When the first mangrove seedling was planted to reforest a decimated mangrove forest in the bosom of Dasol Bay last Tuesday, residents heaved a collective sigh of relief.
            “We have not given up on our dream that the mangrove forest will still be back to its original state. This is the answer to our prayer,” Rafael Baraan, a resident of this town, said.
            It was Baraan and the late Ramon Lizeralde who fought tooth and nail to stop the cutting down of the virgin mangrove forest which started in 1988. The forest, which was the source of fish, crustaceans and all kinds of fingerlings by the residents, was turned into private fishponds by the town mayor at that time. Read more

Just like jueteng which has allotted certain percentage for government and police officials, the proposed Small Town Lottery has also an allotment for the officials, Archbishop Oscar Cruz said, quoting sources from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
 He said under the proposed scheme, the mayors will get 10 percent, the police, five percent; the governors, five percent; and the congressmen; 2.5 percent.
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Nicole, 2 and Sharea, 9; are under the care of their grandparents. Both their parents work in that pilgrimage country as caregivers and their jobs are too demanding for them to bring their daughters there.
 Niño and his wife wanted to have their daughter with them, but they had no choice but to leave them behind. At the time of the Inquirer visit, the two were being cared for by their paternal grandparents Placido Frianela, 57; and Esperanza, 62. Sometimes the two girls stay with their maternal grandparents in another town.

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