Father Eduardo Hontiveros, S.J.(20 December 1923 – 15 January 2008)

I met him only once. Born in Molo, Iloilo a Jesuit whose simplicity will make you feel that you need nothing but faith. His passion will put ashame all persons who dont' have one. His courage will extinguish the fear in you. His love for music will make you sing and even will make you cry.
He is Father Eduardo Hontiveros, SJ the father of Philippines Liturgical Music.
In the past 25 years, millions of people all over the country sing his hundred hymns including " Papuri sa Diyos"; "Magnificat", "Maria"; "Luwalhati"; "Kordero ng Diyos"; "Bukang Liwayway"; "Pananagutan".
He is an inspiration to generation of composers. His songs of praise, thanksgiving, petitions, contritions and love for the Almighty enriched the rituals of the Holy Mass.
Fr. Hontiveros passed away last January 15, 2008 and buried yesterday at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches.
Good bye Fr. Hontiveros and for sure Heaven is waiting for you with thousands of angels singing your hymns!

My 2008 predictions

There are a lot of predictions flying in the air since January 1. I will leave the prediction who will die or who will get pregnant this year to Madam Auring.Let me predict simple things that will affect us in the year of the rat:
1. There will be recession in America and the economy of the Philippines will be
affected. The Americans will tighten their belts and will hold on their purse in anticipation of freeze on salary or layoffs.The subprime and property mess causing default of loans will aggravate the recession. This means they will consume
less and import less from other countries including the Philippines.
2. The stock market will not have a stellar performance like 2007. Though this will be an opportunity to buy mutual fund with a cheap NAV or a stock with a cheap price.
3. There will be more Filipinos who will be OFW because of lack of job in the
country.This will mean more dysfunctional families.
4. The cost of electricity,water, LPG and other utilities will continue to rise.Thereby penalizing millions of poor families.
5. There will be a lot of middle class that will slide to lower class this year.
This will propel them to take action hopefully a productive one and non-violent.
6. The cost of sending somebody to college will continue to rise because private
colleges and universities also need to survive. They have no other way but to increase their fees. The parents will be left with only one option: sending them to state colleges.
7. State colleges will also increase their fees because of less subsidies from the
government.They will accept more students looking less on their qualifications in order to get funds to pay their teachers.
8. The church will scrutinize itself if they meet the needs of the masses. They
already know that they are ineffective in providing solution to the poverty that engulfs the masses.They have the will to help but lacks cohesive action.
9. The President knows that she got only 3 years to leave a legacy. This year she
will do everything to make the economy resilient completely disregarding the corruption ghosts that haunts her administration.With the military on her back, she will survive this year.
10. It is up to each Filipino family to survive 2008. This year, they will do everything to feed their children legit or non legit. They are given a free will and many will stick to their values while others will throw away their towels seeing no hope.
These are predictions hence two sides of a coin:may or may not happen.