What a GREAT news!!! I guess this may be the banner headline of many newspapers today. It is a great news for the country, for the administration, for the military and most especially for and to the military men who were in the thick of the fight for Robot’s capture.

Whether the capture was a result of an encounter or not, as an ordinary citizen, I think that the timing of the capture is fishy Why only now? Well let me think. Ah, I get it!!! It is almost election time! And most people need “pogi” points to win in the coming election. And what fascinates me is that it is not the soldiers involved in the capture that are given the highlights per se, but the higher ups. And who are they? Your guess is as good as mine. Hehehe.

I am not belittling Fernando Poe Jr., “but the truth is, he is a strong contender for the presidency vs. Pres. Gloria Arroyo, Roco, and Lacson, His heroism portrayals in the movies makes him a myth, a savior to the masa, and I Just hope, if he ever makes it to the highest position of the land, he won’t disappoint them.

This statement is just a presumption on my part, and it may not come out true, but the possibility is there. We are all familiar with comic strips like”Superman” and “Batman” who keep saving people from distress, and this is the way our Mass look up to FPJ. They’re looking for a savior to uplift their lives from the rotten World they live in. My only word of advise to them is to posses the virtue of “patience”. We rarely see this amidst them.

One of the main causes of fishfarmer’s failure in fishpond operation is “eagerness” to have more production.

Because of this human instinct, fishfarmers are tempted to put more stocks of either bangus of prawn fries beyond the capacity of the pond to provide natural food to the fish which results to poor harvest.

Two congressmen proposed yesterday the reopening of the Congressional inquiry into the alleged collusion between the military and the Abu Sayyaf during the 2001 Lamitan siege following the recent capture of Abu Sayyaf leader Ghalib Andang.

According to Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen and Rep. Generoso Pangasinan, Andang would surely know the truth behind the allegation.

Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat yesterday led the oathtaking ceremonies of the newly re-elected officers and board of directors of the City Government Press Corps.

The ceremony was held yesterday at the Mayor’s office right after the election which was also held at City Hall.

Because of finite marine resources and world-wide recognition of the need for sustainable fishing practices, experts forecast that in five years, 50% of fish and fish products will come from aquaculture.

Aquaculture production is growing by an average of 10% annually, from 1.1 million metric tons, valued at P32.1 billion, in 2000 to 1.34 million metric tons valued at P35.4 billion in 2002. Milkfish, tilapia, and shrimps/prawns are among the major products but research and development is being undertaken to expand the varieties capable of meeting global demand.

Where education and training is one of the robust growth factors in the growing demand for aptitude in the society;

A school that is a pretty accurate snapshot of where personal evolutions have taken important in the society people to date;

Don’t mind the above title. It’s not in anyway a campaign slogan of Fernando Poe, Jr. who, by the way, is leading in the latest SWS survey by a whisker over Kabayan Sen. Noli de Castro for the top post of the land. It so happens that starting today, the Blue Eagles from here to Antartica will flock to their nest along La Purisima to celebrate their homecoming and thanksgiving with a torch and lantern parade that kicks off at 5:30 in the afternoon followed by a Woodstock kind-of-thing at the back field where 1,000 cases (that’s translated to 24,000 brown bottrles) of San Miguel Beer have been reserved for the merrymakers. The silver jubilarians come from High School Class ’78 and the golden boys from Class ’53, the year I was born, and so did most of my classmates from H.S. Class ’69 (excuse lang for the number, but we love it).

It was tougher during our time and those of our “forefathers” (hehe) for Latin was a must subject that we had to pass, not to mention Religion, Geometry, Chemistry, Physics and Trigonometry. (We never cheated. We just consulted each other during exams.) Our teachers were merciless. And so were the principal (a priest) and dean of discipline (a civilian). The Fathers, them Jesuits who’d break our neck if our English was crooked (no offense meant to the Pilarists who introduced the Carabao English as a medium of communication), made sure that we were all present and on time for the flag-raising ceremony to sing the National Anthem in English and recite the Oath of Allegiance to our country, or else be punished with a 500-word jog at the dean’s office after dismissal in the afternoon or made to carry a real 12-pound Springfield rifle (without the firing pin) on a Saturday while the beautiful college coeds were having their physical education (in short shorts) at the west field. Maka almaria!

Many provinces and cities throughout what they say a “troubled Mindanao” marked Week of Peace on November 27-Dec.3 with various and diverse activities all intended to foster better relations among different ethnic groups and individuals. The opening coincided with the Islamic celebration of Eidul Ftri or Hariraya Puasa.

In Zamboanga City, where the observance was first started in 1997, various commemorative activities were held under the auspices of Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) headed by its president Fr. Angel Calvo in coordination with the SALAM Peace Foundation and the Bishops-Ulama Forum.

While on one side of its face, the Ateneo de Manila Alumni Association accorded a tumultuous celebration in honor of Congressman Celso Lobregat’s induction into the Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame for athletic heroism of still unknown field of sport.

Speaking of the tourist industry, I can humbly consider Puerto Princesa City as one of the famous tourist destinations in our country today. Tourism is a booming industry in that city because of the political will and strong determination of Mayor Edward Hagedorn and the members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod in making Puerto Princesa City a tourist haven.

We have many potential tourist attractions in Zamboanga City. To develop them all simultaneously will entail a big amount of money. Let us develop them one at a time. Among the potential tourist attractions in this city, I would like our City Government to prioritize Sta Cruz Islands because of their proximity to the city proper.

Filipinos are no strangers to the phenomenon of very strong identification with one’s school varsity team. We need only to look at the rabid excitement generated by a basketball game between Ateneo and La Salle. One is in fact led to wonder how the students of these two schools, chosen from among the brightest in the country, can act as though the future of the universe depends on how the basketball game turns out. Perhaps I have forgotten how it is to be young, because the passion inspired by a game is beyond me.

Having been a student myself, and having spent all of my working life in schools, I am aware that inter-school sports is a phenomenon with its own rituals. As a graduate student at UT in Austin I observed these rituals: the excitement of a date for a football match on campus, the customary corsage of mums given by the boy, the big bonfire before the game against the Aggies, the tower lit up to signal a win ( fully lit for a victory against the Aggies and only half lit if against any other school).

Prominently appearing on the front page of the DZT Dec. 1 issue were two incidents that undoubtedly caught the attention of the readers, aside of course from the other newsworthy reports.

First, the good news. Jolo dentist Dr. Romeo Lao and his 16-year-old nephew Amor Rubio, who were kidnapped in Jolo last September, were rescued by soldiers Sunday dawn in a hinterland village in Parang, Sulu after a firefight with Abu Sayyaf bandits.

It will be recalled that major crimes like kidnapping, robbery hold-up, bombing incidents and other terroristic incidents were minimized in early 1990’s when effective preventive measures with consistency were undertaken including the immediate relief of commanders.

This could be primarily attributed to strict implementation of the punishment and reward system in the AFP and the PNP.

November 30, 2003