by Lito Banayo
from MALAYA
The whole world is agog over a new strain of infectious swine flu. It began in Mexico, and has since “infected” the US of A and Canada.
Not to be outdone, our Department of Health has intensified, or so they say, measures to protect the country from possible infection by this scourge. Pingkoy Duque and his bevy of epidemiologists faced the cameras last Monday to allay fears. One of his chorus boys tried to be cute. “Don’t worry. It’s easy”, he said (or words to that effect). Pork …

GLIMPSES
by Jose Ma. Montelibano
 
I had my first draft for today’s article finished three days ago. I wanted to talk about freedom, a state that eludes most Filipinos more than 110 years ago in a sentimental declaration of independence that was immediately aborted before it was understood.
My view is that there is no freedom when most citizens are characterized by a lack of access to patrimony and to opportunity. The patrimony of Filipinos is wealth almost unimaginable in a country determined to be among the richest in bio-diversity. This includes an …

by Alex P. Vidal
 
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — First for Manny Pacquiao: “Don’t stand in front of Ricky Hatton after punching; don‘t drop hands after throwing punches.”
Thus was the warning given by boxing historian and book author Bert Randolf Sugar, who, together with fellow ring expert Steve Small, enumerated the “strengths and weaknesses” of both main protagonists in the 12-round International Boxing Organization (IBO) and Ring Magazine light welterweight championship dubbed “The Battle of East and West” on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, here.
“Anyone who has watched 24/7 …

by Alex P. Vidal
 
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Bernabe Concepcion is the only Filipino boxer who will see action in the undercard of the “The Battle of East and West” featuring International Boxing Organization (IBO) and Ring Magazine junior welterweight titlist Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton versus challenger Manny “The Pacman” Pacquiao for 12 rounds on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, here.
The 21-year-old reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) international featherweight ruler from Virac, Catanduanes, will debut in the lightweight division in an 8-round aperitif against Yogli Herrera (21-8, 15 …

by Artemio A. Dumlao

Itogon, Benguet (April 30, 2009) – Virtually a can of worms opened, millions-worth of  ghost reforestation projects  stinks along the San Roque Multipurpose Dam-associated projects here.
Payment of ghost reforestation projects  and other livelihood program since 2006 had accordingly highlighted the “social engineering” packages of the controversial dam project.
Itogon residents, most of whom in the past had second thoughts of approving the dam because of reported social, cultural, environmental and livelihood effects of the 345 mega watt dam project, claim that their complaints of the ghost projects had …

by Lito Banayo
from MALAYA
In the 56th Berlin International Film Festival, a total of 3,600 shorts films were submitted. The screening jurors, the Berlinale Talent Campus, chose 32 films, and a Filipino-produced, directed, written and filmed six-minuter topped. The title of Ferdinand Dimadura’s opus is “Chicken a la Carte”. Reader Ronald sent it to me.
I will attempt to put in words the story the short film portrays. Read it and weep.
Two young ladies perhaps out for a Halloween “gimik” decide to fill themselves up with fast food first. They see …

Telltale Signs
by Rodel E. Rodis

Nicole (not her real name) is now somewhere in the US on a visa generously provided by the US Embassy, reportedly awaiting the arrival of her US serviceman fiancé to marry her and petition her for a green card. Before she received her US visa, Nicole signed a sworn affidavit on March 12, 2009 prepared by Jose Justiniano, the lawyer of Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, exonerating Smith of having raped her on November 1, 2005 in Olongapo City. After signing the affidavit, Nicole received a check …

by Ben Serrano
 
My paternal grandma, a Boholana by spirit and blood having hailed from Loay, Bohol had typical saying “ija-ija, aho-aho,” literally, this means in English “to each his/her own” in Tagalog they call it “Kanya-kanya.” 
 
This is actually what is happening now in our Philippine society thus it reflect widespread to our political system, ergo, the opposition cannot come up with a single slate thus it will be clear advantage of the administration presidential bet because they have their local political back ups which are al incumbents which means holding …

by Perry Diaz
 
With just a little over a year to the 2010 general elections, the presidential musical chairs game has started in earnest. And there are several games going all at once by groups called “political parties.”
To start with, these political parties are not ideological parties like what you’d see in the United States and other countries. The Philippines’ political parties are just vehicles — like the country’s unique colorful jeepneys — where politicians can take a ride hoping that it would bring them to their destination. However, if the …

AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR
by William M. Esposo
from  Philstar

World renowned success guru Malcolm Gladwell is the author of several bestsellers. Among these bestsellers are The Tipping Point, Blink and Outliers which is the current conversation piece of the corporate world.
Recently, Gladwell was a featured guest on GPS, Fareed Zakaria’s weekly show on CNN. Gladwell underscored during the interview that talent is not the ability you are born with but the ability you develop to want to practice. To illustrate his point, Gladwell, cited the example of the legendary Beatles.
Following is …