Philippine Education System - Compiled Threads [Archive] - Page 6

kiretoce

January 19th, 2010, 04:16 AM

UP exam results bring joy, anguish to applicants (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/181896/up-exam-results-bring-joy-anguish-to-applicants)

It was a busy day at the Office of Admissions on the corner of Kalaw and Quirino streets in the UP Diliman campus in Quezon City.

The highly-anticipated list of qualified applicants to the premiere state university was due for release “in the third week of January" and many high school students stayed up late checking the official UPCAT (UP College Admission Test) website.

You could taste the tension as people approached the bulletin boards. Armed with lists of names to check and cellphone cameras to document the desired victories, people inevitably bumped one another in their attempt to get close enough to the list of qualifiers, which had not yet been posted online as of Monday morning.

People didn’t seem to mind the lack of personal space, as strangers would look up from the list and smile at each other as if to say, “We’re in the same boat."

Jan Bernadas, an instructor at UP Manila, approached the board nervously. "Sana maganda yung babati sakin [I hope good news will greet me]," he said. Bernadas is indeed well-met and he wastes no time capturing the image – the name of his friend or relative – with his camera.

Eufemio Agbayani of Quezon City Science High School said that preparing for this morning’s periodical exam was pushed to the sidelines as there was only one thing on every senior’s mind: Did I make it?

Only one of six applicants is admitted to UP

Founded in 1908, the University of the Philippines has been the top choice for tertiary education for many Filipinos, across all classes, for financial reasons, among others.

Being accepted into UP is no small feat. From approximately sixty thousand applicants annually, only ten thousand or so qualify, said

The UPCAT is a five-hour examination in English and Filipino with subtests on language proficiency, reading comprehension, mathematics, and science. Applicants who take the UPCAT are ranked based on their admission grades which are the combined weighted scores in the UPCAT subtests and the high school weighted average.

The top-ranking applicants, based on the quota and cut-off grade set by each campus, will qualify. An article aiming to give its readers an edge in taking the UPCAT lists ten lesser-known facts about the UPCAT.

Aspiring Iskos and Iskas undergo an impressive preparation process. Review centers offer packages specifically designed to increase a student’s chances of gaining admission, and many parents gladly pay the fee.

Some schools, like Quezon City Science High School, sponsor review sessions for their students. “Nagpamisa pa nga sila sa araw bago mag UPCAT [Some parents even offered masses the day before the test]," Agbayani told GMANews.TV.

Another reason for choosing UP is loyalty

Maxene Sta. Maria of Assumption College, Antipolo said that had she not seen her name on the list, she would have been the first of her siblings to not be an Iska. Maxene, after embracing her mother in a tight hug, smiled through her tears. Asked if they could be interviewed, the mother-daughter pair agreed. “Yes, okay, pumasa naman siya," she said, beaming at her daughter.

Maxene didn’t qualify for her first choice – Psychology – but will be enrolling in the Family Life and Child Development program. Asked why she was crying although she passed, Maxene laughed and said, “It’s UP!" Maxene’s statement may just sum it up.

Many of the students who were crowding around the list would respond to the question “Is this your first choice?" with a quizzical look and a shrug. “Syempre, UP ito eh [Of course, this is UP]," said one of Agbayani’s classmates, who qualified for admission, but was listed as DPWS, which means he had qualified, but would have to find a degree program with an available slot.

Agbayani did not qualify for his first choice, Business Administration and Accounting, which is a quota course. However, he will pursue a degree in History, still in UP. Asked if he had alternative plans, he said no. “UP or UP ako," said Agbayani.

Asked the same question, Agbayani explained that it was their periodical exam week and were dismissed early.

“Makapasa o hindi, hindi rin talaga makakapagconcentrate sa perio [Whether I get into UP or not, I will still be unable to concentrate for the periodical exams]," said Agbayani. “Kasi kung makapasa, masayang masaya ka, kung hindi, hindi ka makapag-aral sa lungkot ," he explained.

Xientians – what Quezon City Science High School students call themselves – were not the only ones in uniform. Plaid skirts of all shades were visible, as well as khaki and navy blue pants. Two girls in uniform sat a few feet away from the bustling crowd, and looked troubled.

When approached, they were hesitant to talk. “Sila na lang po, nagluluksa pa kami eh [Talk to them instead because we are in mourning]," said one girl. Their names were not on the list.

[b]Parents join the fray

Besides students, parents also made up a big part of the first day crowd. Jibi Delos Angeles, a forty-something UP Psychology graduate himself, sat observing the crowd. “It wasn’t like this when I was here. We’d go straight to AS," he said.

Delos Angeles was there with his wife, and they had just spotted their eldest son’s name on the list. “It’s our wedding anniversary today," he said, smiling from ear to ear. “This is such a nice gift, don’t you think?"

“The best kind of exposure is here. You can find all kinds of people. Academics is such a small part of education. When you graduate, you realize how little you learned inside the classroom," shared Delos Angeles.

But getting a well-rounded education is just only one side of the coin. After all, UP remains among the most affordable universities, even with the recent 300 percent tuition fee increase. Agbayani said that if he had not passed the UPCAT, he would go to the “other UP" – referring to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila – because it is all his family can afford.

In a publicly-posted letter to the Philippine Collegian, Amelia P. Guevara, officer-in-charge of UP and Vice President for Academic Affairs wrote that UP exists to provide the best education possible to the most deserving students, rich or poor. The letter addressed several claims made by the Collegian regarding the declining ratio of public school graduates to private school graduates among UPCAT qualifiers.

Although she admits that public school students allowed to enroll in UP have continued to fall since 2002, this is not due to the tuition fee increase, which was imposed in 2007. The lower passing rate of public school students may be caused by other reasons, such as the deteriorating quality of public school education; a reputation that UP has – fortunately – yet to earn.

tona siye

January 19th, 2010, 10:24 AM

Hmmm if we based on programs being offered, I think the ff. schools are really doing good in their particular field of specialization. (Based on no. of passers category, no. of topnotchers per exam). This is just a personal opinion (which are based on what I've seen and read)

Accounting:
-UST
-PUP
-PLM
-DLSU

Law:
-UP
-Ateneo
-San Beda
-San Sebastian

Engineering:
-UP
-Mapua
-TUP
-PUP
-TIP
-MSU-IIT
-Siliman
-DLSU
-Adamson

Medicine/Nursing:
- UST
- UP Manila
- PLM
- UE (UERMMC)
- MSU
-Adamson

Architecture:
-UP Diliman
-UST
-PUP
-PLM
-Mapua
-FEU
-St. Louis
-Univ. of San Carlos

Education:
-PNU
-UP Diliman
-MSU
-University of San Carlos

Other schools (especially from provinces) are also doing good in recent board exams. Though I have no time to enumerate all of them.

Again, this is just a personal opinion.

Totoo yan! Marami din talagang mga schools na nasa provinces ang mahuhusay batay sa resulta ng mga board exams. Katulad na lamang ng St Mary's University sa Nueva Vizcaya at St. Louis din ng Baguio at marami pang iba. Hindi lang siguro sa board exams ang dapat pamantayan pati na rin sana sa mga alumni ng mga schools. Look at the famous CNN declared hero, hindi naman din kilala pinagtapusan niyang school pero nagawa nila ang konsepto ng kariton classroom.

youdamiren

January 20th, 2010, 01:50 PM

UN: RP trails Tanzania, Zambia in education

By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:48:00 01/20/2010

Filed Under: Education, Poverty, Annual Reports

MANILA, Philippines—The United Nations has warned that the Philippines is in danger of leaving the poor behind when it comes to their education.

Noting an “absence of decisive political leadership,” a major UN report on education on Tuesday said the Philippines was in “real danger” of missing its target of providing universal primary education by 2015.

The 2010 Education For All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report, which was launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at UN headquarters in New York cited the Philippines as a “particularly striking example of under-performance” in educational reforms as its current polices were failing to make a difference in improving the education of the poorest Filipinos.

“Education indicators for the Philippines are below what might be expected for a country of its income level … With an average income four times that of [African countries] Tanzania and Zambia, it has a lower net enrollment ratio,” the report said.

“The unfavorable comparison does not end there. Whereas Tanzania and Zambia have steadily increasing net enrollment ratios, the Philippines has stagnated,” it said.

RP could miss its goal

“Given the country’s starting point in 1999, achieving universal primary education by 2015 should have been a formality. There is now a real danger that, in the absence of decisive political leadership, the country will miss the goal,” the report added.

The Global Monitoring Report (GMR) is produced annually by an independent team of UN experts and is published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The report assesses the global progress towards the six EFA goals to which over 160 countries committed themselves in 2000.

These goals include expanding early childhood care and education, providing free and compulsory primary education for all, providing learning and life skills to young people and adults, increasing adult literacy by 50 percent, achieving gender equality by 2015, and improving the quality of education.

In the portion “The Philippines—leaving the marginalized behind,” the 2010 report said “extreme poverty and regional disparities were at the heart” of the mismatch between the Philippines’ income level and its poor educational outcomes.

It noted that, in 2007, the number of out-of-school youth aged 6 to 11 “broke through” the one-million mark and “there were over 100,000 more children out of school then than in 1999.” It added that around one-quarter of those entering school drop out before Grade 5.

Deeply marginalized

“The net enrollment ratio was 92 percent in 2007, which is comparable with countries at far lower levels of average income, such as Zambia, and below the levels attained by other countries in the (East Asia) region, such as Indonesia,” the GMR said.

“Why have countries that were so close to universal net enrollment at the end of the 1990s failed to go the extra mile? One factor is the difficulty in extending opportunities to certain regions and parts of society,” it added.

The report said that this happened to countries like the Philippines and Turkey that faced “problems of deeply entrenched marginalization.”

“In the Philippines, marginalization is strongly associated with poverty and location, with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and some outlying islands falling far behind,” the GMR said.

Low investment

“It is evident in the cases of the Philippines and Turkey that current policies are not breaking down inherited disadvantage. One contributory factor is the low share of national income invested in education,” it added.

The report noted that the gap separating the poorest 20 percent of Filipinos from the rest of society was “far wider than in most countries in the region.”

“Those aged 17 to 22 in the poorest quintile average about seven years of education—more than four years fewer than in the wealthiest 20 percent. Data on school attendance provide evidence that current policies are not reaching the poorest,” the GMR said.
“Around six percent of 7- to 16-year-olds from the poorest households are reported as not attending school or to have ever attended. Extreme economic inequalities fuel education inequalities, notably by pushing many children out of school and into employment,” it added.

Deep fault lines

The report said regional data also reveal “deep fault lines” in educational opportunities within the country.

“Nationally, about six percent of those aged 17 to 22 have fewer than four years of education. In the best-performing regions—Ilocos and the National Capital Region—the share falls to one percent to two percent. At the other extreme, in the ARMM and Zamboanga Peninsula over 10 percent fall below this threshold,” the GMR said.

“The disparities are driven by a wide array of factors. The impact of high levels of poverty is exacerbated by conflict in Mindanao, and by the remoteness and wider disadvantage experienced by indigenous people in the Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga,” it added.

The sound of howitzers

To give a “human face” to the conflict in Central Mindanao and its ill effects on education in the region, the report included the story of 13-year-old Muhammed, a refugee living in a tent on the grounds of Datu Gumbay Piang Elementary School in Maguindanao.

“Most of the children come to class to escape the dismal living conditions in their tents. But there is no immediate escape from the destruction and violence they have witnessed,” the report said.

“When the children are in class, they are either lethargic or very nervous because [evacuees] often hear howitzers being fired not far from [them],” it added.

Quoting an evacuee who works in the school, the report said: “‘Students are often absent because they spend hours lining up for rations and water at the pump or because they’re sick.”

Shortages

Given these problems, the GMR said Filipino authorities faced “difficult policy choices if the Philippines is to achieve universal primary education by 2015.”

“Far more weight has to be attached to reaching marginalized populations and providing them with good quality education. Social protection and conditional cash transfer programs, such as those in Brazil and Mexico, could play a vital role in combating child labor and extending educational opportunities to the poor,” the GMR said.

The report added that another urgent priority was the use of local language when it comes to teaching in indigenous areas.

“The diversity of the challenges sets limits to what the central government can do. Regional and sub-regional authorities need to develop and implement policies that respond to local needs. However, the central government could do more to create an enabling environment,” the GMR said.

“The education system suffers from chronic shortages of teachers and classrooms, rising class sizes and low levels of learning achievement. Addressing these problems will require an increase in the 2.1 percent share of national income directed towards education in 2005—one of the lowest levels in the world,” it added.

MatudNilaBaby

January 21st, 2010, 10:50 PM

UN: RP trails Tanzania, Zambia in education

By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:48:00 01/20/2010

Filed Under: Education, Poverty, Annual Reports

MANILA, Philippines—The United Nations has warned that the Philippines is in danger of leaving the poor behind when it comes to their education.

Noting an “absence of decisive political leadership,” a major UN report on education on Tuesday said the Philippines was in “real danger” of missing its target of providing universal primary education by 2015.

The 2010 Education For All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report, which was launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at UN headquarters in New York cited the Philippines as a “particularly striking example of under-performance” in educational reforms as its current polices were failing to make a difference in improving the education of the poorest Filipinos.

“Education indicators for the Philippines are below what might be expected for a country of its income level … With an average income four times that of [African countries] Tanzania and Zambia, it has a lower net enrollment ratio,” the report said.

“The unfavorable comparison does not end there. Whereas Tanzania and Zambia have steadily increasing net enrollment ratios, the Philippines has stagnated,” it said.

RP could miss its goal

“Given the country’s starting point in 1999, achieving universal primary education by 2015 should have been a formality. There is now a real danger that, in the absence of decisive political leadership, the country will miss the goal,” the report added.

The Global Monitoring Report (GMR) is produced annually by an independent team of UN experts and is published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The report assesses the global progress towards the six EFA goals to which over 160 countries committed themselves in 2000.

These goals include expanding early childhood care and education, providing free and compulsory primary education for all, providing learning and life skills to young people and adults, increasing adult literacy by 50 percent, achieving gender equality by 2015, and improving the quality of education.

In the portion “The Philippines—leaving the marginalized behind,” the 2010 report said “extreme poverty and regional disparities were at the heart” of the mismatch between the Philippines’ income level and its poor educational outcomes.

It noted that, in 2007, the number of out-of-school youth aged 6 to 11 “broke through” the one-million mark and “there were over 100,000 more children out of school then than in 1999.” It added that around one-quarter of those entering school drop out before Grade 5.

Deeply marginalized

“The net enrollment ratio was 92 percent in 2007, which is comparable with countries at far lower levels of average income, such as Zambia, and below the levels attained by other countries in the (East Asia) region, such as Indonesia,” the GMR said.

“Why have countries that were so close to universal net enrollment at the end of the 1990s failed to go the extra mile? One factor is the difficulty in extending opportunities to certain regions and parts of society,” it added.

The report said that this happened to countries like the Philippines and Turkey that faced “problems of deeply entrenched marginalization.”

“In the Philippines, marginalization is strongly associated with poverty and location, with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and some outlying islands falling far behind,” the GMR said.

Low investment

“It is evident in the cases of the Philippines and Turkey that current policies are not breaking down inherited disadvantage. One contributory factor is the low share of national income invested in education,” it added.

The report noted that the gap separating the poorest 20 percent of Filipinos from the rest of society was “far wider than in most countries in the region.”

“Those aged 17 to 22 in the poorest quintile average about seven years of education—more than four years fewer than in the wealthiest 20 percent. Data on school attendance provide evidence that current policies are not reaching the poorest,” the GMR said.
“Around six percent of 7- to 16-year-olds from the poorest households are reported as not attending school or to have ever attended. Extreme economic inequalities fuel education inequalities, notably by pushing many children out of school and into employment,” it added.

Deep fault lines

The report said regional data also reveal “deep fault lines” in educational opportunities within the country.

“Nationally, about six percent of those aged 17 to 22 have fewer than four years of education. In the best-performing regions—Ilocos and the National Capital Region—the share falls to one percent to two percent. At the other extreme, in the ARMM and Zamboanga Peninsula over 10 percent fall below this threshold,” the GMR said.

“The disparities are driven by a wide array of factors. The impact of high levels of poverty is exacerbated by conflict in Mindanao, and by the remoteness and wider disadvantage experienced by indigenous people in the Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga,” it added.

The sound of howitzers

To give a “human face” to the conflict in Central Mindanao and its ill effects on education in the region, the report included the story of 13-year-old Muhammed, a refugee living in a tent on the grounds of Datu Gumbay Piang Elementary School in Maguindanao.

“Most of the children come to class to escape the dismal living conditions in their tents. But there is no immediate escape from the destruction and violence they have witnessed,” the report said.

“When the children are in class, they are either lethargic or very nervous because [evacuees] often hear howitzers being fired not far from [them],” it added.

Quoting an evacuee who works in the school, the report said: “‘Students are often absent because they spend hours lining up for rations and water at the pump or because they’re sick.”

Shortages

Given these problems, the GMR said Filipino authorities faced “difficult policy choices if the Philippines is to achieve universal primary education by 2015.”

“Far more weight has to be attached to reaching marginalized populations and providing them with good quality education. Social protection and conditional cash transfer programs, such as those in Brazil and Mexico, could play a vital role in combating child labor and extending educational opportunities to the poor,” the GMR said.

The report added that another urgent priority was the use of local language when it comes to teaching in indigenous areas.

“The diversity of the challenges sets limits to what the central government can do. Regional and sub-regional authorities need to develop and implement policies that respond to local needs. However, the central government could do more to create an enabling environment,” the GMR said.
“The education system suffers from chronic shortages of teachers and classrooms, rising class sizes and low levels of learning achievement. Addressing these problems will require an increase in the 2.1 percent share of national income directed towards education in 2005—one of the lowest levels in the world,” it added.

regional languages should be used as the medium of instruction in the primary grades instead of promoting the use of a national language that in itself is practically useless in terms of local needs and can be a hindrance to learning.

Sleepwalker

January 22nd, 2010, 06:07 AM

^^It seems, everything in Philippines is deteriorating...:ohno:

Our Asian neighbors respected us because we had one of the highest literacy rate before. Economically, we deteriorated. And now, our education system.

Well, i do hope we can keep our democracy. Or else, I will curse the spirit of Manuel L. Quezon for choosing Philippines to be run like hell by the Filipinos.

pulsephaze22

January 22nd, 2010, 04:16 PM

^^I'm wondering where are those classy and sassy prominent/private schools which are named after Saints. :lol:

deretsohin na! College of Saint Benilde ba to? haha, peace

bluesgnt30

January 23rd, 2010, 02:17 AM

deretsohin na! College of Saint Benilde ba to? haha, peace

grabe ka naman.. :lol: I'm not pointing out to CSB. All schools have their own area of specialization din naman. It's better to be quiet na lang :lol:

jpdm

January 23rd, 2010, 02:22 AM

regional languages should be used as the medium of instruction in the primary grades instead of promoting the use of a national language that in itself is practically useless in terms of local needs and can be a hindrance to learning.

I think DEPed is now doing this.

Ady001

January 24th, 2010, 02:28 AM

bluesgnt30

January 24th, 2010, 03:52 AM

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J_lrS6z6oEI

c6josh

January 25th, 2010, 12:04 PM

ATM payments for teachers at polls proposed

By Reynaldo Santos Jr., Newsbreak | 01/25/2010 5:50 PM

No more election inspectors lining up at town halls days after election to collect their compensation

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Education (DepEd) are devising ways to make it easier and faster for public school teachers to collect their compensation for the poll duties that they will perform in May.

One step is for the poll body to turn over to DepEd the funds for the teachers, so the agency can directly release them to the teachers, who will be serving as members of the board of election inspectors. This is a diversion from the old setup, where the Comelec released the teachers' compensation to the treasurer's office of cities and municipalities.

In the General Instructions (GI) of the 2007 elections, the teachers "are to get half [of the payment] upon retrieving election paraphernalia from the municipal or city hall, and another half upon returning the ballot boxes."

In past elections, teachers complained of having to fall in long lines at the town halls after the election to collect the payment fro their services. In many cases, the local officials also used the treasurers' control on teachers' poll fees as means to pressure teachers to commit partisan acts.

Another way to facilitate the release of payments to teachers is for these to be deposited to their automated teller machine accounts, Education Undersecretary Franklin Sunga said in a phone interview with Newsbreak. He said the DepEd will propose this to Comelec, because the agreement they signed Thursday last week didn't specify the new method of payment.

"I think [Comelec] will be amenable to our proposal," Sunga said.

Higher pay, more work

He said that DepEd is trying to resolve remaining alleged issues on liquidation of teachers compensation from previous polls. "Hopefully, di na namin paaabutin yan sa eleksyon," he said.

The DepEd and Comelec agreed to pay teachers sitting as BEIs P4,300 each, higher than the P3,300 payment in 2007. Sunga said that the increase is due to some additional tasks brought by the automation of elections, among them the testing and sealing of machines, mock tests, and voters education programs.

P500 will be given for the inspection, verification, and sealing of book of voters; another P500 for the inspection, verification, and sealing of the precinct count optical scan machines. The honorarium remains at P3,000, and the transportation allowance still at P300.

Sunga said that the additional payment will compensate for the expenses of teachers due to the additional work.

The DepEd and the Comelec have also allotted P30 million to indemnify teachers for any election-related deaths and injuries. P200,000 will be given to the families of teachers who will be killed.

In the last elections, teachers were among the more than 130 people killed in various cases of election-related violence, while some became subject of harassment and threats from political warlords.

But Sunga said that even they have increased compensation and benefits for BEIs, the total budget allotted for them tends to be smaller than in the previous poll. He explained that this is because there will be fewer teachers to be assigned due to the clustered precincts for the automated elections.

The Comelec will be deploying 245,000 teachers to more than 74,000 clustered precincts all over the country. Some of them will be supplied with technical support staff. The number of teachers this year is almost half the 450,000 public school teachers deployed in 2007, the last manual elections. Each precinct will have 3 BEIs. (Newsbreak)
as of 01/25/2010 5:50 PM

lgseccionph

January 25th, 2010, 02:10 PM

UST gets 4 national citations from National Museum

MANILA, Jan. 25 (PNA) –- The 400-year-old University of Santo Tomas (UST) received from the National Museum on Monday afternoon four National Cultural Treasure citations due to its historical and cultural heritage in Philippine history.

The recognitions also marked another milestone for UST as it prepares for its quadricentennial celebration in 2011.

UST was founded by the Order of Preachers (OP) of Spain in January 1611. It was first erected in Intramuros, but was transferred in 1927 to its present location along España, Sampaloc, Manila.

National Museum Director Corazon Alvina unveiled the National Cultural Treasures marker at the UST main building. She was assisted by UST Rector Fr. Rolando dela Rosa, OP, and UST Central Seminary Rector Fr. Gerard Timoner III, OP.

For his part, Dela Rosa accepted on behalf of UST the official declaration. “This gives the university the distinctive honor of being the first educational institution in the country, whose landmarks have been declared national cultural treasures,” he said.

“This is long overdue. I am tempted to think that it takes the government such a long time to give this recognition to UST because it wants ample proof that the university and it landmarks will not be permanently submerged in floods and other calamities that visit our country,” Dela Rosa said.

Pursuant to Republic Act No. 4846, or the Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act of 1966, the National Museum formally declared four UST buildings as national treasures.

These are the UST Main Building, the Central Seminary, the Arch of the Centuries, and the University’s Open Spaces.

It signals the first-ever inclusion of an educational institution among the ranks of National Cultural Treasures, majority of which are churches, with the rest being terrestrial landmarks, intangible cultural properties and movable objects.

Section 3 of “The Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection Act” states that a “National Cultural Treasure is a unique object found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value which is significant and important to this country and nation.”

To help oversee the protection and preservation of its four National Cultural Treasures, UST is forming a special committee with assistance from National Museum experts. (PNA)

psyche

January 25th, 2010, 07:36 PM

The successful examinees in the October 2009 Mechanical Engineer Board Exam (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/october-2009-mechanical-engineer-cpm.html)who garnered the ten (10) highest places are the following:

1 Radino Encaya Estoria | Technological University of the Philippines – Manila | 89.35%

2 Cesar Minorias Baron Jr | University of Cebu | 88.80%

3 Marcelo Casquejo Santillan | Bicol University | 88.55%

4 Mark Cecil Mirasol Tano | Cebu Institute of Technology | 87.80%

5 Christopher Magnaye Requinto | Batangas State U | 87.75%

6 Dale Bryan Raiz Pacheco | Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology | 87.40%

7 Christopher Beunavente Sanchez | Bicol University | 87.20%

8 Jan Derrick Hernandez Nidar | University of the Philippines- Diliman | 87.15%

9 Michael Ernani Arce Andres | University of the Philippines- Diliman | 87.05%

10 Ian Wildon Auino Dizon | University of the East – Caloocan | 86.85%

Source: Top Ten (10) Mechanical Engineer Board Exam October 2009 (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/top-ten-10-mechanical-engineer-board.html)

Congrats to all passers! :cheers:

the topnotcher, radino estoria is my close friend :p since high school.

bonixx

January 27th, 2010, 04:40 AM

Enverga University's bet adjudged Most Outstanding Civil Engineering...

4th MOCES of MSEUF

KRYS WELTON ESCUDERO RECENTLY WON THE "MOST OUTSTANDING Civil Engineering Student of the Philippines", at Camp John Hay, Baguio City after a gruelling pre-qualifying screening and interview by the board of judges of Philippine Institute of Civil Engineering Inc. He bested four other students from Mapua Institute of Technology, University of the Philippines-Diliman, University fo Perpetual Help System-Laguna and Cebu Institute of Technology. Escudero is a fifth year BSCE student of Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation - Lucena City campus. Escudero is a consistent full scholar since his first year in the university.

MSEUF-CAS Liberal Arts Program receives the first level IV accredited status in the country

The College of Arts and Sciences of the Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation received an award Dec. 11 from the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation for attaining Level IV accredited status, the first in the Philippines. PACUCOA held the awarding ceremony at Diamond Hotel, Manila attended by heads of higher education institutions all over the country. The College of Arts and Sciences of Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation has been consistent in its claim of providing excellent education to stakeholders and producing successful graduates proven by numerous accomplishments and achievements in the local, national and international levels.
source: www.mseuf.edu.ph

x12y12

January 27th, 2010, 05:16 AM

filipino still the best out there.... our education system might not be updated but still our students prevails.....

i hope this year, with the biggest chunk of budget goes to eduction...we can see more

UP wins int’l collegiate programming tilt
By DateLine Philippines
Posted on Nov. 11, 2009 at 6:25pm | 0 comments

ACM ICPC Asia Manila 2009 and 3rd Philippine National Programming Competition winners. Team 'Mga SOGO ni E.T.' of the University of the Philippines-Diliman.

MANILA, Philippines – A team from the University of the Philippines-Diliman won first place in the 2009 ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) Asia-Manila Regional Competition held at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City recently. Team “Mga SOGO ni E.T.” – Kevin Charles Atienza, 3 BS Computer Science; John Eddie Ayson, 3 BS Computer Engineering; and Marte Raphael Soliza, 5 BS Computer Science – solved 10 out of 10 problems to emerge champion. The team’s coach is Eric Tambasacan. Ho Chi Minh City University of Science’s Team “Passion” – Pham Tuan Vu, Trinh Tran Dang Khoa, and Le Do Hoan Nam – coached by Dang Nguyen Tien, took first runner-up honors, while second runner-up was Team ‘NUSSOC1′ of the National University of Singapore, composed of Victor Loh Bo Huai, Adhiraj Somani, and Doon Hanh Hung, and coached by Steven Halim. The following teams received special awards:

* ‘Passion’, Ho Chi minh University of Science, Vietnam, Best Foreign Team
* ‘Mga SOGO ni E.T.’, U.P. Diliman, Best Team from the Philippines
* ‘SOGOng long ong moy poso’, U.P. Diliman, 2nd Best Team from the Philippines
* ‘LCD ver. 2′, Ateneo de Manila University, 3rd Best Team from the Philippines
* ‘Mga SOGO ni E.T.’, U.P. Diliman, Best Team from Metro Manila
* ‘Lemorcichein’, U.P. Los Banos, Best Team from Luzon (Outside Metro Manila)
* ‘Jaguars’, University of San Jose-Recoletos, Best Team from the Visayas
* ‘You I See (Ark)’, University of Immaculate Conception-Davao, Best Team from Mindanao ACM stands for Association for Computing Machineries, one of the most prestigious I.T. organizations in the world. Each year, ACM holds the ICPC, which is participated in by thousands of teams from hundreds of universities worldwide. From selected regional sites on six continents, winning teams advance to the World Finals.

The ACM ICPC World Finals will be held February 1-6, 2010 in Harbin, China. The Philippine leg of the competition was sponsored by IBM. The competition involves teams of three college students and a coach who are given a set of programming tasks (from eight to 10 problems) to be solved in 5 hours using a standard computer and programming languages such as C, C++, and Java.

Fifty-five teams from four countries and 23 schools participated in the ACM ICPC Asia Manila Regional held October 22-23.

This is the first time a Philippines team has won an ACM ICPC Asia regional competition and the third time the Philippine Team advanced to the ACM ICPC World Finals.

This was also the third time Ateneo de Manila University hosted the ACM Asia Regional Competition.

This year’s Asia Manila contest director was Dr. Rafael Saldaña of Ateneo de Manila University. The judges, from the Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP), were:
* Dr. Henry Adorna (University of the Philippines – Diliman)
* Dr. Caslon Chua (De La Salle University – Manila)
* Dr. Pablo Manalastas (Ateneo de Manila University) (Chief Judge)
* Dr. Nelson Marcos (De La Salle University – Manila)
* Dr. Felix Muga II (Ateneo de Manila University)
* Dr. Rafael Saldaña (Ateneo de Manila University)
* Dr. Allan Sioson (Ateneo de Naga University)
* Dr. Kardi Teknomo (Ateneo de Manila University)
* John Michael Yap (University of the Philippines-Diliman)

Following are the Top 10 Schools in the 2009 ACM ICPC Asia Manila Competition:

1. University of the Philippines – Diliman (PHILIPPINES)
2. Ho Chi Minh City University of Science (VIETNAM)
3. National University of Singapore (SINGAPORE)
4. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HONG KONG)
5. University of Hong Kong (HONG KONG)
6. Ateneo de Manila University (PHILIPPINES)
7. De La Salle University – Manila (PHILIPPINES)
8. University of the Philippines – Los Banos (PHILIPPINES)
9. Ateneo de Naga University (PHILIPPINES)
10. University of Immaculate Conception – Davao (PHILIPPINES) The ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) traces its roots to a competition held at Texas A&M in 1970 hosted by the Alpha Chapter of the UPE Computer Science Honor Society. The idea quickly gained popularity within the United States and Canada as an innovative initiative to assist in the development of top students in the emerging field of computer science.

The contest evolved into a multi-tier competition with the first Finals held at the ACM Computer Science Conference in 1977. Headquartered at Baylor University since the 1980s, the contest has expanded into a global network of universities hosting regional competitions that advance teams to the World Finals.

Since IBM became a sponsor in 1997, the contest has increased by a – Hide quoted text – several factors. Participation has grown to involve several tens of thousands of the finest students and faculty in computing disciplines at over 1,600 universities from more than 70 countries on six continents.

The contest fosters creativity, teamwork, and innovation in building new software programs, and enables students to test their ability to perform under pressure. It is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious programming contest in the world.

kevinb

January 27th, 2010, 05:36 AM

^^ Yey! UP! :banana2:

rally

January 27th, 2010, 08:41 AM

Heres a symptom of whats ailing our education system. while this is a local incident, i will not be surprised if its being replicated all over the country.:ohno:

Despite the numerous class suspension due to natural causes such as the weather, the DepEd city division here suspended classes last Friday (jan. 22) so that the public school teachers could attend a "spiritual enhancement" seminar. They were made to pay P100 as registration fee.

Lo and behold when the program started, out came a former DepEd Regional Director who is running for governor of this province, togehter with her complete line up for board member. it was onlya fter her "message", did the seminar proper start. pcoket calendars were likewise distributed.

tsk tsk tsk, :ohno:

the glimpser

January 27th, 2010, 02:48 PM

Group launches program to save RP education

By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:01:00 01/27/2010

Filed Under: civil society, business, Education

MANILA, Philippines—Education Nation, a coalition of captains of industry and other concerned citizens, launched Wednesday a blueprint for reform to save the Philippine education system from collapse.

The coalition presented its 10-Point Education Reform Agenda and offered it to presidential candidates in an effort to make education the No. 1 issue in the May elections.

“We at Education Nation are saying `Enough!’ We cannot simply sit back and watch our education system further deteriorate in the hands of a government that has shown little concern for the plight of millions of Filipino children,” Ramon del Rosario Jr., chairman of the Philippine Business for Education (PBED), said at the launch, held at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City.

“With this agenda, we are offering our presidential candidates and their respective teams—all the way down to the mayors—a list of 10 things they can achieve for education over the next three to six years," he said.

Del Rosario said the "10 doable things" could "make a world of difference for learning and achieving in this country.”

The PBED, a major pillar of Education Nation, includes such business heavyweights as Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (Ayala Corp.), Oscar Lopez (First Philippine Holdings Corp.), Manuel V. Pangilinan (Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.), Washington Sycip (The SGV Group), Lance Gokongwei (JG Summit Holdings), Tony Tan Caktiong (Jollibee Food Corp.) and Marixi R. Prieto (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Del Rosario said that with Wednesday’s launch, “we serve notice to our candidates that we—parents, teachers, students, business leaders, administrators, civil society representatives and other education stakeholders—shall vote for education come May 2010 and beyond.”

“In unveiling these 10 points, we wish to give fair warning that there should be no more excuses. Our country deserves quality education for all. We demand it. We will watch over it. We shall fight for it,” he said, adding that education should not only be “a priority" but "the priority.”

The "10 doable things" envisioned to reform Philippine education are:

• Increasing the education budget to 4 percent of the gross national product to put it at par with other countries.

• Enhancing basic education by adding two more years to it.

• Promoting academic excellence by developing globally benchmarked standards of excellence.

• Developing community ownership of schools.

• Ensuring universal access to education.

• Strengthening higher education.

• Empowering teachers.

• Building transparency and accountability.

• Supporting private education.

• Maximizing alternative learning.

PBED president Chito Salazar said Education Nation wanted to make education the No. 1 issue and not merely "one of my top 10" because "we also think it is the main route out of poverty.”

He said the 10-point agenda would be presented during a congress of educators next month, and later to vice presidential and senatorial candidates.

“Our objective is to make the entire nation and the education system genuinely functional in order to give everyone the opportunity to better their lives,” Salazar said.

Del Rosario noted that according to the United Nations’ 2010 Education For All Global Monitoring Report, Philippine education indicators were below “what might be expected for a country at its income level,” and that there was “a real danger that the country will fail to achieve universal primary education by 2015.”

The report also said the Philippines was “a particularly striking example of underperformance” worldwide when it came to education reforms.

AIM president Edilberto de Jesus, a former education secretary, said that “in terms of perception," Philippine education has "gone down very many steps” in Southeast Asia.

“After a period when they were sending their students here to get higher education degrees, now our degrees are kind of discounted. It hurts our overseas Filipino workers because [overseas employers] see the degrees from the Philippines and [OFWs] do not get the compensation levels that are given to graduates of other countries,” De Jesus said.

“We need to involve more people because the problems are systemic problems. What we are seeing is that we really need an education president because when push comes to shove, you have to have at the very top somebody who is ready to call the shots and enforce the principles needed if we are to reform education,” he said.

Former Education undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz, now with the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, said the claim in the Arroyo administration’s “legacy” ads that the quality of Philippine education has improved could not be easily confirmed.

For example, he said, while there may be "one textbook for every student" according to purchase figures since 2001, "chances are we have not distributed these so that [we can say] the textbooks are in the hands of the students."

“So, if you want to measure whether or not there is a legacy, you really want to measure outputs. Do we have more kids [graduating from school]? The answer is probably not,” Luz said.

Animo

January 28th, 2010, 06:51 AM

By Ma. Bernadette A. Parco, Carine M. Asutilla
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 07:17:00 01/28/2010
Filed Under: Education, ASEAN

Education officials from all over Southeast Asia yesterday vowed to develop curricula common to all Southeast Asian schools as they met yesterday for their annual conference and summit.

On the first day of the 45th Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Council Conference and 5th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Education Ministers Summit held at the Sangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa, Philippine Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said it was important for ASEAN nations to “bond” in the face of global competition.

“The European Union has a common curriculum and common currency,” said Lapus, who is also the incoming SEAMEO president. “We need a common standard, common curriculum. We have 19 member-centers where we can tap to for their expertise. We have three in the country.”

The SEAMEO operates a Regional Center for Public Health, Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, and Regional Center for Education Innovation and Technology.

Thailand Education Minister and current SEAMEO president Chinnaworn Boonyakiat, in his opening remarks, said climate change lessons are expected to be among those included in the common curriculum for Southeast Asian schools.

In Central Visayas, elementary and public schools would be provided with lessons on environment conservation such as on the adverse effects of climate change and the benefits of reforestation.

Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd-7) director Recaredo Borgonia said environment lessons would be integrated in different subjects, especially Science.

“In Region 7, a curriculum is being prepared by a task force in cooperation with Visayan Electric Co. (Veco),” Borgonia said.

“We will tackle issues related to the environment, greening the environment and climate change.”

Borgonia said the curriculum may be implemented by next school year.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in a speech delivered for her by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, raised the issue of “people-to-people cooperation.”

“One is the teaching of foreign languages in our public schools, even as we continue to further improve the teaching of English as a second language,” Ermita read.

“We realize the benefits of introducing more foreign languages in the primary and secondary levels. The admission of Spain as associate member of SEAMEO hastened our efforts in reintroducing the Spanish language in our schools.”

The DepEd-7 also started implementing its program to use students’ native language or dialect as a medium of instruction in public elementary schools.

“DepEd Order No. 74, series of 2009 allows the use of the vernacular or dialect in the first three grade levels. After that, the medium of instruction used could be either English or Filipino,” Borgonia said.

“The problem in the implementation of the project is the lack of materials and trained teachers. The materials available are only in English and Filipino. We do not have materials for lessons in the local dialect,” Borgonia added.

Pilot areas for the program are Cebu and Bohol.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

The education contingent from Thailand would be bringing back with them more than souvenirs or memories from their visit to Cebu.

Last Tuesday, Boonyakiat and his group visited the Lapu-Lapu City Central Elementary School and said he was impressed and inspired by the school’s Special Education program to teach deaf, blind and learning-impaired students.

Accompanied by the Secretary General of the Thai National Commission for UNESCO, Sivika Mektavatchaikul, Boonyakiat said he wanted to bring the special education program back to Thailand to teach their own impaired children.

Glenda Pogoy, acting assistant principal of the Lapu-Lapu City Central Elementary School, said the institute was the only school in Lapu-Lapu City that had a special education program.

Boonyakiat, speaking through a translator, admitted that there were things the Thai education system would not have know about had he not seen it implemented in the Lapu-Lapu school.

He said the Thai Ministry of Education would mobilize its resources to implement a community-based special education program similar to Lapu-Lapu’s.

In return the Thai education officials said they would share their advancements in science and technology education to the Philippines, and expand collaboration between teachers of both countries to develop even more methods of teaching the special education curriculum.

x12y12

January 29th, 2010, 09:58 AM

we can beat them....surely

PARIS: Five female scientists were elected laureates for the 2010 UNESCO-L'Oreal Award, the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced Thursday.

The award, created in 1998, champions the cause of women in science by honoring outstanding female scientists from around the world, UNESCO said in a statement.

Related readings:
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Five outstanding women scientists win 2010 UNESCO award China's development contributs to the world: UNESCO official
The five female laureates are Rashika El Ridi from Cairo University, Lourdes J. Cruz from the University of the Philippines Diliman, Elaine Fuchs from the United States' Rockefeller University, Anne Dejean-Assemat from the Pasteur Institute in France and Alejandra Bravo from the Institute of Molecular Microbiology in Mexico.

Their extraordinary achievements in life science were recognized by a jury of 18 eminent scientists, including former Nobel Prize winners in medicine, Gunter Blobel and Christian de Duve.

The awards ceremony will be held on March 4, 2010, at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris. Each laureate will receive a prize of US$100,000 in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of science, the statement said.

Two winners of the 2008 UNESCO-L'Oreal Award were also this year's Nobel Prize winners, the Israeli scientist Ada Yonath for chemistry and the American scientist Elizabeth Blackburn for medicine.

x12y12

January 29th, 2010, 10:03 AM

Speech of A UP Diliman Genius

* Author: Sonnie
* Filed under: Careers, Education

Take (Not) The Road Less Traveled

Speech of Mikaela Irene Fudolig, 16 years old, on April 22, 2007 during UP Graduation Ceremonies. She graduated Summa cum laude, BS Physics at UP Diliman.

“… Take NOT the road less traveled. Rather, MAKE new roads, BLAZE new trails, FIND new routes to your dreams. Unlike the track-beaters in campus who see where they’re going, we may not know how far we can go. But if we are brave, defiant searchers of excellence, we will go far. Explore possibilities, that others may get a similar chance. I have tried it myself. And I’m speaking to you now.”

Ady001

January 31st, 2010, 08:26 PM

bledzoe

February 1st, 2010, 04:47 AM

Pinoy in Maryland school is teacher of the month (http://goodnewspilipinas.com/?p=10150)
Posted on January 28th, 2010 under We are Pinoys!

http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Lito-Sayasa.jpg
Lito Sayasa

Lito Sayasa, a public school teacher in Maryland received the Teacher of the Month award from the Prince George’s County Public Schools.

The Filipino, teaching now for 19 years, has taught in the county for four years.

Asked why he loves his work, he said: “I was inspired by an old Chinese proverb that states, ‘The most satisfying thing in life is to see a child confidently walk down the road on his own after you have shown him the way to go.’”

Aside from preparing a child academically, he said teaching also develops a child’s potential to solve real-life problems.

“It’s true that teaching is not a lucrative profession. However, every time we become successful in bringing out the best in our students that gives us an inner sense of fulfillment. As educators, we have the power to impact and change a young person’s life for the better. We just need to be a positive role model for them so they will become assets of society,” he said.

Sayasa arrived in the United States in 2006 through the Arrowhead Manpower Resources. Now, he teaches math, science, and health at the Robert R. Gray Elementary School.

He received his degree in Education from Central Colleges of the Philippines, and in Elementary Education from Philippine Normal University. He later received a master’s degree in English Language Teaching from Philippine Normal University as well.

He is also a student at Loyola University, where he plans to complete his master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Science Cohort in June 2010.

Among his accomplishments are being: science coordinator/grade level chairman at Robert Gray Elementary School. He has been the facilitator of Program for International Educators (2007-2008, 2008-2009), science curriculum writer (2007-2008, 2008-2009), English coordinator/Marist School Faculty and Employees Association president-Marist School, Philippines (2002-2005).

The principal at the Robert R. Gray Elementary School also praised Sayasa for being a “master teacher” who spends “countless hours” planning and preparing his teaching day.

“His lessons are vibrant and tap into various learning styles to reach all learners. The technology he utilizes in instruction each day encourages students to stay focused in anticipation of the wonderful concepts they will learn next.

He has proven himself to be a leader in our school—one who never turns down an opportunity to assist a colleague. Further, Mr. Sayasa is a lifelong learner, which demonstrates how he is able to present information in such a wonderful way with our children,” according to the principal’s message also posted on the Prince George’s County website.

Ady001

February 1st, 2010, 06:02 AM

^^ With the proper incentives, teachers do make it big.

Mercato

February 1st, 2010, 05:35 PM

I hate to rain on anybody's parade here, but has anyone from DepEd taken a heads up? Or is it a merry downhill slide till the end of this century? It's not just any two bit agency stating this cold fact - it is the United Nations for heaven's sakes.

UN: RP trails Tanzania, Zambia in education

By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:48:00 01/20/2010

Filed Under: Education, Poverty, Annual Reports

MANILA, Philippines—The United Nations has warned that the Philippines is in danger of leaving the poor behind when it comes to their education.

Noting an “absence of decisive political leadership,” a major UN report on education on Tuesday said the Philippines was in “real danger” of missing its target of providing universal primary education by 2015.

The 2010 Education For All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report, which was launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at UN headquarters in New York cited the Philippines as a “particularly striking example of under-performance” in educational reforms as its current polices were failing to make a difference in improving the education of the poorest Filipinos.

“Education indicators for the Philippines are below what might be expected for a country of its income level … With an average income four times that of [African countries] Tanzania and Zambia, it has a lower net enrollment ratio,” the report said.

“The unfavorable comparison does not end there. Whereas Tanzania and Zambia have steadily increasing net enrollment ratios, the Philippines has stagnated,” it said.

RP could miss its goal

“Given the country’s starting point in 1999, achieving universal primary education by 2015 should have been a formality. There is now a real danger that, in the absence of decisive political leadership, the country will miss the goal,” the report added.

The Global Monitoring Report (GMR) is produced annually by an independent team of UN experts and is published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The report assesses the global progress towards the six EFA goals to which over 160 countries committed themselves in 2000.

These goals include expanding early childhood care and education, providing free and compulsory primary education for all, providing learning and life skills to young people and adults, increasing adult literacy by 50 percent, achieving gender equality by 2015, and improving the quality of education.

In the portion “The Philippines—leaving the marginalized behind,” the 2010 report said “extreme poverty and regional disparities were at the heart” of the mismatch between the Philippines’ income level and its poor educational outcomes.

It noted that, in 2007, the number of out-of-school youth aged 6 to 11 “broke through” the one-million mark and “there were over 100,000 more children out of school then than in 1999.” It added that around one-quarter of those entering school drop out before Grade 5.

Deeply marginalized

“The net enrollment ratio was 92 percent in 2007, which is comparable with countries at far lower levels of average income, such as Zambia, and below the levels attained by other countries in the (East Asia) region, such as Indonesia,” the GMR said.

“Why have countries that were so close to universal net enrollment at the end of the 1990s failed to go the extra mile? One factor is the difficulty in extending opportunities to certain regions and parts of society,” it added.

The report said that this happened to countries like the Philippines and Turkey that faced “problems of deeply entrenched marginalization.”

“In the Philippines, marginalization is strongly associated with poverty and location, with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and some outlying islands falling far behind,” the GMR said.

Low investment

“It is evident in the cases of the Philippines and Turkey that current policies are not breaking down inherited disadvantage. One contributory factor is the low share of national income invested in education,” it added.

The report noted that the gap separating the poorest 20 percent of Filipinos from the rest of society was “far wider than in most countries in the region.”

“Those aged 17 to 22 in the poorest quintile average about seven years of education—more than four years fewer than in the wealthiest 20 percent. Data on school attendance provide evidence that current policies are not reaching the poorest,” the GMR said.
“Around six percent of 7- to 16-year-olds from the poorest households are reported as not attending school or to have ever attended. Extreme economic inequalities fuel education inequalities, notably by pushing many children out of school and into employment,” it added.

Deep fault lines

The report said regional data also reveal “deep fault lines” in educational opportunities within the country.

“Nationally, about six percent of those aged 17 to 22 have fewer than four years of education. In the best-performing regions—Ilocos and the National Capital Region—the share falls to one percent to two percent. At the other extreme, in the ARMM and Zamboanga Peninsula over 10 percent fall below this threshold,” the GMR said.

“The disparities are driven by a wide array of factors. The impact of high levels of poverty is exacerbated by conflict in Mindanao, and by the remoteness and wider disadvantage experienced by indigenous people in the Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga,” it added.

The sound of howitzers

To give a “human face” to the conflict in Central Mindanao and its ill effects on education in the region, the report included the story of 13-year-old Muhammed, a refugee living in a tent on the grounds of Datu Gumbay Piang Elementary School in Maguindanao.

“Most of the children come to class to escape the dismal living conditions in their tents. But there is no immediate escape from the destruction and violence they have witnessed,” the report said.

“When the children are in class, they are either lethargic or very nervous because [evacuees] often hear howitzers being fired not far from [them],” it added.

Quoting an evacuee who works in the school, the report said: “‘Students are often absent because they spend hours lining up for rations and water at the pump or because they’re sick.”

Shortages

Given these problems, the GMR said Filipino authorities faced “difficult policy choices if the Philippines is to achieve universal primary education by 2015.”

“Far more weight has to be attached to reaching marginalized populations and providing them with good quality education. Social protection and conditional cash transfer programs, such as those in Brazil and Mexico, could play a vital role in combating child labor and extending educational opportunities to the poor,” the GMR said.

The report added that another urgent priority was the use of local language when it comes to teaching in indigenous areas.

“The diversity of the challenges sets limits to what the central government can do. Regional and sub-regional authorities need to develop and implement policies that respond to local needs. However, the central government could do more to create an enabling environment,” the GMR said.

“The education system suffers from chronic shortages of teachers and classrooms, rising class sizes and low levels of learning achievement. Addressing these problems will require an increase in the 2.1 percent share of national income directed towards education in 2005—one of the lowest levels in the world,” it added. I was about to launch an all out tirade against the educational system after reading this weeks ago, but I had some important tasks to finish. At least I'm sober now... but the educational system still sucks

^^It seems, everything in Philippines is deteriorating...:ohno:

Our Asian neighbors respected us because we had one of the highest literacy rate before. Economically, we deteriorated. And now, our education system.

Well, i do hope we can keep our democracy. Or else, I will curse the spirit of Manuel L. Quezon for choosing Philippines to be run like hell by the Filipinos.

I guess it’s now time for me to give this lengthy litany and point a finger to anyone, who will be voted in the upcoming elections to strongly put effort and time in strengthening our education. Without a robust and educated people, we will be all left sauntering and kissing other nations’ feet still, and we will not develop as a nation. Let’s try to remember, in the ‘60s, we were still a powerhouse in Asia, and we are above the playing field. Now, we’re not only the ones below the playing field, but we’re also going down the drain. Perhaps it’s much better if we all migrate and go to another nation and try our luck there, with our young learning from more talented and more motivated teachers and better facilities than being stuck in this nation?
Education is definitely an investment, but it is an investment that will define the outcome of what we will be.

Some points to ponder:

1 – Should we increase the number of years of schooling in this country?
2 – Should we put more subsidies to teachers, put more meetings, do a very stringent control of how we could test teachers before putting them in the classroom?
3 – Should we have harder or more stringent exams?
4 – Should we put hands-on-skills as well alongside with exams to supplant theories with a more pragmatic practice?

You know how things go in the country: trial and errors! Haha, but I am glad some pilot program is now being implemented. I have no idea why they (Philippine Academia) don't believe in research done by other countries where using ones native languages is a better tool for learning.

What still amazes me with the Filipino student these days is the capacity to learn and unlearn, the capacity to manage and balance tasks, and the capacity to make "impromptu" the shortcomings of our ailing educational system.

But news reports don't convince me.

Sure, we win International Mathematics Tilts, have good graduates abroad who excel, and those who get the tops in programming.

But what about those not in the spotlight? The ordinary, everyday student? Yung tipong nasa classroom lang, yung tipong walang pumapasok sa utak dahil sa walang "urge" ang natututunan.

I am enlightened that at least our educational system has a glimmer of hope in it, but with the advent of other Asian countries going past by us, we'll probably never make it.

Language and heritage may make a nation, but education will shape what it is. Going past us is an understatement, more like another one bites the dust... we are now starting to slug it out with African countries for the bottom of the food chain... :ohno:

Dudes, all you have to do is compare the decades and see where the Philippines had progressed (or retrogessed) as the case may be.

In the glorious '50s, the Philippines was 2nd to Japan with an educational system fresh from the oven, a legacy from the United States & the Commonwealth Era. In the 60's & 70's, Thais, Iranians, Indians, Pakistanis & Malaysians flocked to Philippine universities for the prestige back then.

Next thing they knew, the Philippines was now competing with Vietnam, Cambodia & Indonesia in the 90s. Am I actually to believe that the Philippines is now competing with African countries??????? Like, in one more generation are we going to compete with.... oooh nev mind, I give up

jundem_dq63

February 1st, 2010, 09:39 PM

Congratulations to all Nursing School in Dumaguete City.

With 100 or more examinees

Silliman University Rank 5.

With 30-99 or more examinees
Saint Paul University - Dumaguete Rank 4
Foundation University - Rank 8

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/23912657/NLE-November-Top-Schools-30-99-examinees
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/23912686/NLE-November-Top-Schools-100-or-more-examinees

nicko

February 2nd, 2010, 02:29 AM

^^ You did not include Negros Oriental State University - 100% (With less 30 examinees)

jpdm

February 5th, 2010, 01:07 PM

Buendia is the new University Belt

Manila Standard
Feb. 5, 2010

FEU president Lydia Echauz and dean Benjamin Espiritu led a busload of faculty members from the Morayta campus Thursday morning to inspect the renovation work being rushed in the landmark Zuellig Pharma building on Buendia Avenue, future site of FEU Makati.

When the Far Eastern University opens the Makati campus by June, it will join old-time Manila schools like Mapua, Centro Escolar and Lyceum—Lyceum’s College of Law is actually located in Salcedo Village, a few blocks away—that had sprouted branches along the Buendia (now Gil Puyat Avenue) corridor to tap Makati’s and Taguig’s growing army of working students.

Espiritu, a former Mindoro Oriental governor and La Salle dean, was particularly impressed by the state of the six-story building that FEU is leasing from an Ayala company.

“Everything still looks new, and modern,” Espiritu said, referring to the nearly five-decade-old structure designed by National Artist Lindy Locsin.

The first two floors of FEU Makati would be run as a joint venture with Pancake House for an on-site restaurant training facility.

The upper floors would have 22 classrooms for commerce and information technology-related courses and possibly even night and Saturday classes for an MBA course.

b_two

February 9th, 2010, 03:17 PM

^^^^

you will all be surprised to know how good our education system is the moment you step out of the country and start to mingle and work with foreigners. :)

wino

February 9th, 2010, 05:44 PM

^^ I totally agree with you

specially here in North America, where they are supposed to have "HIGHER EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS" than us... you will truly be disappointed..

but there are always improvement. and i do hope students will not just have a good curriculum.... but the best curriculums and the best professional teachers in the WHOOOOLE WOOOOOOOORLD!

epik ll ian

February 9th, 2010, 08:39 PM

^^^^

you will all be surprised to know how good our education system is the moment you step out of the country and start to mingle and work with foreigners. :)

I'll consider agreeing with you once we surpass the third world level. I know we can do a lot better than that rating seeing how the Philippines is an emerging economy and will achieve first world status soon. However, you still can't ever be satisfied until your number one. We have a long ways to go before we get there. Even if you don't think you'll ever be number one, it doesn't hurt to push yourself as far as you can go.

b_two

February 10th, 2010, 07:51 AM

^^^^

i am not trying to say that our education system in the philippines is better compared to other countries. what i am trying to point out is that our education system is not as bad as many filipinos picture it to be. the mere fact that many filipinos, who are working outside the country, are holding key positions in their respective companies is a clear proof of a good scholastic foundation.

just because we are a newly developing economy it doesn't necessarily mean that our education system is not good. thousands upon thousands of factors contribute to a country's economic growth. i am not also trying to say that we should relax and do nothing to improve it. education, like knowledge, is a continuous thing.

epik ll ian

February 10th, 2010, 08:30 PM

^^ Yeah, I agree. There still is a lot of improvement that needs to be done though! :)

tigidig14

February 11th, 2010, 07:53 PM

You know how things go in the country: trial and errors! Haha, but I am glad some pilot program is now being implemented. I have no idea why they (Philippine Academia) don't believe in research done by other countries where using ones native languages is a better tool for learning.

madaming pro's and con's, pero kung kukuha ka ng datos o feasible studies, mas uunlad ang pnas kung ituturo ay yung 2nd language satin, inglis. magiging mas compettve lalo ang pnas sa intrntl/global econ

Rajah_Soliman

February 11th, 2010, 08:56 PM

Should R.P. allow foreign universities in the country?

what for? to compete with our nursing "universities"? :lol:

jpdm

February 12th, 2010, 01:42 AM

Should R.P. allow foreign universities in the country?

what for? to compete with our nursing "universities"? :lol:

No need.

To many universities already in the Philippines.

Actually some experts want some schools of higher learning here to merge.

We have lots of private schools and SUCs in the Philippines.

b_two

February 12th, 2010, 10:22 AM

should foreign universities be allowed in the philippines?

imo why not? in a world that is so diversified we need to put up entities that could unite us and i believe education is a key entity. the present trend in the world is going global and this step could be an effective launching point for the philippines.

i'm for it, as long as these universities will effect better curricula and as a result will raise the bar of our present educational system. :banana:

wino

February 12th, 2010, 11:05 AM

Should R.P. allow foreign universities in the country?

what for? to compete with our nursing "universities"? :lol:

for healthy competition?? WHY NOT?!!
sure!!

epik ll ian

February 12th, 2010, 11:03 PM

^^ Of course, why not? When it comes to educating ourselves and becoming smarter, why would we want to be stubborn and isolate ourselves anyway?

Mercato

February 13th, 2010, 12:36 AM

^^ Of course, why not? When it comes to educating ourselves and becoming smarter, why would we want to be stubborn and isolate ourselves anyway? I must say I have to strongly agree *with emphasis* after that "other article" I saw pages ago... ... but yeah by all means, what needs to be done has to be done.
for healthy competition?? WHY NOT?!!
sure!!should foreign universities be allowed in the philippines?

imo why not? in a world that is so diversified we need to put up entities that could unite us and i believe education is a key entity. the present trend in the world is going global and this step could be an effective launching point for the philippines.

i'm for it, as long as these universities will effect better curricula and as a result will raise the bar of our present educational system. :banana: ditto... :cheers2:

jpdm

February 13th, 2010, 12:53 AM

La Salle offers to buy AIM to avert sale to aliens

Written by Dennis D. Estopace/ Reporter
Friday, 12 February 2010 20:28

DE LA SALLE University (DLSU) has offered to buy the Asian Institute of Management for an undisclosed amount, rather than allow it to be sold to a foreign entity.

“It can be considered a family jewel of the Philippines, so DLSU, one of its founders, may have thought a Filipino should own it,” a person familiar with the discussion at the AIM board told the BusinessMirror.

The source, who requested anonymity, said DLSU brought a counter-offer of synergy when board members discussed the agenda of the sale of one of Asia’s premier business-management school.

The money brought to the table is not the issue, for one, and is not sustainable, the source said.

The source said DLSU offered not only to buy AIM but also a synergy with the La Salle education system.

The source said DLSU president Armin Luistro offered a hundred of the religious run school’s 1,000 undergraduate business students as a regular source.

The source quoted Luistro as saying that the annual revenue from tuition can sustain AIM, which has been hurting from competition from other Asian business schools.

DLSU can choose its honor students and encourage them to enroll in AIM, rather than study abroad, for their master’s degree in business administration and/or management, the source quoted Luistro as saying.

The expected revenue is estimated to hit P60 million a year.

The foreign entity’s offer came even after AIM reversed income losses last year.

But the source said the coffers of AIM can’t be sustained.

“When AIM looked at, reviewed its competitiveness versus other schools in the region, it saw how fierce the competition is. The cash it has today can only go so far.”

Other board members, however, the source said, are warming up on the potentials dangled by the cash-rich foreign entity since “doing so will put AIM on the foreign radar and landscape.”

The source declined to name the foreign entity.

AIM marketing communications manager Nonette Climaco said its president, Edilberto de Jesus, is not available for comment.

Still, she neither confirmed nor denied the offer of a buy-out by a foreign entity.

“Like most top Asian business schools, AIM is continuously evaluating partnership offers by other parties,” Climaco said in a reply sent by e-mail.

“AIM is deliberately searching for the right partner that will enable it to maintain its distinct position as the premier, pioneering management school in Asia,” she added.

The BusinessMirror source said the bid by the foreign entity, as well as DLSU’s counteroffer, is still under deliberation.

the glimpser

February 15th, 2010, 03:03 PM

Global university standards pushed

By Vincent Cabreza
Inquirer Northern Luzon
First Posted 20:34:00 02/14/2010

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—People behind the world’s top universities in Europe will apply a uniform training and grading standard for higher education this year, which is expected to contribute to an improved global economy.

And they have invited the Philippines along for the crusade.

European Union Ambassador Alistair MacDonald and university professors from Belgium, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines gathered here last Feb. 3 for a two-day International Conference on University Development through International Cooperation.

The conference was hosted by the Saint Louis University and the Benguet State University, which have a 10-year cooperation program inspired by the European education initiatives.

Growing concern

“A growing concern of policymakers in Europe and around the world is to ensure that our higher education institutions and systems are ‘fit for purpose’ for the 21st century,” MacDonald said.

“This is as much a concern in Asia in general, and the Philippines in particular, as it is in Europe. Globalization makes it essential for universities to open up to international cooperation, to send and receive more students from abroad, and to ensure that the quality of their teaching and research meets domestic needs and international standards,” he said.

He said globalizing the European academe “protects and promotes European competitiveness, ensuring that our young people would be able to find their place in a caring, sharing and dynamic society.”

Philippine universities provide insight as to how schools help improve local economies and social development, according to the conference papers.

Dr. Edmund Benavidez of SLU said his institution helped empower residents of a Benguet village known for growing marijuana by introducing them to beekeeping in 2004. The residents earned from the 31 tons of honey they harvested.

International partnership

“I don’t need to convince you just how important higher education is to the future of any country… International partnerships are becoming increasingly important in the context of globalization and EU sees higher education as a strategic sector or strengthening our partnership and our cooperation with Asia,” said MacDonald.

The EU is enforcing a European Higher Education Area in 2010 based on an international accord among 46 European countries called the Bologna Declaration (or the Bologna Process).

This initiative, MacDonald said, makes “academic degree standards and quality assurance standards comparable and compatible across Europe” and would therefore facilitate student movement “from one country to other (within the European Higher Education Area)—for the purpose of further study or employment.”

Asia is already developing its own education area initiative beginning with Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand or the MIT, which is “a reflection of the Bologna Process,” said Dr. Supachai Yavaprabhas, director of Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization’s Regional Center for Higher Education and Development.

The Philippines was not included in the pilot educational region because of its distance from the three countries, he said.

Yavaprabhas also said local educators may also have to contend with the fact that “a basic problem is the cost of basic education in the Philippines.”

Establishing an Asian version of the Bologna Process will take time, he said, because Asia is “a region of diversity” compared to Europe.

Yavaprabhas said Europe’s Bologna Process unites 4,000 universities across a continent.

Pan-Asian standard

Southeast Asia, on the other hand, would need to find a formula that would provide a pan-Asian academic standard for 2,860 Indonesian universities, 1,647 Philippine campuses, 488 Malaysian universities and the 20 universities located in Singapore and Brunei, he said.

But growing populations and global trade have resulted in an increase in enrollment figures which would make mobility around Asian universities a reasonable justification for regional cooperation, Yavaprabhas said.

Malaysian universities have been prepared for an increase of 73,000 foreign students in their campuses, and the government there expects this number to grow to 100,000 students by 2010, he said.

Taiwan is also looking at a surge in enrollment with the birth of 400,000 babies in 2009 who universities must eventually serve, said Dr. Shih-Shiung Chen, president of the Association of Taiwan Organic Agriculture Promotion.

Philippine campuses are not jumping into this bandwagon blindly, however.

Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC, president and chancellor of the De La Salle University, said schools must still draw up terms in their cooperation or research sharing contracts to prevent Filipino talents from being pirated abroad.

ritche

February 21st, 2010, 05:58 AM

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/9000/cnnb.jpg

Marine reserve gives island paradise a second lease of life
By David Challenger, CNN
February 5, 2010 12:51 a.m. EST

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/5371/apo.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2820/beforekj.jpg
Apo Island, Philippines -- "Welcome, welcome," call out local women holding colorful T-shirts and quilts as pump boats carrying tourists pull up onto the shell-lined beach. "Please look, we have many things to sell."

Wading ashore through the crystal clear water, visitors are immediately struck by an air of optimism and confidence that resonates throughout the island village community.

But it could have ended up being all so very different.

Situated in the Mindanao Sea in the southern Philippines, Apo Island may be small at just 0.7 km/sq, but its reputation as a successful example of environmental sustainability has grown rapidly, all due to a bold experiment that started in the 1970s.

Back then, it was a struggling fishing community that had turned to more productive but highly destructive methods of fishing such as using dynamite and arsenic. Reefs surrounding the island were severely damaged, fishing stocks quickly dwindled, and fishermen were forced to sail further away to find worthwhile catches.

Its future, like many other fishing communities in the Philippines at that time, was grim: Apo was at risk of becoming a permanently poor and sleepy island where coral rubble and green and blue-green algae predominated.

The island's predicament pricked the interest of academics in nearby Silliman University in Dumaguete, the lively capital of Negros Oriental, including marine biologist Dr. Angel Alcala.

Shocked by Apo's seemingly self-destructive course, yet heartened by its potential for sustainable existence, Alcala spearheaded an initiative to turn around the island's fortunes by setting up a "no-take" marine reserve in 15 percent of the 104 hectares of coral reef around the island.

By 1982, the plan was in effect.

"The marine reserve, totally closed to fishing, in the course of time improved in coral cover and in fish biomass, fish abundance, and species richness," Alcala explained. "This is in contrast to the rest of the island where fishing was allowed. After several years, the volume of fish catch increased substantially, which was interpreted as the result of spillover of fish from the marine reserve as well as the result of the cessation of destructive fishing in all parts of the reef."

The effects soon proved beneficial to Apo's community -- fishermen were able to increase their catches closer to the island after fish biomass increased from approximately eight tons per square kilometer to about 155 tons per square kilometer.

The corals and other marine species inside the marine reserve also improved considerably, which attracted visitors who paid user fees to the community to dive among the blossoming reefs.

"Because of the protection of its coral reef, people earned a good living in transporting tourists from the Negros mainland to Apo. People on the island engaged in small businesses and improved the local economy," Alcala said.

Today, the island holds a population of about 680 people. It has small villages that are connected by attractive paths, which are decorated with natural flora. Colorful roosters mingle with wayward dogs as they vie for shade under the modest but sturdy houses. Children dart in and out of their homes, always smiling or laughing -- youths who would have once faced limited prospects.

"Before the success of the reserve, families were very poor and children were forced to stay on the island for their whole lives," explained Apo village head Liberty Pescobello Rhodes. "But now they can go to college in cities, marry non-Apo spouses, get good jobs, and send money back to the island community."

There's still no 24-hour electricity, and by no means is island life comfortable, but the knock-on effect of the marine reserve's success has helped the community improve its infrastructure.

"Some tourists have ended up contributing money to our community," says Rhodes. "Some examples include a German dentist who donated toothpaste and toothbrushes for a whole year, while another guest from the UK gave us money to help build a library."

Moreover, Apo's success at reinventing itself is proving an inspiration to other struggling fishing communities in the Philippines, critical in a nation made up of more than 7,000 islands.

Many visitors coming from various parts of the country's coastal communities have seen first hand the results of Apo's efforts, and set up programs of their own.

"There are about 563 marine reserves in the whole of the Visayas and another 500 or so in other parts of the country," Alcala said. "Many of these have been established on the Apo model of community-based marine reserves. It has given autonomy back to the locals of Apo, which in turn has helped give it back to all coastal fishing communities in the Philippines."

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/6593/thejw.jpg
source (http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/03/apo.island/index.html)

MatudNilaBaby

February 21st, 2010, 03:07 PM

[/SIZE]EDUCATION reform advocates from the business community reiterate the need for a longer basic education cycle in the country.

During the 4th Cebu Education Expo at SM City Cebu, the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), which was formed by the business community as a response to the need for consensus and sustained advocacy in education reform, said the country’s current basic education cycle is not enough.

For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter

“The current basic education is not long enough to cover subject matter other countries now cover as part of basic education. We are cramming far too much subject matter into too few years. The result is little or poor learning,” said Ramon del Rosario Jr., PBEd chairperson.

An international study says that the country belongs to the bottom five of poor achievers in math and science.

Out of 45 countries, the Philippines ranked 41st in Math and 42nd in Science, beating only Botswana, Ghana, and Africa.

Delia Villacastin, a teacher who attended the opening of the Cebu Education Expo last Friday, said most of the children today do not get a good education if they finish at all.

“For our children who do enter our schools, the future is still not as bright,” she said.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the global standard for basic education today is 12 years, and the Philippines is the only country with a 10-year basic education program.

Too young

For del Rosario, the short cycle of basic education has created graduates with neither skill nor competence and churns out 16-year old high school graduates who are too young to work.

“Additional years in basic education will allow the system to build flexibility in the curriculum to expand coverage and content in preparation for college or to better prepare high school graduates for employment or entrepreneurship,” he said.

Rosario said a child is presumed to have developed sufficient higher order thinking skills, analytical tools, and knowledge to enter either college or work in a 12-year basic education
cycle spanning elementary and secondary school but excluding pre-school.

PBEd believes that it’s “high time to plan and begin the move to 12 years basic education plus pre-school.” (PDF)

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on February 20, 2010

hakz2007

February 24th, 2010, 09:39 AM

National Achievement Test set in March‏ -- DepEd (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Education_20/National_Achievement_Test_set_in_March_--_DepEd.shtml)

MANILA, Feb. 23 (PNA) - The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Monday that it is set to administer the National Achievement Test (NAT) for Grade Three, Grade Six and Second Year high school students in March 2010.

DepEd said the NAT for Grade Six and Second Year shall be administered in both public and private schools nationwide.

On the other hand, the test for Grade Three shall be given to public schools only.

The annual NAT is used to determine what the students know, understand and can do at their level.

The NAT for Grade Three includes Grammar and Reading Comprehension in English and Filipino, Science and Mathematics.

The test for Grade Six focuses on five basic subjects, namely, Mathematics, English, Science, Filipino and HEKASI.

On the other hand, the NAT for Second Year High School includes Mathematics, English, Science, Filipino and Araling Panlipunan.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said, “By measuring our students’ strengths, weaknesses and achievement levels, we can derive ways on how the present education system can be further improved.”

DepEd, through the National Education Testing and Research Center (NETRC), will conduct the NAT for Grade Three on March 3, 2010.

For Grade Six, it will be given on March 5, followed by the NAT for Second Year on March 11.

Meanwhile, the department is satisfied on how the results of the NAT have improved.

“From 2006-2009, the percentage increase of 21.36 percent was achieved. This only indicates a steady improvement in primary education in the country’s public school system,” Lapus noted.

In the 2009 NAT, the Mean Percentage Score (MPS) showed a mark improvement of 11.67 percent to 66.33 percent from 54.66 percent in 2006.

The NAT results guide decision makers in formulating policies relative to progression and promotion of students, especially in the public school system.

These will also determine the deficiencies of students which need further intervention.

“NAT is not just a part of DepEd’s report card and the whole education system. Results of this indicator will help us formulate appropriate interventions aimed at improving the education system. We have to keep the commitment and hard work we put to education,” Lapus said. (PNA)

xxxriainxxx

February 24th, 2010, 09:56 AM

Yeah I'd like to see foreign universities here. Liberalize our education and open more opportunities for global learning for Filipinos.

the glimpser

February 24th, 2010, 04:45 PM

Babalik ang Spanish! :cheers:

Spain, Philippines sign agreement on Spanish language
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 06:04:00 02/24/2010

MADRID—Spain will help the Philippines reintroduce Spanish language instruction at public schools in the southeastern Asian country under an agreement signed Tuesday between the two nations.

The study of the language is currently voluntary at public high schools in the Philippines, a former Spanish colony, but the government plans to make its availability widespread from 2012.

Under the agreement signed Tuesday, Madrid will help train Spanish language teachers in the Philippines, help develop the curriculum and provide electronic teaching aids as well as technical advice, the Spanish foreign ministry said.

It was signed by the Philippines' Education Secretary Jesli Lapus and the Spanish education ministry's director for international relations, Jose Manuel Martinez Sierra in Barcelona, it added in a statement.

In 1987 the Philippines abolished Spanish as one of its official languages as well as a requirement that college students had to learn it.

The language, one of the world's most spoken, has since largely vanished from everyday use in the country of just under 100 million people, with English and the local languages now commonly used.

Unlike in Madrid's colonies in Latin America, the Spanish language was never as widespread in the Philippines, mainly because of the small number of Spanish settlers in the archipelago.

English was introduced to the country when it passed from Spanish to American control after the Spanish-American war of 1898.

ralfy

February 27th, 2010, 10:17 PM

Philippine Education Stats:

http://www.nationmaster.com/red/country/rp-philippines/edu-education&all=1

Some of the numbers need to be adjusted, though. For example, the ave. class size is probably 60 and not 35. The literacy rate probably looks at basic literacy. For functional literacy, the numbers are lower. Also, take a look at the enrollment ratios.

Other data might be needed. For example, the country is ranked one of the lowest in math and science (e.g., TIMSS), and teachers' scores for board exams are also very low, etc.

le Reine

February 28th, 2010, 03:17 AM

^^http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/Key_Indicators/2009/pdf/Goal-02.pdf
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001827/182769e.pdf
http://www.nscb.gov.ph/secstat/d_educ.asp
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/philippines_statistics.html
http://www.childinfo.org/files/EAPR_Philippines.pdf

It is almost close. The problem with nationmaster is that the dates are not clear. Also, take note that statistics in the Philippines are compiled every 3-5 years.

The class size of 35 is the average for the whole country. Take note that class size have large variations across various regions of the country. NCR being the most congested of all.

The literacy rate of 93% is called simple literacy - just the ability to read and write. What you described was functional literacy (currently hovers at 84%)- simple literacy plus the capability to comprehend articles. http://www.pcij.org/i-report/2007/literacy.html, http://www.pcij.org/i-report/2007/literacy2.html

It is difficult finding data for education though. And DepEd's website sucks big time.

hakz2007

March 1st, 2010, 09:51 AM

Salceda laments poor performance of high schools in NAT (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=261649)
By Mike de la Rama

LEGAZPI CITY, March 1 (PNA) – Albay Governor Joey Salceda lamented the poor performance of high schools in the 2009 National Achievement Test (NAT) result.

“Then low performance could be attributed to poor teaching method and system in the secondary schools,” Salceda said.

The cut-off has been retained at 70 percent, although it was originally designed to be upscaled to 75 percent.

“The performance of secondary schools is quite wanting with not even one school passing 70 percent bar in Filipino,” Salceda said.

Salceda said that the Department of Education should take the necessary action to improve the performance of high schools (private and public) in the province of Albay.

He urged the DepEd Albay division to introduce new measures or mechanism in order to improve the system in teaching. “There is also a need to reevaluate the expertise of secondary teachers.”

Albay DepEd division superintendent Alice Terrell said that the poor performance of secondary in the NAT was due to over supply of Teaching on Livelihood Education (TLE).

“We learned that most of them are not suppose to teach English, Mathematics and Science which are not their field of expertise.”

“Starting this week the department will introduce some measures to resolve the problem,” Terrell said.

She said that the training for Secondary school teachers would be conducted by the Bicol University (BU) starting next week. “The training will focus on specialize subjects and updates.”

Terrell said that DepEd Albay was doing its best to improve not only the performance of secondary in the NAT result but also help improve the performance of teachers. “I am hopeful that this year there will be an improvement in their performance.”

The DepEd is set to administer the National Achievement Test for Grade Three, Grade Six and Second Year high school students in March 11, 2010.

The annual NAT is used to determine what the students know, understand and can do at their level. NAT for Grade Three includes Grammar and Reading Comprehension in English and Filipino, Science and Mathematics.

NAT for Grade Six focuses on five basic subjects, namely, Mathematics, English, Science, Filipino and HEKASI.

On the other hand, NAT for Second Year High School includes Mathematics, English, Science, Filipino and Araling Panlipunan.

“By measuring our students’ strengths, weaknesses and achievement levels, we can derive ways on how the present education system can be further improved,” Terrell said.

Despite poor performance in the secondary level, Governor Salceda announced today the top performing schools of Albay in the 2009 National Achievement Test for the elementary and secondary levels in the four divisions in the province of Albay.

Among high schools, there are only two awardees or average above 70 percent in Mathematics, two in Araling Panlipunan, four in Science and six in English. Libon shines among the high schools in the entire province.

Salceda also said that another apparent phenomenon was that only public schools and one private school broke into the winning column.

The annual award is now called the Gay Palcon Achievement Award in honor of Gay Palcon who was pioneering head of Education quality for Albayanos (EQUAL) and spearheaded the formation of the Albay Council of Education (ACE) and the formation of the Provincial Education Department, the first and only among provinces and local government units nationwide.

The Top Ten in each of the subject per level shall receive the following cash incentives First-P15,000; Second - P13,000;Third-P10,000;Fourth- P7,000;Fifth-P7,000; 6th and 10th -P3,000.

The overall champion among the four divisions (Albay, Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao) will receive P100,000. The composite score is still being computed.

The awarding ceremonies will be held during the annual Titsers' Nyt on April 14, during the Magayon Festival.

The winners will be published in national broadsheets.

These incentives are meant to encourage teachers, school administrators and PTCAs to work together to improve achievement outcomes.

In general, there has been a noticeable improvement in the average scores of the top performing elementary schools particularly in Mathematics and Science. In particular, Daraga elementary schools appear to be outperforming.

Salceda congratulated the Albay Division for garnering the Regional Championship in the regional presscon this year while Bicol was the national champion in the national presscon held at Tagum, Feb. 22-25. (PNA)

Planning Democracy

March 3rd, 2010, 04:22 AM

Police: Angry parents torch school in Philippines
AP
AP - Tuesday, March 2

MANILA, Philippines – A group of parents torched a school in the central Philippines after complaining their children weren't given the food promised by a government program aimed at boosting school attendance, police said Tuesday.

The gutted walls were all that remained of the one-story Gaib Elementary School in Masbate island province, said provincial police chief Ed Benigay. No one was hurt because the school was empty when it burned down overnight, he said.

"It was done by some disgruntled parents who reportedly got mad at some teachers over perceived discrimination in the school's nourishment program," he said.

He said the parents accused the teachers of not giving their children enough rice. Under the government's "Food for School" program that seeks to encourage school attendance, each student in impoverished areas is supposed to be given 2.2 pounds (a kilogram) of rice every day.

The arson left nearly 150 students aged 5-10 without a classroom, Benigay said, adding that important records also were lost.

Police said no arrests have been made but they will file charges soon.

===

WTF??? Risk your child's future for a kilo of rice?? :bash:

le Reine

March 3rd, 2010, 05:38 AM

^^I guess that's how hungry the people are. :ohno:

xxxriainxxx

March 3rd, 2010, 07:04 AM

le Reine

March 3rd, 2010, 08:16 AM

^^masbate... hmmm.. marami ngang NPAs diyan

Igsuonnimo

March 3rd, 2010, 03:42 PM

Students' group asks CHED to stop tuition hikes (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=554381&publicationSubCategoryId=65)
(The Philippine Star) Updated March 03, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) and the Kabataan party-list yesterday called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to impose a tuition increase moratorium.

NUSP national president Einstein Recedes said a moratorium is the only protection that can be given against the continued imposition by colleges and universities of tuition hikes and new “miscellaneous fees” in the next academic year 2010-2011.

“We have attended tuition consultations and gathered data on tuition and other fee increases for the next academic year. Our findings confirm that education in our country is increasingly becoming inaccessible for the majority of the people,” he said.

According to Recedes, a study conducted by the NUSP on tuition rates of private schools starting 2001 showed an increase of an average of 90 percent.

For the next academic year, the NUSP sees a 10 percent increase in tuition and other fees in schools all over the country.

“Whats the point of CHED’s existence if it cannot stop, regulate even, tuition and other fee increases?” Vanessa Faye Bolibol, NUSP secretary-general, said. – Rainier Allan Ronda

xxxriainxxx

March 4th, 2010, 01:22 PM

Igsuonnimo

March 4th, 2010, 03:34 PM

Asus as if my nagawa ang NUSP sa tuition fee hikes. Lumang tugtugin na yan.

Uu naman!

Kesa naman sa UAAP, NCAA, PBA(basketbol) at NBA(sa tate') results ang pag-usapan --atleast nai-inform ang mga estudyante tungkol sa isyu ng Tuition Fee increase.

xxxriainxxx

March 4th, 2010, 03:40 PM

Uu naman!

Kesa naman sa UAAP, NCAA, PBA(basketbol) at NBA(sa tate') results ang pag-usapan --atleast nai-inform ang mga estudyante tungkol sa isyu ng Tuition Fee increase.

LOL. back in my UP days in the late 90s, people hardly care about NUSP and LFS seriously. NUSP siguro sa panahon ni Marcos/Aquino okay pa, most of the we just found them another front for the CPP.

le Reine

March 4th, 2010, 06:24 PM

xxxriainxxx

March 5th, 2010, 01:46 AM

^^They are still influential when I was there (2004-2008). In fact they hold "educational discussions" mainly to teach students about the glory of Fidel Castro and Cuba. The "militarization" of the Philippines and the continuing "imperialism" of the US. :lol::ohno:

LOL. I attended one of those EDs before and most of it are full of sh*t, haha, I think they are just merely brainwashed drones spouting the old commies' prop statements. So out of touch with reality. I agree partly though with their assessment of American imperialism (though I don't think need I will need their opinion as it is too obvious anyway).

Btw Le Reine, coming from UP, maybe you can use an avatar photo of Urduja instead? or maybe a Filipina folk hero.. sakit sa mata pag nakakita ako ng Korean eh. HEHEHE. Sige na, special request.:lol::lol:

le Reine

March 5th, 2010, 02:14 PM

^^ahahaha... I change my avatar every month and it perfectly reflects my mood. I've just changed it a few weeks ago. Let me enjoy it for a few weeks more. :lol:

xxxriainxxx

March 5th, 2010, 02:59 PM

^^ahahaha... I change my avatar every month and it perfectly reflects my mood. I've just changed it a few weeks ago. Let me enjoy it for a few weeks more. :lol:

hehehe... sana matapos na ang Korean mood mo.. hehehe. Think Hanjin deaths and stinky Korean farts inside the elevator. hehe. abangan ko yung next.

Igsuonnimo

March 6th, 2010, 04:47 PM

Best cheerleading squads to battle for NCC crown (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/abs/20100304/tph-best-cheerleading-squads-to-battle-f-85c5a6c.html)
ABS-CBN - Thursday, March 4

MANILA, Philippines -- The National Cheerleading Championship (NCC) will finally crown the best cheerleading squad in the Philippines this Saturday (Mar 6) at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

A total of 21 collegiate teams qualified for the NCC Finals which will take place at 2 p.m. The event will also be aired live on high definition by ABS-CBN Sports on Studio 23.

According to the NCC (www.nccphilippines.com), the squads to watch out for are 2009 National Champions and NCAA Champions University of Perpetual Help Dalta System (UPHDS), 2009 1st runner-up University of the Cordilleras and 2009 2nd runner-up Xavier University-Ateneo De Cagayan (XU).

The 2007 and 2008 champions Central Colleges of the Philippines (CCP), SCUAA Champions Rizal Technological University (RTU) and Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Taguig (PUPT) are also expected to put on a show.

Meantime, the dark horses of the competition include De La Salle University (DLSU), who placed 3rd in the NCR Qualifiers, Jose Rizal University (JRU), who placed 2nd in the NCAA competition, and Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), who placed 2nd in the UAAP competition.

Other “notable finalists” are Palawan State University (PSU), Tarlac State University (TSU), Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) and Notre Dame University (NDDU) from General Santos City.

The live coverage came up after a recent partnership signed by ABS-CBN Vice President for Sports Peter Musngi and NCC President and COO Carlos Valdes III. The coverage will mark the first time in the entire cheerleading world for an event to be aired live and in high definition.

"This is exciting for all fans of the sport of cheerleading. Even in the US, the competitions are aired on tape delayed basis,” Musngi said in a statement.

Emiliano Caruncho IV, NCC head for Business Development and Finance, said partnering with the country's premier sports broadcast organization will help promote the sport of cheerleading.

"We are happy that all fans of cheerleading - especially those in the provinces - finally see all the action up close and live. This will allow squads to showcase their elite skills to wider audience and help the sport grow even more," he said.

* * * * * * * * * *

Sino kaya ang nanalo dito?

ralfy

March 6th, 2010, 05:57 PM

Those are very low results for NSAT, etc., and they probaby reflect more accurate functional literacy rates. To see the poor quality of tertiary education, see PCER 2000.

There's a lot to do: lower drop out rates from 50 pct to under 9 pct. Go for a national ave. of at least 75 pct for national exams. Increase no. of years for pre-tertiary ed. from 10 to 11 or 12, then use the last year or add one year for work training similar to VET. Drop a college degree as a requirement for most jobs. Target a class size of 35 (it's around 40 for several private schools) with a goal of 25. Make sure that the remaining 40 pct or so of schools have roofs, running water, blackboards, and even principals. Go for a ratio of one book per student and hopefully one desk per student.

For tertiary school, require only a diploma for most occupations (credit the VET then add one or two years of training and coursework, depending on what business associations in that line of work think is needed) and a degree only for particular occupations that require licensure exams, research, etc.

For various types of work, focus on taking one subject or seminar at a time, esp. what's needed for work. It's not practical to spend a large sum of money to take a degree and then end up taking one to two years of management training with the company, anyway. Instead, use the work-in-training to go to school.

Don't add other requirements such as Spanish; just fix what's already in place, and not just logistical issues but even content, such as textbook errors. Also, don't add too many subjects per term. With the additional number of years, subjects can now be spread out and studied in greater detail, esp. math which can be taught in two-hour sessions and using teams of students.

Cons: very expensive due to a lower class size and two additional years

Pros: gen. ed. courses in tertiary can now be made part of pre-tertiary; savings on the tertiary level bec. grad. should not have to go to college to qualify for most jobs; college can now be used for professional training, and unis for research; scores should be higher, too, given more no. of years of pre-tertiary schooling.

Given a chronic, global economic crisis, it might be best, though, just to go back to community schooling, focusing on the three Rs and practical skills needed to plant one's own food, deal with problems involving greater environmental damage and oil and other resource shortages, etc.

ralfy

March 6th, 2010, 05:58 PM

Re: Cuba, a related topic:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1721584909067928384#

MatudNilaBaby

March 6th, 2010, 06:07 PM

red_jasper

March 7th, 2010, 05:23 AM

Helping our engineers (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/246548/helping-our-engineers)
By Sen. EDGARDO J. ANGARA
March 7, 2010, 11:10am

Our era is defined by innovation. So competitive is the world we live in now that the ability to produce scientific and technological breakthroughs determines a country’s success or failure.

At the core of this massive drive to innovate are scientists and engineers who have the ability to apply technical, scientific, and mathematical knowledge to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes.

Engineering is one of the broadest fields of study in the applied sciences, and its system of accreditation is rigorous and diverse. Currently, there are four different accrediting associations in the world.

One of the hurdles our engineers face in applying to international registers like the APEC Register and the International Professional Engineers’ Register is the two years short in our basic education. We do not qualify for membership in engineering bodies, disadvantaging our engineers from their Western and other Asian counterparts.

For the last two years the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), which I chair, has been pushing to have the Philippines become an accredited member of the Washington Accord. This accord is an agreement between nations that recognizes the equivalence of engineering programs, and therefore allows our Filipino engineers to practice as professionals in other member countries.

Without membership in this exclusive group, our engineers are at a disadvantage as their education is deemed not up to par with international standards. Although Filipino engineers abound in the construction and oil sectors in North America, Europe and the Middle East, the accreditation issue prevents them from attaining equal stature with other countries’ engineers.

Last week, we signed an agreement with the Philippine Technological Council (PTC) and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) to pursue full membership to the Washington Accord. Technologically advanced countries like Taiwan, Korea, and Japan have already shown willingness to help us achieve this goal by giving scholarships to qualified Filipino engineers for study and training in their countries.

Technology is so rapidly evolving, and the demands of the labor market are constantly changing. We must internationalize our engineering and IT professionals and allow them to be recognized by international standards so they have better chances in the global labor market and command better compensation.

We must combine our push towards international recognition with more intensified efforts to raise the standards of engineering education in the country, and therefore produce top class engineers. This is the only way we can level the playing field for Filipino engineers and allow them to flourish in the global stage.

Email: edgardo_angara@gmail.com Website: www.edangara.com

bledzoe

March 7th, 2010, 09:40 AM

I believe some engineering schools are currently seeking this accreditation requirements. I have been in TIP and MAPUA and both have international accreditations for some of their course offerings.

kiretoce

March 7th, 2010, 10:47 PM

Koreans love Philippine education (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/246459/koreans-love-philippine-education)

Education in the country is one deplorable aspect in dire need of transformation.

There are not enough classrooms and supply of textbooks for students. There is a massive shortage of teachers and principals. Statistically, there are about 80 students per teacher; two students per textbook; and about 50 students with two shifts per classroom. These are results of re-channeling the budget allocation that supposedly should go to improving the public school system in the country.

South Korea’s public education spending, on the hand, is one of the highest in the world, even higher than in Canada and the United States. That is South Korea’s commitment to human development through the provision of high-standard education. This is the reason why South Korea is highly-developed as a nation, producing highly-competent human resources. Education is accessible to all, creating favorable environment for economic growth.

As part of its thrust towards helping its neighboring Asian countries, South Korea is also assisting the Philippines in promoting quality basic education particularly in the public education sector where more than 90 percent of Filipino children study. Korea University (KU) through its partnership with the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government and the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance & Ethical Leadership donated 15 computer sets to selected public high schools in Metro Manila through Quezon City Councilor Bolet Banal and the province of Ifugao.

Juan Sumulong High School of District III Quezon City received four computer sets from KU, a timely event to replace the computers that were wiped out at the height of Typhoon Ondoy last year.

Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat Jr. received 10 which will tremendously help students who are taught the proper use of computers only via drawings on the blackboard.

KU students also donated instructional manuals. Last year, some KU students shared time and talent by volunteering for non-profit organizations in the Philippines namely Gawad Kalinga, Pathways to Higher Education, and Ateneo Center for Educational Development last year.

The partnership between the two universities has opened doors to many opportunities to help upgrade education in the country.

The reality of education in the country must be given outright attention to and long-term solutions. This can only be done when the government takes the lead in institutionalizing reforms in education and ensuring that the system works even for the underprivileged ones.

By the time our Korean partners come back, perhaps five years from now they will see a different Philippines, a progressive one where there are enough classrooms and textbooks in public schools, enough school teachers teaching and molding a new generation of young Filipinos, and an education we can claim to be truly amongst the best in the world.

x12y12

March 8th, 2010, 06:23 AM

We should be more financial savvy in order to stir local trading.

RP college team tops Asia Pacific, proves why EDC is a ‘buy’
IN A country where only a few people have stock market investments, Filipinos appear to make for good equities analysts.

On Saturday night, the University of the Philippines (UP) topped 15 schools in the Asia-Pacific region in a contest in which participants analyzed whether a certain company is a good investment or not using the standards of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute, a global association of investment professionals.

The team from UP, composed of fifth year business administration students Raymund Siegfrid O. Li, Pamela Y. Li, Jose Mari P. Punzalan, Rachelle Denise G. Sison, and Choeerlen Bianca K. Solema, will fly to Hong Kong on April 17 to compete with representatives from the Americas, New York and Europe, and Middle East and Africa.

A team from Ateneo de Manila University, meanwhile, made it to the finals of the Asia-Pacific round of the Investment Research Challenge last year. The results were ironic given that the Philippine Stock Exchange reported two years ago that less than half of 1% of Filipinos invest in equities.

During a presentation, the UP team recommended that investors buy shares of Lopez-led geothermal firm Energy Development Corp. (EDC) citing the huge “upside” for the company given the Philippines’ power supply problems, the enactment of legislation supporting renewable energy, and the lack of competition.

Judges quizzed the group on why it thought the market was undervaluing the EDC, the firm’s dividend and corporate governance record, and the effect on the company’s profitability of other energy sources emerging as cheaper alternatives, among others.

The Philippine team, however, has a tough act to follow as the representatives from Asia Pacific have gone on to win the global competition for the past two years.

“No pressure,” Ashvin Vibhakar, managing director of CFA Institute Asia Pacific, quipped at the awarding of the winners.

Interestingly, only Mr. Li, who serves as team captain, has tried investing in the stock market. The other four learned about the bulls and the bears when they participated in the Philippine leg of the competition in September.

“If I had not joined the contest, I would not have thought about investing in the stock market,” Ms. Sison told reporters.

“It looked so complicated if you are not familiar with it ... you have to know about it so your investments will win,” Ms. Li added.

All of the team’s members were, however, not in a rush to recommend their friends and families to buy equities, but said people should at least learn about it.

“I think it should be taught in college. If you take it in high school, it might be premature ... you might not be familiar with how it works so you just keep on investing. It just might end up as a gamble,” Mr. Li said.

April Lee-Tan, president of CFA Society of the Philippines, said one of the competition’s goals is precisely to raise awareness about the opportunities in the local stock market.

“The Investment Research Challenge is one means [of raising awareness in the stock market] because we are starting at a grassroots level when they are still young,” she told reporters before the start of the competition.

“The mindset of a typical Filipino investor is that investing in stocks is gambling. But with education we want them to become aware what investment in stocks is all about, why it’s not gambling and how to go about that in a proper fashion,” she said.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. said the project supported monetary authorities’ advocacy of financial literacy.

The UP team competed with the Hong Kong Baptist University, National Taiwan University, Thammasat University of Thailand, SP Jain University of Mumbai, and Fundan University of Shanghai in the finals.

hakz2007

March 8th, 2010, 08:51 AM

PGMA names Valisno as new DepEd chief (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=1&rid=262973)

MANILA, March 8 (PNA) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Monday announced that Presidential Assistant for Education Mona Valisno will be the new Department of Education (DepEd) chief.

President Arroyo made the announcement during her visit to the San Sebastian College (SSC) in C. M. Recto, Manila.

Mrs. Arroyo announced that Valisno will replace Secretary Jesli Lapus who was transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) replacing Secretary Peter Favila.

Earlier, President Arroyo designated Sec. Favila as the new member of the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The President made the announcement during her message to the 2nd Go Negosyo Women Entrepreneurship held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City earlier this morning.

Mrs. Arroyo witnessed the military ceremonies of the Citizen Advancement Training (CAT) with the theme “The Challenge of Sebastinian Youth in 2010” held at the SSC quadrangle in C. M. Recto, Manila. (PNA)

MatudNilaBaby

March 9th, 2010, 04:29 AM

Ady001

March 9th, 2010, 04:30 AM

MatudNilaBaby

March 9th, 2010, 04:36 AM

^^ Or if not, tighten the regulation, or, make grade 1 as early as 5 years old.

Another thing we can do to our education is more freedom, more incentives, and more "pragmatic" sense of teaching, imho, the more practical and the more practiced, the better.

i totally agree that we need to provide students with more hands on activities and back to the basics "learning by doing".

Ady001

March 9th, 2010, 04:38 AM

^^ I could remember way back then why there were some subjects that weren't really hands-on when it comes to teaching.

And some teachers, instead of instilling knowledge, instill fear to students (remember the days of math, the one meter stick used as pamalo? Carino Brutal...)

MatudNilaBaby

March 9th, 2010, 04:45 AM

MatudNilaBaby

March 9th, 2010, 04:52 AM

hakz2007

March 9th, 2010, 05:09 AM

Lapus pushes for enactment of mandatory pre-school education (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=263121)

MANILA, March 8 (PNA) - The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday asked Malacañang to certify as urgent a bill that seeks a mandatory pre-school education in public schools to strengthen academic preparation of children.

Believing there should be equal opportunities for both the poor and the rich children, outgoing DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus pushed for the immediate passage of Senate Bill (SB) 2953, or the Governance of the System of Pre-School Education.

“This bill will greatly increase our students’ readiness for formal schooling,” he said.

“Our pupils’ first school experience should be enjoyable, so that this positive experience will motivate them to remain in school and complete their education,” he said.

DepEd’s proposed quality pre-school education involves adoption of a standard curriculum, a training and hiring program for pre-school day care’s teachers’ development, a nutrition and health program for students, construction of schoolrooms, and distribution of learning supplements to students.

To encourage parents to send their children to school, the government continues to implement the no collection policy in public schools.

“We are strictly enforcing the ‘no collection policy’ and ‘no mandatory uniform policy.’ We’re also implementing the allocation of cash subsidy for selected poor but deserving students,” he said.

The financial program will ease poor families’ cash burden and enable them to focus on rearing their children toward more productive education, he said.

The DepEd-supported bill aims to expand quality pre-school education in all public elementary schools for students aged five years and above. This will reduce children’s drop-out rate at the Grade 3 level from the more than 20 percent drop-out rate in previous years.

“Our public schools should have pre-schools for children aged five years just like what they have in schools for the more well-off,” he said.

“The law must correct social injustice. The minority wealthy Filipinos enjoy two to three years of pre-school to be ready for Grade 1. But the majority or 90 percent of our children must jump to Grade 1 immediately, so drop-out rate is high.”

SB 2953 is pending in the Senate’s Committee on Education, Arts, and Culture for committee report, and its Lower House counterpart, House Bill 5496, has been approved on third reading.

It is estimated that a total of 1.4 million pre-school students are already benefiting from the program. DepEd already started implementing the program even before the approval of the bill mandating pre-school education in public schools.

Of this number, the majority or 970,000 are from public schools. This number of beneficiaries also accounts for a significant 31.08 percent increase in enrollment from the 740,000 students benefited in 2008.

As an incentive to teachers, the government upgraded to permanent position the status of 2,300 teachers. It also granted additional allowances and honorarium to other teachers. It is presently training almost 24,000 pre-school teachers and day-care workers on the new curriculum.

In school year 2009-2010, DepEd distributed instructional materials and manipulative toys to a total of 13,000 pre-schools, including schools for the gifted and for persons with disabilitites (PWDs).

With its implementation of the pre-school program, DepEd said that 69 percent of 2.4 million pupils that were about to attend Grade 1 passed a readiness test. This is a marked increase from the 36 percent readiness of pupils in previous years. (PNA)

jpdm

March 9th, 2010, 01:24 PM

^^^^^^I hope this bill will be passed into law.:cheers:

hakz2007

March 10th, 2010, 09:55 AM

Gibo cites need for literacy program for preschoolers (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=13&sid=&nid=13&rid=263489)

DAVAO CITY, March 10 (PNA) -- With reforms in education as one of his primary concern, former Defense Secretary and Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. said he would institutionalize a national literacy program for preschool kids once elected president.

Teodoro, in a presidential forum here, also lamented the plight of daycare center workers who, he said, are major forces in molding the Filipino youth into better citizens.

"There should be a literacy training for the youth, especially those in their first four years of formative stages," said Gibo, a Harvard-trained lawyer and 1989 Philippine Bar topnotcher.

"Only by providing daycare center workers with better treatment can we carry out this effective literacy training program," he said.

The Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet vowed to carry out a literacy program for preschoolers and improve the plight of day care center workers.

Daycare centers are usually the initiatives of the local government units (LGUs) and without national government support, the volunteers oftentimes end up with low compensation.

Aside from vowing to strengthen basic education for children, Gibo also placed high on his priority list a universal health care program for the Filipino people.

"Such program would have to be enjoyed mainly by our poor country men, although it would not discriminate on the rich to be part of that health care program," he said.

The former defense chief said there should be a mandatory health care program for all Filipinos that is based on the capability to pay of every beneficiary.

In the same manner, he said that health workers should also receive better salaries so that they will be inspired to serve better their constituents.

The forum dubbed as "Sukatan 2010," was organized by the Kingdom of Jesus Christ: The Name Above Every Name congregation headed by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

The two-hour forum was held Tuesday afternoon at the Garden of Eden Restored at Tamayong district here. (PNA)

Planning Democracy

March 10th, 2010, 10:06 AM

we probably need to switch gear from k-10 to k-12 curriculum to be at par with japan, korea, singapore and most especially the g7 nations. two years lag in basic education means a lot to our students. minamadali natin ang mga bata to go to college and a lot of them are still immature and lack the skills to be taking college courses. professors deal with it by watering down the college curriculum so our very young college kids will fit in. hence the quality of education is compromised.

Basic education is very important. People have bad grammar nowadays even though some of them have PhDs, it all boils down to their education as children, its hard to change things once it hardwired into your head.

Kids should be trained for other things as such as a good work ethic and setting goals for themselves. I really can't understand young kids who throw away their lives bumming out and being "jologs". Don't they know that the secret to getting out of their jologs state is through education? :ohno:

MatudNilaBaby

March 10th, 2010, 01:04 PM

Basic education is very important. People have bad grammar nowadays even though some of them have PhDs, it all boils down to their education as children, its hard to change things once it hardwired into your head.

Kids should be trained for other things as such as a good work ethic and setting goals for themselves. I really can't understand young kids who throw away their lives bumming out and being "jologs". Don't they know that the secret to getting out of their jologs state is through education? :ohno:

whats a jologs?

Mercato

March 10th, 2010, 01:56 PM

whats a jologs? :? Yea, What's a jologs?? I've asked some filipinos in my circles around alabang & california and they don't really understand what it is either. :?

manila_eye

March 10th, 2010, 02:22 PM

jologs = masa, bakya, classless.

MatudNilaBaby

March 10th, 2010, 06:57 PM

jologs = masa, bakya, classless.

wow what a term but how did it get started being used in a sentence?

ralfy

March 10th, 2010, 07:15 PM

Given what is likely a chronic global economic crisis, it should be best to focus only on the basics and whatever can provide for neessities.

MatudNilaBaby

March 10th, 2010, 10:09 PM

Given what is likely a chronic global economic crisis, it should be best to focus only on the basics and whatever can provide for neessities.

thats just being too complacent. we're in the era of global competition that the strong will be leaders and the weak will be followers. look at what countries in the world are leading us? those countries with k-12 basic education and i dont think we have to be a rich country to provide our children with such kind of education.

we can start now by making it optional or transitionary until a k-12 curriculum is implemented throughout the country. with a global standard of education, hopefully we can lift our standards of living.

because its getting more difficult to send kids to schools, filipinos should be cognizant that we need to create smaller families. how can our government provide for good education if our country produces more babies than the government could create jobs.

jpdm

March 11th, 2010, 02:33 AM

jologs = masa, bakya, classless.

:lol::lol::lol:

jpdm

March 11th, 2010, 02:33 AM

Planning Democracy

March 11th, 2010, 02:35 AM

whats a jologs?

:lol:

If you see kids bumming around, trying to act tough, and then vandalizing newly painted walls to make their "mark" in the world, those kids are "jologs". They've got certain anti-social attitudes that stem from their "jologs" outlook on life. You can be born poor, but that does not mean that you are hopeless, education can help them get out of poverty, unfortunately some of them buy into these antisocial attitudes and end up being unemployed and unproductive members of society.

kiretoce

March 11th, 2010, 02:53 AM

whats a jologs?
:? Yea, What's a jologs?? I've asked some filipinos in my circles around alabang & california and they don't really understand what it is either. :?

The equivalent English meaning would be:

awkward, barbaric, boorish, cheap, clownish, coarse, crass, crude, discourteous, disgracious, gawky, graceless, gross, heavy-handed, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impertinent, impolite, inelegant, loud, loud-mouthed, loutish, oafish, raunchy, raw, rough, rude, rustic, strange, tacky, uncalled-for, uncivilized, uncouth, ungainly, ungenteel, ungentlemanly, unpolished, unrefined, unseemly, and vulgar.

**There was a film (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0336669/) made with that word as the title of it.

Ady001

March 11th, 2010, 05:44 AM

MatudNilaBaby

March 11th, 2010, 09:19 AM

just something to share...

A friend of mine in work was once a college stude in a mormon university in Hawaii and said that Philippine subjects tend to be harder than their American counterparts because most of our subjects are "compressed" in terms of subject matter. Another problem was that we don't emphasize on hands-on learning, and base most of what we learn on memorization.

Something to ponder really.

there's truth in everything he said. memorization is also part to blame in why our standard of our graduates are low. the easiest way a teacher can do is learning facts. only very few of our teachers focused on the higher levels of learning such as problem solving, analyzing and critical thinking. students here are taught to solve problems, analyze and become critical thinkers. thats the reason why they come up with new ideas and innovations.

x12y12

March 11th, 2010, 12:39 PM

UP Leads Consortium to Strengthen Philippine Engineering :banana:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UP leads consortium to strengthen Philippine engineering
Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc

Engineering schools can help the country effectively attain economic growth if they work together. This is precisely why seven universities, led by UP, have formed a consortium that will provide generous graduate scholarships, set up a faculty development program, develop research infrastructure, and fund research programs in Engineering and Computer Science. All seven have comprehensive and mature graduate Engineering programs and all seven will contribute to creating a pool of high-level engineers who can jumpstart the economy through radical innovations.

Through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed on August 17, 2007 at the Quezon Hall, UP, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), De La Salle University (DLSU), Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), and University of San Carlos (USC) formed the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) Consortium.

During the MOU signing, UP College of Engineering Dean Rowena Cristina Guevara explained that high-level engineers are needed to make gains in Science and Technology (S&T) and to create synergy between S&T and Engineering, which can spur economic growth. They are key to attracting foreign investments and producing higher-value goods, she said.

However, based on the UNESCO benchmark, the Philippines sorely lacks high-level engineers. The benchmark is 3.4 Ph.D. engineers for every 10,000 people, but the country only has 1.08. The consortium aims to produce 112 doctoral and 596 master’s degree graduates by 2012, thereby significantly improving the country’s ratio.

An attractive scholarship program is vital to reaching ERDT’s targeted number of graduates, Dean Guevara said. She reported that UP has a very low graduation rate in its graduate Engineering programs despite many available scholarships because most of the students are lured by high-paying jobs.

President Roman and Dean Guevara said they had secured President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s commitment to fund the project through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The project will require a total of P6.5 billion over the next 10 years. According to Dean Guevara, the project had been presented to, and was met with approval and support from, Malacañang, senators, and congressmen.

Led by Dean Guevara, a steering committee composed of the heads of the Engineering and Computer Science programs of the universities had earlier worked out the nature of the consortium and is now finalizing how activities will be implemented and formulating a technology road map for the country in the fields of energy, environment and infrastructure, information and communications technology, and semiconductor electronics.

Under the terms of the MOU, the universities will promote exchange and visits among graduate students and junior and senior faculty members; team teaching and courseware development among the member institutions; collaboration, joint publications, and sharing of resources; exchange of information and materials in the field; joint conferences and academic programs; and, where courses are compatible, cross-enrollment of the students. The MOU is renewable after three years.

The consortium currently has an advisory committee composed of experts from the DOST, the Commission on Higher Education, and the industry. This committee also includes Silicon Valley entrepreneur and UP honoris causa Diosdado Banatao, who has been supporting the UP College of Engineering for the past eight years through the Banatao Fellowship at the University of California in Berkeley. Last September 2, Banatao pledged $500,000 to the College.

Caption: Signatories to the MOU are (front row) ADMU’s Dr. Fabian Dayrit representing Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, CLSU’s Dr. Ruben Sevilleja, DLSU’s Bro. Armin Luistro, UP’s Dr. Emerlinda Roman, USC’s Fr. Roderick Salazar, MSU-IIT’s Prof. Marcelo Salazar, and MIT’s Dr. Reynaldo Vea (not in photo). Behind them are Dr. Nathaniel Libatique of ADMU, Dean Rowena Guevara of UPD-COE, UPD Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Lorna Paredes, and UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Amelia Guevara.

Link: http://www.up.edu.ph/upnewsletter.ph...s&yr=2007&mn=9

Updates on the Engineering Complex

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?t=321145&page=7
IE/ME building soon to rise:cheers:

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the new two-storey building that will house the laboratories for the College of Engineering’s (CoE) Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IE) and Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) on March 4.

The new structure, which will be built at the corner of Magsaysay and Apacible Streets beside the National Engineering Center, will be home to the laboratories and faculty offices for some 300 students and faculty of the IE and ME. The IE wing faces Magsaysay Street while the ME Apacible Street.

The IE wing is set to house four new laboratories, namely: Facilities Planning Laboratory, Quality Management Systems Laboratory, Usability Laboratory and Integrated Product Design and Development Laboratory.

The ME wing will house the Design and Manufacturing Center as well as some P212 million worth of equipment for the ME laboratories, with more to come in the future.

Construction, funded by the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) program, was coursed through the Department of Public Works and Highways will begin this month, with the first floor to be finished by December.

Funding for the completion of the entire building (i.e., the second floor for faculty offices) is still being sourced, and will hopefully be completed by early 2011.

Soon to rise. UP Engineering Complex

1. IE/ME Building
2. Chemical Engineering Building
3. Energy and Environmental Engineering Building
4. Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute Building
5. Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Building
6. Institute of Civil Engineering Building

kiretoce

March 12th, 2010, 04:00 AM

Ady001

March 12th, 2010, 07:17 AM

^^ Kimbs, it's actually a girl who went to Brigham Young, so you got it!!!

ralfy

March 13th, 2010, 02:28 PM

thats just being too complacent. we're in the era of global competition that the strong will be leaders and the weak will be followers. look at what countries in the world are leading us? those countries with k-12 basic education and i dont think we have to be a rich country to provide our children with such kind of education.

we can start now by making it optional or transitionary until a k-12 curriculum is implemented throughout the country. with a global standard of education, hopefully we can lift our standards of living.

because its getting more difficult to send kids to schools, filipinos should be cognizant that we need to create smaller families. how can our government provide for good education if our country produces more babies than the government could create jobs.

Check out the Baltic Dry Index, the level of sovereign debt in industrialized countries, news on commercial real estate and prime lending creating a second and even third "economic tsunami," the possibility of chronic high unemployment in many countries, news on oil production from Cantarell, and reports on peak oil during the same decade. The implication is, at best, a drawn-out global economic meltdown punctuated by stimulus packages which eventually dry up. And then there are the effects of climate change....

Given that, and what you wrote in your last paragraph, many other countries will be forced to lower resource usage and expect declines in anything except necessities. Educational systems geared for continuous economic growth will have to change, likely to fulfill at most basic needs, including skills needed for localization.

ralfy

March 13th, 2010, 03:02 PM

As I wrote in an earlier thread, if we assume "business as usual," then we should set for our goals the following before working on tertiary education: 12 years of pre-tertiary schooling, around 25 students per class, a ratio of one book per student (and in class, one desk per student), with all schools having roofs, potable water, blackboards, electricity, etc., textbooks with minimal errors, compensation for teachers that are at least better than what they're currently receiving, the same educational improvements in teacher education, more funds for national tests, and so on. In short, meet basic needs.

The costs will be high; hopefully, with significant decreases in corruption through monitoring and proper law enforcement, the national budget can increase to meet those costs. (Of course, reforms will also have to take place in health care, security, etc., since students need proper nutrition, job security for their parents, etc.).

But because of various global issues taking place (including the current economic crisis) and the fact that many of these reforms have been stated for decades but not completed, then we probably won't be seeing those additional funds. In which case, we will have to make do, which is what citizens have been doing for years. That is why something like half of Philippine schools are operated by the private sector, with even government now supporting programs ranging from distance education to even home schooling.

ralfy

March 13th, 2010, 03:07 PM

In addition to what x12y12 wrote, I remember one Presidential commission report from 2000 which states that only around six pct. of Filipino tertiary teachers have PhDs and 25 pct masteral degrees.

Finally, we can probably find out how tertiary students fare in international exams. For TIMSS (which is for primary and secondary ed.), the country is usually ranked near the bottom. If similar problems affect the tertiary level, then that's another problem to address.

Of course, we're assuming that it's still business as usual for the global economy in the long run.

Animo

March 14th, 2010, 12:30 AM

Pasig City (13 March (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p100313.htm&no=59)) -- Some 21 Spanish-speaking countries with economic activities worth US$4 trillion await the services of the Business Process Outsourcing sectors which demand call center agents that speak Spanish.
The signing recently of a memorandum of understanding between the Department of Education and Spain's Ministry of Education, Cervantes Institute, and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID) is expected to boost the chances of Filipinos landing a job in the BPO sector as the agreement will strengthen the reintroduction of Spanish language in public secondary schools.

"Aside from its direct link to our cultural heritage, learning Spanish in the 21st century can be a very potent tool for the Filipinos to compete in the global job market," said Education Secretary Jesli A. Lapus.

Lapus added that "the relearning of Spanish language in our country also allows us to have better ties, including economic ties, with all Spanish speaking nations in the world." He also sees this undertaking also as a quest to understand our nation's past.

"*Tiene perfecto sentido para nosotros hoy en dia para aprender el Español* (It makes perfect sense for us to learn Spanish today)," Lapus said.
According to Lapus, this agreement will push for the advancement of the quality of teaching and the promotion of Spanish language and culture in the education system of the Philippines.

Memorandum Order No. 276 signed by President Arroyo in 2007 directs the DepEd, CHED, and TESDA to encourage the teaching and learning of Spanish throughout the country.

The agreement was signed by Secretary Lapus and Jose Manuel Martinez Sierra, Director General of Ministry Education Affairs, Carlos Elberdi, Director of AECID, and Carmen Caffarel, Director of Cervantes Institute in Barcelona, Spain.

The support of the Spanish government in the teaching of Spanish language will be implemented in two phases, from 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 school years.

The pilot phase which started in June 2009 reintroduced the Spanish language in 15 secondary schools around the Philippines. A total of 35 teachers were trained and some 1,000 students benefited from this program.
The expansion phase, on the other hand, will cover 50 more schools, 100 teachers, and an estimated 8,000 students per school year from 2010 to 2011, and 2011 to 2012.

Mainstreaming of the program will cover the 2013-2014 school year.
"With this initiative, we desire to equip our students with new skills that will allow them to become highly competitive in the global market," Lapus explained.

As specified in the agreement, the Spain's Ministry of Education will provide assistance to DepEd in designing and developing the Spanish language curriculum. The Ministry will also help build capacity among our teachers through trainings.

Grants will also be provided to teachers to allow them to attend intensive or summer training and professional development courses organized by Spanish universities.

On the other hand, the Cervantes Institute will conduct face-to-face teaching of Spanish language among selected teachers. Their Aula Virtual de Español (AVE) or Spanish Virtual Classroom will also serve as a follow-through program to the trainings conducted. Distance education/learning will also be implemented by the Institute.

The Cervantes Institute will also grant *Diploma de Español **como** Lengua Extranjera* (DELE) or Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language to teachers and school heads who participated in trainings and teaching activities.
Also contained in the agreement is the commitment of AECID to finance the design of curriculum and development of instructional resources for the teaching of Spanish language in the secondary curriculum and other Spanish teaching programs. They will also supply bibliographic and electronic resources to our schools.

Meanwhile, DepEd will collaborate with the Spanish Ministry of Education in the production of curriculum and syllabus and the printing of the teaching guide for the teaching of Spanish language as adapted in the Philippine education system. (PIA)

x12y12

March 14th, 2010, 01:52 AM

Team RP from UP wins Asia-Pacific CFA tiltMarch 13, 2010, 2:03pm
Team CFA Philippines from the University of the Philippines (UP) won this year’s Asia Pacific Regional Investment Research Challenge (IRC) hosted by the Chartered Finance Analysts (CFA) Society of the Philippines.

UP students Jose Mari Punzalan, Choerleen Bianca Solema, Pamela Yu Li, Rachelle Denise Sison and Raymund Siegfrid Li ranked first in the final round against universities from Thailand, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The Philippines competed against 15 other countries in the beginning of the competition. Universities from Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, India, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Melbourne, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka all showed competitive strength against the Philippine Team which advanced to the IRC Asia Pacific Finals where it bagged the highest honor. “We feel very blessed and humbled for this achievement. We are definitely going to burn even more midnight candles for the global and final competition in April. We also feel proud to say that Filipino competence and talent is at par with that of other universities in the international arena. “says Raymund Li, team captain of Team CFA Philippines from UP.

ralfy

March 14th, 2010, 04:36 PM

It's better to look at standardized tests and other forms of assessment, and a sampling of Philippine schools versus the same for other countries.

hakz2007

March 15th, 2010, 12:03 PM

PGMA underscores importance of education among youth (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=1&rid=264391)

SAN VICENTE, Camarines Norte, March 15 (PNA) -- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday underscored the importance of education among the youth, who, she said “serves as the bridge from our past to our future.”

In a speech before students, teachers, and officials of the Froilan D. Lopez Technical and Vocational High School here this morning, the President pointed out that education is the foundation of opportunities and the key to a better life.

“Kayong mga kabataan ang kumakatawan sa mga pangarap ng ating bansa. Sa inyo natin iniaalay ang lahat ng ginagawa ng ating pamahalaan upang maiangat ang Pilipinas. (The youth represents the country’s future that is why we are investing in them to uplift the nation),” she said.

In this connection, the President spelled out her administration’s three-pronged development objectives anchored on the following:

to spur regional development by enhancing empowerment in each region;

to continue and develop further the 3 Es of the administration’s governance thrust: Education, Economy and the Environment to ensure sustainable and equitable development in the areas; and

to focus on the youth and assure their welfare and development through education into molding them as the next generation of leaders for the country’s better and brighter future.

The President said that while the country has accomplished much in the field of education and technology, a lot still needs to be done to achieve her goals.

She noted that she created the Presidential Task Force on Education headed by Fr. Bienvenido Nebres primarily to review the country’s educational system.

In conclusion, the President expressed hope that the youth of today will come into their own, give priority to education and modernity and use it as a tool for the development of the country.

The Chief Executive was welcomed here by Camarines Norte Gov. Jesus Typoco. San Vicente Mayor Joseph Stanley Alegre and DepEd officials led by Regional Director Celedonio Layon Jr.

Before delivering her speech, the President toured the school’s training and demonstration classrooms, computer literacy laboratory, garments technology and dressmaking class, food trades technology, the school’s ICT building for the PC Hardware servicing course, computer internet lab and the electricity training shop.

According to Alegre, the President’s visit to this fifth class town of 8,000 residents “is only the second by a Philippine President in almost 60 years since President Ramon Magsaysay.

San Vicente is the smallest municipality with nine barangays in the Bicol Region’s northernmost province of Camarines Norte. (PNA)

hakz2007

March 15th, 2010, 12:26 PM

Lawmaker cites P7.3-B donations under 'Adopt-a-School' Program (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=264447)

MANILA, March 15 (PNA) -- A lawmaker has called the "Adopt-a-School" Program "a huge success," citing the mobilization of some P7.3 billion in donations and pledges from the private sector in 2009 alone.

Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas credited the Department of Education (DepEd) for aggressively promoting the program as a means to help address the public school system's severe resource shortages.

He also credited last year's single biggest donor, Knowledge Channel (KCh), which contributed educational television (ETV) infrastructure and facilities to public schools.

KCh began in 1999 as the flagship project of the Knowledge Channel Foundation. It is the first and only all-educational channel on cable TV, broadcasting a wide range of curriculum-based programs for elementary and high school students and instructional shows for adults 18 hours a day, seven days a week.

KCh has emerged as a leading source of ETV programs in the country, providing highly relevant and responsive instructional support to over 2.8 million students in over 1,000 schools.

Gullas is principal author of Republic Act 8525, which established the Adopt-a-School Program.

The program spurs private entities to adopt and aid public schools in all levels in exchange for tax gains.

Under the program, contributing firms or individuals may deduct from their gross taxable income the amount equal to 150 percent of their assistance.

Qualified aid may be in the form of support for faculty training and development, the construction and upgrading of school facilities, the provision of textbooks and other teaching materials, and the modernization of instructional technologies.

Corporations that extend financial assistance to "adopted" public schools are entitled to claim a gross income deduction equal to 150 percent of the contribution.

Should a corporation for instance spend P300,000 to build a new classroom, the firm may claim a P450,000 deduction from gross income.

For the purpose of claiming deductions, the valuation of the aid other than cash would be based on the acquisition cost or purchase price of the property, equipment, materials and services supplied. However, used properties that are contributed would be subject to depreciation.

"This is huge tax benefit that Congress conceded precisely to allow private entities to get more value for their money, while heartily supporting our public schools," the Cebu solon said.

Gullas urged business to devote more social development funds to energizing the Adopt-a-School Program, stressing the need for the private sector to combine forces with the government in addressing the public school system’s resource gaps. (PNA)

hakz2007

March 15th, 2010, 01:32 PM

Japan grants P170M to DTI’s PCPS 4
MANILA, March 15 (PNA) –Japan has granted the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) P170 million to finance its Personal Computers for Public Schools (PCPS) project, which hopes to provide 425 public schools in Mindanao with desktop computers and computer peripherals.

The DTI has been spearheading the implementation of PCPS since June 2001.

The DTI PCPS 4 Project Mindanao component is designed to give attention to the needs of Muslim basic education by providing computers to public high schools catering to Muslim students.

The project is in line with the Department of Education’s move to close the gap between the traditional madrasah (Muslim community school) curriculum and the DepEd basic education.

The PCPS Project is part of the government of Japan's concrete steps to narrow the international digital division between developed and developing countries, and seeks to contribute to the Philippine government's efforts to develop its human resource capital in the field of Information Technology (IT) to enable the country to become an IT services hub.

Phases 1, 2, and 3 of PCPS Project received a total grant of approximately P1.8 billions from Japan. The project has provided 3,714 public high schools with 47,100 computers packages and thus reduced the computer backlog in secondary public education from 75 percent in 2001 to 37 percent to date.

Under the PCPS 4 Project, each recipient school in Mindanao will receive 11 brand new Lenovo desktop computers, one 3-in-1 (HP ink jet printer, wireless broadband router, and interrupted Power Supply (UPS).

The desktop computers will be equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo 2,93 GHz processor, 2GB DDR2 memory, 160 GB hard disk drive, DVD ARW optical drive and an 18.5” LCD monitor. It is pre-installed with Microsoft Windows 7 Pre-operating system and Microsoft Office 2007 Professional.

DTI-PCPS project manager Lydia Guevarra said that PCPS 4 Mindanao Component will start deployment soon.

“This phase’ winning bidder is Advance Solutions Inc. for hardware and Shelsoft Inc. for Microsoft software,” Guevarra said.

Advance Solutions is a trusted distributor of the country’s biggest computer companies such as Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, Microsoft Corp., 3M Corp., Samsung Electronics and Fujitsu Electronics.

Shellsoft is the exclusive reseller of Microsoft academic license and Microsoft Large Account Reseller, appointed to serve entities with 250 desktops or more.

It is also a noted Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Advanced Infrastructure Solutions, Information Worker Solutions, Security Solutions, Unifed Communication Solutions, Network Infrastructure Solutions, Licensing Solutions and OEM Hardware Solutions. Shellsoft is also a Microsoft Security Software Advisor as well as a Desktop Deployment Planning Services Partner, and a Microsoft Small Business Specialist.

To date the PCPS Project had trained a total of 46,728 teachers and more than 2.5 million high school students were able to experience hands-on computer training under the computer education curriculum of the project. A total of 13,000 instructional materials (CD courseware) for Math, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics were provided by the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI). (PNA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=3&sid=&nid=3&rid=264423

red_jasper

March 21st, 2010, 06:38 AM

How ‘thinking’ doctors are made (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/248794/how-thinking-doctors-are-made)
March 21, 2010, 10:52am

The spacious lounge high atop the 7th floor of the St. Luke’s College of Medicine Building overlooks the sprawling suburbs of Quezon City. Inside, dozens of fresh-faced medical students quietly pore through medical books and manuals, while others consult flickering laptop screens.

Dr. Brigido L. Carandang, Jr., president and dean of St. Luke’s College of Medicine (SLCM) — William H. Quasha Memorial, surveys the scene, and declares: “One of the Philippine government’s objectives is to produce doctors who will serve in the rural areas by teaching community-based medicine. However, the government also wants doctors who will staff hospitals that will make the Philippines a major destination for medical tourism. The latter is what SLCM is responding to. That’s why, in our curriculum, we have integrated clinical subjects as early as the first year,” Dr. Carandang says.

St. Luke’s Medical Center is providing the school with P50 million a year for operating expenses, another P50 million for scholarships, and P100 million in research grants.

SLCM’s efforts to attract the best students began with a revamp of its faculty in 2005. “We trimmed down our faculty from over 400 to less than 146, retaining only those who shared the vision of what we could become and who were willing to work for it,” the dean adds.

Today, the school has a faculty-student ratio of 146:190. They can admit 300 students and still have a 1:2 ratio.

SLCM’s curriculum combines basic and the clinical sciences integrated throughout the years of medical school.

In the first year, for instance, the College introduces Foundations of Medicine, a subject participated in by the faculties of Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology with the cooperation of select clinical faculty to demonstrate to the students the interaction of these basic disciplines in actual clinical situations.

Likewise, Anatomy is taught with the participation of the Radiology faculty so that the most modern imaging techniques are introduced to the first year students.

TIGHTER ADMISSION, GENEROUS SCHOLARSHIPS

When enrollments were declining and many medical schools were dispensing with National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) cut-off levels in order to admit more students, St. Luke’s College of Medicine went against the tide and raised its NMAT requirement from 65 to 90 percent.

“We’ve limited ourselves to the top 10 percent of the market, the same group of students that would go to a top and reputable medical school,” Dr. Carandang says. “We want the privilege of educating the best minds.”

To entice the best and the brightest students from the top schools in the Philippines, SLCM offers generous scholarships. Students who graduate with Latin honors from Philippine colleges and score 90 percent or higher in the NMAT can obtain full scholarships worth P90,000, covering tuition, laboratory and miscellaneous fees and books.

SLCM also offers partial scholarships to bachelor degree holders with a general weighted average of 2.0 and an NMAT score of 90 percent. A partial scholarship covers 75 percent of tuition, laboratory and miscellaneous fees and books.

Carandang says SLCM also lays the foundation for developing the scientists who will do the research work for the college and the medical center. Dr. Carandang himself enlisted the scientists at the St. Luke’s Research and Biotechnology Division (RBD) and made them faculty members to strengthen basic research skills among students.

“Research contributes to the pool of knowledge. The top medical schools in the world are known for the research they do. We therefore should take advantage of the fact that the RBD in the St. Luke’s Medical Center is one of the best equipped research centers in the country today.”

Dr. Carandang says SLCM is gearing up for future challenges ahead. “I think we’ve set the right foundation, and have evolved,” he observes. “We’ve done the hard part: build a school based on a framework that not all knowledge can be found in the classroom. The students must find their own knowledge.”

jpdm

March 22nd, 2010, 03:48 PM

La Salle has better AIM than Ateneo

Cocktales
by Victor Agustin
March 22, 2010

ARE the La Salle Brothers savvier than the Jesuits when it comes to running and churning money from schools?

The financially-strapped Asian Institute of Management may eventually be folded into the De La Salle Philippines network after the Jesuit-run Ateneo declined to step in and become the white knight of the region’s first business management school.

According to the grapevine, the AIM board has agreed to form a “strategic partnership” with the Taft campus, after rejecting the takeover proposal of the Laureate Group from the United States over possible constitutional issues.

Taipan Alfonso Yuchengco, whose empire now includes the Mapua Institute of Technology, had also kicked the tires of AIM but retreated after coming to the conclusion that the business school was a financial “black hole” that cannot seem to survive without foreign grants since it was founded in 1968 with Ford Foundation gravy.

La Salle is itself in the midst of merging its Ramon del Rosario Sr. Graduate School of Business at the Yuchengco-owned RCBC Plaza with the economics and business programs in the Taft campus, with no less than former AIM president and now La Salle chairman Francis Estrada overseeing the merger.

Gary Olivar, Gloria Arroyo spokesman and AIM adjunct professor, was elated at the news of the La Salle Brothers, despite being Arroyo critics, taking a greater role in the 48-year-old school.

“They know the business,” Olivar said, adding that it would be a “sweet revenge” for Estrada, whose one-term contract as president was not renewed by AIM.

ralfy

March 22nd, 2010, 06:58 PM

Related:

"In Recession, U.S. MBA Students Seek Backup Plan"

http://www.javno.com/en-world/in-recession-us-mba-students-seek-backup-plan/233744

the glimpser

March 23rd, 2010, 04:15 AM

Sex education must be taught, says new DepEd head

By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:21:00 03/23/2010

MANILA, Philippines—While the Department of Health (DoH) is distributing condoms, Education Secretary Mona Valisno is giving interviews, saying that sex education should be taught in schools so the students would “learn responsible family planning.”

Sex education is an important aspect of family planning, Valisno said. It would deal with the country’s “population explosion” and address the problem of students having unprotected premarital sex.

“We should educate our students. When you have sex education, you are opening their minds on how to do it the proper way,” the new education secretary said.

Valisno’s candidness is in sharp contrast to her predecessor, Jesli Lapus, the new trade secretary, who had repeatedly denied the Department of Education (DepEd) was teaching about sex, apparently to avoid incurring the wrath of the Catholic Church, a power in the country.

Lapus said the basic education curriculum only had a health subject that focused on personal hygiene and understanding the changes in an adolescent’s body.

Valisno said sex education was important because “no amount of investment in education” would help the country’s overcrowded public school system if the population growth rate remained high.

“We have so many babies born every minute,” she said.

Valisno, who is also President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s adviser on education, said teaching students how to use condoms was important because some of them were already sexually active.

However, she drew the line on a proposal to distribute condoms in public schools.

“Responsible family planning or sex education is a very important aspect but if you put out a lot of condoms, that’s another thing,” she said.

She said sex education should be “handled very well,” especially if taught to elementary school students.

“Whether it is in elementary [or high school, the] level of sex education [that would be taught] must be determined by experts. It should be at the level of the child’s understanding,” she said.

“There are psychologists, clinical psychologists. We have very good specialists in education,” she added.

Earlier this month, the DepEd and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) launched a program in 29 schools across the country aimed at preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV-AIDS.

The program, launched at Bagong Silangan High School in Quezon City, was designed to raise awareness among students of the importance of abstinence, making the right decisions, and the consequences of “sexual experience either by choice or due to pressure from peer groups.”

Vanessa Tobin, Unicef country representative, warned students and teachers at Bagong Silangan that “the Philippines is currently witnessing an increase of new HIV infections” among 15 to 24-year-old Filipinos, with the number of cases going up from 41 in 2007 to 218 in 2009.

kevinb

March 23rd, 2010, 05:01 AM

Spanish subject to make a comeback in RP schools (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gma/20100321/tph-spanish-subject-to-make-a-comeback-i-d6cd5cf.html)

The Spanish subject is set to make a comeback in schools soon.

Speaking at a news forum on Sunday, Jose Rodriguez, director of Instituto Cervantes, said the Spanish language would be included in the school curriculum of some selected public and private schools at the soonest possible time.

“The Spanish government through Instituto Cervantes has launched programs for teaching and relearning Spanish language among Filipinos in the country," he said during the Balitaan sa Tinapayan news forum in Sampaloc, Manila.

“Every year, 100 Spanish language teachers are undergoing seminars to become good instructors of Spanish language as they will be tapped to teach the language in selected public and private schools," he said.

Instituto Cervantes is a public institution created by Spain to promote and to teach the Spanish language and culture worldwide.

The undertaking is in accordance with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Memorandum Order No. 276, which directs the Department of Education (DepEd,) Commission on Higher Education (CHED,) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to encourage the teaching and learning of Spanish throughout the country.

President Arroyo herself is a fluent Spanish speaker and has been heard speaking the language to her daughter Luli. Some members of the upper class still speak Spanish at home.

The Arroyo memorandum was signed in 2007. The support of the Spanish government in the teaching of the language will be implemented in two phases, from 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 school years.

Rodriguez said it would be good for the economy if many Filipinos know the Spanish language since it could lead to job offers in Spanish-speaking countries.

“It will open for more job opportunities for Filipinos who know the language. Many countries use Spanish as first language and the Filipinos who are learning Spanish can maximize this opportunity," he said. At first, the language will be taught in 15 public and private high schools.

Spanish was an official language in the Philippines from the beginning of the Spanish invasion in the 16th century until the country's Constitution was changed in 1973. - KBK, GMANews.TV

jpdm

March 23rd, 2010, 12:31 PM

Palace backs Spanish course for HS students

March 23, 2010, 5:29pm
Manila Bulletin

Malacañang on Tuesday threw its support to the inclusion of Spanish language in the high school curriculum as an elective subject.

“If this is the decision of DepEd then it would carry the support of the executive branch… I think it’s helpful for kids to be given the opportunity to learn (the language),” deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar told reporters.

He said students who are reluctant to take the language course have the option not to do so since it is an elective course.

“I remember Spanish used to be compulsory noong nag-aaral pa ako; 12 units actually, before 24 units pa nga. So natanggal 'yan, eventually ngayon kung binabalik natin pero elective lang naman (When I was still studying, it was 12 units actually, but before it was 24 units. It was scrapped, eventually it is being brought back, but it is an elective) ,” he said.

Olivar also took the opportunity to warn public schools not to collect graduation fees as ordered by the DepEd.

He said these schools “need to be reasonable” when they collect fees, which should be within the DepEd regulation.

Reacting on the snowballing protest over the impending 2,000-percent tuition hike being mulled over by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the Palace official assured that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has taken appropriate steps to address the concerns of militant student groups, including the review of the tuition hike proposal made by the PUP Board of Regents seeking P200 increase per unit on March 29 from P12 per unit.

“The process is still beginning so let’s just wait for the process to take its course. Of course, CHED will take note of the opposition being raised by the students as well as whatever case maybe made by the school itself,” Olivar said.(Charissa M. Luci)

jpdm

March 23rd, 2010, 12:54 PM

Pagcor to establish hotel casino in old racetrack

Tuesday, 23 March 2010 00:00
Manila Times

MJC Investments Corp. (MIC) told the Philippine Stock Exchange Monday that it will build a hotel casino in the former San Lazaro race track in Manila in partnership with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

The holding firm disclosed that it entered an agreement with Pagcor, which would establish, manage and operate a casino in the hotel that MIC would construct.

This hotel will be built on MIC’s 1.4-hectare property within the San Lazaro Tourism and Business Park in Santa Cruz, Manila.

The site is part of the former racetrack, the San Lazaro Hippodrome that has been registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, entitling it to tax perks and other incentives.

Under a property-for-share swap undertaken in April 2008, MIC accepted Aries Prime Global Holdings Inc. as the transferee of Manila Jockey Club Inc.’s non-core assets. Aries used to be the majority owner of MIC before the sale of its entire stake in June 2007.

At end-September last year, MIC’s net income jumped 114 percent to P1.7 million from P794 million the year before as revenues climbed 117 percent to P2.99 million.

Maricel E. Burgonio

RonnieR

March 24th, 2010, 07:23 AM

Foreign-educated Pinoys can take Bar examinations

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/nation/13965-foreign-educated-pinoys-can-take-bar-examinations
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 00:00

The Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that Filipino graduates of foreign law schools may now take the Philippine Bar examinations subject to certain conditions.

The much-awaited results of the 2009 Bar examinations will be known Friday after the High Court en banc’s morning deliberation on the passing percentage.

The Office of the Bar Confidant said that the High Tribunal en banc amended Section 5 and 6 of Rule 138 of the Rules of Court to allow foreign-educated Filipinos to take the Bar exams.

Section 5 of Rule 138 now provides that before being admitted to the examination, all applicants for admission to the Bar shall satisfactorily show that they have successfully completed all the prescribed courses for the degree of Bachelor of Laws or its equivalent degree in a law school or university officially recognized by the Philippine Government or by the proper authority in the foreign jurisdiction where the degree has been granted.

It further provides that a Filipino citizen who graduated from a foreign law school shall be admitted to the Bar examination only upon submission to the Supreme Court of his or her certifications showing completion of all courses leading to the degree of Bachelor of Laws or its equivalent degree; recognition or accreditation of the law school by the proper authority; and completion of all fourth year subjects in the Bachelor of Laws academic program in a law school duly recognized by the Philippine government.

A Filipino citizen who completed and obtained his or her degree in Bachelor of Laws or its equivalent in a foreign law school must also present proof of completion of a separate bachelor’s degree.

Bar exams results
Figures from the Office of the Bar Confidant, headed by Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant lawyer Ma. Cristina Layusa, showed a total of 5,903 law graduates from 109 law schools nationwide finished the exams held on September 6, 13, and 20 and October 4, 2009 at the De La Salle University in Taft Avenue, Manila.

Justice Antonio Nachura, chairman of the 2009 Committee on Bar Examinations, said the list of the names will be displayed on LCD projectors to be strategically placed at the Supreme Court front yard near its Padre Faura entrance.

The results can be viewed simultaneously at sc.judiciary.gov.ph, the official website of the High Court.

The names of the 2009 Bar examiners will also be revealed this Friday. The 2009 Bar exams marked the first time that not one but two examiners were designated as examiners in each of the eight Bar examination subjects.

The Rules of Court provide that “a candidate may be deemed to have passed his examination successfully if he has obtained a general average of 75 percent in all subjects without falling below 50 percent in any subject.”

In determining the average, subjects in the examinations are given the following relative weights: Political and International Law, 15 percent; Labor and Social Legislation, 10 percent; Civil Law, 15 percent; Taxation, 10 percent; Mercantile Law, 15 percent; Criminal Law, 10 percent; Remedial Law, 20 percent; and Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises, 5 percent, for a total of 100 percent.

The first Bar exams were held in 1901, with 13 examinees. In 2008, a total of 6,364 examinees took the Bar but only 1,310, or 20.58 percent passed the examinations.

All throughout the Bar exams history, only 12 law schools managed to produce first placers in the examinations.

The University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law has the most number of bar topnotchers with 49 topping the exam, followed by Ateneo de Manila Law School with 19, Philippine Law School and San Beda College of Law with six each, University of Manila College of Law with four each, Far Eastern University Institute of Law and University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law with three each, University of the Cordilleras (formerly Baguio Colleges Foundation) College of Law and Manuel L. Quezon University College of Law with two each, Manila Law College Foundation (formerly Escuela de Derecho de Manila), Divine Word College and the University of the East College of Law with one bar topnotcher each.

The Philippine president who got the highest score as a topnotcher was Ferdinand Marcos with 92.35-percent average in 1939.

In 1945, Jovito Salonga and Jose Diokno tied the highest score of 95.3 percent. The only other instance of a tie at first place of the bar exams was when Edwin Enrile (salutatorian of his Ateneo Law School class) and Florin Hilbay (an honor student of the UP College of Law) both garnered the same score in 1999.

Ateneo Law School’s Mercedita Ona, got the lowest passing grade of 83.55 percent in 2007, which erased the prior record of 84.10 percent, obtained by Adolfo Brillantes of Escuela de Derecho de Manila (now Manila Law College Foundation) in 1920.

No bar examinee has ever reached a 100 percent general average, but several bar examinees have garnered perfect and near-perfect grades in specific bar subjects.
William B. Depasupil

hakz2007

March 27th, 2010, 04:25 PM

San Beda tops bar exams after 43 years
MANILA, Philippines—After more that four decades, San Beda College again has a bar topnotcher.

Not one but two.

Reinier Paul R. Yebra of San Beda College (SBC) topped the 2009 bar examinations with an average score of 84.80 percent.

Fellow SBC law graduate Charlene Mae C. Tapic placed second with an average score of 84.60 percent.

Although SBC has consistently been in the top 10 of bar passers, Yebra was the school's first law graduate to top the bar exam since 1967, when San Beda law alumnus and a former candidate for the Supreme Court, Rodolfo D. Robles, was the topnotcher.

That same year, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Nachura, also from SBC, placed seventh in the bar exams.

A total of 1,451, or 24.58 percent of the 5,903 examinees from 108 law schools nationwide, passed the 2009 examinations.

“I think finally the law of averages caught up with San Beda College. It has been a long, long while since it has had a topnotcher,” Nachura said in an interview after breaking the news at 9:41 p.m. Friday to a crowd that had waited for hours outside the Supreme Court building on Padre Faura Street in Manila.

7 Ateneans

Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), however, had the most students among the top 10 with seven graduates, while the University of the Philippines (UP) completed the list with two of its graduates.

The rest of the top 10 bar passers were: third place John Paul T. Lim of AdMU with score of 84.50 percent; fourth place Caroline P. Lagos of UP with 84.40 percent; fifth place Eric David C. Tan of AdMU with 84.05 percent; sixth place Yves-Randolph P. Gonzalez of AdMU with 83.90 percent; seventh place Joan Mae S. To of AdMU with 83.65 percent; eighth place Herminio C. Bagro III of UP with 83.40 percent; ninth place Timothy Joseph N. Lumauig of AdMU with 83.20 percent; and tied for tenth place are Naealla Rose M. Bainto and Sheila Abigail O. Go both of AdMU with a score of 83.10 percent.

The oath-taking of the new lawyers will be held on April 28 at 2 p.m. at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Nachura, chair of the 2009 committee on bar exams, said that to increase the number of bar passers, the passing rate was lowered to 71 percent from the usual 75 percent, while the disqualification grade in the taxation subject was lowered to 45 percent from 49 percent.

In the last decade, the highest percentage of successful examinees was 32.89 percent of the total number of examinees, posted in 2001, while the lowest was 19.68 percent posted in 2002.

The highest percentage of passers was 75.17 percent in 1954 while the lowest was 16.59 percent in 1999.

First time

For the first time, the Supreme Court designated not one but two examiners for each of the eight subjects in the exams. Every subject was divided into two parts with a designated examiner for each part.

A court spokesperson said the idea was to make checking faster so the results could be released earlier.

But since the results were not released earlier, the Supreme Court may discuss and decide whether to continue having two examiners per subject in this year's bar exams.

The bar exams are traditionally held during the four consecutive Sundays of September, but the Supreme Court had to reset the last exam date to Oct. 4, 2009, due to the widespread flooding brought about by Tropical Storm “Ondoy.”

The list of successful bar examinees could be viewed at sc.judiciary.gov.ph.

Last night the list was simultaneously shown on three LCD monitors strategically set up at the Supreme Court front yard.

The Philippine bar exam, which serves as the licensure exam for lawyers, is exclusively administered by the Supreme Court. It is the only professional licensure exam in the country that is not supervised by the Philippine Regulatory Commission.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100327-261039/San-Beda-tops-bar-exams-after-43-years

bitoy

March 29th, 2010, 10:14 AM

That's a big increase in tuition, why not just ask for the increase in budget next time from the government instead of tuition fee hike.

PUP president says 17-fold tuition hike 'necessary' (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/186897/pup-president-says-17-fold-tuition-hike-necessary)

For the past 30 years, students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines have been paying P12 per unit or P288 a semester per student with 24-unit load. The PUP administration is pushing for tuition hike to improve the school facilities.

With the need to improve campus facilities, the state university’s administration is pushing for an almost 17-fold tuition increase for incoming freshmen of laboratory-intensive courses such as Engineering and Computer Management.

On Wednesday, PUP president Dante Gueverra justified the need to increase school fees from P12 per unit to P200 per unit. That means that incoming freshmen for the concerned courses will have to pay P4,800 for a 24-unit semester.

“May pangangailangan na ang mga estudyante, na sila mismo ang sumisigaw to improve the facilities of the university. Pero kulang ang aming budget (We need to increase the tuition for the students. They themselves are clamoring to improve the facilities of the university, but we don’t have the budget)," Guevarra said in an interview on GMA’s Unang Hirit with anchor Arnold Clavio.

jpdm

April 3rd, 2010, 12:06 PM

Only 3 out of 10 job-hunting grads may find work—IBON

03/19/2010 | 05:38 AM

Only three out of ten college graduates looking for work may be able to find jobs if the government remains unable to create sufficient jobs, according to a non-government research agency.

In a release sent Thursday, independent think tank IBON Foundation said around 848,000 new and old graduates may be looking for work after this year’s graduation, but only about 256,000 openings may be available to them.

The figure was based on the government’s Labor Force Survey (LFS) in April last year, but IBON said the number of jobs may still be the same this year in the worst-case scenario of the economy being able to generate the same number of jobs.

The figure provided by IBON also does not include graduates who do find jobs but will probably take whatever work is available even if these are not related to their college degrees.

Previous estimates show that three out of five college graduates immediately join the labor force.

With the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) estimating some 542,000 college graduates this year, IBON said an additional 325,000 degree-holding job-seekers will join the labor market.

Those who are going to look for work will then be competing with about 523,000 other unemployed graduates as of January 2010, IBON added.

“This problem is mitigated somewhat if the newly-erupting global crisis early last year was a factor that particularly dragged down job creation at the time," the group said, adding, however, that long-term job prospects of college graduates will still not be secure.

Over one in ten college graduates in the country are unemployed according to IBON, reaching 591,000 out of 5.63 million college graduates in the labor force after the closing of classes in April 2009 based still on LFS data.

The new graduates are also set to join the some 4.3 million jobless Filipinos as of 2009, based on the group’s own estimates.

This is about a third higher than the government’s estimate of only 2.8 million jobless Filipinos as of January this, which even then registered an improvement from 2.9 million recorded last year. (See: Jobless rate eases; 2.8M Pinoys had no jobs in Jan)

Job-skills mismatch

As reported in GMA News’ Saksi news program, the government’s labor department however said unemployment is caused not by the lack of jobs but by the perceived mismatch between skills possessed by applicants and the demands of employers.

“Isa sa tinitingnan, 'yung pagre-review ng mga curriculum. Nagma-match ba itong pinag-aaralan ng mga estudyante sa aktwal na pangangailangan ng mga industriya," Department of Labor and Employment director for information and publication service Jay Julian told GMA News reporter Ivan Mayrina.

(We’re looking at reviewing the schools’ curriculum, among other things, if what students are taking up matches the demands of the industries.)

The department is thus consulting sectors and industries in its program dubbed Jobsfit, to know which fields are more likely to generate a higher number of jobs.

Based on the department’s records, the top employment generators in 2009 are agribusiness; cyber services including call centers; health, wellness and tourism including nursing and caregiving; hotels and restaurants; and mining.—Jerrie M. Abella/JV, GMANews.TV

Ady001

April 11th, 2010, 06:48 AM

MatudNilaBaby

April 12th, 2010, 01:32 AM

I talked again with one of my friends from Seattle, a Bisdak from Davao, and asked about what education was like in the States. He said that compared here, they really had it hands-on. Nagkakatalo lang talaga sa equipment and practical skill, but overall, he had it quite easier. Kasi daw dito, nagmememorize, nagiging valedictorian at tumataas ang grade pero walang naiintindihan...

Another realization. It should all start with education.

if we dont align our curriculum with the g7 nations, we will always be at disadvantage.a k-12 basic education program is always superior to 1-10 philippine curriculum. no wonder we are ranked like we are an african country.

Ady001

April 12th, 2010, 02:31 AM

^^ K7 is more spread out kasi and you're really chewing the cud, not just swallowing the food whole. Here, we had it the hard way but we don't get to enjoy the taste of food.

At least 5 years like Vietnam is fine. 6 years still is better. Who knows, if we have a different level of instruction but with the same jam-packed and challenging curricula, we can even rival other countries.

Eriq

April 12th, 2010, 03:41 AM

I thought this was a very interesting:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8601207.stm (Video in website)

Why do Finland's schools get the best results?
By Tom Burridge
BBC World News America, Helsinki
Last year more than 100 foreign delegations and governments visited Helsinki, hoping to learn the secret of their schools' success.

In 2006, Finland's pupils scored the highest average results in science and reading in the whole of the developed world. In the OECD's exams for 15 year-olds, known as PISA, they also came second in maths, beaten only by teenagers in South Korea.

This isn't a one-off: in previous PISA tests Finland also came out top.

The Finnish philosophy with education is that everyone has something to contribute and those who struggle in certain subjects should not be left behind.

A tactic used in virtually every lesson is the provision of an additional teacher who helps those who struggle in a particular subject. But the pupils are all kept in the same classroom, regardless of their ability in that particular subject.

Finland's Education Minister, Henna Virkkunen is proud of her country's record but her next goal is to target the brightest pupils.

''The Finnish system supports very much those pupils who have learning difficulties but we have to pay more attention also to those pupils who are very talented. Now we have started a pilot project about how to support those pupils who are very gifted in certain areas.''

Late learners

According to the OECD, Finnish children spend the fewest number of hours in the classroom in the developed world.

This reflects another important theme of Finnish education.

Primary and secondary schooling is combined, so the pupils don't have to change schools at age 13. They avoid a potentially disruptive transition from one school to another.

Teacher Marjaana Arovaara-Heikkinen believes keeping the same pupils in her classroom for several years also makes her job a lot easier.

''I'm like growing up with my children, I see the problems they have when they are small. And now after five years, I still see and know what has happened in their youth, what are the best things they can do. I tell them I'm like their school mother.''

Children in Finland only start main school at age seven. The idea is that before then they learn best when they're playing and by the time they finally get to school they are keen to start learning.

Less is more

Finnish parents obviously claim some credit for the impressive school results. There is a culture of reading with the kids at home and families have regular contact with their children's teachers.

Teaching is a prestigious career in Finland. Teachers are highly valued and teaching standards are high.

The educational system's success in Finland seems to be part cultural. Pupils study in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.

Finland also has low levels of immigration. So when pupils start school the majority have Finnish as their native language, eliminating an obstacle that other societies often face.

The system's success is built on the idea of less can be more. There is an emphasis on relaxed schools, free from political prescriptions. This combination, they believe, means that no child is left behind.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8601207.stm

Published: 2010/04/07 15:19:11 GMT

jpdm

April 13th, 2010, 02:34 AM

Top engineers to attract
techno-based industries

BY PAUL ICAMINA
(Part 2)
Malaya Business Insights
April 13, 2010

Without qualified engineers, semiconductor electronics, the country’s top export, and Information and Communications Technology, its largest potential, will stagnate.

Vietnam and China, in fact, will overtake the Philippines, unless the problem is addressed, says Dr. Emerlinda R. Roman, president of the University of the Philippines System.

One answer is the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) program initiated by top engineering schools and the Department of Science and Technology, she said in a forum on engineering education.

With ERDT’s full implementation in the next 10 years, Roman said, "the country will attract more investments in technology-based industries, a culture of research will proliferate in local universities and local technologies will sprout."

The ERDT, which offers master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering aimed at delivering high-impact research, is a consortium of UP Diliman, De La Salle University, Mapua Institute of Technology, Ateneo de Manila University, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, University of San Carlos, Central Luzon State University and UP Los Banos.

"The premise of the ERDT is that we need engineers with advanced degrees to make science and technology work for Filipinos, from disaster mitigation to poverty alleviation, from agriculture to semiconductor industries," Roman said.

"Researchers, scientists and engineers are considered vital to national development because of their capability to translate R&D results into viable industries, undertake high-impact research, pass on knowledge and identify new directions," she said.

According to Unesco, there are 3.4 researchers, scientists and engineers per 10,000 population in developing Southeast Asian countries. The Philippines has 1.08.

The lack of R&D and researchers, scientists and engineers is one reason for the country’s slow growth, Roman said.

Things may improve, she said, through scholarships that will increase the number of MS and PhD graduates and propel the country to the Unesco benchmark.

Out of P6.5 billion the consortium requires over a period of 10 years, the Arroyo government allocated P3.5 billion in the last three years.

From 2007 to 2010, there have been 596 master’s and 112 doctoral recipients of ERDT scholarship stipends comparable to the first salary of an engineering graduate. MS scholars receive a P200,000 research grant (including P100,000 for laboratory equipment) and a P288,000 stipend. PhD scholars receive double with a higher stipend of P720,000.

Most of the MS scholarships, for example, went to electrical engineering while those for PhDs went to environmental engineering. "All in all we have 403 scholars and we are on track with our deliverables," Roman said.

The ERDT consortium includes technology business incubators to encourage scholars – who are required to take entrepreneurship classes – to establish startups from their research output.

"Its R&D focuses on Information and Communications Technology (ICT); environment and infrastructure; and energy, semiconductors and electronics," said Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea, president of Mapua Institute of Technology.

In 2009, ERDT student scholars finished studies on, among others, robotic mapping; hypercubes in computing; reduction of heavy metals using earthworms; remote sensing of urban sprawl in Baguio City; and jeepney ergonomics and safety.

Faculty scholars researched on an interactive electronic reader for public schools; bipedal robot locomotion; photovoltaic array reconfiguration for maximum power; removal of lead using cocopeat; estimation of tsunami penetration of coastal terrains; and so on.

"Most are supply-, not demand-driven (but) it is overwhelming, the things that can be done by students and faculty," Vea says. "Now we need to bring these to the market."

For all that, the P287.319 million ERDT budget in 2008 was down to P37.3 million last year; the number of projects also went down from 28 to seven.

In 2008, most of the money went to R&D on environment and infrastructure, then to semiconductor and electronics. The next year, all R&D funding went to ICT and to a lesser degree to semiconductor and electronics.

"The research we have incubated does not remain within the confines of our laboratories, but reaches out and benefits even the farthest of places," said Vea.

The UP Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, for example, provided wireless Internet access to six remote high schools in Batanes and elementary schools in Iguig (Cagayan), Sta. Cruz (Zambales) and San Pascual (Batangas).

Askal82

April 13th, 2010, 04:50 AM

^^ It's time to eliminate the nursing, call taking and care taking bandwagon if the country is to compete.

epik ll ian

April 14th, 2010, 02:57 AM

^^ Fully agree. Research, Technology, and Industry will propel us to the top.

xxxriainxxx

April 16th, 2010, 01:30 AM

^^ It's time to eliminate the nursing, call taking and care taking bandwagon if the country is to compete.

Tama.

x12y12

April 16th, 2010, 03:32 AM

Energy Eng’g building to rise
Groundbreaking ceremonies for yet another building for the College of Engineering (CoE) were held April 6, this time for its newly formed Energy Engineering (EgyE) and Environmental Engineering (EnE) programs.

Construction has already begun on the 4,000-sq. meter site, located near the College of Architecture building along Pardo de Tavera St.

The new building will house 10 laboratories for both programs. For the EgyE program, these will be used for the following: solar-thermal, renewable energy resource, energy computation, energy performance and energy instruction. For the Ene program, these will be for air quality, water quality and analysis, extension laboratories as well as the pilot laboratory.

The facility will have an audio-visual room and 10 classrooms that can accommodate up to 510 trainees and students at a single time. It will also feature a pilot laboratory with a green roof, a type of roofing that is partially or completely covered in vegetation, planted over a waterproof membrane. The new building will also have several solar panels, intended to power its light fixtures.

Construction, funded by the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) program, is expected to be finished in the first quarter of 2011, with the second phase to begin in June.

The ceremonies were attended by UP President Emerlinda R. Román, UPD Chancellor Sergio S. Cao, CoE Dean Rowena Cristina P. Guevara and Assistant Secretary Matanog Mapandi of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

A time capsule containing plans for the new building, an invitation to the groundbreaking and the day’s newspaper was buried at the site

x12y12

April 16th, 2010, 03:33 AM

SERDT conducts 4th conference
Marks the directions for Philippine R&D.
Research for the future was the theme of the 4th Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) Conference entitled Charting the R&D Roadmap of the Philippines held February 19 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel.

Some 700 scholars from the 7 - university consortium—headed by the UP College of Engineering (CoE) and funded by a grant from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)—invited speakers from all over the world to talk about trends and the atmosphere for engineering research in the Philippines.

DOST Secretary Cecilia Alabastro opened the program with a situationer on technology business incubation in the country and how the government is doing its best to boost research and development (R&D), particularly the difficult task of commercializing promising researches.

She was glad to share that private R&D funding has significantly increased in the last few years, thanks in part to government initiatives like the ERDT and several technology business incubators (TBIs) that were established by the DOST all over the country.

She was also happy to report that House Bill 5208, also known as “An Act Promoting the Transfer of Technologies and Knowledge from Research and Development (R&D) Funded by Government” or the Technology Transfer Act of 2008, passed through Senate approval in February.

Authored by Senators Edgardo Angara, Mar Roxas and Loren Legarda, HB 5208 seeks to promote and facilitate the transfer, dissemination and use of technologies and knowledge from government-funded R&D.

Dr. Yozo Fujino, a professor of Civil Engineering from the University of Tokyo, talked about the University of Tokyo’s research program in his segment entitled “Research through New Global Centers of Excellence at University of Tokyo.”

Fujino talked about how research and development is being done at the University of Tokyo, expounding on the close relationship between academe and the industry. According to him, the number of research grants funded by industry is increasing despite the economic meltdown.

Next to speak was Dr. Gavriel Salvendy, Professor of Industrial Engineering at Tsinghua University in China, who shared firsthand experience in his talk entitled “Lessons learned from research and practice on the human side of industrial engineering.”

Salvendy opted to deviate from the normal power point presentation and instead talked about key experiences in the manufacturing industry that could apply to the Philippines’ R&D goals. One of the points he stressed was that before any endeavor, specific, clear cut goals must first be established so that the focus does not waver.

Dr. Joel Cuello, a professor of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Arizona, discussed two directions of R&D that the country can take to cope with the changes in economy and the environment.

His talk, entitled “Engineering education in the 21st century: toward an innovation-driven and sustainability-centered engineering design,” stressed that future engineering designs should be more innovation-driven and sustainability-centered.

The next speaker, Dr. David Ian Bishop, professor of Geomatics at the University of Melbourne, Australia, talked about the Australian government’s Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program and his experience in its Spatial Information CRC in his segment entitled “Researching GIS and spatial visualization with the Australian Cooperative Research Centre Program.”

The CRC Program aims to link the commercial with the academic by “supporting end-user driven research partnerships between publicly funded researchers and end-users to address clearly articulated, major challenges that require medium to long term collaborative efforts.”

Each CRC is an incorporated or unincorporated organization formed through collaborative partnerships between publicly funded researchers and end users. Bishop had worked in the Spatial Visualization CRC.

The next speaker, Dr. Chang Ho Park, professor of Chemical Engineering at Kyung Hee University, placed emphasis on the growing biofuels industry in his talk entitled “Biotechnology for energy and environment: new opportunities.”

A key point in his lecture was that biotechnology goes far beyond its growing importance and use as a replacement for energy usage, as it also extends to biopharmaceuticals and biochemical materials; an alternative to the expensive petrochemicals.

He emphasized the potential of the Philippines as an importance source of biofuels and feedstock (from which biochemicals are derived), and the need for enhanced synergy between production technology and feedstock supply.

The last speaker, Dr. Nina Osanna of the University of Arizona’s BIO5 Institute closed the afternoon with an introduction on the institute’s approach to multidisciplinary, collaborative life sciences and how it is reflected in its curriculum.

She names the approach technology transfer 2.0, where it moves beyond traditional process of technology transfer by making business development and technology transfer resources an integral part of the research unit.

An open forum followed each of the talks, with the scholars and industry insiders giving feedback and posing questions for the speakers.

x12y12

April 22nd, 2010, 08:10 AM

Pinoy student develops cheap oil technologyBy ELLALYN B. DE VERAApril 21, 2010, 6:33pmIn a bid to produce cheaper oil as a solution to the increasing cost and harmful effects to the environment of fossil fuel, an 18-year-old student from the University of the Philippines (UP) has developed a technology that uses recycled plastic to harvest algae for oil production.

Janella Mae Salamania, a student of Applied Physics in UP-Diliman, whose project plan on renewable energy “Oilgae Harvesting Using Plastics” that deals on cheaper method of growing and harvesting algae for the production of oil has caught the attention of the Finnish government.

Salamania is among the 30 talented students, and the only Filipino, who was selected recently from 995 students from 65 countries to participate in the Millennium Youth Camp in Helsinki, Finland from June 6 to 13.

She said the applicants for the Youth Camp were asked to produce a project plan as the basis for the selection of the 30 students. Other selected participants came from countries such as Finland, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, the United States, Costa Rica, Argentina, India, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, New Zealand, and South Africa.

In Salamania’s project plan, recycled plastics and other plastic materials will be utilized to harvest algae instead of the expensive method using stainless steel for oil production.

With the use of recycled plastics, “we can actually harvest oil from algae as a source of renewable energy,” Salamania told the Manila Bulletin.

“The harvested oil from algae will serve as an alternative to the expensive and harmful fossil fuel. By using recycled plastics for harvesting oil from algae, we can also help solve the problem on the disposal of non-biodegradable plastics,” Salamania said.

“Algae biofuel has not yet replaced fossil fuel and remains uncommercialized in the country because the mass production of oil from algae remains expensive,” she added.

She said that given the chance, Salamania would present her study to the government “to further study and invest on this kind of renewable energy source.”

“It would be good if the government will help research other cheap materials, aside from plastic, to harvest oil from algae,” she explained.

Salamania pointed out that the use of algae as alternative source of fuel is better than planting jatropha and converting it to fuel.

“When we plant jatropha, we tend to compete with the farmers’ lands instead of helping them with their livelihood,” she said.

“There are plenty of algae in the Philippines where we can get our source of oil. If we develop harvesting of algae and set up a production of oil, we don’t just help the environment, but we also generate a source of income for the fishermen,” she added.

Salamania, an Oblation scholar, plans to pursue graduate studies, either a masteral in Physics or Geology, when she finishes college.

“When I finish my studies, I would like to work with the government, probably with the PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) or work in prestigious institutions abroad like NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration),” she said.

jpdm

April 22nd, 2010, 12:28 PM

Galing!!!:cheers::cheers::cheers:

Pinoy student develops cheap oil technology

By ELLALYN B. DE VERA
April 21, 2010, 6:33pm

In a bid to produce cheaper oil as a solution to the increasing cost and harmful effects to the environment of fossil fuel, an 18-year-old student from the University of the Philippines (UP) has developed a technology that uses recycled plastic to harvest algae for oil production.

Janella Mae Salamania, a student of Applied Physics in UP-Diliman, whose project plan on renewable energy “Oilgae Harvesting Using Plastics” that deals on cheaper method of growing and harvesting algae for the production of oil has caught the attention of the Finnish government.

Salamania is among the 30 talented students, and the only Filipino, who was selected recently from 995 students from 65 countries to participate in the Millennium Youth Camp in Helsinki, Finland from June 6 to 13.

garzland

April 24th, 2010, 09:16 AM

I would just like to ask if there's a specific number of teachers that Principal II and Principal III need to supervise? If there is, how many and please give me a link of ever? Thanks in advance.... I just need to answer it...:)

jpdm

April 24th, 2010, 11:41 AM

Whiff of fresh air

Editorial:

Opinion

Saturday, 24 April 2010 08:38

Business Mirror

EVERY once in a while, some refreshing bit of news lifts our collective spirits, giving rise to hope that despite the relentless dose of bad news about corruption and incompetence in government and the sense of national drift, some progress is being made in little pockets here and there.

One such refreshing bit of news is the signing of the Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009, envisioned to hasten the process of technology commercialization and broaden the scope of protection of intellectual-property (IP) rights in government research and development institutions, or RDIs.

Expectedly, leaders of the science community in the Philippines, led by the Department of Science and Technology, which has always been in an uphill struggle to hasten this process of converting technological gems into commercial successes—thus attaining human progress, boosting economic growth and rewarding talent—would be elated by the signing of the law.

Officially, it’s known as Republic Act 10055 (An Act Providing the Framework and Support System for the Ownership, Management, Use, and Commercialization of Intellectual Property Generated from Research and Development Funded by Government and for Other Purposes), or simply the Philippine Technology Transfer Act of 2009.

“We are optimistic that this new law, a landmark policy on technology transfer, will revolutionize the commercialization of technologies generated by researches funded by taxpayer’s money,” Science Secretary Estrella Alabastro was quoted as saying.

Secretary Alabastro hopes that by fast-tracking the journey of technologies to the market, they can also plug brain drain and encourage students to pursue research and development (R&D) studies.

Yet another loss is represented by the fact that technologies generated through public funds remain untapped or are being archived in laboratories around the country.

Before the law, technology transfer was characterized by a lack of well-defined and unifying policy on technology transfer; insufficient investment in technology transfer and commercialization; weak private-public collaboration in R&D and commercialization; and lack of well-defined IP regimes in R&D institutions.

Not surprising, the number of technologies developed by local researchers and protected under the patent system is alarmingly low.

The signing of the technology- transfer law is, however, just a first step. Crucial challenges remain, not least of which is the perennial lack of resources for fast-tracking the process and for encouraging more R&D work even as the ripe-for-market technologies are being shepherded; and very basic, as always, the need to support greater science education in the country.

On the last one, it’s ironic that many Filipinos who had the good fortune of getting higher education and training abroad have achieved so much; for the most part, it’s the First World that has benefited from their talent, being their sponsors.

It is hoped that things will change with the new law.:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:
__________________
From the Hinterland

x12y12

April 25th, 2010, 08:42 AM

UP wins best of the best

By Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:32:00 04/24/2010

Filed Under: Energy, Awards and Prizes

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Close this MANILA, Philippines—The decision of five college students to rest all their hopes of winning on the Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. proved to be a wise one.

Raymund Li, Choerleen Solema, Jose Mari Punzalan, Pamela Li and Rachel Sison of the University of the Philippines College of Business Administration won the fourth Global Investment Research Challenge held recently in Hong Kong, for their presentation on EDC, the country’s largest producer of geothermal energy.

The Philippine group bested all other prestigious universities worldwide in the competition—a proof that Filipinos can hold their own against the best schools in the world.

In particular, the UP students managed to overcome tough competition from Brigham Young University from the Americas region; Fordham University from the New York region; and University of Cape Town from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region before being declared the global winner.

This was the first time that the Philippine team won the Global IRC. Winners from the past three competition came from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Hong Kong Baptist University, and Babson College in Boston, USA.

The Investment Research Challenge (IRC) is a worldwide annual competition organized by the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute to provide university students with “unparalleled real world experience in equity research and company analysis.”

This year, more than 90 CFA Institute member societies hosted local competitions, with over 425 universities and 2,000 students from many of the world’s top finance schools participating. Regional competitions were held in the Americas, Asia Pacific, EMEA and New York to determine the four teams that competed in the global final challenge.

Prior to winning the global championship, UP had to also hurdle competition from schools in the Philippines and then in Asia-Pacific.

For the regional finals, UP bested 15 other universities from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Korea, India, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore and Sri Lanka to earn the right to represent Asia-Pacific in the global finals.

EDC a ‘good buy’

The UP students’ presentation and recommendation on EDC as a “good buy” had impressed and convinced the panel of judges, composed of investment industry experts worldwide.

In their presentation, they recommended that investors buy shares of the geothermal company—which is also the world’s second largest producer of geothermal energy next to Chevron.

The group cited EDC’s stock price’s upside potential given its industry leadership, the country’s power supply shortage problems and the incentives that the company can avail under the Renewable Energy law.

“Winning the Global IRC is very special for us and we are grateful for all the help and support we received throughout the process. We hope this will help raise recognition of the quality of the financial services talent in the Philippines,” says Raymund Siegfrid O. Li, a UP team member.

“Participating in the Global IRC was an incredible learning experience for us—especially since we are undergraduate students and the challenge requirements went beyond what is being taught in our current courses. We are grateful for the practical insight we gained through this once-in-a-lifetime experience and are confident it will create new opportunities for us,” Li adds.

For his part, EDC president and COO Richard Tantoco vowed to further support worthy projects that will help students gain knowledge and acquire hands-on experience in equity research.

“This is a very good exercise in developing future investment and financial analysts. I am happy that EDC is able to participate in undertakings that would again put the Philippines in a very distinguished position and make every Filipino beam with pride,” Tantoco adds.

Meanwhile, John Rogers, president and CEO of CFA Institute, also congratulated the UP team for winning the Global IRC.

“I was extremely impressed with the final four teams’ research and presentations and would like to applaud their skill and tenacity. We at CFA Institute hope that the experience has helped to instill ethics and best practices in what may be the next generation of investment professionals,” Rogers says.

Rogers further said that since its inception in 2007, the competition has gone from “strength to strength, thanks to the determination and commitment of universities, students, industry professionals, and societies from across the world.”

In honor of this achievement, the students also received $10,000 for their university.

Active content removed

jpdm

April 29th, 2010, 02:05 AM

Pinay scientist wants next president to prioritize research

By Dulce Sanchez
(The Philippine Star)
Updated April 29, 2010 12:00 AM

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/4618/82576930.jpg
Lourdes Cruz relaxes at home with the shells of marine snails. BOY SANTOS

Lourdes Cruz relaxes at home with the shells of marine snails. BOY SANTOS
| Zoom

MANILA, Philippines - For biochemist Lourdes Cruz, who became the first Filipina to receive the L’Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science last month, the recognition means that women scientists in the country can stand toe-to-toe with their colleagues in other parts of the world despite the lack of government support.

“It shows that we can do it. We have many competent scientists, but many are leaving. They do work elsewhere,” said the National Scientist, who recently retired from teaching at the University of the Philippines College of Science in Diliman.

Cruz bested about 1,000 other nominees from around the world for the prestigious award, wherein the 18-member panel of judges was headed by the 1999 Nobel Prize winner for Medicine, Günter Blobel of Germany.

She lamented that so far, none of the candidates running for president in the May 10 polls appears committed to giving priority to helping scientists or scientific research in the country.

Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro said the award – given by French cosmetics firm L’Oreal and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to recognize women researchers who have contributed to scientific progress – means that “anyone, even when facilities and support are not adequate, can do a lot.”

Small change

Cruz said scientific research in the country has steadily improved despite the government investing in science and technology an amount equivalent to a miniscule .15 to .2 percent of the Philippines’ “very small” gross national product.

“Thailand spends one percent of its budget on science and technology, while Taiwan and Singapore invests more than this because they realize science and technology are needed for development,” she pointed out.

Cruz added that the investment increased from .15 to .2 percent only because the scientists lobbied for it, with the help of Sen. Edgardo Angara.

Cruz said that primarily, scientists need access to scientific literature, which they can only get by subscribing to international journals at the cost of at least P20 million per year. “That’s very little, compared to what is spent on government projects,” she said.

With this amount, scientists can already conduct their “due diligence” research, which means that before they propose a research project, they can already find out what has been previously researched by scientists in other countries. “This means we don’t waste money doing what has already been done,” Cruz said.

She said that to propel scientific progress in the Philippines, the government needs to develop a culture of science among Filipinos, and that means starting with the teachers. According to Cruz, teachers must teach children “how to observe, how to be curious, how to plan to answer the questions they have.” She frowns on science contests that force children to do projects that are beyond their skill level, and “the parents end up doing them.”

Cruz proposes the establishment of science camps and science apprenticeships to “encourage children to do independent work, without help from their parents.”

She said that in evaluating science reports and projects, science teachers should work hand in hand with English teachers to improve students’ skills in documenting their observations and accomplishments.

Cruz said that teachers should also be given more incentives, such as financial support to attend workshops, by local governments.

The lack of government support is felt even in the country’s premier schools of science. At the Philippine Science High School, where the students are government scholars, the faculty room has not been repaired since being destroyed by a fire a year ago. The school gym, declared unsafe over a year ago, has also not been upgraded.

Lab coats for housedresses

Cruz said the prize focuses on women scientists based on the perception that women scientists are getting shortchanged in terms of recognition, promotion and opportunities.

“But in the Philippines, the problem is not as much. We are more matriarchal,” she said.

Cruz said that when she monitored the graduates of the University of the Philippines’ College of Science, around 61 percent of them are women. “But when you look at the performers later on, the Outstanding Young Scientists (OSY), the members of the National Academy of Scientists (NAST), the percentage of women is much smaller,” she said.

Among the OSYs, less than 30 percent are women, she said. The NAST, whose membership is by invitation, currently has 43 men and 18 women scientists in its roster, according to NAST executive director Luningning Samarita.

“The data shows that although more women graduate with a science degree, only a few pursue a career in science. This is where encouragement is needed because the training of the women scientists would go to waste,” Cruz said.

She suggests that women scientists be allowed to join research projects or work in the laboratory part-time, “just so they can continue their career. When the children are in school, they can go back to their careers full time.”

Cruz also said there should be “research appointments” in the academe, which means that rather than teaching, scientists can concentrate on research and draw their salary from grants set up for this purpose. She added that the government should have an “active recruitment” to encourage more women to pursue careers in science.

Cruz said many women scientists put their career on hold to have a family, and it is often hard to pick up where they left off. Cruz, 67, is single. She said if she had married, she would not have been able to research the medical applications for the venom of fish-hunting Conus snails, which had her spending half the year at the University of Utah from 1976 to 2004.

The L’Oreal-UNESCO award recognizes Cruz’s contribution to the use of toxins in the Conus snail venom as biochemical probes to examine the activities of the human brain. Her research, which she did in collaboration with Dr. Baldomero Olivera, has resulted in the development of ziconotide, a new type of painkiller (marketed under the brand name Prialt). Another toxin, conantukin (so named because of its calming effect on lab animals), is being studied for its potential to be an anti-epileptic drug.

Alabastro said Cruz has “a lot of involvement” in various projects. Cruz runs the Rural Livelihood Incubator program, which she established in 2001, to use science and technology to help Aetas, women, farmers and fisherfolk in Morong, Bataan.

Through the program, Cruz said they were able to produce a booklet on plants used by Aetas for their traditional cures. “It was co-authored by two taxonomists and two Aetas. We want to show that you just don’t get data from the Aetas. They should be included as authors because they were the ones with the intellectual input,” she said.

Cruz said she also had a social scientist teach the Aetas about the indigenous people’s rights law.

With the $100,000 prize she received from L’Oreal and UNESCO, she bought a 1.3-hectare plot of land where she plans to put up a livelihood training center and a plant nursery to help reforest the Aetas’ ancestral domain.

Another project Cruz is working on is setting up a group composed of local scientists to do more work on the medical applications of the venom of the Conus snails. “Our collaborators are abroad,” she said, adding that she already has a team of six scientists, half of them women.

She said they have a lot of work on their hands: each Conus snail variety has a different type of venom, and the venom has up to 200 active agents, each with a different effect. There are at least 200 species in the Philippines alone, and only 30 have been studied, Cruz said.

jpdm

April 29th, 2010, 02:07 AM

UP wins best of the best

By Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:32:00 04/24/2010

Close this MANILA, Philippines—The decision of five college students to rest all their hopes of winning on the Lopez-led Energy Development Corp. proved to be a wise one.

Raymund Li, Choerleen Solema, Jose Mari Punzalan, Pamela Li and Rachel Sison of the University of the Philippines College of Business Administration won the fourth Global Investment Research Challenge held recently in Hong Kong, for their presentation on EDC, the country’s largest producer of geothermal energy.

The Philippine group bested all other prestigious universities worldwide in the competition—a proof that Filipinos can hold their own against the best schools in the world.

In particular, the UP students managed to overcome tough competition from Brigham Young University from the Americas region; Fordham University from the New York region; and University of Cape Town from Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region before being declared the global winner.

This was the first time that the Philippine team won the Global IRC. Winners from the past three competition came from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Hong Kong Baptist University, and Babson College in Boston, USA.

The Investment Research Challenge (IRC) is a worldwide annual competition organized by the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute to provide university students with “unparalleled real world experience in equity research and company analysis.”

This year, more than 90 CFA Institute member societies hosted local competitions, with over 425 universities and 2,000 students from many of the world’s top finance schools participating. Regional competitions were held in the Americas, Asia Pacific, EMEA and New York to determine the four teams that competed in the global final challenge.

Prior to winning the global championship, UP had to also hurdle competition from schools in the Philippines and then in Asia-Pacific.

For the regional finals, UP bested 15 other universities from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Korea, India, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore and Sri Lanka to earn the right to represent Asia-Pacific in the global finals.

EDC a ‘good buy’

The UP students’ presentation and recommendation on EDC as a “good buy” had impressed and convinced the panel of judges, composed of investment industry experts worldwide.

In their presentation, they recommended that investors buy shares of the geothermal company—which is also the world’s second largest producer of geothermal energy next to Chevron.

The group cited EDC’s stock price’s upside potential given its industry leadership, the country’s power supply shortage problems and the incentives that the company can avail under the Renewable Energy law.

“Winning the Global IRC is very special for us and we are grateful for all the help and support we received throughout the process. We hope this will help raise recognition of the quality of the financial services talent in the Philippines,” says Raymund Siegfrid O. Li, a UP team member.

“Participating in the Global IRC was an incredible learning experience for us—especially since we are undergraduate students and the challenge requirements went beyond what is being taught in our current courses. We are grateful for the practical insight we gained through this once-in-a-lifetime experience and are confident it will create new opportunities for us,” Li adds.

For his part, EDC president and COO Richard Tantoco vowed to further support worthy projects that will help students gain knowledge and acquire hands-on experience in equity research.

“This is a very good exercise in developing future investment and financial analysts. I am happy that EDC is able to participate in undertakings that would again put the Philippines in a very distinguished position and make every Filipino beam with pride,” Tantoco adds.

Meanwhile, John Rogers, president and CEO of CFA Institute, also congratulated the UP team for winning the Global IRC.

“I was extremely impressed with the final four teams’ research and presentations and would like to applaud their skill and tenacity. We at CFA Institute hope that the experience has helped to instill ethics and best practices in what may be the next generation of investment professionals,” Rogers says.

Rogers further said that since its inception in 2007, the competition has gone from “strength to strength, thanks to the determination and commitment of universities, students, industry professionals, and societies from across the world.”

In honor of this achievement, the students also received $10,000 for their university.

:cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers::cheers:

MatudNilaBaby

April 30th, 2010, 07:12 PM

red_jasper

May 16th, 2010, 06:32 AM

Reconciling university, biz (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/257556/reconciling-university-biz)
By DR. ISAGANI A. F. YUZON School of Labor and Industrial Relations University of the Philippines
May 16, 2010, 11:18am

Traditionally, universities operated on a not-for-profit basis. However, long ago, many began to develop educational programs that would yield profits that could be used for other purposes. As early as 1892, William Rainey Harper, President of the University of Chicago, created a correspondence school for individuals who could not afford to leave their homes and jobs to attend school. Other universities followed suit. In an effort to attract more students, academic institutions such as Columbia University and the University of Chicago advertised widely and hired travelling salesmen, who were not above resorting to “hard sell” to gain and retain customers. When students dropped out of the courses after a few lessons, as many did, the university allowed no refund although it did not incur further costs. This way, institutions could earn a profit they could use for other programs.

Supporters of the correspondence movement argued that most of the instructors were recruited from the university’s regular faculty and that students performed as well when learning by mail as they did when attending regular classes on campus. Critics, however, disagreed, claiming that the quality of instruction was well below the normal level on campus and that the marketing methods used by institutions were beneath the dignity of their professions.

At the present time, many courses earn a handsome income for their sponsoring institutions. Executive programs for corporate officers are the most lucrative of all. They have become highly competitive, as business schools vie not only with each other, but also with consulting firms or “corporate universities” with impressive campuses that many big companies operate. Despite the competition, leading and well-known management schools can earn millions per year for their executive programs.

Although such close corporate involvement in developing an educational program is not usual, it is not particularly worrisome. The interests of the company and the educational standards always coincide.

Clearly companies will want the highest quality of instruction for their own executives. Their motive in helping to design the curriculum is not to manipulate the audience but to make sure that programs address accurately and effectively the problems most relevant to the firms. Such collaboration can not only improve the quality of the programs, but also give faculty members enough opportunities to learn about emerging problems relevant to their professional interests.

In the Philippines, big business has been acquiring large colleges and universities. SM Management Corporation president Harley Sy bought a 60 percent stake in the 108-year-old National University last June, paying an undisclosed amount for the purpose, according to him, of transforming the school into one of the finest in the country.

In February, business leader Ramon R. Del Rosario Jr.’s Philippine Investment-Management, Inc. (Phinma) spent R548.4 million to acquire 80 percent of the University of Nueva Caceres based in Naga City, Camarines Sur. It was the third school acquired by Phinma in as many years. Phinma previously bought 100 percent of Cagayan De Oro College for P310 million, and 80 percent of Cabanatuan City-based Araullo University for P350 million.

Other recent cases of big business purchase of schools include Alfonso Yuchengco’s acquisition of 83-year-old Mapua Institute of Technology, Lucio Tan’s entry into 80-year-old University of the East and Emilio Yap’s investment in 101-year-old Centro Escolar University.

The poor ratings obtained by top Philippine schools compared to other Asian institutions of higher learning indicate a decline in the quality of tertiary education in the country. In a survey conducted by Asiaweek magazine, the UP ranked 48th among Asia’s best universities, followed by De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University which ranked 71st and 72nd, respectively.

Members of Congress have also expressed alarm over the spread of sub-standard schools that produce graduates with dismal passing rates in professional eligibility tests. Recently, in the licensure exams for nursing, only 37,527 out of 94,462 passed, for a 39.73 percent passing rate, the lowest so far in that field. In the last five years, the average passing rate across 33 professional fields requiring licensure tests was only 45 percent, according to the Professional Regulatory Commission.

“We definitely welcome the growing investments of business conglomerates in higher institutions of learning. There is no question that our private colleges and universities desperately need fresh capital to modernize and upgrade the quality of instruction that they provide... We need the financial resources of big businesses to help check the deterioration of tertiary education in the country,” Cebu Representative Eduardo Gullas said, an educator turned politician whose family owns the University of Visayas.

More worrying is the UN Global Monitoring Report (GMR), which puts the Philippines behind Tanzania and Zambia, both of which have incomes that are only a fourth of the Philippines’ income, insofar as providing education is concerned. The UN report noted that the “absence of decisive political will contributed to the deterioration of education.” The same report mentioned that “extreme poverty and regional disparities were at the heart” of the mismatch between the Philippines’ income level and its poor educational outcomes. The report also pointed out that despite an income higher than that of other countries, the Philippines has a lower net enrolment with one million children aged six to 11 out of school with public schools registering record shortages in education personnel, equipment and infrastructure. There are also teachers serving in double and triple shifts in classes, with some classes ending at midnight.

Despite the claim of then-Secretary of Education Jesli Lapus that the UN report was too mathematical, the fact is that there is an obvious deterioration in our educational system. If the poor quality of basic education is not addressed, can investments from big businesses in higher education have a significant and favorable outcome?

MatudNilaBaby

May 16th, 2010, 12:38 PM

Ady001

May 16th, 2010, 03:08 PM

another school bought by phinma is the university of iloilo in the visayas. we have yet to see the outcome of the new for-profit private colleges and universities in the country. whether it will improve the standard of tertiary education or even get worse.

Commercializing education will be a tough task to make, but it will definitely tell students that studying for a good college education is not something that they could just snag out of their parents' pockets.

Isa pa, this will reduce kids throwing chairs and the like. This will also bring in many things like the synergy of research and development, and prolly education on a pragmatic, real-life, workplace basis.

kevinb

May 17th, 2010, 01:33 AM

^^ Phinma wasn't able to buy the University of Nueva Caceres. This article is so wrong.

Ady001

May 17th, 2010, 02:22 AM

^^ Phinma wasn't able to buy the University of Nueva Caceres. This article is so wrong.

Hmm... Try to tell that to the person who wrote the article. But the whole thing itself, the buying of the universities by certain private institutions, may be a good idea.

Now, I'm wondering if they can do that for the lower grades.

jpdm

May 17th, 2010, 02:26 AM

Ady001

May 17th, 2010, 02:29 AM

^^ I mean, if the government really can't spend on its own, the private sector must move in and try to support education in whatever way it can. This way, we can have hardworking students, and avoid that same scenario they did to PUP before.

Honestly, 15 pesos per unit is too low. PUP needs more if it needs to gear itself up against the big dogs.

jpdm

May 17th, 2010, 02:56 AM

Ady001

May 17th, 2010, 03:53 AM

jpdm

May 24th, 2010, 01:31 AM

^^ I think the lowest in the Philippines is CMU (Central Mindanao University) at 10 pesos per unit. It's not justifiable though that our education could fall to the pits if we have this kind of spending.

There is a need for the government to spend more on education.

At the same time ask the private sector to help in improving even the infrastructure...

Ady001

May 24th, 2010, 01:34 AM

Ady001

May 24th, 2010, 01:37 AM

More in the news:

4 RP universities remain among top 200 Asian schools
SOPHIA DEDACE, GMANews.TV
05/13/2010 | 07:42 PM

Four Philippine universities made it again to the Top 200 Asian universities list of consultancy Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. (QS) for 2010, even as this is not really a cause for celebration in a country with about 2,000 institutions of higher education.

Leading the Philippine schools is the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University, which tied Taiwan's National Central University at the 58th spot. Ateneo rose from the 84th spot it occupied last year.

State-run University of the Philippines' rank fell from 63 to 78, while University of Santo Tomas ranked 101st, an advance from its former 144th spot.

De la Salle University suffered the worst blow among the four Philippine universities, falling from the 76th spot to land at 106th.

In measuring quality, QS used the following criteria: Asian academic peers (30 percent), papers per faculty (15 percent), citations per paper (15 percent), student-faculty ratio (20 percent), Asian employer review (10 percent), international faculty (2.5 percent), international students (2.5 percent), inbound exchange students (2.5 percent), and outbound exchange students (2.5 percent).

Rounding up the top 10 universities are the following:

1. University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
2. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong)
3. National University of Singapore (Singapore)
4. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
5. The University of Tokyo (Japan)
6. Seoul National University (South Korea)
7. Osaka University (Japan)
8. Kyoto University (Japan)
9. Tohoku University (Japan)
10. Nagoya University (Japan)

The complete list is posted on QS' Asian University Rankings.

Japan had the most number of schools on the list at 56, followed by South Korea at 42, China at 40.

Some universities from the Philippines’ neighboring states like Malaysia, Indonesia , Taiwan, and Thailand ranked higher than the four Philippine schools which made it to the top 200.—JV, GMANews.TV

:ohno:

jpdm

May 24th, 2010, 01:37 AM

^^ We really need to have companies buying universities really. At least people will know WHY they should pay taxes.

On the other hand, we also have to change our curricula if we're going to be stuck to a 4-year high school basis from a laggard, classroom based training to one that is more progressive, pragmatic, and one touching on real-life things.

Agree.

Although, Im for private participation in building and maintaining classrooms and other school facilities to augment meager government resources..:)

Ady001

May 24th, 2010, 01:38 AM

Angara renews call to improve childhood education
By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) Updated May 23, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Edgardo Angara yesterday renewed his call to improve the country’s early childhood education system, saying investment in early education is the most cost-effective way to reduce poverty and advance economic growth.

He said investments in early childhood education are more economical than government intervention programs for adults.

“That (childhood) is when we learn our most vital lessons. There, bonds are formed and lasting ties are cemented. They say there is nothing more sacred than a child’s trust,” said Angara, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee.

He said children who attend preschool are less aggressive and less prone to violence. They also score 27 percent higher on a standard math test compared to children who did not attend preschool. Preschool education, he said, also boosts a child’s cognitive, language, and social development. Citing foreign research on the benefits of preschool education, Angara said the Syracuse Family Development Research Program, which provided family development support for children from prenatal care to age five, produced children with less involvement in criminal offenses.

An evaluation of the Infant Health Development Program (IHDP), which provides preschool education to the poor, showed that children exposed to primary education develop higher IQ.

To augment the country’s education budget for 2010 which amounts to P185.5 billion, Angara also filed in the Senate the Children’s Health Insurance Program or CHIP, which is a healthcare system specifically designed for children. He said that illness takes children away from classrooms and CHIP works to prevent this.

http://www.philstar.com/ArticlePrinterFriendly.aspx?articleId=577677

Ady001

May 24th, 2010, 01:39 AM

Hope this isn't just for the books:

Action Plan

10 Ways to Fix Philippine Basic Education

Philippine education is in crisis and we need not argue that point. What we need is a president with a basic education agenda, willing to make the hard decisions. This is what needs to be done.
12-Year Basic Education Cycle

We need to add two years to our basic education. Those who can afford pay for up to fourteen years of schooling before university. Thus, their children are getting into the best universities and the best jobs after graduation. I want at least 12 years for our public school children to give them an even chance at succeeding.

My education team has designed a way to go from our current 10 years (6 elementary, 4 high school) to a K-12 system in five years starting SY 2011-12. Kindergarten (K) to Grade 12 is what the rest of the world gives their children.

(hope this BETTER REALLY PUSHES THROUGH)

I will expand the basic education cycle in this country from a short 10-year cycle to a globally-comparable 12 years before the end of the next administration (2016)
Universal Pre-schooling For All

All over the world, pre-schooling is given to all young children as the first year of basic education. We don’t solve this deficiency by renaming day care centers as pre-schools. We need to build a proper pre-school system and make this available to all children regardless of income.

All public school children (and all public schools) will have pre-schooling as their introduction to formal schooling by 2016.
Madaris Education As A Sub-system Within The Education System

Our Muslim brothers and sisters ask for an education system that respects their culture while providing a technically sound curriculum in English, Filipino, science and math. Madaris education with subjects in Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education can be integrated in our public school curriculum as additional subjects with the view to keeping our Muslim Filipino children in school.

I want a full basic education for ALL Muslim Filipino children anywhere in the country.
Technical Vocational Education As An Alternative Stream In Senior High School

Half our high school graduates want to work upon graduation but do not have enough technical education. We need to provide an education alternative to better prepare students for the world of work. Technical, vocational education must be re-introduced in our public high schools with trade tests and skills rating (TESDA or other acceptable work standards) as the final examination for students looking at HS as their terminal course.

I will re-introduce technical-vocational education in our public high schools to better link schooling to local industry needs and employment.
“Every Child a Reader” by Grade 1

At the core of our children’s non-learning problems is the inability to read properly. By the end of the next administration (SY 2015-16), every child passing pre-school must be a reader by Grade 1.

Essential to this, we must build a library infrastructure in our schools, procure reading books (from our Philippine publishing industry to support local authors and publishers) and train our elementary teachers on how to teach reading.

By the end of the next administration, every child must be a reader by Grade 1.
Science And Math Proficiency

We need a strong science and math curriculum that starts as early as Grade 1 with instructional materials and properly trained elementary teachers. To build a culture for science and math, I will bring back the science and math clubs movement with elementary and high school science/math fairs.

I will rebuild the science and math infrastructure in schools so that we can produce more scientists, engineers, technicians, technologists and teachers in our universities so that this country can be more globally competitive in industry and manufacturing.
Assistance To Private Schools As Essential Partners In Basic Education

Private education must be a partner in producing quality education in the country. I intend to expand GASTPE (Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education) to a target of 1 million private HS students every year through education service contracting (ESC) while doing away with the wasteful education voucher system (EVS) of this administration.

I will expand government assistance to private education. A strong private school system will strengthen our public schools by providing parents an alternative and not adding to the overcrowding.
Medium Of Instruction Rationalized

UNESCO has proven that young children learn best in their mother tongue before moving on to English in higher grades. I fully support the UNESCO-tried and tested formula on mother tongue instruction. From pre-school to Grade 3, we will use the mother tongue as the medium of instruction while teaching English and Filipino as subjects.

From Grades 4-6 (7), we will increasingly use English as the medium of instruction for science & math and Filipino for Araling Panlipunan (social studies). For High School, English should be the medium of instruction for science, math & English; Filipino for AP, Filipino and tech-voc education.

My view: We should become tri-lingual as a country.

* Learn English well and connect to the World.
* Learn Filipino well and connect to our country.
* Retain your dialect and connect to your heritage.

Quality Textbooks

Poor quality textbooks have no place in our schools.

I will not tolerate poor textbook quality in our schools. Textbooks will be judged by three criteria: quality, better quality, and more quality.
Covenant With Local Governments To Build More Schools

We need to address our continuing classroom shortages. And if we are successful keeping more kids in school, the demand for more classrooms will be even greater. Here, we need a covenant with LGUs not only to build more classrooms but to establish more schools on land provided by LGUs. We do not need more overcrowded schools; we need more schools with smaller populations so that teachers, students, and parents can form a real learning community.

I will build more schools in areas where there are no public or private schools in a covenant with LGUs so that we can realize genuine education for all.

http://antipinoy.com/noynoy-truth-o-meter/education/

EUREKA!
Noy Aquino’s blueprint for education–Part II

By Queena Lee-Chua
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:22:00 05/23/2010

Filed Under: Education, Government, Elections, Politics

LET us now look at the rest of Noy’s education agenda. You can read the Liberal Party platform at www.liberalparty.org.ph/LP2010/Platform_Education.html.

Science/math proficiency

In the 2003 Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), the most comprehensive study of mathematics and science proficiency in the world, the Philippines ranked near the bottom.

In fourth grade, Singapore scored highest in math with 594; the international math average was 495. The Philippines got 358 (third from the bottom among 25 countries).

In eighth grade, Singapore again scored highest with 605; the international math average was 467. The Philippines got 378 (fifth from the bottom among 45 countries). Our country scored lower than countries in conflict such as Serbia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Palestinian National Authority.

Our performance in science was just as dismal. In fourth grade, Singapore got 565; the international average was 489. The Philippines got 332 (third from the bottom). In eighth grade, Singapore got 578; the international average was 474. The Philippines got 378 (fourth from the bottom).

These embarrassing statistics are compounded by the fact that Philippine participants are slightly older than their international counterparts, 10.8 years versus 10.3 years old in fourth grade, and 14.8 versus 14.5 years in eighth grade.

The Philippines did not participate in TIMSS 2007, but I fear that our ranking may not have changed. We lack teachers who are properly trained in math and science; most of our students lack the discipline and resources to pursue these fields; our media concentrate on politics and entertainment to the detriment of math, science and education as a whole.

We need to get our act together before we can even be at par with the rest of the world.

Noy says, “We need a strong science and math curriculum that starts as early as Grade 1 with instructional materials and properly trained elementary teachers. To build a culture for science and math, I will bring back the science and math clubs movement with elementary and high school science/math fairs. I will rebuild the science and math infrastructure in schools so that we can produce more scientists, engineers, technicians, technologists and teachers in our universities so that this country can be more globally competitive in industry and manufacturing.”

Readers by Grade 1

A decade ago, I did a study on math proficiency of college students. Not surprisingly, one of the causes of poor math performance was poor reading skills. After presenting these findings at a forum organized by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), other researchers told me they had noticed the same things in their classrooms.

After all, if students do not know that words such as “average” have strict mathematical definitions (and, perhaps, not even know what those words mean to a layperson), how can they make sense, much less attempt to solve, word problems?

Of course, the inability to read has graver impact than dismal math and science performance. Every person has the right and the obligation to read, in order to become a functional member of society.

Our country used to boast of a high literacy rate, but some educators allege a significant number of Filipinos lack functional literacy. Thus, good jobs remain forever out of reach.

Noy says, “At the core of our children’s nonlearning problems is the inability to read properly. By the end of the next administration (school year 2015-2016), every child passing preschool must be a reader by Grade 1. Essential to this, we must build a library infrastructure in our schools, procure reading books (from our Philippine publishing industry to support local authors and publishers) and train our elementary teachers on how to teach reading.”

Language debate

There is a lot of controversy on the medium of instruction in schools. A cursory search of the Net reveals multiple viewpoints, backed by studies big and small.

I prefer to defer to the Singaporeans, the best in the world in math and science (and excellent in English). In melting-pot Singapore, English is a required language starting from preschool. Textbooks in the major subjects are in English.

But students have to master another language, most likely their native tongue, whether Mandarin Chinese, Malay or Indian, which are taught in culture classes.

There has been a move in our country recently, backed by Unesco, among others, to use the mother tongue in the early grades. On the whole, I think this has merit, but unless good math textbooks, for example, are available in the mother tongue for preschool and first grade, then this move may be premature.

Noy is more optimistic. He says, “From preschool to Grade 3, we will use the mother tongue as the medium of instruction while teaching English and Filipino as subjects. From Grades 4 to 6 (or 7), we will increasingly use English as the medium of instruction for science and math and Filipino for Araling Panlipunan (AP). For high school, English should be the medium of instruction for science, math and English; Filipino for AP, Filipino and tech-voc education.”

It is hard to find fault with his conclusion. “We should become trilingual as a country. Learn English well and connect to the world. Learn Filipino well and connect to our country. Retain your dialect and connect to your heritage.”

Madaris education

After building schools for girls in the remotest parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, mountaineer Greg Mortenson concludes that education is our best ally in winning the minds and hearts of our Muslim brothers and sisters.

When reason opens the doors of opportunity at the same time that culture and heritage are respected, there should be no need for fundamentalism, repression and terror.

In the Philippines, we are fortunate that many Muslims go to school side by side with the Christian majority. But while there have been attempts to incorporate Muslim culture and faith in the curriculum, most lessons are still Christian-centric.

In this pluralized world, we need to learn more about each other’s culture so we can respect and appreciate our similarities and differences.

Noy says, “Our Muslim brothers and sisters ask for an education system that respects their culture while providing a technically sound curriculum in English, Filipino, science and math. Madaris education with subjects in Arabic language and Islamic values education can be integrated in our public school curriculum as additional subjects with the view to keeping our Muslim Filipino children in school.”

Work with LGUs

When I despair about resolving education problems on a national scale, I take heart in the fact that many local government units have done wonders in their areas. The Ateneo Center for Educational Development, through the efforts of Ann Candelaria and Fr. Ben Nebres, SJ, has linked up with schools such as Payatas, in terms of teacher training and school board development, with excellent results.

Our Ateneo survey on public school achievers that involved more than 2,000 honor students in Bulacan and Marikina public schools could not have been done without the full support of local governments, notably Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando and Bulacan Governor Josie de la Cruz.

Many of their students do well in school because of the local communities’ focus on education—teacher training is prioritized and classroom shortages are addressed quickly.

The national government has its hands full. Local governments need to step up.

Noy says, “We need to address our continuing classroom shortages. And, if we are successful in keeping more kids in school, the demand for more classrooms will be even greater. Here, we need a covenant with LGUs not only to build more classrooms but to establish more schools on land provided by LGUs.

“We do not need more overcrowded schools; we need more schools with smaller populations so that teachers, students, and parents can form a real learning community. I will build more schools in areas where there are no public or private schools in a covenant with LGUs so that we can realize genuine education for all.”

After the recent historic elections, because we believe the people’s voice was finally heard, our hopes are high.

Of course, Noy cannot accomplish the task of rebuilding our nation, rebuilding our education system, alone. All of us who care for learning should help ensure that our youth, the hope of the future, finally receive the education they deserve.

E-mail the author at blessbook@yahoo.com.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/learning/view/20100523-271633/Noy-Aquinos-blueprint-for-educationPart-II

Ady001

May 24th, 2010, 01:40 AM

Agree.

Although, Im for private participation in building and maintaining classrooms and other school facilities to augment meager government resources..:)

There will be always strings attached to this kind of deal.

jpdm

May 24th, 2010, 01:40 AM

Ady001

May 24th, 2010, 01:42 AM

^^ Amen to that.

epik ll ian

May 24th, 2010, 05:56 AM

bakasaurus

May 24th, 2010, 06:54 AM

Mercato

May 24th, 2010, 07:15 AM

More in the news:

4 RP universities remain among top 200 Asian schools
In measuring quality, QS used the following criteria: Asian academic peers (30 percent), papers per faculty (15 percent), citations per paper (15 percent), student-faculty ratio (20 percent), Asian employer review (10 percent), international faculty (2.5 percent), international students (2.5 percent), inbound exchange students (2.5 percent), and outbound exchange students (2.5 percent).

Rounding up the top 10 universities are the following:

1. University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
2. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong)
3. National University of Singapore (Singapore)
4. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
5. The University of Tokyo (Japan)
6. Seoul National University (South Korea)
7. Osaka University (Japan)
8. Kyoto University (Japan)
9. Tohoku University (Japan)
10. Nagoya University (Japan)

NUS was in number 10th spot last year or sometime back... Majulah Singapura :pepper: :pepper:

crappypants

May 24th, 2010, 07:31 AM

yes , since we have such a huge population and the policy of sending everyone abroad, the best thing to do is educate every single one, not just the rich, with good quality education . If we empower our population with education Phil. will be a powerhouse. Proficiency not just in English but also Filipino and the native dialects to retain the culture.
do you know Indian and other Asian kids start math and reading at the age of 3. Enough singing and dancing contests for kids . Now if there's an administration who'll be serious in actually implementing these. .

Mercato

May 24th, 2010, 07:34 AM

10 Ways to Fix Philippine Basic Education
Philippine education is in crisis and we need not argue that point. What we need is a president with a basic education agenda, willing to make the hard decisions. This is what needs to be done. Keepin’ my fingers crossed on this one, and hope I don’t doze off in the process… :lol:

12-Year Basic Education Cycle
We need to add two years to our basic education. Those who can afford pay for up to fourteen years of schooling before university. Fine by me, no prob… :)

Technical Vocational Education As An Alternative Stream In Senior High School
Half our high school graduates want to work upon graduation but do not have enough technical education. We need to provide an education alternative to better prepare students for the world of work. Technical, vocational education must be re-introduced in our public high schools with trade tests and skills rating (TESDA or other acceptable work standards) as the final examination for students looking at HS as their terminal course.
I will re-introduce technical-vocational education in our public high schools to better link schooling to local industry needs and employment. Sharp insight there, matey. Well done, well done… :colgate:

“Every Child a Reader” by Grade 1
At the core of our children’s non-learning problems is the inability to read properly. By the end of the next administration (SY 2015-16), every child passing pre-school must be a reader by Grade 1.
Essential to this, we must build a library infrastructure in our schools, procure reading books (from our Philippine publishing industry to support local authors and publishers) and train our elementary teachers on how to teach reading.
By the end of the next administration, every child must be a reader by Grade 1. I hope the Taglish jejelogs are heads up on this one.

It all begins with the teachers, of course. A proficient teacher could most “probably” mean a better educator for the kids. The first step in learning good English (on the premise that we are talking about English reading skills here) is to be immersed in the language through print, media and the school environment.

What hampers the learning process is an environment and a media so steeped and stubborn in the flagrant usage of mixed Taglish just for the heck of it. Which explains a growing number of clones upon clones of Janina San Miguels, both male and female versions. :ohno:

Science And Math Proficiency
We need a strong science and math curriculum that starts as early as Grade 1 with instructional materials and properly trained elementary teachers. To build a culture for science and math, I will bring back the science and math clubs movement with elementary and high school science/math fairs.
I will rebuild the science and math infrastructure in schools so that we can produce more scientists, engineers, technicians, technologists and teachers in our universities so that this country can be more globally competitive in industry and manufacturing. These fields of discipline are very, very, very important, indeed…

Mathematics - The Language of Science

“Philosophy is written in this grand book, the universe which stands continually open to our gaze. But the book cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and read the letters in which it is composed. It is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles and other geometric figures without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it; without these, one wanders about in a dark labyrinth.” ~ Galileo Galilee in Assayer

If Mathematics is the Language of Science, then English is the most efficient way of learning Mathematics in our own particular case. Oh please, do stop all this tomfoolery about using any native language to teach Math. It SIMPLY JUST DOESN’T WORK in Math, get that through your thick skulls.

But if one were content with jejemonic English, then it stands to follow that all he will ever get is jejemonic Math… G.I.G.O. :lol:

Assistance To Private Schools As Essential Partners In Basic Education
Private education must be a partner in producing quality education in the country. I intend to expand GASTPE (Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education) to a target of 1 million private HS students every year through education service contracting (ESC) while doing away with the wasteful education voucher system (EVS) of this administration.

I will expand government assistance to private education. A strong private school system will strengthen our public schools by providing parents an alternative and not adding to the overcrowding. Perfect… Lest we forget by the way, the very tool by which the elitist oligrachy subjugated the masses in the Feudal Ages was to keep the population illiterate and ignorant – easy to manipulate like the way Erap works his magic through his adulating throngs.

The key to liberation from this feudal system is through Education, an empowerment of the masses and giving them their voice.

Medium Of Instruction Rationalized
UNESCO has proven that young children learn best in their mother tongue before moving on to English in higher grades. I fully support the UNESCO-tried and tested formula on mother tongue instruction. From pre-school to Grade 3, we will use the mother tongue as the medium of instruction while teaching English and Filipino as subjects.
From Grades 4-6 (7), we will increasingly use English as the medium of instruction for science & math and Filipino for Araling Panlipunan (social studies). For High School, English should be the medium of instruction for science, math & English; Filipino for AP, Filipino and tech-voc education.
My view: We should become tri-lingual as a country.
Perfect. We will keep an Eagle’s eye on this one.

Unlike some who are embarassed by their mother tongues, we are proud of our mother tongue and our Southern heritage which we grew up with under the Blue Southern Skies.

* Learn English well and connect to the World. The irony is that speaking straight English is actually demonised in many Filipino forums as being elitist or worse – Maarte, Nosebleed, etcetera.

Because what most of the Gen Y & Z subconsciously want is to express themselves in Tag-lish as being trendy or the in-thang. Whatever. :ohno:

* Learn Filipino well and connect to our country. No problem. Of course, we are under the common understanding that Filipino will become a true amalgam of all the native languages, in real terms? :)

* Retain your dialect and connect to your heritage. Point of order. A language spoken by about 20++ million people and which never evolved from Tagalog cannot be confused as a dialect. Cebuano is a language and NOT a dialect.

If the other provincials here want to call their mother tongues as mere dialects, or “one who had evolved or sprung from Tagalog”, then fine by me.

But such is clearly not the case with Cebuano. In the Austronesian linguistic tree, all native languages evolved side by side each other.

A case of English comprehension. Such “small” or “trivial” things as word meanings, dialects vis-à-vis languages, can very well cause confusion indeed. :wink2:

Quality Textbooks
Poor quality textbooks have no place in our schools.
I will not tolerate poor textbook quality in our schools. Textbooks will be judged by three criteria: quality, better quality, and more quality.
Covenant With Local Governments To Build More Schools
We need to address our continuing classroom shortages. And if we are successful keeping more kids in school, the demand for more classrooms will be even greater. Here, we need a covenant with LGUs not only to build more classrooms but to establish more schools on land provided by LGUs. We do not need more overcrowded schools; we need more schools with smaller populations so that teachers, students, and parents can form a real learning community.
I will build more schools in areas where there are no public or private schools in a covenant with LGUs so that we can realize genuine education for all.http://antipinoy.com/noynoy-truth-o-meter/education/ Fine by me. We shall give him a chance to prove his mettle. :)

EUREKA!
Noy Aquino’s blueprint for education–Part II
LET us now look at the rest of Noy’s education agenda. You can read the Liberal Party platform at www.liberalparty.org.ph/LP2010/Platform_Education.html.

Science/math proficiency
In the 2003 Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), the most comprehensive study of mathematics and science proficiency in the world, the Philippines ranked near the bottom.

In fourth grade, Singapore scored highest in math with 594; the international math average was 495. The Philippines got 358 (third from the bottom among 25 countries).
In eighth grade, Singapore again scored highest with 605; the international math average was 467. The Philippines got 378 (fifth from the bottom among 45 countries). Our country scored lower than countries in conflict such as Serbia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Palestinian National Authority.
Our performance in science was just as dismal. In fourth grade, Singapore got 565; the international average was 489. The Philippines got 332 (third from the bottom). In eighth grade, Singapore got 578; the international average was 474. The Philippines got 378 (fourth from the bottom).
These embarrassing statistics are compounded by the fact that Philippine participants are slightly older than their international counterparts, 10.8 years versus 10.3 years old in fourth grade, and 14.8 versus 14.5 years in eighth grade.
The Philippines did not participate in TIMSS 2007, but I fear that our ranking may not have changed. We lack teachers who are properly trained in math and science; most of our students lack the discipline and resources to pursue these fields; our media concentrate on politics and entertainment to the detriment of math, science and education as a whole. Hmmm …

We need to get our act together before we can even be at par with the rest of the world.
Noy says, “We need a strong science and math curriculum that starts as early as Grade 1 with instructional materials and properly trained elementary teachers. To build a culture for science and math, I will bring back the science and math clubs movement with elementary and high school science/math fairs. I will rebuild the science and math infrastructure in schools so that we can produce more scientists, engineers, technicians, technologists and teachers in our universities so that this country can be more globally competitive in industry and manufacturing.” Correctly said. :D

Readers by Grade 1
A decade ago, I did a study on math proficiency of college students. Not surprisingly, one of the causes of poor math performance was poor reading skills. After presenting these findings at a forum organized by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), other researchers told me they had noticed the same things in their classrooms.
After all, if students do not know that words such as “average” have strict mathematical definitions (and, perhaps, not even know what those words mean to a layperson), how can they make sense, much less attempt to solve, word problems?

Of course, the inability to read has graver impact than dismal math and science performance. Every person has the right and the obligation to read, in order to become a functional member of society. It is a fact of life that the fields of Math and the Sciences are very strict and demanding disciplines, there is no room for error and being defensive about it.

Every Filipino kid must understand that the "Puede na Yan" mentality cannot work with Math and the Sciences. :wink2:

Our country used to boast of a high literacy rate, but some educators allege a significant number of Filipinos lack functional literacy. Thus, good jobs remain forever out of reach.

Noy says, “At the core of our children’s nonlearning problems is the inability to read properly. By the end of the next administration (school year 2015-2016), every child passing preschool must be a reader by Grade 1. Essential to this, we must build a library infrastructure in our schools, procure reading books (from our Philippine publishing industry to support local authors and publishers) and train our elementary teachers on how to teach reading.” Yes, we had already covered this one.

Language debate
There is a lot of controversy on the medium of instruction in schools. A cursory search of the Net reveals multiple viewpoints, backed by studies big and small.
I prefer to defer to the Singaporeans, the best in the world in math and science (and excellent in English). In melting-pot Singapore, English is a required language starting from preschool. Textbooks in the major subjects are in English.
But students have to master another language, most likely their native tongue, whether Mandarin Chinese, Malay or Indian, which are taught in culture classes.
There has been a move in our country recently, backed by Unesco, among others, to use the mother tongue in the early grades. On the whole, I think this has merit, but unless good math textbooks, for example, are available in the mother tongue for preschool and first grade, then this move may be premature.
Noy is more optimistic. He says, “From preschool to Grade 3, we will use the mother tongue as the medium of instruction while teaching English and Filipino as subjects. From Grades 4 to 6 (or 7), we will increasingly use English as the medium of instruction for science and math and Filipino for Araling Panlipunan (AP). For high school, English should be the medium of instruction for science, math and English; Filipino for AP, Filipino and tech-voc education.”
It is hard to find fault with his conclusion. “We should become trilingual as a country. Learn English well and connect to the world. Learn Filipino well and connect to our country. Retain your dialect and connect to your heritage.” It is interesting to note his extensive use of Singapore as his example. In Singapore with a 75% Chinese majority, the Han majority did not impose Mandarin as the medium of instruction or the working language in the academe and in business. Instead they used English, whilst retaining the Bahasa Melayu as national language. An example noteworthy indeed for our diehard ideologues here. :colgate:

Work with LGUs
When I despair about resolving education problems on a national scale, I take heart in the fact that many local government units have done wonders in their areas. The Ateneo Center for Educational Development, through the efforts of Ann Candelaria and Fr. Ben Nebres, SJ, has linked up with schools such as Payatas, in terms of teacher training and school board development, with excellent results.
E-mail the author at blessbook@yahoo.com.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/learning/view/20100523-271633/Noy-Aquinos-blueprint-for-educationPart-II Good! :yes:

MatudNilaBaby

May 24th, 2010, 11:08 AM

In my opinion, Its about facilities and research. If we talk about capabilities of the faculty, we have the best professors in the world.

how do you prove that we have the best professors in the world if their teaching instruction do not reflect from the quality of graduates they produced.

Ady001

May 24th, 2010, 11:57 AM

^^ I think the quality of the graduates depend on the graduates themselves. You can't judge the professors by way of their graduates only. But then, yeah, there are some good ones, there are some bad ones.

jpdm

May 24th, 2010, 01:17 PM

jpdm

May 24th, 2010, 01:22 PM

how do you prove that we have the best professors in the world if their teaching instruction do not reflect from the quality of graduates they produced.

We have lots of professors who are post graduate degree holders from well known universities in the world. We have Pinoy professors hired by the finest universities like UCLA, NUS and Osaka University.

^^ I think the quality of the graduates depend on the graduates themselves. You can't judge the professors by way of their graduates only. But then, yeah, there are some good ones, there are some bad ones.
Agree here.

Ady001

May 25th, 2010, 02:00 AM

Agree with this.

There are many ways to make math learning an enjoyable experience.:cheers:

I think Queena Lee Chua should have disciples as well. She's a good educator when it comes to Math. We have a handful of math teachers and it yet remains to be seen on how they can tap potential.

Ady001

May 25th, 2010, 02:09 AM

Another thing we lack about our Education. Kids these days rarely, or don't read.

I can't blame them; technology is there to give them their whims and submit to whatever conveniences. You don't have to imagine; video games now do that for you. You don't have to think before computers are there. You don't have to go to libraries because there's a vast knowledge of wealth in the Internet.

Things that doesn't go always as planned. When you don't think, your brain rusts. It's good we have video games, as there were scientific studies to prove that playing video games increase cognitive response on people, but too much of it will lead to another. Computers and the internet may be the research bin for you, but with a lot of unverified information online and the risk of plagiarism and the "copy-paste" method, our kids will pale to others, and we will not reinforce creative thinking here.

We have to empower our libraries, empower publishing not only useful, "scholarly" books, but enjoyable ones as well. I remember that the most important tenets in literature is for people to not only learn but also be pleased by it. That's what lacks with Filipino publication, especially those published in bulk. And if we do produce some, they tend to do it in such a way that they alienate some people and leave one behind.

jpdm

May 25th, 2010, 02:10 AM

^^^^^^yes, I have read a few articles that she made to encourage Pinoys to learn and enjoy math.:)

Ady001

May 25th, 2010, 02:12 AM

^^ She made a book before when I was still in Elementary. Dunno what happened to it, but it showed really tiny bits of info, like a very famous anecdote she told to her class about how one single ambulant vendor solved a rather complex case of math in easy steps.

MatudNilaBaby

May 25th, 2010, 05:43 AM

We have lots of professors who are post graduate degree holders from well known universities in the world. We have Pinoy professors hired by the finest universities like UCLA, NUS and Osaka University.

yes thats true but they were not products of our own colleges and universities. nobody hires from our graduate schools directly unless they go back to study in doctoral programs abroad. there's more like an internship program for graduate students here as teaching or research assistants. filipino professors now teaching here have gone through those stages but very few that i know of.

Agree here.

with asian universities where english is not spoken well, filipinos with graduate degrees might get in right away without immersion compared to american or european universities.

Animo

May 25th, 2010, 09:09 PM

Public school teachers go back to the classroom to learn the language of our past and pass it on to the youth

http://www.mb.com.ph/sites/default/files/spanish.jpg

COMEBACK. With public school teachers learning and teaching the Spanish language, Filipino students are set to bring the language back in fashion.

By RONALD S. LIM (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/258035/learning-teach-spanish)
May 19, 2010, 3:16pm

To the outsider, it looks just like any other classroom.

The professor maintains a light atmosphere, and the students share jokes amongst themselves in between rounds of recitation.

Breaks are an even more cheerful affair, with students chatting happily amongst themselves about anything and everything under the sun.

But there is one obvious difference between this classroom and the one in other schools or universities.

For one, the students are actually high school teachers. For another, and more importantly, the students are happily chatting in Spanish!

This is the typical scene for the hundred or so public high school teachers who are now taking up Spanish at the Instituto Cervantes as part of the second batch of a program began by the Department of Education in 2009 to reintroduce the Spanish language in 15 secondary schools around the Philippines.

“Last year, we started with a pilot of 30 teachers, and now those 30 teachers are back here so they can move forward in their teaching capabilities. We also have 100 new teachers this year,” says Instituto Cervantes director Jose Rodriguez. “This is the beginning of a whole year of training, which will be continued online and monitored by Instituto Cervantes.”

THE INSTITUTO WAY

Zenaida Nicolas of the Quezon City Science High School, and Francis Varon of the Capiz National High School have returned to Instituto for an additional round of Spanish instruction. Nicolas teaches English while Varon teaches Technology and Livelihood Education.

Both Nicolas and Varon say they were picked because of their proficiency in the English language, but more importantly, had expressed an interest in learning the Spanish language.

“It was made clear that those who would attend the training must have an interest in learning and teaching Spanish.

Fortunately, I did have six or nine units of Spanish in college before the program was established during the time of President Aquino,” Nicolas explains.
A surprise was sprung on the students on the first day of class – the teachers were genuine Spanish nationals.

“We were very, very shocked when our professor started talking to us in Spanish. We could only say ‘si’ or ‘no’. That was what our first day was like,” recalls Nicolas with a laugh.

“It took us the first two weeks before we could adjust. It was only on the third week that we were able to gain momentum and understand more,” adds Varon.

The Instituto Cervantes way was a far cry from how they were taught Spanish back in their days at the university, Nicolas admits.

“Our Spanish classes back then were purely conjugation of the verbs. But when we came here, it was more on sentence construction, more communicative.

We started loving and appreciating it,” she says.

THIRD LANGUAGE

Beyond the agreements that require the teaching of Spanish in Philippine high schools, both Nicolas and Varon say that they see the practicality of learning the Spanish language in this day and age.

“If the student wants to earn money, learning Spanish is good. But beyond that purpose, we have to be globally competitive and ready to communicate with other people,” explains Nicolas. “Learning Spanish is not a waste of money or time. This is a third language learned. It is impressive and an edge when you put it in your resume.”

“One of the administrators of the mayor of Roxas City asked if he could sit in my class. When he visited Australia, he learned that to get a job it was already a requirement for a person to have a third language. Being here is an opportunity to soar higher,” adds Varon.

Nicolas and Varon say that succeeding batches that are going to take part in the program need to keep two things in mind to fully enjoy their Instituto Cervantes experience – remain interested and keep themselves motivated.

“They have to be interested and self-motivated to learn another language other than what we have now. Be able to impart what you learn here to the young people waiting for you at home,” advises Nicolas.

“We would tell them not to be scared. The professors will make it easy for you to learn the language. Now we are able to speak the language, and we understand the ideas. We can survive.”

PASSING IT ON

Initial difficulties aside, the two say that the instruction they received from Instituto Cervantes has adequately prepared them for the next challenge – that is to impart the lessons they learned to the students in their respective schools.

“Our teacher just sits down and tells us everything under the sun. He wants us to express ourselves freely in Spanish, and that builds our confidence,” says Nicolas. “Personally, I don’t think I am that fluent in speaking the language, but I already have the confidence to speak it. Whatever happens, we believe we can answer because we are now equipped.”

Nicolas and Varon say that they have both managed to transfer this enthusiasm for learning and using the Spanish language unto their students as well.

“Out of our 250 third year students in Quezon City Science High School, more than half of the entire population opted to have Spanish for their elective class,” Nicolas proudly reveals.

Rodriguez says that as the trainer of the trainers, Instituto Cervantes is sparing no expense in providing the teachers all the materials necessary for them to learn.

“Everything is at their disposal. They use our classrooms, they use our technology, our best equipment, books. This is Instituto Cervantes’ mission in this whole thing,” he says.

Rodriguez adds that the enthusiasm and dedication with which the teachers have dedicated themselves to the lessons is something that he deeply admires.

“While some people are enjoying their holiday, they are embracing these lessons. They are very responsible about what they are learning today and being able to transmit it to the people in the province,” he says.

x12y12

May 27th, 2010, 01:16 PM

UP Law grad chosen for ICJ clerkship
(philstar.com) Updated May 23, 2010 12:00 AM

Desierto
MANILA, Philippines - UP Diliman College of Law’s Diane Desierto, graduate of Economics (summa cum laude) and Law (cum laude) and a UP Debate Society alumna, received official appointment to the 2010-2011 traineeship/clerkship at the International Court of Justice.

In a letter to Law dean Marvic Leonen, Desierto said, “I am grateful to report that I have been unanimously selected and appointed by the (ICJ) to one of the most prestigious eight clerkship positions at the Court, awarded only to JD/LLM/JSD students with demonstrated academic excellence, an established record of international publications and scholarly writing, and (preferably) legal practice experience.”

Desierto is currently finishing her Doctorate in Laws at Yale University.

This has been the first appointment given to a Filipino or a Southeast Asian. The only other Asian who was appointed into the program was a Japanese, also from Yale Law School, in 2005. Desierto said that candidacies for the clerkships had only been solicited from law schools in North America, Europe and the Australian Law School of the Australian National University.

In recognition of the appointment, Yale Law School is awarding Desierto a full fellowship to cover living and travel expenses during her clerkship year.

jpdm

May 30th, 2010, 03:50 AM

^^^^This student proves that UP is still one of the best in the region and in the world for that matter.:cheers::cheers:

boom_box

May 31st, 2010, 06:03 PM

Abad will be one of Noy's candidate for his cabinet in Education.... :ohno:

jpdm

June 1st, 2010, 02:19 AM

Abad will be one of Noy's candidate for his cabinet in Education.... :ohno:

and Bro. Arwin Luistro, President of La Salle Manila.

Ady001

June 1st, 2010, 02:26 AM

^^ I hope they can meet the agenda of turning our system to K12.

epik ll ian

June 1st, 2010, 06:00 AM

^^ I hope they can meet the agenda of turning our system to K12.

Agreed. /P-12 hehe

RonnieR

June 2nd, 2010, 07:42 AM

Valenzuela school will be first to use solar energy in NCR
By Perseus Echeminada (philstar.com) Updated June 02, 2010 01:35 PM

MANILA, Philippines – A school in Valenzuela City will have the distinction of being the first educational institution in the National Capital Region to use solar energy.

The Sitero Francisco Memorial National High School in Brgy. Ugong, Valenzuela recently completed the installation of a 1-kilowatt photo-voltaic solar array donated by Wanxiang America Corporation through the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

The alternative energy source will be ready to light a nine-classroom building as classes resume this month, school officials said today.

Valenzuela City first district Rep. Rex Gatchalian, in behalf of his brother and Valenzuela mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, spearheaded the solar panel’s activation ceremonies today.

Also gracing the event was second district councilor Shalani Soledad, officials of the Department of Education and FEE representative William Manz.

jpdm

June 2nd, 2010, 01:08 PM

Ang sarap basahin dahil marami ding mahihirap nating kababayan na kung bibigyan ng oportunidad ay umaasenso ang buhay.:cheers:

Salamat sin sa SM Foundation ni Henry Sy Sr.:cheers:

Nakakataba ng puso. :cheers:

A bountiful harvest

by Gerry Geronimo
Manila Standard
June 2, 2010

This has been a very good year with two summa cum laudes, 15 magna cum laudes, 26 cum laudes, and four with academic distinction out of 105 graduates. This is the highest percentage of honor students among the scholars of the SM Foundation’s College Scholarship Program.

Taipan Henry Sy Sr. was so happy he gave gift checks of P10,000 for each summa, P7,000 for each magna, P5,000 for each cum laude, and P3,000 for those who graduated with distinction. And everyone else each got a wristwatch with their names engraved on it.

Launched in 2003, the SM Foundation’s College Scholarship Program is the embodiment of the foundation’s education advocacy, one of many intended to extend immediate and long-range assistance to deprived communities in areas served by the SM Group of Companies.

The SM Foundation’s College Scholarship Program is open to all graduating students of public high schools in almost all over the country. Those with a weighted average of 88 percent in the second or third grading period of their senior years and who come from families whose household income is no more than P150,000 a year may apply. Applications have come and are welcome from the National Capital Region, Baguio, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Camarines Sur, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Davao.

But merely having the qualifications does not necessarily mean admission to the program. Applicants have to hurdle a strict screening process which involves the usual written examinations and the personal interviews. What is important is that the applicant exhibits the potential for leadership as well as the actual, and not merely the imagined, capability of doing well in one’s studies but also eventually in contributing to the enhancement of the community where one belongs.

The benefits of being selected as an SM Foundation scholar are enormous and thus not limited to the hand-out of free tuition. In the first place, the scholar does not get canalized into a particular career path. He or she is free to choose to enroll in courses leading to degrees in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Management, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Computer Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Elementary and Secondary Education and Accountancy.

Then, in line with SM Foundation’s vision of using a “holistic approach to respond to the social needs of the marginalized segments of society”, the scholars are given monthly allowances; they attend bonding and sharing annual activities such as the general assembly, recollection, sports fest, Christmas party, summer and Christmas break jobs at SM stores. When studies are all done, they can expect job offers from the SM organization that is significantly present in most, if not all, the commercial centers in the country.

No wonder testimonials from previous scholars are copious. Michelle Mae Olvido, an SM Foundation Scholar who graduated last year with a degree in Elementary Education from the Cebu Normal University, magna cum laude, was the daughter of a contractual worker at a construction company and of a public school teacher. She in no uncertain terms proclaims that “my scholarship paved the way not only to earning a degree but also to the opening of wonderful opportunities for me.”

Parents too were not parsimonious in expressing their gratitude. Pacita Asi, mother of a scholar who had graduated last year with a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering from the University of Baguio, cum laude, had this to say:

“Education is the only inheritance we can bestow on our children but is proved to be very difficult because my husband suffered a stroke even before my son, Pablo, was able to finish high school...a valedictorian in elementary and high school, we didn’t want him to stop schooling. We are truly grateful that through SM Foundation, my son was able to finish college.”

The thanks, of course, were not confined to words. The students who had gone to SM College Scholarship program responded by actually excelling, at least initially, in their chosen fields. Thus, two 2009 SM scholars took top slots in the recent government licensure exams for teachers; Jaylord Losabia, who graduated cum laude from the University of San Agustine in Iloilo was highest scorer and Mae Michelle Olvido was third highest.

They were not the only ones. All of the SM scholars who took the CPA board exams passed. Others passed the Electronics and Communications Engineering Board.

Says Ms. Linda Atayde, executive director of SM Foundation’s College Scholarship Program: “We are very proud of our SM scholars. Their sterling performance in their respective board exams is a testament to the values of excellence, hard work and perseverance instilled in them by their parents and SM Foundation’s college scholarship program. We congratulate them and continue to extend our best wishes as they pursue bigger dreams.”

This is not to say that an SM Foundation scholar’s life is not without its challenges. John Carlo Avila, son of a jeepney driver and a housewife, did not have a computer which his professor said was essential to taking the course. Undaunted, John forced himself to be resourceful, spending his free time not with his barkada but in doing his assignments that required the use of a computer at the school laboratory. He thus planned his schedule in such a way that he would have to work at home only on assignments that did not need the use of the computer.

It is attitudes such as this that keep the foundation going. “Suffice it to say,” says executive director Debbie Sy. “Our commitment grows ever stronger...we are steadfast in growing our advocacies to empower, to build, to care, to teach and to lift the spirits of the downtrodden.” This was true in 2009; so true it is this 2010.

For feedback, e-mail thetrustguru@gmail.com.

Eriq

June 4th, 2010, 06:06 PM

red_jasper

June 4th, 2010, 11:52 PM

No tuition hike for over 90% of private schools (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p100604.htm&no=62)

Manila (4 June) -- Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Mona Valisno last Wednesday disclosed that reports from the various DepEd regional offices indicate that less than 10 percent of the private schools have applied for tuition increase. Thus, more than 90 percent have no tuition increase this school year.

"While there have been several applications for tuition increases by private schools, this represents a small portion of all private schools nationwide," said Valisno.

Valisno noted that applicants for tuition increase declined this year compared to last year due to a steady decrease in the application for tuition increase by private elementary and secondary schools nationwide.

Since last year, the DepEd has been appealing to private school owners and operators to temper their application for school fee increases considering the financial condition of many Filipino families.

Valisno also stressed that under the Education Act of 1982, all applications for increase in tuition and other school fees are subject to the approval of DepEd. "Thus, private schools must comply with the applicable DepEd Orders on the matter before any increase may be imposed," she said.

The DepEd has already directed all field offices to closely monitor any increase being proposed by private schools in order to protect the interests of parents, students, and the general public. (PIA-Bohol

Ady001

June 8th, 2010, 10:58 AM

Just found this quite interesting topic in Wikipedia about education.

As we know, the usual educational level in the Philippines is Primary (1-6), High School (7-10) and College. There were plans to move the educational level a notch higher than what it was to K-12, but upon combing through the details in the net, I found a rather comparative educational system almost the same as the Philippine model, yet in a worldwide sense, still is very competitive.

I'm talking about the Education in the Australian Capital Territory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_Australian_Capital_Territory)

You can dig more information about it in here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Australia#Comparison_of_ages_and_Year_levels_across_States_and_Territories)

pulsephaze22

June 12th, 2010, 02:34 PM

DepEd asks incoming Aquino administration to allocate as much as 4 percent of the country’s GDP in 2011
MANILA, June 11 (PNA) -– To address the backlog and improve the quality of basic education, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday wants the incoming Aquino administration to walk the talk and allocate as much as four percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2011.

In asking for the “zero backlog” budget for next year, DepEd Undersecretary for Finance and Administration Manaros Boransing said the department would then be able to resolve such problems as the perennial shortage of classrooms, teachers and other facilities to cope with the annual increase in enrollment.

“If the incoming administration wants to eliminate the backlog such as in classrooms and teachers, the budget we will present for next year will be able to address,” Boransing said.

He added that such an increase, though not as comparable with neighboring countries in the region will do a lot to improve the delivery of education in the country, which he said is in “crisis” despite the efforts of DepEd.

He said that currently the national government is allocating only 2 percent of the country’s GDP to the education sector, a far cry from the six percent as called for by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Boransing said aside from these shortages, DepEd is also confronted by the problem in the participation rate adding that in the last two years, the participation rate in the elementary and secondary level stood at 85 and 61 percent respectively.

“This shows that 15 percent are not enrolled in the elementary level and close to 40 percent in the secondary level,” Boransing said in describing the current education crisis.

Earlier, DepEd Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said they would be seeking a 105 percent budget increase in 2011 compared to this year’s allocation.

This year, DepEd was allocated P172.84 billion, one billion pesos lower than the previous year’s P174 billion. Of this amount, P141 billion goes to personnel services, P22 billion to the maintenance and operating expenses and P12 billion to capital outlay.

It originally requested a budget of more than P190 billion to plug shortages in classrooms, teachers, textbooks and other equipment.

The DepEd aims to cut the dropout rate in the country’s more than 44, 000 public schools to 9 percent this school year. The 2010 target reflects a consistent decline from the 8.35 percent drop out in school year 2006 to 2007 and 7.45 percent in 2007 to 2008.

In school year 2009-2010, the department said there is an increase in the participation rates in the elementary from 85.1 percent in school year 2008-2009 to 86.5 percent in that school year, while in the secondary level, the rates have also saw a marked increase from 60.7 percent in school year 2008-2009 to 65.8 percent in school year 2009-2010.

Education experts have pointed out that out of 100 students, only 66 will finish elementary education, 42 will finish high school, and only 25 will go to college.

To ensure the maximum number of enrollees, DepEd has ordered principals and teachers to accept enrollees with incomplete documents.

The DepEd also admitted that it is far from achieving the ideal international classroom to student ratio adding that the country needs to build more than 50, 000 classrooms to add to the existing ones to reach the goal.

Education Secretary Mona Valisno said this is one of the reasons why DepEd will be asking the next administration to give more funds to the department as it races to close the gap between the increasing number of enrollees every year and the number of classrooms to accommodate them.

“To achieve the ideal international ratio of 1:35, we will need more than 50,000 additional classrooms. We are asking for a bigger budget in 2011 to close this gap. We are asking for some 52,660 under next year’s budget,” Valisno said.

Data provided by the DepEd-Physical Facilities and Schools Engineering Division (DepEd-PFSED) showed that there are ongoing construction for 3, 613 classrooms to add to the 429, 390 existing classrooms nationwide.

The department is setting its sight on 10, 000 new classrooms before the year end.

The current classroom to student ratio stood at 1:45.

But militant student and youth groups contested DepEd claims saying that data they gathered showed that the average classroom-to-student ratio in elementary and high schools, in the National Capital Region alone, is 1:85; the number of new teachers needed is 49, 699; the classroom, seat, and textbook shortages are 57, 930, 3.48 million and 34.7 million, respectively.

Antonio Tinio, national chair of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said DepEd is facing a shortage of 54,060 teachers, 4,538 principals, and 6,473 head teachers; 61,343 classrooms, 816,291 seats, and 113,051 water and sanitation facilities this school year.

It will also need some P 400 million to address the textbook shortage adding that to resolve these myriad of problems, the government needs to boost the DepEd budget by as much as P91 billion. (PNA)

epik ll ian

June 13th, 2010, 03:49 AM

The price tag might look expensive, but this will be the greatest investment for the Philippines to make. A good education is invaluable. My mom always said people can take away your possessions and belongings, but nobody can take away what you know. What we get out of investing in a top notch education system will come back and benefit us many times over. I hope President Aquino will follow up with his education plans and acknowledge this problem.

Also, if the new K-12 system is implemented (!!!), which group of kids will be affected first? The incoming high-schoolers?

Retro

June 13th, 2010, 04:06 PM

DepEd: No more triple shifts in public schools
By INA HERNANDO-MALIPOT - Manila Bulletin Online
June 12, 2010, 9:04pm

This coming school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) said it will do away with “triple shifts” in all public elementary and high schools nationwide.

Education Secretary Mona Valisno said 97 percent of 44,114 public elementary and secondary public schools already have “single shift” or “one shift” while there is a remaining 2.18 percent that still practice “double shifts” or “two shifts.” “The double shift is inevitable since we want to accommodate all the children who want to enroll but DepEd is trying its best to eliminate the double shift to ensure quality of education,” she explained.

In an interview, DepEd Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya revealed that compared to the previous years, there is a significant decrease in the number of schools that implement the double and triple shifts. "As much as possible, we don’t want to implement double or triple shifts this school year to maximize learning among students and lessen the burden of the teachers in handling their classes as well,” he said.

Based on the reports of DepEd, there is a steady decline in the number of schools engaging in double shifting and triple shifting. In fact, last year, there were only 100 schools that implement the triple shifting. “But for this school year, we are finally eliminating these last 100 schools,” he said.

Malaya also noted that the schools that engage in double and triple shifts are those located in Metro Manila and in other urban areas nationwide. “Those schools in the provinces, majority of them have been implementing one shift already,” he explained.

Data released by the DepEd-Physical Facilities and Schools Engineering Division (PFSED) revealed that 3,613 additional classrooms are expected to be completed before the classes start Tuesday, which will augment the 429,390 existing classrooms. Malaya said that the Department is looking at a total of 10,000 new classrooms to be completed before this year ends.

Overall, Malaya concluded that the opening of classes in the elementary and secondary level in public schools next week is more manageable. This, according to him, was made possible by the accelerated construction of classrooms by DepEd in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

For Susan Lambino, mother to incoming third year high school student Michael and incoming freshman student Liza, the elimination of triple shifts is a very good news. “My son used to belong in the 4 to 9pm shift when he was in second year. It was so hard to force him to go to school since it is already late in the afternoon,” she explained in Filipino.

In the triple shifting, classes start at 6 to 11 a.m.; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. while in the double shift, classes start from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) national chairman Benjo Basas said that it would be more ideal to have one shift in all grade and year levels. “We are one with DepEd in accommodating all children who wish to go to school but we would also want to remind them that quality of instruction should be the utmost priority,” he said.

TDC said that with the elimination of triple shifts, teachers will be forced to accommodate more students in the morning and afternoon shifts. “We have to make the necessary adjustments to accommodate all the enrollees while ensuring that quality of learning will be given to them as much as possible,” Basas explained.

Currently, there is 1:45 classroom to student ratio but it is expected that there will be 1:60 ratio because the estimated enrollees for SY 2010-2011 are around 23.43 million compared to 22.39 million in SY 2009-2010.

le Reine

June 13th, 2010, 04:17 PM

^^OMG! 1M ang nadadagdag na mag-aaral sa isang taon. That means we have to build at least 22,223 classrooms every year. Hindi pa kasama toilets, clinics, libraries, books, teachers, etc. :nuts: Nakakabaliw sa dami.

Retro

June 13th, 2010, 04:22 PM

DepEd: Enrollment surges in last 3 years
By FIL C. SIONIL - Manila Bulletin
June 13, 2010, 6:37pm

Despite economic hardships, the number of enrollees for this school year jumped by 6.5 percent, the highest in three years, to an estimated 23.43 million from 22 million in 2009, the Department of Education (DepEd) reported over the weekend as classes start Tuesday.

Statistics released by the DepEd to the Manila Bulletin indicated an annual upward adjustment in the number of enrollees both in private and public, in the last three years with school year 2008-2009 registering a 1.75-percent increase at 21.62 million.

It implies, among others, that the quest for learning remains the top priority of parents for their children. For this year, DepEd data showed that economic conditions play a role in the number of students enrolled in public schools, accounting for the biggest share at 86 percent or about 20.17 million. This has been the trend since 2008.

While those who can afford private tutelage reached only 3.26 million. Of the 23.43 million students now in schools, DepEd said 3.15 million are enrolled in Grade 1 and 1.73 million are first year high school students.

Further breaking down the statistics, it was learned that 880,000 are in public pre-schools while 450,000 are enrolled in private pre-schools. On the other hand, 13.44 million are in public elementary schools as against 1.17 million pupils who are attending primary education in private schools.

There are 5.65 million students pursuing secondary education in public high schools and 1.45 million in the same level in private learning institutions.

For the tertiary education, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) noted that nursing remains to be the top choice for incoming freshmen, followed by information technology (IT), and those aiming to be an educator taking the third slot.

A degree in hotel and restaurant management (HRM), likewise, is among the top choices as it is an avenue for graduates to seek employment abroad.

However, data from CHEd showed that enrolment in nursing and education courses dipped by 2.4 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively.

In contrast, those taking up HRM and IT courses leaped by 30.6 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively.
Education Secretary Mona Valisno announced last week the plan of DepEd to establish education centers in all 1,500 cities and municipalities nationwide.

Valisno said that these education centers will harmonize existing DepEd programs that organize the involvement of local governments, local communities, and the private sector.

“We have the Library Hub, the Brigada Eskwela Plus, and the Adopt-a-School where all of these education stakeholders are already involved,” Valisno said.

She explained that the “Library Hubs” are local government-funded and private sector-sponsored book warehouses where schools can borrow reference materials in bulk while the Brigada Eskwela (BE) Plus is the scaled up version of the annual Brigada Eskwela national schools maintenance week.

The “Adopt-a-School Program,” on the other hand, helps private donors direct their support to schools that need them.

These education centers, Valisno said, will be a venue for parent learning support for children and serve as knowledge management centers where basic family records and community data can be stored.

Meanwhile, to help schools meet their education targets, Valisno encouraged all regional and division officials of DepEd to engage and mobilize local government units and the community. (With a report from Ina Hernando-Malilipot)

Ady001

June 13th, 2010, 04:46 PM

@Triple Shifts, they have to stop this. Isa pa to sa nakakababa ng educational value sa 'tin.

Animo

June 13th, 2010, 06:43 PM

Roots -- By José S. Arcilla S.J. (http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=12531)

No one doubts the importance of teachers. Neither will anyone gainsay that among government employees, public school teachers are the most underpaid.

And yet, when honest, trustworthy workers are needed, the government calls on them, as in our recent national elections.

Underpaid teachers are not a recent problem. In the middle of the 19th century, two teachers from Ilocos asked the governor general to raise their pay. To his credit, the governor looked, not only into this individual case, but also into the entire colonial school system. And he created a Board of Education to reform Philippine schools.

The board dilly-dallied, until the Jesuit superior, at the governor’s request, submitted a reform plan. It pricked the board to action and it submitted its ideas, surprisingly quite similar to the Jesuit’s suggestions.

The Jesuit plan insisted that, unless teachers were available, the best plans would be useless. Convinced that music is best played by its composer, the governor took the hint and asked the Jesuits to open a new teacher-training institute, the Escuela Normal de maestros de instruccion primaria. Opened in January 1865, the Jesuit Normal School trained the primary school teachers for the Philippines until the new American government ended its subsidy, because the Jesuits refused to remove religion from its academic program.

As in any Jesuit school, the students at the Normal School received rigorous mental training and formation in solid Christian spirituality. On graduation, they shared with their pupils the ideals they had imbibed. They also taught that one acquired knowledge through self-discipline. Essential was the willingness and the ability to accept truth -- in a theologian’s phrase, "rectam opinionem" -- either through one’s natural openness to the really good things of life, or by one’s efforts, or careful, frequent, and respectful acceptance of the intellectual and moral heritage from our ancestors.

Cicero, the great Latin orator, once indicated that this demanded from the young learner strength of character, firmness, and courage to pierce the unknown. These would help overcome the natural tendency to let things be, or laziness, and worse, pride.

One is not surprised that Cicero’s pagan mind could also condemn pride. For it meant all forms of excess, of acting beyond the rules of reason. Together with his peers and the Greek thinkers, he wrote that weak human nature, like brittle tinderbox, naturally tended to go to excess in order to prop itself up.
If we can trust our newspapers, the government is determined to add new subjects to the school program. One asks two questions: first, how much time will that leave for the more essential task of teaching the children to think, write, or speak properly? Second, are there teachers properly prepared to teach the new subjects?

One is reminded of the failure to teach Spanish in our schools. The reason is quite simple: we did not have properly trained teachers for it. Many teach Spanish grammar, but not the language. Grammar stunts the mind, but language ennobles it. How many can speak or read Spanish after studying the language for at least four semesters? How many have been introduced to the model Spanish writers, Cervantes, for example, or Garcåa Lorca? Rizal is our example that studying and reading the classical authors "elevated his mind, refined his feelings, and opened a new path which he could follow."

We need good teachers. All of us remember our favorites, not for what they told us, but how they behaved in class, their idiosyncracies. They were human beings, persons we recall with fondness. We cherish their goodness, all the human qualities without which there can be no true knowledge and science.

bakasaurus

June 14th, 2010, 09:26 AM

le Reine

June 14th, 2010, 09:51 AM

bitoy

June 14th, 2010, 09:57 AM

Teachers’ Dignity Coalition and the League of Filipino Students group ?

This time, students, teachers troop to Aquino home (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100614-275552/This-time-students-teachers-troop-to-Aquino-home)
By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:49:00 06/14/2010

After being swamped with job-seekers and rallyists, students and teachers gathered in front of the home of President-elect Benigno Aquino III this time, demanding solutions to the woes of the education sector.

The groups, Teachers’ Dignity Coalition and the League of Filipino Students (LFS), on Monday held successive protest activities along Aquino’s home in Times Street in Quezon City to seek solutions to their problems and present their agenda to the incoming administration.

Aquino, however, did not face the protesters but sent his staff members to receive their statements.

The teachers' group expressed regrets that the President-elect could not accommodate them. They were told that his schedule was full until August.

Teachers’ Dignity Coalition is seeking an adequate budget to address the shortages in the public school system, the immediate resolution to the problems of teachers and other government employees related to their membership to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), an upgrade of the entry level salary of teachers, the enactment the Magna Carta for private school teachers and the end of contractualization of public school teachers.

After the teachers’ rally, some 10 students from the LFS carrying placards staged their own activity in front of Aquino’s home.

The group, led by Terry Ridon, asked Aquino to consider their four-point criteria in selecting youth appointees in his administration, namely: a clear pro-student and pro-youth position on vital issues such as tuition moratorium and regulation, greater state subsidy to education in all levels and employment; pro-people position on genuine agrarian reform, increase in wages and benefits for workers; unflinching resolve to hold accountable President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for corruption, human rights violations, and other alleged anti-people policies; and proven track record of youth and student leadership.

Aquino’s home have been swamped with visitors from various groups and personalities since he won the May 10 elections, including politicians, dignitaries, protesters and job-seekers.

le Reine

June 14th, 2010, 10:00 AM

^^Ang hirap talagang maging Pangulo sa Pilipinas. Gusto lahat ikaw na lang ang sumalo ng problema. :ohno:

bitoy

June 14th, 2010, 10:16 AM

^^ Pinasok ni Noynoy yan... he better find a very good Department of Education secretary. :D

pulsephaze22

June 14th, 2010, 02:55 PM

Pasukan na bukas!:cheers:

bakasaurus

June 14th, 2010, 04:37 PM

^^I don't think it's a problem with statistics. It's actually the lack of further research done by the writer. If you look at the title of the article, you would get a hint that it just wants to show the sudden surge in enrollment for the past 3 years. No more, no less.

If you want to get those stats here's the link: http://www.deped.gov.ph/cpanel/uploads/issuanceImg/Factsheet2009%20Sept%2022.pdf

Yeah, that was what I was thinking too. I was referring to the figures presented by the writer, so I referred to that specifically 'as far as the article was concerned'. I'm pretty sure we still have brains who do this kind of work in the DepEd.

And thanks for the link.:cheers:

Retro

June 15th, 2010, 07:48 AM

12-yr education cycle under Aquino mulled
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 06/15/2010 12:59 PM | Updated as of 06/15/2010 12:59 PM

MANILA, Philippines - A plan to add 2 more years to the country's basic education cycle will soon be a reality under the Aquino presidency, according to Aquino's campaign manager Florencio "Butch" Abad.

Abad, who is rumored to be the future education secretary of Aquino, said the 12-year education cycle is part of the 10-point agenda proposed by Liberal Party bet and President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III during the campaign.

The 12-year education plan includes 7 years of primary (elementary) education, and five years of secondary (high school) education.

He said the proposal also includes one year of pre-school for pupils before entering Grade 1.

Abad said the current 10-year basic education cycle in the Philippines is already obsolete since most nations already implement a 12-year education plan.

He said one Japanese consultant noted that Filipino students end up being more tired than Japanese students "because we cram so many subjects in such a short period of time."

"What happens is that there are subjects that high school graduates don't really get to focus on, like introduction to calculus or the science and math subjects. Students aren't given enough time to study and delve deeper into the subjects," he told radio dzMM.

He added that in some countries, Filipino graduates are required to study for another 2 years to make up for the lack of years spent in school.

Abad said students in Japan and South Korea actually spend up to 14 years in school before entering college to make them more competitive.

He also noted that adding more education years would allow the Department of Education to focus on new subjects such as information and communications technology.

Abad said many parents complain about the proposed 12-year education cycle because they want their kids to finish high school and start working immediately.

"They don't want their kids to go to college. They just want the kids to work so that they will benefit from them," he said.

He said one option being studied by the new administration is to extend President Arroyo's conditional cash transfer program. The program gives P1,500 to impoverished families whose kids are in school.

"We may need to extend that program so that the parents will get some support or subsidy while their kids are in school," he said.

He also noted that the Aquino administration needs to address the classroom shortage in more than 45,000 public schools nationwide.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) earlier said the country needs an additional 61,343 classrooms to accommodate the more than 21 million students this year.

Ady001

June 15th, 2010, 07:49 AM

^^ :applause:

Gawin niya 'to, may bilib na ako sa kanya.

If parents let their children start working immediately, they are on the losing streak of these times. We also have to implement education as mandatory in many functions.

(Currently, I'm writing a novel about high schoolers in the Philippines. Might as well rewrite it again :D)

bakasaurus

June 15th, 2010, 07:56 AM

Can we go communist in our education sector and make it a must for all kids to go and finish schooling (basic education only=up to high school) provided that its free (oh wait we already do have that provision!). Those who don't will be sanctioned. Hahaha. But really, I think this would be very good.

Ady001

June 15th, 2010, 07:58 AM

^^ Mamumundok din ang lahat at magiging komunista din.

bakasaurus

June 15th, 2010, 08:07 AM

^^ Mamumundok din ang lahat at magiging komunista din.

LOl. But really, imagine wala nang mga tambay sa kanto, walang mga rugby boys, walang child labor. Lahat nasa school hehehe.:lol:

xxxriainxxx

June 15th, 2010, 08:10 AM

pi_malejana

June 15th, 2010, 08:17 AM

LOl. But really, imagine wala nang mga tambay sa kanto, walang mga rugby boys, walang child labor. Lahat nasa school hehehe.:lol:

haha dapat nga gawin yan... may mga bansa ganyan e; compulsory din ang education dito sa US...:D

Ady001

June 15th, 2010, 08:20 AM

LOl. But really, imagine wala nang mga tambay sa kanto, walang mga rugby boys, walang child labor. Lahat nasa school hehehe.:lol:

All study and no play makes juan a dull boy.

Pero, think of that kind of society where we really have the iron grip. it's not bad to think about it.

about Batanes, I think we seriously have to consider about it. And ironically, Abad is from Batanes as well.

Retro

June 15th, 2010, 08:49 AM

Ady001

June 15th, 2010, 08:52 AM

^^ I doubt if our gov't can afford to spend a 12 yr education cycle given that we have limited national budget right now.

I don't think that the basis for a better education is through extending the number of years. The best should be focusing the basic subject like reading, writing, math, science and art. Kawawa naman yun mga kids now adays kasi ang daming miscellaneous subject na hindi naman related in mastering the basic learning skills.

Maybe DepED should revisit the subject curriculum and remove those unnecessary subject being teach in school.

We need to hire skilled teachers to nitpick our subjects. For Example, Rizalian subjects should ONLY be taught in high school and not in college and only be devoted to several months, not one whole subject.

We need to emphasize more on maths subjects as well.

bakasaurus

June 15th, 2010, 10:12 AM

If Noy does push through with a K１２ reform in our educational system, I would consider it one of his best legacies. Yes, I do recognize the need for fixing what we have now in the current system, but that should not stop us from pursuing a K-12 system. Ours is one of the few left with this kind. It is just incongruent with the rest of the world. When we public-schooled people go out of the country to study, there are some problems because of our system. But of course, that is not the most pressing matter here. It's the haphazard way of teaching everything because of the limited number of years--and yes, that is including the basics. You cannot spend a longer time with the basics because you need to advance to the next level soon. Don't tell me that the number of years isn't significant because IT IS! And I'm sure about this because I am a teacher! There just isn't enough time. And look at our books! The reading level is too advanced for the age of the students especially in high school. No wonder a lot of students hate the sciences especially! If you compare our Biology and Chemistry textbooks to other countries, there is at least 2 years gap in the levels. Our text for 13-year-old kids are meant for 15-year-olds. There is an issue of disparity between the readiness and content. But enough of my rants and frustrations, because I can talk about it for a long time. Hehe.

With a K-12 system, high school graduates can be equipped sufficiently even if they don't go to uni. And it's not only that. We can get rid of the "everyone has to go to Uni" mentality where we are forced to take so many subjects that should have been dealt with in a K12 system and irrelevant to your chosen field. High school graduates can take technical school education, and 2 or 3 year courses specific to the line of work he/she is interested to pursue.

I recognize that it will be a painful change. But I am fully convinced that it is a necessary one. We need to make this sacrifice but also consider it an investment for our future as a country. But we need a champion for this change. I hope somebody will step up. Noy, do you have enough balls?

RonnieR

June 15th, 2010, 10:38 AM

^^ the proposal to add two years in basic education plus compulsory prep/kindergarten is really good.

On Sex Education in elementary and high school. I understand that the subject is taught in English...you know how awkward for the teachers and students to hear some descriptions or organs in Filipino. hehehe

Sex ed tips: Stick to anatomy, don’t say bird or flower
By Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:46:00 06/15/2010

Filed Under: Education, Youth

MANILA, Philippines—Don’t say bird or flower!

Straightforward language and an emphasis on values are the keys in teaching children about sex without provoking malice and undue curiosity, said Emmalyn Policarpio, a public school teacher since 1998.

She has found that using the exact terms instead of cloaking sensitive words in euphemisms worked in bringing the message to her Grade 5 students.

While not among the teachers who will pilot the Department of Education’s new sex education modules this school year, Policarpio has long been teaching the reproductive system to 11-year-olds in her science class at Gen. T. De Leon Elementary School in Valenzuela City.

“I use the exact terms. I don’t say bird or flower, for example,” said Policarpio, a member of the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition. “The approach is anatomical.”

Teaching students in the critical puberty stage, where curiosity about sex begins, requires a delicate approach, said Policarpio in an interview Monday.

“You have to set their minds about the lesson and explain how we will study it for them to take it as education. We’re not teaching the [sexual] act but we teach the reproductive system as we do the other body parts,” she said.

There will always be naughty students, but the class settles down once they get that the discussion is scientific, Policarpio said.

“One time a student asked why they can’t do it yet when they are already capable at their age. I told him that only couples can do that and that we have to be careful. Those are the times we include values in our teaching,” she said.

MatudNilaBaby

June 16th, 2010, 12:23 AM

:lol:12-yr education cycle under Aquino mulled
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 06/15/2010 12:59 PM | Updated as of 06/15/2010 12:59 PM

MANILA, Philippines - A plan to add 2 more years to the country's basic education cycle will soon be a reality under the Aquino presidency, according to Aquino's campaign manager Florencio "Butch" Abad.

Abad, who is rumored to be the future education secretary of Aquino, said the 12-year education cycle is part of the 10-point agenda proposed by Liberal Party bet and President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III during the campaign.

The 12-year education plan includes 7 years of primary (elementary) education, and five years of secondary (high school) education.

He said the proposal also includes one year of pre-school for pupils before entering Grade 1.

Abad said the current 10-year basic education cycle in the Philippines is already obsolete since most nations already implement a 12-year education plan.

He said one Japanese consultant noted that Filipino students end up being more tired than Japanese students "because we cram so many subjects in such a short period of time."

"What happens is that there are subjects that high school graduates don't really get to focus on, like introduction to calculus or the science and math subjects. Students aren't given enough time to study and delve deeper into the subjects," he told radio dzMM.

He added that in some countries, Filipino graduates are required to study for another 2 years to make up for the lack of years spent in school.

Abad said students in Japan and South Korea actually spend up to 14 years in school before entering college to make them more competitive.

He also noted that adding more education years would allow the Department of Education to focus on new subjects such as information and communications technology.

Abad said many parents complain about the proposed 12-year education cycle because they want their kids to finish high school and start working immediately.

"They don't want their kids to go to college. They just want the kids to work so that they will benefit from them," he said.

He said one option being studied by the new administration is to extend President Arroyo's conditional cash transfer program. The program gives P1,500 to impoverished families whose kids are in school.

"We may need to extend that program so that the parents will get some support or subsidy while their kids are in school," he said.

He also noted that the Aquino administration needs to address the classroom shortage in more than 45,000 public schools nationwide.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) earlier said the country needs an additional 61,343 classrooms to accommodate the more than 21 million students this year.

in the us, if youre 16 and u said u have graduated hs, u still cant go to college cuz u need to go back 2yrs more of basic education until youre 18. if youre already in college or a college graudate and plan to transfer here, they take 30 units from your transcripts which is basically 2 yrs of education. abad is exactly right. basin gi tudlo-an ni kris:lol::lol::lol:

they can do it in transitional stage para dili ma shock ang atong dept. of education. sige na e-implement na asap para dili ta mabiyaan sa train.:cheers::cheers::cheers: