Miriam's answer on alleged withdrawal of her candidacy

Here's the much-awaited transcript of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago's patriotic closing statement at the recently-concluded PilPinas Debates 2016 round 3. Stay tuned for the video of the debate which will be uploaded here shortly.

Transcript:

There have been a lot of black propaganda against me, most recently in the recent months that I have withdrawn because of my cancer. I have already shown you that I am what I am now. I am what I was today, and what I will be tomorrow. We are not looking for an ordinary leader, or an ordinary manager or administrator. We are looking for the president of the Philippines. So, I think that the first qualification should be international stature. That would be a great help to Philippine foreign and domestic policy. But most importantly, I repeat, there are three qualifications to become a president: academic excellence – ako may doctorate ako in juridical science from America. Tsaka valedictorian ako sa lahat ng klase ko. Hindi naman pwede na yung mga naupo sa likod yun ang magiging presidente ng pilipinas. Pangalawa, professional excellence. Binigyan ako ng prestigious Magsaysay Award for Government Service, “for bold and moral leadership in cleaning up a corrupt government agency.” Meron ba silang ganun? Third, moral excellence. Maliban pa sa dalawang excellences na yon, meron pang moral excellence which is the most important. Unfortunately there is no machine that you can attach to a human being so that you can tell whether that person is honest or not. Maaaring bolero lang, maaaring magaan ang bibig, maaaring kung ano anong sinasabi basta kung anong unang dumating sa isapan niya. Kaya pag-isipan niyo mabuti itong ginagawa natin. Nagpipili tayo ng ating maging leader sa loob na sunod na anim na taon. Hindi tayo pwede mamili na base lang sa kursunada or dahil uso doon sa mga gang ninyo or sa mga tribes ninyo sa eskwela.

We are all united in this endeavor to improve and reform the Philippines. Akala ng iba palaging ganito na lang tayo? Hindi! Lalabanan natin itong kurapsyon na naging bunga at sanhi ng ating kahirapan. We can fight corruption. I have shown it in immigration commission. I have not allowed my words to overcome my deeds. At for those who think that I should withdraw because I have once been a cancer patient. This is what I'll say, I am now normal. I can think. I can act. And I can pray. Ngayon, gusto niyo akong mag-urong? Biro mo, ang lakas pati sa radyo, ang sagot ko sa kanila: I will never quit, I will never stop, I will never withdraw! We all want to change the world for the better. But the person who prayed should be emulated. He said, “God, preserve this country, and begin with me.” Thank you.

#MIRIAM2016 #SiMiriamAngSagot

Click ➡ mds to watch the video courtesy of MDS for President FB page taken from live broadcast of ABSCBN Channel 2, host network of #PiliPinasDebates round 3.

Our Daily Bread: Faithful to the Finish

Faithful to the Finish

Jennifer Benson Schuldt

READ:  Hebrews 12:1-4

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. - Hebrews 12:1 

After running 32 kilometers (20 miles) of the Salomon Kielder Marathon in Great Britain, a runner dropped out and rode a bus to a wooded area near the finish line. Then, he re-entered the race and claimed third price. When Officials questioned him, he stated that he stopped running because he was tired.

Many of us can relate to the exhaustion of a worn out athlete as we run the race of the Christian faith. The book of Hebrews encourages us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us" (12:1). Running with endurance requires that we lay aside the sin that stands in our way and shed  the weights that hold us back. We may even have to press on through persecution (2 Tim. 3:12).

To prevent weariness and discouragement in our souls (Heb. 12:3), the Bible urges us to focus on Christ. When we pay more attention to Him that our struggles, we will notice Him alongside us - supporting us when we stumble (2 Cor. 12:9) and encouraging us with His example (1 Peter 2:21-24). Keeping our eyes on "the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:2) will help us stay close to the source of our strength and remain faithful to the finish.

  Turn your eyes upon Jesus ,

Look full in His wonderful face;

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace. - Lemmel

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" We can finish strong when we focus on Christ"

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Our Daily Bread: Now I see

David McCasland

READ:  John 14:15-27

The Helper, The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. - John 14:26

Deborah Kendrick loves to attend Broadway musicals even though she is blind and always struggles to understand the setting and the movements of the characters onstage. Recently, however, she attended a play that used D-scriptive, a new technology that conveys the visual elements of the stage production through a small FM receiver. A recorded narration, keyed to the shows light and sound boards, describes the set and the action as it unfolds on stage. Writing in the Columbus Dispatch, Deborah said. "If you ask me I saw the show last week in New York, my answer is yes. . . I genuinely, unequivocally mean that I saw the show."

Her experience stuck me as a vivid illustration of the Holy Spirit's role in our understanding of God's words. Just before Jesus went to the cross, He told his followers that "the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26).

As we open the Bible to read or study, the Spirit of Truth is with us to guide us into all truth (16:13). On our own we are blind, but through the guidance of God's Holy Spirit we can see.

  Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,

As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea.

Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;

My Spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word. - Lathbury

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" The Father gave the  Holy Sprit to teach us from the Word."

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Our Daily Bread: DUST ART

Julie Ackerman Link

DUST ART

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READ: Genesis 2:1-7

The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. – Genesis 2:7 ==================================================================

When God chose dust as His artistic medium to create Adam (Gen. 2:7), He didn't have to worry about running out of material. According to Hannah Holmes, author of The Secret Life of Dust, "Between 1 and 3 billion tons of desert dust fly up into the sky annually. One billion tons would fill 14 million boxcars in a train that would wrap up six times around the Earth's equator."

No one has to buy dust, for we all have more than we want. I ignore it as long as I can in my house. My reasoning is this: If I don't disturb it, It's not as noticeable. But eventually it accumulates to the point that I can no longer pretend it's not there. So I haul out my cleaning supplies and start removing it from wherever it has found a resting place.

As I remove the dust, I see myself reflected in the smooth surface. Then I see another thing: I see that God took something worthless, dust, and made it into something priceless - you and me and every other person (Gen 2:7).

The fact that God used dust to create humans makes me think twice about labeling someone or something worthless. Perhaps the very thing that I want to get rid of -  a person or problem that annoys me - is the artistic medium God has given to display His glory.  

Lord, too often I want to quickly ignore

or dismiss difficult people and circumstances.

Help me to be open to learn

from You through them and to see your glory.

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Being all fashioned of the self-same dust,

let us be merciful as well as just - Longfellow

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Facebook launches its Philippine Office

MANILA - The world’s social media giant Facebook just reached the shores of the Philippines. In an exclusive event last Thursday (April 21) in Makati City, Facebook’s Vice President for Asia Pacific Dan Neary made the exciting announcement in front of various media outlets.

Together with Neary is Digs Dimagiba who will be taking the Manila operations of the world-renowned social media site. Dimagiba was the previous mobile business director of Samsung’s office in the country.

A new era for PH’s business industry

“Today marks a new milestone for Facebook in the Philippines and we are committed to driving innovation that helps Filipinos and businesses connect in more meaningful ways," said Kenneth Bishop, Facebook's managing director for Southeast Asia, in a press release.


The Philippine branch of Facebook is the sixth to be established in Asia, the fourth in the ASEAN region. Other Asian-based offices are located in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

49M Pinoys are on Facebook

With half of the Philippine population engaged in using Facebook as their personal and professional communication platform, it is a no surprise why the country’s name emerged as the newest home in Asia of the twelve-year old social media juggernaut.

“Two thirds of everybody in the Philippines is connected to a company page. We started to look at the dynamics of them. 1 in 3 is actually recommending brands on Facebook and it’s a discovery vehicle for most of users. Ninety-five percent of them are talking and discovering products on Facebook,” according to Neary during a talk with the press that night.

Globally, Facebook takes pride of having 1.59 billion of active users per month, with 49 million Filipinos comprising the number. According to Facebook, among the 49 million Pinoy users, 44 million are accessing the site through their mobile devices. That accounts to a whopping 91% of the Filipino internet population.

Facebook PH will make it easier for businesses

The establishment of a Facebook office doesn’t only secured the country’s reputation as one of its leading users in the world but rather, the launching further solidified the reputation of the Philippines as a new global business hub in Asia.

Aside from that, local businesses and publishers will now be provided with easier means to jumpstart the promotion of their brands. A Philippine-based office of Facebook will be instrumental in a more convenient partnerships building, product branding and promotions for companies.

Facebook PH is hiring

As a new company, Facebook Philippines is currently looking for qualified people to fill the vacant positions needed to fire up the company’s domestic operations particularly an outsource site manager who will be tasked “to run outsourcing site operations and to manage vendor relationships.”

Also the company is in need of a regional product marketing manager who is expected “to drive product adoption and go-to-market strategies in the high-growth markets in Asia-Pacific.”

Facebook Philippines is temporarily housed at Regus Business Center on the 35th floor of the Eco Tower located in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig with already five people working behind it including Dimagiba as its head.

--Michael Santiago

Gamiaw New! Daily Blog feature: Our Daily Bread

David Harvey - Director, RBC

"Each of us is certain to experience changes in the coming year that will impact our personal lives. Some may prove beneficial. Others, however, are bound to bring suffering and insecurity.

Amid all these uncertainties, there is good news! Our hope and security in changing times can be anchored in God - the God who is love (1 John 4:8, 16) and whose unfailing love the psalmist David trusted (Ps. 52:8). God himself assures us that he does not change!

God has extended His love to all mankind through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. By his death, we can be made right with him  and know Him personally . If you desire comfort and reassurance in the face of life's changes, we encourage you to faithfully read His words each day along in the daily devotions in this book which is now going to be posted in this blog daily. The scriptures and these devotional thoughts will help you develop an intimate relationship with the God of love and experience the power of his presence in your life on a daily basis. "

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Today is April 21st 2016

ONE BY ONE

Read: Acts 8:26-35

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Philip... preached

Jesus to him. - - Acts 8:35

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Edward Payson was a famous preacher in a bygone era. One stormy Sunday, he had only one person in his audience. Some months later his lone attendee called on him: "I was led to the Savior through that service," he said. "For wherever you talked about sin  and salvation, I glanced around to see to whom you referred, but since there was no one there but me, I had no alternative but to lay every word to my own heart and conscience!"

God saves us one by one. If you have access to one, that is your mission field. "Every soul with Christ is a missionary; every soul without Christ is a mission field," the slogan goes. One person cannot reach the entire world, but we can love our neighbor. "Who is my neighbor?" we ask. The next person we meet along the way.

The spirit brought Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch who was reading the scriptures and needed someone to explain them to him (Acts 8:26-35). The Spirit gave Philip the right words to say, and the eunuch confessed his faith in Christ (v.37).

Ask God to bring you to the one He has prepared. He'll get you to the right place at the right time to speak to that individual. He will speak through your lips, work through your hands and fulfill in you the great purpose of His will. - David Roper

 Father, we've been called to witness -

Called to speak of your dear Son;

Holy Spirit, grant discernment;

Lead us to some seeking one. - D. DeHaan

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" You are a success in God's kingdom

if you are faithful where He has placed you."
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Pangako ni Miriam

Para maimbitahan ang mga Filipino scientists at researchers sa abroad para umuwi, itataas natin ang kanilang sweldo at magbibigay tayo ng mga dagdag na incentives para sa experts at specialists. Pauunlarin natin ang kabuhayan ng mga Pilipinong siyentipiko, hindi lamang upang mapanatili sila sa bansa, kundi para rin mapagbuti ang kalidad ng kanilang pamumuhay.

Hihingin natin sa Kongreso na ipasa a...ng panukalang Pinoy Innovator Act, na naglalayong magtatag ng programa para gawaran ng premyo ang mga nagsusulong ng makabagong technolohiya. Kung hindi man maipasa ng Kongreso ang mga panukala sa unang kalahati ng taon, maglalabas ako ng mga executive order upang maisakatuparan ang plataporma kong ito.

#MIRIAM2016
#SiMiriamAngSagot