Did you know that Puerto Princesa is nicknamed City of the Living God? That sobriquet was bestowed upon the city in June of 2012. Now, for the second time, lawmakers are hoping to make March 30th an annual non-working holiday to celebrate that designation.
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| https://palawan-news.com/bill-filed-to-set-march-30-as-city-of-the-living-god-observance-in-puerto-princesa/ |
The House of Representatives has received a new version of a bill that seeks to designate March 30 as an annual non-working holiday in honor of Puerto Princesa’s status as the “City of the Living God.”
Rep. Edward Hagedorn of the 3rd District of Palawan reintroduced House Bill No. 4885, which his late brother Douglas Hagedorn had sponsored in the 16th Congress, along with Rep. Eddie Villanueva of the Citizen’s Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) Party-list.
Hagedorn stated on Friday at the general membership meeting of the Puerto Princesa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. that aside from his brother’s justification that the city is away from the earthquake fault line and the ring of fire, it is a diligent, God-fearing, and environmentally conscious land.
Forgetting to give it importance, he explained, could be the reason why the city has become a cyclone pathway, such as when Typhoon Odette wreaked havoc and damaged numerous properties.
"You know, we can be laughed at here, but I can't ignore it-I remember when we declared it as the city of the living God, we don't experience deluges," Rep. Hagedorn said.
"When that disappeared and was ignored, even typhoons that used to not pass through us, become more frequent. So I said, there is nothing wrong if we make it a city of the living God. There is a city of flowers, it's not bad," he said.
Puerto Princesa was named as “City of the Living God” via Executive Order No. 13 and by the Sangguniang Panlungsod through Resolution Nos. 770-2010 and 579-2012 dated June 4, 2012. They were in view of the fact that it is endowed with abundant resources and is home to one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, the Puerto Princesa Underground River.
The bill stated in the explanatory note that if March 30 falls on a Saturday or Monday, the observance will be held on the Monday that follows.
Sadly enough the original executive order and resolutions from 2012 are not available online. However, the text of both bills from 2016 and 2019 fill us in on just what it means for Puerto Princesa to be designated City of the Living God.
2016:
Of all places in the country, only Puerto Princesa City is away from the ring of fire and the fault line, thereby spared from the "Big One," which is feared to strike In the future. In recent events, we have read, heard and seen reports of continuing shaking in all parts of the world — varying from tolerable to catastrophic, with some claiming thousands of lives in seconds.
The City is home of one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature of the World, the St. Paul Subterranean River National Park, more popularly known as the Underground River. The longest underghround river does not only boast of beautifully-shaped stalactites and stalagmites, including the famed Cathedral in the inside and the limestones that rose over the rainforest on the outside. The place is also the haven of various species endemic to Palawan.
As the City of the Living God, the City will achieve its full potential, and not ony limit itself to being known as a city in a forest and sports tourism capital of the Philippines.God has done it in the past. When this place was upgraded to be a City and allowed the Spirit of God in the place of power, He has done more marvelous things. Definitely God can and will do more for people who honor His name.March 30 of every year would encourage residents to celebrate the milestones achieved by the City and to reflect on the duties called upon them as the people of the City of the Living God.
2022:
This Bill is a re-filed Bill from the 16th Congress, sponsored by Congressman Douglas S. Hagedorn, seeking to designate March 30 of every year as a special non-working holiday in the City of Puerto Princesa in observance of the Anniversary of its declaration as the "City dew Living God."
Puerto Princesa City was declared by the City Government through Sangsummg Panglungsod Resolution Nos. 770.2010 raid 579-2012 dated June 4, 2012, and preceded by Executive Order No. 13, as the "City of the Living God." The declaration was in view of the fact that the City of Puerto Princesa is blessed with rich natural resources, opulent flora and fauna, and a home to one of the New Severs Wonders of Nature - the Puerto Princesa Underground River. Likewise, the city is surrounded with pristine white beaches and natural water falls which we cannot attribute to anybody but the Living God. Indeed, Puerto Princesa, with all its beauty and attributes, is the City of the Living God. More than any of that the city is so safely situated in the island which is away from the ring of fire. Hence researchers believe that the city is one of the safest in the country, as it can be spared from the "Big One", which is feared to strike in the near future.
Recently, deep-focus earthquakes with a magnitude ranging from 4 to 7 occur frequently jolting many parts of the country. Despite those thousands of earthquakes recorded, none was ever felt in the city. The presence of mangrove-rich areas and vast coral reefs likewise protects the city from the occurrence of tsunami. Thus, the City being sheltered from said natural calamities, it is but important for the people to remember. fool and celebrate God's fortification at least once every year.
Did you notice what both of these propositions have in common? They list the fact that Puerto Princesa has many beautiful natural resources and is protected since it is outside of the ring of fire. That means the "Big One" will not hit the island. It is also protected from tsunamis because of mangroves and coral reefs. Thus Puerto Princesa has God's favor because the island is protected from natural disasters.
What about the rest of the Philippines with all of its many natural resources and devout people? Screw them, right? Only Puerto Princesa is the City of the Living God because every other island in the archipelago is in the midst of the ring of fire and prone to earthquakes and tsunamis. They are declaring that Puerto Princesa is in some way more loved than the rest of the Philippines. However during the most recent typhoon the Sierra Madre actually protected Luzon from what could have been an even more devastating storm.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1670951/netizens-hail-sierra-madre-for-taming-typhoon |
Sierra Madre, the country’s longest mountain range located in the eastern corridor of Luzon island, became a trending topic on Twitter during the onslaught of Supertyphoon “Karding” (international name: Noru) as netizens called attention to how it protected Metro Manila and several provinces from calamities.
Netizens reminded their followers of its important role as an effective barrier against storms coming from the Pacific Ocean before heading for Luzon. The topic had 78,500 tweets as of Monday morning.
The mountains reduced the strength of Karding and shielded millions of residents in the typhoon’s path from a far worse catastrophe.
“It was one of the factors that weakened the typhoon because a storm weakens after a land interaction. Sierra Madre is a rugged terrain so Karding naturally lost some strength,” weather specialist Vanessa Torres told the Inquirer.
“The government must work on measures to address climate change in the long-term such as building appropriate infrastructure and rehabilitation and conservation of natural barriers such as the Sierra Madre,” KPNE national coordinator Jon Bonifacio told the Inquirer.
“The Sierra Madre has once again shown just how crucial it is in protecting us against extreme weather events,” Rizal Rep. Juan Fidel Felipe Nograles said on Monday, as he renewed his push for the immediate passage of House Bill No. 1972, which would create a Sierra Madre Development Authority (SMDA).“Many are saying ‘we got lucky’ and [were] spared the worst of the disaster brought by Karding. But we cannot just rely on luck when it comes to our welfare. We must act and must act now,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Take that City of the Living God!
What a blasphemous joke. Who told the government of Puerto Princesa to bestow the nickname City of the Living God? Did God say he would put his name in Puerto Princesa? Have these lawmakers ever read the Bible?
God put his name in one city and that is Jerusalem. After the nation of Israel proved unfaithful he sent them into captivity and destroyed the city. Twice! Once in 587 BC and again in 70 AD. The City of the Living God is now his church and people and the Heavenly Jerusalem to come.
What about Job? He was a very righteous man and yet God put him through an awful test with many sufferings. Yet these lawmakers claim Puerto Princesa is the City of the Living God because the city is protected from earthquakes and tsunamis. As if tsunamis and earthquakes only happen to the wicked. Try reading the words of Jesus in Luke 13.
Luke 13:2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
This whole endeavor is ridiculous and is founded upon superstition. Listen to what Rep. Hagedorn said:
"You know, we can be laughed at here, but I can't ignore it-I remember when we declared it as the city of the living God, we don't experience deluges," Rep. Hagedorn said.
"When that disappeared and was ignored, even typhoons that used to not pass through us, become more frequent. So I said, there is nothing wrong if we make it a city of the living God. There is a city of flowers, it's not bad," he said.
If the theological issues surrounding this self-designation as City of the Living God are not enough lawmakers, for the second time, want this status to be recognized by the national government in the form of an annual special non-working holiday. Sheer hubris! What that means is that in Puerto Princesa alone every March 30th will be a holiday for all government employees and likely bank employees who will receive their pay despite not working.
There are 96 local holidays in the Philippines! Some are working and some not. That is in addition to the 19 regular and special holidays recognized nationwide which include Christmas, New Years Day, and National Heroes Day. The Philippines is the ranked fourth globally in the number of holidays it has.
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| http://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Economic-Class/regular-breaks,788 |
The bottom line is there are too many holidays in the Philippines and the designation of Puerto Princesa as City of the Living God is theologically troubling. To adapt St. Augustine:
Puerto Princesa, Augustine argues, is quintessentially a city of man. It is ephemeral, earthly, and – like all other cities – destined to eventually pass away. The City of God, on the other hand, is stable, eternal, and the source of ultimate consolation. It is the city under God’s command, and hence the city that will ultimately come to triumph.
https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/content/city-god/context
Go read St. Augustine's The City of God and then get back to me!
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