By ALDWIN QUITASOL

“Labor wants also pride and joy in doing work, a sense of making or doing something beautiful or useful — to be treated with dignity and respect as brother and sister” — Thorstein Veblin

Many workers in different workplaces are normally always on the guard in protecting their job and their collective and individual rights. They try as hard as they could to perform their work as they are expected to do. They learn to love what they do especially if they know these help in the development of the people and the nation. When their employer disregards their hard work, they learn to fight for what they think is right, that is, to preserve not only their job security but their dignity as human beings.

To find strength in their fight, they opt to form or join labor organizations, associations or unions. Through their effort, they can be more confident in airing their grievances against any degradation or any form of hostilities against them. Read the rest of this entry →

By REV. LUNA L. DINGAYAN

“All Scripture is inspired of God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instructions for the right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equiped to do every kind of good deed.” — II Timothy 3:16

National Bible Week

January 21-27 is declared as National Bible Week. It is perhaps an attempt on the part of our national leadership to give due recognition of the centrality and importance of the Biblical Scriptures to our nation’s life. As a matter of fact, if only our nation’s leadership would really read and study the Bible and live by its message, then perhaps we might have lesser problems as a nation.

The worse thing that may happen is if and when the declaration of National Bible Week would be used only to make it appear that we are indeed a Christian nation, and worst still, to cover up the graft and corruption, political killings and other anomalies for which we have become famous as a nation. It would be a great disservice and desecration of the Scripture if and when it is used for such vested interests. For that is not the purpose of the Scripture.

In his second letter to Timothy, Apostle Paul says, “All Scripture is inspired of God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instructions for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed”(II Tim. 3:16). This is the very nature and purpose of the Scripture.

Inspired of God

First of all, the Scripture is “inspired of God.” Literally, it means it is “in the spirit of God. God breathed His breath of life into the Scripture so that through the Bible God speaks to us. By seriously reading and studying the Scripture, we would come to know and understand God’s will and purpose for our lives.

The Bible is like a mirror on which we see ourselves: who we are, and what we can become as God wills us to be. Read the rest of this entry →

By JOHN MARASIGAN

The year was 2005 and as I remember it was September when I first bought my “prehistoric chromoly,” a 3-kilo bike frame considered outdated even during that year. While everyone was using the patented light, less corrosive Reynold Aluminum bike frame, I was stuck with my heavy chrome steel bike body. But mind you, it served its purpose. After all every biker starts with a bike that is fit for a novice. Anyway, either Chromoly or Reynold Aluminum, primarily provides the need for a frame, the only difference is the weight. What I am sure is that we all commit the same mistakes as beginners in this sport.

Step 1. Photo by Cye Reyes/NORDIS Read the rest of this entry →