OFFBEAT MAIL

It may not be known as the place where one can find the Fountain of Youth in mythology. But it can surely be dubbed as a tourism paradise and is the biggest and reliable source of sweet water in the Philippines, if not the world over. If you try to look at the map of eastern Visayas in the Philippines, it is likely that you will miss the opportunity to find a group of islands ringed by the provinces of Masbate, Biliran, Samar and Leyte. These islands are identified as Maripipi, Almagro, Santo Nino, Tagapul-an, Capul and other islets. Commonly known as remote places, the natural environment of these islands are well protected and preserved by the local folks, similar to that in the Batanes Islands. And it is no wonder why the island of Maripipi, one of the biggest in the group, and part of the Biliran province, is home to a rich source of sweet water that has existed for many centuries. It is located in barrio Viga, just 15 kilometers away from the town proper. And what is puzzling abou...

If you try to look it up in the map, Dubai, one of the federal emirates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is just a speck on the small desert kingdom developed and once held under the protectorate of Great Britain. Once known as a tiny enclave, whose economic survival depended much on fishing and pearl diving, the City of Dubai now beckons as one of the most ambitious places in the world, with its skylines dotting with mega-modern high rises that serve as visible epitome' of a backward emirate slowly metamorphosed into a veritable hub for international tourism. And one of the futuristic architectural influences that attracts visitors to discover for themselves what Dubai is all about is its exotic-looking Burj Al Arab hotel, which glistens as dusk comes to feed the hungry souls. Not only that, this desert city is slowly gaining the envy of other Middle Eastern cities in so far as comfort and conveniences are concerned. But why come to Dubai in the first place? Well, the answers ar...

Would you believe that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) controls the world's economy? And that nobody, even the technologically advanced nations like the United States, can impose its will on these oil-producing countries. A case in point is Venezuela, an OPEC member and one of the biggest oil producers in South America. In that country, President Hugo Chavez wields power more than any leaders in that region do. On the contrary, what he does to his constituents and the Venezuelan economy are far-reaching and redounds to the benefits of the people in so far as economic benefits and privileges are concerned. Like the rest of the OPEC members, mostly located in the Middle East, Venezuelan consumers are extremely happy as to the way huge profits from oil exports are being distributed to the people themselves. With the price of gasoline so cheap, almost all Venezuelans enjoy the fruits of the natural resource God has endowed to them. And in some ways, Venezuela k...