Deadly foods; estoppel in South China Sea


BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO


LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2, the Holy Bible).

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DEATH-THREATENING FOODS TO WATCH OUT FOR: As school children start settling down in their classrooms for the second straight week since school year 2011-2012 opened the other Monday, June 6, 2011, parents should also start being wary about the food these children eat, especially during recess or break time from their studies. 

A Yahoo! Health expert, Lisa Collier Cool, says many food items can be toxic and outright deadly for people and, I would hasten to add, especially for school children who do not know any better when choosing food or snacks being sold near school premises. 

Among those she named as dangerous foods are hotdogs, tuna, peanuts and ice cream, because they are death-threatening under certain circumstances. Hotdogs are known for asphyxiations in kids under 10 years old, tuna may contain mercury and scombrotoxin, peanuts can give rise to allergies, and homemade and soft ice cream may contain salmonella and listeria, Cool says.

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PHL ESTOPPED FROM DENYING “SOUTH CHINA SEA”: Indeed, a dog by any other name is still a dog, and even if the Philippines is now calling the body of ocean on its western side as “West Philippine Sea”, there is no denying the fact that for a long time now, even Filipino officials have been acknowledging that body of water as “South China Sea”.

I guess it is now too late in the day, to borrow a phrase from a Supreme Court decision, for the Philippines to be renaming the South China Sea as West Philippine Sea, when, all along, it has used “South China Sea” to describe the ocean on its western side. As it were, we are now estopped from contesting the use of the name “South China Sea”.

Besides, to call that area as “West Philippine Sea” at this point, merely to underscore Philippine claims over it and especially over the Spratly Islands, is even pathetic and futile, in view of the conceded great inferiority of our Armed Forces compared to the armed forces of China, which could only mean we cannot really enforce our claims.

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WISDOM FOR OLD MEN AND WOMEN FROM THE BIBLE: Here are parts of the Bible which are self-explanatory: “…Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 

“Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

“Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” (Titus 2: 1-8).


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Pagkaing nakamamatay; isyu sa South China Sea



INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “Ipinahahayag ng kalangitan ang kadakilaan ng Diyos; itinatampok ng kalawakan ang gawa ng Kanyang mga kamay. Araw-araw, nagsasalita ang mga ito; gabi-gabi, nagpapahayag sila ng karunungan.” (Mga Awit 19:1-2, Bibliya).

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MGA NAKAMAMATAY NA PAGKAIN: Ngayong nakapag-umpisa na ang mga kabataan sa kani-kanilang mga klase dalawang linggo matapos magbukas ang school year 2011-2012 noong Lunes, Junio 6, 2011, dapat na ding mag-umpisa na ang mga magulang na maging mabusisi sa pagkain ng kanilang mga anak, lalo sa recess o break time.

Ayon kasi kay Lisa Collier Cool, isang Yahoo! Health expert, napakaraming mga pagkain ang may lason at deikado sa mga tao, at, aking idadagdag, lalo na sa mga kabataang nasa paaralan na walang kaalaman sa pagpili ng kanilang mga meryenda o iba pang pagkain na ibinebenta malapit sa kanilang mga eskuwelahan.

Ang ilan sa mga sinabi niyang delikadong mga pagkain ay hotdog, tuna, mani at ice crean, sapagkat maaaring magdulot ang mga ito ng kamatayan sa ilang mga sitwasyon. Ang mga hotdog ay maaaring makabara sa lalamunan ng mga batang mababa ang edad sa sampung taon, ang tuna ay may mercury at scombroxotin, ang mani ay nagdadala ng allergies, at may mga ice cream na may salmonella at listeria, ayon kay Cool.

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PHL, DI NA PUWEDENG KONTRAHIN ANG “SOUTH CHINA SEA”: Tunay nga, ang aso anuman ang itawag sa kanya ay aso pa rin, kaya naman kahit tinatawag ngayon ng Pilipinas ang dagat sa kanyang kanlurang bahagi na “West Philippine Sea”, hindi maitatatwang sa napakahabang panahon na, maging ang mga opisyales na Pilipino ay kumikilala sa dagat na iyon bilang “South China Sea”.

Masyadong huli na, kumbaga, para sa Pilipinas na baguhin ng Pilipinas ang pangalan ng South China Sea bilang West Philippine Sea, samantalang noong una pa man, ginagamit na nito ang “South China Sea” upang isalarawan ang dagat na iyon. Sa ngayon, hindi na pupuwede pa nating kuwestiyunin ang paggamit ng pangalang “South China Sea”.

At sa totoo lang, ang paggamit ng pangalang “West Philippine Sea” sa ngayon, upang itampok  ang ating paghahabol sa nasabing lugar at sa Spratly Islands, ay kaawa-awa at katawatawa lamang sapagkat maliwanag namang napakaliit ang Armed Forces of the Philippines kumpara sa armed forces ng China, daan upang makita nating walang mangyayari sa ating paghahabol.

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KARUNUNGAN PARA SA MATATANDA MULA SA BIBLIYA: Naririto po ang ilang bahagi ng Bibliya na hindi na kailangan ng paliwanag: “…Ang matatandang lalaki ay maging mapagpigil, may karapat-dapat na ugali, ginagamit nang mabuti ang isip, may mabuting pananampalataya, pag-ibig at pagtitiis.

“Sa ganoon ding paraan ang kilos ng mga matatandang babae ay maging karapat-dapat sa mga banal, hindi mga mapanirang-puri, hindi nagpaaalipin sa maraming alak. Sila ay maging mga guro ng mga bagay na mabuti.

“Dapat silang maging ganito upang kanilang maturuan ang mga nakababatang babae na maging mapagmahal sa kanilang asawa at mapagmahal sa mga anak. Turuan mo rin silang gumamit nang maayos ng kanilang isipan, maging dalisay, maging abala sa sariling bahay. Turuan mo silang maging mabuti, magpasakop sa sarili nilang asawa upang huwag mapagsalitaan ng masama ang salita ng Diyos…”