WANTING to educate the youth about sex does not make one “anti-God,” said Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, 4th district) in reacting strongly against name-calling by critics of the proposed reproductive health bill.

Salimbangon is one of the 34 signatories of the proposed “Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development.” (more)

By Darwin John Moises and Michelle Mendez-Palmares
Singlestalk

Michelle: For those who have just been hurt or are still hurting over broken vows or broken promises or are learning to cope with the recent heartbreak, now is the time for healing. It’s hard to pick up the pieces and start over. Harder when one hasn’t let go of feelings, emotions, memories, and pains. Once one is back to square one and the slate is again wiped clean, it’s good to start right when one is ready to start over. I read somewhere that the real pleasure is in returning to square one. A new beginning is a welcome gift. We’re all (or claim to be) experts in something. By the time we have survived several decades on this earth, we’ve become full-blown specialists in some walk of life.

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By Crischellyn Abayon
University of the Philippines Cebu College

“I WANT to take up Mass Communications because they say it is masscommpurtable (more comfortable)”.

If this is your reason for taking up Mass Communications, then you had better quit.

Mass Communications, as perceived by many, is one of the easiest college courses. There is nothing left to do but blab around, talk and write. It’s nothing compared to studying the molecular composition of some organisms, the forms of government, the forces of supply and demand or the digital language of computers.

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SIXTEEN-year-old James Hermano does not have a family to return to.

When his mother, Maricel, left for Manila nearly 10 years ago, she brought with her all his seven siblings.

The next time he saw her was last July 1.

Amid a row of bodies at the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes, he found a woman’s corpse wearing a silver necklace engraved: Maricel. (more)

ONCE the Sun smilingly received a challenge from the whirling Wind to see who was the stronger. With undisguised pride, the Wind said, “I will prove to you that I am stronger. See down the road that old man wearing a big coat? I bet you I can take away his coat much quicker than you can.” “Okay,” replied the Sun, as he humbly hid behind some clouds through which he could still see what the Wind would be doing.

The Wind huffed and puffed with all his might thereby raising a great cloud of dust. However, the harder he huffed, the tighter the old man clung to his coat. In the end the Wind gasped for breath and gave the Sun his chance to take off the old man’s coat from his back. (more)