May 1, Labor Day

No matter how long the street march will be and no matter how loud the speakers will sound, there won't be any wage increase announcement today, May 1, Labor Day. That was what government spokesmen announced as thousands of laborers troop to the streets today for the annual Labor Day rally.

First of all, the wage board tasked to determine the supervening events that will lead to a wage increase has not come up with a decision on whether or not there is really a need to increase the salaries even if it is clear that our minimum wage earners are struggling to provide for their families what with the series of fuel price hike and the increasing prices of basic goods.

Tostado Festival of Santander, Cebu

I love travelling especially in the countryside to escape the daily grind of the city life. So when the Provincial Government of Cebu invited me to witness the Tostados Festival in the town of Santander, I immediately nodded without hesitation.

Santander is located on the southern most tip of Cebu. It's a quiet, laidback town blessed with several natural wonders, white-sandy shores, and warm, hospitable people. The town is a three-hour ride from the City but then I always love long road trips because I get to see the beauty of nature along the road - rice fields, old houses, century-old Acacia trees, and the greeneries in general.

Tostado is a local delicacy in the town. It's a home-baked cookie with delicious taste and the procedures and secret ingredients in making a really delicious tostado have been handed down from generations to generations.

Another round of tuition increase

At least 10 universities in the Visayas have filed a petition for an average of 10 percent tuition increase for SY 2011-2012. An official of the Commission on Higher Education (ChEd) said they cannot stop any university from implementing an increase in tuition for as long as the said university has complied with all the requirements set forth by ChEd.

Clearly, this is another burden on the parts of parents who are shedding blood, sweat, and tears just to send their children to school in the hope of giving them a brighter future in a country that has a dusty scene as a future. By next school year, more students will be forced to stop their education because their parents can no longer afford the rise in tuition.

Cebu's sand, sea, and sun

It's summer officially, despite the torrential rains and reports about landslides and floods in other areas around the country. And when we mention summer, images of white sand beaches will surely conjure in the mind - the sands of Boracay, the waters off Dakak, the beaches of Cebu, and a lot more. The Philippines, being a tropical nation, offers more than just a plate of fun things to do, see, and experience this summer season.

And yes, I am still bias for Cebu when we start talking about beaches. And I don't mean just the beach resorts you will find in Mactan. Recently, I was able to tour around the entire province and witnessed the naturally beautiful white sand beaches that surround the entire island. Yes, these are beaches untainted by commercialism and are open for the public to enjoy.