that members of the third sex are deemed to be unclean.

Marriage has long been one way that couples express their love for one another and their commitment to their relationship. Despite arguments that so-called “same-sex marriage” seeks to redefine “traditional marriage,” allowing committed gay and lesbian couples to get married does not change the meaning of marriage. Gay and lesbian couples want to get married to make a lifetime commitment to the person they love and to protect their families.

Bill Text:

The concept of equal protection under the law, to be preserved in our Constitution, requires that fundamental rights like the right to marry be made available equally to same-sex and opposite-sex couples. This bill would not only allow same sex couples to get married, but would also serve as an enshrined advocacy on defending LGBT (Lesbian, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders) rights and broaden the range of civil liberties.

The act would open the minds of the many who refuse to live with the third sex that they have equal rights as straight people, that they have the capacity to love, work, trade as those who are straight. The act would be part of the constitution, thus it would reflect the political principles of government, and thus recognizing the existence and delegating equal rights to the LGBTs.

In article posted by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), “Nine states plus D.C. allow same-sex couples to marry, two more respect marriages of same-sex couples validly performed in other states, eight provide civil unions or comprehensive domestic partnerships, and two more have more limited domestic partnership systems. That’s 20 states plus D.C. that provide some significant state-level relationship protections, and those states are home to 130 million people.

These facts are heartening, but there is still a lot of work to do to improve laws that will protect all families. Since the first marriage lawsuit for same-sex couples in America in 1971, the ACLU has been at the forefront of both legal and public education efforts to secure marriage for same-sex couples and win legal recognition for LGBT relationships.”

For Philippine Implementation, education is the first step for this act to be recognized and accepted to society. Movements promoting the advocacy of giving equal and distinct rights to the LGBTs must also be strengthened and persisted.

A Philippine government system defect and the disadvantage of bicameralism

“As of 2011, more than 20 countries had bicameral legislatures. Many other countries have unicameral legislatures, which consist of single legislative houses. The term "bicameral" comes from Latin and combines bi, which means "two", with camera, which means "chamber." "Unicameral" substitutes uni, or "one," for bi. “ (wisegeek.org)

The legislative branch of government comprises of two chambers; the senate and the house of the representatives. The Senate is composed of twenty four senators, half of which are elected every three years and serve a total of six years. They do no not represent any geographical district.

The House of Representatives is composed of a maximum of 250 congressmen. There are two types of congressmen: the district and the sectoral representatives. The district congressmen represent a particular geographical district of the country. All provinces in the country are composed of at least one congressional district. Several cities also have their own congressional districts, with some composed of two or more representatives.

The sectoral congressmen represent the minority sectors of the population. This enables these minority groups to be represented in the Congress, when they would otherwise not be represented properly through district representation. Also known as party-list representatives, sectoral congressmen represent labor unions, rights groups, and other organizations.

The Constitution provides that the Congress shall assemble for its regular session every year beginning on the 4th Monday of July. A regular session can last until thirty days before the opening of its next regular session in the succeeding year. The President may, however, call special sessions which are usually held between regular legislative sessions to handle emergencies or urgent matters.

Based on an article in wisegeek.org, “Some political scientists believe that having a bicameral legislature makes meaningful political reforms more difficult to achieve and increases the risk of deadlock. This risk is greater in cases when both chambers have equal powers. Other political analysts argue strongly for the merits of the checks and balances that are provided by the bicameral model, which they believe helps prevent ill-considered legislation from being passed into law.”

The main disadvantage often stated against bicameral legislature is the amount of time it takes for legislation to be passed through each chamber to become law. Many people feel that two chambers debating the same topic delays the lawmaking process and is a waste of resources and money and this has led to dissatisfaction with the system.

The Art of Moving On...

Insights:

My Personal Technique, works for me...though sometimes I still have some melancholic moments, at least I know I can face that person if ever we see each other again...

1. Return of stuff 

2. Reverse Bittering (read post below on MOVING ON: ramon bautista style)

3. Rebound

4. Revenge ( The best revenge is to live an AWESOME Life)

Keynotes from Bautista's book.

"Tryin to forget someone is like tryin to remember someone you've never met"

"I need some space"

-Huwag ka munang manggugulo, manchichikis muna ako..hahaha"

"THERE'S MORE TO Life than LOVE"

Moving on, Ramon Bautista-style

Philippine Daily Inquirer 2:37 am | Saturday, February 9th, 2013 

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/88899/moving-on-ramon-bautista-style

Ramon Bautista shares some advice on how to move on after a heartbreak and be an awesome person instead. He has coined a few terms to describe these tips on his show “Tales from the Friend Zone” and his Formspring. Read on and be informed:

The Modular Life System: According to Ramon, one should have many circles, or “modules” in life, and these should not overlap. For instance, your work friends should be different from your “hobby” friends or college friends. In the same manner, one’s romantic relationships should have its own “circle,” so in case it fails, the other modules are still intact and life can still go on.

Preemptive supalpal: When one feels that a friend is about to declare his or her romantic feelings and one doesn’t feel the same way, “preemptive supalpal” is the way to go. Here, the “friend-zoner” casually rejects the other person in a subtle manner so as not to hurt the other’s feelings and, possibly, to save the friendship. One way of doing this is by telling the person “you really are a great friend.”

Counter preemptive supalpal: Self-explanatory, this is how to counter preemptive supalpal attempts. One can do this, for example, by telling the friendzoner that he/she is a great friend, too, and then proceeding to tell him/her about a new crush. Not only can it save the friend-zoned’s self-esteem, it can also be a way to exact revenge on the friend-zoner.

Reverse bittering: After all is said and done, the rejection hurts—a lot. However, one can get over the pain by staying positive. Instead of blaming one’s self for the rejection or failure in the relationship because there is something wrong with him, the person should instead focus on the negative traits of the other person. Rissa Camongol

2 Lessons I Learned from UIC

1. Life is not all about finding someone...It's about making someone out of yourself

2.All straight men are not straight...RULER Nalang ang straight, tanghali nalang ang tapat.

My Resume

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name:                        Leo Vincent A. Villanueva

City Address:            Macopa St. Juliville Subd. Tigatto Rd. Buhangin, Davao City

Provincial Address: Naranjita St. General Santos City

Contact Nos.:            09087676438 , 09321986544, 09157738063

 E-mail:                      levinskand@gmail.com

Age: 21 years old

Sex: Male

Civil Status: Single

Birth Date: November 8, 1991

Birthplace: Koronadal City, South Cotabato

Religion: Roman Catholic

Citizenship: Filipino

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

                       

University of the Immaculate Conception

Bonifacio Street, Davao City

BSBA major in Marketing Management

2009 - 2013

SPECIAL SKILLS

·         People and service Oriented

·         Self Motivated, Proactive, Dynamic, Hospitable

·         Has promising Technical and  Leadership skills

·         Has exceptional  oral and written English and Filipino communication skills

·         Proficient in MS word, Power point, Excel and other Computer Software Systems.

                                                                                                                                             

TRAININGS

·         Event Organizer for the Kasalang Filipino 2013 Expo at Abreeza Mall, Davao City.

·         UIC Student Supreme Government – Executive Treasurer (4^th Year)

·         Developed and Implemented the “SPA (Societal Productivity Advancement) Livelihood Project for Bgy. 5-A (Bankerohan) Davao City as part of the Ayala LeadCom’s Student Leadership in Practice Program.

·         Facilitator-UIC Leadership training 2013

·         1^st Year Representative (Association of Junior Marketing Students)

·         Committee Head – 2012 Intramurals Finance, Food, and Mr. and Ms. Intramurals Committee.

·         UIC Representative to the 1^st Davao Ayala Leadership Communities Camp last 2012.

·         Chairperson and Facilitator – UIC Leadership Training 2012

·         Facilitator – Association of Junior Marketing Students Team Building Activity.

·         UIC – The Entire Nation (TEN) Moves Chairman (BPI and Ayala Business Club Campaign )

·         Office of the Student Affairs and Discipline Student Officer – 2013 SHAM Government.

ACHIEVEMENTS

·         Institutional Service Award – 2013 Commencement Exercises

·         Most Outstanding officer Award – 2013 Recognition Night

·         UIC-SSG Executive Treasurer.

·         UIC Project Coordinator to the Ayala Leadership Communities Student Leadership In Practice.

·         Drived UIC to be one of the five colleges and Universities to be given the Ayala Leadership Communities Student Leadership In Practice

P 10,000 grant.

·         GIP (Government Internship Program) Trainees of Home Development Fund  (PAG-IBIG Fund).

·         Deans’ lister ( First to Third year College)

·         Most Active Student Award ( NSTP – CWTS) year 2010

·         1^st runner up Extemporaneous Speech Inter Class Competition (2^nd Year)

·         Best Actor Literature Inter Class Culmination Theater Competition

·         UIC representative to the First Silsilah Forum Davao Life in Dialogue Camp.

·         UIC Representative to the DACUN (Davao Association of Colleges, Universities Network) Leadership Summit last 2011.