Opinion

Two main events happened in Bacolod that keep the smiles coming - the reopening of the iconic Christmas Village by Bamboo Tonogbanua which never ceases to amaze me and the grand opening of the huge and beautiful McDonalds in The Upper East, Megaworld which has since drawn long lines of customers who want to experience this new attraction in our city.It’s actually three if you will count the opening of the Majica exhibit in the art district this coming weekend but that’s another story to tell.Bamboo Tonogbanua (3rd from left) with (l-r) Bing and Chart Motus and Antonio Tejado.Bamboo’s Christmas Village has always been a must-see in our family when everyone comes home for the holidays. Kids and adults alike will marvel at the miniature figures that Bamboo has creatively displayed...

Gratitude is a virtue that comes natural to us, Filipinos. We have been born into a culture that deeply values every gift received which in turn obliges us to return the favor in whatever form. Thus, our word for gratitude is utang na loob, utang kabubot-on, or utang kabalaslan. When practiced properly and sincerely, this virtue can only enrich our heart and deepen our relationships.Unfortunately, however, today’s culture of entitlement greatly challenges this virtue and threatens it towards extinction. Many people, especially the young, think that they deserve everything in life. They make demands and claims that everything is their right. They forget that everything is a gift. That “all is grace.” St. Paul asks his Christians, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you di...

I’ve never been a fan of billiards but because of work, I had to do the rounds in the 1st Mayor Albee Benitez MassKara Billiards Tournament that ran for 5-days at the SM City North Atrium.Every time the legendary world champion, Efren “Bata” Reyes played, the atrium was packed to the hilt. Billiards’ luminaries like Francisco “Django” Bustamente, Jerico Banares, Anton Raga and Dennis Orcullo also have their own followers who watched their games.Boy wonder, 15-year old AJ Manas became the talk of the town after eliminating the legendary Efren “Bata” Reyes in the 64-player knock out round.*Ronnie Baldonado photoBut one by one, the legends fell and the most talked about elimination was that of Reyes who was crushed by a 15-year old boy wonder, AJ Manas, from Antipolo with a score ...

It’s been a busy week in Bacolod with guests already coming in droves to participate and witness the MassKara Festival. After two years of missing out on one of the popular festivals in the country due to the pandemic, organizers are bent on making this as the grandest MassKara ever and they expect at least 200,000 visitors during the highlights of the MassKara which is on October 21-23.For us residents, road closures and rerouting are probably going to give us headaches and cause inconveniences but this festival will spell revenue for the city and the province as well and so, let us put our best foot forward and make our visitors feel welcome with our warm smiles.Charlie Co and Barry Cervantes explain their concept to me of “Soaring High: The Power of Imagination,” an installation...

It was my first time to visit Pangasinan upon the invitation of Governor Ann Lorenzana of Rotary International District 3790 that covers the provinces of Tarlac all the way to Baguio, as one of their speakers in their Public Image Seminar.We left Manila early in the morning and what used to be a 6-hour drive became a breeze through the NLEX. The drive was picturesque and we were hoping to stop in some spots but unfortunately, we lost our way somewhere in Tarlac and barely made it in time for the training which was held at the Sison Auditorium in Lingayen, just adjacent to their impressive government center.I am in my second year as a member of the Rotary Public Image Committee (RPIC) in the Philippines and last year, because of the pandemic, most of my invitations were for virtual ...

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has submitted its proposal for the 2023 General Appropriations Act to Congress, and it outlines thematic priority thrusts for next year's annual budget.Out of its P24.1 billion proposed allocation for 2023, the DENR prioritizes its Enhanced National Greening Program having the highest budget amounting to about P2.49 billion. This proposed budget has been recently posted on the official Twitter account of the DENR. The NGP has been implemented for over a decade and while it has been noted to have successfully reforested certain parts of our denuded timberlands, it received a number of criticisms.Foremost issue raised by some scientists and conservationists is the widespread use of exotic species in reforestation that are not in any...

The announcement that Landers Superstore will open in Megaworld’s The Upper East township Bacolod by the first quarter of next year has created a buzz around town.Not only because we are finally getting our own shopping haven for quality imported goods instead of awaiting for these delivered at our doorsteps from relatives abroad, but also because it overtook the plans of that other membership store that we was rumored for several years to open in our city.Landers will occupy 2.5 hectares of Megaworld’s 34-hectares development site and promises an expansive parking area that can accommodate more than 300 vehicles. That alone is something to look forward too as no other mall here has delivered hassle-free parking to make shopping convenient for their patrons.The superstore will ...

In its recent Facebook post, the USAID Philippines announced the awarding of 13 grants amounting P286 million to civil society organizations in different parts of the country. The awards were made through the Gerry Roxas Foundation, which is the USAID's implementing partner organization for the five-year Investing in Sustainability and Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Project. This assistance aims to promote natural resources conservation and ecosystem and community resilience, including projects on biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection, natural resources management, and local climate actions.The USAID Embassy in the Philippines also posted in its website the 13 civil society organizations that each availed about P16 million funding assis...

After quite a while I'm back with my column, Conservation Matters. This will continue to bring lessons learned, successes, challenges, announcements, and innovative ideas and concepts as I continue my journey in the field of conservation work.After years of working as an independent professional in natural resources management, protected areas, environmental protection, and biodiversity conservation in the country and to some extent in Southeast Asia, I am now working as the national coordinator/country programme manager for the Small Grants Programme Operational Phase 7 in the Philippines. The SGP-7 is a funding window of the Global Environment Facility with the United Nations Development Programme and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.This five-year initiative i...

The common theme running through today’s readings is clearly that of humility. Once held in high esteem, the virtue of humility is unfortunately less and less valued by our present secularized society.In today’s highly competitive world that estimates self-assurance and audacity as pre-requisite to getting to the top, humility is considered a weakness and even a liability. Since the advent of Enlightenment, the world has increasingly lost its understanding and appreciation of humility. The Scottish philosopher, David Hume, sees humility not as a virtue, but as a vice because it prevents one from flourishing and accomplishing. And that is how the world thinks today. Ambition is in, modesty is out. How else would you explain the continued adulation and support of the American public for ...