Velez: Full metal rabbit

TODAY'S celebration of the Chinese New Year welcomes the year of the metal rabbit, which begins today February 3 to January 22, 2012.

Editorial: Flood-ready first responders

THE skies remain dark and the weather cold; somewhere out there a river is swelling. How will a community react?

Oledan: Civilian protection

WHEN civilians are caught up in armed conflict and become the casualties in a war not of their own making.

Marfori: True lies

PURSUIT of the truth is life threatening. I missed my column last week in my search of the truth -- on whether white lies or true lies are acceptable as a norm in life vis-a-vis pure lies. Pure lies are those that need to be confessed to a priest if one belongs to the Roman Catholic faith, or directly to God if one is a Christian. I have no idea how our Moslem brothers confess since I haven't had a scholarly study or a cursory encounter regarding their renewal rites.

Editorial: Sustainable tourism, why not?

THE new Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism was established last week in its first annual general meeting in Costa Rica, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced.

Covington: Bombers, rain gauges

THURSDAY, in the wake of the Manila bus bombing, North Cotabato Governor Lala Mendoza called for armed bus marshalls.

Alabado: Downtown night bazaars

RECENTLY, the city experimented on creating night markets. Why night markets?

Editorial: Where unrest comes from

HOW much is P50 million? The soldier who is hoping that the new supplies of combat boots will arrive can never imagine how much that is. Nor would the paramilitary man who is already happy to be allowed to receive a set of official fatigues but who is given nothing else but a very old Garand rifle to stalk communist rebels.

Oledan: High risks

FOR some people, choices and opportunities are simply unavailable.

Mendoza: God knows best

Director's Cut: (This portion features the thoughts of DepED 11 Regional Director Susana Teresa B. Estigoy, CESO IV to all stakeholders and recipients of the efforts to improve the basic education) I do not consider my job as plain work--rather it is my LIFE. "We have to continually examine what succeeds and fails, and why. We have to uphold and live true to our battlecry and slogan of governance: "Education For All (EFA) 2015: Karapatan ng Lahat, Pananagutan ng Lahat"

Cruz-Busto: Copycat

IN MY disgust a few days ago, I vented my ire and posted on my Facebook (FB) wall: "you know you've arrived when people literally copy your business, even those you thought are your friends." Being the most popular social networking site among people today, a number of my FB friends sent their comments, too.

Custodio: Like dripping water

I AM a thinker. I like taking my thoughts apart and picking it further into even smaller pieces. I've always been curious about how the smallest grain of thought contributes to my general ideas and beliefs about everything. It is my way of weighing if my thoughts are really the sum of all its parts.

Sunday Essay: Skateboarders' wish

SKATEBOARDING is a popular sport in the West. It ranks 3rd as the most well-liked game for the teenagers after football and basketball. It even gained its popularity all over the world because of its simple anatomy where it only requires yourself and the skateboard. No wonder why we have several young Dabawenyos in our city hooked at it.

"Anyone could actually try skateboarding," said Troy Bascon, a college student who is inclined in skateboarding. He viewed this sport as an activity where it doesn't discriminate anyone.

Sunday Essays: Plague of a 2-lane road

DAVAO City is a fast growing metropolis in the country. As the largest city in terms of land area, the city has a population of 1,363,330 according to 2007 census. By this, one would expect thousands of cars traveling all around the city and the number of vehicles increases by 20% every year. One of the problems arises from this is traffic.

In Boulevard Trading in Davao City, travelers are always confronted with a heavy traffic. It is only a two-lane road and some vehicles are seen parked on the side street of this very narrow boulevard.

Editorial: Whose job is it, anyway?

THE regional office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LFTRB) in Davao Region has urged the public to avoid riding taxicabs that are still bearing green plates, Sun.Star Davao published in a news article Friday.

Valle: Understanding Sexual Abuse and some reasons why it happen

WHILE this piece might be of help if only for advocates against child abuse in whatever form, some might not fully appreciate the importance of dissecting some of the root causes why child abuse continues to happen in our society, despite rules and laws that impose stiff sanctions against the perpetrators.

Ledesma: The destruction of Davao City roads

DAVAO City officials should be wary about what the Department of Public Works and Highways and the City Engineers Office are doing or not doing. I have this feeling that the engineers who are supposed to take care of our highways and city streets are in a state of lethargy. I am afraid that DPWH and the CEO have slid into a level of incompetence and no longer have the grasp of what quality standard means. We cannot just go on with that "puede na" frame of mind for this leads to the abetment and tolerance of substandard roads, defective infrastructures, abuses and corruption among others.

Covington: And the winner is....

IF THERE were such a thing as an annual award for Davao's most incredibly useless company my vote would go to PLDT and here's the reason why.

Millan: One Small Voice

THE series of gruesome killings landed on the headlines. It turned out that they were not just plain and simple killings but were related to all the high-profile carnappings and carjackings that have recently made headlines too.

Editorial: A tear for a good soul

THERE are events that take awhile before one can put into words, like the murder of Dr. Gerardo "Doc Gerry" Ortega, veterinarian, radio broadcaster, and staunch anti-mining advocate in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Ledesma: Some revelations in Anton's party

IT'S a family affair but shared by his political constituents. Am referring to the 43rd birthday celebration of Anton Floirendo Lagdameo, the Second District Representative of Davao del Norte. Expectedly, nearly all of the members of the Floirendo family were present led by the amiable matriarch Dona Nenita Floirendo.

Velez: 30 days of blight

AS I write this column, the rain is starting to fall again.

Editorial: Ban on plastics and styro

YESTERDAY'S television news carried the ban on plastics and styrofoam food containers in Muntinlupa City, and many viewers were on in saying, why not?

Ledesma: Death wish

LAST Sunday's episode of Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's "Gikan sa Masa" TV program, which has a corny sub-title 'pinobre edition', was in fact some kind of a "thrilla" as the former mayor let's us in to his consuming passion to run after the scums of society. Interviewer Ethel Constantino squirmed at the expletives but she did well in eliciting what dwells in the psyche of Duterte.

Editorial: Rural inequality

A new United Nations interagency report notes the increasing inequality faced by rural women, whether these be in self- or wage-employment. And this is a point that local governments will do well to look into.

Covington: Lighten up!

I'VE been poking my nose in Buhangin's Internet cafés of late (searching for a floppy disc reader) and surprise, surprise, at 9 or 10 in the morning, most of them are packed with minors, school kids in uniform, banging away at computer games.

Oledan: Wishful thinking

WHATEVER happened to the Truth Commission created by President Noynoy Aquino to probe and put closure to unresolved controversial issues of the former Arroyo administration? In his first Executive Order, the commission will summon government officials to testify or disclose allegations of anomalies from 2001 to June 2010.

Editorial: A stronger push, a bit more cooperation

THE World Health Organization (WHO) last Friday called for action to reduce exposure of children to the marketing of food with high contents of fat, sugar or salt, a news article in the UN News Service website reads.

Mendoza: Bring, keep children to school

Director's Cut: (This portion features the thoughts of DepED 11 Regional Director Susana Teresa B. Estigoy, CESO IV to all stakeholders and recipients of the efforts to improve the basic education) I do not consider my job as plain work--rather it is my LIFE. We have to continually examine what succeeds and fails, and why. We have to uphold and live true to our battle cry and slogan of governance: "Education For All (EFA) 2015: Karapatan ng Lahat, Pananagutan ng Lahat."

Estremera: Negativity and miracles

I AM Stella, I am a Facebook addict.... but, wait... there's more!

I admit, I start my day on Facebook and I can't seem to start my day without checking it. But I do go offline to work. It's hard but I'm coping, just like any other addict.