Barrita: ‘Alkanse sa ginansya’

THE cityhood of Naga, Carcar and Bogo in Cebu and 13 others has taken a roller coaster ride, with the Supreme Court’s five decisions, including three reversals.

The latest High Court ruling upheld the 16 cityhood laws.

Aquino: 'The Dual Duo: PhilHealth and Your Employer, Sticking Together'

TODAY, we choose to renew our partnership with all the employers, considering their significant role in our economy and their important task in making our commitment of universal coverage a reality.

Tulabut: All in Gov's Day, Made for Honor

WHERE does she get all her energy from?

Mercado: PMA Grads in Gov't Hold Power Monopoly

OUR political leaders have always identified the Muslim secessionist groups and local communists as the leading threats to national security.

Sison: Juanita L. Nepomuceno: Pampanga's Great Matriarch

WHEN it comes to leadership, does gender matter? Is there a difference between women leaders and men who lead? If so, what are the unique qualities of leadership that most effective women leaders possess, and are they unique to women?

Sula: Singapore - Reinventing Paradise

YOU have to see it for yourself to believe it - the unspoken mantra, the article of faith of travelers and adventurers from the ancient to the modern, from Marco Polo to Boy Santiago.

Pacete: My day with PNoy

SUNNY Friday. The President is coming to Negros! My working day started at 7:30 a.m. when I received a phone call from my chief executive to check Silay red carpet preparation for the President. No problem. The day before, the Tourism Office had already made a proper coordination with our Presidential Management Staff lady friend, Helen.

Legaspi: Pinoy in Negros?

AT LAST PNoy was in Bacolod. Helicopters were roaming around as the chief executive was in the city to meet the city’s rich and famous. The ordinary citizen on the streets no longer cares who arrives in the city for there will surely be development in his life. While the rich and the famous of Negros are meeting with the President to discuss matters concerning the future the business sector in the country.  Our poor brethren in the rice fields and sugarcane fields are still battling with the heat of the sun only to place food on the tables of every household not only in the province but practically all over the world.

Biantan: DJ Mo, Angelica pick wrong fight

LONDON -- I love showbiz next to God, my wife, my son, daughter and football.

Editorial: Pique family, police should be one

THE task force created by the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 to continue investigating the kidnapping and killing of six-year-old Minglanilla pupil Ellah Joy Pique is following the trail of a new set of suspects.

Roperos: Green challenge

THERE was a question posed the other day by the head of a Sun.Star Cebu front page story: “Can Cebu take lead in backing a green economy?” By its tone, the story is openly a challenge to us if we are capable of facing the effects of the nagging problem of climate change, as evidenced by the “rising sea level and flash floods.”

Malilong: Supreme Court’s homespun logic, prose

THE latest of the Supreme Court decisions/resolutions on the case filed by the League of Cities against the 16 new cities makes good reading. The High Tribunal may be criticized for changing its mind on the case ever so often, but it can’t be faulted for shabby research and writing.

The 26-page decision is remarkable for its homespun logic as it is for its prose. Consider these passages:

Seares: Ousting Gutierrez: having the numbers

OMBUDSMAN Merceditas Gutierrez is now in an awkward stance of arguing against politics and the numbers sealing her doom. The same instruments killed the first impeachment against her. Or did she forget?

Nothing’s lamer than complaining that enemies of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will send Gutierrez to the Senate trial. Just as lame was her critics' whining then that Palace allies circled wagons for Gutierrez when GMA was in power.

Niñal: Breast milk is best for fathers, too

I BELONG to the extremely rare type of fathers who get pregnant with their wives. What I mean is that I will be offended if you approach me and say, “When is your wife due?”

If you want to deal with me during these bumpy days of our pre-natal excitement as a couple, the more politically correct thing to say would be, “When are you both due?” Because that would mean it’s me and my wife who are pregnant. Cute? Wait till you finish this article.

Editorial: International Women's Day

TODAY, March 8, is the 100th International Women's Day... It's a special day for women.

Van Vugt: Reflections for the Month of Social Action

THE Catholic Church has declared the month of March as Social Action Month.

Limlingan: Cong Jerry Pelayo

PLANS are made before a supposed happening, event or activity. It's human to have plans for what lies ahead of what we want to happen.

Tantingco: Apl of my eye

WHEN we met to discuss a partnership offer from Ayala Foundation on the apl.de.ap studio and music library project at Holy Angel

Editorial: When environmental protection is measured in boardfeet

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources 11 announced the creation of a regional anti-illegal logging task force following President Benigno C. Aquino III's executive order 23 issued last February 1, which called for a moratorium on cutting and harvesting of timber in natural and residual forests.

Covington: Boo! Hiss!

TOY Story 3 picks up the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.

Ledesma: Castigador calls it quits

I HEARD from unimpeachable source that Anju Nerio Castigador, the Collector of Customs of Davao, had actually sought transfer. I cannot blame the poor guy. He was a subject of a synchronized ouster move and heap of scorn for what he stood for.

Brett: Beauty pageant politics

NO I'M not going to talk about winning a crown or how to be become the ideal ambassadress of good will. Instead, I would like to share my sentiments on some things that happen behind the glam, make-up, flashy dresses and watchamacallits. I won't also pretend to be an expert and insist that my observations apply to all, but these are based on experiences that unfortunately occurred repeatedly.

Cayading: Be your own boss

WORKING in your pajamas, setting your own hours, having good coffee at your desk for a change...there are lots of reasons people dream of leaving the normal workplace and launching out to become their own boss.

Capili: First PRC Licensure Exams

TWENTY days from now, or March 27, 2011, marks the first time that the Licensure Examinations for Real Estate Brokers will be conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) by virtue of the Real Estate Service Act (RESA)-Republic Act 9646.

Bacaoco: ‘Misunderstanding’ caused drop in millgate prices

FEBRUARY 24 Bid Results: Vicmico A = P1,626, B = P1,980.10 & molasses = P7,000; Hawaiian (Ahssi) A = P1,625, B = P2,024 and molasses = P6,850 (Unifed) A = P1,620, B = P2,003 & molasses = P6,855; Lopez A = P1,626, B = P1,970 & molasses = P5,995; Sagay A = P1,626 & B = P1,970; First Farmers A = P1,618, B = P2,025 & molasses = P6,830; Sonedco (Kabilog) A = P1,606, B = P1,970 & molasses = P6,868; La Carlota A = P1,615, B = 1,921 & molasses = P6,930; Biscom-BIPA = P1,605, B = P1,915.84 & molasses = P6,928; URC-Passi B = P1,911.55; Casa B = P1,970

Honeyman: Numbers

LAST October, it became clear that our fledgling ethanol industry could not compete with the well-established ethanol business from Brazil. Despite high transportation costs, it was reported that ethanol from Brazil could be purchased by, for example, Petron for around P32 per liter whereas domestically produced ethanol would be around P40 per liter.

Hence the Ethanol Producers Association of the Philippines (EPAP) sought the imposition of a 20% tariff, thereby giving some, but perhaps not enough, protection to our domestic ethanol industry.

Sánchez: Sauce for the goose and gander

OF COURSE, Flory May Talaban of Bacolod City has been proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt by a competent Thai court of law.

Talaban’s sentenced to life imprisonment and is now jailed at the Ngam Wong Wan Central Women’s Institution in Bangkok, Thailand for possession of illegal drugs.

Editorial: Pres. Noynoy Aquino delivers

THE euphoria over President Noynoy Aquino’s visit to the province is still palpable.

Understandably, the recipients of the benefits and projects handed out by the President are ecstatic. Among them are the agrarian reform beneficiaries who received their CLOA’s, the families which were given their certificates of occupancy for the DSWD-funded housing projects, and the recipients of livelihood assistance as well as Philhealth and Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program (NOCHP) coverages.

Editorial: Not a V-hire problem after all

THE FAILED experiment to change the routes of vehicles-for-hire (V-hire) in Lapu- Lapu City was met with jubilation by commuters, V-hire drivers and operators.

Wenceslao: Manunggal trek month, again

YOU know it’s March because I am writing about Mt. Manunggal. The celebration is no longer just the Manunggal trek that we old-timers used to look forward to. It’s already Balamban town’s annual “Paghandum ni Magsaysay” activity.

Which reminds me of Manunggal old-timer Barok’s “complaint” every time we do the trek: “Nganong dinhi man sad si Ramon namatay, uy.” For the clueless, the plane Mt. Pinatubo crashed into the slopes of Manunggal on March 17, 1957. One of its passengers was then president Ramon Magsaysay.