From the Underside of History

From the Underside of History http://msgrlope.multiply.com/ Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:44:13 -0000 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:36:51 -0000 From the Underside of History http://multiply.com/mu/msgrlope/logo http://msgrlope.multiply.com/ 100 100 THE PROLOGUE TO THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (1:1-18): AN INTERPRETATION http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/31/THE_PROLOGUE_TO_THE_GOSPEL_OF_JOHN_11-18_AN_INTERPRETATION <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/830"><img class="alignleft" border="0" src="//multiply.com/mu/msgrlope/image/+KSojeqD02jLbs4n+QM7QQ/photos/1M/300x300/830/john-evangelist.jpg?et=y0FOSW4EeOolNybSbC4K%2Cg&nmid=0"></a>by Lope Coles Robredillo    HOW IS JOHN 1:1-18, the Prologue to the Gospel of John, to be interpreted?  The following essay is an attempt, from the point of view of contemporary scholarship in Catholicism and Protestantism, to answer that question.   Actually, this forms part of the notes I gave to my students while I was teaching New Testament exegesis at a graduate school of theology.  I am reproducing it without changes, with the caveat that it reflects the Johannine scholarship in the late 1990s, written as it was to make a synthesis of the Johannine research of that period. I am sure, however, that many who would like to have a deeper knowledge of St John’s Gospel will still find it useful.   Having read a few new works on John in this decade, I noted that there has not been much change in interpretation. This work has four parts: select bibliography, literary considerations, detailed interpretation of the prologue, and theological thrust.&... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/31/THE_PROLOGUE_TO_THE_GOSPEL_OF_JOHN_11-18_AN_INTERPRETATION Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:36:51 -0000 COMBATING OUR MATERIALISTIC CULTURE http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/30/COMBATING_OUR_MATERIALISTIC_CULTURE <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/829"></a> Commencement Address delivered by Msgr Lope C Robredillo, SThD, to the 2012 Graduates of Eastern Samar State University (ESSU), Guiuan Campus, on March 27, 2012   THE TITLE OF my commencement address is, “Combating Our Materialistic Culture.”  Let me begin with a common phenomenon.  <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/829"><img class="alignleft" border="0" src="http://multiply.com/mu/msgrlope/image/dZ4ASSZKa4EHBQbdN+4uuQ/photos/1M/300x300/829/essu-guiuan-1-003.JPG?et=Jbr9ONuujncByyltgoQlOw&nmid=0"></a>Probably, no gadget is more popular among Filipinos than a cell phone.  Almost everybody has it.  People use it even while driving, eating, singing, and worshipping in church. I have known of graduating students who, having been asked what gift they expected from their parents, said that all they wanted was a cell phone of recent vintage.   Indeed, so many of us are so attached to it that we hardly part with it.  It is not rare to hear from the radio or TV of someone who was wounded or even killed in a hold-up for refusing to let go of his or her cell phone.  But a month or so ago, I got a surprise in my life.  I read from the internet about an Asian... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/30/COMBATING_OUR_MATERIALISTIC_CULTURE Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:03:10 -0000 THE POLITICS OF WORLD PEACE http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/28/THE_POLITICS_OF_WORLD_PEACE <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/820"><img class="alignleft" border="0" src="//multiply.com/mu/msgrlope/image/+aeTMtR0iVJxng06qqRS1A/photos/1M/300x300/820/Japanese-dead-in-battle.jpg?et=Gv%2C30bCW%2BMUMA8AXEzZxiA&nmid=0"></a>   by Lope C. Robredillo, SThD   IS THE HEART OF MAN in his weapons?  The statistics is staggering.  Despite all the effort to limit or abolish war, it seems that war is more normal than peace.   For instance, from 1496 AD to 1861, it is claimed that the world knew 3,130 years of war and only 227 years of peace.  From 1945 until the 1980s, there have been more than 150 conflicts throughout the world.  How normal war is could be gauged from the fact that that in the last 400 years, European nations, it is noted, have signed no less than 8,000 peace treaties.   One can easily recall Bernard Shaw’s observation in his play, “Man and Superman”: in the arts of life, man invents nothing; but in the arts of death—well, look at his inventions for murder and mass destruction; they become more sophisticated as years go by.  Nations continue to allot huge budget for their military storehouses.  If they are not in open war, they... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/28/THE_POLITICS_OF_WORLD_PEACE Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:02:02 -0000 UNDERSTANDING CORRUPTION IN THE PHILIPPINES http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/27/UNDERSTANDING_CORRUPTION_IN_THE_PHILIPPINES by Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/819"><img border="0" class="alignleft" src="//multiply.com/mu/msgrlope/image/Y-NaN3wg4NpNIHpohvt3Aw/photos/1M/300x300/819/corruption.jpg?et=Ee400YqtOiMKZaalX7EP%2CA&nmid=0"></a>TO THE PERCEPTION of many, Aquino’s election slogan “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” so accurately described the state of the nation and its disastrous impact on the Filipinos that in no small amount it catapulted him to the presidency.  People had enough of the litany of alleged corruptions under the previous administration; and the immorality and the amount of money involved were mind-boggling: NBN-ZTE scandal, Hello Garci scandal, P738M fertilizer scam, P532M overprice of Macapagal Blvd, Nani Perez Power Plant deal, P1.3B poll automation contract, Northrail project, Garcia and other AFP Generals scandal, the results of the 2007 Mindanao elections, millions of bribe money to congressmen and governors in 2007,  Mindanao massacre, extra-judicial killings, violation of human rights, etc. And more recently, the NFA “legalized smuggling.”  These not only further plunged the poverty level of the country; they also robbed the body and soul... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/27/UNDERSTANDING_CORRUPTION_IN_THE_PHILIPPINES Sat, 4 Jun 2011 20:14:19 -0000 A CRITICAL LOOK AT FILIPINO HOLY WEEK RITUALS http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/26/A_CRITICAL_LOOK_AT_FILIPINO_HOLY_WEEK_RITUALS  by Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD    ALONGSIDE THE LITURGICAL celebrations that the Church observes during the Holy Week are practices which, in the Philippines, have long been linked with it. <img class="alignleft" border="0" src="http://multiply.com/mu/msgrlope/image/8pwTqP6raYNyoKHrULZwhw/photos/1M/300x300/210/Holy-Week-Rituals.jpg?et=sVQHgjyznXM5A4jR4P7Vow&nmid=0">Among them are the siete palabras, the way of the cross, procession of images, salubong, pabasa, cenaculo, and penitencia. For most Catholics, they not only add color to the week-long celebrations, but are, in fact, so associated with the Holy Week that it could not be conceived without them. It is not seldom that devotees--if only for these folk rituals—would spend the Holy Week in Sta. Cruz (Marinduque), Palo (Leyte), Grotto (Novaliches), or in some remote town in Bicol or Pangasinan, rather than in their own parishes. Some, for example, may decline to attend the Good Friday liturgy, but they will certainly make an effort to witness penitentes reenact the crucifixion on that day. Indeed, it happens that these activities attract more people than the liturgical cele... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/26/A_CRITICAL_LOOK_AT_FILIPINO_HOLY_WEEK_RITUALS Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:20:16 -0000 PRIESTHOOD AND THE CHALLENGE OF CONSUMERISM http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/25/PRIESTHOOD_AND_THE_CHALLENGE_OF_CONSUMERISM Commencement Address Delivered to the Theology Graduates at the St John the Evangelist School of Theology, Palo, Leyte, on March 19, 2011 by Rev Msgr Lope C Robredillo, SThD Vicar General, Diocese of Borongan THE REV MSGR Benedict Catilogo, Rector of St John the Evangelist School of Theology, the Rev Ramil Costibolo, Dean of Studies, the Reverend Fathers, the <img class="alignleft" border="0" src="http://multiply.com/mu/msgrlope/image/M3goc65Oq-w7X-hXajmlIA/photos/1M/300x300/209/images.jpg?et=w0deTkW%2CVe%2CQ7u%2Bdlo4C4w&nmid=0">Reverend Sisters, Graduates, Parents and Guests.  Good afternoon.  On this particular occasion, I would like to share with you some thoughts on the priesthood and the challenge of consumerism.  Allow me to begin with two news.                Last week, we were told that, according to the Commission on Audit, the board of trustees of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) enjoyed excessive benefits in 2009 to the tune of P88 M, or P11 M for each member, which could have been used for its stakeholders.  Not so long ago, the Senate in... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/25/PRIESTHOOD_AND_THE_CHALLENGE_OF_CONSUMERISM Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:59:51 -0000 REMEMBERING DECEMBER 26: WHERE WAS GOD WHEN THE 2004 TSUNAMI STRUCK AND KILLED THOUSANDS IN ASIA? http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/24/REMEMBERING_DECEMBER_26_WHERE_WAS_GOD_WHEN_THE_2004_TSUNAMI_STRUCK_AND_KILLED_THOUSANDS_IN_ASIA by Lope C. <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/207"></a>Robredillo, STD   YEARS AFTER the worst disaster in memory struck Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004, the survivors of the tsunami went on with rebuilding<a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/207"><img class="alignright" border="0" src="http://multiply.com/mu/msgrlope/image/lVJ+y+HVU0bprveD6RuBeg/photos/1M/300x300/207/Beach-and-Hernani-005.jpg?et=1V2BsaRxMzpQ1T20vwlegA&nmid=0"></a> their lives.  In this process of recovery, massive international aid kept pouring in.  But beyond the problems of survival, and of economy, science and psychology that they had to resolve in order to make their lives whole again, there remains a question that baffles not only most of the survivors who believe in a God who cares for human beings, but even us who were spared: where was God in that catastrophe?  Why did the tsunami have to occur, and devastate thousands of Asians?   In a letter to the editor, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. of the Philippines asked: “Was the tsunami that hit and killed tens of thousands in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, Myanmar and other nations an act of God?” (Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan. 20, 2005).  Not so long after the disaster, Imams i... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/24/REMEMBERING_DECEMBER_26_WHERE_WAS_GOD_WHEN_THE_2004_TSUNAMI_STRUCK_AND_KILLED_THOUSANDS_IN_ASIA Sat, 25 Dec 2010 05:15:53 -0000 A HISTORY OF THE DIOCESE OF BORONGAN http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/23/A_HISTORY_OF_THE_DIOCESE_OF_BORONGAN <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/197"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/201"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/202"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/203"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/204"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/205"></a>By Lope C. Robredillo, SThD This essay is dedicated to the Most Rev<a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/172"></a> Godofredo P. Pedernal, DD, a saintly bishop (The original text of the talk delivered by the author in Samarenyo [or Binisaya] language to the delegates to the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Diocese of Borongan at the Borongan Cathedral on October 22, 2010, 8:30 AM) THOUGH the Estehanons’ first recorded encounter with Christianity occurred on March 16, 1521 when Magellan’s expedition reached Homonhon island, the historical beginnings of the Diocese of Borongan may be traced to as far back as 1585 when Augustinians set foot on Eastern Samar, but especially 1595 when <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/172"></a>Jesuits from Dagami, Leyte, systematically preached the gospel to the natives of the southern part of the island.  The people in the eastern littorals, on <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/197"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/201"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/202"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/203"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/204"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/205"><img class="alignleft" border="0" src="http://multiply.com/mu/msgrlope/image/TXkKH4cQE6caG5iUBWS2-A/photos/1M/300x300/205/Diocese-Borongan-Clergy-with-Bishop-Reyes.jpg?et=4uv%2Cp%2BGuLnaMJlr0cMJz%2BA&nmid=0"></a>the other hand, were evangelized by Jesuits from Catubig and, later, Palapag as early as 1601.  In spreading the Christian religion, the missionaries initiated the reduccion of the populatio... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/23/A_HISTORY_OF_THE_DIOCESE_OF_BORONGAN Mon, 25 Oct 2010 13:43:39 -0000 CBCP HISTORY, 1945-1995 http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/22/CBCP_HISTORY_1945-1995 <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/208"></a>Challenges of the Times and the CBCP's Responses: A History of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines      By Lope C. Robredillo, SThD   (Originally, a paper read by the author before the assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in Tagaytay City, in January 1995<a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/196"></a> on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the CBCP.)   I Introduction              Best known for its initials CBCP, the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines of the Philippines is, in its present structure, a creation of the <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/208"><img class="alignleft" border="0" src="http://multiply.com/mu/msgrlope/image/M1wStw6lR1Qk9poU30u8Zw/photos/1M/300x300/208/Assorted-017.jpg?et=AoKFH2MM2d9oQysDQLbvOw&nmid=0"></a>Second Vatican Council.  A Permanent institution, it is a grouping of the bishops of the Philippines “whereby, according to the norm of law, they jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of their territory in view of promoting that greater good which the Church offers to humankind, especially through forms and programs of ... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/22/CBCP_HISTORY_1945-1995 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:09:34 -0000 A QUESTION IN THE HISTORY OF SULAT, EASTERN SAMAR: WAS THE MUNICIPALITY ESTABLISHED ON OCTOBER 31, 1906? http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/21/A_QUESTION_IN_THE_HISTORY_OF_SULAT_EASTERN_SAMAR_WAS_THE_MUNICIPALITY_ESTABLISHED_ON_OCTOBER_31_1906 <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/106"></a>By Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD   (Pre-Note: Partly revised to fit the format, this piece is an excerpt from<a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/106"><img class="alignright" border="0" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/tudEn3ESEKSlMmG9ONVR9w/photos/1M/300x300/106/churches-and-rectories-007.jpg?et=v%2BRk6TrIo%2Blrluaw1MsqXw&nmid=0"></a> the body of a letter addressed to the parish priest of Sulat, Eastern Samar, who sought the author’s opinion on the accuracy and appropriateness of celebrating the centenary of Sulat in 2006.)     WAS SULAT created in 1906?  Since the Philippine Commission of 1906 seems to say that Sulat was given independence on October 31, 1906, some have construed this to mean that Sulat became a municipality on that date.  The impression created, however, is far from correct.  Quite the contrary, Sulat was constituted a municipality long before 1906.  The truth is, Sulat was one of the earliest pueblos (townships or municipalities) to be established on Samar, dating back to the time of the Jesuits.    Let me cite some history references attesting to its creation:    (a) According to F. Huerta, Estado Geografico, topografico, estadis... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/21/A_QUESTION_IN_THE_HISTORY_OF_SULAT_EASTERN_SAMAR_WAS_THE_MUNICIPALITY_ESTABLISHED_ON_OCTOBER_31_1906 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:09:55 -0000 A QUESTION IN THE HISTORY OF SALCEDO, EASTERN SAMAR: WHEN WAS THE PUEBLO CREATED? http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/20/A_QUESTION_IN_THE_HISTORY_OF_SALCEDO_EASTERN_SAMAR_WHEN_WAS_THE_PUEBLO_CREATED <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/195"></a>By Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD               (This piece was delivered by the author to the Sangguniang Bayan of<a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/195"><img class="alignright" border="0" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/mx5xkAcf+CdyarEjoxlxtw/photos/1M/300x300/195/churches-and-rectories-068.jpg?et=pZBlRjAZyKOpqrRjlHgVlA&nmid=0"></a> Salcedo in December 1999 upon invitation by the Mayor to help settle the question on the exact date of the founding of the town, which for many years was thought to be December 8.  After the talk, the Sangguniang Bayan made a resolution changing the date.)   IN MAKING HISTORY, there is no substitute for carefulness.  Let me begin with a real case. During the Marcos era, it was proposed that the name of the country, the Philippines, be changed to one that does not convey colonialism.  It was then suggested that it be named Maharlika, a Tag-alog word for noble and aristocrat.  If I remember right, Senator Eddie Elarde brought this proposition to the floor of Batasan Pambansa.  Of course, Marharlika was the name of the guerilla band that Lt Marcos allegedly led.  But scholars came ... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/20/A_QUESTION_IN_THE_HISTORY_OF_SALCEDO_EASTERN_SAMAR_WHEN_WAS_THE_PUEBLO_CREATED Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:07:11 -0000 TOWARD A NEW SAMARENYO TRANSLATION OF THE "LORD'S PRAYER" ("OUR FATHER") http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/19/TOWARD_A_NEW_SAMARENYO_TRANSLATION_OF_THE_LORDS_PRAYER_OUR_FATHER <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/166"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/123"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/167"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/123"></a><img class="alignright" border="0" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/WynFM8u+7ZBV2EXiO0JQ7w/photos/1M/300x300/123/DSCF0091.JPG?et=H4H9sZyBz70fZfZGn%2CCtLQ&nmid=0">by Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD (Biblical Studies)   WHEN our committee translated into Binisaya (Samar-Leyte version) the Order of Mass in 1995, the majority opined that the translation of the Lord’s Prayer need not be changed, since it has been hallowed by tradition.  However, I felt then, even as I do now, that a new translation was in order.  For one thing, we do not have a common translation of it (as can be seen shortly).  For another, its translation, I like to think, should reflect contemporary biblical scholarship.   In what follows, therefore, I would like to present my proposed Binisaya version and give reasons why I give a different rendering.  My translation is anchored on the almost unanimous scholarly consensus that the Our Father (traditionally known among Catholics as Pater Noster) is an eschatological prayer, that is to say, it is a prayer that is closely connected to the period of the last days, when Christ returns, the forces of evi... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/19/TOWARD_A_NEW_SAMARENYO_TRANSLATION_OF_THE_LORDS_PRAYER_OUR_FATHER Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:42:11 -0000 A BRIEF ACCOUNT ON THE HISTORY OF CAN-AVID, EASTERN SAMAR: ITS BEGINNINGS http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/18/A_BRIEF_ACCOUNT_ON_THE_HISTORY_OF_CAN-AVID_EASTERN_SAMAR_ITS_BEGINNINGS <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/121"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/105"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/122"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/189"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/190"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/191"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/192"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/193"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/194"></a><img class="alignright" border="0" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/7jGXjP55obXleJGbioRgRA/photos/1M/300x300/105/DSCF0177.JPG?et=B4RljlDOY9BmXvLQZUW9Tw&nmid=0">by Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD   (Pre-Note: The data used in the writing of this essay were taken from rare books and archival documents found at the Philippine National Archives [Manila], Philippine National Library [Manila] Archivo-Franciscano Ibero Oriental [Madrid, Spain], Cebuano Studies Center [Cebu], Divine Word University Museum and Library [Tacloban], Lopez Memorial Museum [Pasig] and University of Santo Tomas Library [Manila]. Other sources were provided by Dr Bruce Cruikshank, sometime Visiting Professor of Georgetown University, Washington DC, the late Rev Dr Pablo Fernandez, Professor of Church History at the University of Santo Tomas, and the late Rev Cantius Kobak of the Franciscan Friary [Manila].)   THE BEGINNINGS OF the pueblo (township) of Can-avid may be traced to as far back as 1604 when the Jesuit missionaries who farmed out from the Residencia de Palapag (Palapag Residence) started evangelizing the various pre-Hispanic hamlets on the eastern litto... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/18/A_BRIEF_ACCOUNT_ON_THE_HISTORY_OF_CAN-AVID_EASTERN_SAMAR_ITS_BEGINNINGS Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:37:57 -0000 A GLIMPSE AT THE CORRUPTION IN PHILIPPINE POLITICS http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/17/A_GLIMPSE_AT_THE_CORRUPTION_IN_PHILIPPINE_POLITICS <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/142"></a>By Lope C. Robredillo, SThD   POLITICS IN THE Philippines has become largely an exercise in which the rich, the privileged and the elite vie among themselves to capture positions of<a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/142"><img class="alignright" border="0" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/Aib2Wbjt0RdXCMjKehj2sQ/photos/1M/300x300/142/Fuji3-007.jpg?et=1XtYdjSZLbiUXO2SfEA3qQ&nmid=0"></a> power, retain them for themselves, and expand them.  It is more than a mile removed from the Jeffersonian ideal.  By and large, it scarcely has the advantage of the majority who are poor and the common good for its primary purpose, however lofty might what holders of power trumpet otherwise.  On the contrary, the majority are shut out, for those who do politics represent not the poor but themselves and their interest.  And because power, as Lord Acton puts it, tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely, corruption tends to inhere in its exercise.  The greater the power and privilege, the more extensive the corruption, or the opportunities for it.  As practiced in this country, politics is the art of governance of the rich, by the powerful, and for the privil... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/17/A_GLIMPSE_AT_THE_CORRUPTION_IN_PHILIPPINE_POLITICS Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:34:08 -0000 IS THE PADUL-ONG FESTIVAL (OF BORONGAN, EASTERN SAMAR) A CULTIC AETIOLOGY? http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/16/IS_THE_PADUL-ONG_FESTIVAL_OF_BORONGAN_EASTERN_SAMAR_A_CULTIC_AETIOLOGY <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/148"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/149"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/150"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/151"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/152"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/153"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/154"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/159"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/160"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/154"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/161"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/162"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/187"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/188"></a>A Religio-Historical and Literary-Critical Once-Over at the Padul-ong "Tradition" <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/148"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/149"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/150"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/151"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/152"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/153"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/154"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/159"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/160"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/154"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/161"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/162"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/187"><img class="alignleft" border="0" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/SetsuHEP9MnVnYXpGUqQNw/photos/1M/300x300/187/Padul-ong-2009-0001.jpg?et=S5%2BZAyptmZBI1BoAF0HOcA&nmid=0"></a>(or, A Theory on the Padul-ong)<a style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title="" href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/compose#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a>   (A paper read by the author during the "Padul-ong Conference"  at the Provincial Governor's Office Conference Hall, Provincial Capitol, Borongan, Eastern Samar, on June 23, 2002)   by Dr Lope Coles Robredillo   IT IS THE purpose of this paper to examine the story of the so-called Padul-ong<a style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title="" href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/compose#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a> <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/148"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/149"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/150"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/151"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/152"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/153"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/154"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/159"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/160"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/154"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/161"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/162"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/187"></a>tradition<a style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title="" href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/compose#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a> from a religio-historical and literary-critical point of view.  This is to distinguish it from other approaches that one may use in studying this tradition,<a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/148"></a> e.g., a psychological—particularly Freudian—approach, or a structuralist one using the work of Levi-Strauss. How the story is expressed in performing arts is beyond the purpose of this work, though I will certainly make an aside.  My purpose is much more modest.  I simply aim to take a once-over at the Padul-ong story, as a student of Eastern-Samar history and as scho... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/16/IS_THE_PADUL-ONG_FESTIVAL_OF_BORONGAN_EASTERN_SAMAR_A_CULTIC_AETIOLOGY Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:32:21 -0000 PARISH PRIESTS OF DOLORES, EASTERN SAMAR, 1864-2010 http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/15/PARISH_PRIESTS_OF_DOLORES_EASTERN_SAMAR_1864-2010 <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/146"></a>The Succession of Pastors in the Parish of St Joachim (Paric/Dolores) from 1864 to 2010   by Rev Msgr Dr Lope C. Robredillo   Sources: <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/146"><img class="alignright" border="0" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/Dmt2382Hl8pkiRiGFeRZbg/photos/1M/300x300/146/Fuji5-003.jpg?et=cnRxoEmXQBbcot8UhpPcIA&nmid=0"></a> 1. Julian Manjavacas, “Notas para la continuacion del Catalogo Biografico de Padre Eusebio Gomez Platero,” MS, Archivo Franciscano Ibero-Oriental, Madrid, Spain <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/146"></a> 2. Julian Manjavacas, “Listas de los Nombres de los Parrocos Sacadas de las Tablas Capitulares,” Archivo Franciscano Ibero-Oriental, Madrid, Spain      3. Eusebio Gomez Platero, Catalogo Biografico de los Religiosos Franciscanos de las Provincia de S. Gregorio Magno de Filipinas (Manila: Imp. de Santo Tomas, 1880) 4. Rufo Castro, “Lista de Sacerdotes Catolicos que han regentado la Parrroquia de San Joaquin, Dolores, Samar, Islas Filipinas,” 1953 5. Catholic Directory of the Philippines, 1964-2005 6. Xeroxed historical documents given by Cantius Kobak, a Franciscan scholar of Samar-Leyte History. 7. Lope C. Robredillo, Collected Historical Papers of Lope. C. R... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/15/PARISH_PRIESTS_OF_DOLORES_EASTERN_SAMAR_1864-2010 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:13:12 -0000 PHILIPPINE POLITICS AS POWER GAME OF THE ELITE http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/14/PHILIPPINE_POLITICS_AS_POWER_GAME_OF_THE_ELITE <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/141"></a> by Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD IN THEORY, it is taught that in governance, all power derives from the people and the goal of politics is the common good.  Because, by themselves,<a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/141"><img class="alignright" border="0" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/bLaK8Cyc2x2tSSfaOkUpDw/photos/1M/300x300/141/Fuji3-002.jpg?et=%2CQf%2BJQyev5hM64v4MdSDLw&nmid=0"></a> individuals, families and groups, cannot achieve full development in order to live a truly human life, it is the task of politics to make available to them the necessary material, cultural, moral and spiritual goods.  Consequently, office holders are placed in power by the people not only to reconcile the particular goods of groups and individuals, but also to interpret common goods according to the guidelines of the majority and the effective good of all people.  In view of the enormity of this responsibility, one cannot but admire politicians—those who choose to undertake the heavy burden of this task.  Politics: A Struggle for Power among the Elite             But if the Philippine experience has anything to tell us, it is ... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/14/PHILIPPINE_POLITICS_AS_POWER_GAME_OF_THE_ELITE Sat, 7 Nov 2009 13:15:04 -0000 PHILIPPINE FOREIGN DEBT -- TOWARD A CHRISTIAN APPROACH http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/13/PHILIPPINE_FOREIGN_DEBT_--_TOWARD_A_CHRISTIAN_APPROACH by Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD   UNDER THE PROPOSED budget for 2006 that Malacañang submitted to the<a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/130"><img class="alignright" border="0" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/bd5X2Gx7NvOnOulFxQBnDA/photos/1M/300x300/130/Lalawigan-012.jpg?et=UFeJSf1SQXuj5652DlgtIg&nmid=0"></a><a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/129"></a> House of Representatives on August 24, 2005, the government will set aside P931 million daily in interest payment.  The total budget is P1.05 trillion, and one-third of it, which is P340 billion, is earmarked for servicing the country’s debt.    However, Rep Rolando Andaya, chair of the House appropriation committee, is quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) to have bared that the real debt service allocation would jump to P721.7 billion, which is P8,306 a year for every Filipino, if the proposed budget for principal amortization of P381 billion was included in the General Appropriation Act.  Putting the figures in a different perspective, Cielito Habito said that next year the government will spend an average of P1.98 billion daily, which is enough to build 7,920 classrooms or 250 kilometers of road or P23 per Filipino per day!   If 1/3 of the 200... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/13/PHILIPPINE_FOREIGN_DEBT_--_TOWARD_A_CHRISTIAN_APPROACH Sat, 7 Nov 2009 12:23:07 -0000 ENGAGING POLITICAL LEADERS IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE PHILIPPINE SOCIETY http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/12/ENGAGING_POLITICAL_LEADERS_IN_THE_TRANSFORMATION_OF_THE_PHILIPPINE_SOCIETY <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/126"><img class="alignright" border="0" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/IefJopQxGEFoDGuO+zhTWQ/photos/1M/300x300/126/Lalawigan-004.jpg?et=23t3pGdm%2BzfGtLYjwJQUQw&nmid=0"></a>(or, The Relevance of the Catholic Social Doctrine) By Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD WHEN THE PHILIPPINE Ambassador to the Vatican presented her credentials to the Pope not so long ago, the Holy Father pointed out that “the struggle against poverty in the Philippines calls for honesty, integrity and unwavering fidelity to the principles of justice, especially on the part of those entrusted with positions of governance and public administration.”  Although the presidential spokesman opined that this was addressed to those who aspire for leadership in the coming elections, commentators took this as an indictment against the Arroyo administration for its failure to solve poverty, owing to the dearth of moral underpinnings in the exercise of governance.  However this is interpreted, there is no doubt that, if the Philippine society is really to be liberated from the shackles of misery, those in position of governance have to adhere to moral standards and principles.    &n... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/12/ENGAGING_POLITICAL_LEADERS_IN_THE_TRANSFORMATION_OF_THE_PHILIPPINE_SOCIETY Tue, 3 Nov 2009 22:10:10 -0000 THE WHITE RUSSIANS IN GUIUAN HISTORY http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/11/THE_WHITE_RUSSIANS_IN_GUIUAN_HISTORY <a href="http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/93"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.msgrlope.multiply.com/image/8cqTrNCQIqwjKP8NY2I8eQ/photos/1M/300x300/93/guiuan.jpg?et=gFedFCDo%2CBXb0NKh4ju4WA&nmid=0" border="0"></a>   Why Did the White Russians Settle in Tubabao Is., Guiuan?   By Lope Coles Robredillo, SThD   The evacuation of more than 5,800 emigres to the island of Tubabao, Guiuan, Eastern Samar in 1949-1951 sprang from the relentless efforts of the White Russians in Communist China to flesh out their aspiration to live as a free people.               It should be recalled that during and after the 1917 Bolshevic revolution in Russia under Vladimir Lenin against the Tsar and the Russian civil war that ensued, the White Russians, who were opposed to the Communist regime, fled the country.   Emigres from Southern Russia and Ukraine, for instance, went to eastern Europe.  But those in Siberia and in the Russian Far East settled in Harbin, Hankow and Shanghai, among other cities in China , where they felt safe from the clutches of Communism.            ... http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/11/THE_WHITE_RUSSIANS_IN_GUIUAN_HISTORY Sat, 3 Oct 2009 10:48:54 -0000 borongan clergy http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/album/4/borongan_clergy http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/album/4/borongan_clergy Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:57:17 -0000 By the Roadside. http://msgrlope.multiply.com/links/item/4/By_the_Roadside. http://msgrlope.multiply.com/links/item/4/By_the_Roadside. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:02:37 -0000 Guilty Bystander. http://msgrlope.multiply.com/links/item/2/Guilty_Bystander. http://msgrlope.multiply.com/links/item/2/Guilty_Bystander. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:00:20 -0000 sunday mornings http://msgrlope.multiply.com/links/item/1/sunday_mornings http://msgrlope.multiply.com/links/item/1/sunday_mornings Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:59:15 -0000 Hong Kong / Shenzhen Feb 2009 http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/album/3/Hong_Kong_Shenzhen_Feb_2009 February 26 to March 1, http://msgrlope.multiply.com/photos/album/3/Hong_Kong_Shenzhen_Feb_2009 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:37:39 -0000