Santa Claus AIN'T coming to town

It all started at exactly 1:00am of December 17, 2011: Typhoon SENDONG sent hundreds of residents in Cagayan de Oro City to their roofs due to the flashflood that was said to be almost 18ft high, not to mention the strong current of water + mud. Others stayed in their respective houses, while some took the risk of leaving home and challenged the flood. Like that of a typical fictional movie, there were those characters who survived; and unfortunately there were also those who didn't.

*the photos you are about to see belongs to their respective individual photographers/grabbed in the internet*

Cagayan de Oro has known to be a "Typhoon-proof " then. While other places are suffering from it, nothing happens to CDO. BUT NOW everything has changed. Sendong may just be the "One-in-ten-year" typhoon to go through Mindanao as they say, yet it had caused 1000+ lost lives and more than 60,000 families had been affected. Others lost their home, while some grieved as they bid farewell to a family member, friend, classmate, officemate or simply a kapwa Kagay-anon.

It was indeed a Christmas Calamity. Santa Claus Ain't Coming to town. Instead of Santa giving gifts, it was Sendong who came instead which left the people too much sadness in their hearts. The December atmosphere may have changed from the jolly-loud-fun Christmas into a silent-depressing Christmas. As a certain priest said this during his homily "REAL CHRISTMAS is not just the birth of Jesus Christ. Real Christmas is actually the BIRTH of JESUS CHRIST IN OUR HEARTS." We may be lost by Sendong, but Jesus Christ is still in throne and He loves us so much.

As this one tragic event struck Cagayan de Oro city, I've seen how the Bayanihan Spirit of the Filipinos kicks in! Numerous relief operations were done, locally and internationally. There were those outstanding local heroes who never thought twice of saving other people's lives during the flashflood. Private sectors responded to the needs of the victims, and the Government realized its people's worth.

Christmas is gift-giving time but some deserved to be helped more than others. My heart goes out to those victims of Sendong who lost a home, a family member, and everything. You are in our thoughts and prayers. We love you.

Cagayan de Oro city - the City of Golden Friendship is calling out all its FRIENDS from all over the world to help. #helpCDO #BangonCDO ONE CDO!!!

"Don't ever think the little things you do to help Sendong victims are insignificant. It matters." -Senator Pia Cayetano

A debilitating disease: POVERTY (my insight)

If we are to rank the top 5 problems of the country, pretty sure POVERTY would be part of it, and even would topped the rest. Poverty refers to the state of lacking basic necessities. It is really a serious problem in our country not just today but even before technology hasn’t been developed yet. The huge difference between a continuous development of high-technology in the country and a rampant increase in poverty is yet to be identified. No one claims that he has the precise answer to that problem. Even the most powerful leaders couldn’t agree more. As we see this situation, the best thing to do is to manage poverty, if we think we could not eradicate it. Poverty may be a result of someone’s action such as unequal distribution of goods by the persons-in-authority or termed as corruption. But remember that it could also be a result of your own doing as well. Someone said “It’s not your fault if you were born poor, but to die poor, that’s a different story”. We can pray to God, but we should keep rowing towards the shore. Doing our part wouldn’t be that hard as much as how God takes possession of our flaws and weaknesses. The Lord invites each and everyone of us to be a “hero of the poor”. If we don’t like our jobs, if we don’t like the status of our relationships, or we simply don’t like the state of our lives – we have no one to blame but ourselves, because God has given us free will. A simple advice from the well renowned speaker and author Bo Sanchez “STOP COMPARING, AND START LIVING! AND YOU’LL BE HAPPIER WITH YOUR LIFE. THE LORD GUARANTEES”. ;) -heigel

Sex before marriage. Is it morally right or wrong? (insight about pre-marital sex)

The Bible refers pre-marital sex as fornication – which means a sexual intercourse between people who are not married to each other. Obviously, the Church shows signs of oppositions regarding this matter and considers it as a sinful act alongside with adultery. As part of this new generation, we are socially aware about this increasing number of youth who engage in pre-marital sex. The sad thing is not everyone is mindful to it. Our moral obligations as Christians have been challenged through it. The Bible explains, "…The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body" (1 Corinthians 6:13). Weighing the pros and cons of such act could help us to decide the right thing to do. With a proper guidance of our guardians, teachers or parents, and a close deep relationship with God, we will not be put into a crossroads of doing the right thing or not. After all, the messages we receive from most TV shows and movies these days tells us "everyone is doing it.”, but we must also put into mind that being 100% PURE doesn’t make you less as a person. Somebody up there is crazily in love with you and HIS name is JESUS CHRIST. Look at your choices. You'd get an idea of how much you love God. And remember this “TRUE LOVE WAITS”. -Heigel

YOUNG HEROES...

April 15-17, 2011 in the wonderful city of Cagayan de Oro ( I live here that's why it's wonderful). 6,000+ Filipino Catholic youth gathered in one main event: CFC-YFC ILC 2011 FOR THE WIN ARMED AND READY. If you're wondering about the abbreviations earlier, it means Couples For Christ-Youth For Christ International Leader's Conference. Yep! You are actually right! I was one of those 6,000+ delegates who attended.

If I have to mention everything that had happened, I couldn't actually think how long would I take to finish it. So I have decided to just make a summary of what I had experienced. There were assigned color for shirts in every island: Luzon yfc's wore blue shirts, the Visayas region was on yellow, Mindanao got red, Metro Manila delegates were wearing white and lastly as to the International Delegates, brown is the color! Everyone's just really excited to experience the greatness of the Lord! A number of performances were seen ( of course, they did it on the YFC way = Tatak Kristo!) And my favorite part, the sessions wherein a talk, sharing and worship is about to happen. It's the part in which the whole crowd was just so quiet and was listening to every word that comes out from the one who's talking up there the stage.

I admire how Fr.Lucas(he did one of the talks) was so open in telling us how much he appreciates the YFC community. It's just amazing how certain priests(no matter what age) would also participate in such youthful events like this. Given this opportunity to be a part of such community, it's goosebumps all over me. I have experienced God through it. The truth is, I am actually a member for quite some time already (5 years as estimated), but wasn't really that active though. I'm just simply a member. Others would refer YFC - Youth For Conference. It's actually kinda' true. But it doesn't stop me from serving the Lord in my own little ways. YFC taught me that in serving the Lord, all you gotta do is to believe. Right now, my aim is to bring Christ wherever I may go within me. It's not actually what other people think that matters, but how God sees me as His child and as a follower as well.

"Youth For Christ" as these young people are referred to. I don't consider them as just one community, these guys are "Heroes". They are actually our future heroes. When Rizal said that the youth is the hope of the nation, he's right; How much more if that young person over there has been molded into the life and works of Christ Himself?! Then He is indeed not just a hope for the country but for the world as well. If you happen to know someone who is a YFC, be privileged, you just met a HERO. If you are still on the process of making a decision whether to join the community or not, may GOD BLESS YOU. And If you are already a member of YFC, do not be proud of yourself, be proud of your COMMUNITY and be proud that you are a follower of CHRIST!

To God Be The Glory...