OFFBEAT MAIL

A hot and sensitive issue to tackle, indeed. This is one reason why other people just don't want to get involved. Or are they pretending to be ignoramus on the subject matter that is causing so much stir the world over. In the first place, why bother at all to get involved on such a hot topic? We should be aware that racial discrimination is so flagrant, especially in Europe, where the royal families have took roots for centuries before its influence on the political system has ebbed out after many decades of existence. Exactly, nobody knows who was behind the propagation of this ungodly practice, which all the more tends to take sides on those who have excellent physical and mental attributes. Is racial discrimination meant for those who are ugly, and those who are handsome since birth, or whose birthrights have descended from the royal bloods in Europe or any countries in the West for that matter, have carved spots in heaven? While those who are not, are surely doomed to hell? So...

Have you ever wondered why so many people are attracted to the cities? Not strange at all. It could be that some of them just wanted to feel how it's like to be in the cities, with all those amenities and conveniences all around. Unlike in the rural areas, life is drab and laid back. But why trade simple living or fresh foods to eat and air to breath for chaotic and polluted atmosphere in most cities? As people are pulled to the cities, space gets constricted thus leaving the cities more densely populated. With the cities already bursting at the seams, more people are added thereby straining the delivery of quality basic services intended for those who need them most. As the city population grows, accommodation for housing facilities become problematic. Without a place to stay, rural migrants are forced to squat in slum areas, particularly along the creek or river banks that are not fit for humans. And what do you expect when squatter colonies take shape in these areas? With no ame...

Time and again, it is frustrating to hear that some unscrupulous people were reaping huge profits at the expense of innocent women, whose only intention was to land a job for them to improve their lives and that of their families. Instead, they ended up as prostitutes in some brothels in some parts of Asia, which is against their will. How do these unscrupulous people perpetrate their modus operandi? First, they pick a newspaper where they would advertise their phony vacancies abroad. When the applicants start coming in, they would screen each and then required to submit some more papers for the processing of their visas. After the selection process, each successful applicant is asked to cough up money as placement fees, and those who do not have cash are forced to pawn their properties or make some loans from friends and relatives just to come up with the agency's placement fees. The Philippines, along with the rest of Asian countries, has not been spared of this problem. Most oft...