Find your peace in this Field of Faith

Philippine Daily Inquirer-Lifestyle/  Feature/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo "AS OFTEN as you can, take a trip out to the fields and pray. All the grasses will enter your prayers and give you strength to sing praises to God.” These words from an 18th-century rabbi ring true once your feet touch the grass and the stillness embraces you like a shawl of soft rain.Truly, this is one of the beautiful spots on Earth which the eye of the soul can behold, and...

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One billion words for Earth

8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 is Earth Hour. People all over the world are urged to switch off all their lights for one hour. This is not only saving energy but also casting a Vote for Earth. This year, Earth Hour (last Saturday of March) has been transformed into the world’s first global election, a choice between Earth and global warming. For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background could use their light switch as their vote. Switching off the lights is a vote for Earth. Leaving them on...

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Pension Now! for poor older people

I am told that the Philippines is the only country in Asia that has no social pension for poor, older people. These are mostly the ones who had not been formally employed when they were younger and therefore did not have social security or insurance that they could draw from in their older years. Countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Vietnam have some kind of social pension for the elderly poor, says Ed Gerlock, advocacy officer of the Coalition of Services of the Elderly (COSE). COSE is a non-government organization (NGO) that focuses mainly...

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So sue us

“So sue me” was a popular 1990s in-your-face dare, an I-don’t-care. But I read somewhere that its origin could be the 1950s “Guys and Dolls” movie musical starring Frank Sinatra where he sings “Serve a paper and sue me, sue me.” There’s even a So Sue Me hot sauce. The hot sauce is on my mind as the right-of-reply bill, principally authored by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., threatens to find supporters in the House of Representatives. Last week, a bunch of former church activists and social action workers with a couple of writers among them had lunch...

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Pinay caregiver dies in Canada, inspires law

Philippine Daily Inquirer/News/By Ma. Ceres P. Doyo MANILA, Philippines—JUANA TEJADA, a Filipino whose plight as a caregiver inspired her supporters to name a proposed Canadian law after her, has died in Toronto. She was 40. Tejada died of complications resulting from colon cancer. The disease, which struck her when she was on her third year in Canada, had provoked a move to have her deported. She died on Sunday, March 8, International Women’s Day. The pending legislation would benefit foreign caregivers in Canada who may find themselves in a...

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Pinay caregiver dies in Canada, inspires law

MANILA, Philippines—Juana Tejada, a Filipino whose plight as a caregiver inspired her supporters to name a proposed Canadian law after her, has died in Toronto. She was 40. Tejada died of complications resulting from colon cancer. The disease, which struck her when she was on her third year in Canada, had provoked a move to have her deported. She died on Sunday, March 8, International Women’s D...

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Asian fisherwomen dare to speak out

Philippine Daily Inquirer/News/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo Fisherwomen? Yes there are such women. And they have voices to denounce the state of the fishing industry, particularly the unregulated fishing practices that have marginalized the small fisherfolk and caused their sources of livelihood to perish. And, of course, like their male counterparts, many fisherwomen go out to sea to fish or do significant work related to fishing. Fisherwomen from the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia gathered here recently to train and do cross-visitation...

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The war is not over

Philippine Daily Inquirer/Opinion/by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo World War II Filipino veterans who fought alongside US troops more than 60 years ago will at last get some monetary compensation. The announcement came even while many of these hardy Filipino veterans here and abroad are dying every day before the cameras. Many died poor. Some died just before the announcement which means their bereaved families cannot get the compensation. The war is not over. The veterans need to remain alive and it is heart-rending to see some of them at death’s door, hooked...

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