The headlines lately were nothing but all about the raging war in Basilan and Sulu. For some, it’s no longer new. It’s a cycle of violence. Soldiers die, residents flee and generals would say “we are winning the war.” Crap. Both sides are losers.

I’ve covered the war in the past. I understand… some may survive and some may not gonna make it out alive from the combat zone. Last Saturday, I got a text from my sister that one of her friends was among of the five junior officers killed in the clash with the bandits in Basilan. I didn’t mind it at first. Until I learned that 15 Marines were killed in the early morning battle. One of them is our relative — Pfc. Renaldo Pedroso. Five of them were young lieutenants–graduates of the Philippine Military Academy ages from 22-24 years old. Too young. There were 10 others who were also wounded in the clash. Continue Reading »

Finally, after months of weaving , Kidapawan City’s official website is now up and running. The domain, however, is still temporary because the city government have yet to secure the free .gov.ph. The site will be launched on August 21 as part of the Fruit Festival celebration in the city. Although some sections of the site have yet to be improved, the basic information about Kidapawan City is already available.

The site features a slideshow of different faces of Kidapawan City. It has an online forum and a blog, which is open to all Kidapaweños to contribute blog entries. Interested bloggers may register on the site.