For an hour last night, I switched lights off as well as some appliances at home as part of my pledge to be part of the Earth Hour celebration. While I and the hundreds of thousands of others who globally participated in the one-hour activity know that our individual efforts  not mean so much,  we realize however, how each personal effort, when taken collectively, can contribute  something in the campaign to help save the Earth from the damaging effects of climate change brought about by the human abuse of the environment.

This week, about 500 Rotarians belonging to district 3850 – composed of Western Visayas and Western Mindanao -  will gather in Bacolod for their  District Conference which will be attended by Taipei-based Rotarian, Jackson Hseih, R.I- director-elect, who will come as representative of Rotary International President Wilfrid Wilkinson. We trust that the Rotarians and their families will, in the spirit of the conference theme, rediscover not only the strength and pillars of their organization but also the assets and attractions of the host city, Bacolod.

Our Oriental-based columnists focus on two timely issues – one on an international concern, the other about a top female police officer. Cecil Genove writes about the selection of Police Chief Inspector Rosalinda Abellon as one of the country’s Outstanding Policewomen of the Philippines. Ian Casocot, this time, focuses his literary energies on the brewing tension for freedom in Tibet as China starts its weeks and days’ countdown for Olympics 2008.

With the graduation season here, StarLife includes thoughts of some members of Class 2008 – their after-school year-plans and also their decisions for the higher level in their pursuit of education.

And we take you to southern Negros in our back-page feature to the town of Ilog, which annually pays tribute to the main source of  livelihood of the people, fish, crabs and other sea products – in our ‘Kisi-kisi’ Festival.

March is stepping out this week and we welcome April with the hope that, pranks will not overtake our prudence, as we look forward to more colorful and exciting days during Panaad,  the biggest festival of the province. Just don’t get fooled especially this week of April!