Your mantra for the week: “No matter what, God loves me.”

 

I believe that people, in their heart of hearts, want to contribute to humanity and make a difference in the world.

 

However, many get caught up in their so-called daily problems, and in their old belief that suffering is God-given.

 

To them, God is Something or Someone to fear. People might be ignoring the reality that they are capable of much goodness to share with the world from their inborn Original Goodness, as opposed to Churchianity’s Original Sin.

 

They do not remember, as we stress in IAMISM, that God is Fairness Itself. This means that whatever anyone is going through is fully deserved, but can be resolved in partnership with God. I don’t know how anyone can even claim that God is unfair, when God is Goodness Itself.

 

For those who agree with me, here’s a tip you may want to follow in your quest to contribute something to humanity. Ask yourself often: What am I helping create more of in the universe?

 

More peace or more conflict?

 

More hate or more love?

 

More health or more disease?

 

More abundance or more limitations?

 

And, finally, more successes or more failures?

 

As you use these as measure sticks, you will know what you are contributing to the collective consciousness of humanity.

 

Cosio couple

 

The statement “When one door closes, another door opens” could sum up the lives of the artist couple Allan and Ivi Avellana-Cosio.

Allan was featured in the exhibit “Tech-in-Color,” April 26-May 5, at LRI Art Pavillon, while his wife Ivi’s exhibit, “Journey: Art 50: Part IV: Baybayin” opened also on April 26 at the Galleria Duemila, ongoing until May 29—which is a good sign for Ivi who celebrates her birthday on May 22.

 

This prolific husband-and-wife team have contributed much to the art scene for many decades, and it looks like there will be no end to their output that will surely enrich our cultural heritage. This is so much like Ivi’s parents, National Artists Lamberto Avellana for Film, and Daisy Hontiveros for Theater.

 

When husband and wife are both artists and their mediums are related, they tend to build up on each other’s talents and produce outstanding works, not to mention underscoring their being kindred souls. How fortunate for art collectors who own Ivi’s and Alan’s works.

 

Award for unsung heroes

 

If CNN gives awards to present-day heroes, The One Philippines (TOP) hands out a humanitarian award for unsung heroes—a project in partnership with Rotary International Zone 10 and a subsidiary project of The One International, spearheaded by David Harilela in Hong Kong.

 

Recently it held a gala dinner and awards night at the Manila Marriott Hotel grand ballroom. The well-attended affair had ambassadors, businessmen, socialites and many Rotary former governors.

 

The One Philippines  board of trustees is headed by chair Rafael “Raffy” Garcia, and has Consuelo “Chit” Lijauco as vice chair for communications and a past district governor of 3820.

 

That evening, I was seated with my co-Gemini, the statuesque Frannie Jacinto; the two busiest “socializing” couples hereabouts, Bob Miller-Ito Curata, and Rupert-Tina Jacinto; Lulu Carlos-Sotto, whose family owns the still open-for-business L. Carlos Flower Shop. She was an organizing committee member of the event, and past president of the Rotary Club of Sampaguita.

The three finalists for the TOP award were Dr. Roel Cagape, who has taught communities how to transport patients on horses during an emergency in his Ambulansyang Kabayo project; 19-year-old aspiring preschool teacher Dara Mae Tuazon, who in 2016 started teaching street children who were also beggars in Sampaloc; and painter Chad Stamatelaky, who founded Kids Hope Ministry in 2006 to give free art lessons to out-of-school youth.

 

The major award went to Tuazon, who also received P1.5 million, while the two runners-up got P500,00 each.

 

The three award donors of P1 million each, and who have pledged to give every year for TOP are Garcia, Raj Uttamchandani, and another who wished to remain anonymous. Add to this, Rolando Villanueva’s P500,000.

The role of the Church

 

I must stress that Tuazon’s work should have been done and spearheaded by the Church because kids become street children due to lack of family planning and the discouraging of alternative methods of birth control.

 

About this problem, I have heard priests claim, “God will take care of them.”

 

Now there is a group that is planning to pick up street children and deposit them in churches with the slogan, “Feed them.”

 

Then, maybe next year, the Church will get the award with no benefactors necessary because the Church is the richest institution in the country. In the meantime, your every peso will make a difference to our unsung heroes.

 

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