The Environment Month celebration may be over but it doesn't mean efforts to promote public awareness have ceased with the month just past and we'll do the tasks next year when the world celebrates the environment season again. The cause of the environment is never trite nor passé. Convinced that the efforts to protect and conserve Nature is a year-round commitment, we are focusing on two concerns in this issue: the coming of the Electronic Jeepney, which is designed to help curb climate change problems through the use of renewable and non-polluting energy, and the operations of a center for the conservation of wildlife, especially the endangered species.

A new curator takes over the job starting this week at the conservation center, which has at least 15 wildlife species nurtured, protected and bred. The new curator, like his predecessor, is committed to efforts to make Negrenses aware that their island is blessed with interesting species of flora and fauna that makes biodiversity conservation an urgent task.

The environment and its cleanup are also the concerns of David Albert Lacson, the new mayor of E.B. Magalona. The new mayor, a scion of the prominent Lacson family, has verbalized the dream of making his town more progressive through infrastructure development, among others, as he counts on public cooperation and support.

We join Filipinos in the United States in reminiscing their festive Fourth of July celebration and giving us a first-hand look is a Bacoleña, Nelia Dingcong-Bernabe, now a resident of Chicago, Illinois. Nelia's column, Flipside, debuts in this issue. The column focuses on Filipino-anchored perspectives of life in America, particularly those of Ilonggos and Negrenses who have transplanted themselves to another way of life. Welcome home to journalism, Nelia. The columnist was a television news anchor in Bacolod and earned her masters in Broadcast Journalism degree from Northwestern University, one of the top communications schools in the United States.

On the lighter side, we look back at the month just past, not only for environment-related reasons but also because it was the wedding season and, on our back cover, we feature a bridal highlight, complete with groom- escorts, in a wedding fashion show. Have a relaxing Sunday.