PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday called on the Catholic faithful to “reflect and renew our faith” as the country observed Ash Wednesday, the start of the 40-day Lenten season which coincided with Valentine’s Day.
“In observing Ash Wednesday, let us reflect and renew our faith,” Marcos said on his official Facebook page.
Ash Wednesday is the start of the 40-day Lenten season marked by repentance, fasting, reflection, and celebration. The ashes symbolize the mortality of the faithful.
Marcos attended an early Wednesday Mass in observance of Ash Wednesday and the 100th birthday of former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile, the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel.
Vice President Sara Duterte probably offered the most sensible love advice on Valentine’s Day, saying: “Rice is more important than love.”
Duterte, who was in Malaysia as part of her duty as president of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), posted a video on Tiktok last Tuesday with a caption that read: “Roses are red, violets are nice, but nothing compares to the way you spice up my rice!
“For me, rice is more important than love because if you are in love but you have no money to buy rice, it’s like eating kare-kare without rice),” she said in Bisaya. “Ganyan ang Valentine’s Day–bigas bago pag-ibig (Valentine’s Day is also likle that–rice before love).”
As if speaking from personal experience, she also advised those looking for love to just avoid crushing on someone if they don’t want to “crash and burn.”
“Kaya crush ang tawag sa tao na gusto mo dahil he will crush your heart and break your heart, kaya ‘huwag mo na lang lapitan, Happy Valentine’s sa inyong lahat (That’s why it’s called ‘crush’ because he will crush your heart and break your heart so just avoid it. happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!),” the Vice President, who is married with kids, told reporters in jest during a light moment.
The Bureau of Corrections played Cupid on Valentines Day, allowing 60 female inmates at the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City to visit their loved ones who are incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
With the theme “Kiss Sabay Hug,” the activity, according to BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. is their way of showing to inmates that they are being cared of even if their world is limited to the walls of prison cells.
“In the spirit of Valentines Day, CIW persons deprived of liberty with relatives at the NBP were ferried by buses courtesy of BuCor to celebrate this special day,” Catapang said.
He said the visit of the inmates at the NBP and other operating prison and penal farms are allowed, including conjugal visits by their wives or partners.
Catapang also announced that the agency has initiated the implementation of a “cashless” system for inmates and BuCor personnel to eradicate corruption and other illegal activities linked to cash transactions inside its prison facilities.
The rollout of this initiative commenced at the CIW which celebrated its 93rd founding anniversary yesterday.
Catapang said the system would be expanded to cover the NBP and other prison and penal farms under its supervision.
He said that under the cashless system, inmates would be provided with passbooks for depositing funds, which they can utilize to purchase goods at the Inmate Post Exchange.
“The system is basically designed to eliminate corruption and illegal activities associated with cash transactions within prison facilities. This policy not only restricts prisoners but also prohibits corrections officers from handling cash. Additionally, it aims to instill discipline among BuCor personnel, discouraging them from managing PDL funds,” Catapang said, adding that inmates would be allowed to have access to P2,000 weekly. — With Wendell Vigilia and Ashzel Hachero
