Stirred Up Passions are the Devil’s Playground – A Lesson from Karate Kid

By Dr. Taylor Marshall

Do you remember the ending of the original Karate Kid?

The members of the Cobra Kai dojo take turns tearing down Danielson. Former Special Forces John “Bow-to-your-Sensei” Kreese shows biceps but no mercy to Mr. Miyagi and Danielson.

Finally, Danielson, with the support of the beautiful teenage Elizabeth Shue faces down the blond beau “Johnny.” All looks lost. Suddenly Daniel, gets up on his one foot and does “The Crane.” In case you forgot, here’s what it looks like:

The heart of every 13 year old came alive as they watched Danielson kick the bad-boy Johnny in the face using that karate move named after a long-legged bird with streamlined bodies and large rounded wings. It’s the cheesy 80s version of “He shall strike Your heal and You shall crush his head.”

If you’ve never seen this clip from Karate Kid, watch it. The real deal happens at 1:30 in the clip below:

Mr Miyagi taught Danielson and important lesson: fighting is about balance. If you are off balance, you will lose.

Miyagi: [Daniel has just gotten his driver's license and Miyagi has given him a car for his birthday] Just remember, license never replace eye, ear, and brain.
[Daniel has suddenly become quiet]
Miyagi: What matter?
Daniel: I’m just scared. The tournament and everything.
Miyagi: You remember lesson about balance?
Daniel: Yeah.
Miyagi: Lesson not just karate only. Lesson for whole life. Whole life have a balance. Everything be better. Understand?

Same goes in the spiritual life. If you are out of balance, physically, emotionally, mentally, you’re vulnerable to attack. The devil looks for imbalance. Like John “Bow-to-your-Sensei” Kreese, his gives his orders to his minions: Take him out.

We are at our worst when our passions are stirred up.

{There are eleven passions, according to Saint Thomas Aquinas and if you want an easy and fun account of these 11 passions, get my free ebook here and quickly read about them. It explains why you eat too much Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and other such things. You can download it free by clicking here.}

When your passions are stirred up

When your passions are stirred up, the intellectual part of your soul has a hard time keeping things under control. For example, when you are angry enough to chew nails, you start do things that don’t make sense. Later, you look back and say, “What was I thinking?”

The devil knows this! He has been observing frail human nature for a long time. Like a prize fighter, he’s going to manipulate your lack of balance. He’s going to study it. When your passions are stirred up, it’s the devil’s playground.

How do you stay peaceful and keep the passions chill?

Mental prayer and silence. You must on a daily basis turn off the all the noise and set your iPhone timer to 15-30 minutes. Sit there in the quiet and be with God. Talk to him. Converse. This quiet time is the source of true peace and a placid soul.

Don’t get off balance. If you become a person of quiet and prayer, you’ll make it through. When the devil comes around, you’ll be able to get on one leg and spread your arms (the Crane is kind of cruciform).

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687.

10 Best Detox Foods You Should Start Eating

Detoxing has become bit of a trend with all the different fasting formulas and super foods that are out there. Unfortunately, most of the popular “detoxes” really aren’t safe for you and aren’t healthy either. If you want to detox your body, did you know it can be as simple as eating the right foods? Here’s a list of 10 foods you can enjoy if you really want to cleanse your body.

1. Avocados - Do you love avocados so much you would put slices of them on just about any food you eat? There’s no reason to feel guilty about doing this, especially because this is such a great food for you to eat. Avocados are packed full of antioxidants, including glutathione. This detoxes the body by transporting harmful toxins right out of it. By reducing the chemicals and toxins in your body you will be healthier and feel better.

2. Cranberries - These might be great for preventing urinary tract infections, but they can also get rid of toxins inside of your body. These get rid of waste from the body and are antibacterial so they remove toxins.

3. Cabbage – This food has sulfur inside of it, which is essential when it comes to breaking down chemicals in the body. Sulfur can help get rid of everything from pesticides to prescription drugs, which could be harmful if they stuck around.

4. Lemons – These are great in drinks and recipes, but they are also packed full of vitamins and antioxidants. These protect the liver and they get rid of chemicals inside of the body. Consuming lemons on a regular basis can improve health.

5. Broccoli – If you’re the type of person who doesn’t like broccoli, you should try it out once again! It’s full of antioxidants that can cleanse your body. It’s also high in enzymes that help to get your digestive system running efficiently. Raw broccoli is best because it has a high level of nutrients inside of it.

6. Garlic – Packed full of sulfur, this is another great food to use for body cleanses. It also has antibiotic properties so it can help internally heal your body. There are a lot of advantages to eating garlic on a regular basis; it’s even available in supplement form!

7. Beets – These can be incorporated into a lot of different recipes or they can be eaten raw. They are full of betaine and pectin, which help protect the liver and the digestive system. These can cleanse the body so you have fewer toxins.

8. Grapefruit – This fruit helps cleanse the digestive system and it can prevent kidney stones from developing. It’s also low in natural sugars and calories, so it’s great for dieting.

9. Sunflower Seeds – These are great to snack on and can detox the liver so it’s healthier. It can also get rid of harmful toxins floating around in the body. In addition to this, it prevents cholesterol from building up and causing body damage.

10. Lentils – These aid the digestive system to cleanse and detox your body. Lentils also lower the cholesterol and help balance the blood sugar inside of your body.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687.

The Mysterious Relics of Saint Anne

by Dr Taylor Marshall

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Ilove Saint Anne (she is my wife’s patron) and I love Charlemagne (our dog is named Charlemagne). So the following story is especially dear to me. It’s also one of the best relics story of all time.

On Easter AD 792, Charlemagne discovered the relics of Saint Anne with the help of a deaf handicapped boy. It’s a wonderful tale for this feast day of Saint Anne.

Below is the account, preserved in the correspondence of Pope Saint Leo III, concerning the mysterious discovery of the relics of Saint Anne in the presence of the Emperor Charlemagne.

Fourteen years after Our Lord’s death, Saint Mary Magdalen, Saint Martha, Saint Lazarus, and the others of the little band of Christians who were piled into a boat without sails or oars and pushed out to sea to perish — in the persecution of the Christians by the Jews of Jerusalem — were careful to carry with them the tenderly loved body of Our Lady’s mother. They feared lest it be profaned in the destruction, which Jesus had told them was to come upon Jerusalem. When, by the power of God, their boat sur vived and finally drifted to the shores of France, the little company of saints buried Saint Anne’s body in a cave, in a place called Apt, in the south of France. The church, which was later built over the spot, fell into decay because of wars and religious persecutions, and as the centuries passed, the place of Saint Anne’s tomb was forgotten.

The long years of peace, which Charlemagne’s wise rule gave to southern France, enabled the people to build a magnificent new church on the site of the old chapel at Apt. Extraordinary and painstaking labor went into the building of the great structure, and when the day of its consecration arrived [Easter Sunday, 792 A.D.], the beloved Charlemagne, little suspecting what was in store for him, declared himself happy indeed to have jour neyed so many miles to be present for the holy occasion. At the most solemn part of the ceremonies, a boy of fourteen, blind, deaf and dumb from birth — and usually quiet and impassive — to the amaze ment of those who knew him, completely distracted the at tention of the entire congrega tion by becoming suddenly tremendously excited. He rose from his seat, walked up the aisle to the altar steps, and to the consternation of the whole church, struck his stick re soundingly again and again upon a single step.

His embarrassed family tried to lead him out, but he would not budge. He contin ued frantically to pound the step, straining with his poor muted senses to impart a knowledge sealed hopelessly within him. The eyes of the people turned upon the em peror, and he, apparently in spired by God, took the matter into his own hands. He called for workmen to remove the steps.

A subterranean passage was revealed directly below the spot, which the boy’s stick had indicated. Into this pas sage the blind lad jumped, to be followed by the emperor, the priests, and the workmen.

They made their way in the dim light of candles, and when, farther along the pas sage, they came upon a wall that blocked further ad vance, the boy signed that this also should be removed. When the wall fell, there was brought to view still another long, dark corridor. At the end of this, the searchers found a crypt, upon which, to their profound wonderment, a vigil lamp, alight and burning in a little walled recess, cast a heavenly radiance.

As Charlemagne and his afflicted small guide, with their companions, stood be fore the lamp, its light went out. And at the same moment, the boy, blind and deaf and dumb from birth, felt sight and hearing and speech flood into his young eyes, his ears, and his tongue.

“It is she! It is she!” he cried out. The great emperor, not knowing what he meant, nevertheless repeated the words after him. The call was taken up by the crowds in the church above, as the people sank to their knees, bowed in the realization of the presence of something celestial and holy.

The crypt at last was opened, and a casket was found within it. In the casket was a winding sheet, and in the sheet were relics, and upon the relics was an inscrip tion that read, “Here lies the body of Saint Anne, mother of the glorious Virgin Mary.” The winding sheet, it was noted, was of eastern design and texture.

Charlemagne, over whelmed, venerated with pro found gratitude the relics of the mother of Heaven’s Queen. He remained a long time in prayer. The priests and the people, awed by the graces given them in such abundance and by the choice of their countryside for such a heavenly manifestation, for three days spoke but rarely, and then in whispers.

The emperor had an exact and detailed account of the miraculous finding drawn up by a notary and sent to Pope Saint Leo III, with an accom panying letter from himself. These documents and the pope’s reply are preserved to this day. Many papal bulls have attested, over and over again, to the genuineness of Saint Anne’s relics at Apt.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687.

The loop Vista residences builds condo towers in CDO

By Pinky Concha Colmenares

Published: July 25, 2013

lobby; canopy

The convenience of a condo lifestyle will entice more people in Cagayan de Oro to seriously consider another concept for a home.  Life in a vertical village presented by “The Loop” condominium towers will likely be easy to accept even by those who have been living in houses on estates for generations.

For one, the established reputation of the developer – Vista Residences – will back the integrity of The Loop. It is the condominium development arm of Vista Land and Lifescapes, the country’s biggest developer backed by 38 years in business and 250,000 homes built around the country.

And two, The Loop is located in the heart of the Cagayan de Oro – within the Lim Ket Kai Complex at the central business district of the city.  It again affirms Vista Land’s claim that it is known for choosing ideal locations for all its projects.

It is easy to imagine life in this two-tower community because it is located in the central business district of the city.  Instead of a car or public transport to get from home to work to leisure to school to worship, “commuting” means a walk.

Office buildings, entertainment places, shopping areas, commercial districts, and schools are neighbors of The Loop.
A resident can even choose to just stay “home”.  The master plan of the two-tower 25-story condos includes leisure and sports amenities.  And of course, most of the space is for the private lives of its residents in living spaces defined by studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

Naturally, there will be systems that will keep residential areas exclusive.  Both towers will have 24-hour concierge services and advanced security system for residents’ convenience and peace of mind.

The Loop’s ground floor will house amenities within the clubhouse called “The Canopy”  – adult and kiddie pools, fitness gym, and function rooms. The second and third levels will be parking pods, while the fourth level will be occupied by garden residential units.

Other residential condo units will be from the fifth to the 24th floor. Exclusive penthouse units will be at the 25th, and The Sky Garden at the top floor.

Residents will of course have the privilege of great views.  The east side of the towers opens the mountain views while the west side presents the vibrant city skyline.

 The Loop will be launched on July 27, to start the development work that will put Vista Land’s mark in Cagayan de Oro City.  This will be the second project of Vista Residences in Mindanao; the first is the mid-rise condo community called Northpoint in Davao City. The Loop is the developer’s first high-rise project outside of Metro Manila.

When completed, The Loop will join the long list of Vista Residences’ projects.  In Metro Manila those are the: KL Mosaic, Salcedo Square and Laureano Di Trevi in Makati; The Currency in Ortigas; The Symphony Towers, Wil Tower Mal, Vista Residences Katipunan, Madison Place Pine Crest, and Brescia Residences in Quezon City, 515 Show in Mandaluyong; Cerritos Residences in Pasig; Marfori and Presidio in Sucat; Vista Residences Taft, 878 Espana, and Crown Tower U-Belt in Manila; Pacific Residences, Avant at the Fort and The Hudson in Taguig.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687.

Lizard Brain: Seth Godin’s Christian Theology

July 25, 2013 — 13 Comments

Lizard Brain. That’s what Seth Godin calls that evil still small voice in your head that resists your dreams.

Lizards, says Godin, only seek survival. They don’t make a risk to produce something artistic or generous. They desire the warmth of the sun, but live fearful of others. When we humans act like this, says Seth, we are listening to our “Lizard Brain.”

If you want to be a nun, Lizard Brain says, “You’d be a terrible nun. You cannot pray and you’d burn out. Plus, there are no good religious orders anymore. Forget it.”

If you want to write a book, Lizard Brain says, “You didn’t go to the right school. Plus, it’s so hard to get published. And your grammar isn’t perfect. Nobody would buy your book. Don’t waste your time”

If you want to give a public speech on a passionate topic, Lizard Brain says, “People will laugh at you. Your topic isn’t that interesting. Plus, your suit looks funny and you don’t look professional. Will people even take you seriously.”

Lizard Brain is similar to what Steven Pressfield labeled “The Resistance” in the soul. It’s the voice that haunts you. The voice that tells you that you will certain fail and make a fool of yourself. I’ve written about this before in a post called “The War of Faith: Understanding Resistance.”

I do not think that Seth Godin (nor Steven Pressfield) are Christians. However, they are pointing at a profound teaching expressed by Christian theology. In the New Testament, it’s called “Sarx” or “The Flesh” and in medieval theology it’s also labeled “concupiscence.”

In the tendency in us to what is lower when we should be reaching higher. Fear, lust, anger, gluttony, boredom. These are the consequences of the Sarx.

Now I really, really like Godin’s phrase “Lizard Brain.” In fact, my wife now uses the word to talk me of the ledge. “Oh Taylor, it’s sounds to me that you’re now thinking with your Lizard Brain.”

There is one think about Godin’s term that I LOVE. Remember back in the Garden of Eden. What kind of animal led Eve and Adam into sin?

Did you say “Serpent”?

Actually, go back and read the Scriptures. Before the Original Sin, the serpent may have had LEGS. God removed the legs from the evil critter as a punishment. So in fact, that primordial voice leading Adam and Eve into sin and survival mode may have been a legged lizard.

While Seth Godin refers to Lizard Brain from an evolutionary point of view (the less evolved “lizard-like” part of the human brain), from a Christian point of view, Lizard Brain can also refer to that which is Satanic and diabolical.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687.

Top 5 Objections to Catholicism (with Thoughts on Roman Fever)

July 24, 2013 — 7 Comments

“What would be the “Top 5″ objections to the Roman Catholic Church that you hear from Protestants?”

My friend Joel asked me this question and it’s a great one.

I have spoken to hundreds of people struggling with “Roman fever.” A Protestant may come down with Roman fever if he or she is:

1. listening to Catholic radio,
2. reading GK Chesterton,
3. reading the Church Fathers,
4. covertly attending Mass with the hopes that nobody recognizes him,
5. becoming interested in the pro-life movement.

The Roman fever is an odd thing. The soul deeply desires to become Roman Catholic for a season of weeks or months. Then the fever breaks and the longing fades. However, it can never be cured. The fever strikes again. Eventually, the soul finds itself fighting the fever again. “Should I become Catholic?”

Once a person has Roman fever, they usually have at least one of five reasons why they cannotnow enter the Catholic Church. They are, in no particular order:

1. the desire to use Contraception
2. “I need to stay Protestant to minister to those around me.”
3. “The Church is full if scandal. I read online the other day that…”
4. devotion to Mary is too high.
5. My spouse won’t let me or cries or fights about it.

Are you a Catholic already? Maybe a convert? Ask yourself, if a non-Catholic asked you to help her through any of these objections, would you be able to answer in a satisfying way or not?

Would you be able to provide the cure to Roman fever? The good Catholic is a like a good doctor. He knows how to diagnose and how to bring relief.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687.

Top 5 Objections to Catholicism (with Thoughts on Roman Fever)

July 24, 2013 — 7 Comments

“What would be the “Top 5″ objections to the Roman Catholic Church that you hear from Protestants?”

My friend Joel asked me this question and it’s a great one.

I have spoken to hundreds of people struggling with “Roman fever.” A Protestant may come down with Roman fever if he or she is:

1. listening to Catholic radio,
2. reading GK Chesterton,
3. reading the Church Fathers,
4. covertly attending Mass with the hopes that nobody recognizes him,
5. becoming interested in the pro-life movement.

The Roman fever is an odd thing. The soul deeply desires to become Roman Catholic for a season of weeks or months. Then the fever breaks and the longing fades. However, it can never be cured. The fever strikes again. Eventually, the soul finds itself fighting the fever again. “Should I become Catholic?”

Once a person has Roman fever, they usually have at least one of five reasons why they cannotnow enter the Catholic Church. They are, in no particular order:

1. the desire to use Contraception
2. “I need to stay Protestant to minister to those around me.”
3. “The Church is full if scandal. I read online the other day that…”
4. devotion to Mary is too high.
5. My spouse won’t let me or cries or fights about it.

Are you a Catholic already? Maybe a convert? Ask yourself, if a non-Catholic asked you to help her through any of these objections, would you be able to answer in a satisfying way or not?

Would you be able to provide the cure to Roman fever? The good Catholic is a like a good doctor. He knows how to diagnose and how to bring relief.

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687.

Technology Changes / God Does Not

July 23, 2013 — 5 Comments

We walked into our run down room at Motel 6. The carpet was still wet from being steamed cleaned. The motel room was a time capsule situated off the now neglected Route 66. This little town might have served as the inspiration of “Radiator Springs” in the Pixar animated movie Cars.

As we walked into our motel room, my five year old son exclaims, “Dad, look at that weird TV. It’s inside a box!”

The other children laughed at this oddity. I laughed, too. My son, born in 2008, had never seen a cube chaped tube TV “in a box.”

Rather, the little boy has only ever seen what we call the “flat screen TV.” He is the first generation to grow up in the third millennium. To these children, box televisions are as forgotten as telegraphs and cotton gins. The 1980s are as removed as the 1880s.

In the future when my son is in his 30s, he will enter an old run down Motel 6 and his son will shout, “Dad, look at the funny TV, it’s a flat screen!”

Technology is changing. One thing remains the same. Our Faith. There are no technological advances. The dogma of the Trinity will still be the dogma of the Trinity when flat screens pass away.

Technology turns and changes like a hurricane. God does not. In the eye of the storm, there is peace in Him.

Question: Does the rapid advance of technology scare you? How do we maintain tradition as the world speeds up?

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687.

1987 Constitution Kicks FedEx Out

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Orion | Leave a comment

Perfect timing. Just what we needed for the Constitutional Reform campaign…

The Court of Appeals just recently reiterated its decision uphold the 1987 Constitution to ban FedEx from operating in the Philippines because its operations were deemed to be  “detrimental to the interest of local competitors and of the Philippine economy as a whole.” The CA based its decision on Article XII Section 11 of the Constitution, which provides that “operation of a public utility shall be granted to Filipino citizens or to corporations or associations organized under the laws of the Philippines.”

Painful as it is for so many Filipinos (particularly those in the nursing profession who are looking to apply for nursing positions in the USA as FedEx is the only accredited courier for the US nursing sector’s document handling) who rely on FedEx to send or receive important documents or parcels abroad, the Court of Appeals has  proven to be a perfect tool in proving just how flawed the 1987 Constitution is and just what role the Constitution’s anti-FDI restrictions play in actively discouraging MNCs and Foreign Direct Investors from coming into the country or kicking them out.

For a long time, a lot of not-so-informed people used to defend the anti-FDI restrictions in the Constitution by saying that “the Constitutional restrictions against foreign investors aren’t the main reason why MNCs and Foreign Direct Investments”, saying that “Red Tape and Corruption are the key reason for why MNCs choose not to come to the Philippines.” Well, unfortunately for these people, there are obvious examples of countries who are considered to be worse on the red-tape and the Corruption Perceptions Index ranking than the Philippines who are actually doing way better as far as attracting Foreign Direct Investments are concerned.

Thanks to the anti-FDI restrictions in the Constitution, MNCs are few and FDI inflows are the lowest in the Philippines

Take Indonesia and Vietnam, for instance. Both those countries continue to beat the Philippines in terms of bringing FDI in, but a simple look into the Corruption Perceptions Index ranking for the year 2012 will reveal that the Philippines is considered to be “cleaner” or “less corrupt” than both Indonesia and Vietnam who are both considered to have worse corruption perception indices. Obviously, the argument that Corruption keeps MNCs away doesn’t hold water: Indonesia and Vietnam outperform the Philippines in FDI inflows by such high multiples that it is obvious that something else is making them more attractive to FDI: their Constitution’s and laws’ openness to foreign investors.

The 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International shows that the Philippines is seen to be less corrupt than both Indonesia & Vietnam

This recent bit of news is just what we Constitutional Reform advocates needed to prove the DIRECT effect that the 1987 Constitution’s anti-FDI provisions have on Multinational Companies in the Philippines.

Because honestly, it’s not just that FedEx is being kicked out of the Philippines. FedEx is an extremely well-known company all around the world whose recent “expulsion” from the Philippines by the Court of Appeals will reverberate around the world scare away all other would-be MNCs and would-be foreign investors from ever considering the Philippines as a viable investment location.

If you think about it, most of the Constitution’s anti-FDI provision’s effects in discouraging MNCs tend to be indirect. Aside from the “Red Tape” and “Corruption” bogeyman excuses many point to as the causes for low FDIs, the other cause often mentioned is the high cost of electricity in the Philippines. Well, how did cost of electricity get that high anyway? Simple: Low power generating capacity caused by the dearth of investments in the power generation sector. Had the Philippines been more open to foreign direct investment in such public utilities, then we wouldn’t have to deal with such high costs in the first place.

Just the same, the FedEx case is a perfect example of the 1987 Constitution’s anti-FDI restrictions having a direct effect on discouraging multinational corporations from coming into the Philippines or kicking existing ones out.

FedEx is a company that thousands of other companies, local and foreign, rely on. With the 1987 Constitution’s anti-FDI restrictions, FedEx is clearly not going to be the only foreign-owned courier service to get kicked out from the Philippines. UPS and DHL are probably in the pipeline. Other MNCs who hear about this case - and this case is clearly going to be very well known around the world - are going to take note of how the Court of Appeals interpreted the Constitution’s anti-FDI restrictions. It’s just a matter of time before these MNCs currently in the Philippines all decide to leave while they can, while those merely thinking of investing in the Philippines may just decide to avoid the Philippines altogether.

Let’s not forget what happens when an MNC closes shop or is forced out of a country: lots of people lose jobs. With a high profile company like FedEx getting kicked out of the Philippines, a lot of other MNCs might just follow suit. What’ll happen to their employees?

It’s quite ironic that the news of FedEx’s expulsion from the Philippines by the Court of Appeals had to happen on the day of Noynoy Aquino’s disappointing State of the Nation Address. Perhaps it’s about time Noynoy decided to study the issue of Constitutional Reform in greater detail, if he truly wants to leave a positive legacy for his name over in the history books.

And by the way, Abi Valte and Edwin Lacierda, please take note… If you two “spokespersons” do not want to be exposed as being ignorant about economics, it’s high time the both of you refrained from saying anything against the need for Constitutional Reform and go tell your boss Noynoy to start reading up on it so he can learn to do the right thing. Wagging the dog and fooling the Public with window dressing and SONA videos just ain’t gonna cut it.

CoRRECT™ the Constitution!

When in Cebu City, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs. Avail of the opportunity to own a condominium unit in Cebu City at the low amount of only P9,333.33 and House and Lot @ P 7,306.81/month only. Hurry while supply of units still last. Just call the Tel. Nos. shown herein: (053)555-84-64/09155734856/09173373687.