Graduation

About 300 boats of foreign poachers are found daily in Kalayaan Islands Group under the Phl flag in the West Phil Sea. They're being left alone. We already have our hands full with land-based trouble makers, right?

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Some students -- high school and elementary -- are having fun joining protest rallies. Never mind against what or whom the rallies are organized. One rally organizer told an Ear informer: "We always make sure the students are included in the funding for packed lunches."

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One again DepEd authorities assure parents and graduates the department's standing policy against expensive graduation rites. Of course, as always parents who can afford it are not prevented from spending for their graduates' makeover.

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There are schools whose kindergarten graduates are made to wear toga -- robe, caps and all. They look like toy scholars. And they never fail to attract foreign tourists passing by.

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I don't know if it still is the rule, the wearing of the ordinary school uniforms by the high school graduates of at least two local exclusive girl schools--the STC and ICC.

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I used to represent a scholarship foundation in handing out scholarship awards to these schools' honor graduates (scholars) and I was at first amazed at the simplicity of their graduation ceremonies.

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Action movie star Robin Padilla says "It's time for the Phil to embrace a Visayan President." High time indeed. We did have Visayan Presidents before but they were no power-mad politicos.

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There was Don Sergio Osmeña from Cebu who, as incumbent President, didn't even care about campaigning. There was Manuel Roxas from Capiz who didn't make it to the finish line. He died midway of his term. And Carlos P. Garcia from Bohol was they say spent more time on the chessboard than on the road campaigning.

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TRIVIA: My unskedded column last Tuesday (Mar 3) was shot through with many grammatical slips. Thanks to two readers (women) who bothered to e-mail me to make the correction, actually proofreader errors. Pero, thanks anyway. You made me feel good.