Bohol Mirror

(Condensed from WORLD GOODWILL NEWSLETTER)

We have a mighty task before us. The earth needs our assistance

The science of ecology, based as it is upon the study of the relation between plants, animals and peoples and their environment, has contributed significantly to this enormous upsurge in environmental awareness. We think of ecology as a relatively new science but, in fact, it draws upon an ancient heritage. Francesco di Castri , the Director of UNESCO’s Division of Ecological Sciences, writes that all ancient civilizations had within them elements of the principles of ecology. He cites examples from the Roman civilization and, he continues “Stretching a point one could even say that, in order to survive harsh climate and hunt reindeer and mammoth, cave-men had to show a more highly developed ecological sense than many modern ecologists. “We have only to listen to the “peoples of the earth,” the American Indians, the Maori and others to know that their cultures were centered affinity with nature. The American Indians, for instance, spoke of the land as sacred. The old tribal way of life is described by Chief Luther Standing Bear as one where “kinship with all creatures of the earth, sky and water was a real and active principle.” The Indian “knew that man’s heart away from nature becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too.”

Our present materialistic civilization has resulted in devastation of the environment. New-found scientific and technological skills have been used to exploit natural resources to the maximum, with almost total disregard for resulting environmental degradation and pollution. The massive rise in human population in this century has also put greatly increased pressure on the environment. The ancient wisdom of living in harmony with the rest of nature has been ignored, only now is it dawning on us at what enormous cost, not only to humanity but to all life on earth.

The science of ecology strongly affirms that the human kingdom is a part of nature. From its narrow focus last century upon descriptive natural history and the study of isolated species in their immediate environment, ecology has evolved into one of the most holistic of modern sciences. Ecology is now concerned with relationships within the biosphere – that thin layer which envelopes the whole planet and on which the living things on earth depend for survival. Humanity is now seen to be an integral part of the biosphere. Indeed the human impact on the environment is so dominant that people’s aspirations, attitudes and values have become factors of central importance to ecologists.

It is when we consider the global scale of humanity’s influence within the biosphere that we can really appreciate the “mighty task” before us. In essence it is to transform humanity’s relationship with the earth from one which is harmful and destructive to one of responsible, benevolent stewardship.

Major changes in thinking about the environment are already taking place. That the precious life support systems of the planet cannot sustain our present level of abuse has been the message of ecologists and conservation groups for the last two decades. Now this understanding is steadily gaining ground in public consciousness. There is deep public anxiety at the dangers of exposure to pollution and toxic waste, and outrage at well publicized problems such as acid rain. Recent opinion pools in Europe and the United States indicate that people are prepared to make material sacrifices where certain environmental protection measures are concerned.

The creation of an informed public opinion is central to the work of the conservation movement, for governments have in the past, shown themselves reluctant to act on even the most urgent ecological problems. Today the pressure of public opinion is beginning to change this situation. Governments throughout the world are beginning to incorporate an ecological perspective in their basic policies and programs. Yet, there is so much still to be done before the right level of international commitment to action is to be achieved. The will to act to save the earth is needed in the individual, in governments and in the international community. For ultimately the collective will to sacrifice short-term material gains for the long-term interest of a healthy environment will only manifest when a sufficient number of men and women of goodwill demand it. It is the minds and hearts of people which must be changed.

Appalling is the environmental crisis may be, we are learning from it. A new spirit of relationship with the earth is emerging in human consciousness. The international organizational ecological movement is today a great network of service embracing official government bodies, local, national and international organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace; political parties such as the “Green parties in Europe. Servers in this field are pioneering a new global ethic – a “reverence for life.” They are helping to heal, to make whole, the earth and the human family. Their vision and their work are leading humanity to accept its responsibility as a center of creative and intelligent goodwill within the planetary life.

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NOTE: Theosophy is the wisdom underlying all religions when they are stripped of accretions and superstitions. It offers a philosophy which renders life intelligible and demonstrates that justice and love guide the cosmos. Its teachings aid the unfoldment of the latent spiritual nature in the human being, without dependence or fear.

The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body whose primary object is Universal Brotherhood based on the realization that life, in all its diverse forms, human and non-human, is indivisibly One.

The Society imposes no belief on its members, who are united by a common search for truth and the desire to learn the meaning and purpose of existence by engaging themselves in study, reflection, purity of life and loving service. For more information please contact 09214764154.

Condensed from THEOSOPHIA RADHA BURNIER

SCIENCE is our greatest ally. This does not become true simply because the recent thoughts of a few scientist seem to be in tune with occult philosophy. Occult science deals with facts, just as ordinary science does. It does not need validity through the corroboration of what society says at the moment; it stands on its own, just as when a scientific pronouncement turns out to be wrong, it is no longer part of scientific knowledge.

A certain number of scientists seem to indicate the truth of such a thing as the existence of akashic records, but occult science by no means becomes an ally of occult philosophy because of this. More important, scientists are unable to see the moral implications of what they have discovered. There are other aspects which science has hardly touched upon and which are at the heart of all spiritual knowledge. Modern scientific thinkers do accept the reality of invisible fields of force, but they are quite unconscious of the extent of those invisible regions.

Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita says that animating the manifested with one fragment of himself, He stands above it all. When so personified, it does not appear very factual, but it may be more of a fact than we realize. Not only may there be a vast unknown or even unknowable region, but according to the Ancient Wisdom, all that is manifest and unmanifest in the whole of cosmos is a living presence.

It is not matter at all; it all throbs with life, because it emanates from a vast sea of consciousness. The word “consciousness” is difficult to describe. It includes profound wisdom and love. Everyone who is able to transcend the limitations of brain and mind has realized that presence. They feel it to be a loving Presence, in fact an extraordinary blessing called Ananda. No difference is then experienced between the individual and essential happiness, although limited, is an experience of the love which is the nature of the universe.

The true purpose of existence has little to do with the material world, although it appears to have everything to do with it. The bee serves a purpose according to our thinking, because it pollinates flowers, and produces a sense of beauty or a fruit, but this usefulness has little to do with a purpose connected to a whole of the extraordinary cosmic existence, manifesting itself at material levels also. Perhaps it is not trying to do anything. The bird may not be trying to produce a song, but sings because it is a bird. Krishnaji perhaps meant something of this kind when he asked, “What is the purpose of a sunset?” – something into which a purpose cannot be instilled; and we have to admit that the purpose of the sunset is, because it is.

The whole cosmos may have a purpose. A part of it makes us human beings aware – that is sufficient. So purpose may not be inherent in everything where life is, and has nothing to do with the purpose that a human being has in mind. Therefore we could say that the true purpose of anything is, though it has nothing to do with material existence, the deepest core of life itself. We can grasp it when our own mind lets go of the sense of selfhood, which separates it from the rest of existence.

When the sight becomes clear, it sees the Presence in everything, the supreme purpose which is God itself. In the ancient Vedantic philosophy, one of the great sayings is “You are that” (tat tvam asi) and the disciple has to go on meditating on this. When we think we have a purpose, we feel our life must have a certain quality. This is the kind of nonsense that goes on in the mind. But if we understand the basic truth of that statement, then there is no part of the whole which does not have the Presence, and then everything changes.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna, who represents the whole, says he is this and he is that. He invokes an entity which refers to the whole of the species, the elephant, the horse, the cow and so on. This is not to be taken literally, but in the sense that the Presence is everywhere, in every part of existence. If we like we can say that the Presence is in the archetypical form. Nothing requires any reason for existence except that it is part of the eternal, which is described as glorious, beautiful and mighty.

If only we could see it in all that is about us, we would see it in ourselves. It is the energy which moves all things, what H.P. Blavatsky calls absolute motion. That is perhaps what the ancient Indians believed when they said that everything is Brahman. It is our perception which makes it appear different. If a mother has a baby, she is enamored of it, she does not ask what the purpose of that baby is, or whether it will support her when she grows old. Its loveliness is its own purpose. Similarly we can see what the Mahatmas called “the latent purpose in all individual existences.” To the extent that science can glimpse something of this, it will become one with the religious teachings given to humanity, which is the heritage of human beings.

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NOTE: Theosophy is the wisdom underlying all religions when they are stripped of accretions and superstitions. It offers a philosophy which renders life intelligible and demonstrates that justice and love guide the cosmos. Its teachings aid the unfoldment of the latent spiritual nature in the human being, without dependence or fear.

The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body whose primary object is Universal Brotherhood based on the realization that life, in all its diverse forms, human and non-human, is indivisibly One.

The Society imposes no belief on its members, who are united by a common search for truth and the desire to learn the meaning and purpose of existence by engaging themselves in study, reflection, purity of life and loving service. For more information please contact 09214764154.

Van operators, drivers and hotel-resorts owners have noted a low arrival of tourist here during the long holidays.

As this time of the year, tourists from Taiwan, Korea and Europe were already bustling everywhere in the island and hotels are fully booked.

It is different this year, tourism industry key players said.

Data from the Provincial Tourism Office, however, yielded different figures.
PTO noted a 5.7% in rise of both foreign and local tourist entering the city sea port while a 23% increase was posted on arrivals at the city airport.

Families who have friends and relatives living in other countries have shared the same observation on low arrivals of both local and foreign tourists.
Many of their relatives living abroad did not take vacation this Christmas.

The trend could be indicative of the looming further spill of the financial crush experienced in many countries resulting from the recession the United States is experiencing now.

The Tigum Bol-anon sa Tibook Kalibutan (TBTK) is slated to be held July this 2009 and such low arrivals this yuletide season is seriously considered as would be indicator of what to come in this homecoming event held every three years, economic observers said.

Geodetic engineers here revive their call for the scrapping of the city government’s plan to build a road network in uptown Tagbilaran.

The Geodetic Engineers of the Philippines Inc. (GEPI) Bohol Chapter are questioning the wisdom of the city’s Growth Area Road Network as City Hall is seeking its inclusion in the revision of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP).

During a consultation presided by City Administrator Walter Toston last October 23, geodetic engineers headed by Engr. Estanislao Galano expressed their opposition to the inclusion of the road network in the updating of the CLUP.

The road network in the city’s so-called “new growth area” is envisioned to leapfrog urban development northeast of Tagbilaran where a modern cultural center and sports arena will also be built at the center.

As planned by the city government, the road network form radial roads from the center core with five concentric circles around it.

In a letter to Mayor Dan Lim, Galano observed that the road network is “wasteful and whimsical”.

According to Galano, the proposed road network design “completely disregards the drainage pattern”.

The road network layout planning, he added, did not consider the “hydrographic character” of the land area resulting in “blindly delineated roads that crosses sinkholes and ravines or cut through upslopes…”

Galano said the proposed road network would be “problematic and costly”.

In his letter to the mayor, Galano conveyed that the GEPI maintains its position that the road network is “not functional, delays development of the area and would incur substantial losses to the government.”

Galano cautioned the mayor that pursuing the proposed road network causes a “standstill” in projects within the growth area.

“City hall’s strategy seems to be to let other incoming administrations complete the project. But due to unsustainable cost and development difficulties, any future administration will surely backtrack from the project,” he said.

Galano concluded that there are several other infrastructure projects with more pressing priorities and while the city government is “procrastinating the purchase of the road network area and only half-seriously develops it, the cost in terms of delays and lost opportunities is tremendous.”

[N.B. Please don't put a byline. I hate to see my name in print. Thanks.]

Not all prayers can do good to government, and that the longer or later they are said can be detrimental to efficient public service.

Longer or late prayer, at least in some capitol offices, has affected government works, according to a memorandum signed by Provincial Administrator Tomas Abapo, Jr. in the name of Gov. Erico Aumentado.

“It has been observed that some offices hold their regular early morning prayers in longer time or start it in late time to the extent that it hampers the day’s office activities or work and, in certain cases, delays our services to our early clients in office,” the memorandum said.

Daily morning prayers have been encouraged in provincial government offices “for spiritual enrichment.”

The soul-saving exercise conforms to the provincial government’s “moral recovery” thrust.

But it was made clear in the memorandum that prayers “should be done at an early time, say 7:50 am. If it is started at 8:00 am, the same should be said in few minutes only.”

Workers in some government offices also regularly meditate by saying the Divine Mercy Prayer every 3:00 in the afternoon, also called the Three O’clock Habit.

The advisory—addressed to all department heads, officers-in-charge, chiefs of devolved hospitals and heads of satellite offices—told capitol people to be guided.

After all, “God understands us even if our prayers are short or brief for as long as they are done with all our hearts,” the memorandum said. (Ven rebo Arigo)

The National Youth Commission, in conjunction with the Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC) of the Embassy of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), is inviting applicants for Student Ambassadors and Supervisors to the “10 day all expenses paid visit to Japan Programme” as part of the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Programme on May 12-21, 2009 (First Batch) and May 19-28, 2009 (Second Batch).

According to Boholano Youth Commissioner Benjie Sanchez Oliva, the JENESYS Programme, funded by the Japanese Government and in partnership with the ASEAN Secretariat will send more than 200 Filipino students and youths to Japan to deepen understanding of the different facets of the Japanese society including politics, diplomacy, economics and culture, and to form the basis of future vision and construct firm solidarity among Asian countries which will promote mutual understanding of the future generation of ASEAN and East Asia Summit member countries.

Last year 10 Boholanos of the 200 Filipino youth participated in the unforgettable all expense paid international exchange trip to Japan, Oliva added.

Student participants should be in college and ages between 16-18 years old by April 2009 while supervisors should come from the academe and should be 30 years old or above by April 2009 to qualify to the JENESYS Programme, Oliva explained.

Deadline for submission of application is on December 5, 2008. For further information please visit NYC’s website at www.youth.net.ph and download application forms or call (02) 781-1163.

Excitement now fills all Boholanos’ hearts as preparations shift to high gear for what could likely be the grandest and most attended staging here next year of Tigum Bol-anon sa Tibuok Kalibutan (TBTK), a nostalgic homecoming activity done every three years.

The TBTK is concisely and accurately described as a gathering of Boholanos from around the world.

TBTK Chairperson Betty Veloso-Garcia has met with the officers of major Boholano groups in different countries who also expect a bigger TBTK attendance despite the global financial turmoil.

Garcia has also kept in touch with Gov. Erico Aumentado and other Bohol leaders who have been strongly supporting the TBTK activities.

Two of the many highlights of the TBTK ’09 Bohol will be the participation of Boholanos from European countries and the holding of the 1st Bohol Sandugo International Film Festival, according to Garcia.

The Boholanos in Europe have prepared a grand performance dubbed the DREAMS, the concept yet kept under wraps by its producers.

The US-based Garcia said the searches for the Miss Bohol International, Mrs Bohol International and The Outstanding Boholanos of the World (TOBAW) have started.

The grandest homecoming of the Boholanos will formally open with the exclusive audience of the TBTK heads, officers of the different Boholano groups worldwide and Bohol officials with Her Excellency, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, at Malacanang on July 14, 2009.

In the order of schedules from July 17 to 31, the major TBTK’09Bohol activities include the International Cock Derby, Mrs. Bohol International Coronation and Ball, Spiritual Enrichment, Sandugo Streetdancing Festival, TBTK Meeting, Youth Activities, Medical Mission, Miss Bohol International Motorcade and Competition, Reunion of Schools, Bohol Day Celebration, Tours, TBTK Gala DREAMS, Cultural Show, Tree Planting, TOBAW Awarding, Bohol Family Picnic, Recognition and Induction of TBTK Officers, and First Bohol Sandugo International Film Festival.

The Boholanos will also celebrate during the TBTK the 25th Anniversary of the Ordination of Fr. Fernando Po of the St. Joseph Cathedral.

Bishop Leonardo Medroso will lead the TBTK concelebrated mass at the St. Joseph Cathedral. The TBTK’09Bohol overall coordinator is US-based Liklik Schroeder while the coordinators who are also based abroad are Cora Simsiman and Eve Calceta for the USA, Lilian Ulgaran for Hawaii, Lilia Añana Magtoto for Canada, Rolf and Rosemarie Bruening for Europe, Elias Bonete for the Middle East and United Arab Emirates, Berly Morales for Indonesia, Joshua Balaba for Australia, Gigi Lim for New Zealand, and Flor Virtudazo and Luz Bucio for Hong Kong.

Other coordinators are Betty Balatero, Rose Soy, Pureza Veloso-Chatto and City Councilor Anne Mariquit Oppus for the Philippines, Dr. Anita Jackson and Gift of Life President/Chief Executive Officer Francisca Baluyot for the medical mission, Sammy Cal for the schools, Bobong Olario for the international cock derby, Deputy Mayor Mario Uy for the Sandugo Streetdancing Festival, Sanggunaing Kabataan-Bohol President Jane Censoria Cajes and John Torralba for the youths, Ivy Pacaldo for the Miss Bohol International, Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Noris Oculam, Director Maryo de los Reyes and Cesar Montano for the filmfest, and First Consolidated Bank’s Nene Baseleres, Ted Apalisok and Narding Mag-aso for TOBAW.

The provincial government is the sponsor of the TBTK Recognition Night and Induction of Officers while Rep. Edgar Chatto is tasked to arrange the TBTK audience with Pres. Arroyo. The TBTK Board of Trustees is composed of Garcia, Argeo Melissimo, Beatriz Balatero, lawyer Antonino Jumawid and Monsignor Cirilo Darunday, Jr.

Garcia has also kept links with the Bohol Association of Metro Manila, Inc. (BAMMI) thru president Genaro Lapez and chairman Bernie Calibo.

Updates on the TBTK’09Bohol are posted at www.tbtk.org. (Ven rebo Arigo )

The Association of Writers and Radio Announcers Foundation, Inc. (AWRAFI) is now accepting nominations for its year-end awards of excellence.

The awards will be composed of AWRAFI 9th Search for Writer of the Year, Contributor of the Year, Radio Announcer of the Year and Radio Reporter of the Year.

In a letter sent to media outfits. Atty. Raul Barbarona, Chairman, Committee on Awards, is urging publishers and radio station managers to submit their nominations ten (10) days after receipt of the letter. STANDARD received the invitation yesterday, Nov. 22, 2008.

Official categories include Writer of the Year: (a) Editorial Writing; (b) Column Writing; (c) News Writing and (d) Feature Writing. For Contributor of the Year: (a) Feature Writing; and (b) News Writing.

The Committee on Awards had provided the Rules for the search as reference.

AWRAFI has consistently rendered a yearly recognition to Boholanos who excel in their respective fields in the print, literary and broadcast industry.

He is just 28 years old, single and silent volunteer with a good heart for helping people in need here in Bohol.

He is Fabio Ontong the son of Bohol provincial assistant treasurer Primitiva Jamodiong Ontong and his father Fabio Sr. is working in National Food Authority of Bohol.

Fabio is Chairman of an outreach program that has founded AHAPI, Allied Health Assistance Program, Incorporated.

The program is designed to help out those seniors who are 60 and above and also open to other ages that fall under the poverty bracket and can not afford to pay their own medical and medicine needs.

Ontong admits that even though they accept persons of all ages for their services but still allow the seniors who are 60 years of age and above an over-all priority to be attended to first as most are depending on pension checks that are giving low financial support in an present world when the cost of living is on the demand.

Ontong took up his studies at the University of San Jose-Recoletos with a major in Political science and a minor in Philosophy.

His goal in helping the elderly indignant persons who are qualified include being able to avail of free medical consultations and free medicines either over the counter or prescription drugs which are being dispersed by an in clinic licensed pharmacist.

Ontong said also that the medicines at present are subject depending on availability.

Allied Health Assistance Program Incorporated “AHAPI” is made up of members who are natives of Bohol.

Ontong says that the organization is working at present to negotiate help with medical health practitioners and encourage them to become sponsors of the organization so that they could offer discounts to their professional services.

The organization started back on August 28th, 2008 and one of its benefactors is Congressman Adam Jala. Along with the professional help of the Bohol Government Ontong said another big supporter for the group is coming from House Speaker of the House Prospero Nograles.

The amount being sponsored by these individuals is kept disclosed from public.

AHAPI also trains out of school youth in reflexology so they can get certified and be able to work and earn money.
The medicines being used by the programs clients are of high quality and are also top branded according to Ontong, and that it is inline with the cheaper medicine laws.

Chairman Ontong before he came to set a good example as a good Bohol citizen by volunteering his time to those in need Worked with Mactan Channel Council that focused on waste management, which includes over looking shipping, factories and other companies that could be capable of potential damage to the Mactan Channel.

He came back to Bohol in year 2007.

The AHAPI is an ideal way for a legating the life for the poor and will serve as a big relief for them.

The organizers of AHAPI joined to together their ideals to help serve the Boholanos better. Ontong welcomes people to the organizations clinic located at 24 East Vissara St. fronting BQ Glass master.

The clinic offers a choice of Medical Doctors or an Alternative Medicine Doctor.

A news item of the Bohol Chronicle last Sunday that also appeared simultaneously in Sunday Post, painted a bad picture of the Bohol Standard simply because the meat of the story was taken out of Mayor Dan Lim’s tirade aired over the radio. The story was not fair. It only presented one side of the issue. We were not given a chance to defend ourselves. If the Chronicle and the Post were indeed fair, it could have clarified from us whether or not the mayor’s rant had any grain of truth.

For the convenience of our readers, we are quoting here parts of the news item:
“In his weekly radio program “Ang Mayor sa Dakbayan” yesterday, the mayor singled out the Bohol Standard, a four-year old weekly that has not complied to this day its business and mayor’s permit requirements to operate as a legitimate enterprise. A pending ownership issue of the publication being litigated in court triggered the non-issuance of a business and city mayor’s permit.

“The two-hour radio program discussed at length the operations of local newspapers in this city. It was in the same program that Mayor Lim discussed that only the three newspapers - Bohol Chronicle, Bohol Sunday Post and Bohol Times are accredited by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1079 by the court to participate in competitive biddings and raffles of judicial notices including municipal ordinances.

“Among the requirements for bidding participants in LGU transactions are mayor’s and business permits and DTI clearance. Incidentally, the Bohol Standard has none of the above.”

In short, the story claimed that the Bohol Standard doesn’t have a mayor’s business permit and DTI clearance, thus an illegitimate establishment. The failure of the story is that we were not asked why the paper doesn’t have those documents.

Our explanation came through a letter sent to Honorable Glicerio Peligrino of LGU Guindulman who is the chairman of the bids and awards committee, and we quote:
“If the Bohol Standard has no separate Mayors’ Permit it is only because it has fearlessly stood up and crossed the Mayors’ path on several public issues and has thus gained the Mayors’ wrath, for which reason renewal of its permit, despite compliance with all requirements, has been made pending (not denied). It is however of public knowledge that many businesses in Tagbilaran City are presently operating without permits/renewed permits for the very same reasons. We even dare the three (3) other publications, who are considered Goliaths in media, to fearlessly stand up the way we did, and see if they will not suffer our fate.”

That explains all misconceptions of our paper. We are law-abiding citizens and we had long complied with all requirements necessary for the issuance of a mayor’s business permit. But the mayor’s personal anger appears to be the rule of law. And the public is fully aware of this fact. In truth, you don’t need to explain a lot.

In addition, the Bohol Standard has a valid and existing Management Contract with Aries Printing Services, Inc, which has a valid and existing Mayor’s Permit, and therefore its operation is legitimate.

The Bohol Standard, in plain and simple language, is just a victim of political abuse, and we are paying that price for the sake of truth and the spirit of democracy.

To set the facts straight and for the benefit of those sounding lawyerly but fell short of understanding the very gist of a law, Sunday Post publisher Boy Guingguing erroneously cited the 1977 Presidential Decree No. 1079, in saying that said law make his paper and the two others the only qualified outfits to print municipal ordinances.

Sadly, he should have studied more to be worthy to call himself an editor and publisher. PD 1079 applies only to publication of judicial notices and not for municipal ordinances which is covered by another law, R.A. 7160, the New Local Gov’t Code of 1991 and further modified by RA 9184 otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act of 2003.

Using such old law (issued on January 28, 1977) is simply aimed to misled municipal mayors. The title-caption of the decree itself, “Regulating publication of judicial notices, advertisement for public bidding, notices of auction sales and other similar notices” is self-explanatory and has nothing to do with publication of ordinances which become only mandatory upon the enactment of the 1991 New Local Gov’t Code (R.A. 7160).

And for these papers to question the legitimacy of the STANDARD, this paper has been in operation for four (4) years and done business with LGUs and the Commission on Audit has never questioned any of the LGUs transactions with us.

Mayors of today are not as timid as they think. Whatever fear or doubt that the “Goliaths” in media have succeeded in instilling in them, I am confident that these new breed of leaders “have the courage to stand up” against any media outfit who abuse their power to promote their selfish whims.

I am with them in effecting change in media that is supposed to be the Fourth Estate and the last bastion of the oppressed and downtrodden.

There is limit to everything and the end-time for them has come.

The time is NOW! #