Cebu City Public Library: Reborn

After more than two years of hullabaloo following the announcement of its closure in late 2008, Cebu City's Rizal Memorial Library and Museum is finally back. And with a vengeance.

Its 72-year old building which is a neoclassical architectural standout by itself has undergone a multi-million peso facelift and now houses 3 major learning spaces to serve the public -- the city public library on the ground floor, the city museum on the second, and a venue for cultural and historical functions on the third called Sinulog hall.

Now that's what we call investing for the future.

Barili in my mind

A fish wardens' shelter 'watches over' a child at play as she picks pebbles on the rocky beach of Sitio Cabacungan, Barangay Japitan in the town of Barili, Cebu.

The place is home to the brave men and women of the San Rafael-Cabacungan Fishermen Association (SANRACA), and the Kapunungan sa Nagpakabanang Kababayen-an (KASANAG-KA) - two organizations that are among those in the forefront of various coastal and marine resource management initiatives and advocacies, locally and at the national level.

I used to live and work here as a development worker in the mid-1990s. I took the photo above during my recent visit to the place, my first after some 16 years.