President Aquino signs K-12 Act into law

 

President Benigno S. Aquino III signed into law the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2012 or the K to 12 Basic Education Program in ceremonies held in Malacanang on Wednesday.

The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School and two years of Senior High School) to provide sufficient time for students mastery of concept and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment and entrepreneurship.

In his speech, the President said it was the duty of the State to provide for the needs and ensure fair and equal opportunities for all Filipinos, especially the poor and thus the implementation of this education program will strengthen the basic education requirements of students which in turn, will bring them closer to the fulfillment of their dreams and ambitions.

“Nagtitipon po tayo ngayon upang saksihan ang isa na namang makasaysayang araw sa ating bansa—ang paglagda natin sa batas na magsisilbing pundasyon para sa mas maaliwalas na bukas ng bawat kabataang Pilipino: ang Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 o mas kilala bilang ang K to 12 Act,” the President said.

“Dahil na rin sa tiwala ng sambayanan, matagumpay nating nakamit ang adhikaing magkaroon ng isang sistemang pang-edukasyon na tunay na pumapanday sa kakayahan ng ating mga kabataan, at naglalapit sa kanila tungo sa katuparan ng kanilang mga pangarap,” he added.

“Malinaw ang batayang prinsipyo ng batas na ito: karapatan ng bawat Pilipinong mamuhay nang marangal; tungkulin naman ng estadong siguruhing may patas na oportunidad ang ating mamamayan, lalo na ang pinakamahihirap nating kababayan. At isang matatag na haligi ng kanilang pag-ahon ang pagkakaroon ng mataas na antas ng edukasyon. Sa pagsasabatas ng K to 12, hindi lang tayo nagdaragdag ng dalawang taon para sa higit pang pagsasanay ng ating mga mag-aaral; tinitiyak din nating talagang nabibigyang-lakas ang susunod na henerasyon na makiambag sa pagpapalago ng ating ekonomiya at lipunan,” the President said.

Witnessing the President’s signing were major proponents, authors and co-authors of the bill from the Senate and House of Representatives led by Senators Franklin Drilon, Edgardo Angara, Ralph Recto, Speaker of the House Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and Representatives Neptali Gonzales II, Sandy Ocampo and Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.

President Aquino says government remains focused in providing quality education for Filipino students

 

The government’s quest to provide quality education for all Filipino students remains a top priority as it continues to introduce reforms and programs designed to uplift and improve the delivery of knowledge and learning of schools, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Wednesday.

Speaking to authors, co-authors, development partners, the steering committee and technical working group, teachers and students after signing into law Republic Act No. 10533 otherwise known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act or the K to 12 Basic Education Program in Malacanang, the President said that since he assumed Office in 2010, his Administration has been working towards creating quality education for Filipino students.

He said by steadily increasing the budget for education and by fully supporting scholarship programs such as the Training for Work Scholarship Program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority as well as implementing the Public Higher Education Roadmap of the Commission on Higher Education, teachers, students and schools are now better-equipped to impart and receive lessons.

“Totoo po na hindi nalilihis ang tutok natin sa pagsusulong ng dekalidad na edukasyon. Mula nang tayo’y manungkulan, taon-taon nating inaangat ang budget ng basic education. Sa katunayan mula sa mahigit 161 billion pesos na budget noong 2010, naitaas na natin ito sa mahigit 232 billion pesos ngayong 2013,” the President said.

“Sa Technical Education naman, nariyan ang Industry Based Training for Work Scholarship Program ng TESDA, na may higit sa 150,900 scholars nang hinasa at natulungan sa pamumuno ni Joel Villanueva,” he added.

“Samantala, para sa ating mga state universities and colleges, umaarangkada na ang Public Higher Education Roadmap ng CHED na ang isa sa mga layunin ay paunlarin ang mga pasilidad panturo ng ating mga State Universities and Colleges,” the President said.

HE pointed out that under the helm of Education Secretary Armin Luistro, the textbook and table and chair gap has been already addressed while the classroom shortage of 66,800 will be fully complied with by the end of 2013.

“Walang duda: ang K to 12 Act ay bunga ng ating patuloy na pagsisikap na itulak ang makabuluhan at positibong reporma hindi lang sa sistemang pang-edukasyon sa ating bansa, kundi maging sa lahat ng sektor ng ating lipunan. Ito’y tagumpay na sumasalamin sa ating nagkakaisang hangarin na mamuhunan sa pinakamahalaga nating yaman—ang mamamayang Pilipino. Patunay ito sa isang panata: na walang maiiwan sa pagtahak natin sa landas tungo sa kaginhawaan,” the President said.

“Sa ating mabuting pamamahala, abot-kamay na po ng bawat Juan at Juana de la Cruz ang mga pangarap na dati’y ‘di man lang natin matanaw. Patuloy po tayong humakbang sa iisang direksyon at sama-sama nating iangat ang ating minamahal na bayan. Sa paglalatag natin ng tamang balangkas para sa ating sistemang pang-edukasyon, nilalatag din po natin ang saligan para sa isang Pilipinas na maunlad, mapayapa, at bukal ng pagkakataon para sa bawat Pilipino,” he concluded.

DOE gives tips on conserving energy

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- The Department of Energy (DOE) conducted an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Seminar last May 6.

The seminar aimed to provide information on household energy saving concepts and tips.

Senior Science Research Specialist of DOE-Manila Norita Froilan shared some household energy saving concepts and tips in order to extend supply of fossil fuels; save the environment; contribute to a sustainable future; boost limited government resources; and save money.

For electrical appliances like washing machine, refrigerator and air conditioner, energy can be saved by choosing the right size of the unit needed, limiting the use of the appliance or equipment and only to use when in need. Also, plug out the appliance when not in use.

Froilan said, consumers must prepare every ingredient needed for continuous cooking. Heat must be in low-fire after the food boils. Pans and cook wares should also match with the size of the heating plate.

Consumers should find time soaking the clothes overnight to lessen the electrical use of washing machine. Drying the clothes under the sun can also lessen the use of dryer machines.

Ironing uses so much energy, therefore, consumers must select appropriate heat level for the clothes and avoid doing other things. Setting schedule for cloth ironing can save both time and energy for the consumers.

In addition, consumers can actually skip ironing of clothes and save both time and money by using fabric conditioners and by using a hanger upon drying them.

Illuminating the corner of the house that only needs light, replacing incandescent bulb with a Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL), cleaning the tubes of the lamp regularly and using natural lighting when feasible can also help save energy.

Froilan also said that consumers must set timer for air conditioners to make sure it will not be left turned on while in sleep and avoid electric fan oscillation because the pressure consumes more energy.

Froilan left the participants with basic parameters in electricity conservation such as reducing the number of units being used, making use of low rating smaller unit appliance or equipment and finding alternative way of doing things. (Jennica Rojas/RTP/PIA10/ALC)

DSWD warns against 'Noy-Noy Aquino Foundation' text scam

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, May 10 -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development on May 6 warned the public against a new wave of scam text messages claiming they have won hundreds of thousands of pesos from the "President Noy-Noy Aquino Foundation."

"We have already issued earlier warnings before but there are really people out to mislead so let us all be vigilant," said DSWD secretary Corazon Soliman.

The Department said it learned of the scam after many callers informed its Pantawid Pamilya National Program Monitoring Office (NPMO).

It said the text message claims the recipient won P950,000 from the "President Noy-Noy Aquino Foundation 4Ps Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program."

Recipient were then asked to text their "complete name, age, address, work.”

"The DSWD emphasizes that this is not true because the Department does not hold raffle promos or draws," the DSWD said.

It urged recipients to report the text to the nearest DSWD office or text to the Pantawid Pamilya Grievance Text Hotline 0918-912-2813. (RTP/PIA10)

Supplementary Feeding Program continuously implemented in Region 10

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 10 (DSWD FO-10) continuously implements the second cycle of the supplementary feeding that started on October 2012 and has been on-going even during summer vacation to complete the 120 days feeding program.

Out of the 108,306 day care children beneficiaries, 14.4% were malnourished upon the start of the feeding program. It is expected that there would be a significant decrease of malnutrition rate among the children after completing 120 days feeding.

A total of 108, 306 children benefited from the feeding program with P 168,957,360.00 funds allocation. This was made possible in partnership with the 93 Local Government Units in Region 10.

After the 1st cycle of implementation, malnutrition rate among the day care children beneficiaries reduced from 18.4% upon the start of the feeding to 7.58 % after the feeding with a total of 10, 361 day care children beneficiaries rehabilitated from malnutrition.

To date, a supplementary feeding program is also ongoing in four barangays in Cagayan de Oro City. A total of 400 beneficiaries ages 2-12 years old malnourished children, identified by partner Legislators are also expected to have improved nutritional status by the end of the feeding program.

The Supplementary Feeding is one of the regular programs of the Agency to reduce malnutrition among day care children.(Rechel Grace Ceniza/RTP/PIA10)

May is Cervical Awareness Month

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, May 8 (PIA) -- The Department of Health, pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), and medical societies, kicked off the Cervical Awareness Month dubbed as “Babae, Mahalaga Ka!” at Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC).

As part of the campaign, 58 DOH retained hospitals nationwide including Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro, will offer free Cervical Cancer screening to women aged 30-49 years old.

“Gagawa po kami ng free screenings to DOH retained hospitals for cervical cancer, kase pagka po earlier natin na detect yung cervical cancer o yung reasons through screenings, na pre-prevent po natin siya through treatment.” (We will conduct free screenings to DOH retained hospitals for cervical cancer, because if we can detect the cervical cancer or the reasons through screenings, we can help prevent it through early treatment.), said Marge Villanueva, MSD.

In Cagayan de Oro, free screenings for cervical cancer are done every second Saturday of the month from 1-5 p.m. at the Northern Mindanao Cancer Detection Center (NMCD), while the weekdays schedule is open in NMMC.

This has been going on for the past three years, for those needing further tests may avail it at NMMC.

Dr. Fe Marissa Mercado, OB-Oncologist and consultant of NMMC said that cervical cancer can be prevented through vaccinations and regular screenings.

To date, vaccinations are available commercially, but screenings through Pap smear or visual inspection using acetic acid (VIA) are always free of charge.

Just this year, PhilHealth also included the treatment for cervical cancer in the Z Benefit Package program.

Some 9,000 school girls aged 13 years old will also receive free quadrivalent HPV vaccinations from MSD. (JCV/Mary Nathalie D. Soldevilla-PIA 10)

Over 2,000 jobseekers join Tesda-DOLE Jobs Bridging

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, May 8 (PIA) -- In line with its commitment to help Tech-Voc graduates find jobs, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Regional Office 10 conducted jobs bridging activity dubbed as “Hanapbuhay Para sa mga Tesda Specialista.”

A total of 107 agencies participated in the job bridging comprising of 89 local and 18 overseas companies. Around 2,184 applicants were registered of which 1,600 were interviewed.

Of the total interviewed applicants, 238 were Hired On The Spot (HOTS) for local employment while 113 were HOTS for overseas employment.

Aside from the jobs bridging, Tesda-10 also conducted Distinctive Area of Competency-based skills demonstration participated by several Technical Vocational Institutions (TVIs) such as the Pilgrim Christian College, Culinary Institute of Cagayan de Oro PW Inc., Professional World Academy Misamis Inc., Iligan Computer Institute – CDO Branch, DATS Actual Technical Training Center, Jamaican F&B Training Center, Inc., Touche’ Technical Institute, Inc. and Misamis Oriental Institute of Science and Technology.

The jobs bridging was conducted side by side with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Northern Mindanao’s Job Fair Activity during the 111th Labor Day celebration last May 1 at SM City Carpark, Upper Carmen, this city.

The Labor Day Job Fair also featured a one-stop shop of employment-based government agencies services to assist applicants in their job-related needs.

The whole day activity was graced by DOLE Assistant Secretary Gloria Abragan Tango who also enjoyed free manicure and pedicure services offered by Tech-Voc schools. (Honey Analou Doña/Tesda-10/APB/PIA-10)

COWD constructs additional wells in Calaanan and Macasandig

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, May 8 (PIA) - As it seeks to address the city’s growing demand for water specially in areas like Calaanan where relocation sites abound, the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) has contracted out drilling of two additional production wells-PW No. 10A in Calaanan and PW No. 30 in Macasandig.

The construction of these facilities brings to 27 the total number of COWD production wells where CDO residents and establishments source their water needs.

COWD also purchases treated water from a bulk supplier to augment its existing supply. Drilling has already started and is to be completed in 90 days.

Completion of these 2 wells is expected to bring an additional supply equivalent to 100 liters per second or about 15% increase in COWD’s production capacity in the West Service Area and another 20% in its Central Service Area.

Even as it continues with its rehabilitation from Sendong with the grants from both the Office of the President and JICA, COWD continues to undertake measures to improve and expand its services consistent with its mission and vision. (COWD/PIA)

PCCI-Mindanao, MinDa conduct policy agenda setting for 22nd MinBizCon

Cagayan de Oro City, May 8 (PIA) – The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)-Mindanao in coordination with the Mindanao Economic Development Authority (MinDA) hosted a consultation on Monday regarding Policy Agenda Setting as preparation for their upcoming 22nd Mindanao Business Conference (MinBizCon) to be held on August in Davao city this year.

This consultation aimed to incorporate ideas and strategies to enhance competitiveness of business sector in Mindanao and ensure that the island is more conducive for businesses.

The event should address immediate and recurring issues of the business sector in Mindanao including proposed actions for the government and the private sector’s commitment to achieve the desired outcome.

John Y. Gaisano, Jr., conference director said to focus on how to increase sales, reduce the cost of doing business and to improve net profit, “We should not only learn competitive business formulation, but we must focus on how to increase our net profit,” he stressed.

“If we improve our profit and we grow our business we can provide more people jobs that would lead to a lively economic growth,” he added.

With the year’s theme “Moving Towards ASEAN Business Integration,” the MinBizCon aims to equip the business community in Mindanao the necessary tools and information in preparing to compete in the ASEAN integration, and to generate concrete policy and steps from the interaction between the business sector and the national government agencies.

The group specified three key processes to be undertaken in going through policy process. It starts with problem identification.

First is the literature review on all the results done in conferences including all relevant issues that are related to the theme, a series of consultation together with the PCCI-Mindanao and MinDa, and prioritization of the policy agenda that were already integrated into consultation.

The second component is the policy research by the aid of academic institutions to conduct a study and research that are needed to solve priority policy issues.

Policy advocacy is where policy agenda shall be classified according to key audience; executive, legislative branch of government, private sector, other groups and the general public.

Lastly is the monitoring and evaluation to track progress of the policy agenda endorsed to agencies and other institutions that shall be reported by concerned government officials during the 22nd MinBizCon.

Gaisano also said that in terms of addressing the problems to the concerned government it is necessary that it should be specific, “we need to prioritize, we need it to be presentable, acceptable and clear in order to be addressed,” he said.

“In business there are many things you should do and many things to address” he added. He said that by consulting the concerns, and following all these processes, it will result to more funds, and it could bring people together and have a better focus.

MinDa takes a big role in order to help the business sector by their research on the possible solutions and helps to address it to the law makers and it will be validated and substantiate that also end up in recommendation and facts, by this collaboration the government will take action, he added. (JMOR/Mark Anthony Dedoyco/PIA10)

Maramag LGU, LPRAT convene for bottom-up budgeting

MARAMAG, Bukidnon, May 8—The Local Poverty Reduction Action Team (LPRAT) and functionaries of Maramag local government unit (LGU) converged for a 2-day Bottom-up Budgeting (BUB) planning workshop held here recently.

Mayor Alicia Paulican-Resus said that by being transparent to the public, this budget approach encourages active participation of citizens to create a more visible, accountable, and responsive government.

“This process assures the public that funds will be spent for programs intended solely to target beneficiaries in order to improve the social and economic well-being of the citizens,” the mayor said.

The government has introduced the bottom-up budgeting system for the 2014 national budget to have closer citizen engagement through civil society organizations (CSOs) and the local communities.

Francisco Y. Cipriano, Jr., Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator, likewise, said the grassroots communities should have a voice in crafting the local budget because prioritizing projects and allocating funds greatly affect people’s lives.

In order to come up with the local priority projects for inclusion in the 2014 national budget, the participants were tasked to present project process, roles and responsibilities, and menu of programs by participating agencies.

They were also tasked to identify projects and to agree on a set of community-determined priority projects such as agriculture and fisheries support, potable water supply, basic education, public healthcare, social welfare and development programs, and national greening program for 2014.

As the workshop ends, they were able to identify 30 priority projects with corresponding ‘simplified summary’ for each project.

Signed by LPRAT chairperson and duly endorsed by the Pantawid Pamilya Parent Leader, Basic Sector Organization, IP Sector Representative, and CSO Member of the Municipal Development Council (MDC), the documents were submitted to the Regional Poverty Reduction Action Team (RPRAT), through DILG-Region 10, for consolidation and evaluation.

LPRAT was created functionally as work force for the formulation and monitoring of the Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan (LPRAP) which contains programs and projects collectively drawn through a participatory process by the LGUs, CSOs and other stakeholders in order to directly address needs of poor communities and marginalized sectors in the municipality.

As identified by BUB, the total project cost allocated for the Municipality of Maramag was pegged at P25,605,000, where 85% or P22 million comes from the national government and the remaining 15% or P3,605,000 will be LGUs counterpart.

These bottoms-up budgeting are in support to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and attain the Philippine Development Plans of poverty reduction and inclusive growth. (Elgie Mary Iman-Aninayon, PDA-MPDO, Maramag LGU/RLRB-PIA10, Bukidnon)