Don't try to make sense of the beloved Christmas story - believe!

MANILA, December 24, 2004 (STAR) BY THE WAY By Max V. Soliven - Don't
analyze or try to make sense of the beloved Christmas story - believe!

Last Wednesday we observed two sad funerals - that of Ronnie Allan Poe,
FPJ, a true national idol, and the other of KC, the teenage daughter of
Joe and Gina de Venecia, so tragically snatched away by a terrible fire
which gutted their home.

More than a million, perhaps even two, turned out to bid FPJ a tearful
farewell. Thanks to his family, from Conrad Poe to Yvette, and the
others, and most of all to his widow Susan who made certain - despite the
efforts of many to take advantage of the situation - that the funeral was
kept free of agitator-inspired anger and violence. The serious "trouble"
and even "People Power" rioting so hysterically predicted by some media
didn't materialize.

Of course, many of the mourners were chanting anti-GMA slogans, etc. But
the entire procession, from start to finish, was peaceful - a man whose
life and movies inspired two generations, fittingly and honorably laid to
rest. Ronnie was a gentleman in every way - not even fomenting violence
when he earnestly believed he had been cheated.

KC's funeral services in the Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park was
jampacked with prayerful mourners, too. Not on a grand scale, since her
ashes were, in the end, borne by her grieving father and mother to a
nearby crypt. It wasn't some "social event", so I don't feel a who's-who
recitation of the names of those who attended is necessary. But there was
a universal outpouring of affection, particularly towards KC's bereaved
parents, who bravely have endured the pain. In the crowded church, I was
sandwiched between Ilocos Norte's Roquito "Alikabok" Ablan and Makati
Rep. and TODAY publisher-owner, Teddy Locsin, just to demonstrate that
sinners like myself can get along very well with . . . I won't exaggerate
by sayings, saints.

* * *

I notice that TIME Magazine, in its December 27, 2004-January 3, 2005
issue, hot off the press, has declared United States President George W.
Bush Person of the Year. His cover page portrait in that international
newsmagazine was slugged: American Revolutionary.

Of course, Dubya is Man of the Year. Even those who dislike him, even
hate him, and vehemently disagree with his decisions and the Iraq War,
must concede that, right or wrong, he had the courage to make unpopular
decisions. A decisive leader is what every country needs - including our
own.

It sounds like outrageous self-congratulation - okay, it is - but PEOPLE
ASIA Magazine, our monthly magazine (STARGATE is a subsidiary partner of
The STAR) named Bush one of our People of the Year much ahead of TIME.
This was done in our December issue, which was printed in November - and
we held our Awards Night and Anniversary Party honoring Bush, among our
"People of the Year," which included President GMA, last December 13.

Definitely one of our honored People of the Year is Fernando Poe, Jr.,
whom we also chose in November for singular tribute. Our article on him
in the December issue, written by Editor-in-Chief Joanne Rae Ramirez was
entitled: Still DA KING! Yes, Ronnie will always be da King in our hearts
- and the hearts of our people.

And so, once again, a fond farewell.

* * *

The President was right to take over, after months of hesitation, the
NAIA-3 Terminal - and damn the torpedoes. Of course Fraport is
protesting, and PIATCO propaganda machine has gone into high gear to
condemn the move. "It's illegal!" thousands of lawyers are already
shouting. Mrs. President, just do it!

Fraport, as everybody in Germany knows, is already under investigation by
its own government - its records were seized in government raids weeks
ago.

Only by resolutely moving on this matter can the Chief Executive and her
Government get things going - and, in time, earn the money to complete
the stalled project and REPAY all concerned, including the Japanese
contractor. What we've had, all these past months, has been gridlock,
humiliation, and a lot of jerks twisting the law to defy the Government.

Alexander the Great, when faced with the age-old riddle of the simply
drew his sword and cut the knot. (I didn't even see the movie yet, but
sanamagan everybody knows who reads a bit of history that's exactly what
Alexander did. What he did with his love life, and whether he was
poisoned, are other matters which remain in the realm of conjecture.)

GMA cut the PIATCO knot. Now comes the hard part: getting that airport
open and operating. I talked with Executive Secretary Ed Ermita and he
said their estimate is that it would be fully operative within six
months. Just do it.

It's time we got a real airport terminal, not the junk one which is
NAIA-1. Sus, it's a wonder Ninoy Aquino didn't rise from his grave to
demand that his name be stricken off that terminal building. At least,
though, I must report, the toilets in the arrival area at NAIA-1, after
years of delay, have been remodeled and now, state-of-the-art toilets -
from pissoirs to automatic flush, and automatic faucets, and dryers, and
salamabit, even toilet paper! (Will miracles never cease) have been
installed.

This transformation reputedly cost P4.8 million - money well-sent, if you
ask me, to finally prevent every other country from heaping scorn on us,
and foreign tourists and disappointed would-be investors being turned off
by their first encounter with our Fourth World country where one couldn't
even take a decent pee upon arrival from a long flight. (If I remarked
that we're beginning to look like an African country, the Africans I'm
sure would be insulted).

Believe me, you can tell a great deal about a nation by its airport
toilets.

For instance, China spent billions of dollars fixing up the airport
toilets in its main cities, from Beijing to Shanghai to Xian, before it
became an international tourist power. I used to fly around China in the
old days - the mid-1960s. The airplanes were junk Ilyushins and Tupolevs
without seat-belts, and the airports had stinking toilets. You could even
see through holes in walls of the woman's toilets without even trying to
peek, to great mutual embarrassment. Now look at them in the People's
Republic, at least in the "tourist belt". Spanking clean, sweet-smelling
- and completely streamlined. Our NAIA? The Terminal toilets were hardly
beyond the primitive Antipolo system - at least until a couple of weeks
ago. Now, by golly, at very long last: a decent toilet!

I learned this not from press release but from first-person inspection. I
went to NAIA-1 last Wednesday night to meet my wife, who was arriving
from a speaking engagement in Hanoi (Vietnam), via Lufthansa on
connection from Bangkok. To my amazement, before the aircraft landed, the
chief inspector on duty led me to the toilet - cheerfully remarking that
it's only for visitors and tourist, "we airport personnel aren't allowed
to use it!"

Lo and behold - a gleaming, modern toilet - but a small one. We're light
years away from Hongkong, Singapore, Pudong-Shanghai, even Kuala Lumpur!
However, hopefully, it's a start.

* * *

I won't try to be profound. Nobody, with today's last-minute, desperate
Christmas rush in full frenzy today, probably has time or interest in
reading a column. But this I've got to say. I find, once more, that every
year, newsmagazines and journals like TIME and NEWSWEEK, even STERN
(Star) and Der Spiegel (The Mirror) of Germany, feel obliged to put a
Madonna Nativity scene on the cover (see the December 20 issues) and
dissect, criticize, analyze, even attempt to debunk the Evangelists,
traditional lure, and in toto, the Christmas story.

This year, TIME's cover talked about "Secrets of the Nativity" and "Why
the story of Jesus' birth inspires so much scholarly interest - and
faith."

In the case of NEWSWEEK, it was even in an even more debunking mood. The
cover story was entitled, "The Birth of JESUS," subtitled, "Faith and
History: How the Story of Christmas came to be."

Okay, both made fascinating reading - and we can only applaud the
scholarship applied to ancient issue.

Yet, why not just believe? The old Christmas story is good enough for you
and me. Jesus born in a manger, the Herald Angels singing, Joseph and
Mary all aglow in a stable - the Magi coming with the gifts of love and
devotion. The Christmas star, up in the sky.

God bless you this Christmas! God bless our discouraged and grieving
nation and uplift our hearts to treasure the things that count. God be
with our families as they gather in prayer. Jesus redeem this Christian
land - He came to save us. That's all we know, and that's all we need to
know.

Merry Christmas! Maligayang Pasko! Feliz Navidad! and as we say in the
heartfelt language of my childhood: Naimbag na Pascuayo!

Look upwards, this dark night - and you'll see that star!

From: lquesada@newsflash.org