IWAS PUSOY !

Why this guide?
c. Appearance Fee — the amount paid to the counsel for expenses he has incurred in appearing in a court scheduled hearing, conference or meeting.

In these cases, Ercof is ready to act as liaison between the Overseas Filipino client and the lawyer he or she may eventually select, as well as to monitor the conduct of the case, to help ensure that services are being rendered to the satisfaction of the client.

In any case, it is always prudent to seek legal advice if one is in doubt or simply desires to ascertain the legal consequences for certain transactions about to be entered into. Because of their absence from the Philippines, Overseas Filipinos are unable to look after the welfare and rights of their family members or their properties, and are prevented from easy access to legal information or representation. Consulting this legal manual or accessing the Ercof legal referral system presents a solution to this problem.

Philippine Citizenship

Q. What is Citizenship?
R. Citizenship refers to the full possession of civil and political rights by a person who is considered a citizen of a particular country, and who because of this status owes permanent allegiance to the said country and its Constitution, laws and government institutions and is turn entitled to demand protection from its government.

Q. What is the difference between Citizenship and Nationality, or between a citizen and a national?
A. Citizenship is a term used in Municipal Law (the laws of a particular country) to denote that a certain person is in the full possession of civil and political rights, while nationality is a more comprehensive term used ion International law which signifies the status of being the subject of a state, regardless of whether or not that person is in possession of civil and political rights.

Q. What is dual or multiple citizenship?
A. Dual or multiple citizenship is a situation where a person is simultaneously considered a citizen of two or more countries because he/she possesses the qualifications of citizenship under the laws of these countries.

...To be continued

Schizophrenia (5)

...the proportion of individuals expected to experience the disease at any time in their lives, , is commonly given at 1%.

A 2002 systematic review of many studies, however, found a lifetime prevalence of 0.55%.[3] Despite the received wisdom that schizophrenia occurs at similar rates throughout the world, its prevalence varies across the world,[36] within countries,[37] and at the local and neighbourhood level.[38] One particularly stable and replicable finding has been the association between living in an urban environment and schizophrenia diagnosis, even after factors such as drug use, ethnic group and size of social group have been controlled for.[39] Schizophrenia is known to be a major cause of disability. In a 1999 study of 14 countries, active psychosis was ranked the third-most-disabling condition, after quadriplegia and dementia and before paraplegia and blindness.[40]

Data from a PET study[41] suggests that the less the frontal lobes are activated (red) during a working memory task, the greater the increase in abnormal dopamine activity in the striatum (green), thought to be related to the neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia.

While the reliability of the diagnosis introduces difficulties in measuring the relative effect of genes and environment (for example, symptoms overlap to some extent with severe bipolar disorder or major depression), evidence suggests that genetic and environmental factors can act in combination to result in schizophrenia.[42] Evidence suggests that the diagnosis of schizophrenia has a significant heritable component but that onset is significantly influenced by environmental factors or stressors.[43] The idea of an inherent vulnerability (or diathesis) in some people, which can be unmasked by biological, psychological or environmental stressors, is known as the stress-diathesis model.[44] The idea that biological, psychological and social factors are all important is known as the "biopsychosocial" model.

Genetic — Estimates of the heritability of schizophrenia tend to vary owing to the difficulty of separating the effects of genetics and the environment although twin studies have suggested a high level of heritability.[45] It is likely that schizophrenia is a condition of complex inheritance, with several genes possibly interacting to generate risk for schizophrenia or the separate components that can co-occur leading to a diagnosis.[46] Recent work has suggested that genes that raise the risk for developing schizophrenia are non-specific, and may also raise the risk of developing other psychotic disorders such as bipolar disorder.[47][48]. Prenatal — It is thought that causal factors can initially come together in early neurodevelopment, including during pregnancy, to increase the risk of later developing schizophrenia. One curious finding is that people diagnosed with schizophrenia are more likely to have been born in winter or spring, (at least in the northern hemisphere).[49] There is now evidence that prenatal exposure to infections increases the risk for developing schizophrenia later in life, providing additional evidence for a link between in utero developmental pathology and risk of developing the condition.[50]

...To be continued

Salawikain (1)

Ang Tagalog ay mayaman sa mga sawikain. Ang sawikain ay mga salita o pagpapahayag na karaniwang ginagamit sa araw-araw. Ang mga pagpapahayag na mga ito ay nagbibigay, hindi ng tiyakangkahulugan ng bawat salita, kundi ng ibang kahulugan.

The introduction and selections on this page were taken fromC.S. Canonigo's-MGA BUGTONG, SALAWIKAIN,SAWIKAIN at mga PILING TULA(Book I) © 1996 Cebu City, Philippines

A
~ agaw-buhay = naghihingalo = between life and death
(literal=life about to be snatched away)
~ anak-pawis = magsasaka; manggagawa = farmer; laborer; blue-collar worker
~ anak-dalita = mahirap = poor
~ alilang-kanin = utusang walang sweldo, pagkain lang = house-help with no income, provided with food and shelter

B
~ balitang kutsero = hindi totoong balita = rumor, gossip, false story
~ balik-harap = mabuti sa harapan, taksil sa likuran = double-faced person, one
who betrays trust
~ bantay-salakay = taong nagbabait-baitan = a person who pretends to be good,
opportunist
~ bungang-araw = sakit sa balat = prickly heat (literal=fruit of the sun)
~ bungang-tulog = panaginip = dream (literal=fruit of sleep)

BALAT (SKIN)
~ balat-sibuyas = manipis, maramdamin = a sensitive person (literal=onion- skinned)
~ balat-kalabaw = mahina ang pakiramdam, = one who is insensitive;
di agad tinatablan ng hiya with dense-face, (literal=buffalo-skinned)
...To be continued

Kapiling natin si Hesus

Lahat tayo ay nakararanas maglakad papuntang Emaus. Ang dalawang disipulo na binabanggit ngayon sa ebanghelyo, kapwa patungong Emaus, ay kumakatawan sa ating lahat na tagasunod ni Hesus.

Malungkot na naglalakad ang dalawa mula sa Jerusalem kung saan si Hesus ay ipinako at namatay sa krus tatlong araw na nakalilipas. Ito ang dahilan kaya’t kapwa sila namamanglaw sapagkat ang Hesus na kinilala nilang guro, kaibigan, at tagapagligtas ay wala na. Umaasa pa naman kaming siya ang tutubos sa Israel, wika nila. Hindi ba’t ganito rin madalas ang ating buntonghininga kapag tinatakasan tayo ng pag-asa at lakas ng loob? Akala ko pa naman … Umaasa pa ako… Nakahihinayang… Nasaan ba kasi ang Diyos? Mga himutok ito ng bigo at nagtatampo kapag ang mga pangyayari sa buhay ay naging taliwas sa kanyang inaasam.
Bigo ang dalawang disipulo sapagkat hindi nila nakamit ang kanilang inaasahan. Umaasa sila sa isang mesiyas o tagapagligtas pero alinsunod sa kanilang pag-uunawa: isang mesiyas na magiting, malakas, at hindi nagpapalupig sa kaaway. Hindi tuloy nila lubos maunawaan o matanggap ang pagliligtas ni Hesus: isang Mesiyas na mapagpakumbaba, mapagtiis at namatay sa krus.

Samakatuwid, ang labis nilang pagkabigo ay dulot ng mahinang pananampalataya sa Diyos at sa kanyang paraan ng pagliligtas. Hindi tuloy sila makapaniwala sa balitang nabuhay na muli si Hesus, ni hindi nila siya nakilala agad na nakisabay sa kanila papuntang Emaus. Ngunit hindi pababayaan ni Hesus na mabulid tayo sa dilim ng lumbay at pagkabigo. Unti-unti niyang ibubunyag ang sarili niya sa dalawang disipulo. Ang daan papuntang Emaus ay mistulang isang proceso ng pagmumulat ng mata ng pananampalataya kay Kristong muling nabuhay.

Sa pagpapaliwanag ng Kasulatan, mula kay Moises hanggang sa lahat ng propeta, ibinunyag ni Hesus sa dalawang disipulo na ang lahat ng naganap sa Mesiyas pati na ang pagdurusa nito ay ay nasasaloob sa plano ng Diyos. Oo, ang kasulatan ay tungkol sa pag-ibig at pagliligtas ng Diyos na nasa katauhan ni Hesu-Kristo. Sa paghahati at pagsasalo ng tinapay, iminulat ni Hesus ang mata ng dalawang disipulo na siya ay tunay na sumasaatin tuwing dumudulog tayo sa kanyang banal na hapag o Eukaristiya. Niloob ni Kristo na ating ipagdiwang ang Eukaristiya sapagkat ang tinapay at alak ay tunay niyang katawan at dugo para sa ating kaligtasan.

Ito ang katotohanang nabunyag sa dalawang disipulo” Buhay si Hesu-Kristo! Buhay siyang tunay sa kanyang Salita (Kasulatan) at buhay siyang tunay sa kanyang Katawan. (Eukaristiya). Sumasaatin siya tuwing ating pinagsasaluhan ang kanyang Salita at Katawan bilang magkakapatid na may bukas na puso at dalisay sa pananampalataya.

Ito ang Emaus: masalimuot na pagbabalik-loob at pananalig sa Diyos, sa kabila ng ating mga pag-aalinlangan at pagdududa. Kailangan lamang nating buksan ang mga mata sapagkat si Hesus ay buhay at kapiling natin tuwina.

~ Kris Emmmanuel L. Llacer, SSP ~

Why Does the Church Require Celibacy for Priests? (Series LXXXIII)

An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord,” St. Paul tells the Corinthians. “But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided” (1 Cor 7:32-34). In light of that observation, the example of our Lord Jesus, and long historical experience, the Church has concluded that the celibate priest may be better able to devote himself single-heartedly both to God and his flock.

We should note that the Church holds celibacy as the disciplinary norm of practice for priests; she allows for some exceptions. Many ancient priests and even bishops had a wife at some point (see 1 Tm 3:2), including the first pope, St. Peter. (Matthew 8:14 speaks of his “mother-in-law.”) Today many Catholic priests of the Eastern rite are married. And even in the Roman rite, a handful of married men (usually clergy converts from a non-Catholic Christian tradition) have been given a special dispensation by Rome to be ordained as priests.

The Church doesn’t teach as a part of the Catholic faith, then, that celibacy is an inherent quality of priesthood - part of its essence. But as St. Paul observes, celibacy has distinct advantages for the man who must give himself wholly to God in ministry to his Church.

Opponents of celibacy often simply assume that such a life is utterly impossible. But St. Paul undeniably teaches the contrary (see 1 Cor 7:7-38), and our Lord speaks without criticism of those who “have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 19:12).

Celibacy is both a matter of personal choice and, on a deeper level, an acceptance of God’s calling. St. Paul acknowledges the divine impetus (see 1 Cor 7:7, 20) as well as the free-will initiative of human beings in the matter (see 1 Cor 7:35, 38). If a man is called to celibacy, he will be given both the desire and the ability to carry out this way of life successfully (see Phil 2:13).

Finally, we should note that the Catholic Church does not in any sense reject marriage or sexually (see 1 Cor 7:38), as long as these remain within the proper biblical and moral guidelines. According to the Catholic faith, marriage and ordination are both sacraments, both positive and wonderful means of God’s grace.

RELATED SCRIPTURE — Texts cited: Mt 8:14; 19:12; 1 Cor 7:7-38; Phil 2:13; 1 Tm 3:2. General: Sg 1-8; Mt 19:1-12; Lk 2:36-37; Rv 14:1-5. CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH — 922-924; 1579-1580; 1599; 1619; 1694; 1832; 2338-2350.

IF YOU ONLY HAVE THE HEART

By Ed J. Titular

If you only have the heart
That is willing to give unconditional love,
A heart that is willing to sacrifice
A heart that knows what is good, fair and unjust,
A heart that is genuine and true.

If you only have the heart,
A heart that could feel the pain of others,
A heart that could sympathize and empathize,
A heart that could give in if it is untrue,
A heart that is humble and not conceited,
A heart that is full of joy and willing to share.

If you only have the heart,
This young boy has his room to sleep,
There is no abandonment and broken family,
If you only have the heart,
There’s no old woman begging for food even on rainy days.

If you only have the heart,
There is no rich or poor on this earth
There is no war and injustices,
There are no babies thrown on a garbage can,
There’s love, peace and happiness to everyone.
if only you have the heart...

Return From the Gates of Hell (14th of a Series)

Colombia, South America Interview of Dr. Gloria Polo by Radio Maria

...and a soul was formed, my soul, grabbed by the hand by God my Father, such a beautiful God. So marvelous! Looking for me 24 hours a day. What I saw as punishment was nothing but His love because He didn’t look at my flesh but rather at my soul and He would see how I was straying away from salvation. Before I finish I have to give you an example of how beautiful the Book of Life is. I was very hypocritical. I would tell someone? You look beautiful in that dress, it looks great on you? But inside of me I would think ?what a disgusting outfit and she thinks herself the queen!? On the Book of Life, it would show up exactly as I had thought about it, even though my words also appeared, as well as the inside of my soul. All my lies were uncovered for everyone to see. I would often play hooky on my mom because she wouldn’t let me go anywhere. I would lie to her about going to the library with some friends to work on a school project and my mom would believe me. And I would head off to watch a pornographic movie or to a bar to drink beer with my friends. But my mom saw my life, nothing escaped her. The Book of Life is very beautiful. My mom would pack bananas, guava paste, and milk for my lunch because my parents were very poor when I was little. I would eat the banana and would throw the peel anywhere. . I was never aware that someone could get hurt if I did that. And the Lord showed me who it was who fell because of that banana peel and how I could have killed that person due to my lack of mercy. The only time I did a good confession, with sorrow and repentance, was when a woman gave me back too much change. She gave me back 4,500 pesos more than she was supposed to at a grocery store in Bogota. My dad had taught us to be honest and never to take anyone’s money. I noticed her mistake in the car, heading to my office. That stupid woman gave me back 4,500 pesos more than she was supposed to and now I have to go back! There was a huge traffic jam so I decided not to turn back. After all, why was she so stupid! But the hurt remained because my dad had planted well the seed of honesty. I went to Confession on Sunday and I accused myself of stealing 4,500 pesos because I didn’t give them back. I didn’t even pay attention to the priest’s words. The devil couldn’t accuse me of having stolen. But do you want to know what the Lord told me? You didn’t repay that lack of charity. That money was pocket change for you, but to her, making the minimum wage, it was three day’s worth of food. The saddest part was that he showed me how she suffered and went hungry for a couple days. Because of me, her two little ones hungered. That’s how the Lord shows these things. It shows how someone suffered with something I did. The Lord asked me: What spiritual treasures do you bring?

...To be continued

IWAS PUSOY !

THE GUIDEBOOK (Gabay sa OFW’S)

Why this guide?
Q. “In reading the legal manual, I could not understand many or some of the legal terminologies or expressions used in the manual. Or, I have a problem or inquiry that is not covered by your manual. What should I do?”
R. While ERCOF had tried its best to use the simplest language and expressions in this manual, certain legal terminologies could not be avoided or simplified. This first edition was not also meant to cover all legal situations, and a second and more comprehensive edition is already being planned. The best thing to do would be to contact us or any of our focal persons or organizations listed in the appendix, through email, telephone or fax. You may also ask a relative or friend in the Philippines to contact us personally. We would be happy to assist you in answering your questions, or direct you to others who may help.

Q. What are the costs for the legal service?
R. Ordinarily, Ercof will not charge anything if the inquiry involves a simple request for legal guidance or information that may be acted upon by email or telephone, and would not entail any financial outlays from Ercof. Ercof is setting up a legal fund to sustain this service, and voluntary donations of any amount would be welcome.
It is when the legal matter involves an extended period of consultation or would need the services of a specific lawyer, where it is difficult to give an estimation of the costs for legal services as its computation depends on several factors such as:
:: Nature of legal action to be initiated or defended
:: Intricacies of the legal issues involved and amount of investigation and research necessary to prosecute, defend, or appeal
:: Standing and reputation of the law office or lawyer engaged to handle the case
:: Other factors such as distance of the court from the counsel’s office; legal fees required by the Supreme Court in prosecuting a case; reproduction of pleadings; transcription of proceedings by the clerk of court; and other incidental expenses.
Nevertheless, costs for legal services will generally include the following:
a. Acceptance Fee — the fee paid to the lawyer/law office for accepting the responsibility of representing the client. This fee does not include the costs for actual representation or intervention.
b. Attorney’s Fees — the cost for legal services rendered by the counsel to the client in a specific case or legal action. This may be computed on a time basis (hourly rate); stage billing (predetermined amount to be paid at each stage of the case); or some other arrangment agreed upon between the client and counsel.
...To be continued

Schizophrenia (4th)

Signs and symptoms (Continuation)

Another criticism is that the definitions used for criteria lack consistency;[24] this is particularly relevant to the evaluation of delusions and thought disorder. More recently, it has been argued that psychotic symptoms are not a good basis for making a diagnosis of schizophrenia as "psychosis is the 'fever' of mental illness — a serious but nonspecific indicator".[25]

Perhaps because of these factors, studies examining the diagnosis of schizophrenia have typically shown relatively low or inconsistent levels of diagnostic reliability. Most famously, David Rosenhan's 1972 study, published as On being sane in insane places, demonstrated that the diagnosis of schizophrenia was (at least at the time) often subjective and unreliable.[26] More recent studies have found agreement between any two psychiatrists when diagnosing schizophrenia tends to reach about 65% at best.[27] This, and the results of earlier studies of diagnostic reliability (which typically reported even lower levels of agreement) have led some critics to argue that the diagnosis of schizophrenia should be abandoned.[28]
In 2004 in Japan, the Japanese term for schizophrenia was changed from Seishin-Bunretsu-Byo (mind-split-disease) to Tōgō-shitchō-shō (integration disorder).[29] In 2006, campaigners in the UK, under the banner of Campaign for Abolition of the Schizophrenia Label, argued for a similar rejection of the diagnosis of schizophrenia and a different approach to the treatment and understanding of the symptoms currently associated with it.[30]

Alternatively, other proponents have put forward using the presence of specific neurocognitive deficits to make a diagnosis. These take the form of a reduction or impairment in basic psychological functions such as memory, attention, executive function and problem solving. It is these sorts of difficulties, rather than the psychotic symptoms (which can in many cases be controlled by antipsychotic medication), which seem to be the cause of most disability in schizophrenia. However, this argument is relatively new and it is unlikely that the method of diagnosing schizophrenia will change radically in the near future.[31]

The diagnosis of schizophrenia has been used for political rather than therapeutic purposes; in the Soviet Union an additional sub-classification of sluggishly progressing schizophrenia was created. Particularly in the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic), this diagnosis was used for the purpose of silencing political dissidents or forcing them to recant their ideas by the use of forcible confinement and treatment.[32] In 2000 there were similar concerns regarding detention and 'treatment' of practitioners of the Falun Gong movement by the Chinese government. This led the American Psychiatric Association's Committee on the Abuse of Psychiatry and Psychiatrists to pass a resolution to urge the World Psychiatric Association to investigate the situation in China.[33]

Epidemiology
Schizophrenia occurs equally in males and females although typically appears earlier in men with the peak ages of onset being 20–28 years for males and 26–32 years for females.[1] Much rarer are instances of childhood-onset[34] and late- (middle age) or very-late-onset (old age) schizophrenia. The lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia, that is, the proportion of individuals expected to experience the disease at any time in their lives,

...To be continued

The Community