Amid the glaring news of violence, social disorder and political squabbles, the Christian community in the country celebrates this week the National Bible Day, to focus attention on the Word of God and how it has touched lives not only in the country but also all over the world.

The Bible, with its Good News, has been a source of inspiration, guidance and insights for those who have taken God's Word by heart and has made it the constant basis of their day to day living.

The occasion this week also encourages people to search knowledge and wisdom in their lives by reading the Bible more and for readers to share with others the delight of learning from it from day to day.

This issue of StarLife features two sports groups – the volleyball association and the local wushu organization which are in the forefront of promoting sports disciplines which are relatively new in this part of the country. These sports disciplines are the recreational park volleyball and the relaxing tai chi and wushu.

Major activities – the Park Volleyball Festival and the Sunday tai chi sessions as well as demonstration activities in the forthcoming Bacalaodiat – are the focus of the drumbeating activities of the two associations.

Preparations are underway by seminarians who will mount the stage as actors in the national Universities Theater Festival in Zamboanga City next month. The Philosophy students of Sacred Heart Seminary has been chosen by the National Commission for Culture and the arts to represent Visayas in the national festival.

The seminarians will present the story of two priests working in rural areas in the heart of the martial law period in the country as inspired by three books written by the late Fr. Niall O'Brien, a Columban missiorary from Ireland and one of the celebrated figures in Negros Nine case in the 1980s.

On our back-cover feature, we take you to a secluded resort in nearby Guimaras. Baras is an ideal hideaway for those who want to have relief from their busy and stressful urban life and hie off a relaxing rustic setting not too far from the city .