Ambitions

Two public servants -- one on the ascendant, the other under siege. This week we cover both sides of the Pacific with ace journalist Marites Danguilan Vitug reporting on "Jojo Binay's Rough Ride" in Manila and Los Angeles-based feature writer Anthony Maddela writing about Mayor Mark Pulido, the current mayor of Cerritos, California  as the "One to Watch." The mayor claims no higher ambitions at the moment while the vice president is rarin' to go for the highest office in the land. What does the future hold for each of them? Let's keep watching.

As the holiday frenzy and balikbayan season begin in our homeland, it's good to know about serene, calming places tucked in remote corners of the archipelago where one can escape for some R&R. One such place is Bantayan Island in Cebu, and writer Excel Dyquiangco takes us there in "Bantayan Island, The Laid-Back Side of Cebu."

Meanwhile, enjoy reading again Penelope V. Flores' "Andres Bonifacio: The Other National Hero," whose 151st birth anniversary is celebrated nationwide in the Philippines on November 30.

And for our video of the week, Fil-Am sensation Bruno Mars thrills us with his latest, "Uptown Funk!"

My blog this week: The End of Her World.

For our US readers, Happy Thanksgiving!