Just when the military had great successes!

For tonight's special presentation on our talkshow on Straight from the Sky, we bring you updates on that new Nursing course called Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), a show that we did last November 28, 2004. It was the first time ever people here heard that there was such a two-year course (it is also called Licensed Vocational Nurse LVN) available in the Philippines. That show with Mr. Gregory Howard, President of the Association of Licensed Practical Nurses in the United States was brought to you by the Philippine Paramedical and Technical School (PPTS) in Gorordo Ave.

For tonight's update, Mr. Gregory Howard of Alabama USA once more came to Cebu to grace our show and provide us with new information about the LPN activity here and in the US. It is sad to note that the Philippine Board of Nursing or the Department of Education (DepEd) despite our serious lack of nurses in this country still hasn't recognized LPN in this country as one of the Nursing courses to take. We have shortages in Nursing simply because 9 out of 10 graduates in Nursing schools always look for jobs outside the Philippines.

No doubt, this is a very interesting show tonight with Mr. Gregory Howard, Mr. Art Lacuesta of PPST Davao and Jake Marques PPST Cebu. So watch them tonight on SkyCable's channel 15 at 8:00pm.

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We were elated that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had a string of successes in the Mindanao campaign against Muslim extremists ranging from the killing of Abu Sayyaf's Khadaffy Janjalani, (who made his name internationally famous with the kidnapping of Martin and Gracia Burnham in a Palawan Resort in year 2000) then the wounding of the Bali bomber Jainal Antel Sali Jr. a.k.a. Abu Solaiman and the killing last week of Jamal Khalifa, the brother-in-law of that infamous international terrorist and the world's most wanted man Osama bin Laden.

But now we got the worrisome news that Philippine Marine Maj. Gen. Mohammad Benjamin Dolorfino and Undersecretary Ramon Santos of the Office of the Adviser on the Peace Process were "kidnapped" by the Muslim National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Habier Malik and Khalid Ajibun in Panamo, Sulu. In a radio interview a couple of days ago, Gen. Dolorfino says that they were "guests" of the MNLF. So, if they are guests, how come they haven't gone home yet? Methinks this is a kidnapping!

This incident (hopefully by press time, this incident would not escalate into a bigger conflagration) should be a reminder to all AFP Flag officers of the late Brig. Gen. Eduardo Batalla who was taken hostage and killed by that rogue cop Rizal Alih way back in Jan.5,1989. Perhaps a bigger question should be asked whether those who are holding the General and the Undersecretary hostage were under the orders of Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) former Governor Nur Misuari who is under detention due to corruption. Someone really has to get into the bottom of this.

Meanwhile, it is best for the AFP to be on the ready just in case something goes terribly wrong that it would take years to find the culprits like what happened to Rizal Alih. Let's be ready for a worst-case scenario.

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The Blackbox:

It was a Rotary Sunday for me yesterday, playing a round of golf at the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club with the members of the Yotsukaido Rotary Club District 2790 in Chiba, Japan hosted by its sister clubs in the Philippines, the Rotary Club of Cebu (Mother) and the Rotary Club of Cebu South. After a great golf tournament, won by Cebuano crocodiles Loloy Sabuga and Junki Torres, we went off to the mansion of Rotarian Rene Kintanar, which just near Alta Vista to see the view and a cup of coffee.

We met with Yotsukaido Pres. Kinuyo Ooga, Asst. Governor Hiroshi Narushima who is also the President of the Japanese Racing Club; Past President Sadao "Big Bear" Ookuma of the World Committee Services, Past Presidents Katsumi Hara and Masanao Sato. It was indeed a great pleasure to meet our Japanese friends, as we had a good interpreter through Mr. Ion Nomura of the Rotary South who talked with us about Japanese history. His wife was one of the people behind the film, "The Last Samurai."

One of Yotsukaido's Rotarians is Mr. Shigeru Furukawa whose father Mr. Hideshi Ohki died in Montalban in 1946 when the Second World War was just over. I told them that my grandfather Capt. Valeriano Segura (I'm named after him) died during the Battle of Bataan. There we were two Rotarians who lost a father and a grandfather respectively in that cruel war. But yesterday, we were shaking hands and drinking as friends. Indeed, there is something about Rotary International and its sisterhood ties that makes good friends out of former foes that makes for a better sharing and service International community.

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