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In 1973, he was one of 12 Philippine companies authorized by then National Food Authority Administrator Jesus T. Tanchanco to import rice but unfortunately, none of them could come up with the rice supply because of the worldwide rice shortage.

If you recall, during the crisis, government had to mix rice and corn to tide over the people’s shortage until the next harvest season.

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"The first miracle I experienced," he said, "happened during the foot procession at the residence of the late Justice Julio Villamor at Baesa, Quezon City. While we were being served snacks by my late Auntie Maring Villamor, it was as if I heard a voice from heaven whisper to me to inform the crowd in that gathering that I had an authority to import rice but could not find a rice supplier.

* * *

"The following day, a friend of my wife Bootsie, who was present in that gathering went to our apartment and said that he had a rice supplier from Canada.

This started my negotiation with a Catholic Canadian who, luckily, was in the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs when an offer for 100,000 metric ton of rice from China came in via telex. He immediately grabbed the message and sent the offer to me.

* * *

"I urgently offered it to the Philippine government but Administrator Tanchanco was reluctant to sign up with me, doubting my capacity to deliver this huge quantity of rice.

"Moreover, all the reliable rice suppliers in the world like Thailand could not even come up with the rice supply. After more than three months of negotiations, Administrator Tanchan-co, seeing that he had nothing to lose, since all the contracts he signed up with the big rice suppliers had failed, finally signed up with me.

* * *

"The second miracle was that during the three-and-a-half months of negotiations, I had to use my telephone since I had no money to send a cable. I was so bankrupt that I could not even pay the R50 loan from the store next door (former President Marcos closed my rice packaging business together with all the rice packagers during martial law in 1972).

"A week after my contract with the government was signed, the telephone lineman came to my residence to cut off my telephone line because my bill had reached R24,000 or maybe US,000 in today’s money value.

* * *

"He requested me to pay my bill because the phone company would fire him due to his failure to cut off my line. I did, and when I asked him why it took him three-and-a-half months to disconnect my line, he told me that every time he looked for my residence, he could not find it, as if it was non-existent, and it was only that time when he finally found it.

* * *

"I am certain that it was the Blessed Virgin Mary who protected and shielded my apartment from being found by the PLDT lineman until a week after I had signed the contract with the government.

"The third miracle of Mama Mary was when I needed money very badly during my three-and-a-half month negotiation period with the government.

"At that time, I prayed hard and asked Mama Mary to return the R500 (maybe R10,000 or US0 in today’s money value) that I donated to her every time my wife, Bootsie, (my girlfriend then) and I, visited Our Lady of Lourdes at San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

* * *

"After 10 minutes, there was a doorbell at my apartment and lo and behold, a congressman who owed me R2,000 sent me R500 as partial payment. Since then, every time I needed money, he would send R500 (not R1,000 or R300 but exactly R500!)."

Mr. Violago has experienced other miracles in his life which he attributes to the intercession of the Blessed Mother. At any rate, his message is loud and clear: "Praying and putting your full faith and confidence in God through Mama Mary can help bring success, happiness, and peace of mind."

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TODAY’S HUMOR. Architect Cruz was driving down the street in a sweat because he had a very important meeting involving a multi-million project. But he couldn’t find a parking place.

Looking up toward heaven, he said, "Lord, have pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to mass every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up drinking."

Miraculously, a parking place appeared. Architect Cruz looked up again and said, "Never mind, Lord. I found one."

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Homilies’ Worth. One Sunday morning, a parish priest announced to his congregation: "My good people, I have here in my hands three homilies – a R200 homily that lasts five minutes, a R100 homily that lasts 15 minutes, and a R20 homily that lasts a full hour.

"Now, we’ll take the collection and see which one I’ll deliver."

* * *

APPEAL. May I appeal to our readers to help alleviate the sufferings of Mr. Dante CABANSAG, 49, from Calumpit, Bulacan who has Chronic Renal Failure Secondary to Obstructive Uropathy.

* * *

He has been undergoing weekly hemodialysis at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute. The family is very poor and can’t afford the weekly expenses amounting to R7,000.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said: "Whatever you did to the least of My brethren, You did for Me." Dear readers, this is your opportunity to show your love for Christ’s "least brethren."

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Have a heart. You may send financial help payable to me, Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD, and I will forward the amount to the family. My address: Christ the King Seminary, 1101 E. Rodriguez Blvd., Quezon City.

For inquiries, call tel: 726-5002 (04). E-mail: belsvd@skyinet.net