I had a chance to attend the media forum organized by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in a hotel in Pasay City on the theme, “Opportunities with Guangdong-HK-Macau Greater Bay Area,” and to discuss trade and economic cooperation between China and Philippines.

Speaking before 360 participants, mostly Chinese-Filipinos, China Ambassador Huang Xilian said the Chinese government fully supports the holding of the Manila Forum for China-Philippines Relations and encouraged more people to join the endeavor to promote China-Philippines friendship.

He believes the Manila Forum for China-Philippines Relations will help the two countries strengthen their mutual understanding, boost mutual trust, and overcome their differences. He hopes the two sides will work to constantly develop a friendly bilateral cooperation, accelerate post-pandemic economic recovery, and continuously inject new vitality into Philippines-China friendship.

A Philippines-China friendship would encourage more direct foreign investments in the country as he cited the example of the US$3 billion the Philippines earned from 2018 to 2023.

An audio-visual presentation showed how economic ties with Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong’s Greater Bay Area, a booming industrial tech hub, will boost the Philippine economy in the next few years.

The Manila Forum for China-Philippines Relations is a joint undertaking of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding (APCU) and the Embassy of China in the Philippines that aims to actively continue the efforts of promoting friendship and understanding between the Philippines and China and to enhance people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

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All of us are reminded of our responsibilities as God’s people, as His disciples and followers who have been called to obey the Lord wholeheartedly and to trust in Him with all of our hearts and might.

Each and every one of us as Christians should always remain strong in our faith and our trust in the Lord despite the many challenges, trials, difficulties and even oppressions that we may have to endure in our path and journey forward as faithful followers and disciples of the Lord.

We must not allow ourselves to be easily dissuaded and discouraged by those obstacles that we may encounter or have to endure in our lives as faithful Christians, knowing that the Lord Himself is by our side, present with us all throughout the journey.

In our first reading this Sunday, we read from the Book of Joshua where the Israelites gathered before Joshua, their leader and the successor of Moses, when Joshua was already very old and was about to pass away.

Joshua reminded the people of Israel of their obligation and responsibility to serve the Lord, their Master and King. He told them to remain faithful to the Lord and not to be swayed by the false gods of their ancestors and the people who lived around them, the Canaanites and their idols. Joshua reminded them all that God had made a Covenant with them and their descendants, bringing them all to live in the land which had been granted to them to settle in. The Israelites then responded, proclaiming their faith and loyalty to the Lord.

Unfortunately, after the passing of Joshua, the Israelites quickly went back on their word, not following the Law and commandments of God. They did not remain firmly faithful and committed to what they had pledged before Joshua and God. They quickly turned away from the Lord and embraced the wicked ways of the world, worshipping pagan idols and false gods, building shrines and altars to honor those idols instead of worshipping and obeying their Lord, the One and only True God.