Philippine Education System Thread 2

[venntro]

Arroyo told: Declare as urgent bill on tuition hike freeze (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150479/Arroyo-told-Declare-as-urgent-bill-on-tuition-freeze)
02/26/2009 | 12:50 PM

MANILA, Philippines - A militant party-list lawmaker on Thursday said Malacañang should certify as urgent his bill seeking a three-year moratorium on tuition hike.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro “Teddy" Casiño appealed to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to declare urgent House Bill 2440, or an “Act Enforcing a Three-year Moratorium on Tuition and Other Fee Increases on All Educational Institutions."

Casiñno said that aside from allotting a budget to fuel up the local economy amid the global financial crunch, the government should also include in its “stimulus package" measures that would prevent the public from shouldering the burden of higher school fees.

The partly-list legislator branded as “toothless" a memorandum issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Emmanuel Angeles supposedly meant to discourage colleges and universities from raising their tuition and other fees until 2011.

To prove his point, Casiño noted that some 372 tertiary schools have already enforced a tuition hike despite the issuance of the memorandum last February 5.

Casiño warned that around 150 public and private elementary and high schools are likely applying for adjustments in tuition and/or other fees starting June.

Casiño’s appeal was welcomed by the largest alliance of student councils and governments in the Philippines – the National Union of Students in the Philippines (NUSP) – who called on House Speaker Prospero Nograles to enact HB 2440.

Aside from throwing support to Casiño’s measure, the NUSP also urged lawmakers to review Batas Pambansa 232 or the Education Act of 1982, the law that has legitimized a deregulated environment for education.

“There is an urgent need for a comprehensive review of existing government policies on education if we are to address the roots of the crisis of Philippine education and implement concrete policy reforms," said NUSP national president Alvin Peters in a statement.

Peters said current policies have so far only led to soaring cost of education and the climb in the number of out-of-school youth.

During a Kapihan press conference at the House of Representatives, the NUSP also urged legislators to sanction allegedly erring school institutions who benefit from “exorbitant" school fees.

As for lawmakers who run school institutions, Peters said, they should inhibit selves from the House hearing on the moratorium bill.

Rep. Mariano Piamonte (A-Teacher party-list) and Caloocan City Rep. Mary Mitzi Cajayon (Caloocan City) have both expressed concern about the tuition hikes, and urged schools to consider the economic conditions amid the global crisis before deciding to increase their fees. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV

[venntro]

Scholarships being offered for Filipino students in Hawaii (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150493/Scholarships-being-offered-for-Filipino-students-in-Hawaii)
02/26/2009 | 02:08 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The Kaua’i Filipino Chamber of Commerce is inviting all graduating seniors at all public and private high schools in Kaua’i who are of Filipino descent and are residents of the Hawaiian island to apply for one of five $1,000 scholarships for school year 2009.

According to the Honolulu Advertiser, applicants must be in good academic standing and have been accepted to a four-year course in an accredited college or university as a full-time student.

The judging criteria will include scholastic ability (3.0 grade point average or higher), academic achievements, service to the community, and financial need.

Applications are available in school counselors’ offices. The deadline for application is on March 31.

Applicants may call Eugene Jimenez at 651.7793 or Oscar Portugal at 651.9139 or e-mail: filipinochamber@aol.com for additional information.

Kaua’i is the oldest and the fourth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the “Graden Isle." - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV

[tonight]

Clergy seeks tuition freeze in schools (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090226-191174/Clergy-seeks-tuition-freeze-in-schools)

MANILA, Philippines – Noting that “we are now in a crisis situation,” Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales has appealed to private schools not to raise tuition this school year.

Rosales said Thursday that schools should heed parents’ appeal to postpone their plans to raise tuition because the financial crisis has retrenched many workers and affected thousands of families.

“Let’s consider the needs of the families. Let’s consider the unemployment situation … Maybe it’s appropriate to consider freezing tuition fees until the situation has improved,” Rosales said.

[tonight]

Philippine schools to hold quake drills (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090226-191238/Philippine-schools-to-hold-quake-drills)

MANILA, Philippines—Some 43,000 schools across the Philippines are to take part in simultaneous evacuation drills to test the country's ability to cope with the threat posed by strong earthquakes, the government said Thursday.

The southeast Asian archipelago is part of the so-called "Ring of Fire" of islands that were formed by volcanic activity and which are regularly hit by strong earthquakes.

However, the last major earthquake to cause widespread death and destruction in the Philippines occurred nearly 19 years ago when about half the country's rapidly growing population of 90 million were not yet born.

The 7.7-magnitude quake on July 16, 1990, killed 2,400 people in the northern Philippines.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, the concurrent head of the civil defense office, would press a ceremonial button to launch the nationwide drill at 8:30 a.m. Friday (0030 GMT), the defense department said in a statement.

"The objective of the drill is to test the preparedness of school administrators and the school populace in responding to a strong earthquake," it said.

National and local government offices will also take part, while a number of business establishments volunteered to join the drill, it added.

[tonight]

Senators join call vs tuition hikes (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090227-191422/Senators-join-call-vs-tuition-hikes)

MANILA, Philippines -- Two senators on Friday joined calls against tuition increases in the next school year, warning that it could worsen a “mass migration” of students from private to public schools.

“A mass migration of students from private to public schools, which is already happening, will hurt more private learning institution, whose student population would surely dwindle,” Senator Loren Legarda said in a statement.

“It will also tax some more our already overpopulated public school system,” she said.

Legarda said private schools must strike a balance between their funding needs and the paying capability of the student sector they serve.

“After all, education is more than a business. It is a noble contribution of school owners to the development of our citizen[ry] and country,” she said.

In a separate statement, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said private elementary schools must be “extra sensitive” when considering tuition adjustments to reduce the financial burden on students and their families in the light of the world financial crisis.

The least the private schools want, Zubiri said, is to see their students enrolling in already congested public schools.

He cited records of the Commission on Higher Education, which showed that only about 10 percent of college students enrolled in state-run schools or universities in 1980.

This percentage rose to 21 percent in 1994, and in 2007, reached 40 percent.

This exodus of students from private schools to public institutions, Zubiri said, would only further drain the resources of the public school system.

[Animo]

Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga
ARI 27/2009 (Translated from Spanish (http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN4k3NHYFSYGYTn76kShCBvGOCBFfj_zcVP0goEykOVDI2M1cPyonNT0xuVI_WN9bP0C_IDc0otzb0REAPkygZQ!!/delta/base64xml/L0lJSk03dWlDU1EhIS9JRGpBQU15QUJFUkVSRUlnLzRGR2dkWW5LSjBGUm9YZmcvN180XzNGNw!!?WCM_PORTLET=PC_7_4_3F7_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/Elcano_es/Zonas_es/ARI27-2009)) - 26/2/2009

Theme: The announcement by the Philippine government concerning the reintroduction of Spanish in secondary education offers new prospects. The new situation deserves consideration from the perspective of individual rights.

Summary: The pilot project by the Philippine Department of Education means that 17 state schools will offer Spanish as an optional language at secondary level. This offer comes in addition to the courses available in private schools and universities. Spain can offer support for teacher training, linguistic consultancy or bilingual classrooms, as it does in other countries. Naturally, the Latin American dimension of the language and people’s right to choose their education cannot be overlooked.

Analysis: On 6 November 2008, the Philippine Education Secretary, Jesli A. Lapus, announced that Spanish would return to the state education system, dependent upon the Department of Education. The announcement came within the framework of the 4th annual Tribuna forum between Spain and the Philippines, held in the city of Cebu, and involving some 100 delegates from both countries.

The announcement unleashed an enthusiastic response from the Spanish authorities. On the same date the move was announced, Spain’s Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Ministry (at the request of its Foreign Policy Director for Asia) issued an official statement saying that ‘the Government of Spain is delighted by the solemn announcement’ and that ‘Spain expresses particular satisfaction’ at this ‘excellent news’, which ‘implies a great step forward in strengthening bilateral relations’. The statement also said that ‘Spain is studying the launch of a linguistic cooperation programme’.

The Cervantes Institute issued another statement concerning what it called a ‘significant step forward in the presence of the Spanish language in that country’, but added that it is an ‘offer of optional classes to secondary school pupils’. It also outlined a ‘plan to mitigate the shortage of teachers’, with the involvement of the Institute, the Spanish Education Ministry and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

Press agencies carried comments by the Spanish Ambassador in Manila, Luis Arias, and the Director General of Foreign Policy for Asia and the Pacific Region, José Eugenio Salarich. The newspapers carried reports, and some Spanish media, in Internet editions, even ran the following unfortunate headline: ‘Spain Reconquers the Philippines’. Significantly, the US agency Associated Press sourced its teletype print-out in Madrid, not in the Philippines.

On the Philippines side, the Secretary’s announcement was just that: an announcement, with no frills attached. Initially, there were no official communiqués or press releases. The Philippines News Agency, when reporting about the Tribuna forum, made no mention of the language issue. The Department of Education took two months to make the news public, via a purely descriptive press release on 28 January 2009, with no added opinion. Only then did the Philippine press report the news and the political and academic world began to react.

There are two visions of the same issue: the Spanish vision and the Philippine vision. Perhaps, two different emotions.

In fact, it is the repetition of a ‘decision already announced by the President [of Philippines], Gloria Macapagal [-Arroyo] on her state visit to Spain in December 2007’, as indicated in the communiqué issued by the Spanish Foreign Ministry and as reported at the time by the Philippine media.

The presidential decision had immediate consequences. The Under-Secretary of the Department of Education, Vilma L. Labrador, circulated a Memorandum (17/XII/2007), on the ‘Restoration of the Spanish language in Philippine Education’. In it, the Department ‘encourages secondary schools to offer basic and advanced Spanish in the Third and Fourth Year level respectively as an elective’.

In Cebu, Secretary Lapus reiterated the initiative and offered a few more details, and still more specifics were provided at the subsequent meeting. The project consists in launching a Special Programme in Foreign Language, having recognised that the prevalence of English is no longer sufficient due to the international demand for speakers of other languages. Accordingly, adding foreign languages as optional subjects has become critical for the Philippine educational system.

The programme begins with Spanish, for historical reasons and because of its relationship to the Philippine national language (according to various sources, between 20% and 33% of Tagalog words are of Spanish origin). In the pilot project, which will start in June 2009, one secondary school (preferably with a language laboratory) will be chosen in each of the 17 administrative regions. Two classes, each with 35 students, will be set up from among pupils in the final two years of high school. They will receive four hours a week of Spanish classes.

The programme will therefore benefit 70 pupils in each of the 17 schools selected: a total of 1,190 pupils. Considering that Spanish is not offered even as an optional subject in the state-run education system in the Philippines, this is a significant step forward.

To adequately assess its scope, it is worth recalling that in the Philippines there are 5,078 state secondary schools, with 5,072,210 pupils, plus another 3,377 private secondary schools, with 1,290,792 pupils (2007).

For some years, there have been educational rapprochements between Spain and the Philippines: Philippines-Spain Friendship Day, on 30 June, introduced by law in 2003 (Republic Act No. 9187), which the Department of Education celebrates each year in cities like Manila, Zamboanga and Baler; the Tribuna forum, which began in 2005 as a forum for bilateral meetings; and the SPCC (Spanish Program for Cultural Cooperation) which the Spanish Culture Ministry launched in 1997 to foster cultural programmes via universities in the Philippines and Pacific islands. Some private cultural institutions in the Philippines (Ortigas Foundation, Vibal Foundation and Fundación Santiago) also contribute to learning about Spain. The Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language could again play an interesting role.

Until the current Constitution in 1987, Spanish had been an official language, alongside English and Filipino. This Constitution establishes four categories: one national language, namely Filipino (based on Tagalog); two official languages, namely English and Filipino; regional languages as auxiliary languages; and two languages for voluntary promotion, namely Spanish and Arabic.

It is important to point out that Spanish never replaced the vernacular Philippine tongues and no-one ever tried to make it. The Filipinos never abandoned their own languages. Spanish, despite being an official language between 1565 and 1987, was never a threat to the Philippines’ linguistic diversity. Quite the contrary, it broadened it further, through its own presence and the emergence of Creole tongues known generically as Chavacano.

The status of Spanish has changed radically in the just over a century since 1898, and even more so since the end of the Second World War. It is no longer the international language of the Philippines, because that role is now for English. It is no longer the language of the country’s social, political or cultural spheres, because that role is now for English or Tagalog (or Filipino, as the national language). And it is no longer the language of households, because Filipinos use their own vernacular languages (of which there are some 120) at home.

Francisco Moreno and Jaime Otero claimed that in 2007 ‘native speakers’ comprised 439,000 people, which accounts for just 0.5% of the population (90 million). However, we observe that even mixed families, who used Spanish as their usual language, have stopped speaking Spanish to their children and grandchildren, and now speak English and Tagalog. Accordingly, what is being lost is not a ‘colonial’ language, as some would have it, but a specific and unique dialectal variety, with its own phonetic, grammatical and lexical characteristics: the Spanish of the Philippines.

Bilingualism at home is possible; but trilingualism is much more difficult. For three quarters of the people in Philippines, Spanish would be their fourth language, after their mother tongue, Filipino and English. Accordingly, the situation of Spanish is truly difficult in the context of the linguistic reality in Philippines, which is so diverse. Not only are there many languages, but each individual is multilingual.

When he made the announcement, the Philippine Education Secretary offered two examples: the initiative by the People’s Republic of China to support the teaching of Chinese in the Philippines by sending 100 teachers, and private schools where Spanish is taught.

These private schools are mostly located in Manila and its suburbs, in Cebu and in other cities like Baguio City. They are international schools (American, French and British) or religious schools with Spanish or Mexican staff. Some also offer Spanish at primary level.

The Saint Pedro Poveda College (run by the Teresian order), in Quezon City, is the highly prestigious school that is taken as a reference. It offers Spanish throughout its curriculum, at both primary and secondary level. When it introduces Spanish in the state system, the Department of Education plans to take into account the curriculum at this school. Poveda is so closely linked to Spanish that some years ago there were talks aimed at making it a Spanish-Philippine school, but the Spanish Education Ministry eventually withdrew from the initiative.

Several universities offer Spanish, but fewer now than before, as part of the general trend that we have already mentioned. In 1995, Maruxa Pita identified 70 higher-education institutions which offered Spanish classes to 15,578 students. In 2006, her successor at the helm of the Cervantes Institute in Manila, Javier Galván, counted 32 institutions and 12,466 students.

In some cases, it is a specific subject for students studying Humanities degrees. In others, it is offered within the Department of Language and Literature (University of San Carlos, Cebu) or the Department of Modern Languages (Ateneo de Manila University) for students studying any degree. The university with the broadest range of qualifications is the state-run University of the Philippines, where it is possible to take a Bachelor of Arts degree (Spanish), Master of Arts (Spanish: Language, Literature, Rizal Studies, Translation) and Doctor of Philosophy (Hispanic Literature; Spanish American Literature; Spanish Filipino Literature; Peninsular Literature).

On the Spanish side, the AECID sends three Spanish lecturers to Philippines universities and the Cervantes Institute in Manila cooperates regularly with them and offers classes to more than 3,000 adults.

For decades, Spanish has been losing ground because it has been looked upon with prejudice as outdated, colonial, useless, difficult or elitist. The change currently taking place is hugely important: Spanish is starting to be seen as a useful, international and open language. Many Filipinos now regret not having learned it better and earlier.

President Gloria Macapagal, who does speak Spanish, knows and values the role of the Spanish language in the world.

International development consultants advise the authorities to encourage Filipinos to learn Spanish, just as Japanese or Koreans do, to help boost their trade relations with Latin America and Spain (and the EU). Consequently, they have told the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) that Spanish is part of development. And they told the mayor of Zamboanga to reinforce Hispanic elements because cities that identify with their culture tend to prosper more. Today, Zamboanga, ‘the Pride of Mindanao’, is also known as ‘Asia’s Latin City’.

In some degree programmes (History, Law), Spanish is still extremely useful, not least in order to understand the original Philippine documents.

Students of medicine and nursing now study Spanish to enhance their chances of being able to emigrate to the US, because they know that it is the second language there and that, consequently, they will have better employment opportunities if they speak it.

Workers at call centres also speak it: their salaries are quite a lot higher if they can offer a bilingual service. Due to its geographical location between Europe and America, the Philippines is the ideal place to fill the gap caused by time differences. In Zamboanga, where the Chavacanos learn Spanish easily, it has become an instrument for professional promotion.

Carers (of children or elderly people) who have emigrated to Spain have found that learning Spanish has opened new doors for them.

For all these reasons, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has set up the National Language Skills Institute (LSI) which offers Spanish classes directly geared to obtaining work permits. And the Cervantes Institute of Manila, which is now run by José Rodríguez, offers courses for specific niche employment groups: Spanish for call centres and teacher training.

Accordingly, Spanish is now perceived as an instrument of communication, with 400 million speakers and, even more importantly, as the second language in the US. It has become a channel towards new opportunities and a way to climb the employment ladder.

Spanish is starting to be less associated with Spain, the colonial past and the history and literature of the Philippines. In a way, we are witnessing a decoupling between the Spanish and Philippine identities and the Spanish language. This is pivotal: it is a useful tool, with no further connotations. It is as successful as English as a universal tongue: most do not learn it for historical or literary causes, but for practical reasons.

Against this new backdrop, we can ask ourselves what Spain can do. The Cervantes institute already does great work teaching the language and spreading the culture in Manila, but it could open new branches or satellites elsewhere in the country. The AECID could contribute by sending more lecturers and implementing more educational development projects. The Ministry of Culture could reinforce its cultural cooperation programme (SPCC). And the Education Ministry could launch the Education Department at the Spanish Embassy in Manila, set up in 2002, and follow the example of its own experience in other countries, with linguistic consultants, resource centres, Spanish sections in schools, Spanish language and culture classes or sponsored schools.

It could help with the training of Philippine teachers, publishing school materials, organising education and better divulging the reality of Spanish in the Philippines (as in the magnificent book by Antonio Quilis and Celia Casado-Fresnillo, La lengua española en Filipinas, CSIC, 2008).

In all of these areas, I believe that from Spain we should be particularly sensitive. And we should also consider the American dimension of Spanish, because Spain does not own the language, and nor is it the main focus of interest of those who learn it. The relationship between the Philippines and the US and Ibero-America (especially Mexico) must be taken into account.

At the same time, the Spanish authorities must pay more attention to the 32,000 Filipinos who live in Spain, offering a range of new possibilities, with people who are perfectly bilingual or trilingual (Spanish-Tagalog-English, Spanish-Cebuano-English). Accordingly, the teaching of Philippine tongues and fostering studies about the Philippines take on a whole new meaning and would serve to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Conclusions: First and foremost are the opportunities for people who wish to learn languages in Spain or in the Philippines. It is a question of human rights, of individual freedom: freedom of culture, education and expression. We all want opportunities for freedom. And that includes the freedom of parents to choose for their children to learn Spanish at home and at school, whether in the state or private system.

The argument is that it is more important for Filipinos to learn Chinese or Japanese, and that is reasonable. But let us leave it to the pupils themselves (or their parents) to decide. Let us allow each person to choose the language they want to study, because it is precisely the Philippine Constitution that entitles them to, stating expressly that Spanish is a language that will be fostered on a voluntary basis.

It is necessary to know the socio-linguistic reality of the Philippines, since not all places are the same. It is a vast country, full of nuances. It makes much more sense to learn Spanish in Metro Manila, Cavite, Zamboanga and Cebu than anywhere else. Consequently, a special effort should be made in those areas, where there are families with a Spanish background and pupils spontaneously interested in learning the language. There are people from households where they have heard Spanish spoken and others who speak Chavacano as their native tongue and would be delighted to learn international Spanish, or for their children to learn it. Consequently, there should be a distinction between when it should be taught as a quasi-native language and when it should be taught as an international language (foreign language). Or, what amounts to the same, when to teach that ‘What’s your name’ is ‘¿Cómo te llamas?’ or, in Filipino Spanish ‘¿Cuál es tu gracia?’, because in no case should the teaching of standard Spanish entail snubbing the local linguistic varieties.

In conclusion, let us help offer alternatives to those who want to study the Spanish language or in the Spanish language. Let us grant them new opportunities for jobs, development, culture, education and individual freedom. And let us do so with resources.

Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga

Doctor in Philology and Chairman of the Spanish Association for Pacific Studies (Asociación Española de Estudios del Pacífico) Resumen en Inglés

[kiretoce]

More science education, please! (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/views-and-analysis/02/26/09/more-science-education-please-louie-c-montemar)

I have always had a hunch that religion by some circuitous means has been an obstacle to development in countries that came late in the capitalist game. In these so-called "post-colonial states," like our country, one finds the language of national development peppered by religious rhetoric.

Pardon, I don't want to sound anti-religion or anti-church here, but consider this. A study shows that the top ten “least religious countries” in the world are Sweden (up to 85% non-believers, atheists, agnostics), Vietnam, Denmark, Norway, Japan, Czech Republic, Finland, France, South Korea and Estonia (up to 49% non-believers, atheists or agnostics). Note how most of these countries are among the most developed and orderly national communities in the world today.

The survey, published by the Cambridge University Press in 2005 as a chapter in The Cambridge Companion to Atheism concluded that “high levels of organic atheism are strongly correlated with high levels of societal health, such as low homicide rates, low poverty rates, low infant mortality rates, and low illiteracy rates, as well as high levels of educational attainment, per capita income, and gender equality.”

It further noted that “most nations characterized by high degrees of individual and societal security have the highest rates of organic atheism, and conversely, nations characterized by low degrees of individual and societal security have the lowest rates of organic atheism. In some societies, particularly Europe, atheism is growing. However, throughout much of the world — particularly nations with high birth rates [underscoring ours] — atheism is barely discernable.”

Nations with high birth rates? Is this the reason for the Hierarchy's unrelenting opposition against the Reproductive Health Bill?

I know that religion and politics are a volatile mix, and I may be inviting undue stress by raising some discomfiting questions here and writing on this most delicate of topics, but then again I think no stone must be left unturned in our quest for a solution to our country’s problems. Nothing is so holy in the altar of meaningful change — in our collective effort as a global specie to uplift the human condition in the only planet that we inhabit.

Some learned student of society once argued that a particularly religious attitude — the "Protestant Ethic" (includes hard work and wealth seeking in this world) — could perhaps explain the relative development of certain societies compared to others. What about a "Catholic Ethic" therefore? Is that our key problem in the Philippines?

Now, perhaps a more constructive, precise, and perhaps less controversial way of stating my main point is that communities with a less scientific orientation tend to become less economically developed. This seems a self-evident argument. But exactly how is science then factored into governance and education in a country like the Philippines?

To put it another way, how come, notwithstanding the seeming dominance of the natural sciences in the curriculum of our schools, religion appears more influential in shaping the policy debates in this nation? How do the DOST and DEPED address science education concerns? What roles do they have?

We praise Filipinos students who win in math quizzes and science fairs but our policies on, for instance, population growth, do not seem to be based on sound scientific propositions — how do we explain this country’s cultural schizophrenia? Let's zoom in on the public school system.

I am alarmed at how, in the public school where my two nieces now are studying (pre-school and grade 2), there is a notable lack of science education. The older one told me they had no specific subject on science. Is this now the case really? I have not been too in touch with public elementary school-realities it seems. It is noticeable how she lacks appreciation of the most basic science principles that could be taught in Grade 1, considering that she is supposed to be in a “science section.” We supplement her learning through tutorial and additional materials aside from giving her some access to the Internet (yes, the Net) to satiate her thirst for knowledge.

But how about the nameless others of her cohort who must make do with what is offered to them in the public schools? No wonder we get the lowest marks in international tests on science and math achievement.

When my nieces started going to that public school, I learned that the “Panatang Makabayan” (Oath of Nationalism) has already been rewritten to in fact include the word “dasal” (pray). They make you memorize this. Mildly amused, I was thinking how I don't suppose I turned out so bad without a very prayerful life and a more secular Panatang Makabayan.

Given my primary education in another public school, I attribute the high quality of our learning to persevering teachers like Mrs. Asperas-Sabado (my Grade 1 mentor who introduced me to the beauty of Science) and not to any forced memorization of canticles. Are we now so overly concerned with values and prayers that we have forgotten that science is the base of formal knowledge? If we are, what values are these anyway? Should we not have a sustained concern for national development and not just “prayers”?

But hope springs eternal, indeed. Like my nieces, most school age Filipino youth in developing countries want to learn more science.

Through a 2006 study, “Science-Related Attitudes and Interests of Students” by Talisayon, de Guzman, and Balbin of U.P., the Philippines took part in an international research project, the Relevance of Science Education (ROSE), based in the University of Oslo and funded by the Norwegian government. The study found out that among eleven countries including Egypt, England, Estonia, Ghana, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Norway, Philippines, Russia, and Sweden, the Philippines ranked first on viewing “the importance of Science and Technology for society, and new technologies making work more interesting.” The country ranked second in perceiving “greater opportunities for future generation due to Science and Technology, greater benefits of science than harmful effects it could have, having as much science as possible in school, liking to get technology job, and important for future jobs – working people rather than things and working with machines as tools.” In sum, the Philippine results showed more than 90% of students indicating positive science related interests and experiences. Our students are thirsting for more science.

I have nothing against religious or values education. Definitely, we need more leaders with not just knowledge but integrity and patriotism for this country. However, there is much space for such learning in the private and non-formal sphere, especially in our families where such education truly begins. I am not too keen in spending precious state funds on religious education in public schools. In the public domain, through the formal school system and beyond, what we need to do is to bring science to the mainstream of people's lives.

Let us invest more into science education. I pray for a more scientific and development-oriented education in this country. Thy youth's will be done.

[venntro]

Government to spend P100 billion for infrastructure projects in H1 (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=444682&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
Updated March 02, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - The Arroyo administration is frontloading P100 billion for critical infrastructure projects in the first half of the year as its initial salvo to help insulate the economy from the worst impact of the raging economic crisis.

This was the assurance made by Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya in his segment of the economic briefing held recently.

In a follow-up interview by the Philexport News and Features, Andaya said he expects President Arroyo to sign the delayed budget in early March. By then, his office will start moving.

“We are now in the position to frontload 60 percent of the infrastructure development project for the first half of the year,” he explained.

The P100 billion is three times the amount used for infrastructure projects last year which was P30 billion, he added.

In addition to infrastructure, the education, health and welfare and agriculture departments have also been given significant increases in their budgets for the year to bring life to the stimulus measures.

Instead of going through the tedious process of farming out the projects from central offices of the agencies assigned to implement the stimulus package, the budget department will go directly to the implementing units which could be the district offices of agencies or local government units.

This way, Andaya explained, implementation will be quick.

Irrigation systems will be handled by the Department of Agriculture. The Department of Education will take care of building schools while the Department of Public Works and Highways will build the roads, bridges and ports. – Philexport News and Features

[beads_strawberries]

One Town One Scholar program launched. (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150729/One-Town-One-Scholar-program-launched)

I think this is one of the initiatives that will help the youth realize their dreams, especially those who are really striving to finish their studies. I'd like to think the most deserving students will really appreciate this initiative of the government.

Not only students, but also parents who are very proud of their industrious children can very well recognize the importance of this program. After all, the government is giving them an opportunity to finish their child's education. More so, this sends a statement to us that despite everything, we should really impart to the youth the importance of education.

[tonight]

Young Filipino leaders among Asia’s best (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/197355/young-filipino-leaders-among-asia%E2%80%99s-best)
By Harvey S. keh

In 2006, Bam Aquino and I were chosen to represent the country at the Asia Society’s inaugural Asia 21 Young Leaders Forum held in Hong Kong. The said forum brought together 20 of Asia’s most dynamic young leaders from different fields aged between 25 to 40 years old.

For those who have not heard about the Asia Society, it is an international organization based in New York that is dedicated to strengthening relationships and deepening understanding among the peoples and leaders of Asia and the United States. Just recently, newly-appointed US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a lecture at the Asia Society on the Obama administration’s plans for its relationship with the Asian region.

The Asia Society also has an office here in the Philippines and among its board members are well-recognized business leaders and philanthropists such as Washington Sycip, Doris Magsaysay-Ho and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

As soon as Bam and I got back from the forum, we decided to work with the Asia Society office here to help set-up the Philippines 21 Young Leaders Program wherein we would annually select 10 of the most accomplished young leaders from our country to represent us in the annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit.

Unlike the Asia 21 Forum, the summit gathers not only 20 but more than 200 young leaders across different countries in Asia and the United States. For the past three years, the Philippines 21 Program continues to send one of the biggest delegations to the summit, behind only the USA and India.

Among last year’s delegates are noted social entrepreneur, Mark Ruiz who helped establish Hapinoy, a social enterprise that helps sari-sari store owners earn more by making their procurement system more efficient; Quintin Pastrana who is currently involved in promoting the use of alternative energy sources in the country; and Sheila Algabre of Notre Dame of Marbel University, who is actively providing technical and alternative learning programs to out of school youth in Mindanao.

From among the attendees of the summit, the Asia Society then selects 20-25 young leaders who will be known as Asia 21 fellows thus, they will have the opportunity to represent their country to the Asia 21 Young Leaders Forum.

Good leaders amomg us

Aside from Bam and I, there have been other Filipinos that have already made it to this elite group of Asia 21 fellows.

One of them is Major Dennis Eclarin, a well-respected and admirable military leader in our country who graduated from the prestigious United State Military Academy at Westpoint. What is remarkable with Eclarin is the fact that aside from continuing to be an effective and ethical military leader, he has also helped in poverty alleviation in our country by establishing Hometown Corporation, a microfinance company that helps women in far flung areas all over our country by providing them with very friendly loans which help them set-up small businesses.

Another Asia 21 fellow is Patricia Gallardo, who is now spearheading the Shangri-la hotel group’s corporate social responsibility program. Even as a student, Gallardo’s leadership skills have been well-recognized as evidenced by her being chosen as one of Ateneo de Manila University’s representatives to the Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC). Now, Gallardo is developing programs that will help towards ensuring that the Shangri-la group will implement sound environmental systems and policies in its chain of hotels.

Last but not the least, the latest Asia 21 fellow from the Philippines is Bato Balani Foundation’s Ching Jorge. Jorge’s Bato Balani Foundation is currently helping address our declining public education system by providing training programs to public school teachers nationwide. Aside from this, Jorge is the chairperson of the Young Public Servants (YPS), an organization that is currently spearheading a voters’ registration drive for the upcoming 2010 National Elections.

The selection of these young Filipino leaders to the by-invitation only Asia 21 forum only shows that we do not have to look outside our country to find good leaders that our youth can emulate and look up to. This is an affirmation that despite the failure of many of our current government leaders to help uplift the lives of Filipinos, there is still a bright future that we can look forward to with the likes of Aquino, Eclarin, Gallardo, Jorge and the rest of the Philippines 21 young leaders.

This year, the Asia 21 Young Leaders Forum will be held in Manila. If you would like to support the Philippines 21 Young Leaders Program as well as the Asia Society here in the Philippines, you can contact us at 02-7524374. Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com.

[venntro]

Number of schools seeking tuition hikes declining - CHED (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151209/Number-of-schools-seeking-tuition-hikes-declining---CHED)
03/03/2009 | 07:40 PM

BORACAY ISLAND, Philippines - The number of colleges and universities seeking tuition increases has been declining, a positive sign of cooperation with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said.

In an ambush interview after the Cabinet meeting here on Tuesday, CHED Chairman Emmanuel Angeles said the tertiary schools seeking tuition increases for the coming school year has declined to less than 200.

The figure is way below the number 472 of universities and colleges that raised tuition hikes for school year 2006-2997, which went down to 383 for 2008-2009.

There are 1,726 universities and colleges and nationwide.

Angeles said the average tuition hike request is 5 to 10 percent.

He credited the declining number of tuition hike requests to President Arroyo's appeal for schools for restraint in view of the global economic crisis.

“Our President is working very well and the colleges and universities are cooperating with her," he said.

President Arroyo was “very happy with the result of the appeal," he added.

Interestingly, Angeles said, there was no request for tuition increase from the Central and Eastern Visayas for the coming school year.

CHED has been accused of not doing anything to stop tuition hikes amid the economic crisis that has resulted in thousands of Filipinos losing their jobs in the Philippines and abroad.

Angeles, however, had explained that the commission can only persuade because the education system has been deregulated.

He said the law states that 70 percent of tuition increase should go to salaries and benefits of teachers and non-teaching personnel and 30 percent should go to the improvement of school facilities and equipment. - GMANews.TV

[tonight]

CHEd: 200 colleges seeking tuition hike (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090304-192233/CHEd-200-colleges-seeking-tuition-hike)
By Philip Tubeza

Only 66 won’t increase their fees

Only 200 tertiary schools are pursuing petitions for a tuition hike this coming school year after the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) convinced 66 schools to reconsider increasing their fees, CHEd acting executive director Julito Vitriolo said Tuesday.

Vitriolo said that the remaining schools have until April 1 to submit the supporting documents for their petitions. Among those who withdrew were four state universities and colleges.

“They withdrew after President Macapagal-Arroyo's appeal and of course, they're already using public funds,” Vitriolo said.

“So, our problem now are the private schools and we are not yet sure if all these 200 schools would have increases because, if they fail to submit the required documents, then they won't be allowed to implement a tuition hike,” Vitriolo added.

He said CHEd regional offices would review all the documents that these schools submit to determine if they conducted consultations and if the proposed tuition hikes were.

Vitriolo added that there were no tertiary school from the Central and Eastern Visayas regions asking for an increase.

CHEd chair Emmanuel Angeles has been going around the country to convince schools to impose a freeze on tuition fee hikes this year because of the current financial crisis and appeals from parents.

However, Angeles also admitted that if the schools met all the CHEd requirements for a tuition hike, the agency would not be able to stop them from increasing their fees.

Vitriolo said the remaining 200 schools were asking for an “average increase of nine percent” in their tuition.

“Some are asking for a three-percent hike while the others want a nine-percent increase. We will look into this to determine if they're justified,” he said.

Vitriolo added that CHEd would continue to try to convince the remaining 200 schools to withdraw their petitions because of the current global financial crisis.

“We are still trying to talk them out of it and remind them about their social responsibility. Four or five years ago, there were more than 400 schools asking for an increase and now we have only 200. We are showing them this trend,” Vitriolo said.

He said some schools are also hesitant to increase tuition because the financial crisis is expected to reduce the number of enrollments this year and hiking their fees could further bring down their enrollment figures.

Vitriolo said CHEd would strictly enforce its guidelines on tuition hikes, particularly the requirement that school administrators should consult all the major stakeholders, including students, before implementing any increases.

Vitriolo said that schools that intend to raise their tuition are also required to show that the proceeds from previous increases reached their intended beneficiaries.

“We should see where they used it. Under our rules, 70 percent of proceeds from a tuition hike should go to the faculty, 20 percent to improvements in the school, and 10 percent to the school owner,” he said.

[tonight]

Microsoft, DepEd renew school program (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20090303-192132/Microsoft-DepEd-renew-school-program)
By Alexander Villafania

MAKATI CITY, Philippines--Microsoft Philippines and the Department of Education (DepEd) renewed their partnership for the Partners-in-Learning (PIL) program for another five years.

This partnership expands the existing program to include students and participating schools, according to Microsoft Philippines.

Microsoft Philippines Managing Director Rafael Rollan said one of the new features in PIL program would be connecting the new and previous participants to other beneficiaries globally.

“We now have a holistic approach to ensure that the country’s education system gets the best practices. You have trained teachers who will use the latest teaching tools to students,” Rollan said.

Rollan said the five-year project would cost more than $3 million due to the addition of other programs.

DepEd Deputy Chief of Staff Paul Soriano said the agency would help identify schools that would be included in the renewed PIL program.

Microsoft would also be assisting the agency in technical-vocational programs and other projects like the training of out-of-school youths.

The PIL is a global initiative of Microsoft designed for educational institutions.

The Philippines is one of the first participants in the PIL, with training teachers on the latest trends in education using technology and the Internet as among the first projects.

Over 20,000 Filipino teachers have been trained since the PIL program started in 2003.

[diehardbisdak]

State school eyes P486-million facility on donated SRP lot (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=445727&publicationSubCategoryId=107)
Philstar Online
Updated March 05, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines - The University of the Philippines Visayas-Cebu College proposes to build an initial P486-million facility at the area in the South Road Properties donated by the Cebu City government.

This as the City Council finally approved the deed of donation to UP in yesterday’s session.

In a proposal submitted by UPVCC to city administrator Francisco Fernandez, the country’s premier university is set to construct a P486-million facility for phase one alone of the planned campus on the 51,372 square meters donated by the city.

It will also need an additional P4.1 million to make phase 1 fully operational.

According to the proposal, phase one will include the building for the Masters in Business Administration and for computer science.

Phase 2 will include the structures for communications design and the third phase will cover the structures for product design.

The MBA will have specializations on management and information systems, tourism management, environmental management, urban and regional planning and supply chain management.

For computer science and information technology, there will be a consortium arrangement with several leading higher education institutions in Cebu and with UP Diliman. — Ferliza C. Contratista

[habagatcentral1]

^^ Much money na ang UP ha....:D
Eversince the new charter has been passed, I've seen several upgrades happening in some UP campuses.

[demented_pigeon]

^^ Much money na ang UP ha....:D
Eversince the new charter has been passed, I've seen several upgrades happening in some UP campuses.

may "mall" na nga sa upd diba. naunahan pa nila ibang schools na magkastarbucks.

[habagatcentral1]

^^ Kaya nga...di na SC ang bida...Mall na...:lol:
Kelan naman kaya mamamaximize din ang idle assets namin sa UP Visayas, especially sa sobrang lapad ng Miag-ao campus?

[demented_pigeon]

^^ Kaya nga...di na SC ang bida...Mall na...:lol:
Kelan naman kaya mamamaximize din ang idle assets namin sa UP Visayas, especially sa sobrang lapad ng Miag-ao campus?

malapit na yan, maghintay lang kayo...

[habagatcentral1]

^^ Eh mas prioritize ata ng UPV administration ang Iloilo City campus kasi nasa urban area sya...but anyway, yun nga..

[gen1]

^^ Kaya nga...di na SC ang bida...Mall na...:lol:
Kelan naman kaya mamamaximize din ang idle assets namin sa UP Visayas, especially sa sobrang lapad ng Miag-ao campus?

Bakit ? may mura bang xerox sa mall na iyan ? aber ?

:D

[tonight]

Smart joins CICT's i-Schools project (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20090305-192486/Smart-joins-CICTs-i-Schools-project)
By Lawrence Casiraya

MANILA, Philippines--Smart Communications is partnering with the Commission on Information and Communications Technology to provide broadband Internet access to some 6,000 public high schools nationwide.

Smart signed an agreement with the CICT supporting the latter's "i-Schools" project.

"We see this as an opportunity to expand what we're already doing under our Smart Schools program," said Orlando Vea, the telecom firm's chief wireless advisor.

Launched in 2004, Smart Schools has provided computer labs and Internet access to 240 public elementary and secondary schools across the country.

Under the agreement with CICT, Smart said it would provide each of the country's 6,000 public high schools with a computer lab, free one-year broadband access and related training for teachers.

During the first phase, Smart said it would provide 25 designated i-Schools with its Smart Bro wireless broadband service.

"The idea is to give schools time to make their own arrangements for continued access," said Smart spokesperson Ramon Isberto.

i-Schools is a flagship project of the CICT in partnership with the Department of Education.

The project is also supported by the private sector through GILAS, an Ayala-led initiative that also aims to provide Internet connectivity for the public.

Out of more than 6,000 schools, more than 2,000 have computer labs, said CICT secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua.

"Around 360 of these have Internet access already," he said. The i-Schools project carries a budget of P350 million, good for some 320 high schools.

He said another P50 million was allotted on top of last year's P1 billion e-government fund meant for deploying computer labs in 50 pilot elementary schools.

[tonight]

DepEd to provide funding assistance to bolster curriculum for science and related subjects (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/197803)
By Shianee Mamanglu

Only 44 percent of high school graduates pursue science and engineering-related courses.

This was revealed Wednesday by Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, as he announced the allocation of some P26.5M for special science elementary schools (SSES) to support activities that will enable their students to develop a love for science and make a career out of it.

“This is the situation that we urgently want to improve by offering a more challenging curriculum in science and mathematics in basic education that students can regard as a career path,” Lapus told reporters.

He noted that science and mathematics, despite being regarded as priority subjects, are still unpopular to many Filipino students. Fifty-six percent of high school graduates would still opt to take up other courses in the hope to get easily employed, he added.

Lapus said the funding assistance will bolster the curriculum for science and related subjects in 57 SSES pilot schools in 16 regions across the country.

“Each region will be allocated some P418,412. The regions will be allotted P82,812 for the upgrading of SSES classes, the provision of the technical assistance, and the final screening of new students to be conducted by the Regional Assessment Team,’’ he said.

The divisions of the pilot schools will also be allocated some P24,090 for the monitoring, technical assistance and evaluation of the project.

Moreover, Lapus said the amount provided to each school will be used for the training and professional upgrading of teachers and school heads; purchase of instructional materials; pupil development activities such as conduct of investigatory project development, leadership, training, educational visits and student participation in Science related activities.

Under the SSES project, students will have longer hours in Science while still maintaining the same subjects like ordinary elementary schools. The pilot elementary schools will serve as feeder schools to the country’s S&T oriented high schools, said Lapus.

The SSES project was formally launched in SY 2007-2008 as a national pilot project engaging 57 schools in 57 school divisions in 16 regions of the country.

The program started in the pilot schools at Grades 1 and 2 having enriched curriculum. In 2008, the SSES has finalized a curriculum up to Grades 3 to 6, a DepEd report said.

Lapus expressed optimism that elementary pupils in pilot schools will develop a deeper understanding of science and related subjects through the SSES program.

He also cited President Arroyo's earlier statement on the importance of science and technology as “a means to put food on the table, to save lives and prevent calamities, to harness renewable and indigenous energy, to cure and prevent illnesses, and to create more high-quality jobs.’’

The Commission on HIgher Education's (CHEd) projected enrolment for school year 2009-2010 showed that some 307,346 high school graduates will pursue engineering and technology programs, while only 21,781 college entrants will take up natural science courses.

[venntro]

World's largest floating library arrives in Manila (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=445870&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
Updated March 06, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Metro Manilans will have their last chance to visit or shop for books as the world’s largest floating library the MV Doulos, fondly called by national leaders as the ‘Grand Old Lady of the Seas,’ makes its final call in Manila this week.

MV Doulos, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest active ocean-faring passenger ship, will berth at Pier 13 of the Manila South Harbor from March 6 to 30 for the final leg of its two-month Philippine sojourn.

Vice President Noli de Castro and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim have been invited as guests of honor and speakers on opening ceremony today for the floating library.

While in Manila, the 6,818-ton vessel would be open to the public, notably students, professionals and book lovers who may want to see what its library has to offer.

The ship carries more than 6,000 English titles covering a wide range of subjects – from children’s books to management to science. These books, along with a wide collection of CDs, cassettes, and stationary items would be on display and for sale.

The visitors would also have the chance to meet with the ship’s 330 crewmembers who came from over 50 countries, among them volunteers and students who receive no pay and are even bankrolling their expenses on board.

She is history by itself.

Built in 1914, MV Doulos is two years younger than the ill-starred Titanic, and has a rich history, highlighted by a series of transformation, change of ownership and rechristening.

She was originally built as a freighter named SS Medina serving the Atlantic, and had a tour of duty with the US Coast Guard during World War II, then converted into a passenger ship known as SS Roman with cabins for 287 guests and dormitories for additional 694 people, and luxury liner MV Franca C doing the Mediterranean.

The ship is currently owned and operated by the German charity organization Gute Bucher fur Alle, meaning Good Books for All, which acquired it in 1977.

MV Doulos, a Greek word for “servant,” has toured the globe several times – docked in more than 500 ports in about 100 countries.

This is supposed to be her last world tour and may ultimately be de-commissioned next year.

[tonight]

^^
I miss that ship na yan, matagal na akong hindi nakapasok when they have their visit in cebu. mura lang talaga ang libro nila :)

[Mithril Cloud]

Benilde Offers Three New Degree Programs
http://www.dls-csb.edu.ph/default.asp?section=20&what=3000012

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s pioneering spirit blazes on with new program offerings in international hospitality management, information technology with specialization in game design and development, and architecture.

International Hospitality Management

Last Feb. 26, the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM) announced the Philippines’ first and only transnational double-degree program in partnership with Institut Vatel, one of France’s leading private hotel management schools.

First offered in school year 2008-2009, graduates of the Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management (BS-IHM) program will be conferred with two degrees. Aside from their Philippine BS-IHM degree, they will receive a French BS-IHM degree or Licence de Management du Tourisme, spécialité Hôtellerie Internationale, a degree fully recognized by the European Union (EU).

SHRIM Dean Leticia Delarmente explains that the College’s agreement with Institut Vatel is “unlike other standard educational cooperation agreements that usually only involves an exchange of students. Here, we and Vatel jointly developed the curriculum and programs to make the programs more responsive to the needs of a ‘globalized’ education.”

Institut Vatel is known globally for preparing students for middle and higher management positions in the tourism industry and has developed a strong international training network that assists each student for internships and employment in reputed hotel chains all over the world. To date, Vatel boasts of 16 hotel schools across four continents that train an elite group of 3,500 students, with 1,700 located in France.

The BS-IHM program covers eleven trimesters and shall include intensive French language training and an expanded internship and externship training. The curriculum covers the basics of hotel management and unique courses, such as Intercultural Management; Oenology/Wine Appreciation; European Tourism, Economy and Culture; Global Trends; and International Law.

Game Design and Development

Starting school year 2009-2010, the School of Management and Information Technology (SMIT) will begin offering the Philippines’ first Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BS-IT) program that specializes in Game Design and Development (GDD). The program is grounded on a combination of IT and animation concepts, and focuses on developing original content that will showcase Filipino ingenuity and meet the standards of the local and global game development industry.

The new program covers eleven trimesters and will feature courses in video game programming, game art and animation, game design and game production. Students will also be trained to become part of the booming game development industry as entrepreneurs that can establish game development studios that will make a difference in the Philippine and global game development industry.

Architecture

The School of Design and Arts (SDA) will also begin offering a Bachelor of Science in Architecture program. CHED approved the program offering on Feb. 20, 2009.

More information on these new programs may be sought from the SHRIM Office at 523-8888 loc. 210 or 249, the SMIT Office at 526-7441 to 47 loc. 190, and the SDA Office at 536-6752 loc. 135 to 138.

Successful DLS-CSB frosh applicants for school year 2009-2010 may be allowed to change programs to one of these three new offerings. Interested applicants may get in touch with the Admissions Center at 524-8233.

[Animo]

By Alexander Villafania (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20090306-192753/Spanish-government-donates-buildings-to-DepEd)
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 20:53:00 03/06/2009

Filed Under: Education, Foreign Aid

MANILA, Philippines -- Spanish Ambassador Luis Arias turned over a first batch of school buildings to the Department of Education (DepEd) as part of the Improvement of the Quality of Primary Education (IQPE) bilateral agreement to improve education in the Bicol and Caraga regions.

The three buildings, in Albay, Sorsogon, and Camarines Sur, are constructed to be resistant to the powerful typhoons that usually hit this part of the country.

The new schools’ education administrators will also receive school-based management grants worth P50,000, reading proficiency training programs and implementation and monitoring tools.

The project was coursed through the Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID).

The IQPE is a three-year project that will end in 2010. AECID has set 2.7 million euros (P179 million) for the project.

In a statement, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said the new school buildings and the teaching materials received from the Spanish government would greatly strengthen the management of schools in the region.

““With assistance from our Spanish friends, we hope to produce independent learners who are ready for the rigors of high school, and eventually, for real life,” Lapus said.

[Animo]

To contribute to the improvement of access to quality education in the Bicol region and CARAGA, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus and Spanish Ambassador Luis Arias led the turnover ceremonies of school buildings constructed under the Improvement of the Quality of Primary Education (IQPE) Project of the Government of Spain in Nabua, Camarines Sur.

Lapus said the new structures, which can withstand severe weather condition, are part of the bilateral agreement.

“This type of building is what we especially need here given the situation of Bicol, which is prone to strong typhoons,” Lapus added.

“These buildings can be both a learning center and a place of refuge in times of calamities,” he said.

Lapus said the school buildings were constructed using the Principal-Led School Building Program, thus highlighting DepEd’s commitment to School-Based Management (SBM), which is to empower school heads in decision-making and in efficiently managing schools.

The support of the Spanish government is coursed through the Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID).

It also includes improvement of reading proficiency of learners as well as school planning and operational efficiency.

Selected schools and divisions in Bicol and Caraga are set to receive beginning reading materials, reading standards and assessment tools, SBM grants worth P50,000 and training programs on reading proficiency under the Every Child a Reader Program and School Improvement Plan preparation, implementation and monitoring.

AECID has earmarked a total of 2.7 million euros or P179 million for the three-phase project which is set to tentatively terminate in 2010.

The new classrooms, together with the learning tools, improved teaching strategies and strengthened management capabilities, are expected to jumpstart the attainment of quality education for Filipino school children.

“With assistance from our Spanish friends, we hope to produce independent learners who are ready for the rigors of high school, and eventually, for real life,” Lapus stressed.

The GOS-IQPE project constructed three school buildings in Albay, one in Sorsogon, and one in Camarines Sur at Malawag Elementary School in Nabua, the venue of the event.

http://www.isria.info/en/6_March_2009_27.htm

[venntro]

Cebu Catholic schools to shelve tuition hike plan (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/152031/Cebu-Catholic-schools-to-shelve-tuition-hike-plan)
03/10/2009 | 07:59 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Students of Catholic schools in Cebu may get a relief of sorts after the schools heeded the call to shelve any tuition hike plan this year.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Cebu have supported the call of Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

"In response to the global crisis, the Archdiocesan Superintendent’s office supports Cardinal Vidal in his call on Catholic schools for a no-increase-of-tuition-fee policy for next school year 2009-2010," said Fr. Eduardo Ventic, head of the archdiocesan Catholic schools, in an article on the CBCP Web site Monday night.

He added that instead of increasing matriculation fees, the schools concerned will adopt “alternative schemes" to source funds for their needed operational expenditures.

Ventic cited availing of programs like the government-sponsored Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE), Education Services Contracting (ESC), and Educational Voucher System (EVS).

Also, he disclosed other measures will be implemented like encouraging PTAs to sponsor scholarships, increased campaign for more enrollment, schools running their own canteens, and cutting unnecessary expenditures to ameliorate the tightening financial situation of Catholic schools in Cebu.

Earlier, Vidal aired concern on the effects of the global economic downturn on parents who might think twice before sending their children to Catholic schools if ever tuition fees are raised.

Vidal aired his appeal to Catholic institutions to do their share in carrying the burden of economic crisis by scrapping supposed plans to increase tuition fees for the coming school year.

But Ventic said that as early as January, when the effects of the global economic meltdown started to hit, some schools already announced they were not increasing their fees for the coming year.

He cited St. Joseph’s Academy in Mandaue City, as having done so that early in the year.

Also, two big universities in Cebu run by religious congregations announced a tuition freeze last month.

These include the University of San Carlos and University of San Jose-Recoletos.

Cebu archdiocese has 10 colleges, aside from the two universities, and around 60 grade and high schools run by religious congregations or by administrators representing the Cebu archdiocese. - GMANews.TV

[venntro]

CBCP: Davao catholic school gets bomb threats (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/152085/CBCP-Davao-catholic-school-gets-bomb-threats)
03/10/2009 | 03:14 PM

MANILA, Philippines - A Catholic school in Davao City was forced to suspend classes Tuesday after receiving two bomb threats Monday, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said Tuesday.

The CBCP Web site (www.cbcpnews.com) said the Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC) received the bomb threats through two phone calls.

“We are celebrating the Araw ng Davao next week and we are looking at the possibility that there are groups who want to undermine the peace and order," said HCDC President Dr. Ma. Iris Melliza.

She said the first call was received at 8:15 a.m., and the second at about 2 p.m., with both calls directed to the Finance Office.

Melliza said that as precautionary measures, the administration personnel, faculty and students were ordered to vacate the building.

Melliza also said she immediately made a call to some member schools of Davao Association of Colleges and Schools (DACS) to inform them of the bomb threats.

“We also have to warn them that we received bomb threats so that they can also prepare and heighten their security," she said.

Melliza said they couldn’t specifically point out the motives behind the bomb threats.

She said what happened in the campus is indeed a learning experience for the administration to further heighten security measures. - GMANews.TV

[venntro]

DepEd wants to handle teachers' honorarium in 2010 polls (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/152263/DepEd-wants-to-handle-teachers-honorarium-in-2010-polls)
03/11/2009 | 03:52 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday said it would request to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to turn over to them the compensation for teachers who would render poll duties during next year’s elections.

DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus said this is to avoid a repeat of the delay in the payment of teachers’ honorarium during the May 2007 polls. He said such delay would be avoided if the DepEd would be in charge of the payment of teachers.

“We are looking on the possibility of turning over to DepEd the budget for teachers’ honorarium because some municipal or city treasurers are not pro-active,” Lapus said.

The DepEd chief said absence of treasurers was among the common reasons cited for the delay in the payment of teachers’ honorarium during the 2007 elections.

He however stressed that this was just a recommendation that the department is seriously considering as he acknowledged that Comelec has yet to come out with the full guidelines on the conduct of the 2010 polls.

In the last elections, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was forged between DepEd and Comelec ensuring compensation for teachers who would render poll duties. Under it, half of the payment would be given on the morning of the election day while the other half would be given later in the day.

But despite the agreement, the payment, particularly the second half, was delayed, with some cases even stretching on for months. - GMANews.TV

[venntro]

UP will not increase tuition for undergraduate this year (http://http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20090312met6.html)
03/12/2009

Upon the recommendation of UP president Emerlinda Roman and the Chancellors of Ups constituent universities, the UP Board of Regents in its 1241st meeting, held last February 27 in the UP Mindanao campus in Mintal, Davao, decided not to increase undergraduate tuition for academic year 2009-2010. In its 1216th meeting, held on Dec. 15, 2006 in UP Diliman, the Board of Regents had approved a recommendation that UP increase annually to keep up with inflation. Roman�s recommendation to hold undergraduate tuition increase was in consideration of the current economic crisis. Meanwhile, a committee created by Dr. Roman to review the current Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) income ranges and brackets has submitted its final report. This report is currently being studied by UP�s constituent universities. The committee was headed by Dr. Edgardo Atanacio of the UP Diliman College of Engineering and Prof. Emmanuel Esguerra of the UP Diliman School of Economics. The University of the Philippines, the country�s national university, is a university system, UP composed of seven constituent universities, each headed by its own chancellor, and spread out in nine campuses all over the country as well as in cyberspace.

[tonight]

Arroyo wants ‘lean on cost’ graduation rites (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090312-193794/Arroyo-wants-lean-on-cost-graduation-rites)
By Alexander Villafania

MANILA, Philippines—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered all public schools in the country to exercise austerity in their graduation rites.

The President’s message reflects an earlier memorandum issued by the Department of Education for schools to conduct simple graduation activities amid an economic crunch.

“Graduation rites should be lean on cost but long on the imparting of valuable messages. These events can be memorable, exciting and animated without the baggage of extra cost and excessive spending,” Arroyo said.

She said some of the amounts spent during commencement exercises could be funneled to other important activities, such as spending for a student’s education.

The education department in February released an order for all public schools discouraging the collection of fees for graduation rites. However, the agency will allow parents-teachers associations to get voluntary contributions from members.

[skywalker2008]

Anyone from chinese school? Can you recommend one in manila or qc area? I'm currently torn between Grace Christian in QC and St. Stephen in Binondo for my daughter. Thanks.:)

[tonight]

Arroyo: Keep graduation rites simple (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090312-193798/Arroyo-Keep-graduation-rites-simple)
By Alexander Villafania

MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to require public schools to keep graduation rites simple.

“Graduation rites should be lean on cost but long on the imparting of valuable messages. These events can be memorable, exciting and animated without the baggage of extra cost and excessive spending,” Arroyo said in a statement.

Arroyo said money earmarked for graduation expenses could be used for more important things, such as continued education.

Earlier, the DepEd had also issued a memorandum for simple graduation activities amid the economic crisis.

However, parent-teacher associations are allowed to solicit contributions from members for graduation ceremonies.

[tonight]

Anyone from chinese school? Can you recommend one in manila or qc area? I'm currently torn between Grace Christian in QC and St. Stephen in Binondo for my daughter. Thanks.:)

sir post this to NCR thread :)

[tonight]

Filipino author nominated in Sweden award (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090312-193779/Filipino-author-nominated-in-Sweden-award)
By Veronica Uy

Adarna Publishing House also in the running

MANILA, Philippines—Filipino children literature author Albert Gamos and Adarna House have been nominated in Sweden’s prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world’s largest prize for children and young adult literature.

According to the consulate general of Sweden here, the award administered by the Swedish Arts Council gives away every year five million krona (about Є480,000) to authors, illustrators, storytellers, and promoters of reading.

The prize aims to increase and strengthen interest in children and young adult literature worldwide. The winner will be announced on March 24.

Gamos is an illustrator of the "The Best of Lola Basyang" by Severino Reyes, which bagged the Gintong Aklat Award for Children's Literature and won the National Book Award for Best Anthology. He has received various international awards for his work.

Adarna House meanwhile has been nominated for its literacy project, Bright Minds Read (BMR), which it launched in 2003 together with the Ronald McDonald House of Charities and the Philippine Department of Education.

Adarna’s literacy project was a response to a study conducted among public school students showing that after completing first grade, 40 percent of students were still nonreaders.

Together with top educators from the University of the Philippines, 32 picture books were published and a campaign to teach teachers how to use BMR materials was done.

In the first year, the ratio of Grade 1 nonreaders dramatically dropped from 40 percent to four percent.

To date, BMR has covered 2,000 schools.

“By 2009 the pilot students will be graduating from grade school with not only a love of learning but with a passion for reading,” the consulate said.

Adarna House has also partnered with Reach Out and Read-Philippines (ROR-P) to promote early literacy and a love for books.

The first bilingual (Filipino-English) board books will be provided to pediatric patients below two years old.

Last October 22, Adarna House and ROR-P opened the Adarna House Reading Corner in the activity center of Philippine Children’s Medical Center. The Philippines is one of the first few countries outside of the United States that has implemented ROR.

Previous recipients of the prize have been candidates from the United States, Austria, Brazil, Japan, Venezuela, and Australia, among others.



*************************

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[tonight]

Filipino girls outdo boys in int’l math test (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090312-193830/Filipino-girls-outdo-boys-in-intl-math-test)
By Miko L. Morelos

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino female second-year high school students consistently outperformed their male counterparts in mathematics, according to two surveys conducted by a US government agency.

Citing the findings of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003 and 1999, the Science Education Institute (SEI), an attached agency of the science department, viewed the steady performance of the female high school students as "empowering women in the scientific realm."

"The studies show that though empowering women in the scientific realm is an uphill climb, it is very possible to achieve that goal," institute director Dr. Ester Ogena said in a statement.

The mathematics test is composed of five sections namely: number, algebra, data, geometry and measurement. The number section tested the students' understanding on number theories like integers, fractions, ratio, etc., SEI information Mark Ivan Roblas explained in a phone interview.

The data section, meanwhile, tested the comprehension of pupils when numbers were presented in tables, graphs and figures, he added.

Results showed that female students topped the data, algebra and number sections of the mathematics test, scoring 26 percent, 30 percent and 32 percent respectively. In the same sections, male high school students put up 24 percent, 26 percent and 29 percent respectively.

In the measurement exam, both groups posted an even 21 percent mark, while male students topped the geometry test, scoring 25 percent over their counterparts' 24 percent.

In the 1999 survey, female high school students clinched the number, data and algebra sections, with mean scores of 382, 410, 355 respectively, as against their male counterparts' mean scores of 373, 403, and 333 for the same tests.

Both groups scored evenly in the measurement and geometry categories (mean scores of 355 and 383 respectively).

Overall, the performance of second-year high school students in the Philippines in the mathematics tests improved by 33 points in 2003 with the respondents posting a mean score of 378 as against 345 in 1999.

Of the 44 countries that participated in the mathematics tests for eighth graders, the Philippines placed 33rd above South Africa, which posted a mean score of 264. In 1999, the country was ranked 36th in mathematics, with 38 countries participating in the same field.

Despite placing at the bottom of the pack, the Philippines is one of three countries that put up double digit gains in mathematics education. The other two countries are Israel, which improved by 29 points from 1999 to a mean score of 496, and Lithuania, which posted a 20-point increase to 502.

But the survey attributed the significant increase in Philippines' mean scores to the government's policy of lowering the entry age of schoolchildren.

"[The increase] may be explained by the fact that in the Philippines, Grade 7 (age 13) students, took the test in 1999, since age, rather than grade level, was the criterion for the sample," the survey noted.

"Since the entry age of Filipino students at Grade 1 was lowered from 7 years old to 6 years in 1995, majority of the students who took the tests in 2003 were 13 years old and at second year high school," it added. "The one-year grade difference could have accounted for the significant increase in the scores."

Results also revealed that students in private schools, posting a mean score of 426, performed better than pupils in public schools, obtaining a mean score of 365.

According to its website, TIMSS is "the third comparison of mathematics and science achievement carried out since 1995 by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), an international organization of national research institutions and governmental research agencies."

The tests were administered by the National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education of the University of the Philippines, Roblas said. The institute forwarded the results to the IEA which conducted analyses of the data and formulated the conclusions.

Aside from mathematics, the TIMSS survey also gauged the performance of second-year high school students (Grade 8 in other countries) in the sciences. The surve also checked the performance of Grade 4 students.

[jpdm]

^^^^

puro video games at kalokohan lalaki e.:bash::ohno:

[tonight]

^^
ganun nga

[kiretoce]

Interesting vidclip! :okay:

oqSLD6PE8hA
LINK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSLD6PE8hA)

Too bad the vidclip was chopped off at the end. :(

[manila_eye]

^^which country is that video came from?

[leml]

Some advertisement to study in the Philippines? Nice;

[etienne]

^^ interesting. sounds like DOT is behind it.

[kiretoce]

which country is that video came from?

The vidclip didn't provide much information about the country where the promotional video is being shown or aired in.

[kiretoce]

A school with no walls: The distance learning solution (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/march/16/yehey/life/20090316lif1.html)

The right credential may spell the difference between promotion and stagnation in one’s career. But for individuals who are juggling their time between work and family, getting additional education in a regular campus setting is sometimes next to impossible.

Enter the solution: distance education. While the concept of distance learning seems to be an ultramodern concept, the idea actually dates back to 1728 when Caleb Philips taught the new method of shorthand writing via correspondence. The University of London offered its External Program in 1858 making it the first university to offer distance-learning degrees. The establishment of postal service during the 19th century gave way to the boon of correspondence schools and colleges in the West.

To date, the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) is the most credible distance learning institution in the country. Established in 1995, the UPOU is the fifth constituent of the University of the Philippines System whose mandate is to provide education opportunities to individuals who want higher education credentials but are unable to complete his studies in a regular campus set up.

The UPOU offers various degree programs that include associate, bachelor, post-baccalaureate, master and doctorate. Nonformal and certicate programs are also available at the UPOU.

“In my case, I took a combination of online and face-to-face sessions. About 90 percent of my studies were done online and the remaining 10 percent with face-to-face sessions,” shares Leslie Ann Jose, a communications professional who earned her Master’s degree in Professional Studies in Development Communication from the UPOU. Jose stresses that self- discipline and motivation are important attributes a student must possess if he opted to complete his study via distance education. She completed her master’s degree requirements in a period of two-and-a-half years while working full-time as a public relations practitioner.

Jose describes a typical study session as reading through her study materials called “modules” in the wee hours of the morning and submitting her assignments online. She narrates that examinations were conducted in UPOU learning centers, which are situated in various locations around the country. Jose relates that such tests occurred four or five times every semester. On the fruit of her labor, she comments, “It enabled me to fulfill my plan to shift from public relations to development communication. I now work with an international organization which promotes biodiversity conservation in the Asean region.”

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) had cited the achievements of the UPOU by declaring it the National Center of Excellence in Open Learning and Distance Education. While the potential is great, the CHEd is exercising a slowly-but-surely approach in promoting distance learning, “That can be gradually developed,” says CHEd Chairman Emmanuel Angeles, adding, “The technological adeptness and access to a computer of the majority of Filipinos must be considered.”

With the greater accessibility of computers and the Internet, Filipinos today have the option to enroll in either local or foreign distance learning schools. “If in doubt of the credibility of a distance learning institution, a potential student should consult our office,” admonishes Rita Sescar, a technical staff of the CHEd. Sescar relates that matters concerning distance education and online learning are covered by the Policies and Guidelines for Transnational Education of the CHEd. “If the situation calls for it, our agency coordinates with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Bureau of Investigation to check on dubious foreign educational institutions,” she adds.

Sescar points out that it is the employer who has the last word on whether a credential earned via distance learning would be honored, “That is why the reputation of a particular institution is also very important,” she says.

Besides the fact that it requires a great deal of self-discipline, other factors make online learning not suited for everyone. The two biggest drawbacks of this mode of learning is that it promotes social isolation and it presents less opportunity for a student to develop his oral communication skills. But for those who believe that distance education is the solution for their quest for higher learning, a better credential is just a mouse click away.

[MatudNilaBaby]

Interesting vidclip! :okay:

oqSLD6PE8hA
LINK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSLD6PE8hA)

Too bad the vidclip was chopped off at the end. :(

Interestingly Exaggerated! the 3rd largest English speaking country of the world? :ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::lol::lol::lol::lol:

I have seen interviews of the former first lady imelda marcos and former president fidel ramos here in the us. i can barely understand or make sense with their answers as interviewed by us reporters. what's with manny pacquiao and charice, they barely speak sensible english when interviewed. and thats what we brag as the 3rd largest english speaking country in the world? wake up philippines.

[kiretoce]

Filipino girls better than boys in Mathematics (http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/science/7478-studies-filipino-girls-better-than-boys-in-math.html)

Have you ever wondered why our mothers are experts in budgeting the family’s finances, and why Aling Nene in the neighborhood sari-sari store can easily do mental computations?

The answer may lie in this: Filipino schoolgirls are better than schoolboys in numbers, studies show.

The analyses of the results of two studies of the Trends in International Science and Mathematics Study (TIMSS) consistently showed Filipino girls are excelling more in mathematics than boys.

Dr. Ester B. Ogena, director of the Science Education Institute (SEI) of the Department of Science and Technology, said the studies show that although empowering women in the scientific realm is an uphill climb, it is very possible to achieve that goal.

“Men and women both have intuitive values and practices that are influenced by their family upbringing and culture. Such are somehow expected to bring out the best in Filipino men and women in science and technology, which are expected to create an impact for the country’s development,” she said.

The SEI said that in the 2003 TIMSS Philippine Report for Grade 8 Mathematics, it was shown that Filipino girls were “significantly better” than boys, overall, and in the items of Number, Algebra and Data.

“The Philippine girls performed significantly better than the Philippine boys, overall, and in the items on Number, Algebra, and Data,” the SEI said in a press release over the weekend.

TIMSS 2003 is the third in a series of studies which offered a state-of-the-art assessment of students’ achievement in science and mathematics at the fourth and eighth grade levels.

The TIMSS data are useful for participating countries to reassess their programs in mathematics and science, and to examine and revise existing practices in curricular provision, textbook design, teacher preparation, school organization and instructional practice, the SEI said.

The studies also showed that in terms of average percent correct score by cognitive domain, Filipino girls bested the boys in items involving Knowing Facts and Procedures and Reasoning by a difference of 4 percent and 2 percent, respectively, the SEI said.

However, the SEI said, both boys and girls performed equally on items involving Using Concepts and Solving Routine Problems.

The Filipino schoolgirls and schoolboys were better by a difference of 1 percent in Geometry, they are equal in Measurement, but the girls performed better than the boys in Number, Algebra and Data by a difference of 3 percent, 4 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

An earlier study by TIMSS shows the same outcome in relation to the performance of Filipino girls as against the boys who participated in the tests.

In TIMSS-Repeat in 1999, girls “performed relatively better” than the boys in all areas of mathematics, the SEI said.

“In three content areas and overall performance, Filipino girls did better than Filipino boys,” the SEI, quoting the TIMSS-Repeat study, said. Filipino girls performed well in Fractions and Number Sense; Data Representation, Analysis and Representation; and Algebra.

“In Measurement and Geometry, Filipino girls did as well as Filipino boys,” the study added.

The Filipino students’ performance were in contrast to international studies showing that male students are better in mathematics than females, except in algebra.

Last year, 118 science and science-and technology-oriented schools from the 16 regions in the Philippines took part in the TIMSS-Advanced aimed at gauging the performance of students in the country in relation to advanced science and mathematics.

[crappypants]

Interestingly Exaggerated! the 3rd largest English speaking country of the world? :ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::lol::lol::lol::lol:

I have seen interviews of the former first lady imelda marcos and former president fidel ramos here in the us. i can barely understand or make sense with their answers as interviewed by us reporters. what's with manny pacquiao and charice, they barely speak sensible english when interviewed. and thats what we brag as the 3rd largest english speaking country in the world? wake up philippines.

You couldn't understand the former president and first lady of the PHils?
the problem may be with your hearing or comprehension. Speaking English is not about the American accent.

[mwg12a]

yeah really, comparison to former president and Manny pacquiao is like comparing bagoong from tuyo. I can understand not being able to understand pacquiao but Imelda, or the Philippine presidents? If the Clintons understood Arroyo and Reagan was able to understand the Marcoses as well as George Hamilton can understand Imeldific. I don't see why a filipino wouldn't be able to understand a fellow filipino's english especially if they are well educated. Yes, it's not about the accent but the ability to speak it fluently with proper grammar and such.

[tonight]

DepEd asked not to rank schools in NAT (http://mb.com.ph/node/199378)
By SHIANEE MAMANGLU

The Federation of Association of Private Schools and Administrators (FAPSA) is asking the Department of Education (DepEd) not to rank schools in the National Achievement Test (NAT), saying it is not a healthy competition.

“The ranking of schools in a publication had proved to be divisive and resulted in unhealthy competition among private schools. Schools that lagged behind prepared rigorously to recover at the expense of regular academic curriculum. If the result is published it will only cause disgrace to the schools,’’ he said.

“Our group would not mind the intention of Secretary (Jesli) Lapus provided the outcome would not be published,’’ he added.

Kasilag made the appeal after the DepEd administered the NAT to sixth graders and second year high school students last March 5 and 12.

He also said that the conduct of the NAT is not reliable enough to assess the total performance of students since students, particularly those from the provinces, can buy questions, answers and grades.

“The conduct of the test had paved the way for ingenious access to leakage. Former DepEd secretary Raul Roco had admitted that questions and answers could bought in the provinces,’’ he said.

Kasilag said the NAT, being the precursor of NCEE in the 90’s then NEAT and NSAT in 2000, was the same exam for whose abolition his group lobbied for.

Roco abolished the NCEE in a bid to allow more students to enter college.

He cited the case of a female student in his school (St. Nicholas school in Marikina) who failed to graduate as valedictorian because she didn’t do well in NEAT exam years back.

“The mother asked "why should a day's exam matter most over the entire six years of study in elementary? Schools already have 4 periodicals, 10 monthly tests, countless quizzes and daily assignments, are these not enough?’’ he said.

Citing Roco’s words, Kasilag said “are we not better left to formulate our own aptitude test to assess the capabilities of our own needs and expectation---what may work for Ateneo de Davao may not work for UP”.

Kasilag, however, acknowledged the need for private schools or those who fail in the NAT or any other assessment test to catch up with the highest attained mean score to remain competitive.

Lapus could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, the Teachers Dignity COalition (TDC) yesterday warned to stage a hunger strike to dramatize their plight due to long delay in the approval of the proposed P9000 salary hike for public school teachers.

"We are seriously considering to stage a hunger strike when school opens in June to impress the Arroyo government its neglect of the public school teachers,'' said Benjo Basas, TDC national chairperson.

"We will also stage various mass actions in national level in the coming weeks to show Malacanang and the House members that there is indeed clamor for this,'' he added.

Basas, however, expressed appreciation to Secretary Lapus and the entire DepEd in lobbying for the immediate approval of the proposed bill.

He also lauded the Senate for the immediate approval of its counterpart proposed law in the Upper Chamber.

TDC claimed that since 2001 public school teachers had only two salary increases amounting to P2, 000 combined.

[gen1]

Interestingly Exaggerated! the 3rd largest English speaking country of the world? :ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::lol::lol::lol::lol:

I have seen interviews of the former first lady imelda marcos and former president fidel ramos here in the us. i can barely understand or make sense with their answers as interviewed by us reporters. what's with manny pacquiao and charice, they barely speak sensible english when interviewed. and thats what we brag as the 3rd largest english speaking country in the world? wake up philippines.

This is plausible. We are the 12th most populous nation in the world and english is the medium of instruction in our country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population

Punta ka sa bisaya at makipag-usap sa tricycle driver hindi ka maintindihan kapag tinagalog mo pero maintindihan ka kapag english ginamit mo :)

You couldn't understand the former president and first lady of the PHils?
the problem may be with your hearing or comprehension. Speaking English is not about the American accent.

yeah really, comparison to former president and Manny pacquiao is like comparing bagoong from tuyo. I can understand not being able to understand pacquiao but Imelda, or the Philippine presidents? If the Clintons understood Arroyo and Reagan was able to understand the Marcoses as well as George Hamilton can understand Imeldific. I don't see why a filipino wouldn't be able to understand a fellow filipino's english especially if they are well educated. Yes, it's not about the accent but the ability to speak it fluently with proper grammar and such.

I agree. Imelda has many, many faults but bad diction is not one of them :lol:

and even when el tabako is chomping on his unlit cigar, I can still understand him. still the best president since marcos, that guy is. :D

One tends to ignore manny's bad english. he's too good a person and besides, baka suntukin ka nuon.

hindi katulad ng ozzies and kiwis, sus, ang hirap maintindihan ang inglis nila :lol:

["ZukiChirO"]

[CENTER]Senate No. 2662
By: Senator. Rodolfo Biazon

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES IN ZAMBOANGA,
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:
SECTION ONE. This Act shall be known as the "University of the Philippines
in Zamboanga Act."
Sec. 2. The Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines is hereby
authorized to carry out the establishment of an autonomous campus of the
University of the Philippines in Zamboanga City , hereinafter referred to as UP
Zamboanga.
Sec. 3. The campus of UP-Zamboanga shall be located in Zamboanga City
to be specified by the City Government in an area not exceeding 400 hectares to
be set aside by a proclamation of the President of the Philippines. The campus
shall be utilized exclusively for educational purposes and for such other activities
related to research and training activities of UP Zamboanga.

Sec. 4. The Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines shall have
full authority to determine the instruction, research, extension programs, schedule
of preparatory work and initial operations, .organizational structure, qualifications
and number of academic and other personnel, enrollment and other matters related
to the administration and operation of UP Zamboanga; Provided, That the
academic program shall put on science, technology and agricultural education;
Provided, further, That the medical education program shall adopt a communityrelevant
step-ladder approach with the view of encouraging graduates to serve
Mindanao.
Sec. 5. The University of the Philippines in Zamboanga shall provide a
special scholarship program and other affirmative action programs to assist poor
but deserving Muslims and other members of cultural communities to qualify for
admission to the University.
No student shall be denied admission to UP Zarnboanga by reason of sex,
religion, cultural or community affiliation or ethnic origin.

Sec. 6. The University of the Philippines in Zamboanga shall network and
coordinate with other state universities and colleges (SUCs) in such areas which
shall contribute to the development of Mindanao.

Sec. 7. The Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines shall
submit a report to the President of the Philippines, Congress and the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED) on the actions that the University has taken pursuant
hereto within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act.

Sec. 8. The amount of Fifty million pesos (PhP 50,000,000.00) is hereby
appropriated from the savings of the Office of the President as initial operating
expenses of UP Zamboanga. Thereafter, such additional amount as may be
necessary for the effective implementation of this Act shall be included in the
General Appropriations Act.
Sec. 9. If, for any reason, any part or provision of this Act shall be declared
as unconstitutional or invalid, such parts or provisions not affected thereby shall
remain in full force and effect.
Sec. I O . All laws, decrees, orders, proclamation, rules and regulations, or
parts thereof, which are inconsistent with any of this Act are hereby repealed,
amended, or modified accordingly.
Sec. 11. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in two
(2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.

Home of the 4 Universities in Zamboanga Peninsula

http://pictures.yuwie.com/content/schools/logos/6027.gif
http://images.ateneodigital.multiply.com/logo/1http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oQEVeAKtOY8/SKwyi1kGXgI/AAAAAAAAAK0/x6gmY1OqD9c/s320/Unibersidad_ng_Pilipinas.pnghttp://www.wmsu.edu.ph/schedule/images/wmsu1.gif

Plus 2 (Pilar College n ZSCMST) Colleges were submitted their Application of their School to become a University Status.
:applause::applause::applause:

[venntro]

Influx of Kuwaiti students eases impact of crisis (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=449495&publicationSubCategoryId=108)
By Rhia de Pablo Updated March 18, 2009 12:00 AM


CEBU, Philippines - Although unexpected, the influx of rich Middle Eastern students in Cebu these past few weeks have been making up for the slowdown felt in the tourism and hospitality industry.

In yesterday’s 888 News Forum at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Department of Tourism undersecretary Phineas Alburo said that the unexpected influx of Middle Eastern tourists specifically students from Kuwait are bringing in positive business to Cebu’s tourism stakeholders as they fill in hotels at these times of slowdown and at the same time bringing in more positive movements to the city’s business establishments like malls and restaurants.

Alburo said that these Middle Eastern students are currently taking up distance learning programs at the University of the Visayas (UV) and they have come in batches and started arriving in Cebu since last month and are under 21 days tourist VISA.

He said that so far, there are around 2, 400 Kuwaiti students enrolled at UV and most of them are taking up distance learning in courses such as engineering.

Alburo said that their office is working closely with the university and the Immigration Bureau to rationalize the situation so that Cebu can better capitalize on this emerging market.

“Middle East has long been a target market for DOT and we are slowly getting into the direction of gaining more accessibility to this market. The arrival of this big group of Kuwaiti students has been out of the blue but nevertheless, it has been filling in the gap and the downturn in arrivals and hoteliers are happy with this development because it has helped them at this time of low occupancy,” said Alburo.

He said that these tourists may have been attracted to come to Cebu for reasons that we offer a rather cheaper alternative than other destinations in the world and our quality education has also been gaining grounds world-wide.

“The Philippines is inexpensive compared to many other destinations elsewhere and the price of our education is relatively more affordable too so they chose to come over,” said Alburo.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Marriott Hotel general manager Roy Abraham agreed that the arrivals of Kuwaiti students these past few weeks in Cebu has indeed benefited city hotels like them because it has offset the shortfall of business travelers which has been dropping in volume for the past months.

He said that so far, they have 25 rooms occupied by these Kuwaiti students and they expect that the rest of the major hotels in city are also getting their fair share of a good number from this group.

Abraham said that the Middle Eastern market is indeed a huge market to be tapped because they are well spenders and they come in big numbers.

However, he said that in order to further sustain the growth of this emerging market, stakeholders in the tourism sector must work together and should properly orient these tourists about the culture, traditions and social norms of the Philippines as well as also orient Filipinos on how to properly treat them to better capitalize on this market.

“We need to change the perception of Filipinos with Middle Eastern people, educate stakeholders and the public on how to treat them properly and we also need to orient these Middle Eastern tourists about the proper conduct when they are here in the country so that there will be a win-win situation for both cultures. Proper orientation is very important because we need to know how to capitalize on them without sacrificing our own culture and traditions,” said Abraham.

These Kuwaiti students who arrived in Cebu since the past month passed through Qatar and they are staying for the coming weeks and are expected to come back sometime June and October to finish the distance learning program they are currently enrolled in at UV.

[anakngpasig]

^^ the video
i think was made in
India. interesting.
they think the Philippines
is developed :lol:

[vince_rilian]

forgive me for being a party pooper but its still pending with the senate committee on education, arts and culture.... its not even a republic act yet, there's no UP Zamboanga for now....

Home of the 4 Universities in Zamboanga Peninsula

http://pictures.yuwie.com/content/schools/logos/6027.gif
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Plus 2 (Pilar College n ZSCMST) Colleges were submitted their Application of their School to become a University Status.
:applause::applause::applause:

[Animo]

by Danny Escabarte (http://www.pia.gov.ph/default.asp?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p090327.htm&no=A2)

Zamboanga Sibugay (27 March) -- The Spanish government provided scholarship assistance to 5,100 elementary and high school students in Zamboanga Sibugay. Completing a three-year education program in Mindanao, the Spanish aid agency Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID) also built 30 new classrooms in 13 schools, provided 7,250 armchairs and 5,677 books.

Fifteen audio-visual rooms, four laboratories and four technology and livelihood workshops were also established. In-school feeding and parent-teacher-community association trainings were also conducted.

"The Spanish support is a holistic program that addressed both the problem of poor access to basic education among children in Mindanao, and the need to improve the quality of education," explained Paul G. Dominguez, Director of Sarangani Agricultural Co. and Vice Chairman of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), which implemented the program on behalf of AECID and the Spanish NGO Fundacion Humanismo y Democracia (H+D).

DepEd data show that in Zamboanga Sibugay, only four out of 10 children of official school age were enrolled from school year 2006-2007.

Poverty keeps children out of school. Cely Baid who teaches at Gugawang Bugas Elementary School explains that, "At first, children stop temporarily, but some children later decide not to go school anymore because of the urgent need to help the family at home."

"However, I observed most of them would come back during enrolment in June. The construction of a new school building here (a donation from AECID and H+D) also encouraged them to go back to school because it's nearer," Baid added.

"We have reported to our Spanish partners that the enrolment rates in our assisted schools have increased to as much as 29%," explained Gil Salazar, PBSP Executive Director. "Dropout rates also declined, meaning, the children were encouraged to stay in school. When we implement education programs, our goal is to improve the performance of the students and the schools, and we were happy to receive reports from the schools that the NAT scores increased by an average of 7 percentage points," Salazar added.

The Spanish donors will expand their assistance and include Curuan and Vitali districts in Zamboanga City, towns of Tungawan and R. T Lim in Zamboanga Sibugay, nine (9) municipalities in Agusan del Norte in CARAGA region, and the typhoon-ravaged areas of Bicol through a new four-year development initiative. PBSP has been tapped to continue to implement these programs.

"High incidence of poverty and poor access to basic services are the major issues that will be addressed in the expansion sites," Salazar explained.

"PBSP will continue to work with the DepEd and the school district heads. We also have strong links with the LGUs, and our distinct focus is the capacity-building of parents and teachers. Community participation, we have seen in many sites, is a key in making our children gain the most from education," Salazar emphasized. (PBSP/PIA-Caraga)

[jpdm]

You couldn't understand the former president and first lady of the PHils?
the problem may be with your hearing or comprehension. Speaking English is not about the American accent.

I agree.:)

As if the basis of intelligence is how you speak english.

[jpdm]

by Danny Escabarte (http://www.pia.gov.ph/default.asp?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p090327.htm&no=A2)

Zamboanga Sibugay (27 March) -- The Spanish government provided scholarship assistance to 5,100 elementary and high school students in Zamboanga Sibugay. Completing a three-year education program in Mindanao, the Spanish aid agency Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID) also built 30 new classrooms in 13 schools, provided 7,250 armchairs and 5,677 books.

A big big turn around since the time of Rizal.:lol:

[tonight]

DepEd to cut absenteeism with health packs (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090331-197163/DepEd-to-cut-absenteeism-with-health-packs)
By Philip Tubeza

MANILA, Philippines--For just P25 per pupil, the Department of Education (DepEd) aims to cut by half the incidence of infectious diseases among pre-school and elementary school students and stop absenteeism.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said on Tuesday that DepEd recently pilot-tested in Tarlac a comprehensive oral health care and general hygiene program for school children to keep them in school by reducing infectious diseases by 30 to 50 percent and dental problems by 40 to 50 percent.

Lapus said that toothache, diarrhea, respiratory ailments and soil-transmitted worm infections were prevalent in pre-school and school children “causing absenteeism and dropping-out of school.”

“It is socially accepted, often neglected when it fact it can be prevented at a low cost," Lapus said in a statement.

“These diseases are considered ‘normal,’ despite their huge impact on the physical and mental development of children, their school performance and their quality of life,” he added.

Lapus said most of the diseases were caused by hygiene problems and studies by DepEd showed that these diseases could be controlled by “simple, cost-effective preventive measures implemented on a mass scale in schools and day care centers.”

To this end, DepEd partnered with local government units and the private sector for its Essential Health Care Package (EHCP) program, Lapus said.

It was introduced in 2008 and the program has benefited some 600,000 children in 20 provinces. When it was first launched in selected schools, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo herself demonstrated proper hand washing to school children, the education chief said.

For school year 2009-2010, the EHCP program of the DepEd’s Health and Nutrition Center had its soft launch in Cristo Rey East Elementary School in Capas, Tarlac, he added.

Lapus said the package, to be distributed to pre-school up to Grade 6 students, contained a toothbrush, a toothpaste and a soap, and cost only P25 per student.

“We will continue deworming and hand washing activities as well as distributing oral health care package until we can make personal hygiene and oral health an unshakeable habit among our school children,” Lapus said.

He said participating schools would conduct daily hand washing with soap and water. A nail-cutter will also be made available in classrooms to keep the fingernails groomed.

Daily supervised tooth brushing drills using fluoride toothpaste will be done in schools while deworming tablets will be provided by the Department of Health and administered by school health personnel twice a year, according to Lapus.

The National Oral Health Survey (NOHS) conducted by the DepEd from November 2005 to February 2006 revealed that nearly all school children had dental caries, with an average of nine decayed teeth in every mouth.

Lapus said the school system's well-organized administrative structure and teaching personnel have been tapped to implement health programs “focusing on the behavior change.”

The principals, health personnel and teachers will undergo orientation on EHCP for implementation and monitoring, according to Lapus.

“These health improvement measures are intended to increase school attendance, improve school performance and help the government achieve its Millennium Development Goals,” Lapus added.

[TONZI]

MSU-IIT’s 39th Commencement Exercises

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By Rabindranath S. Polito


The Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) will have its 39th Commencement Exercises on Wednesday (April 1, 2009) at the MSU-IIT Gymnasium with 1,673 students receiving degrees or diploma.

Faith Q. Baldonado (Summa Cum Laude with a GPA of 1.1920), a major in BS Industrial Automation and Mechatronics, will deliver the valedictory address. Reina Karen M. Celestino (Magna Cum Laude with a GPA of 1.2003), a major in BSE Physics and the class salutatorian, will lead the Pledge of Loyalty to the Alma Mater.

Degrees will be conferred on 1,583 undergraduates and 90 masters and doctorate students in the MSU-IIT. Academic distinction in degree courses will be given to 1 Summa Cum Laude, 29 Magna Cum Laude, and 158 Cum Laude graduates. Academic distinction in diploma courses will be given to 2 With High Honors and 33 With Honors, while academic distinction in two-year diploma course will be given to 6 With Honors.

In addition, the Institute will honor the following students with Co-Curricular Leadership Awards: Cathy S. Bariga (Institute Leadership Award from CBAA), Marvin S. Galeos (College Leadership Award from CBAA), Mc Crae John P. Suico (College Leadership Award from CED), Louie S. Fiel (School Leadership Award from SET), Lowilton T. Mirasol (College Leadership Award from CSM), Archie G. Abuhon (Activity Award in Dance Cultural from CED), Rei Lena Yasmin G. Maranda (Activity Award in Debate from CASS), Fatimah P. Imam (Activity Award in Journalism from CASS), Joey Rey B. Cartajenas (Activity Award in Music Instrumental from CSM), Astrid F. Ebillo (Activity Award in Music Vocal from CED), Lyn Corazon B. Ilustico (Activity Award in Performing Arts from CED), and Primitivo C. Ragandang III (Activity Award in Sikap).

Dr. Diosdado P. Banatao, the Filipino version of Bill Gates, a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur and computer guru,and the Presidential consultant for the country’s Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT), will be the commencement speaker. He will receive an honoris causa in Doctor of Technology in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the computer industry. Dr. Macapado A. Muslim, the President of Mindanao State University System, will confer the degree.

iit.edu.ph (http://iit.edu.ph/news/news-detail.php?id=78)

[Animo]

By Rene Q. Bas (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/april/01/yehey/opinion/20090401opi3.html)

Instituto Cervantes is not the only presence of Spain in the educational sphere in our country. Spain is helping improve basic education in the Philippines.

In Zamboanga Sibugay the Spanish government provided scholarships to 5,100 elementary and high school students. Completing a three-year educational aid program in Mindanao, the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECID) also built 30 new classrooms in 13 schools, provided 7,250 armchairs and 5,677 books. AECID also set up 15 audio-visual rooms, four laboratories and four technology and livelihood workshops. In-school feeding and parent-teacher-community association training courses were conducted.

“The Spanish support is a holistic program that addressed both the problem of poor access to basic education among children in Mindanao, and the need to improve the quality of education,” Paul Dominguez, director of Sarangani Agricultural Co. and vice chairman of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), which carried out the program on behalf of AECID and the Spanish NGO Fundacion Humanismo y De-mocracia (H+D).

Department of Education (DepEd) data show that in Zamboanga Sibugay, only four out of 10 children of official school age were enrolled in school year 2006 to 2007.

Poverty is what kept children out of school. Cely Baid, who teaches at Gugawang Bugas Elementary School explains that, “At first, children stop schooling temporarily, but some children later decide not to go to school anymore because of the urgent need to help the family at home.”

Baid saw, however that “most of them would come back during enrolment time in June. The construction of a new school building here [a donation from AECID and H+D] also encouraged them to go back to school because it’s nearer.”

“We have reported to our Spanish partners that the enrolment rates in our assisted schools have increased to as much as 29 percent,” said Gil Salazar, PBSP executive director. “Dropout rates also declined, meaning, the children were encouraged to stay in school. When we implement education programs, our goal is to improve the performance of the students and the schools, and we were happy to receive reports from the schools that the NAT [National Achievement Test] scores increased by an average of 7-percentage points,” Salazar added.

The Spanish donors will expand their assistance and include the city of Zamboanga, Agusan del Norte in Caraga, and the typhoon-ravaged areas of Bicol under a new four-year development initiative.

PBSP has been tapped to continue to implement these programs.

“High incidence of poverty and poor access to basic services are the major issues that will be addressed in the expansion sites,” Salazar explained.

“PBSP will continue to work with the DepEd and the school district heads. We also have strong links with the LGUs, and our distinct focus is the capacity-building of parents and teachers. Community participation, we have seen in many sites, is a key in making our children gain the most from education,” Salazar emphasized.

The Philippine Business for Social Progress is my favorite “gang” of rich corporations. It is the largest corporate-led, non-profit social development foundation in the Philippines. PBSP is at the forefront in the fight against poverty through trailblazing programs developed and implemented with the strategic commitment of more than 240 PBSP member-companies, and corporate citizenship partners.

The “gang” operates nationwide, with programs in education, enterprise development, health and water, and area resource management. Working with partners and communities, PBSP runs programs to assist the poor towards self-reliance and improved quality of life.

rqb@manilatimes.net rq_bas@yahoo.com

[tonight]

Firm focuses on no-frills education (http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20090402-197591/Firm-focuses-on-no-frills-education)
By Erika Tapalla

MANILA, Philippines -- Investment firm Bacnotan Consolidated Industries, Inc. (BCII) is focusing on no-frills education courses that are cheaper but enable students of quickly find stable jobs after graduation.

Early this year, BCII acquired 70 percent interest in both state University of Pangasinan (UPANG) and University of Iloilo (UI), with 9,300 students and 7,200 students, respectively.

According to BCII President Ramon Del Rosario Jr., although UPANG and UI offer a variety of courses that hone English proficiency and information technology skills, focus is given to nursing, engineering, accounting, hotel and restaurant management and criminology courses.

"These courses are in demand now and we want the students to learn and receive the best education that will lead them to secure stable and high-paying jobs after graduation," Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario cited the attractive growth prospects in the education sector.

In 2008, Araullo University (AU) and Cagayan de Oro College (COC), the other two schools owned by BCII, posted a net income of P19.9 million and P11.9 million, respectively, despite a 3.0 percent decrease in enrollees.

To increase its return on investment (ROI) but still maintain high quality education, Del Rosario said they are looking at increasing the number of enrollees.

"We try to make our schools affordable. But education is costly so we focus on education [where] you won't see any marching bands or significant athletic teams. It’s a no-frills education system to keep costs down, teachers happy with their wages. We want to increase the number of enrollees," Del Rosario said.

All four schools have tuition fees that range from P12,000 to P15,000 per semester. There are also work-study programs and financial aid packages to help the students pay for the tuition fees.

"Our challenge is to increase the number of kids with proper college education that give them means to a better life in the future," Del Rosario said.

In an interview with INQUIRER.net, Philippine Business for Education (PBed) president and Phinma Education Network head Chito Salazar reiterated that, "the schools address employability with courses that can get them jobs right away despite the economy."

Salazar said that they have increased the number of scholarships by 100 percent, and now comprise 5.0 to 6.0 percent of the total number of enrolled students.

"We used to offer ten Presidential scholarships -- that is 100 percent free [tuition] plus a stipend for other costs like transportation, books, etc. -- for the top ten students of the top ten national high schools within the area. Now we are offering ten times that, so 100 Presidential scholarships," Salazar said.

A 25 percent scholarship grant is available to children of servicemen (police, army, military) through Serving Those Who Serve program. Criminology and IT scholarships that give a 50 percent grant are also available but students need to show proof of need.

"Most of the students in COC and AU take up criminology, nursing and accounting. In UI and UPANG, most students take up nursing," Salazar said.

Salazar also said that the passing rate for criminology graduates who take the government examination for the first time from COC is the highest in the country.

"We want the help the students pass board exams, do better and get high-paying jobs. We want them to see the advantages in our schools and really see it as a source of high quality education that cater to C and B families," Del Rosario said.

BCII owns four schools with a total of 27,000 students but according to Del Rosario, these schools have the capacity of 50,000 to 60,000 students.

Thirty percent of UI and UPANG is owned by the Hernandez family of Victory Liner.

[TONZI]

1,310 pass bar exams

By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090403-197749/Bar-exam-results-out-6-pmSC-spokesman)


MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 5) A total of 1,310 have passed the 2008 bar examinations, the Supreme Court announced Friday.

Judy Lardizabal of San Sebastian College topped examinations with a rating of 85.70 percent.

Mylene Amerol-Macumbal, of the Mindanao State University, came second with an average score of 85.65 percent.

The number of those who passed the exams represented 20.58 percent of the 6,364 law graduates who took and finished the four-Sunday examinations in September last year, Justice Dante Tinga, who chaired the 2008 Committee on Bar Examinations, said.

[MatudNilaBaby]

first time i heard a corporation owning private schools, colleges and universities in the philippines that's so proud to talk about the millions jn profit from educating our youths. im having goosebumps!

[jpdm]

College education is definitely costly unless the government subsidies it.

[tonight]

US envoy: Why Filipinos should be proud (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090404-197935/US-envoy-Why-Filipinos-should-be-proud)
By Veronica Uy

SILANG, Cavite—Aside from their musical talents, Filipinos should be proud because of their inherent kindness, United States Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney told students of the Sisters of Mary School here Saturday.

The students’ singing God Bless America brought tears to the eyes of the ambassador. She thanked the youngsters for “learning a special song that honors my country and my heritage.”

“Remember to be proud of being Filipino also because of your extraordinary kindness…I think no other country expresses that kind of kindness,” she said.

The Sisters of Mary School, which was founded by an American nun in 1985, now sends 3,400 girls and 2,100 boys from poor families through four years of high school. The nuns who run the school receive contributions from American citizens for the students’ education and board and lodging.

The ambassador exhorted the students to take advantage of the opportunity of being educated in the Sisters of Mary School.

“Do not be afraid to learn new things. Do not stop trying,” she told the students.

[orly]

We should be proud on all of our students that won in various international competitions. Even though we still have enormous challenges in our educational system like lack classrooms and reading materials etc. we are still winning and beating high tech "geek" countries like Japan, Singapore and China. I think we should let our bright students develop their talent here and don't let them be pirated by other countries and help develop our industry.

[Animo]

By Preciosa S. Soliven (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=455797&publicationSubCategoryId=80)

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A standard signboard of the DepEd Pagsasarili Preschool shows a logo of a boy and girl illuminated by light beams symbolizing how these children will bring light to the community.

MANILA, Philippines – At the mid-point of the UN Millennium Development Goal 2000-2015, the Department of Education (DepEd) joined the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare & Development) to inject quality Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into preschools, especially to avert dropouts in primary school. The 10-year-old EFA (Education For All) global program was evaluated in 2000, and was observed to increase enrollment in Basic Education, but quality — specifically in Asia, Africa, and Latin America — remained sub-standard. The UNESCO Director General called for an EFA-DAKAR Framework of Action to re-engineer education from mere memorization of data to a transformation of behavior towards self-sufficiency.

Two years ago, DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus funded the conversion of 25 public preschools to Pagsasarili preschools. This DepEd project linked to the Southeast Asian Center for Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development (SEA-CLLSD) a proposal to UNESCO Paris for the Philippine NatCom to be a Category 2 Center championing quality education for self-sufficiency.

The special fund provided by Secretary Lapus helped four DepEd Regional Directors — Dr. L.S Miguel (Region I), Dr. J. Taberdo (R-II), Dr. M. Ramirez (R-III), Dr. G. Garma (IV-A, CALABARZON), and Dr. P. Giron (IV-B, MIMAROPA) — convert selected pilot preschools into Pagsasarili Montessori preschools by commissioning the SEA-CLLSD National Laboratory — the OB Montessori Center, and its OB Montessori Child and Community Foundation. The Foundation is headed by Mrs. Concepcion Suarez.

The Teacher Transformation

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The project involved retraining of 50 teachers from April to May 2007, and in-service training onsite by the Pagsasarili teacher-trainers. Each school also received one van-load of Pagsasarili materials.

Full board and lodging for six weeks were provided using dormitories at the OB Montessori Greenhills headquarters. Meals were served at the culinary college Italian restaurant, La Dolce Fontana (RLDF).

The theoretical and practical courses were systematically calendared. Readings and essay writings were drawn from the book The Life and Works of Maria Montessori. Discussions were conducted by 10 lecturers. Simultaneously guided by senior Pagsasarili experts, each trainee had to put together an apparatus book made up of 80 lessons on Practical Life, Sensorial Arts, Cultural Arts, Language and Math. Every day, they were required to be well-groomed from “head to toe.” Classes were warmed up with each one giving a two-minute impromptu Dale Carnegie talk in English.

RLDF manager Isabel Espina remarked after the first two weeks, “What happened to the public school teachers? They look different, much younger, good-looking, and they are now speaking English!”

Hazardous In-Service Training

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Eager to implement the Pagsasarili program in their public schools, they returned to their respective sites two weeks before school opening. A strong typhoon was raging when the van-load of Pagsasarili materials, including sample tables and chairs, were loaded on the Super Cat, roro, batil and Super Ferry to reach Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.

Pagsasarili teacher trainers had to cram the in-service training for seven sites in Mindoro in just 18 days. Trainers Joji Dellosa, Erlinda Leonardo, Mercedita Esgana, and Julia Evelyn dela Cruz took an average of six hours traveling by bus and ferry boat to reach the port of Abra de Ilog (Mindoro Occidental), proceeding to the DepEd Pagsasarili school sites of Abra de Ilog, Mamburao and Paluan. They had to return to Batangas to take the Super Cat to Calapan port (Mindoro Oriental) so they could continue to the DepEd Pagsasarili school sites in Lazareto, Naujan West, Naujan East and San Teodoro.

The trip to Romblon was more hazardous, taking the 12- to 14-hour boat ride in the Montenegro Lines (from Batangas port) or the cargo barge (batil). The latter is a cargo barge where they slept on cots packed tight on the upper deck, while pigs, chickens and goats as well as charcoal and other products were loaded. The trip to Palawan takes 22 hours by Super Ferry from Port area, Manila with another two hours on rough roads to get to the school sites.

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About 80 to 90 percent of parents attend the orientation at the beginning of classes. A grandmother exclaimed, “Ang aking apo ay nag-iIngles na, parang anak mayaman.” A mother noted, “Parang dalaga na ang aking anak, laging ayos. Kahit pag-uwi niya, hindi gusot ang kanyang damit at ayos ang buhok niya.”

In Naujan West, the students of the traditional preschool flocked to the Pagsasarili classes, so the Division Superintendent merged the two classrooms into one and had the untrained teacher assist the trained teacher.

Photos of the children in the new DepEd Pagsasarili preschools give the impression that they are attending exclusive private schools.

[tonight]

DepEd launches new nutrition program for elementary pupils (http://mb.com.ph/articles/202088/deped-launches-new-nutrition-program-elementary-pupils)
By SHIANEE MAMANGLU

The Department of Education (DepEd), together with the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) and the Kabisig ng Kalahi, recently launched “Pasiglahin ang Estudyanteng Pinoy (PEP),’’ a program that is geared towards improving the nutritional status of public elementary pupils.

The signing of the agreement was made between Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, NCC Co-chairman Ambassador Cesar Bautista, and Kabisig president, Ms. Victoria Wieneke at Richmonde Hotel in Ortigas.

Lapus said the program is timely because it addresses one of the most unabated health problems among public elementary pupils.

“Malnutrition is a major health concern among Grades 1 and 2 pupils. Currently 16 percent of pupils in public schools are undernourished. Absenteeism due to undernourishment is a major deterrent to consistent productivity of students,’’ Lapus said during the launching.

“Through the supplementary feeding program, the nutritional status of target beneficiaries and the retention rate in Grades 1 and 2 pupils will surely be enhanced,’’ he added.

Wieneke said a total of 100 schools or 20 schools each from the National Capital Region (NCR), Region IV A, Region IV B, Region VI, and Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) have been selected for the pilot study.

The feeding program, which officially started this April, will run for 12 days and benefit 30 undernourished school children. The program has an allotted budget of P6 million or P60,000 per schools, she added.

“The project’s goal is to decrease the dropout rates of Grades 1 and 2 pupils by as much as 30 percent by 2010,’’ she said.

Under the PEP project, the NCC will coordinate the program implementation in target areas provided by DepEd and source out funds for this endeavor.

[tonight]

TESDA Aircraft Training Center takes flight (http://mb.com.ph/articles/202212/tesda-aircraft-training-center-takes-flight)
By BLOOEY SINGSON

http://mb.com.ph/sites/default/files/tesda-aircraft.jpg
TESDA Secretary Augusto Boboy Syjuco (center) inaugurates the new ATM Aircraft Training Center. Left, an actual fuselage of a DC-9 jet aircraft to be used as a training model at the ATM Aircraft Training Center.

In the aviation industry worldwide, skilled workers in aircraft structure repair are highly in demand
because aircraft structures make up 80 percent of the whole aircraft.

To address this demand and allow Filipino workers to break into the aviation industry, the Technical Educational Skills Development Authority (TESDA) introduces a technical vocational
course in aircraft maintenance, to be conducted by Filipino aviation company Aerotechnik Services Inc. and the Mechatronics Robotics Society of the Philippines (MRSP).

“We are currently pursuing high-end technology courses so we can train more Filipino workers in cutting-edge skills and give them a competitive edge for highly specialized occupations,” states

TESDA Director General Sec. Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco. “Multinational
employers favor Filipino workers for their positive work attitude and work ethic. By equipping them with technical skills, our workers gain more opportunities
in the global workplace.”

Hands-on training

The ATM (Aerotechnik TESDA MRSP) Aircraft Training Center was specifically established for conducting skills training in aircraft maintenance.

Jesus R. Lim of Aerotechnik Services, assistant vice president for training, reports that the center has received over a thousand applicants from all over the country, eager to avail the scholarship worth R40,000.

“We are taking in 250 students under full scholarship for the initial training, which spans 720 hours,” notes Lim. “Approximately 80 percent of the course hours will be focused on hands-on training.”

The newly-inaugurated aircraft training center not only boasts of expert trainors with a combined experience of over 90 years in the aviation industry and aircraft structure repair; it is also equipped with complete facilities for sheet metal structure repair as well as an actual fuselage of a DC-9 jet aircraft to be used as a training model.

“Aircraft structure repair is one of the most demanding jobs in aviation, so it requires rigorous training,” explains

Syjuco. “Overhauling an aircraft averages around 60 days of intensive labor, and mechanics check every inch of the plane’s structure for cracks or corrosion.”

Students will be trained to repair commercial planes such as B747, L1011, B777, B737, MD-90, MD-11, Airbus-300, Airbus 330, and other types of aircraft.

“By the end of the course, the graduates will form the nucleus of a group of all-Filipino aircraft structural mechanics capable of overhauling any type of aircraft,” Syjuco says.

Employment opportunities

A bright future awaits the course graduates, as the aviation industry is always in need of aircraft structure mechanics, and the center has an established network of contacts in the industry to refer their graduates to.

“Filipino airlines will no longer need to send their planes abroad for repairs if we have enough mechanics here to do the job,” says Syjuco. “We will be able to conserve our foreign currency.”

Employment opportunities are also plentiful outside the country, with pay commensurate to the level of skill required by the job.

“Depending on the employer, the starting pay for aircraft structure mechanics ranges from $800-$1000, which increases as they gain more experience or when they get signed by an airline,” adds Lim.

With this revolutionary training facility, TESDA is confident that the Philippines will become a highly competitive country in aircraft maintenance and repair in Asia.

“The ATM Aircraft Training Center is another effort of TESDA towards its mandate to develop the skills of the country’s labor force so our workers
can be competitive against their foreign counterparts. Equipped with high-quality skills, the Filipino workers of the world (WOW) are set to make a mark in the global workplace.” Syjuco concludes.

[tonight]

Metro cops to teach pre-school kids (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090414-199275/Metro-cops-to-teach-pre-school-kids)
By Abigail Kwok

MANILA, Philippine – Police in Metro Manila will double as teachers to pre-school children this summer with the opening of a day care center inside a major police camp, an official said Tuesday.

Children aged four to six will be taught how to read and write at the “Bahay Bulilit [Children’s House]” Day Care Center at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, which will open on Wednesday, said Superintendent Rodelio Jocson, chief of police community relations for the capital.

The day care center will accommodate 30 students, Jocson said, adding the center aims to “prepare the kids for formal primary schooling” when classes open in June, he said.

The project is under the “Pulis Ko, Titser Ko [My policeman, My teacher]” program of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), in support of Republic Act 8980 or the Early Childhood Care Development Act.

Camp Bagong Diwa is the headquarters of the NCRPO. The high security compound houses, among others, a jail cell for high-profile terror suspects.

[Animo]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3126/2872604378_5078436673_b.jpg

MADRID - THE cultural arm of the Spanish government will help the Philippines reintroduce Spanish language training in schools under an agreement reached on Thursday.

The Cervantes Institute will train Spanish language teachers in the Philippines, a former Spanish colony, during the first stage of the cooperation between the two sides, it said in a statement.

Last week the institute began training 35 teachers at its centre in Manila and another course involving 75 teachers financed by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation will begin shortly, it added.

The agreement was reached during a meeting in Madrid between the director of the Cervantes Institute, Carmen Caffarel, and the visiting education minister of the Philippines, Jesli A. Lapus.

In January the government of Philippines President Gloria Arroyo announced that starting in June Spanish would be taught at high schools across the country whose students have mastered English and shown an ability to learn another foreign language.

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

The language 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. -- AFP (http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%2BAsia/Story/STIStory_364741.html)

[johnmizer]

grabe ganda ng bldg

[anakngpasig]

instituto cervantes'
building here is just
as stunning, modern nga
lang :D i used to go there
every friday to watch spanish
language films. i don't know
now kung meron pa ngayon.

[beads_strawberries]

The recently signed law of the president gives opportunities to working students to work during summer, to which they will be compensated accordingly. This is just what the students need these days. After all, many students are now working on their own to provide for their education. The government is trying to help them fulfill their dreams.

Surely, students will be interested with this. They need all the support they need to finish their degrees and the government will not be a hindrance but an avenue for it.

[johnmizer]

asan yun anaak?

[kiretoce]

Literacy level dismal despite RP programs (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/april/22/yehey/top_stories/20090422top8.html)

News from the Department of Education is dismal.

Some 5.2 million Filipinos are illiterate, with the country’s school dropout rate among the highest in Asia, even higher than Indonesia and Vietnam.

“We are now at the dead end of education,” Education Undersecretary Manaros Boransing said Tuesday in his message welcoming the delegates to the Forum on Youth and Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning held at the department headquarters in Pasig City.

Boransing said the Philippines has continuously failed to meet its goals on higher literacy despite Constitutional provision on free and compulsory education. The country now has more than 5.2 million illiterates, and its rate of school dropouts has gone up to an alarming level.

He said the dropout rate in the country is now among the highest in Asia, even higher than Indonesia and Vietnam.

He said the ever-rising dropout rate would inevitably take its toll on the Philippine economy especially amid the financial crunch in the country and global market, the official added.

“With these crises, the government should be compelled to implement without delay and strengthen education and literacy programs for youth and adults,” he added.

Little impact

Meanwhile, a literacy mapping of fifth and sixth class municipalities conducted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) proved the general sentiment that the government’s literacy programs have little impact on some areas.

“There were a number of villages in the bottom 30 where the literacy services of the government agencies had not been felt,” said the department’s assistant division chief, Virginia Ferer.

Ferer added that the country’s literacy programs are currently not among the priorities of some local governments, adding that the fifth and sixth class municipalities, the country’s most economically backward areas, have the highest number of illiterates.

Ferer stressed that the condition may continue to worsen if the government, particularly the local governments in these municipalities, would continue to ignore the problem.

The bottom 30 villages with lowest literacy rates are in the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Kalinga, Mountain Province, La Union, Batanes, Isabela, Laguna, Quezon, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Iloilo, Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor, Leyte, Samar, Zamboanga del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental and Surigao del Norte.

The bottom three villages with the lowest literacy rate are Matampa (30.4 percent), Alipuaton (32.9 percent) and Bunal (44.8 percent) in Salay, Misamis Oriental.

The literacy mapping showed that the local governments have not initiated literacy projects because they lack funding and interested parties who would help push the projects. Also, the local governments are leaving the responsibility of initiating literacy projects to the Education department or its teachers. Moreover, no resolution within the fifth and sixth class municipalities has been made to pursue such projects.

Ferer then offered the literacy mapping as “a useful tool for all the LGUs [local government units] in formulation of policies that will push further the decentralization of literacy programs and projects.”

She added that the results of the project “can guide NGOs [non-government organizations] in prioritizing the village beneficiaries of their literacy project.”

Ferer has also urged Congress to pass a law mandating municipal governments and other local governments to allot a percentage of their Internal Revenue Allocation for literacy projects.

“As a policy decision, literacy programs and projects should be included in the annual municipal development plans,” she said.

[Christendom]

39th PASMETH Annual National Convention (http://pasmeth.tripod.com/)
“Responding to Global Challenges through Educational Innovations”
April 23-24, 2009
President’s Hall
University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos
Lizares Avenue, Bacolod City

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

april 22 and 25 is for their vacation tour

april 22 is the arrival of delegates at the Northwest Inn at 1PM and negros museum tour at 4PM

april 25 is for their panaad festival tour

i read the messge from their invitation letter here to every institutions that says,,,they choosed bacolod as a venue where they can combine business and pleasure bcoz the convention schedule is just in time for the Panaad Festival of Negros "dubbed as the Mother of all Festivals"...at the same they can enjoy a brief vacation in the beautiful city of bacolod...

[nicko]

CHED grants Silliman autonomous status
Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Commission on Higher Education has granted an autonomous status to Silliman University in Dumaguete City for five years, from March 11, 2009 to March 30, 2014, a press release from the school said.

This is the third consecutive time that Silliman has been granted full autonomy. In his letter, CHED chairman Emmanuel Angeles lauded Silliman, citing its accomplishments, adherence to quality assurance, and commitment to public responsibility and accountability as a higher education provider in receiving the distinction.

An autonomous status, which is given to a select number of private higher education institutions in the Philippines, recognizes Silliman’s ability to independently develop and offer quality programs that respond to the demands of time, the press release said.

Silliman considers this distinction a challenge to further enhance its programs and services along its quad-focal functions of instruction, research, extension, and faith formation.

This complements its thrust of widening its network of partners in the country and abroad, the press release added.*

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2009/April/21/negor5.htm

[Animo]

By Philip Tubeza (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090426-201554/Scholarships-for-teachers-to-learn-Spanish)
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 16:03:00 04/26/2009

Filed Under: Education, Grants and Scholarships

MANILA, Philippines--The training of public school teachers in teaching Spanish has been making headway.

The Spanish government has offered to fund a project and even offered scholarship grants to Spain for public school teachers, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said over the weekend.

Lapus said the project has been part of the “long-term framework” to re-introduce Spanish as an elective subject in Philippine public schools.

“Our social and historical ties with Spain and the Ibero-American countries worldwide means that we can be conversant in Spanish, an international language,” Lapus said in a statement.

“This well-planned initiative will expand the knowledge of our students, broaden their horizons and give them access to resources previously unavailable due to communication barriers,” he added.

In a recent visit to Spain, Lapus met with that country’s foreign and education ministers, the rector of the University of Alcala and officials of the Instituto Cervantes to wrap up the significant details of the project.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued an order in November 2007 calling for the reintegration of Spanish into the curriculum.

In response, the Spanish government has been funding the on-going pilot teacher training program about the Spanish language, involving two months of face-to-face classes and a 10-month on-line component, Lapus said.

It has been offering scholarship grants for teachers and students who would like to study Spanish or take up a master’s degree in four top universities in Spain, he added.

In his visit to the Department of Education (DepEd) last March, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos emphasized the importance and sustainability of the project.

Aside from Spanish, DepEd envisions regional high schools for languages to offer Mandarin, French and Japanese to increase the multi-lingual options of students.

The worldwide trend is for students to be bi-lingual in major languages, according to Lapus.

“Spain is showing a special interest in the country’s heritage and the Philippines is strategically positioned to showcase the cultural diversity and language skills of its people,” he said.

“Spain’s long term commitment includes the designation of permanent education attaché in the Spanish embassy in Manila. Language centers in Spanish in teacher education institutions such as the Philippine Normal University and the DepEd training centers are contemplated,” Lapus added.

An estimated 320 million people speak Spanish as a native language around the globe today, making it the world's fourth most spoken language in terms of native speakers.

The language reached these shores with the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century and it remained an official language of the country despite the American occupation of the Philippines in the early 20th century.

It lost its status as an official language only in 1973 during the administration of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

After Marcos was toppled in 1986, the mandatory teaching of Spanish in colleges and universities was also stopped, and thus, younger generations of Filipinos have little or no knowledge of Spanish as compared to the older generations.

[[dx]]

Albay invests heavily on higher education (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=10&rid=199524)
By Danny O. Calleja

LEGAZPI CITY, April 20 (PNA) — The provincial government of Albay is obsessed with the desire of producing a huge throng of college graduates.

One from each of its about 200,000 households, at least.

“Every house must have a college graduate,” according to Joey Salceda, the provincial governor, as he shared to PNA his central beliefs that “education is a basic human right which makes it a duty of government” and that “only education can make development happen and make that development shared by all”.

His administration, Salceda said, subscribes to the policy of universal access to tertiary education, the reason why the provincial government had put in place a specialized program office dubbed as EQUAL or Education Quality for Albayanos. This office primarily serves as secretariat of the Special Education Fund (SEF) that has been increased from P6 million in the previous years to P12 million last year.

That makes Albay the first and only provincial government in the entire country with a department dedicated to education and Salceda said the next step is to institutionalize EQUAL via legislative measures from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) making it a permanent office versus its current status as program office.

While SEF is dedicated to basic education and its best use is improving and giving incentives to classroom performance, EQUAL has adopted the role of further enhancing teachers’ capability through a competitive subsidy program for masteral thesis at P60,000 and doctoral dissertation at P100,000.

This subsidy program, the governor said, applies only to Albayano teachers taking masteral and doctoral studies in universities and colleges within the province. “We are initially budgeting P2 million for school-year 2009-2010 for this program and adopting a target of 150 PhDs and 600 masters in our educational sector,” he said.

The bigger and rapidly expanding role of EQUAL, on the other hand, is the management of the province’s scholarship program which has a budget of P38 million in 2009 to support 13,750 scholars in tertiary education. These scholars are to be enrolled with community colleges and campuses of the Bicol University (BU) in Tabaco City and the towns of Guinobatan and Polangui, all in Albay.

“Like a horse pulling a cart, the assurance of access to tertiary education should serve as an incentive for students finishing high school and, to do that, they should finish elementary. That should pull up our cohort survival and moreover, making access to higher education universal would improve our participation rate,” Salceda said. This scholarship scheme is also innovative as it is “beneficiary-led” procurement, he said explaining that when the scholar enrolls in a community college, the school will bill the provincial government.

Thus, the province does not pay for a service that does not benefit a constituent and “if you do not benefit from the scheme, it is because you did not avail of it”, he added. Targeting local community colleges and BU satellite campuses for this scholarship program, Salceda said, is largely to support their viability which makes college education more affordable as families save on transportation and board and lodging when their children go to college in their own town.

To advance further towards universal access to tertiary education, the province had also adopted the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS), an Australian model for which the provincial government has initially provided P16 million for SY 2009-2010. Under this program, those who enroll in BU Main Campus and Albay-based private colleges can apply with EQUAL for a loan of P5,000 per semester for every semester for the entire course.

Payments of the loan will only be done once the beneficiary is employed with amortization fixed at three percent of his monthly salary through the Social Security System (SSS) or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) until the amount is fully paid computed at eight percent annual interest. “If he does not get a job or earns nothing, he pays nothing at all. If he loses that job, then he stops paying. That should compel the government to improve the educational system so he gets a job and government gets paid,” Salceda said.

The governor said he intends to escalate this program to a portfolio of P1 billion in six years or P150 million release per year through funds mobilization from the national government or international foundations and aid agencies or even borrowings. “My dream is that, like in Australia, once a child finishes high school, he just enrolls in any college and course of his choice and automatically, the government pays for the tuition and even stipend which he will only pay back when and if he gets a job,” he said.

This new initiative will upscale EQUAL’s budget to P60 million this year and to P76 million in 2010. That makes EQUAL one of the biggest offices of the province next to the Provincial Health Office, Salceda added. (PNA)
DCT/LQ/DOC

[Animo]

Cebu Daily News (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/visayas/view/20090427-201704/Spanish-to-be-taught-in-Samar-high-school)
First Posted 13:12:00 04/27/2009

Filed Under: Education

Tacloban City — Pretty soon, students in a public school in a remote island-town of Samar will be greeting each other “Hola!” (Hello).

The Department of Education has decided to make the national high school in the town of Tagapul-an as one of the pilot schools in the country where Spanish will be taught starting in the coming school year.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus identified the TNHS and 16 other public schools in the country as the pilot areas for the inclusion of Spanish in their curriculum beginning this June.

In a telephone interview on Thursday, TNHS school principal Rockefeller Sanchez said the school might have been chosen as one of the pilot schools for the inclusion of Spanish in the curriculum because of its performance during last year's National Achievement Test (NAT).

TNHS topped the NAT among high schools in the Eastern Visayas
Sanchez also noted that learning Spanish might not be difficult for the students, considering that several old residents in Tagapul-an still speak the language.

“Of course, we are happy that our school was chosen among the pilot schools in the country where Spanish will be taught among our students,” the 56-year-old Sanchez said.

Sanchez said TNHS students who will be taught Spanish were already excited.

“In fact, some of our students know some Spanish words which they picked up from their elders,” he said.

Sanchez said he could also speak a little Spanish, which is considered as one of the world's major international languages.

Sanchez said that two of his seven teachers, both teaching English, will soon undergo training on Spanish.

He said the Spanish language course will be taught to third- and fourth-year students, preferably those who were already proficient in English.

Last school year, TNHS had a student population of 317.

Tagapul-an is the farthest of the 24 municipalities of Samar province. It is six hours by sea from the capital city of Catbalogan. It is a fifth class town with 14 villages and more than 9,000 residents. /Inquirer

[Asturiano]

Philippines education should paid more attention on the teaching of science and math in high school and university throughtout the country. Exceling in these subject will do us good and ahead of other cuntries. If there will be a battles of mind between countries on the science of advanced technology, those knowledge will come from knowing more a science, math classes.

[Igsuonnimo]

Ivy Leaguers' and the American Dream

Ang pangarap ng karamihan sa mga graduate ng top rate schools dito sa Pinas ay makapagtrabaho sa Amerika o ang inaasam-asam na assignment sa Wall Street. Ang pagkakaroon ng matatag na trabaho o magkaroon ng mas malaking sahod sa bansang amerika ay tinuturing na American Dream.

Eh papaano na lang kaya ang mga nakapag-tapos sa State Colleges o State University dito sa Metro Manila???
Ang pagkakaroon ng karera sa pagiging Peace Corp Volunteers ay hindi ito pinapansin ng mga kabataang Pilipino.
Isang indikasyon ito sa kalidad ng edukasyon sa Pilipinas.

[kiretoce]

DepEd pushes chess in public schools (http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p090501.htm&no=25)

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) have made a strategic move that will lead to the emergence of more Filipino grandmasters and make the Philippines a powerhouse in world chess.

The partnership calls for the training of DepEd officials by chess grandmasters belonging to NCFP in institutionalizing chess in public elementary and high school

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus and NCFP President Prospero Pichay signed an agreement yesterday where the chess organization will help DepEd achieve a 90 percent chess literacy and regain Philippine chess supremacy in Asia.

Lapus said that global studies have shown that chess is a game that improves individual organization and analytical skills. Children when exposed to this game at an early age achieve academically better or even faster than those who have not been engaged in the same game.

"It is because chess is considered a game that encourages a higher level of thinking that DepEd this year will start teaching it in elementary and high school," he explained.

Lapus and Pichay presented their signed agreement to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is an avid chess player herself. The event also established the National Chess Academy (NCA) which will serve as the training venue for chess teachers, coaches and arbiters.

The National Chess Academy will see to the training of students, teachers, coaches and arbiters throughout the country. It will also organize age-group tournaments in all regions.

Lapus added that chess is one sporting event where Filipinos have a greater chance of producing super grandmasters. "Just like Wesley So, our youngest and highest rated Filipino grandmaster who is just a few notches away from the elite club of world chess," he noted.

NCA will hold office at De La Salle University under the supervision of NCFP Vice-President and Former CHED Chairman Rolando Dizon, FSC. The Executive Director is Bong Belen, whose school in Tanauan, Batangas, the First Asian Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH) will be the main training center.

Starting May 2009, Grandmaster Bong Villamayor will head a team of trainors who will provide training for 195 DepEd Chess Coordinators and School Coordinators who will be sent by their respective schools.

A three-day seminar workshop will be given, after which a Certificate of Chess Competence will be awarded to those who successfully pass a Competency Test to be administered by the NCFP through the NCA.

The May to October schedule and venue of the seminar-workshop can be found in the website of DepEd and/or NCFP.

Chess is among the activities that help build memory skills, concentration, self-confidence, self-esteem and in making discipline decisions. Playing chess provides opportunities to practice such values as perseverance, honesty, and sportsmanship.

Chess will be implemented effective October of SY 2009-2010 in grades 3-6 (Edukasyon sa Pagpapalakas ng Katawan) and at high school 1-4 (Physical Education).

It is one of the games played in the Palarong Pambansa. The annual national meet is hosted this year by Tacloban City, Leyte.

[tonight]

DepEd to give teachers access to lesson materials via internet (http://mb.com.ph/node/199621)
By PHOEBE JEN INDINO

CEBU CITY – To improve the quality of its teachers through the provision of appropriate resource materials for their classroom discus¬sions, the Department of Education will pilot its learning resource mate¬rials development system (LRMDS) next month in Central Visayas.
DepEd 7 Regional Director Recaredo Borgonia explained that the LRMDS is a computer-based system that will give teachers easy access to resource materials for their lessons.

“The system will allow teachers to have the appropriate information needed for their classroom discus¬sions,” he said.

Borgonia said that through the new system, public school children will have additional input for their studies since their teachers can now feed them with updated information using the internet.

Borgonia said the system is already in the pipeline and they have already tied up with internet providers for high speed connections so that teachers can download their materials quickly.

“LRMDS is also an inventory of all the teaching materials from DepEd wherein teachers can easily download data that are needed for their discussions,” he said.

The DepEd official pointed out that a website for the program will be soon available nationwide so that teachers in other parts of the country can have an access to it.

“This is one of the DepEd’s initiatives to take advantage of the technology,” he said.

Borgonia said the implementa¬tion of the LRMDS will give students a stronger basic education foundation.

DepEd7 has allocated P2 million for the system which it is expected to be ready next month as the new school year starts. The project is also supported by the Australian government.

Borgonia said DepEd is in the process of preparing trainings and seminars to orient teachers in the use of the new system.

[tonight]

Educators trained on native tongue teaching (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090508-203915/Educators-trained-on-native-tongue-teaching)
By Alexander Villafania

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Education has began a summer program to train primary school educators on using their mother language as a medium of instruction.

About 50 teachers from grades 1, 2, and 3 from Luzon and Visayas schools joined the month-long training.

The training program enables teachers to prepare action plans to teach in the local dialects while enhancing their competencies in preparing curriculum, teaching materials and strategies.

Workshop outputs include lesson exemplars using Multilingual Education strategies for teaching beginning reading and for integrating content and language lessons for elementary grades, production of a multi-lingual “Big Book,” microteaching and advocacy plan.

Teachers will also be given lessons in English and Filipino.

DepEd partnered with the University of the Philippines College of Education, Reading and Teaching in the Early Grades Areas, Summer Institute of Linguistics, and Translators Association of the Philippines.

It is part of the DepEd’s Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education project, which is itself a continuation of the Lingua Franca Education Project conducted in 1999.

In a statement, DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus cited studies that pointed to better learning skills of primary students who are taught in their mother tongues.

Lapus said students are able to conceptualize and think deeper when being taught in their mother languages. Conversely, they find it difficult to learn when the medium of instruction is a language not familiar to them.

[jpdm]

Cebu Daily News (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/visayas/view/20090427-201704/Spanish-to-be-taught-in-Samar-high-school)
First Posted 13:12:00 04/27/2009

Filed Under: Education

Tacloban City — Pretty soon, students in a public school in a remote island-town of Samar will be greeting each other “Hola!” (Hello).

The Department of Education has decided to make the national high school in the town of Tagapul-an as one of the pilot schools in the country where Spanish will be taught starting in the coming school year.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus identified the TNHS and 16 other public schools in the country as the pilot areas for the inclusion of Spanish in their curriculum beginning this June.

In a telephone interview on Thursday, TNHS school principal Rockefeller Sanchez said the school might have been chosen as one of the pilot schools for the inclusion of Spanish in the curriculum because of its performance during last year's National Achievement Test (NAT).

TNHS topped the NAT among high schools in the Eastern Visayas
Sanchez also noted that learning Spanish might not be difficult for the students, considering that several old residents in Tagapul-an still speak the language.

“Of course, we are happy that our school was chosen among the pilot schools in the country where Spanish will be taught among our students,” the 56-year-old Sanchez said.

Sanchez said TNHS students who will be taught Spanish were already excited.

“In fact, some of our students know some Spanish words which they picked up from their elders,” he said.

Sanchez said he could also speak a little Spanish, which is considered as one of the world's major international languages.

Sanchez said that two of his seven teachers, both teaching English, will soon undergo training on Spanish.

He said the Spanish language course will be taught to third- and fourth-year students, preferably those who were already proficient in English.

Last school year, TNHS had a student population of 317.

Tagapul-an is the farthest of the 24 municipalities of Samar province. It is six hours by sea from the capital city of Catbalogan. It is a fifth class town with 14 villages and more than 9,000 residents. /Inquirer

Why not how to develop their municipality and make it a 1st class municipality first?

Technical/vocational/science and technology should given more attention first before going into other subjects like Spanish.

In my opinion, their ability to learn write and speak Spanish will mean nothing if their lives will continue to be miserable.

Anyway, learning Spanish per se is ok especially for those who are planning for a foreign service career (DFA posting) or ab, ma, phd in history and anthropology.

[Animo]

Anyway, learning Spanish per se is ok especially for those who are planning for a foreign service career (DFA posting) or ab, ma, phd in history and anthropology.

You just answered the reasons why we needed those who speaks another foreign language that is integral to Philippine studies. How many Filipino students or Filipinos are in these fields? Very little. I know that most of those who are experts on Philippine history are foreigners: Americans or Europeans. :nuts:

I do have a concern with the Filipino teachers. I believe they need to get native speakers too from Latin America, United States or from Spain to teach. I doubt their Filipino counterparts will give a level of Spanish from just a couple of sessions and classes.

[Animo]

By Jerry E. Esplanada (Inq. 18 april 09)


NOT JUST ONE BUT four “must-learn” foreign languages.

Aside from Spanish, the Department of Education (DepEd) also plans to teach French, Japanese and the notoriuously trick Mandarin as elective subjects in selected public high schools nationwide.

“As we focus on the basics, let’s not also forget that the rule of thumb in many schools worldwide is the teaching of one or two foreign languages,” Dep Ed Secrtary Jesli A. Lapus stressed.

Starting next June, “we’ll start with Spanish in 17 pilot high schools in 17 regions,” Lapus told the INQUIRER, noting that Spanish is spoken in more countries thant any other language except English and Chinese.


TRAINING FILIPINO TEACHERS

Spain has offered a Spanish language scholarship program for Filipino public school teachers. Under a Spanish government grant, a total of 34 teachers are currently taking a two-month crash course in Spanish at the Instiutto Cervantes Manila.

“Its face to face language training for two months, to be followed by its online component from June to March 2010” Lapus said in an interview.

Even Spain’s University of Alcala “will be sending in teachers who will mentor our teachers,” Undersecrtary Vilma Labrador said.

Labrador said the DepEd would “not allow teachers to handle the language course if they are not proficient and qualified to teach.”


DOUBTERS AMONG MILITANTS

Militant teachers and students have expressed doubts about the language program.

Alliance of Concerned Teaches chair Antonio Tinio said “its always good thing for schools to be able to provide students an opportunity to learn other languages.” “But will such program be adequately funded and properly implemented? Can the quality of instruction be assured? Is the DepEd committed to the program for the long term”, he asked.


WHIMSICAL

National Union of Students of the Philippines leader Alvin Peters said “Its laughable how whimsical Dept Ed is in implementing programs.”

He said the program “premised on the results of a crash course for would-be Spanish teachers, illustrates the shortsightedness and blatant stupidity of DEp ED decision makers.”

League of Filipino Students spokesperson Terry Ridon said “ amere crash course in Spanish is grossly inadequate to produce competent Spanish teachers.”

IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE SKILLS

All four foreign languages would be “useful skills to acquire,” said Rosa Ligaya Domingo, coordinator of the DepEd special foreign language program.

In addition, or course, to English, the country’s other lingua franca.

Domingo said learning the languages could offer Filipinos the “edge they will need when they finally go job-hunting, especially abroad. They can get ahead by being multilingual”.

Lapus said the program would “prepare students for meaningful interaction in a linguistically diverse global workplace. It weill also develop understanding and appreciation of other peoples’ culture.”

Spanish was phased out in 1973 by the Marcos Government under its revised secondary education program.

MALACAÑANG BACKING

Domingo said the Dep Ed would initially offer a basic Spanish course for third year students. “Only students who are proficient in English may take the elective subject. When they reach fourth year, they may take advanced Spanish,” he said.

“This program is not being done haphazardly (hindi bara-bara). Doming said. NO les than President herself pursued the initiative during her official visit to Spain in a couple of years ago.”

Presdient Macapagal-Arroyo in November 2007 issued an order calling for the reintegration of Spanish into the DepEd curriculum.

Spanish has largely vanished from everyday in the Philippines. Unlike in Spains colonies in Latin America, the languae was never as widespread in the country, mainly because of the small number of Spanish settlers in the archipelago, although many Spanish words have been incorporated into Filipino and other Philippine dialects.


DESIGNATED SCHOOLS


Designated by the DepEd a “special foreign language schools” are:

Ilocos Norte National High school in Laoag City’

Lemu Naitonal High School in Enrile, Cagayan;

National Science High School at the Subic Bay Freeprot;

Cavite National High School in Maragodon, Cavite;

Dolores National High School in sta. Cruz, Marinduque,

Naga City Science High School,

Capiz National High School in Roxas City;

Tanjay City Science High School in Negros Oriental;

Tagapul-an National High School in Samar,

Don Pablo Lorenzo Memorial High School in Zamboanga City

Cagayan de Oro City Regional Science High School

Davao City special school,

Tupi Naional high School in Gen.Santos City;

Agusan national high School in Butuan City,

Ifugao Provincial Science High School;

Quezon City Science High School; and

ARMM Regional Science High School in Sharriff Kabunsuan.

[bledzoe]

thanks Maxxclip for the help.

[Maxxclip]

^^need a help?:D post that here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=561217)

[bledzoe]

^^need a help?:D post that here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=561217)

thanks Maxxclip.

[Maxxclip]

^^np:)
------------------------------------/

DepEd junks overpriced noodle contract
by Butch Fernandez

DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) officials, aborting a fraudulent transaction, on Tuesday junked an overpriced P400-million noodle-supply contract for the government’s school feeding program after Senate probers confirmed the anomaly.

But Sen. Mar Roxas II, who exposed the irregularity, said erring officials of the then-Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) who were involved in the dubious procurement project “remain liable” despite the suspension of the deal.

“The liabilities of all officials who took part in this aborted transaction are still there” (http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/nation/10194-deped-junks-overpriced-noodle-contract.html)

[Animo]

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ oldest school, the University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu City, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Moscow-based Academy of Labor and Social Relations (ALSR).

The Department of Foreign Affairs said ALSR Rector Dr. Alexei Shulus and Fr. Felino Javines, Jr., vice president for academic affairs of USC, signed the pact at the USC campus last May 4.

"The MOU commits the USC and ALSR to engage in joint scientific research and training projects, conduct symposiums, workshops and seminars, to exchange research materials and literature on socio-economic issues as well as officials and personnel, including socio-cultural relations specialists and Russian- and English-language study missions," the DFA said on its website (www.dfa.gov.ph).

Witnessing the signing of the MOU were Fr. Louie Punzalan, USC’s Presidential Assistant for External Affairs; Dr. Ramon del Fierro, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of USC; and Armi Lopez-Garcia, Honorary Consul of Russia to Cebu.

The MOU outlines cooperation in the promotion and implementation of research on socio-economic Issues and labor-management relations education.

"It is the first step in what is envisaged to develop into a broader agreement encompassing various areas of undergraduate- and graduate-level instruction and research," the DFA said.

The agreement between the two universities was facilitated by the Philippine Embassy in Moscow and Honorary Consul Lopez-Garcia, who anchored the negotiation of the agreement on the Cebu side.

USC joins 32 other universities and higher schools located in the Commonwealth of Independent States such as Austria, China, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Mongolia, Poland, Serbia, Vietnam, and the United States in signing an MOU with ALSR.

USC is also the first university in the Visayas to sign a cooperation agreement with a Russian institution of higher learning.

Philippine Ambassador to Moscow Victor Garcia III said he has high hopes that the agreement will benefit Filipino and Russian teachers, researchers and students due to the dynamism and pragmatism of the two universities’ officials who are now focusing on the concrete implementation of the MOU.

Honorary Consul Garcia says she expects the agreement, which was first broached during the official visit of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia in September 2008, to lead to the establishment of the first Russian-language center in the Philippines that will be based in the USC campus.

Second Secretary and Consul Roderico Atienza, the embassy’s officer charged with educational affairs, noted that ALSR is one of 14 universities authorized by the Russian Ministry of Education to administer Russian-language state exams and grant certificates of various levels of ability recognized by the Russian government and throughout the world.

Founded as Colegio de San Ildefonso by Spanish Jesuits in 1595, USC is a Catholic institution of higher learning run by the Society of the Divine Word or SVD since 1935.

The ALSR, meanwhile, is Russia’s leading educational, scientific and methodical center in the field of economics and sociology of labor, social management, finance, labor safety, legal regulation of social and industrial relations on principles of social partnership. It was founded in 1919.

The Academy is one of the founders of the International Association of Education Institutions preparing students for their professional career in the field of Social and Industrial Relations.

In 2000, the Academy was included into the World List of Universities and Other Institutions of Higher Education, 22nd Edition, published under aegis UNESCO by The International Association of Universities.

The USC-ALSR MOU is the third cooperation agreement between Philippine and Russian universities.

Prior to the USC-ALSR agreement, the College of Arts and Letters of the University of the Philippines and the Institute of Asian and African Studies of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) concluded a faculty and student-exchange agreement in January 2006.

In July 2007 UP signed a university-wide agreement with St. Petersburg State University (SPbSU). - GMANews.TV (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/161401/Oldest-RP-school-inks-pact-with-top-Russian-academy)

[Animo]

MANILA, Philippines — Spanish government officials have thrown their support behind the Department of Education (DepEd)'s move to teach Spanish in high school.

Officials relayed their support to Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, who met with them in Spain recently, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

"The Spanish officials pledged their strong support for the training of Filipino teachers and the promotion of the Spanish language in the Philippines. The Department of Education (DepEd) and concerned Spanish agencies will sign a Memorandum of Understanding that will define the scope, programs, activities and commitments of both sides on the teaching of the Spanish language in the Philippines," the DFA said on its website (www.dfa.gov.ph).

It said Lapus exchanged views with Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, new Education Minister Angel Gabilondo, Instituto Cervantes Director Carmen Caffarel, and Virgilio Zapatero, Rector of the Universisdad de Alcalá.

According to the DFA, there are now 35 teachers attending a training course at the Instituto Cervantes in Manila.

It said two courses for 75 Filipino teachers will also be conducted within the year.

The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) will finance the expenses for said training courses.

For its part, the Ministry of Education will soon send an education attaché to the Spanish Embassy in Manila to serve as coordinator of the project between in the Ministry of Education and DepEd. - GMANews.TV (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/161560/Spanish-officials-support-DepEd-move-to-teach-Spanish-in-high-schools)

[jpdm]

First we have to learn good English.Then, let college students who will take history, foreign service take Spanish.

For me I think its not necessary for Filipino high school students to take Spanish.

For one thing what is the relevance of the Spanish language to our everyday lives?

A developing country mired in poverty would like its youth to learn 4 languages-his or her dialect, Filipino based on tagalog, English and now Spanish?

I thought the problem with the educational system in the country is the lack of years including the poor emphasis on science, math and english?

Wrong priorities again?

Rather focus on science and technology, Philippine history math and economics

[kiretoce]

University without borders (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/learning/view/20090517-205549/University-without-borders)

It probably has the smallest campus among member institutions of the University of the Philippines system – about 20 hectares of land within the area leased by UP Los Baños in Laguna to the International Rice Research Institute.

But the UP Open University (UPOU) may have the farthest reach. It has practically the whole world to serve.

Welcome to New Age education – a service that spans cyber space and is delivered through the limitless information highway.

The old distance learning, traditionally meant to give basic education to people who could not get into the formal education system, and the correspondence school of yore, which instructed those who could not go back to regular schooling for various reasons, have been consolidated into the open university scheme.

Real university

The result is more than the sum of these parts. The UPOU is a real school delivering degree and non-degree programs, as well as postgraduate qualifications, even as it fulfills the mandate of a state university to undertake community outreach activities, particularly in underserved areas. And it does this unfettered by classroom walls and fixed daily schedules.

Dr. Grace Javier-Alfonso, the current and third chancellor of the university, said UPOU was “the university that could serve those who could not physically come to universities and colleges because of work or for some other reasons.”

Education dean Ma. Theresa de Villa, professor Dr. Ricardo Bagarinao, and information and communication studies professor Diego Maranan said UPOU instruction was fully online.

Most students are dropouts and many live outside the Philippines. The professors communicate with students through chat rooms, instant messaging and e-mail, meeting with them at least three hours a week. While cyber education may have no fixed schedules or physical boundaries, it is not completely without ground rules.

Freshmen have to pass the UP College Admissions Test and the calendar is the two-semester school year of the state university. Course requirements also follow standards set by the UP system.

Though almost completely paperless, students still have to write papers, pass tests and participate in discussions – primarily through chat rooms or exchange of e-mail.

Students or professors, however, cannot rouse someone from across the globe in the middle of the night or the day to conduct a session.

Bagarinao said meetings were fixed in advance, through e-mail or instant messaging, with both parties agreeing to sit in front of their computers at a fixed time on a particular date that was convenient for both of them. If a student is in New York, for instance, a session may be held at 7 a.m. Manila time when it’s 7 p.m. in the United States East Coast.

Scheduling is even more important for UPOU students in many parts of the Philippines who can only use computers in Internet cafés, schools or offices.

Alfonso said they had to adopt a “blended approach” to course delivery to ensure that those with little or no access to the Internet would not be marginalized.

But with mobile phones now able to reach almost every part of the country, UPOU professors or their students call or send text messages to arrange sessions or even give out assignments and class work.

Emboldened students

Bagarinao said the “openness” of the school seemed to embolden students. People, who would normally be reticent in classroom discussions, seemed to feel less constrained in online discussions, eager to have their say on any issue, expressing their thoughts and opinion with little inhibition.

While instruction is completely online, some physical facilities are also needed for housekeeping requirements.

The Los Baños campus has the library that feeds the digital materials to online learners. A room with computers is made available to students who come for a visit, check on their status or transact business. The campus has audio-visual facilities and the usual accoutrements of educational institutions, though on a mini-scale.

UPOU has set up learning centers throughout the country where people can register, collect course guides and take tests.

Alfonso told guests during the recent celebration of UPOU’s 14th anniversary that they had set up 25 learning centers in the country and one in Hong Kong, which had one of the biggest concentrations of overseas Filipinos.

The UPOU prospectus, though including a couple of undergraduate programs, is geared more toward those seeking advanced, postgraduate or skills training, including the millions of overseas Filipinos, whether migrants or workers.

The UPOU also partnered with some local government units (LGUs) that wanted to help their employees, including locally hired teachers, further their education and/or training.

It drew up the Certificate in Barangay Administration and Professional Teaching Certification. The barangay management course, however, has been suspended for some time as revisions were being made to make it more effective and responsive to real needs.

Among the initial participants in the course were barangay officials in the district of Representative Joaquin Chipeco in Laguna.

Scholarships were provided by Bani, Pangasinan and Mauban, Quezon, (in cooperation with the Quezon Power Philippines) for public school teachers and government employees.

Some of the non-formal programs seem designed not just to prepare Filipinos for overseas employment – caring for the older person, caring for the special child and information technology for health research, for instance – but also for life back at home, if they would decide to return – new enterprise planning and personal entrepreneurial development, among others.

Established in 1995 as the fifth constituent university of the UP system, UPOU had 2,500 students in 2008-2009. It has students in 44 countries, aside from the Philippines, majority of them overseas Filipinos. Between 2000 and 2006, UPOU graduated 2,419.

The university has been recognized as the Center of Excellence in Open Learning and Distance Education by the Commission on Higher Education and designated as the National eLearning Competency Center by the Information Technology and eCommerce Council.

[tonight]

3-year tuition increase moratorium sought (http://mb.com.ph/node/201199)
By GABRIEL S. MABUTAS

http://mb.com.ph/sites/default/files/the-decrease-in-enrollment.jpg
Of all the students who enroll in grade 1, only 14% will finish college, according to Rep. Mong Palatino of Kabataan party-list.

Party-list lawmakers in the House of Representatives call for a three-year moratorium against tuition fee increases.

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Mong Palatino said he and Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño will co-author House Bill 2440 to push for such moratorium.

This, as he warned that there would be a sharp decrease in enrollment this school year if the government would fail to address the continued spikes in the tuition cost.

Palatino said the yearly dropout rate is a cause for alarm and something that the Department of Education” (DepEd) Brigada Balik-Eskuela and the government should immediately address.

Palatino cited 2008 data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) which show that out of 100 grade 1 pupils, only 66 finished grade 6 leaving a 44-percent dropout rate, 58 enroll in first year high school with an 8-percent dropout rate, 43 finish high school with a 15-percent dropout rate, 23 enroll in college with a 20-percent dropout rate and only 14 graduate with a nine-percent dropout rate.

“With the current crisis and the continued lack of government response, we can expect these figures to go up this coming school year. The Arroyo government has made education less accessible to Filipinos. The enrollment rate has been in a steady decline under the Arroyo administration,” Palatino said.

He noted that from 1995 to 2002, enrollment grew at 1.98 percent but has dropped to 0.97 percent since 2003 to 2007. “We expect this figure to drop dramatically his year due to incessant tuition and school fee hikes imposed during this time of severe economic crisis,” the young solon said.

The national average tuition, he said, swelled by 89.39 percent from SY 2001-2002 to SY 2008-2009 (and 94.54 percent in the same period in the National Capital Region).

Palatino said that sending a student to a public school for basic and secondary education, would already cost around P15,000 to P20,000. “Despite free tuition in public elementary and high schools, this amount would still be needed to cover other school fees, text books, school supplies, transportation, food and other expenses. School fees are also on the rise due to lack of budgetary allocation for education.”

In tertiary level, he said, the national average tuition increase was 9.92 percent or P38.92 per unit, while in NCR, the average tuition was pegged at P855.20 per unit in 2008.

“This coming school year, despite CHEd's so-called appeal to school owners and Malacañang's promises, more than 130 tertiary schools are expected to raise their tuitions by five to seven percent. This figure, unfortunately, only covers tuition and does not yet include exorbitant and unnecessary miscellaneous fees that school administrations could freely impose for added profit due to a deregulated tuition policy,” Palatino said.

[manila_eye]

First we have to learn good English.Then, let college students who will take history, foreign service take Spanish.

For me I think its not necessary for Filipino high school students to take Spanish.

For one thing what is the relevance of the Spanish language to our everyday lives?

A developing country mired in poverty would like its youth to learn 4 languages-his or her dialect, Filipino based on tagalog, English and now Spanish?

I thought the problem with the educational system in the country is the lack of years including the poor emphasis on science, math and english?

Wrong priorities again?

Rather focus on science and technology, Philippine history math and economics

One of the real problems of our education system is getting good teachers. Marami akong teachers na hindi marunong mag-english at english ang tinuturo nila. Marami ring teachers impose their own beliefs/conclusions without letting their students analyze and form their own.

[demented_pigeon]

First we have to learn good English.Then, let college students who will take history, foreign service take Spanish.

For me I think its not necessary for Filipino high school students to take Spanish.

For one thing what is the relevance of the Spanish language to our everyday lives?

A developing country mired in poverty would like its youth to learn 4 languages-his or her dialect, Filipino based on tagalog, English and now Spanish?

I thought the problem with the educational system in the country is the lack of years including the poor emphasis on science, math and english?

Wrong priorities again?

Rather focus on science and technology, Philippine history math and economics

I would agree with most of with what has been said except that I believe that students should be taught in their local languages first and then teach them english as a second language. Because english is a second language. I can bet the number of native english speakers in the country is less than 5%. It's a second language for most. Also, I'm tired with this complaint that we don't speak Spanish unlike the other countries colonized by Spain. Thank God we didn't learn it completely and forgot our native tongues. If that happened conquest would have been complete. We should be proud we were able to keep our languages despite being conquered by the once Spanish empire. Thank God I don't speak Spanish or English as my native tongue and instead I express myself either in Cebuano or Tagalog. Those nutjobs in Congress advocating for the revival of Spanish and the english-only instruction in school HAVE ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS ENGLISH. I CAN'T BELIEVE A CONGRESSMAN FROM CEBU IS ONE OF THE SIGNATORY, HE CAN'T EVEN SPEAK ENGLISH PROPERLY.

[ferny123]

I would agree with most of with what has been said except that I believe that students should be taught in their local languages first and then teach them english as a second language. Because english is a second language. I can bet the number of native english speakers in the country is less than 5%. It's a second language for most. Also, I'm tired with this complaint that we don't speak Spanish unlike the other countries colonized by Spain. Thank God we didn't learn it completely and forgot our native tongues. If that happened conquest would have been complete. We should be proud we were able to keep our languages despite being conquered by the once Spanish empire. Thank God I don't speak Spanish or English as my native tongue and instead I express myself either in Cebuano or Tagalog. Those nutjobs in Congress advocating for the revival of Spanish and the english-only instruction in school HAVE ABSOLUTELY ATROCIOUS ENGLISH. I CAN'T BELIEVE A CONGRESSMAN FROM CEBU IS ONE OF THE SIGNATORY, HE CAN'T EVEN SPEAK ENGLISH PROPERLY.


ahahah

we dont need spanish in our lives. i think its better to learn chinese ^_^
and we need our schools to educate the students about road safety and road rules and regulations as a driver, commuter or a pedestrian.

[kiretoce]

Education crisis looms: UNDP blames falling enrolment, shortages (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/may/21/yehey/top_stories/20090521top1.html)

The Philippines may face an “education crisis” because of falling enrolment as well as shortages in classrooms, books and teachers amid the government’s tight fiscal situation, experts warned Wednesday during the launching of a UN report.

To make matters worse, the UN report also said the Philippines was wasting millions of pesos on salaries for “excess” government.

In a forum on Wednesday, Solita Monsod, founding president of Human Development Network and economics professor at the University of the Philippines, said the weak basic education enrolment was an indication of an “education crisis.” The network wrote the report that was commissioned by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Based on the Philippine Human Development Report 2008/2009, public elementary students enrolment dropped to 12.03 million between 2007 and 2008, from 12.08 million between 2006 and 2007.

For private elementary schools, enrolment stood at 1.09 million between 2007 and 2008, slightly higher from 1.03 million between 2006 and 2007.

For high school students, enrolment moved up slightly to 5.12 million in public schools and 1.33 million in private institutions.

Winfred Villamil, president of Economists Society of the Philippines, said the basic education enrolment hardly improved, staying steady at 91 percent between 2002 and 2004.

He added that the worrisome declines were observed in North Cotobato, Kalinga, Zamboanga del Norte, Tawi-Tawi and Davao Oriental—where enrolment dropped 10 percentage points or more.

UN lists shortages

The UN report, which was released at the same forum, said classroom shortages in the Philippines currently range from a few thousand to tens of thousands, depending on whether one assumes a single or double shift.

Teacher shortages could range from 9,000 to 30,000—depending on the assumed class size, the report added.

“The extent of textbooks shortages also varies, depending on whether textbooks for music, arts, and physical education are counted on top of books for the regular subjects English, Filipino, Mathematics, science and social studies. Shortages are driven by the level of public funding relative to the demand for services. The demand for services is in turn driven principally by rapid population growth,” according to the UN report.

“If the level of education budget does not increase quickly enough to meet the demands of our public schools, shortages are the inevitable result.”

From 1995 to 2008, the report added that the Department of Education’s share of the national budget was almost constant at 13 percent. In 2007, the department’s budget was P139.4 billion, up from P118.75 billion in 2006.

“On a per-student basis, however, investment was declining in real terms. Stagnant or falling real expenditures per students have been a recurrent problem and will likely to persist because of the government’s fiscal situation,” the report said.

[le Reine]

She’s No. 1 and it’s no joke
By Edson C. Tandoc Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:28:00 05/24/2009 (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/learning/view/20090524-206863/Shes-No-1-and-its-no--joke)

LORIVI Robles Huyaban and her classmates made jokes about landing in the Top 5 of the recent LET exams and getting invited to Malacañang Palace.

As it turned out, Huyaban topped the elementary level LET and was she ever surprised!

The 22-year-old University of the Philippines College of Education graduate describes herself as a “crammer” and says she has only hoped to pass. “I never expected to be the topnotcher.”

Huyaban’s score of 90 percent was the best among the 7,470 who passed the LET (elementary level) out of 26,812 takers last April.

She heard the good news from a classmate who sent her the message via SMS on May day eve.

Goaded by her classmate to go online and check for herself, Huyaban found the results that convinced her the news was real and elicited delighted yells from her and her mother.

Huyaban believes her secret weapon is faith. She prayed in Baclaran Church before taking the tests.

To prepare for the test, Huyaban had enrolled at a review center but got bored midway into the 11 sessions.

She ended up hastily reviewing her notes two days before the test.

Thankfully, much of what she learned at UP was still fresh in her mind, she says.

The good foundation she got in college helped, and being a new graduate was also an advantage.

Though Huyaban and her classmates were only kidding around when they set their sights on the Top 5, her mother, Lorina, 45, never doubted she was capable of accomplishing something as important.

“She has never failed any exam,” says Mom.

Huyaban, however, admits to having flunked college algebra and retaking it. She says she has never liked complex numbers.

Actually, it was more than just a dislike for numbers that got her into trouble.

She recalls having been late for class almost every day, even missing daily quizzes, because she had to travel for nearly three hours from their home in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite, to get to the Diliman campus.

[le Reine]

RP education 'chronically ill'
By Jerry E. Esplanada
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:30:00 05/24/2009 (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/learning/view/20090524-206864/RP-education-chronically-ill)

IT WOULD be fairly easy to claim that Philippine education is in crisis. After all, the term is in vogue and just about every society claims to be facing a crisis, according to Brother Armin A. Luistro, president of De La Salle University.

But while crises had been recurrent in the country -- ranging from leadership crisis to the global financial crisis, Luistro said, “Philippine education was not in a crisis.”

In the paper “The State of Philippine Education,” which he presented during the launch of Education Nation, a national movement on education reforms, at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, the DLSU president said, “The better description of the state of Philippine education is a chronic illness...”

Luistro, a member of the technical working group of the Philippine Business for Education, said the country’s education problems had existed for close to a century.

Back in 1925

He cited a paper presented at last year’s UP Centennial Lecture that quoted George Counts, a Yale professor and a member of the Monroe Commission in 1925: “Half of the children were outside the reach of schools. Pupil performance was generally low in subjects that relied on English, although the achievement in Math and Science was at par with the average performance of American school children...”

Counts, the paper said, bewailed the teaching of subjects in English in the absence of a lingua franca.

He claimed it sacrificed efficiency of instruction in the native tongue.

Counts also said the curriculum was not suited to Filipino children, who were handicapped by their reliance on experiences drawn from a civilization alien to them.

Counts bewailed that the students were acquiring new ideas in a language not their own and were studying under a curriculum borrowed directly from the United States using materials suited to American children. He also claimed teachers were untrained.

[Maxxclip]

“I thought that you had to be a famous alumnus - alumini - aluminum - alumis - you had to graduate from this school. And I didn’t go to college here, and I don’t know if President Cowan knows, I didn’t go to any college at all. Any college. And I’m not saying you wasted your time, or money, but look at me, I”m a huge celebrity.”

El Len

[rally]

^^np:)
------------------------------------/

DepEd junks overpriced noodle contract
by Butch Fernandez

DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) officials, aborting a fraudulent transaction, on Tuesday junked an overpriced P400-million noodle-supply contract for the government’s school feeding program after Senate probers confirmed the anomaly.

But Sen. Mar Roxas II, who exposed the irregularity, said erring officials of the then-Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) who were involved in the dubious procurement project “remain liable” despite the suspension of the deal.

“The liabilities of all officials who took part in this aborted transaction are still there” (http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/nation/10194-deped-junks-overpriced-noodle-contract.html)

after the error-filled textbooks, now this. the people at WB must be scratching their heads on how to go about successfully managing the funds they pour into our country which do not get the desired results. First there was the Road scam at the DPWH then now the Noodles of DepEd.:bash:

[rally]

“I thought that you had to be a famous alumnus - alumini - aluminum - alumis - you had to graduate from this school. And I didn’t go to college here, and I don’t know if President Cowan knows, I didn’t go to any college at all. Any college. And I’m not saying you wasted your time, or money, but look at me, I”m a huge celebrity.”

El Len

another famous undergrad is bill gates of microsoft, although he now is an advocate of stay in school program.

[jpdm]

Philippine Star

A basket case
CTALK By Cito Beltran

Updated May 27, 2009 12:00 AM

The President’s anger I would like to believe is not just about temper or impatience. It was the manifestation of generational conflict. The old world values shocked that in today’s schools the most basic, the most elementary rules of washing hands and using waste baskets are not incorporated or carried about as a given.

Perhaps the President should spend more time in public schools. Maybe then she will realize a thing or two. Like how a teacher living in “poverty” cannot be expected to teach prosperity. Maybe if she visits in the provinces, she will learn that her instructions, that uniforms must no longer be mandatory in public schools, was given mere “lip service” by her Secretary of Education.

Perhaps if the President sat down with people like former Senator Tessie Oreta, they could arrive at a priority CORE requirement for school children. Before any social studies, sciences etc. let us make sure that they have the ability to read, write, do math and at the very least speak English.

All the modern day ideas are good and well, but everyday, I meet children who cannot competently read or write or spell and their comprehension levels are dismal. They are mathematically challenged and they reach grade six unable to speak basic English. Add to all of that, they no longer have clean little hands or garbage cans.


And then the Secretary of Education wants Spanish to be taught in schools...

That's what we can good planning and right priorities!:bash::bash:

[jpdm]

Philippine Star

Nursing, HRM still students' choice in college
Updated May 27, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Nursing and Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) continue to be the top college degree courses that incoming college students prefer to take this school year, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said.

CHED chairman Emmanuel Angeles said young people would continue choosing Bachelor of Science (BS) in Nursing and Hotel and Restaurant Management courses despite reports of dwindling demand for nurses in developed countries.

“Nursing will still be the top in-demand course,” Angeles said.

While they have not yet gathered a final tally of the enrollment in college degree programs due to the ongoing enrolment in many colleges and universities, Angeles said that initial figures had not shown any major shift in the preferred courses of students.

CHED identified Nursing, HRM, Information Technology (IT), Elementary Education, and Computer Science as college degree courses with the highest number of enrollees.

As of academic year 2008 to 2009, Nursing had 422,978 enrolled students; HRM had 123,523; IT, 115,605; Elementary Education, 95,725; and Computer Science, 95,134.

Popular courses also include Criminology, Accountancy, Management, Secondary Education and English Education. – Rainier Allan Ronda

Oh well...:ohno:

[ppi]

Ang pundasyon ng alinmang bansa
ay nag-uugat sa wasto o akmang edukasyon..
pero nakakadismaya, na ang edukasyon
ng ng mahal kong Pilipinas ay hindi angkop
sa pangangailangan nito, kaya naman
hindi natutugunan ang tunay at totoong
pag-unlad na minimithi ng mga kalahi
ni Juan De La Cruz...

Napakarami ng ating mga mahuhusay
propesyunal/dalubhasa sa ibat-ibang larangan
na produkto ng ating sablay na edukasyon..
(dahil kong angkop/tama ang edukasyon ng bansa
may nagagawa o naiaambag sana na mga akmang
ideya ang ating mga 'edukadong' mamamayan)
kanya naman hindi nakapagtataka
kumbakit tila usad pagong ang tunay
na kaunlaran, at nasasayang lamang
ang yaman tao(human resources) natin
na karamihan nga sa mga mahuhusay na Pinoy
ay nangingibang Bansa sa kakulangan nga
ng mga uportunidad sa sariling Bansa..

Mahuhusay magsalita sa salitang dayuhan
ngunit sa sariling wika tila nahihirapan..
Imbes na linangin ang sariling wika
nauuna palagi pagpapahalaga sa wikang dayuhan

Napakahalaga na magkaroon ang Pinoy
ng sariling pananaliksik(research)
sariling pag-aaral,paglinang ng sariling
karunungan upang magkaroon ng sarili at
independenteng kaisipan ng sa ganoon
ay makahulagpos sa mga turo/aral ng mga
dayuhan na mapanikil at puno ng pangguguyo
na nagiging sanhi ng kahinaan ng madlang pipol..

At kaya naman may mahina tayong Gobyerno
ay sa kadahilanan nga na karamihan (majority)
sa Pinoy ay mahina
na kung saan bumabalik nga ito sa kahinaan ng
ating edukasyon o pilosopiya ng Bansa.

http://pilosopongpinoy.blogspot.com/

[Animo]

And then the Secretary of Education wants Spanish to be taught in schools...

That's what we can good planning and right priorities!:bash::bash:

Have you been reading the same article that was posted here? It's going to be introduced to those schools whose students excel in English or the school has a huge percentage of passing rates. It's not going to be implemented stupidly to schools without any results as many of you guys here think it would be. :nuts:

I guess it shows a lack of reading comprehension and analytical reasoning on your part.

[jpdm]

jeez, why cant we just state our counter argument or opinion wihtout resorting to insults?



patience @jpdm. dont be dragged into a useless flame war.

Yes, thanks. :):cheers:

Anyway, he cant take my idea-take not my personal stand- that Spanish should not be prioritized in this country, thats why he is pissed off with me.



Sa opinyon ko, hindi na nga makapag-inglis ng maayos mga Pinoy (English is the language of global business and academe) at mahina sa math at sciences, mag spanish pa... bakit hindi tuunan ng pansin yung mga subjects na mas mahalaga sa pang-araw araw na buhay natin?

[demented_pigeon]

Its not an issue for me that the government would teach Spanish, provided they improve teaching Science, Math, History, Filipino.

[ppi]

Sa opinyon ko, hindi na nga makapag-inglis ng maayos mga Pinoy (English is the language of global business and academe) at mahina sa math at sciences, mag spanish pa... bakit hindi tuunan ng pansin yung mga subjects na mas mahalaga sa pang-araw araw na buhay natin?

Sa opinyon ko rin, ^^
Palagay ko hindi naman issue maski english
kung kaunlaran o edukasyon ng bansa ang pag-Uusapan..
maraming naging maunlad na bansa naging progresibo
maski hindi mahuhusay sa wikang englis ang karamihan sa kanila (i.e.Japan,Germany etc etc)

...ang sa atin, naging mabili tayo bilang mga alipin sa ibang bansa dahil sa husay natin sa wikang english (isa sa mga dahilan)..yan ang 'advantage' na matatawag sa husay natin sa englisan pero 'in da long term', 'and in da long run' sabi pa sa englis, lamang ang disbentahe na naidudulot nito sa Bayan -- masyado tayong naging palaasa sa mga karunungan,pag-aaral hango sa english at mga mapanglansi na mga karunungan na ipinamana sa atin ng mga dayuhan..

DAHIL ANG MGA DAYUHAN O IBANG LAHI AY HINDI KAILANMAN ITUTUTRO ANG MGA MAHAHALAGA O PINAKAMAHAHALAGANG ARALIN, KARUNUNGAN. BAGKUS LAHAT NG PAMAMARAAN GAGAWIN MAILIHIS LAMANG ANG LANDAS AT MALIGAW ANG MGA BANSA O LAHI NA KAGAYA SA ATIN..tingnan kung paano tayo ginuyo ng mga dayuhan-- isa na dito sa pamamagitan ng relihiyon..dahil kong pag-aaralan maige--hindi lamang edukasyon nanggagaling sa mga paaralan ang pinagkukunan ng ating karunungan at kaisipan, nandiyan din ang lubhang makapangyarihan na ibat-ibang mga simbahan at sekta na kong bibigyang pansing mabuti, ito ay nasa pangangalaga o 'sponsored' ng mga dayuhan...napakalaki ng impluwensiya ng mga ito sa kaisipan ng bawat Pilipino.

At sa issue ng 'English is the language of global business and academe'.. unang-una sa Global business na tinatawag..sa ngayon talong-talo tayo dyan,dahil ano ba mga produkto natin ng pangkalakal sa ibang bansa..lahat ng mga produkto natin halos mga mumurahin lang, kumpara sa mga inaangkat natin! at isa na nga sa masasabing produkto din natin ay ang mga manggagawa natin(na karamihan nga marurunong sa english--kaya mabili)

Sa mga Hapones(Japan),maski mga lider nila halos hindi makapagsalita ng englis(may mga kasamang interpreter palagi)hindi naman naging balakid sa kanila kahinaan at kakulangan sa kaalaman nila sa english sa larangan ng pag-unlad..

[ppi]

Its not an issue for me that the government would teach Spanish, provided they improve teaching Science, Math, History, Filipino.

agree ako dyan 'trapo killer',
Ngunit, mayroon akong napapansin na lubhang napakahalagang
aralin na sadya o sinadyang pabayaan sa ating mga paaralan
...ito ay ang pinakamahalagang aralin ng Pilosopiya
na kung saan dapat magmula sa 'primary' hanggang sa 'secondary schools' inumpisahan ng pinag-aralan...marami ang hindi makakaunawa ng kahalagahan nito dahil hindi nga ito napag-aaralan sa mga paaralan..saka lamang halos pinag-aaralan kapag patapos na sa kolehiyo ang bata...

Ang problema kung sino ang magtuturo, maski nga mga Professor ng Philosophy sa college ay tila hindi maituro ng maayos ang aralin na ito kong kayat nababagot lamang ang mga estudyante at nagkakaroon ng maling impresyon sa mga mag-aaral ukol sa napakahalagang aralin na ito..DITO SA ARALIN NA ITO NASASAGOT ANG MGA KATANUNGAN NA 'What? Why? How?

http://pilosopongpinoy.blogspot.com/

[jpdm]

Sa opinyon ko rin, ^^
Palagay ko hindi naman issue maski english
kung kaunlaran o edukasyon ng bansa ang pag-Uusapan..
maraming naging maunlad na bansa naging progresibo
maski hindi mahuhusay sa wikang englis ang karamihan sa kanila (i.e.Japan,Germany etc etc)

...ang sa atin, naging mabili tayo bilang mga alipin sa ibang bansa dahil sa husay natin sa wikang english (isa sa mga dahilan)..yan ang 'advantage' na matatawag sa husay natin sa englisan pero 'in da long term', 'and in da long run' sabi pa sa englis, lamang ang disbentahe na naidudulot nito sa Bayan -- masyado tayong naging palaasa sa mga karunungan,pag-aaral hango sa english at mga mapanglansi na mga karunungan na ipinamana sa atin ng mga dayuhan..

DAHIL ANG MGA DAYUHAN O IBANG LAHI AY HINDI KAILANMAN ITUTUTRO ANG MGA MAHAHALAGA O PINAKAMAHAHALAGANG ARALIN, KARUNUNGAN. BAGKUS LAHAT NG PAMAMARAAN GAGAWIN MAILIHIS LAMANG ANG LANDAS AT MALIGAW ANG MGA BANSA O LAHI NA KAGAYA SA ATIN..tingnan kung paano tayo ginuyo ng mga dayuhan-- isa na dito sa pamamagitan ng relihiyon..dahil kong pag-aaralan maige--hindi lamang edukasyon nanggagaling sa mga paaralan ang pinagkukunan ng ating karunungan at kaisipan, nandiyan din ang lubhang makapangyarihan na ibat-ibang mga simbahan at sekta na kong bibigyang pansing mabuti, ito ay nasa pangangalaga o 'sponsored' ng mga dayuhan...napakalaki ng impluwensiya ng mga ito sa kaisipan ng bawat Pilipino.

At sa issue ng 'English is the language of global business and academe'.. unang-una sa Global business na tinatawag..sa ngayon talong-talo tayo dyan,dahil ano ba mga produkto natin ng pangkalakal sa ibang bansa..lahat ng mga produkto natin halos mga mumurahin lang, kumpara sa mga inaangkat natin! at isa na nga sa masasabing produkto din natin ay ang mga manggagawa natin(na karamihan nga marurunong sa english--kaya mabili)

Sa mga Hapones(Japan),maski mga lider nila halos hindi makapagsalita ng englis(may mga kasamang interpreter palagi)hindi naman naging balakid sa kanila kahinaan at kakulangan sa kaalaman nila sa english sa larangan ng pag-unlad..

Tanong bakit gusto ng gobyerno na mag-aral pa tayo ng ibang lengguwahe?

Kung ang isa sa problema pa la natin ay wala tayong kakayahang gumawa ng produktong kilangan natin?

pati yung pinagmamalaking agrikultura natin ay namamatay na rin.

Tayo pa nga ngayon ang pinakamalaking taga-angkat ng bigas sa buong mundo samantalang nandito ang IRRI at PhilRice o CLSU?

Alam mo ba na ang soya na ginagawang taho at tokwa inaangkat natin. Trigo o wheat na ginagamit sa tinapay, sa bihon o spagetti natin ay imported?

Pagkatapos ay pakakatahin ang mga estudyanteng Pinoy ng ang "magtanim ay hindi biro, maghapong nakayuko?

Di ba mas mahalang ituro ay science and technology para i-modernize natin ang ating ekonomiya?

Palakasin din ang practical arts and home economics (practice/praxis)upang tumugma sa science and technology subject (theory).

Dapat turuan din sa pagkabata palang ng ekonomiks upang maging produktibo?

[jpdm]

Philippine Star

EDITORIAL - Compromised program

Updated May 29, 2009 12:00 AM



Amid allegations of overpricing, the Department of Education has canceled a P427-million contract awarded to a lone bidder for the supply of instant noodles to public schools.

The noodles were supposed to be fortified with fresh eggs and malunggay, but the eggs were allegedly missing in the actual servings for 2008 and 2009.

The noodle supply contract has been awarded for the past five years to Jeverps Manufacturing Corp. A public hearing conducted by the Senate education committee chaired by Manuel Roxas II showed that the noodles and freight charges were overpriced.

What happens now to the school feeding program? Classes in public schools start next week. Though the food is modest, the feeding program helps keep children in school. One of the causes of the high dropout rate in public elementary and secondary schools is malnutrition, which makes children more susceptible to illnesses.

For many families, there is rarely enough food on the table, much less money for a child’s food allowance during school days. Though elementary and secondary education is free, parents must set aside money for the other expenses of sending a child to school. Among the biggest expenditures are transportation and food.

The school feeding program is meant to augment the nourishment of these less privileged children. Now the program is mired in accusations of anomalies, and the education department is rushing the bidding for a new contract. If the bidding process again becomes tainted by a scandal, public school students will have a long wait for their noodles.

It is not enough to cancel the noodle contract. The cancellation implies that the accusations of anomalies are true, and those behind the overpricing must be penalized.

The administration cannot keep sweeping under the rug anomalous deals simply by canceling them, as it did with the broadband network contract with China’s ZTE Corp. A P427-million contract cannot be canceled on a whim. The cause must be justified, and if it because of corruption or other irregularities, the culprits must be punished.
:ohno:

[jpdm]

edit

[rally]

the arguments here about language (english, spanish etc.) reminded me of my observation when I was in HK and Mainland China. I noticed that almost all of the citizens therein i encountered ( tour guide, bus/taxi driver, sales ladies, vendors, customs and immigration, etc. ) spoke broken, little or no english at all. And yet their tourism and Business industry is flourishing and earning for them billions of Cash.

I thought then that the emphasis of English in our country so that we would be preferred by foreign investors and tourist was/is a fallacy.

Im not saying we should altogether stop teaching English but something is wrong in this picture.

[jpdm]

the arguments here about language (english, spanish etc.) reminded me of my observation when I was in HK and Mainland China. I noticed that almost all of the citizens therein i encountered ( tour guide, bus/taxi driver, sales ladies, vendors, customs and immigration, etc. ) spoke broken, little or no english at all. And yet their tourism and Business industry is flourishing and earning for them billions of Cash.

I thought then that the emphasis of English in our country so that we would be preferred by foreign investors and tourist was/is a fallacy.

Im not saying we should altogether stop teaching English but something is wrong in this picture.

You are correct.

[jpdm]

Philippine Star

EDITORIAL - Decades-old problems

Updated June 01, 2009 12:00 AM


The school year starts today with the same problems that have bedeviled Philippine education for several decades now. No exact measure has been developed to gauge the impact of various education programs. But the results of achievement and competency tests administered in the past years at different levels of the education system give an indication of that impact. The percentages of students who pass the tests for primary and secondary levels are dishearteningly low, even when passing scores are brought down to 50 percent.

The problem starts with the lack of school facilities to accommodate an ever-growing student population. For the past eight years when the government refused to take an active role in population control, it has not provided the commensurate resources to the Department of Education to cope with the boom in the student population. These days the public school system is burdened with class sizes so large teachers sometimes have not memorized the names of all their students even by the end of the first semester. Teachers, already overworked and among the most underpaid in the region, must handle three shifts per day for lack of classrooms.

The low pay and heavy workload have driven away some of the best Philippine educators to higher paying jobs overseas. Filipinos are teaching English from Cambodia to the inner city schools of the United States. Compounding the problem for those left behind is how to teach young children reading, writing and Arithmetic in Tagalog-based Filipino and English – languages that are properly understood mostly by students from Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon where Tagalog, English or both are spoken in households.

When education officials defend their proposed annual budget before Congress, the focus is not on the quality of education services but on the number of school buildings, classrooms, teachers or textbooks that are needed for the next school year. These are legitimate problems, but there are other matters that must be addressed at the same time, including corruption in education projects. Otherwise the education budget, no matter how high the increase, will only go to waste, and the quality of the nation’s graduates will continue going downhill.

hmmmm...:ohno:

[rally]

its really ironic, students cannot be accomodated in existingschools nor are text books aenough for all the students. And yet you have this food for school program to encourage students to go to school.:nuts: why spend millions to encourage students to stay in school if there are no classrooms for them in the first place?:bash:

So there is something that can be done with funds - build more class rooms. sus!, sometimes its so frustrating that we go around in circles in trying to solve the ills that plague our country.:bash:

[bacolodchamp]

Tycoon offers to build med university at DSB
BY CARLA GOMEZ

DON SALVADOR BENEDICTO – Tycoon Washington Sycip has a standing offer to build a medical university in this town in central Negros Occidental, Board Member Nehemias dela Cruz said yesterday.

Sycip, who has been to DSB twice, finds the climate and area here ideal for a university setting, dela Cruz said. The tycoon is the founder of the Asian Institute of Management and Sycip Gorres Velayo and Co.

He wants to build a medical center to be managed by Stanford University, which he hopes will be the best in Asia, de la Cruz said. Sycip also hopes to have colleges of law and agriculture at the university, de la Cruz added.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan Wednesday passed a resolution making DSB the summer capital of Negros Occidental.

The town, vastly unspoiled by development, was carved out of the remote mountainous villages of San Carlos City and the towns of Calatrava and Murcia in 1983, and in has cool weather all year round.

It is also a haven for nature lovers with its numerous waterfalls, lush fields of flowers in vibrant colors and sweet pineapples with the mountains in the backdrop, rice terraces, scenic zigzag roads, mountains perpetually covered in mists and "chocolate hills".

Among the unique flowers that abound are the Mickey Motto, Miracula Magnifica and the Jade Bind, and the sweet smelling Azucena found especially in the flower fields of DSB Vice Mayor Cynthia de la Cruz.

The ever-increasing rice terraces and pineapple fields were developed by former rebels who operated in the town before, the board member, himself a former New People’s Army leader, said.

One can buy sweet and inexpensive pineapples along the DSB highway.

With the declaration of the town as the summer capital of Negros Occidental, the board member and his son, Mayor Marxlen dela Cruz, are preparing to develop it as a major tourist attraction.

But we want to plan development right, to create a blueprint to protect the environment and to ensure that the town does not lose its natural beauty, the mayor stressed.

“We also want to create activities for tourists that are environment friendly and leave zero carbon footprints,” he added.

So we will prefer mountain biking to off-road and motocross activities, the mayor said.

“We will also encourage hiking but it must be regulated to protect the environment,” he said.

Colors of structures in the town must also be in harmony with nature, the mayor added.

“And we will prioritize the locals when it comes to opportunities as the town is developed into the summer capital of Negros Occidental,” he said.

Only 33 percent of the town's area is titled and open for development, but because it has been declared the summer capital we can ask that some timberland and watershed areas be declared multi-use zones, the mayor said.

These areas, especially those along the roadside, could then perhaps be opened for lease, the mayor added.

The board member also said hostels and a wedding center will be developed in the town.

There have been some people who want to build a golf course in DSB but the mayor said he is opposed to it because it will destroy the environment.

At Barangay Kumaliskis one can view the Malatan-og Falls from a viewing deck along the highway.

But to get to the majestic Alindahawan Falls in Barangay Bago is no trip for the fainthearted. It takes a one-and-a-half hour drive through rough roads until one’s four-wheel drive hits the end of the path, and then one takes a 15 to 30 minute walk through slippery terrain and a rice field, and makes a steep climb to the top of the falls.

But for those who dare the trek to Alindahawan the agony is wiped away by the magnificence of the falls. The view from the top as the water rushes down is breathtaking.

Indeed this town offers scenic feasts for the sedate and for the more adventurous tourists. All you have to do is choose your wild.*CPG

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2009/May/30/topstory1.htm

[LorodePico]

I think this year DEPED said that there are 2 million additional students. Since our physical facilities can't cope up with the uncontrolled population, we really have to do something about curbing our population growth. We may be able to build interim classrooms and so forth and so on but all those things will soon be overburdened if we're not able to control our fast-growing population. Hindi bale sana kung ang mga mayayaman ang maraming anak but the reverse is true - kung sino ang mahirap sila pa ang very active in going forth and multiply.

[jpdm]

http://images.inquirer.net/media/opinion/images/pic-06020314160781.jpg

Itong sinasabi ko....:cheers:

[LorodePico]

Thursday, June 04, 2009


DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE
By Nora O. Gamolo
What ails RP education?



It is, in fact, a recurrent night-mare. The first day of classes for 19.7 million public school kids started with noisy protest as hundreds of teachers marched. In many parts of the country, pupils went back to decrepit, leaking schoolbuildings with hardly readable blackboards, where they can only read ancient books, if at all.

The first day of school is always an unfailing indicator of the decades-old neglect of education. Bedlam is almost synonymous with public school in the Philippines.

Ironically, Filipinos are cooperative with the public school system, and government is effective in bringing in the entire community to participate in beefing up or physically sprucing up many schools in the Philippines.

But as Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino asserts, even the celebrities-endorsed Oplan Balik-Eskwela cannot simply remedy all the problems of the perennially neglected public school system.

“Our real problems this school opening are still the lack of classrooms, facilities and teachers,” he decried, attributing it to government neglect.

Data have been provided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) Institute for Statistics. Philippine classrooms are among the most crowded in Asia. Class size in the Philippine public elementary schools (43.9) pales in comparison to Malaysia (31.7), Thailand (22.9), Japan (28.6) and even in India (40).

Even early last year, the militant Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) had estimated classroom shortage at 41,905.

The rate of students eligible to attend school has been ballooning by 2.3 percent yearly, so if there are no buildings to house them and no teachers to guide them, government can be logically faulted, as educational needs have been predicted.

Education, the main reason for the revolt against Spain after 333 years, is dear as life itself to Filipinos. A study by the Department of Education’s (DepEd) shows that 96.77 percent of elementary school-age children go to school, while 66.06 percent of high school-age teenagers go to school likewise.

But DepEd admits that public schools nationwide are in decrepit conditions. Some 80 percent of them have no running water, 60 percent have no toilets, 40 percent have no ceilings and 50 percent have no electricity. Expectedly, protests always attend school, too.

The government is hiring few teachers. To achieve the ideal classroom-to-student ratio, the DepEd will have to hire almost 30,000 additional teachers, but it could only muster a percentage of this.

Hence, balik-eskwela (going back to school) also means bulok-eskwela (decrepit schools) due to government misprioritization like using public funds for unbridled foreign travel, while the budget is limited for education, and rampant corruption bedevil the government.

Filipinos should even worry more about the declining preliminary enrolment figures for the current school year due to huge schooling costs, while parents could hardly send children to school. With fewer subsidies and services to the poor, Filipino families choose between keeping kids in school and spending their meager income on food.

For every 100 students who enroll in the 1st grade, 33 drop out before reaching Grade 5, and 31 out of 100 high school freshmen drop out before reaching their senior year. Cohort survival figures for the past 10 years also show that for every 10 pupils who enroll in grade school, only seven eventually graduate.

In School Year 2005 to 2006, almost 65 percent of six-year old children did not begin their primary education on time. The cohort survival rate was 76 percent in 2001, but went down to 70 percent in 2006. The completion rate was 75 percent in 2001, but it also went down to 68 percent in 2005 to 2006. Similarly, the drop-out rate and repetition rate also dipped.

The government should stop harping that basic education is free in the country, as supplemental school needs require about P15,000 to P20,000 per student, even in basic education (elementary and high school).

Expect fewer college graduates in the coming years. College drop-out rate is rising due to higher cost of private tertiary education and limited slots in poorly-funded state schools.

A study of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco)-National Commission in the Philippines shows that the cohort survival rate from First to Fourth Year college was only 22 percent. College drop-out rate, on the other hand, was pegged at 73 percent.

Under the Arroyo administration, the national average tuition rate increased by as much as 89.39 percent, from P230.79 in School Year 2001 to 2002 to P437.10 in 2008. The average rate for the National Capital Region, on the other hand, went up by a whopping 94.54 percent, from P439.59 to P855.20 in the same period.

This year, private schools have increased tuition and miscellaneous fees, contrary to pronounce-ments. The Education Act of 1982 has given school owners a free hand in determining tuition rate, effectively limitless powers in this system.

The 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FEIS) reveal lower allocation of families for their kids’ education. Average spending on school fees, books and supplies fell to 1.3 percent from 2.9 percent between 2003 and 2006, an indication of the deteriorating economy. This is a far cry from less than a decade ago when Filipinos were gradually increasing their allocation for educational expenses.

Lower subsidy for schools relative to the national needs, aggravated by price hikes in basic commodities, school fee increases, stagnant wage levels and mass lay-offs, have inflated the number of school dropouts and out of school youth this year.

Poverty and government neglect have made education an unreachable luxury for education-loving Filipinos, and this could trigger massive discontent the way things were a century ago.

[LorodePico]

Agree with Ms. Gamolo's assessment. Kawawa naman mga public school students natin. I saw the evening news on TV with the teacher and her students singing the "bulilit song," cuz wala na talagang space sa kanyang classroom. To go to the bathroom, it showed students walking on the school desks. How can this decripit condition be conducive to learning. Our government will really have to do something about this sad state of disrepair and lack of public school classrooms. We need congressional pork allocated to this end and not to many wasteful government projects.

[rally]

what about the error-filled textbooks? hay naku, di naman siguor mahirap icorrect yan, bat nakakalusot pa rin?

[kevinb]

^^ Kulang lang sila sa magagaling na copy/proofreaders. :ohno:

[ppi]

Tanong bakit gusto ng gobyerno na mag-aral pa tayo ng ibang lengguwahe?

Kung ang isa sa problema pa la natin ay wala tayong kakayahang gumawa ng produktong kilangan natin?

pati yung pinagmamalaking agrikultura natin ay namamatay na rin.

Tayo pa nga ngayon ang pinakamalaking taga-angkat ng bigas sa buong mundo samantalang nandito ang IRRI at PhilRice o CLSU?

Alam mo ba na ang soya na ginagawang taho at tokwa inaangkat natin. Trigo o wheat na ginagamit sa tinapay, sa bihon o spagetti natin ay imported?

Pagkatapos ay pakakatahin ang mga estudyanteng Pinoy ng ang "magtanim ay hindi biro, maghapong nakayuko?

Di ba mas mahalang ituro ay science and technology para i-modernize natin ang ating ekonomiya?

Palakasin din ang practical arts and home economics (practice/praxis)upang tumugma sa science and technology subject (theory).

Dapat turuan din sa pagkabata palang ng ekonomiks upang maging produktibo?


Ang Gobyerno nga natin hindi alam at walang mga konkretong ideya na gagawin/ginagawa
kaya minsan kung ano-ano na lang maisip na wala namang idudulot na maganda sa bayan.

kapag industriyalisado ang isang bansa awtomatik din ang pagiging progresibo ng agrikultura nito

pagkakaalam ko nag-eexport ng magagandang bigas ang Pinas
at nag-iimport naman ng mababahong bigas ipapakain sa mahihirap..

at itong mga Agricultural schools, minsan hindi nakakatulong
sa mga magsasaka natin bagkus lalo pang nagpapabaon sa kahirapan..
mas natutulungan pa nito pag-promote sa mga fertilizers and
insecticides manufacturers,
dahil kung tutuusin napaka-fertile,napakayaman ng lupain ng
LUZVIMINDA..ginuguyo lamang tayo ng mga fertilizers na yan!
Lumaki nga ang ani,lumaki din naman ang gastos..eh di ganun din!

(sa Japan, kasong kriminal ang mag-angkat ng bigas at halos
nga walang mataniman at hindi kasing 'fertile' lupain nila
kumpara sa Pinas..)

Ang Science and technology na sinasabi maski anong pag-aaral
ang gagawin natin dyan magiging 'sayang na teknolohiya' lang yan
(lalo na't ang mga sciences(o mga sayang) eh puro naman kaisipan,karunungan ng dayuhan
mas mainam magkaroon ang Pinoy ng paglinang ng sariling karunungan...)
kung wala namang mga programa na nauukol dito ang pamahalaan..

practical Arts and home economics, ginagawa na yan..matagal na

PILOSOPIYA.. ito ang kailangan linangin ng Pilipino..
nandito ang mga lihim at nabubuo ang mga tumpak na ideya..
pinaka-basic sa Pilosopiya--LOGIC o sa wikang Pinoy TAMANG PAG-IISIP...

kapag tama ang pag-iisip(logical) ng Tao.. awtomatik yan,
tama din ang gagawin nito(ethical)...

[jpdm]

Manila TImes

Saturday, June 06, 2009


EDITORIAL

News about textbook errors


In the gloom and doom brought on by the bad weather, the threat of a recession and the House of Representatives majority’s immoral House Resolution 1109 to form a Constituent Assembly, we must thank God for a piece of good news.

The Department of Education, yesterday’s Star reported (in the page one story by Rainier Allain Ronda), has admitted that the heroic watchdog of error-filled textbooks, Mr. Antonio Calipjo Go, is right again. DepEd admits that the Grade 1 to Grade 6 series of books all titled “English for You and Me” are filled with the errors exposed by former school administrator Go.

These books, authored by Elodie Cada and published by Book Wise Publishing House, are used nationwide by public elementary students.

To remedy the problem, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus announced, a “teacher’s guide” pointing out the errors and correcting them is now being printed and would soon be issued.

Secretary Lapus said his department studied the textbooks last February and confirmed the presence of the errors Mr. Go had exposed earlier. Mr. Go said he found more than 500 errors in the books.

This is a happy event. Before, the DepEd’s reaction to Mr. Go’s exposes was to find excuses and to claim, wrongly and unjustly, that he had taken the sentences out of context.

Mr. Go said in his expose that these six books “were published by Book Wise as part of the National Program Support for Basic Education [Loan Number 7393-PH] of the Department of Education under an agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.” The government, Mr. Go said, paid P383 million for these six books.

DepEd had given these books sterling credentials. On February 2, 2009 a department official said in an article in the Inquirer that these books were passed by an editorial board from the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) and “passed with flying colors a rigid, multistage screening process, going through four areas of evaluation.” Academicians from prestigious universities had also evaluated and approved the books for accuracy of content and grammar.

Have a laugh, courtesy of Book Wise

We had a lot of laughs going through all the passages with grammatical, conceptual, vocabulary and idiomatic errors. The comic high is greater when all the errors pile up and one that is monumentally ridiculous stands out. Here are some of them:

From the Language textbook for Grade 6:

•The rain and storm are needed to snuff out the heat in the air. Enjoy the frolicking sun with the refreshing air around! Good weather is here to perk up the mind. •Heidi’s family went on a vacation to the province of Paoay.•In interviewing people, use questions that begin with who, what, when, where, how and did. •Just remember this acronym—DOCSiShQACNMN to make it easy for you to remember the order of adjectives in a series. •If you lose your keys, don’t fuss. If you lose your face, don’t wince. •Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the novels “The Treasure Island” and “The Kidnapper.” •Listen to this comic strip as your teacher reads the lines. •My sister is old. She can accompany me to the outing.

From the Reading textbook for Grade 4

•After sunset, that is the time Muslims eat and drink much until midnight. Then they start fasting again the next day. • “Is what this man say true?” asked the judge. •Strong winds blow the rain inside the clouds. Bits of water break up causing electricity and lightning. •When the tamaraw is full-grown, it measures about 120 centimeters. •Juan Luna’s painting Spoliarium represents several circus slaves dragging dead bodies. There is also a young woman with her hair in disorder. •When an enemy comes, the porcupine releases some spines from its body. To be hit by these spines is like getting hit by arrows. The people of Palawan call this animal durian. •The eyes of a person who has rabies become very sharp. His mouth bubbles. •A handcuff is usually worn around the wrist. •He had stable horses.

From the Language textbook for Grade 4

•The baby winked her eyes. •If the message is not for you and you are going to call the person say, please hold your line. • The horse’s feet (used three times) •Monkeys use their tails as an extra hand. Don’t you think it would be funny to see a monkey pick guava with its tail? How funny! The monkey uses its tail to get its food. •Most Eskimos live in the snow most of the time.•Reading a road map is a proof that you are a good reader.

From Reading textbook for Grade 3

•The walls of the pupa case break. What do you think comes out from it? A baby butterfly comes out. The caterpillar will be a baby moth. •Ants have long hairs on their front legs. They use their hair like a brush. They clean their bodies with their tongue. When they cannot wash with their tongue, they clean with their feet. Why Do Ants Like to Clean? •Nurses going around the hospital injecting the patients. •Wind: If you see it, it makes the air move. •Sometimes the moon was only a half size like half of a cake.•There in a stable, they found Joseph who led them to the manger where Mary lay with the Child Jesus in her arms.

•Nibble: take in small bite •Sip: drink in small drop

From Language textbook for Grade 3

•What words that have the same sound? •The Chinese came to the Philippines many years ago. They rode on small boats. •To make the balloons round, I blew and blew. •Listen to your teacher reads the following poem. •This is Mentong. His family lived in a small cave thousands of years ago.


Hay salamat good news!:cheers:

[WANCH]

the arguments here about language (english, spanish etc.) reminded me of my observation when I was in HK and Mainland China. I noticed that almost all of the citizens therein i encountered ( tour guide, bus/taxi driver, sales ladies, vendors, customs and immigration, etc. ) spoke broken, little or no english at all. And yet their tourism and Business industry is flourishing and earning for them billions of Cash.

I thought then that the emphasis of English in our country so that we would be preferred by foreign investors and tourist was/is a fallacy.

Im not saying we should altogether stop teaching English but something is wrong in this picture.

HK guides are required to be fluent in English especially if they host western tourists. Other than that, fluency in Mandarin as well.

HK's tourism industry is high because we advertise. Not just in local TV but in cable news TVs as well.

[tonight]

Foreign chambers urge government to focus on primary education (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=477674&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio

MANILA, Philippines - The government must increase the number of primary education in order to better train future employees and make them more competitive against their counterparts from other countries, the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) said.

According to the group, the basic education in the Philippines is fairly shorter when compared to other countries.

The vast improvement in education is one of the eight steps laid down by the JFC in their paper entitled Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on the Philippines: Preparing to Rebuild Foreign Investment Inflows.

Hubert d’Aboville, president of the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) said that for the year, the country is only expected to get only a quarter of the $3 billion foreign direct investments (FDI) it got in 2007.

He said this means that the FDI’s being poured in has been decreasing by 50 percent since last year adding that the FDI in the Philippines is worrisome because it is much too low. “It needs remedial work,” D’Aboville said.

Data presented by the businessmen showed that in the ASEAN 6, the country ranked sixth in terms of FDIs flows. Topping the list is Malaysia, followed by Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

JFC said that the economic crisis must act as a wake up call for the country because after the 1997 Asian financial crisis there were only few efforts made to undertake reform.

“Philippine government speaks more about resiliency than reform,” the foreign businessmen said. In fact, they said there have been no plans to target double digit growth.

JFC suggested that a special crisis experts group be created in order to help the country achieve a recovery growth target of 10 percent by 2013 or 2014.

He said that in order to create more jobs and attract foreign direct investments, the government must make the foreign investment negative list “less negative.”

[oreotm]

^^tama tama and focus on math and science

[tonight]

DepEd steps up students health care drive (http://mb.com.ph/articles/209622/deped-steps-students-health-care-drive)
By ANGELO G. GARCIA


The Department of Education (DepEd) will intensify its essential health care program (EHCP) among thousands of public school students to help improve their academic performance and also reduce drop-out rate.

“Health concerns and poverty are the two major causes of low school performance and drop out rate, prompting us to prioritize these two issues,” Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said.

The EHCP is a school-based health program of DepEd in partnership with the local government units, private sector and other community stakeholders. Under the EHCP, each student gets a free kit that contains a toothbrush, soap, de-worming tablets and access to toothpaste. The kit costs P25 per child per year.

Lapus revealed that the wellness program has helped over 600,000 children in public elementary schools and day care centers. The program is taught in schools and daycare centers.

“Part of the strategy to improve the school children's performance is keeping them healthy especially in this time of influenza A (H1N1) pandemic,” he said.

The EHCP also aims at reducing illnesses that are causing the poor performance of students and even contributing to the increasing drop-out rate. They hope to reduce incidence in illnesses such as diarrhea by 30-40 percent, respiratory infections by 20-30 percent, worm infections by 50 percent, dental caries by 40-50 percent, and mouth infections by 50 percent.

DepEd hopes that with the EHCP in place, school attendance would improve by 20 percent and so is academic performance.

“The quality of health of the pupils determines their academic performance. Not many realize their huge impact on the physical and mental development of children, their school attendance, their school performance and ultimately their quality of life,” Lapus said.

Meanwhile, Lapus thanked the House of Representatives yesterday for commending DepEd and himself for his performance as education chief.

The House of Representatives earlier adopted Resolution No. 249, recognizing the agency and Secretary Lapus’ outstanding performance in improving basic education in the country.

“We thank our congressmen for the unprecedented recognition. They are part of DepEd’s success from their support in increasing the resources for the Filipino school children,” Lapus said.

The lawmakers commended Lapus’s efforts in improving teachers’ welfare, increase in budget allocation, significant improvement in schools’ facilities and even the highly controversial feeding program.

“And as education is a societal concern, we share this honor with our entire DepEd family, our local and foreign partners and the communities. We are encouraged to stay on track with our reform efforts in basic education,” the education chief said.

Lapus consistently lands as one of the top performing officials of the present administration. He also ranked first in surveys for his performance among President Arroyo’s Cabinet members. DepEd also has one of the highest approval ratings among government agencies.

[amigo32]

^^tama tama and focus on math and science

ayaw namin ni Cheeze yan:D

[serlio]

You are correct.

.....assuming that all of our OFW outside of the country do not know how to speak "English".....would you still think they will be earning the same amount of money?....and likewise send home about 16 Billion dolars a year?.....

now assume also that all of them would go to any communist state like china, russia, north korea, cuba....would you think they will be earming as much?...

stop being a researcher...start acting like somebody who know how to analyze.....stop whining too much......correction....yes you can whine but it should be for the right reasons.....:)

[jpdm]

^^^^

Why not you figure it out.

Now, It is you that who need to stop inane whining and posting malicious and ridiculous remarks.

And as if are capable of analyzing things.

Anyway,

OT

Ive notice, My reply on the flame baiting post of this serlio was deleted. But his flame baiting post was not.It seems this serlio cannot be stop and can always get away with his flame baiting posts in SSC.

[le Reine]

^^his post was not considered flame baiting. It depends on the opinion of the reader. Certainly, you would consider his comments flame baiting because you're arguing with him.

You included malicious and below the belt words such as "moronic" etc. Those are automatically deleted.

At the same time, you showed in your new post that you can reply to his comments without using harsh adjectives. Why not do it frequently?

[jpdm]

Manila Standard
July 8, 2009

Cocktales
Victor C. Agustin

Ready, AIM, hire

THE financially challenged Asian Institute of Management was originally casting in the region for a new president, hoping that an expat chief executive would burnish its image as the region’s first business school, and not as a back station that it and Manila had become.

In the end, it had to settle for a Filipino, an eminently qualified one, if we may add.

The AIM blog had already announced that former Arroyo Education secretary Edilberto de Jesus will become the next AIM president effective July 16.

In accepting the position, De Jesus cut short his Baguio assignment, having just served for only a year as president of the University of the Cordilleras, the former Baguio Colleges Foundation.

According to the grapevine, the predominantly anti-Charter change AIM board were mortified to find out that, because of Philippine Constitution’s protectionist prohibitions, an “international” school such as AIM could not hire an expatriate to run their supposedly outward-looking school.

The specific provision of the 1987 Constitution, a take-off from a similar provision in the 1973 Marcos Constitution, reads:

“The control and administration of educational institutions shall be vested in citizens of the Philippines.”

What is more worrisome for AIM is another related Constitutional provision, which says, “ No educational institution shall be established exclusively for aliens and no group of aliens shall comprise more than one-third of the enrollment in any school.”

AIM, according to the grapevine, has an annual average foreign student population of 70 percent.

But. then again, if the country’s largest accounting firms had already become subsidiaries of multinationals despite the profession being supposedly a protected industry and the local company that won the poll automation project, by the Senate’s admission, a mere “token” partner of a Dutch venture, what’s a business school in the overall scheme of things?

[le Reine]

^^Don't worry, I just banned him for OT/troll/spamming, being too personal and argumentative and insubordination.

[jpdm]

^^Don't worry, I just banned him for OT/troll/spamming, being too personal and argumentative and insubordination.

Thanks:)

[jpdm]

Manila Standard
July 22, 2009

Lapus scraps bilingual education

By Gigi Muñoz David

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has signed Department of Education Order 74 nullifying the 35-year-old bilingual directive laid down in the 1970s on English and Filipino as the only languages of instruction. Neither of the languages is the first language (L1) of most Filipinos.

Lapus said findings of various local initiatives and international studies in basic education have validated the superiority of the use of the learner’s mother tongue or L1 in improving learning outcomes and promoting Education For All.

He added the Order 74 institutionalizes the use of mother tongue as a fundamental educational policy and program in the department in the whole stretch of formal education including preschool and in the Alternative Learning System.

The policy widely referred to as mother tongue-based multilingual education aims to improve learning outcomes and promote EFA.

Lapus cited findings from international and local research such as learners acquire reading skills more easily in their L1 and second language (L2). Pupils who start to speak, read and write in their L1 learn an L2, like English, more quickly than those exclusively taught in an L2.

Learners develop cognitive, linguistic and academic competencies much faster in their L1 than in an L2.

Under the new order, Filipino and English will be taught as separate subjects in the early grades and will be used as media of instruction when students are “ready.” This means when they have gained sufficient proficiency in the two L2s, as determined by the department, English and Filipino will remain the primary languages of teaching in high school, with the mother tongue as auxiliary and supplementary medium.

Lapus clarified that MLE will only be implemented at the level of the school, division and region after meeting certain conditions. These include the establishment of a working orthography or spelling system; the formation of a technical working group to oversee the program; the development, production and distribution of culturally-relevant but inexpensive L1 materials; in-service MLE training of teachers; the use of L1 for testing; and maximum participation and support from the local government unit, parents and community under the concept of school-based management. The new policy also extends to the alternative learning systems and the madaris schools.

Philippine education stakeholders and linguistic experts have been clamoring for a change in the language-in-education policy. They have identified the disparity in the home and school languages as a major factor in the worsening functional literacy levels, high drop-out rates, and low learning outcomes among Filipino pupils.

Meanwhile, Valenzuela City Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo (Second District) praised Lapus for finally looking at the linguistic research and not relying on the anecdotal evidence.

Gunigundo said “the new policy protects the Filipino children’s right to be educated in their own language, and at the same time builds a strong foundation for learning English and Filipino as languages of wider communication.” He also urged his colleagues to set aside a portion of their countryside development fund for teacher training and graded materials development in the L1.

:cheers::banana::)

[MatudNilaBaby]

Manila Standard
July 22, 2009

Lapus scraps bilingual education

By Gigi Muñoz David

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has signed Department of Education Order 74 nullifying the 35-year-old bilingual directive laid down in the 1970s on English and Filipino as the only languages of instruction. Neither of the languages is the first language (L1) of most Filipinos.
:cheers::banana::)

this mandate should have been scrapped a long time ago. its been a waste of our precious time learning all the "bakit bakit banag tagalog ka na" thus decimating the regional primary languages. hopefully each region should be given the choice of what medium of instruction to use aside from english.

[nicko]

The Board of Nursing conducted the test last June 2009 in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, Sulu, Pagadian and Zamboanga.

Saint Paul University-Dumaguete had the best result when all 112 of its examinees hurdled the board for a 100-percent passing rate while University of Santo Tomas dominated the top 10 positions. Golda Manto Yap from FELIPE R. VERALLO MEMORIAL FOUNDATION topped the nursing board exam with an average of 86.80%.

source (http://nursingcrib.com/june-2009-nle-top-performing-schools/)

:banana::banana::banana:

===============================

Last NOVEMBER 2008 NLE, 2 schools from Dumaguete topped the best performing schools (Silliman University and Foundation University). And now, it's again from Dumaguete City --- St. Paul University - Dumaguete

NURSING BOARD EXAM RESULTS (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/07/june-2009-nle-nursing-board-exam-result.html)

[ritche]

The Board of Nursing conducted the test last June 2009 in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, Sulu, Pagadian and Zamboanga.

Saint Paul University-Dumaguete had the best result when all 112 of its examinees hurdled the board for a 100-percent passing rate while University of Santo Tomas dominated the top 10 positions. Golda Manto Yap from FELIPE R. VERALLO MEMORIAL FOUNDATION topped the nursing board exam with an average of 86.80%.

source (http://nursingcrib.com/june-2009-nle-top-performing-schools/)

:banana::banana::banana:

===============================

Last NOVEMBER 2008 NLE, 2 schools from Dumaguete topped the best performing schools (Silliman University and Foundation University). And now, it's again from Dumaguete City --- St. Paul University - Dumaguete

NURSING BOARD EXAM RESULTS (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/07/june-2009-nle-nursing-board-exam-result.html)

This time they're really Number 1. Great! Dumaguete universities and colleges are performing excellently. Really one of the country's premier university town.

[ppi]

serlio:
.....assuming that all of our OFW outside of the country do not know how to speak "English".....would you still think they will be earning the same amount of money?....and likewise send home about 16 Billion dolars a year?.....

now assume also that all of them would go to any communist state like china, russia, north korea, cuba....would you think they will be earming as much?...

stop being a researcher...start acting like somebody who know how to analyze.....stop whining too much......correction....yes you can whine but it should be for the right reasons.....

kung angkop lamang ang edukasyon ng Pinoy sa pangangailangan nito--maski hindi tayo mahuhusay sa wikang english, uunlad tayo..halimbawa na lamang ang edukasyon ng mga Hapones(Japanese) na angkop sa pangangailangan ng kanilang bansa--hindi sila mahuhusay sa englisan ngunit hindi ito nagiging balakid sa pagiging maunlad nilang bansa..

...at kung pag-aaralan ng husto ang 'communism' wala akong alam na bansa na naging tunay na kumunistang bansa sang-ayon sa pilosopiya ni Karl Marx---maaaring sosyalista ngunit wala pa naging kumunista talaga,kaya nga marahil hindi ito magtagumpay na sistema. Yun lang ang tawag sa mga bansang may 'communist leanings' ng mga Kapitalistang bansa sa pangunguna na nga ng U.S. ..noon yun, nguni' ngayon hindi na ito isyu ..terror na! terorismo na ang bagong pauso ng bagong panahon ngayon (ng U.S.)hehehe ito na ang bagong raket nila kumbaga hehehe:cheers:

kagaya sa madalas ko sabihin--ang malaking problema ay ang kakulangan at kahinaan ng edukasyon ng bansa na angkop sa pangangailangan nito na magsusulong sa tunay na pag-aaral ng agham, teknolohiya, na nag-uumpisa nga sa karunungan at pag-aaral ng PILOSOPIYA...

Yan ang kulang sa Pinoy..Pilosopiya o kung sa 'english pa KNOW HOW!!!

...AT HINDI DAPAT IPINAGMAMALAKI YUNG PAGIGING MGA ALIPIN O MANGGAGAWA NATIN SA IBANG BANSA O PAGIGING PALAASA SA KITA NG MGA OFW (maski isa rin ako sa ofw), oo tama malaking tulong ito sa bansa...NGUNIT ito ay isang malinaw na batayan ng kahinaan ng bansa--ang kawalan at kakapusan ng mga opurtunidad o mga pa-trabaho sa sariling bansa!!!

WASTO O ANGKOP na EDUKASYON! ito dapat ang unang prayoridad ng ating mga pinuno ng bayan...:lol::lol:

[crappypants]

wow wala man lamang tayong isang university na pumasok sa top 100 universities in Asia. even ateneo is a bottom dweller even beaten by universities in Vietnam. horrible

[TeslaCoil]

Which ranking institution are you talking about? Marami kasi sila sa web.

[crappypants]

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=906498

[TeslaCoil]

I just looked their methodology and it's kinda vague. Mostly web availability of researches. Not all theses in UP, Ateneo and La Salle were published. In fact some schools are so protective of it. Even the actual scientific researches of UP are not published in an instant without cross examination with peers and DOST.

I'm quite surprised with the Viets' english.

[kiretoce]

I'm quite surprised with the Viets' english.

What's so surprising about that?

[demented_pigeon]

wow wala man lamang tayong isang university na pumasok sa top 100 universities in Asia. even ateneo is a bottom dweller even beaten by universities in Vietnam. horrible

i kind of understand why ateneo may be in the bottom. Its not in the teaching or the academics. We have fine professors and good curricula. I think the problem sometimes arises with the students themselves. Heck, I'm one of them. Tradisyon na ang cramming sa amin. Tradisyon nang makipaginuman halos araw araw, hindi naman malayo ang mga inuman sa Katips. I sometimes think that some of my "friends" are in ateneo because of their ability to pay. I've encountered some people in the school who are smart but uninspired. Parang hindi nila maintindihan kung bakit nasa college sila. sayang.

[crappypants]

our universities only produce good debaters and writers but not enough Science and technical scholars . grammar and penmanship takes precedence over Math and Sciences.

[manila_eye]

i kind of understand why ateneo may be in the bottom. Its not in the teaching or the academics. We have fine professors and good curricula. I think the problem sometimes arises with the students themselves. Heck, I'm one of them. Tradisyon na ang cramming sa amin. Tradisyon nang makipaginuman halos araw araw, hindi naman malayo ang mga inuman sa Katips. I sometimes think that some of my "friends" are in ateneo because of their ability to pay. I've encountered some people in the school who are smart but uninspired. Parang hindi nila maintindihan kung bakit nasa college sila. sayang.

Plus the fact that most of its courses are liberal arts. The plan addition of med is a fine move. Ateneo has already included 2 engineering courses. I think they should focus more in Physics and Chem than engineering (parang Harvard).

[jpdm]

wow wala man lamang tayong isang university na pumasok sa top 100 universities in Asia. even ateneo is a bottom dweller even beaten by universities in Vietnam. horrible

Actually, questionable ang ginagamit nilang criteria in choosing the best universities...

I just looked their methodology and it's kinda vague. Mostly web availability of researches. Not all theses in UP, Ateneo and La Salle were published. In fact some schools are so protective of it. Even the actual scientific researches of UP are not published in an instant without cross examination with peers and DOST.

I'm quite surprised with the Viets' english.

Yup, agree. Their methodology is questionable.

About Asian universities not even at the top in world rankings is also questionable. It is important to know who conducts the survey and rankings and methodology used.

My guess is , this world ranking of universities is used for marketing purposes. Its so hard to objectively rank universities based on specific variables...

ex. number of professors with PhD...(questionable)
number of professors with Masters
number of professors with published works in academic journals
number of students graduated with PhD
number of students graduated with M.A.
number of books (library)
facilities for faculty and students (talong talo Pinas dito talaga)
faculty-student ratio (kahit DLSU system may ratio ranging from 1-20 to
1-35).

[MatudNilaBaby]

our universities only produce good debaters and writers but not enough Science and technical scholars . grammar and penmanship takes precedence over Math and Sciences.

our universities dont challenge their students to engage in higher forms of learning. theyre only good at book learning. professors doing lecture taken verbatimly from textbooks and students listen and copy notes.

come study in the states and see how much reading and research you have to do per class. if youre taking four classes, that translate to four writing assignments per week plus everybody is expected to share and participate in the discussion. its not students who is listening to the professor, its the other way around which gives the students to be more vocal about their thoughts and ideas.

[ppi]

wow wala man lamang tayong isang university na pumasok sa top 100 universities in Asia. even ateneo is a bottom dweller even beaten by universities in Vietnam. horrible

And besides, the true criteria or lets say the simple but clear gauge of good education is the product of that educational system.

If this Philippine system of education was is producing graduates that are productive and helping in accordance with the pressing needs of our economy and political instability through the badly needed development and establishment of industries (from heavy to the smallest parts producers)that will sustain the creation of jobs and more opurtunities to the majority of impoverished people and should help alleviate the scourge of poverty pervading this very rich in human and natural resources that this country the beautiful islands of P.I.-- then and only then I could say that we really have the right institutions of education.

http://ph.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoyYtlFgj3zJLrBPfJvSP2WxSAx.;_ylv=3?qid=20090805183403AAxeaXT

[boy muscovado]

Professional regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,680 out of 2357 (71.28%) passed the Physician Licensure Examination. Given by the Board of Medicine in the cities of Manila, Cebu and Davao last August 8-9, 15-16, 2009.

The oathtaking ceremony of successful examinees will be held on September 13, 2009, at 1PM pm in the Plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Roxas Blvd., Manila.

The registration for new membership in the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) will start as August 27, 2009.

Roll of successful examinees in the Physician Board Examination, held on August 8-9, 15-16, 2009, released on 19 August 2009.

[lgseccionph]

Professional regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,680 out of 2357 (71.28%) passed the Physician Licensure (Medical) Examination. Given by the Board of Medicine in the cities of Manila, Cebu and Davao last August 8-9, 15-16, 2009.

The successful examinees who garnered the top 10 highest places in the August 2009 Physician
(Complete, Finals and Finals with Prelims) Board Exam are the following:

1. MELISSA PAULITA VILLAFLOR MARIANO, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 88.17

2. ERICK STA ROSA MENDOZA, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 88.00

3. KATRINA MAE SALCEDO GAMPONIA, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.67

4. TOM EDWARD NGO LO, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA - 87.58

5. RIAVIC QUIDAY FUENTES, FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY-NICANOR REYES MEDICAL
FOUNDATION - 87.42

6. JOSEPH BORROMEO VILLANUEVA, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.17

7. RICKY HELMUTH HIPOLITO, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.08

8. JAIME ALFONSO MANALO A HERRERA, DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY-DASMARIÑAS HEALTH SCIENCE CAMPUS - 87.00
VINCENT BRYAN DE GUIA SALVADOR, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA - 87.00

9. HERBERT ZULUETA MANAOIS, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 86.92
ANA NOELLE MINGO MONISIT, CEBU INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE - 86.92

10. MELANIE TIMBOY ESTOLAS, UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEM. MEDICAL CTR. - 86.83

Source:
http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/08/top-ten-10-physician-medical-board-exam.html

Click to view the complete list of August 2009 Physician Board Exam Result (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/08/august-2009-physician-board-exam-result.html#)

[boy muscovado]

Professional regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,680 out of 2357 (71.28%) passed the Physician Licensure (Medical) Examination. Given by the Board of Medicine in the cities of Manila, Cebu and Davao last August 8-9, 15-16, 2009.

The successful examinees who garnered the top 10 highest places in the August 2009 Physician
(Complete, Finals and Finals with Prelims) Board Exam are the following:

1. MELISSA PAULITA VILLAFLOR MARIANO, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 88.17

2. ERICK STA ROSA MENDOZA, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 88.00

3. KATRINA MAE SALCEDO GAMPONIA, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.67

4. TOM EDWARD NGO LO, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA - 87.58

5. RIAVIC QUIDAY FUENTES, FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY-NICANOR REYES MEDICAL
FOUNDATION - 87.42

6. JOSEPH BORROMEO VILLANUEVA, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.17

7. RICKY HELMUTH HIPOLITO, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.08

8. JAIME ALFONSO MANALO A HERRERA, DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY-DASMARIÑAS HEALTH SCIENCE CAMPUS - 87.00
VINCENT BRYAN DE GUIA SALVADOR, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA - 87.00

9. HERBERT ZULUETA MANAOIS, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 86.92
ANA NOELLE MINGO MONISIT, CEBU INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE - 86.92

10. MELANIE TIMBOY ESTOLAS, UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEM. MEDICAL CTR. - 86.83

Source:
http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/08/top-ten-10-physician-medical-board-exam.html

Click to view the complete list of August 2009 Physician Board Exam Result (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/08/august-2009-physician-board-exam-result.html#)

Congrats guys! the national passing rate is the highest so far for the past 3-4 years of the Physicians Licensure Exam

The following schools were consistent in the top 10 of the Aug and Feb boards for 5 years:

University of Santo Tomas
University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center
University of the Philippines - Manila/PGH
Far Eastern University Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation
Cebu Institute of Medicine
Our Lady of Fatima University College of Medicine
Manila Central University

I'm surprised walang Fatima topnotcher ngayon?

[crappypants]

the Indians and Chinese and now the Vietnamese are really serious about their education that they're sending their toddlers to early learning schools like Kumon. The school focuses on teaching the kids math and reading as early as three years old. If the country wants to have a better future and be globally competitive, it's best they invest on educating every single kid with quality education . and don't be selfish, if you love your country it's not enough that your own kid gets quality education but all the kids of your country. If you have the means help out disadvantaged children in acquiring quality education.

[tonight]

DepEd seeks volunteers for literacy program (http://mb.com.ph/articles/216947/deped-seeks-volunteers-literacy-program)
By ANGELO G. GARCIA


In an effort to totally eliminate illiteracy in the country, the Department of Education is now searching for 360 dedicated young literacy volunteers (LV) to help the department in improving literacy rates in the country.

These LVs duty is to deliver alternative learning systems (ALS) program in areas with high illiteracy rates.

The program will cater to young and adults alike, including out-of-school children (OSC) and out-of-school youth (OSY), offering basic literacy program.

The young volunteers will also teach modules on Accreditation and Equivalency Program to help prepare learners in taking the upcoming A&E exam.

“As DepEd is going full force in making education accessible to all in line with the target of Education for All in 2015, this project is most relevant,” DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus said.

The project is also in response to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Executive Order No. 788 entitled “Promoting a Youth National Service” which aims to promote community service among the youth in the country.

Similar to the “Peace Corps,” the Youth National Service members are tasked to work in community service programs such as literacy education, building parks, planting trees and assisting in livelihood programs.

“These men and women will be answering a call that is both challenging and rewarding. They will be sent to far-flung areas where they will have a direct hand in improving lives and communities right before their eyes,” Lapus said.

The National Youth Commission and the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry will help the DepEd in implementing the program.

LV applicants are required to be between 18-24 years old, preferably holding a bachelor’s degree in elementary and secondary education or any bachelor’s degree, college level or at the very least, high school graduate. The volunteers must be willing to work in the target communities nationwide and undergo training and refresher courses on ALS.

DepEd is providing LVs with a modest stipend of P5,000 a month and another P2,000 as monthly transportation costs for ten months.

“We will not field out our LVs by themselves but will put them into teams of 2-5 members depending on the need of the area,” said DepEd Assistant Secretary for Special Projects Jonathan Malaya.

Interested applicants must submit their resume to the nearest DepEd Division Office. Selection of LVs is going on until August 31, 2009. They will then be trained and deployed to respective assigned areas beginning September 7, 2009.

“This is an opportunity for our youth to make a difference and to put into action the real sense of nationalism,” Malaya said.

[marchitecto]

Professional regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,680 out of 2357 (71.28%) passed the Physician Licensure (Medical) Examination. Given by the Board of Medicine in the cities of Manila, Cebu and Davao last August 8-9, 15-16, 2009.

The successful examinees who garnered the top 10 highest places in the August 2009 Physician
(Complete, Finals and Finals with Prelims) Board Exam are the following:

1. MELISSA PAULITA VILLAFLOR MARIANO, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 88.17


Source:
http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/08/top-ten-10-physician-medical-board-exam.html

Click to view the complete list of August 2009 Physician Board Exam Result (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/08/august-2009-physician-board-exam-result.html#)

halimaw talaga UST-FMS. congrats! :cheers:

[lgseccionph]

Here's the August 2009 Physician (Medical) Board Exam Performance (Ranking) of Schools in alphabetical order:

Click here:
August 2009 Physician (Medical) Board Exam Performance (Ranking) School (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/08/august-2009-physician-medical-board.html) — PRC Board Exam Results

[c6josh]

Professional regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,680 out of 2357 (71.28%) passed the Physician Licensure (Medical) Examination. Given by the Board of Medicine in the cities of Manila, Cebu and Davao last August 8-9, 15-16, 2009.

The successful examinees who garnered the top 10 highest places in the August 2009 Physician
(Complete, Finals and Finals with Prelims) Board Exam are the following:

1. MELISSA PAULITA VILLAFLOR MARIANO, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 88.17

2. ERICK STA ROSA MENDOZA, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 88.00

3. KATRINA MAE SALCEDO GAMPONIA, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.67

4. TOM EDWARD NGO LO, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA - 87.58

5. RIAVIC QUIDAY FUENTES, FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY-NICANOR REYES MEDICAL
FOUNDATION - 87.42

6. JOSEPH BORROMEO VILLANUEVA, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.17

7. RICKY HELMUTH HIPOLITO, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.08

8. JAIME ALFONSO MANALO A HERRERA, DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY-DASMARIÑAS HEALTH SCIENCE CAMPUS - 87.00
VINCENT BRYAN DE GUIA SALVADOR, UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA - 87.00

9. HERBERT ZULUETA MANAOIS, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 86.92
ANA NOELLE MINGO MONISIT, CEBU INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE - 86.92

10. MELANIE TIMBOY ESTOLAS, UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST RAMON MAGSAYSAY MEM. MEDICAL CTR. - 86.83

Source:
http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/08/top-ten-10-physician-medical-board-exam.html

Click to view the complete list of August 2009 Physician Board Exam Result (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/08/august-2009-physician-board-exam-result.html#)

grabe talaga ang UST when it comes to Health care, dati ang dami rin top 10 sa nursing board ngayon sa medicine naman...ano kaya ang vitamins ang binibigay nang school sa mga student nila?

[Animo]

By MADEL R. SABATER (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/217730/eu-urges-pinoys-learn-european-languages)
August 26, 2009, 4:17pm

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday urged more Filipinos to learn European languages to further increase their competitiveness, especially those who are planning to work in European countries.

Embassy of Spain deputy head of mission Alvaro Trejo said learning European languages not only gives Filipinos a chance to be acquainted with the European culture but is also an advantage in this age of globalization.

“Having a second or third language is highly appreciated in the global market,” Trejo said.

Trejo cited that the Philippines is “distinct” from its Asian neighbors because of its competitive skilled workers here and abroad. He said being multilingual gives Filipinos the edge in seeking for work abroad, particularly in European countries.

Trejo also urged schools and universities to encourage foreign language learning among its students.

The European Union on Wednesday announced its week-long celebration of the Linggo de Lingua Europa II or the Week of European Languages, which will be held from September 7 to 12.

“It aims to showcase diversity of the European culture, and rediscover the culture, heritage and language of Europe, said Gabriel Manuera Vinals, Charge d’ Affaires of the Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines.

[Animo]

Week of European Languages from Sept. 7-12

INQUIRER.net First Posted 17:08:00 08/27/2009 Filed Under: Diplomacy, Language
(http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090827-222277/Linggo-de-Lingua-Europa-II-in-3-schools)

MANILA, Philippines—The Ateneo De Manila University, St. Paul University-Manila, and University of the Philippines-Diliman are the host partners of this year’s Linggo de Lingua Europa II scheduled from September 7 to 12, the Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines said in a statement Thursday.

The event, sponsored by the Delegation and member-states of the European Union, encourages students, faculty, and language enthusiasts to experience the wonders of learning
new European languages and knowing more about their culture.

On September 8, language classes will be conducted in UP-Diliman and will be followed by a conference on "Philippine Perceptions of Europe and the EU" in Ateneo De Manila University. On September 9, St. Paul University Manila will hold the EU Quiz and the Go Navigate Contest while the food festival showcasing the best of European cuisine will be held on September 10. Language classes will be held in the afternoon.

A choral poetry is scheduled on September 11 at the UP and another conference "Class of Cultures in the Business Environment" will be held on the same date. The celebrations conclude on September 12 in Instituto Cervantes.

The European Day for languages is celebrated on September 26 each year. The EU's policy of multilingualism has been an important tool to pave the way towards achieving economic competitiveness, growth and better jobs, promoting lifelong learning and intercultural dialogue, and nurturing a space for European political dialogue through multilingual communication with its almost 500 million citizens.

Alvaro Trejo, the Spanish embassy’s deputy head of mission, said: "The knowledge of new languages opens up a whole new culture. So I think that this Week of the European Languages, apart from recalling that in today's global economy the demand for European language skills is getting more and more important, is a great opportunity to bring Filipino students closer in some way to our countries through the understanding of our cultures.”

On the other hand, Gabriel Munuera Vinals, charge d' affaires of the Delegation said, "This is a creative and dynamic way to encourage Filipino students and professionals to learn other EU languages especially relevant in these globalized times when being multilingual means fostering personal growth, enhancing skills and promoting greater chances for mobility.”

[jpdm]

85,000 education graduates to take board in September

(The Philippine Star)
Updated August 28, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - At least 85,000 education graduates are taking the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) in September, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) reported yesterday.

Sosita Ong, of the PRC’s Office of Professional Teachers, said more than 85,000 graduates of education nationwide have filed their application to take the licensure examination scheduled on Sept. 27.

Ong said the latest batch of examinees is fewer compared to those who took the LET in the past years.

Ong said around 150,000 examinees took the licensure examination in 2008 – 30,000 in April and 120,000 in September.

In April 2009, there were 50,000 examinees, bringing to 130,000 the number of LET examinees for this year.

Ong said there are fewer examinees because quite a number apparently failed to beat the June 30 deadline for the filing of application to take the LET.

Ong said the PRC used to conduct LET once a year until last year when two examinations were held to accommodate the growing number of education graduates.

PRC chairman Nicolas Lapena said licensure examination for aspiring professional teachers will be held simultaneously in Manila and other designated areas nationwide.

Lapena said the PRC also put up additional centers to accommodate the huge number of examinees. – Mayen Jaymalin

[Gaeus]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/nytlogo153x23.gif (http://www.nytimes.com)

The Philippines Face Classroom Shortage

August 25, 2009
By SETH MYDANS


MANILA — When Irene Mendevil, a high school English teacher, shouts at her students, she said, she gets a sore throat. So she has begun to use an amplifier.

“I had the experience of losing my voice completely,” she said of her constant shouting. “No sounds came out of my mouth. I had to write on paper to tell my students what to do.”

Ms. Mendevil, 33, shouts because her class is so big that just getting the students to listen is a challenge. There are 100 of them, more or less the same number as in the other classes here in Justice Cecilia Muñoz-Palma High School.

And the school itself is not unusual in a country whose population of 92 million is exploding so fast, and whose education budget is so small, that it cannot find space to teach its children.

More children are also coming into the public schools as the economy tightens and families cannot afford the haven of private schools, with their smaller classes.

This school year opened with a nationwide enrollment of 21 million students from elementary through high school, almost exactly a million more than in the previous year.

Although the government began a classroom-building program three years ago, the schools are still 27,124 classrooms short, according to Juan Miguel Luz, a former under secretary of education who works with the National Institute of Policy Study, which advocates better education policies.

To squeeze in all the students, many classrooms have been divided into two by partitions. Stairwells and corridors have been converted into miniature classrooms. In 2006, double sessions were introduced to take off some of the pressure.

Toilets are a problem of their own, with 62 percent of schools suffering shortages, Bashir Rasuman, under secretary for public works, said recently. In the capital, Manila, Education Department figures show an average of one toilet for every 143 high school students and one for every 114 elementary school students.

Here at Muñoz-Palma High School, some lavatories have been converted into claustrophobic faculty lounges, while the lounges have been put to use as classrooms.

“I have 106 students in my class and 90 seats,” said Rico Encinares, 34, a chemistry teacher. “Everybody has seats if some of them are absent. But if they all come, there are not enough seats. They have to share seats.”

Only about 10 percent of his students — the truly motivated ones — get a quality education, he said. Individual attention is almost impossible.

“I don’t know the names of all my students, even at the end of the school year,” he said. “You only remember the ones who are very noisy or very good. But the silent ones who just sit there listening, you can’t recall their names.”

He said he planned to buy an amplifier to reach the ones in the back rows as soon as he had the money.

According to the World Bank, the Philippines spends $138 per student per year. By comparison, Thailand spends $853 per student, Singapore spends $1,800 and Japan spends $5,000.

The Philippine government spends 2.19 percent of its budget on education, according to official figures, well short of the 6 percent that educators say is optimal — despite a constitutional mandate to make education a priority.

At the start of the decade, educators talked of a radical overhaul of the education system, but the main change since then has been increasingly intense overcrowding, Mr. Luz, of the policy study institute, wrote in a recent paper.

“Sadly, today, we have the same overcrowded structure, the same processes and the same low education standards but with millions more children to attend to,” he said.

In her state of the nation speech last month, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called education a priority and said the government was building new classrooms.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said in a report that the department planned to build 1,908 new classrooms and renovate 2,513 classrooms. He said 6,322 toilets would be installed, though only 194 were to be completed this year. Not long ago, Mr. Lapus also announced that schools would be collecting scrap material to build and repair furniture.

In the Department of Education, a certain amount of manpower was used working out the alliteration of a new program called Operation 10 R — recycle, repair, refurbish, rehabilitate, restore, remodel, repaint, renew, redistribute and reuse.

At the Muñoz-Palma High School, students scavenge for plastic bottles, hauling them in huge sacks to help pay the costs of school equipment.

At the Payatas Elementary School nearby, Edmon Miguel Jr., 24, is spending his own money to try to improve conditions.

“We are just waiting for our salary, the other teacher and me,” said Mr. Miguel, who earns 9,000 pesos, or $187, a month. “We will make it a beautiful classroom. We will make it a classroom conducive to learning.”

His classroom is a narrow passageway with a tin roof and no windows where 62 children ages 8 to 12 sit crammed together at tiny desks. It floods during monsoon season.

“When it rains, my shoes get wet, but I continue to teach the children,” Mr. Miguel said. “Sometimes their notebooks fall in the water.”

This is a poor community, he said, and he sometimes buys notebooks and paper for the students. “So each time we have a test,” he said, “I buy them a piece of paper.”


Source (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/world/asia/25iht-phils.html?ref=asia)

http://wt.o.nytimes.com/dcsym57yw10000s1s8g0boozt_9t1x/njs.gif?dcsuri=/nojavascript&WT.js=No&WT.tv=1.0.7

[le Reine]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/nytlogo153x23.gif (http://www.nytimes.com)

The Philippines Face Classroom Shortage

August 25, 2009
By SETH MYDANS

[SIZE=3]
MANILA — When Irene Mendevil, a high school English teacher, shouts at her students, she said, she gets a sore throat. So she has begun to use an amplifier.

“I had the experience of losing my voice completely,” she said of her constant shouting. “No sounds came out of my mouth. I had to write on paper to tell my students what to do.”WOW! Is this even news at all? As if we never faced classroom shortage. :lol:

[jpdm]

Manila Times

Monday, August 31, 2009

BIG DEAL
By Dan Mariano

Money for presidential jet,
but not enough for schools

The P1.54-trillion proposed budget for 2010 submitted by Malacañang initially contained a P1.2-billion outlay to buy a brand-new presidential jet. The Palace eventually decided to delete this item—but not after it was hit by a wave of indignant criticism from the public.

Nevertheless, the administration’s attempt to slip through an unnecessary and exorbitant purchase spoke volumes of its priorities. While other sectors cry out for funding, the Palace seemed perfectly willing to squander more than a billion hard-earned taxpayers’ pesos on a luxury jet.

One of the sectors in desperate need of financial support is our system of public education.

As in recent years, the proposed outlays for public education make up 2 percent or so of the entire budget. This is well below the 6 percent level that most experts agree is needed to upgrade the quality and coverage of public instruction in the country.

Economists have long advocated a bigger slice of the budget pie for education. They point out that most, if not all, of the developed countries began their rise to prosperity with huge investments in public education. They reaped progress by pouring money into schools. They still do.

In an article published in the August 24 edition of The New York Times, Seth Mydans quoted World Bank figures, which showed that every year Thailand spends the equivalent of $853 per student, Singapore $1,800 and Japan $5,000.

In contrast, the Philippines spend just $138 per student per year.

The country’s grade and high schools are bursting at the seams with about 21 million students. Mydans noted that the government launched a program to build classrooms in 2006—but public schools are still short by 27,124 classrooms.

“To squeeze in all the students, many classrooms have been divided into two by partitions. Stairwells and corridors have been converted into miniature classrooms. In 2006, double sessions were introduced to take off some of the pressure,” Mydans wrote.

The shortage is so grave that some teachers use amplifiers to address students that number over 100 per class. Others make do as best they can with their own meager resources.

Mydans cited the case of Edmon Miguel Jr., a teacher at the Payatas Elementary School in Quezon City who spends his own money to try to improve conditions.

“We are just waiting for our salary, the other teacher and me,” said Miguel, who earns P9,000, or about $187, a month. “We will make it a beautiful classroom. We will make it a classroom conducive to learning.”

His classroom is a narrow passageway with a tin roof and no windows where 62 children ages 8 to 12 sit crammed together at tiny desks, Mydans notes. It floods during monsoon season.

“When it rains, my shoes get wet, but I continue to teach the children,” Miguel said. “Sometimes their notebooks fall in the water.”

This is a poor community, he said, and he sometimes buys notebooks and paper for the students. “So each time we have a test,” he said, “I buy them a piece of paper.”

Dire warnings about the rapid deterioration of Philippine education were raised earlier this year.

A report released by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in March drew a picture of shortage, not only of classrooms, but also of teachers, textbooks, etc.

The UNDP report said classroom shortages in the Philippines currently range from a few thousand to tens of thousands, depending on whether one assumes a single or double shift.

Teacher shortages could range from 9,000 to 30,000—depending on the assumed class size, the report added.

“The extent of textbooks shortages also varies, depending on whether textbooks for music, arts, and physical education are counted on top of books for the regular subjects English, Filipino, Mathematics, science and social studies,” the report said.

It concluded: “If the level of education budget does not increase quickly enough to meet the demands of our public schools, shortages are the inevitable result.”

From 1995 to 2008, the report noted that the Department of Education’s share of the national budget was almost constant at 13 percent. In 2007, the department’s budget was P139.4 billion, up from P118.75 billion in 2006.

“On a per-student basis, however, investment was declining in real terms,” the report said.

According to the UNDP, stagnant or falling real expenditures per students have been a recurrent problem and will likely persist because of the government’s fiscal situation.

What has made matters worse, however, is the lack of any sense of urgency in government to allocate more funds for education.:bash::bash:

In her last State of the Nation Address, President Gloria Arroyo called education a priority and said the government was building new classrooms.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said in a report his department has programmed the construction of 1,908 new classrooms and the renovation of 2,513 more.

At this rate it will take the government at least a decade to close the gap on the current shortage of 27,124 classrooms.

To meet this “emergency in the public school system,” Rep. Ferdi-nand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. of Ilocos Norte has urged Congress and the Arroyo administration to join together in “a spirit of bipartisanship” to increase education’s share in the national budget next year and include schoolroom construction in the economic stimulus plan.

With the school population rising every year, Marcos said the government needs to alter its budgetary priorities to relieve the crisis. “We have to catch with needs; otherwise we could lose our edge in human resources,” he said.

The congressman said has written Lapus to seek a meeting and discuss the situation and how Congress can specifically help in increasing the education budget.

He also wrote personal letters to members of both the House and the Senate to call attention not only to the New York Times report, but to join in “a concerted effort to use the power of the purse to meet the education crisis.”

That we now lag far behind our more prosperous neighbors is a direct consequence of the neglect of public education. Indeed, we reap what we sow.

dansoy26@yahoo.com

[RonnieR]

Sep 4, 2009
US, Philippines schools tie-up
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%2BAsia/Story/STIStory_425376.html

STILLWATER (Oklahoma) - A US university says it has signed a reciprocal exchange agreement with a school in the Philippines.

The agreement between Oklahoma State University and the University of the Philippines Los Banos will enable undergraduate students at the American college to enroll and study at the Philippine school while paying OSU tuition and fees.

OSU Provost Marlene Strathe says the relationship should benefit both universities.

American botanist Edwin Copeland founded UPLB in March 1909. The Philippine university offers more than 1,000 courses in English in agriculture, arts and letters, communications, economics and management, engineering, forestry, human ecology, natural and social science and veterinary medicine. -- AP

[c6josh]

US school signs agreement with UPLB
09/04/2009 | 11:34 PM
Email this Email the Editor Print | | More
STILLWATER, Oklahoma — A US university says it has signed a reciprocal exchange agreement with a school in the Philippines.

The agreement between Oklahoma State University and the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) will enable undergraduate students at the American college to enroll and study at the Philippine school while paying OSU tuition and fees.

OSU Provost Marlene Strathe says the relationship should benefit both universities.

American botanist Edwin Copeland founded UPLB in March 1909. The Philippine university offers more than 1,000 courses in English in agriculture, arts and letters, communications, economics and management, engineering, forestry, human ecology, natural and social science and veterinary medicine. - GMANews.TV

[c6josh]

Public school students' NAT scores up
By Rainier Allan Ronda (philstar.com) Updated September 06, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) said that results of the 2009 National Achievement Test (NAT) showed a continuing improvement in the proficiencies of public school students over the past several years.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that the inclusion of a sample group of students from private schools among the NAT takers showed that public school students fared better than their counterparts from private schools that have always been perceived as having a higher quality of education.

Lapus said that NAT 2009 examinees posted a 21.36 percent increase in the mean percentage score (MPS).

From the 54.66 percent MPS posted in the NAT 2006, the MPS for 2009 reached 66.33 percent, while the MPS of private school students was only 52.47 percent.

Kenneth Tirado, DepEd Communications Unit chief, said that this was the first time private school students were made to take the test.

“We started it because some private schools inquired last year if their students can also take the test so they can assess their competencies,” Tirado said.

Public school students’ MPS in Math was 68.70; English 59.63; Filipino 72.21 and HEKASI (Heyograpiya, Kasaysayan, Sibika) 68.99.

On the other hand, private school students’ MPS in Math was 45.02; English 56.27; Science 45.86; Filipino 66.71; and HEKASI 48.47.

The 2009 NAT was taken by some 1.76 million pupils from 31,196 public and 2,386 private elementary schools nationwide.

The NAT is an annual examination administered to public and private school students throughout the country to determine their achievement level, strengths and weaknesses in key subject areas. It covers English, Science, Math, Filipino and HEKASI with 40 test items each.

Lapus awarded students who garnered high scores in the NAT in ceremonies held recently at the SEAMEO Innotech in Quezon City.

Leading the awardees was Precious Ivy Bangis of Silang Central Elementary School who was the NAT 2009 topnotcher with a score of 95.55.

In a press conference after the ceremonies, Lapus said that the improving performance of public school students in the NAT reflects the improving conditions in public schools.

“With the recent hike in salary of public school teachers, they are now getting better pay than their counterparts in many private schools. So they are better motivated in teaching,” Lapus said.

“The improvements we see in the performance of our students are the fruits of the commitment and hard work of all stakeholders in education – the whole DepEd family, the community and the private sector,” Lapus said.

From 2006 to 2009, Lapus said that the department had put more resources on human resource development, especially on teacher training.

DepEd, he said, has also embarked on intervention programs aimed at improving key performance indicators in basic education such as the Every Child a Reader Program, continuing teacher training in teaching English, priority in hiring teachers who have majored in Math, Science and English, provision of one book each for every student in core subjects, and food for school.

It also created Project TURN or Turning Around Low Performance in English, which focused on assisting the low performing schools in terms of textbooks, instructional materials and pedagogical strategies.

DepEd’s intensified partnership with the private sector through the Adopt-A-School also contributed to the improvement of the learning environment.

Some P12 billion in private sector assistance has been coursed through Adopt-A-School since it was relaunched by Lapus in 2006.

[lgseccionph]

The list of successful passers in the September 2009 Medical Technologist Board Exam who garnered the Top 10 places.

1. ALVIN REY FAJARDO FLORES, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 87.50%
JUDEA MARIE BAJAMUNDE POLICARPIO, MANILA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY-CALOOCAN CITY - 87.50%

2. TRISTAN ANGELO MACASA CALAQUIAN, ANGELES UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION - 87.10%
OLIVER DOCTOLERO PINTOR, SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY - 87.10

3. RAYMUND JOSEPH ARELLANO SORGON, UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN - 87.00%

4. PATRICIA BETTINA FLORES VILLANUEVA, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 86.80%

5. MARGARITA KATRINA AMOR DEGILLO TAN, UNIVERSITY OF PERPETUAL HELP SYSTEM-LAGUNA - 86.50%

6. GARRETT PASCO PALTAO, TRINITY UNIVERSITY OF ASIA (TRINITY-QC) - 86.20%

7. FLORENCE AMOR GALIZA LORENZO, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 85.50%

8. GLENN WILSON YANG NG, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 85.40%
GLENN NATHANIEL SAN DIEGO VALLOSO, MANILA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY-CALOOCAN CITY - 85.40%

9. DARIUS RANILE ENARIO, VELEZ COLLEGE - 85.30%
ELDY KRISTINE DOMINGO MATIONG, UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS - 85.30%

10.ROBINA PALANOG CESAR, RIVERSIDE COLLEGE - 85.20%
RENE II DEOCAMPO LATOG, ILOILO DOCTORS' COLLEGE - 85.20%

http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/09/top-ten-10-medtech-board-exam-sept-2009.html

Click to view the complete list of September 2009 Medical Technologist (Med Tech) Board Exam Result (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/09/september-2009-medical-technologist-med.html)

CONGRATS TO ALL PASSERS!

[Juan Pilgrim]

:ohno:DepEd cuts class hours in public schools :ohno:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090914-225218/DepEd-cuts-class-hours-in-public-schools
By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:23:00 09/14/2009

MANILA, Philippines—Alarmed by the overcrowding in some public elementary
schools, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has ordered classes in those
schools reduced to four or five hours.

In a memorandum he issued in late August, Lapus also directed that some
subjects taught in the schools be integrated into other subjects
to compensate for the reduced learning hours.

“In response to the alarming population of learners in a class, [for the] safety
of students, and [the] public clamor for a smaller learning load, (DepEd) will
implement a revised classroom program and subject nomenclature which
integrates some learning areas resulting in reduced learning hours in the
elementary level,” Lapus said.

I think the situation calls for building more classrooms/ schools and
hiring more well trained and qualified teachers.

Making class hours longer seems to be the best in educating our children.


:horse:

[TONZI]

the Indians and Chinese and now the Vietnamese are really serious about their education that they're sending their toddlers to early learning schools like Kumon. The school focuses on teaching the kids math and reading as early as three years old. If the country wants to have a better future and be globally competitive, it's best they invest on educating every single kid with quality education . and don't be selfish, if you love your country it's not enough that your own kid gets quality education but all the kids of your country. If you have the means help out disadvantaged children in acquiring quality education.

true. that's why I am going to make it a necessary investment for me to have my daughter sent at Kumon center here in our area.

[jpdm]

Gosh!:ohno::ohno:


Illiterate Filipinos now 15 million, and counting

By Lilita Balane, Newsbreak | 09/23/2009 10:45 AM

Out-of-school children, school dropouts pushing statistics upward

The number of illiterate Filipinos, which has grown to 15 million in the last 6 years, is expected to further increase as more children stop schooling every year, education specialists said on Tuesday.

The unabated stream of dropouts, they said, may prevent the government from fulfilling its international commitment to provide “functional literacy” or adequate education for all Filipinos by 2015.

When the Philippines adopted the United Nations’ Education For All (EFA) in 2006, its initial goal was to make all Filipinos aged 10 to 64 functionally literate. This means bringing to zero the number of functionally illiterate population from the recorded 11 million Filipinos in 2003.

Unlike basic literacy, which only requires the ability to read and write, functional literacy includes the ability to cope with the demands of everyday life, like problem solving and communicating.

The Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), a survey to determine literacy rate in the Philippines every 5 years, showed that 11 million Filipinos lacks functional literacy, while 4 million Filipinos have no basic literacy.

Critical year

From around 15 million illiterate Filipinos, the illiteracy rate is expected to increase with the more children unable to go to school, and with those in school dropping out, said Edecio de la Torre, president of the Civil Society Network for Education Reforms (E-Net).

“2010 is a critical year for education. It marks the final stretch of the EFA 2015. Countries will be conducting its end decade-assessment to check the progress they had made. The Philippines will be conducting its own assessment and the picture does not seem to be rosy,” said Raquel Castillo, advocacy officer of Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education(ASPBAE).

In 2008, Department of Education (DepEd) reported that some 2.2 million children aged 6 to12 years, and 3.4 million aged 12-15 years, are not in school. Moreover, a 2003 Asian Development Bank report showed that out of the 100 children who enter grade school, only 65 graduate. After graduation, only 58 return for high school, and only 45 of them finish.

To meet the EFA target, the Department of Education has carried out programs like adult education for old people who want to continue their education, and the alternative learning system (ALS).

This month, it launched Project ReaCh (Reaching All Children). This program allows public schools to hold another enrolment in October to accommodate about 5.6 million out-of-school youth.

The new students will be provided “flexible alternative modules,” which would help them catch up with their missed lessons.

Center of debates

There is also the DepEd’s Project EASE (Effective and Affordable College Education) and Open High School program, which will not require the presence of students in the classroom, especially those who are working. Instead, they will be provided modules they can study at home.

“Despite Philippine basic education being free, we still have a staggering number of school-age children and youth out in the streets who face exploitation in all forms,” Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said in a press statement.

For its part, E-Net launched “10 Days, 10 Voices,” a 10-day campaign that would place education as a center of election debates for the 2010 polls. The event hopes to highlight the situation of education as seen by teachers, parents, child laborers, indigenous people, and other marginalized sectors.

Meanwhile, Literacy Coordinating Council head Norma Salcedo and E-Net vice-president Flora Arellano said that an increased education budget would help the DepEd invest in programs that would reach out-of-school youth and adults.

Meager budget

Arellano said that in the past years, the budget for education was only around 12% of the national budget, or 2.36% of the country’s gross domestic product. This is way below international standards, where 20% of the national budget goes to education.

“The proposed budget speaks very little about quality, equity, the out-of-school youth, the illiterates, and the un-reached,” Arellano added.

For 2010, DepEd proposed for P159 million budget for basic education, but the alternative budget initiative of E-net and other education advocates suggests P165 million.

Arellano said the additional budget would fund the expansion of DepEd’s ALS program and other drop-out reduction projects. (Newsbreak)
as of 09/23/2009 11:03 AM

[jpdm]

CHED to close down seven law schools

By Rainier Allan Ronda
(The Philippine Star)
Updated September 24, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is shutting down seven law schools which failed to produce even a single Bar passer among its graduates in the last 10 years.

These are the law schools of East Central Colleges, Eastern Samar State University, Polytechnic College of La Union, Samar College, Ramon Magsaysay Technological University, Southern Bicol College, and Abra Valley College.

The zero Bar passing rate of these schools was discovered after CHED evaluated the examination performance of law graduates from private higher education institutions (HEIs) and state universities and colleges (SUCs) from 1999 to 2009.

“We will be forced to close down the law schools which fail to comply with CHED standards,” CHED chairman Emmanuel Angeles said.

“We have to act now in order to put our education system in order and improve the competencies of our graduates and professionals so that we can compete in the global arena, starting with how we produce our law graduates,” he added.

CHED initially short-listed 11 law schools but four HEIs in the list voluntarily phased out their law programs. These are Virgen De Los Remedios College, International Harvardian University, Manuel A. Roxas Educational Institution, and Zamboanga A.E. Colleges.

Angeles said that CHED would also evaluate the performance of HEI and SUC graduates in other licensure examinations.

On the upside of the assessment, CHED said that for the past 10 years, the law program of Ateneo de Manila University has the highest Bar passing rate in the country at an “impressive” 91.24 percent. This is followed by San Beda College with 88.4 percent, and the University of the Philippines with 82.85 percent.

Fourth in the ranking is Far Eastern University-De La Salle University (Juris Doctor MBA) with a bar passing rate of 77.42 percent, followed by Ateneo de Davao University, 75.92 percent; University of San Carlos, 68.2 percent; University of Santo Tomas, 67.64 percent; University of Cebu, 52.81 percent; University of Perpetual Help-Rizal, 50.81 percent; and Arellano University, 49.3 percent.

Angeles said the top performing schools should serve as models for producing successful first-time takers of the Bar.:cheers::cheers:

[RonnieR]

Some public schools to teach French

Friday, 25 September 2009 00:00
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Can’t speak English well? No problem. Try French.

French lessons will be taught in public schools, even as the educational system grapples with a classroom shortage and a dwindling budget. The Department of Education and the French Embassy in Manila are expected to sign on Monday an agreement to pilot test teaching French to Filipinos. Education Secretary Jesli Lapus will sign for the Philippines, Ambassador Thierry Borja de Mozota for France.

The agreement aims to strengthen the foreign language program in public schools and prepare students for meaningful interaction in a linguistically and culturally diverse workplace, according to an advisory from the Education department on Thursday.

Some private elementary and high schools already offer classes in foreign language, mainly Chinese. Also, some colleges teach Spanish, although it used be required a few decades ago.

Shortened hours

Meanwhile, the Education department clarified also on Thursday that the reduction of class hours in elementary level would be implemented only in schools experiencing classroom shortage.

In a statement, Assistant Secretary Teresita Inciong said that Department of Education Order 90 was issued based on calls from parents concerned for the safety of Grades 1 and 2 pupils owing to longer class hours that began too early and extended to nighttime. Traveling when it’s already dark poses security problems for young students when they go home, some parents said.

Inciong said the new schedule would allow pupils in the second shift to go home early and for first-shift pupils not to leave their homes until daybreak.

Inciong also stressed that only those schools with two shifts would implement the new scheme if the school head recognizes the need.

Accordingly class hours will be shortest for younger pupils in Grades 1 and 2 at four hours a day. In Grade
3, class hours will be for four and a half hours. For Grades 4 to 6, class time is five hours.
Also on Thursday, the national teachers’ organization Action and Solidarity for the Empowerment of
Teachers (ASSERT) criticized the revised classroom program, saying it is not a solution to overcrowded classrooms. Plus, the program will result in heavier teaching loads for educators and raises the possibility of implementing three shifts in public schools, to replace the current two-shift system.
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/2682-some-public-schools-to-teach-french

[MatudNilaBaby]

CHED to close down seven law schools

By Rainier Allan Ronda
(The Philippine Star)
Updated September 24, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is shutting down seven law schools which failed to produce even a single Bar passer among its graduates in the last 10 years.

These are the law schools of East Central Colleges, Eastern Samar State University, Polytechnic College of La Union, Samar College, Ramon Magsaysay Technological University, Southern Bicol College, and Abra Valley College.

The zero Bar passing rate of these schools was discovered after CHED evaluated the examination performance of law graduates from private higher education institutions (HEIs) and state universities and colleges (SUCs) from 1999 to 2009.

“We will be forced to close down the law schools which fail to comply with CHED standards,” CHED chairman Emmanuel Angeles said.

“We have to act now in order to put our education system in order and improve the competencies of our graduates and professionals so that we can compete in the global arena, starting with how we produce our law graduates,” he added.

CHED initially short-listed 11 law schools but four HEIs in the list voluntarily phased out their law programs. These are Virgen De Los Remedios College, International Harvardian University, Manuel A. Roxas Educational Institution, and Zamboanga A.E. Colleges.

Angeles said that CHED would also evaluate the performance of HEI and SUC graduates in other licensure examinations.

On the upside of the assessment, CHED said that for the past 10 years, the law program of Ateneo de Manila University has the highest Bar passing rate in the country at an “impressive” 91.24 percent. This is followed by San Beda College with 88.4 percent, and the University of the Philippines with 82.85 percent.

Fourth in the ranking is Far Eastern University-De La Salle University (Juris Doctor MBA) with a bar passing rate of 77.42 percent, followed by Ateneo de Davao University, 75.92 percent; University of San Carlos, 68.2 percent; University of Santo Tomas, 67.64 percent; University of Cebu, 52.81 percent; University of Perpetual Help-Rizal, 50.81 percent; and Arellano University, 49.3 percent.

Angeles said the top performing schools should serve as models for producing successful first-time takers of the Bar.:cheers::cheers:

PRC should do the same sa mga nursing schools nga nag produce ug mga substandard nurses basta lang maka charge sila ug mataas nga tuition even their schools and teaching hospitals cant provide the necessary clinical skills to their over populated nursing students.

[jpdm]

PRC should do the same sa mga nursing schools nga nag produce ug mga substandard nurses basta lang maka charge sila ug mataas nga tuition even their schools and teaching hospitals cant provide the necessary clinical skills to their over populated nursing students.

Agree!:cheers:

[TeslaCoil]

Some public schools to teach French

Friday, 25 September 2009 00:00
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Can’t speak English well? No problem. Try French.

French lessons will be taught in public schools, even as the educational system grapples with a classroom shortage and a dwindling budget. The Department of Education and the French Embassy in Manila are expected to sign on Monday an agreement to pilot test teaching French to Filipinos. Education Secretary Jesli Lapus will sign for the Philippines, Ambassador Thierry Borja de Mozota for France.

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/2682-some-public-schools-to-teach-french

Dapat damihan pa yung mga available foreign language classes at dapat ang mga estudyante ang magdidisisyon kung ano gusto nilang kunin. Students must be well-rounded.

@jpdm: dapat talaga isara ang mga eskwelahang diploma mill lang be it public or private.

[lgseccionph]

The Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/09/sept-2009-teacher-licensure-exam-moved.html)that was postponed last September 27 due to tropical storm "Ondoy" has been moved to Oct. 4, the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) announced Monday.

PRC Chairman Nicolas Lapeña Jr. said that same school and building assignments would be implemented nationwide

"If, under exceptional circumstances, schools/buildings and room assignment will be changed, please get in touch with the PRC Examination Division, PRC Regional Offices and PRC delegations in test centers without PRC regional offices," Lapeña said.

« View full article »
» Sept 2009 Teacher Licensure Exam moved to Oct. 4 - PRC (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/09/sept-2009-teacher-licensure-exam-moved.html)
» Teachers Board Exam (LET) Result for September 2009 (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/09/september-2009-licensure-examination.html)

[amendercabal2]

Manila, Visayas high schools to teach French next year

Written by Lilita Balane

DepEd says learning one of the most widely used international language will give Filipino graduates a competitive advantage

If you live in Metro Manila or any major cities in Cebu and Bohol, chances are you’ll be hearing some high school students greeting you “Bonjour” once classes open next year.

That is because the study of the French language will be integrated in the curricula of 13 schools, as part of a memorandum of agreement signed by the Department of Education (DepEd) and the French Embassy on Monday.

“On account of globalization, our graduates are competing with people from other countries when they join the workforce. Learning a widely used international language early on will give our graduates the competitive advantage,” Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said.

In the 2009 ranking of languages, French placed eleventh among the widely used mother tongue language, with 80 million native speakers around the world. It also ranked fifth as a second language, with 285 million speakers.

French ranked second among the official languages used by most countries and international organizations, including the United Nations, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund.

Under the DepEd-French Embassy agreement, the French classes hope to:

Develop students’ skills in listening, reading, writing, and speaking in French.
Prepare students for meaningful interaction in a linguistically and culturally diverse global workplace.
Develop understanding and appreciation of other people’s culture.
In preparation, DepEd sent 21 teachers to the Alliance Francaise, a language school in Manila and Cebu, to undergo a month-long training.

“The French Embassy, through the Alliance Francaise, will take charge in the month-long intensive training. It will serve as a long-term support center for the training of more Filipino teachers,” linguistic attaché Emilie Flambeaux said.

Ana Marie Hernandez of the Bureau of Secondary Education said that the following schools will teach French starting school year 2010-2011:

Mandaluyong City Science High School (Metro Manila).
City of Caloocan Science High School (Metro Manila).
Makati City Science High School (Metro Manila).
Manila Science High School (Metro Manila).
Quezon City Science High School (Metro Manila).
Muntinlupa Science High School (Metro Manila).
Cebu City National Science High School (Cebu).
Mandaue City Science High School (Cebu).
Minglanilla National Science High School (Cebu).
Toledo Science High School (Cebu).
Medellin National Science High School (Cebu).
Science and Technology Education Center (Cebu).
Tagbiliran City Science High School (Bohol)

Participating schools were selected based on their high scores in English in the 2008 National Achievement Test.

DepEd also considered that pilot schools should already have available support facilities, like computer laboratory, with at least 10 computers and headsets for speech lessons.

In 2008, a school from each region in the country was selected to take Spanish language classes. The success of introducing Spanish to students last year encouraged DepEd to continue the project, Hernandez said.

French Ambassador Thierry Borja de Mozota said that more and more Filipinos are taking interest in the French language, which was reflected by the 61% increase in the enrolment in Alliance Francaise in 2008.

[c6josh]

No classes at all levels in Metro Manila till Friday

By Christian V. Esguerra, Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:48:00 09/30/2009

Filed Under: Ondoy, Flood, Disasters & Accidents, Government, Education, Schools, Board Exams

MANILA, Philippines—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Tuesday ordered the suspension of classes covering as many as four regions to pave the way for a massive, government-led cleanup of areas devastated by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international codename: Ketsana).

In a full Cabinet meeting at the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Ms Arroyo also said she would declare, within the week, a special nonworking holiday for the cleanup drive.

“We’re already at the cleaning stage,” she said.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) said classes would be suspended until Saturday in all colleges and universities in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Bulacan, as well as Pampanga and Zambales.

CHEd Chair Emmanuel Angeles said classes were suspended in areas affected by the storm so students could be mobilized to help in rescue and relief efforts.

“We are going to mobilize thousands. The classes of college students may be suspended but they will help—as ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) or NSTP (National Service Training Program) cadets, in the rescue and relief efforts and in the cleanup,” Angeles said.

P90-M damages to schools

The Department of Education (DepEd) also announced there would be no classes at all levels in both private and public schools in Metro Manila until Friday.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said the suspension would also cover students in Sta. Rosa, Famy and Calamba in Laguna, and the entire province of Cavite.

Lapus said he was leaving it up to school superintendents to decide on class suspensions in areas not covered by the DepEd announcement.

“We are doing this to ensure the safety of our students and for the repair of our schools,” Lapus said, adding that the storm’s damage to public schools has reached nearly P90 million.

Coordinated cleanup

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, concurrent head of the NDCC, said Ms Arroyo was preparing an executive order on the special nonworking holiday “for purposes of a coordinated cleanup.”

“We appeal to communities and barangays [to] repeat ‘Brigada Eskwela,’” Lapus told reporters, referring to the school-opening cleanup drive implemented in June.

“Our schools need to be cleaned and, this week, we decided to suspend classes to help out in cleaning up our schools,” he added.

Teodoro said the drive would be led by local government units with the assistance of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), particularly in major thoroughfares.

Angeles called on student volunteers to help in the campaign, primarily those enrolled in on-campus military training programs, and medical and nursing schools.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque volunteered to send 500 employees hired under the government’s Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program. He said they could work for at least 15 days.

180 schools damaged

The DepEd central office Tuesday received reports that damage costs of Ondoy’s devastation to the public school system had reached P89.87 million.

A total of 180 schools—69 in Metro Manila, 34 in the Cagayan Valley Region, 34 in Central Luzon, 33 in the Cordillera Administrative Region, 10 in Southern Tagalog and one in Ilocos—were damaged.

Damage costs for classrooms reached P88.815 million, while P1.055 million worth of other school properties were either damaged or totally destroyed.

On the other hand, Lapus said a total of 170 schools were now being used as evacuation centers, housing close to 10,000 families.

“All we need is bayanihan (community cooperation),” he said.

Teachers exam reset

Meanwhile, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has rescheduled the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) from Sept. 24 to Oct. 4.

The LET was postponed due to the onslaught of Ondoy.

PRC Commissioner Ruth Padilla told the Inquirer that it was President Arroyo herself who ordered the postponement.

“We three commissioners met Monday and we decided to set the exam on Oct. 4. That’s nationwide,” Padilla said.

She said the same assigned building, seat number and schools for some 85,000 aspiring teachers would apply.

Padilla said those who would not be able to take the LET on Oct. 4 may take the examination in April 2010. With a report from Jeannette I. Andrade

[jpdm]

Philam Plans buyer set to hike capital to P400m

by Jenniffer B. Austria
September 30, 2009
Manila Standard

STI Investments Inc., the holding company of businessman Eusebio Tanco, is raising its capital stock P400 million from P400,000 in preparation for the planned acquisition of Philam Plans Inc. and Philam Care.

Documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed that the company’s major stockholders, namely Systems Technology Institute Inc., Philippine First Insurance Co. Inc. and Amina Inc., would subscribe to the capital increase.

Philippine American Life and General Insurance Co., the local unit of insurance giant AIG, earlier announced that it agreed to sell its pre-need and health and maintenance organization to STI and Philippines First Insurance Co. Inc. for a still undisclosed amount.

STI plans to fold both acquisitions into STI Investments. The deals, which are subject to regulatory approvals, are expected to be completed shortly. Deutsche Bank was the sole adviser in both transactions.

The STI group hopes to form a synergy among its education, insurance and healthcare businesses.

STI, an educational institution, could now effectively integrate financing, through educational pre-need plans, in its product portfolio.

STI operates a network of 95 tertiary schools that offer information technology, engineering, healthcare, business administration and hotel management courses.

[sulong]

Dapat damihan pa yung mga available foreign language classes at dapat ang mga estudyante ang magdidisisyon kung ano gusto nilang kunin. Students must be well-rounded.
.

I'm majoring in French for my college degree, pero hindi yata ako sang-ayon dito. Parang satin kasi sukatan ng talino ang English, isang banyagang wika gaya ng French, pero hindi naman talaga ito ang talagang kailangan natin. Kailangan natin ang language para magkaintindihan at makapagpahayag.

Pinipilit natin ituro ang science, math, etc sa wikang di naman lubos na nauunawaan ng mga bata, pano kaya nila maaappreciate ang mga konseptong itinuturo sa kanila. Di nakagugulat na under performers ang mga bata natin ngayon dahil di nila lubos na nauunawan ang school subjects nila.

Wala namang masama sa pagtuturo ng French, kumuha rin ako nito nung highschool ako, pero sa palagay ko lang, mas mainan na ituon ang panahon at pagod at salaping gugugulin para dito sa ibang bagay gaya ng retraining ng mga guro or dagdag na silid-aralan, one school at a time.

[MatudNilaBaby]

I'm majoring in French for my college degree, pero hindi yata ako sang-ayon dito. Parang satin kasi sukatan ng talino ang English, isang banyagang wika gaya ng French, pero hindi naman talaga ito ang talagang kailangan natin. Kailangan natin ang language para magkaintindihan at makapagpahayag.

Pinipilit natin ituro ang science, math, etc sa wikang di naman lubos na nauunawaan ng mga bata, pano kaya nila maaappreciate ang mga konseptong itinuturo sa kanila. Di nakagugulat na under performers ang mga bata natin ngayon dahil di nila lubos na nauunawan ang school subjects nila.

Wala namang masama sa pagtuturo ng French, kumuha rin ako nito nung highschool ako, pero sa palagay ko lang, mas mainan na ituon ang panahon at pagod at salaping gugugulin para dito sa ibang bagay gaya ng retraining ng mga guro or dagdag na silid-aralan, one school at a time.

you're suggesting that we learn pilipino over english or other foreign languages if we people down south are having trouble translating what you are saying right now. the more foreign languages are taught in our schools the more competitive they become, although it is not for everyone. besides, the selected schools were known to have high language proficiency that is suitable learning foreign languages. schools that need classrooms and teacher training belongs to a different category of needs which the dept. of ed has also allocated funds for it.

[davaob4now]

wala man lang nakasali ni isang university sa philippines ssa Top 100 list in asia...lalo na sa world rankings..:(

link: http://www.webometrics.info/top100_continent.asp?cont=SE_Asia

[lochinvar]

But who are doing the rating and what are their criteria? Some of these polsters are not worth one dime that's why our universities are adamant to participate.

[bledzoe]

wala man lang nakasali ni isang university sa philippines ssa Top 100 list in asia...lalo na sa world rankings..:(

link: http://www.webometrics.info/top100_continent.asp?cont=SE_Asia

asa pa. siguradong papakyawin yan ng coutries like Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, etc...

it goes to show that we need some revving up in terms of facilities and research... kung graduates lang naman, may mga maipagmamalakin rin naman tayo.

[jpdm]

asa pa. siguradong papakyawin yan ng coutries like Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, etc...

it goes to show that we need some revving up in terms of facilities and research... kung graduates lang naman, may mga maipagmamalakin rin naman tayo.

Actually UP-Diliman has already questioned the methodology used by these entities in coming up with this rankings.

Although we have to admit in terms of facilities, Philippine universities pale in comparison with its competitors abroad.

Except that Im wondering why Ateneo, De La Salle and University of Asia and Pacific do not rank well despite their sky high tuition fee.

How come very good schools like UST, PLM, Saint Louis University, MSU and University of San Carlos are not considered.

[MatudNilaBaby]

Actually UP-Diliman has already questioned the methodology used by these entities in coming up with this rankings.

Although we have to admit in terms of facilities, Philippine universities pale in comparison with its competitors abroad.

Except that Im wondering why Ateneo, De La Salle and University of Asia and Pacific do not rank well despite their sky high tuition fee.

How come very good schools like UST, PLM, Saint Louis University, MSU and University of San Carlos are not considered.

why? philippine colleges and universities are equivalent to community colleges in the us and other g7 countries where the standard of basic education is 12 years prior to college. a community college is a two year associate degree granting institution. if you add up the number of years of schooling for philippine college graduate is 14 years compared to g7 countries of 16 or 17 years. no wonder why they dont consider our universities at par with their standards. so in the rankings, we're nowhere to be found. even the community colleges ranked better among philippines schools based on that survey,

[Carjel]

I have studied in a chinese-catholic school from my kinder to high school years, our school have thought us how to speak and write Chinese(mandarin) but most of us are having trouble on the pronunciation, though it is easy for us to memorize and combine the sentences..our laoshi(teacher)give us low grades for speaking such a horrible accent..:lol:

[jpdm]

why? philippine colleges and universities are equivalent to community colleges in the us and other g7 countries where the standard of basic education is 12 years prior to college. a community college is a two year associate degree granting institution. if you add up the number of years of schooling for philippine college graduate is 14 years compared to g7 countries of 16 or 17 years. no wonder why they dont consider our universities at par with their standards. so in the rankings, we're nowhere to be found. even the community colleges ranked better among philippines schools based on that survey,

Again, its the methodology.

UP questioned their ranking (forgot the year) in a particular year because they were not even interviewed or visited by those people who run those firms that do the rankings. So how can they determine the status of say the number or quality of research, number of faculty with PhDs and MA, if they were not able to visit UP? Same complains from UST.

Common, my prof. took his PhD and post doctoral degree in London School of Economics and he attested that its harder to earn a doctoral decree in some good universities in the Philippines compared to some universities from North America, Europe and Asia.. He finished his PhD from the Asian Social Institute (ASI) a school near Leon Guinto, manila.

My brother finished his PhD in Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) in record time of 4 years. Ad he attested its easier to get a degree here compared to say UP Diliman or Los Banos (he is a alumnus of UPLB)

[viva la raza]

I'm majoring in French for my college degree, pero hindi yata ako sang-ayon dito. Parang satin kasi sukatan ng talino ang English, isang banyagang wika gaya ng French, pero hindi naman talaga ito ang talagang kailangan natin. Kailangan natin ang language para magkaintindihan at makapagpahayag.

Pinipilit natin ituro ang science, math, etc sa wikang di naman lubos na nauunawaan ng mga bata, pano kaya nila maaappreciate ang mga konseptong itinuturo sa kanila. Di nakagugulat na under performers ang mga bata natin ngayon dahil di nila lubos na nauunawan ang school subjects nila.

Wala namang masama sa pagtuturo ng French, kumuha rin ako nito nung highschool ako, pero sa palagay ko lang, mas mainan na ituon ang panahon at pagod at salaping gugugulin para dito sa ibang bagay gaya ng retraining ng mga guro or dagdag na silid-aralan, one school at a time.

you're suggesting that we learn pilipino over english or other foreign languages if we people down south are having trouble translating what you are saying right now. the more foreign languages are taught in our schools the more competitive they become, although it is not for everyone. besides, the selected schools were known to have high language proficiency that is suitable learning foreign languages. schools that need classrooms and teacher training belongs to a different category of needs which the dept. of ed has also allocated funds for it.

If people from the South are forced to learn tagalog, then why not French too! Include Spanish as well or Ilocano. Why not teach people form Manila Cebuano language coz they need it to interact with the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao.

[Animo]

you're suggesting that we learn pilipino over english or other foreign languages if we people down south are having trouble translating what you are saying right now. the more foreign languages are taught in our schools the more competitive they become, although it is not for everyone. besides, the selected schools were known to have high language proficiency that is suitable learning foreign languages. schools that need classrooms and teacher training belongs to a different category of needs which the dept. of ed has also allocated funds for it.

Yes, I agree that Filipinos should have the chance to learn more about the world and see beyong the reach of English and in our borders. I am currently learning German and having these foreign languages in our schools and available to the masses are also important in a globalized world. They are also doing this for some schools for the Spanish language.

[MatudNilaBaby]

Again, its the methodology.

UP questioned their ranking (forgot the year) in a particular year because they were not even interviewed or visited by those people who run those firms that do the rankings. So how can they determine the status of say the number or quality of research, number of faculty with PhDs and MA, if they were not able to visit UP? Same complains from UST.

Common, my prof. took his PhD and post doctoral degree in London School of Economics and he attested that its harder to earn a doctoral decree in some good universities in the Philippines compared to some universities from North America, Europe and Asia.. He finished his PhD from the Asian Social Institute (ASI) a school near Leon Guinto, manila.

My brother finished his PhD in Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) in record time of 4 years. Ad he attested its easier to get a degree here compared to say UP Diliman or Los Banos (he is a alumnus of UPLB)

it is but normal for him to rate his beloved alma mater with high marks but internationally our colleges and universities are nowhere recognized as high standard which is not our fault. it is the system of education that our leaders have adapted.

[lgseccionph]

The successful examinees in the October 2009 Interior Designer Board Exam who garnered the ten (10) highest places are the following:

RANK NAME | SCHOOL | RATING (%)

1 CARLA MAE DUCUSIN LEONOR | UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS | 87.40%

2 EDWIN CANG RODRIGO | UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN | 85.90%

3 MITCHEL EDWARD TONO PAGDILAO | POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MAIN-STA. MESA | 85.55%

4 MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ TOLENTINO | UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS | 85.45%

5 RIZELLE BLANCH OSTREA | UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS | 85.40%

6 CARLO MARTIN GARNACIA MECATE | DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY-COLLEGE OF SAINT BENILDE | 85.20%

7 JOSE CARLO DELOS REYES ARCEGA | PHILIPPINE SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN | 84.70%
CATHERINE JAVIER CENA | UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN |
84.70%

REKHA DULAMAL NANDWANI | LA CONSOLACION COLLEGE-BACOLOD | 84.70%

MAURO JR JAMLIG NEPOMUCENO | UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS | 84.70%

8 KARISSA ALMADRONES TRINIDAD | UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS | 84.45%

9 BRILLANTINE FLORES SANCHEZ | UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS| 84.35%

10 LORA CAHANDING ALFONSO| UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS | 84.15%

http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/top-ten-10-interior-designer-board-exam.html

[jpdm]

DoST sets bigger prizes for Gawad Lider winners

By RIO ROSE RIBAYA
October 14, 2009, 4:01pm
Manila Bulletin

The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) increased the prize for the winner of the second Gawad Leadership and Innovations for Development Relevant to Science Education (Gawad Lider), to encourage more teachers to exemplify leadership and commit to science education.

Dr. Ester Ogena, director of the DoST Science Education Institute (SEI), said the higher stakes will make the annual award more prestigious and “entice more people to come out and nominate individuals and institutions who have contributed to the betterment of science education in the country.”

“Any head of an institution, community leaders, organization or individuals may nominate an individual or institution or organization for the Gawad Lider awards,” Ogena said.

Exemplary Leadership Award is conferred to individuals and institutions or organization that have consistently demonstrated leadership qualities leading to improvements in the field of education in the science education, which have generated nationwide impact, she said.

Ogena added that nominees for the Exemplary Leadership in the individual and institution category should have demonstrated sustained leadership capability through the conduct of a project with significant impact on education in the sciences.

“The nominee in the Individual Category of the Exemplary Leadership Award should have led the implementation of a program or project for at least five years,” she noted.

“On the other hand, the Innovation Award is given to an individual or institution for the introduction of a technology-based innovation that benefits education in the science,” she said.

Ogena said any individual or organization, who has introduced a technology-based innovation and has successfully used or adopted these innovations that contributed to the advancement of education in the sciences may be nominated for the Innovation Award.

She clarified that any development or enhancement of devices, equipment, gadgets, tools, or products or procedures that resulted in greater effectiveness and higher efficiency in teaching and learning in the sciences could be seen as an innovation.

Nomination and application forms may be obtained from the SEI office and at the DOST Regional Offices. Deadline of submission of nomination is on January 15, 2010 at the DOST Regional Offices andJanuary 31, 2010 at the SEI office.

The awarding of the winners will be conducted during the celebration of the National Science and Technology Week in July next year.

[lgseccionph]

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:

[Animo]

By ANGELO G. GARCIA (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/225878/parlezvous-fran-ais)
October 22, 2009, 9:21am

Spoken worldwide by about 65 million people as their mother tongue, the French language is the official language of 29 countries and is shared by people in five different continents. It is also listed as one of United Nation’s official languages.

Amazing stats indeed, but are Filipino public high school students ready to learn French?

Not known to many, the French Embassy is now actively pushing the teaching of French language in the country’s public schools.

Back in 1997, three selected public science high schools in Metro Manila started to offer French language classes as an elective course under the complete auspices of the French Embassy. Today, the Department of Education (DepEd) in partnership with the French Embassy is offering French language lessons to more public secondary schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region VII.

Three science high schools - Makati Science High School, Quezon City SHS and Manila SHS - have started its French language lessons this school year under this new partnership. The program is being offered as elective courses to third and fourth year high school students.

Ten other pre-selected science high schools will start the program next school year. These include Caloocan SHS, Mandaluyong SHS, Muntinlupa SHS, Cebu City National Science High School, Mandaue City SHS, Minglanilla National SHS, Toledo SHS, Tagbilaran City SHS, and Medellin National SHS.

These schools have been chosen based on its Mean Percentage Score (MPS) in English.

“Kasi ang isang requirement namin eh mataas ‘yung MPS sa English para mabilis na matuto ang mga bata,” explains DepEd project development officer Ana Marie Hernandez.

WHY FRENCH? WHY NOT!

Hernandez explains that the French Embassy has been very aggressive to push this program.

“While the different languages are being taught in other schools/universities, the French Embassy is more aggressive in offering it. They started working on it 10 years ago and it has received positive feedback among the students and schools as well. The DepEd grabbed this offer because it will be supported fully by the embassy. So why not?” Hernandez says.

French Ambassador Thierry Borja de Mozota emphasized during the launch the importance of the program as a tool in strengthening the links between the Philippines and France, and in promoting linguistic and cultural diversity.

“As far as I know, from the schools that have already implemented the program, students had a positive response, some of them even have as much as eight classes,” Hernandez shares.

DepEd secretary Jesli Lapus also stressed during the launch that the program is likewise expected to develop the students’ geographic and cultural knowledge of other countries and a perspective concerning the Philippines’ place in the world, which will help them in other subjects such as science and history.

Hernandez however points out that in other public schools, French is not the only foreign language available to students.

“Some public schools also offer Spanish and Nihongo (Japanese), the German embassy is also pushing for the instruction of the German language in our schools,” she explains.

Makati SHS, for instance, offers both French and Nihongo language classes under its foreign language department, while Quezon City SHS offers French and Spanish. DepEd also offers Spanish classes in 17 selected regional schools in the country.

“We need to be at par with other countries kasi nga there is the booming of the call centers. It will also help them in the relationship with counterparts with other countries, diplomatically, eto ‘yung mga reasons why we’re doing this kasi we want them to be culturally prepared,” Hernandez adds.

PRACTICAL?

Given that acquiring foreign language has its advantages, especially for the ones who really need it. But is it practical to a public school student?

Makati SHS principal Divinelinda dela Cruz opines that it’s not practical to learn the said language because there are a lot more that has to be improved in the country’s education system.

“It’s not practical because we still have to improve our English instruction,” dela Cruz says in a phone interview. “But our students can cope with the French language. It’s also an advantage when they enrol in colleges like in UP (University of the Philippines). Knowing how to speak a different language gives them the advantage,” she explains.

Makati SHS started offering French language classes back in 1998, then wholly- sponsored by the French Embassy.

It now offers the program as a mandatory elective, thus all of its 378 third year and fourth year students are taking the classes. It is held twice a week and is equivalent to 0.60 units.

It is likewise advantageous to some public teachers as well. Selected teachers of the aforementioned public science high schools have started training at Alliance Francaise in Manila and Cebu. As follow-through, the teachers are currently undergoing a once-a-week face-to-face training in the said language schools, which will run until March 2010.

“We are training the teachers to build their confidence and acquire more knowledge in teaching French as a second foreign language after English,” Hernandez explains.

Due to some constraints, DepEd and its partners have no plans of expanding further the program to other public high schools in the country.

[kiretoce]

Up to 6M drop out of school (http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/top-stories/4565-up-to-6m-drop-out-of-school)

A new study conducted by the Department of Education found that about five to six million Filipinos of school age were out of school.

The study also found out that many of these out-of-school learners were willing to finish high school—but were constrained by various reasons such as family, individual, community and school concerns.

The Education department reported that these findings were two of the reasons why it launched the Open High School Program (OHSP) under the Drop Out Reduction Program (DORP), an alternative-learning scheme to address the growing dropout rate.

The Drop Out Reduction Program was designed to address the problems faced by students that prevent them from completing their elementary and high-school education.

The department had noted that many students could not report to class regularly because of various reasons, among them work, physical handicap and family and health problems.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that the program actually started in 1998 with only a few secondary schools initially offering it. At present, more and more high schools nationwide offer the program as part of the plan to address the dropout issue.

The Drop Out Reduction Program has three major components—Effective Alternative Secondary Education or EASE, Open High School or Distance Education Program (OHSP) and School Initiated Interventions (SII).

The students have a choice of three modes in continuing their schooling. One mode is the modular system where teachers use learning modules that the student can bring home for self-study. The content of the modules are similar to those in textbooks used by regular students.

The Effective Alternative Secondary Education component is applied to short-term and seasonal students at the risk of dropping out, while the Open High School or Distance Education Program is recommended for those at risk of dropping who permanently cannot attend regular classes.

The program caters to regular high-school students. The Education department also reported that “of those in the formal system, there are [some] who may absent themselves intermittently from school especially during planting and harvest seasons.”

The Open High School or Distance Education Program component gives school dropouts to complete their high-school education even if they find themselves in circumstances that would not allow them to continue going to school under the regular system.

The program is considered formal and structured. Students learn the eight core subjects in English, Science, Mathematics, Filipino, Aralin Panlipunan, Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga, and Music and Arts and Physical Education and Health (MAPEH). They graduate by completing the four levels from first year to fourth year.

The grading system is the same as that in the regular program. Students in the Open High School or Distance Education Program also graduate with the regular students at the end of the school year.

The School Initiated Interventions is utilized based on the felt needs of students at the risk of dropping out and to the existing available school resources.

Since the Drop Out Reduction Program was implemented, there has been a significant change in drop-out rates in the secondary level. From 12.51 percent in 2005 to 2006 academic year, the rate went down to 7.45 percent in 2007 to 2008.

The Drop Out Reduction Program was formulated to respond to the needs of students who cannot report to class regularly because they are working either as part time or full time or because of other reasons.

[rey_84]

any updates regarding Unigames?

[iamdownloader]

wow whatta nice thread for us here!

[lgseccionph]

Top 10 ECE Board Exam Result October 2009 (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/successful-examinees-in-ece-board-exam.html)

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1131 passed the Electronics Engineer (ECE) Licensure Examination (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/october-2009-electronics-engineer.html) given by the Board of Electronics Engineering in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Lucena & Tuguegarao on October 26 & 27, 2009.

The results were released in three (3) days after the last day of examination.

The successful examinees in the ECE Board Exam Result October 2009 who garnered the ten (10) highest places are the following:


RANK |NAME |SCHOOL | RATING(%)

1 Rizaldo Fuentes | Cebu Institute of Technology |91.10
2 Danny Supnet | University of the East - Caloocan
3 Jared Noynay | University of Cebu |90.40
4 Teosseth Altar | Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila | 89.80
5 Leo Angelo Rull | Ateneo de Naga | 88.30
6 Charle Niño Pasahol | Dela Salle - Lipa | 88.10
7 Ian Claudio Santayano | Rizal Technological University |87.80
8 Jan Carlo Javier | University of Santo Tomas | 87.70
9 Julius Jr. Olandria | Mindanao State University | 87.20
10 Joebert Basco | Polytechnic University of the Philippines |87.10

View the complete list of successful passers>> ECE Board Exam Result October 2009 (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/october-2009-electronics-engineer.html)
Click to view the Top Performing Schools ECE Board Exam October 2009 (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/top-performing-schools-ece-board-exam.html)

[kenken94]

Top 10 ECE Board Exam Result October 2009 (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/successful-examinees-in-ece-board-exam.html)

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1131 passed the Electronics Engineer (ECE) Licensure Examination (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/october-2009-electronics-engineer.html) given by the Board of Electronics Engineering in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Lucena & Tuguegarao on October 26 & 27, 2009.

The results were released in three (3) days after the last day of examination.

The successful examinees in the ECE Board Exam Result October 2009 who garnered the ten (10) highest places are the following:


RANK |NAME |SCHOOL | RATING(%)

1 Rizaldo Fuentes | Cebu Institute of Technology |91.10
2 Danny Supnet | University of the East - Caloocan
3 Jared Noynay | University of Cebu |90.40
4 Teosseth Altar | Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila | 89.80
5 Leo Angelo Rull | Ateneo de Naga | 88.30
6 Charle Niño Pasahol | Dela Salle - Lipa | 88.10
7 Ian Claudio Santayano | Rizal Technological University |87.80
8 Jan Carlo Javier | University of Santo Tomas | 87.70
9 Julius Jr. Olandria | Mindanao State University | 87.20
10 Joebert Basco | Polytechnic University of the Philippines |87.10

View the complete list of successful passers>> ECE Board Exam Result October 2009 (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/october-2009-electronics-engineer.html)
Click to view the Top Performing Schools ECE Board Exam October 2009 (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/top-performing-schools-ece-board-exam.html)

Yes! Top na naman ang CIT!:banana:

[le Reine]

DepEd mulls new sites, textbooks for damaged schools
By Edson C. Tandoc Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:10:00 11/01/2009

MANILA, Philippines--The Department of Education
(DepEd) is planning to relocate schools located in disaster-prone areas that suffered about P2-billion worth of damage in the aftermath of Tropical Storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”

In a press conference Friday, Education Undersecretary Ramon Bacani said the DepEd had started identifying the public schools located in geohazard-prone areas.

“These [schools] are being identified and relocation will be planned if there is a need to relocate them to safer ground,” he said.

Bacani cited public schools in Baguio City, saying many of them were located in areas prone to landslides.


continue reading here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091101-233365/DepEd-mulls-new-sites-textbooks-for-damaged-schools

[ruralvillage]

Integrated computer education in elementary level sought (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=519648&publicationSubCategoryId=63)
By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=519648&publicationSubCategoryId=63)) Updated November 02, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines – In response to the growing demand of technological skills in the domestic and global labor market, Sen. Edgardo Angara has urged for an integrated computer education in the elementary level.

He noted the need for students to be educated in information technology
(IT) after learning about the 2009 Global IT Report released by the World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The report stated that the Philippines has further slipped from its 2008 ranking of 81st in terms of Network Readiness to 85th this year. In 2007 the country ranked 69th.

Angara called for the inclusion of basic computer applications and programs in the primary level to produce highly skilled workers in programming, digital design, hardware, networking and software development.

“We are facing tough competition in many or all sectors of the global and domestic labor. In our efforts to recover from lost economic grounds, our people need to be updated on the latest advances in technology. The youth must be scientifically and technically prepared to fully tap their inner talents and contribute to national development,” said Angara.

The former University of the Philippines president has filed a bill that seeks to create the Board of Computer Education to assess, supervise and monitor the accreditation of schools; and provide the curriculum for computer-aided logic, math and science education in the elementary level.

It will also institute a voucher system for specialized computer education in 19 of the poorest provinces of the country.

Under this bill, qualified high school graduates may take competitive aptitude tests. Upon passing, they can avail of vouchers from partner agencies or the local unit of the Board to enroll in a computer school of their choice.

“Preparing students for the demands of technology (would) enable them as future professionals to perform competitively both here and abroad,” he said.

Likewise, it will improve the country’s standing as an investment and learning ground in terms of technology capability,” Angara stressed.

[jpdm]

^^^^^^
ok yan:)

[ritche]

SUAKCREM paper lands in top int'l. journal

A paper by a team from Silliman University Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management was the feature article in the September 4 issue of the Marine Ecology Progress Series, one of the leading international journals in the field of marine ecology.

"Trophic and benthic resources to no-take marined reserve protection in the Philippines" is a product of a collaborative research between SUAKCREM and the School of Marine and Tropical Biology and ARC Center for Coral Reef Studies of James Cook University. it was written by SUAKCREM research associates Brian Stockwell, Claro Renato Jadloc, and Rene Abesamis, with Dr. Angel C. Alcala and Dr. Gerry Russ of JCU.

On its website, the InterScienceResearch Publisher, the journal's publisher synthesizes the paper: "No-take marine reserves have the potential to prevent dominance of algae on coral reefs through the recovery of ahrvested populations of herbivorous fish. Using data from 15-fold increase in biomass of herbivorous fish, which coincided with a 13-fold decrease in macro algal cover inside reserves after 11 years of protection..."

This is the second time a paper by the SUACKREM was selected Top Paper. The first time was in 1998 with Coral Reef, a paper by Dr. Alcala and Dr. Russ.

[national guard]

CHEd urged to name inferior nursing schools
By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091102-233599/CHEd-urged-to-name-inferior-nursing-schools)
First Posted 17:36:00 11/02/2009

Filed Under: Schools, Education


MANILA, Philippines—The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on Monday urged the Commission on Higher Education to disclose the 177 schools with substandard nursing education in the interest of consumers.

According to TUCP secretary-general Ernesto Herrera, the CHEd should identify these schools that would be phased out so that parents would be warned not to enroll their children in these institutions.

“The CHEd should specify the institutions with low-grade nursing programs. This way, parents will be discouraged from sending their daughters and sons to these schools even before they are actually closed down,” Herrera said.

The CHEd recently said there were 177 nursing programs nationwide failed to produce a student who was able to pass the Nursing Licensure Examination in the last five years. The agency did not identify the schools but ordered their closure.

Herrera said CHEd has a duty to the public to divulge the names of these schools, which might continue to offer its services to unwitting parents.

He likened the deficient nursing institutions to defective products. Herrera pointed out that unsafe and defective products are often identified and recalled in the market to protect consumers.

“Right now, the public does not have a clue as to the identities of these inferior nursing schools,” Herrera said. “We also have no idea as to when these schools will actually be closed down. Some of them may be able to appeal their cases, and continue to offer nursing programs indefinitely, to the detriment of consumers,” he added.

The 177 faulty institutions, according to Herrera, account for nearly half of all nursing schools. Encouraged by the prospect of getting high-paying jobs overseas, more than 420,000 students are now enrolled in 460 nursing schools nationwide.

The sheer number of nursing students in the country has produced a surplus of graduates that could not be accommodated in the local job market.

[national guard]

DepEd told: Now’s your chance to correct texts
By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://www.inquirer.net/)
First Posted 05:47:00 11/02/2009

Filed Under: Books, Education



MANILA, Philippines—Get it right this time.

With 11 million public school textbooks destroyed by the recent typhoons, the Department of Education (DepEd) has an opportunity to correct the errors in them before they are reprinted, “sick books” crusader Antonio Calipjo Go said.

Go made the statement after the DepEd announced that it was considering an emergency purchase of textbooks worth P739 million in six regions heavily affected by the calamities.

“The DepEd should take this opportunity to correct the errors right in those books before they are reprinted. This is a good opportunity for the DepEd to make corrections instead of coming up with Band-aid solutions,” Go said.

“These reprints are not free. Of course, we’ll have to pay for them. But our students will continue to suffer if the errors are not corrected,” he added.

Go said the “Teaching Notes” the DepEd issued to correct more than 450 errors found in 10 English textbooks used from Grade 1 to Grade 6 was “not enough” since one of the textbooks had “as many as 750 errors.”

“That is not enough. I want to be happy with this (correction by the DepEd) but I can’t because in one textbook used in Grade 6, I found around 750 errors,” Go said.

“If they really wanted to correct the books, they should have gone all the way and corrected all the mistakes,” he added.
CONTINUE READING HERE (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091102-233527/DepEd-told-Nows-your-chance-to-correct-texts)

[lgseccionph]

Top Performing Schools ECE Board Exam October 2009 (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/top-performing-schools-ece-board-exam.html)

The top performing schools in the October 2009 Electronics Engineering Board Exam (ECE Board Exam Result October 2009) are the following:

A. WITH 100 OR MORE EXAMINEES

RANK | SCHOOL | TOTAL NO. PASSED | % PASSED
1. UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS | 101 | 74| 73%
2. POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MAIN-STA MESA | 167 |62 | 37%
3. TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA | 118| 37 | 31%

B. WITH 50-99 EXAMINEES

RANK | SCHOOL | TOTAL NO. PASSED | % PASSED
1. TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-VISAYAS | 58 | 28 |48%
2. DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY - MANILA | 21 | 20 |39%
. UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST-CALOOCAN | 70 | 27 + 39%
3. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES-DAVAO CITY | 52 | 15 | 29%

C. WITH 20-49 EXAMINEES

RANK | SCHOOL | TOTAL NO. PASSED | % PASSED
1.UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN | 37 | 29 | 78%
2.MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY-ILIGAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | 29 | 20 | 69%
3.PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA | 39 | 25 | 64%

The performance of schools in the October 2009 Electronics Engineering Board Exam (ECE Board Exam Result October 2009) in alphabetical order as per R.A. 8981 otherwise known as PRC Modernization Act of 2000. Click here >>>Top Performing Schools ECE Board Exam October 2009 (http://www.pinoyboardresults.co.cc/2009/10/top-performing-schools-ece-board-exam.html)

[epik ll ian]

By ANGELO G. GARCIA (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/225878/parlezvous-fran-ais)
October 22, 2009, 9:21am

Spoken worldwide by about 65 million people as their mother tongue, the French language is the official language of 29 countries and is shared by people in five different continents. It is also listed as one of United Nation’s official languages.

Amazing stats indeed, but are Filipino public high school students ready to learn French?

Not known to many, the French Embassy is now actively pushing the teaching of French language in the country’s public schools.

Back in 1997, three selected public science high schools in Metro Manila started to offer French language classes as an elective course under the complete auspices of the French Embassy. Today, the Department of Education (DepEd) in partnership with the French Embassy is offering French language lessons to more public secondary schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region VII.

Three science high schools - Makati Science High School, Quezon City SHS and Manila SHS - have started its French language lessons this school year under this new partnership. The program is being offered as elective courses to third and fourth year high school students.

Ten other pre-selected science high schools will start the program next school year. These include Caloocan SHS, Mandaluyong SHS, Muntinlupa SHS, Cebu City National Science High School, Mandaue City SHS, Minglanilla National SHS, Toledo SHS, Tagbilaran City SHS, and Medellin National SHS.

These schools have been chosen based on its Mean Percentage Score (MPS) in English.

“Kasi ang isang requirement namin eh mataas ‘yung MPS sa English para mabilis na matuto ang mga bata,” explains DepEd project development officer Ana Marie Hernandez.

WHY FRENCH? WHY NOT!

Hernandez explains that the French Embassy has been very aggressive to push this program.

“While the different languages are being taught in other schools/universities, the French Embassy is more aggressive in offering it. They started working on it 10 years ago and it has received positive feedback among the students and schools as well. The DepEd grabbed this offer because it will be supported fully by the embassy. So why not?” Hernandez says.

French Ambassador Thierry Borja de Mozota emphasized during the launch the importance of the program as a tool in strengthening the links between the Philippines and France, and in promoting linguistic and cultural diversity.

“As far as I know, from the schools that have already implemented the program, students had a positive response, some of them even have as much as eight classes,” Hernandez shares.

DepEd secretary Jesli Lapus also stressed during the launch that the program is likewise expected to develop the students’ geographic and cultural knowledge of other countries and a perspective concerning the Philippines’ place in the world, which will help them in other subjects such as science and history.

Hernandez however points out that in other public schools, French is not the only foreign language available to students.

“Some public schools also offer Spanish and Nihongo (Japanese), the German embassy is also pushing for the instruction of the German language in our schools,” she explains.

Makati SHS, for instance, offers both French and Nihongo language classes under its foreign language department, while Quezon City SHS offers French and Spanish. DepEd also offers Spanish classes in 17 selected regional schools in the country.

“We need to be at par with other countries kasi nga there is the booming of the call centers. It will also help them in the relationship with counterparts with other countries, diplomatically, eto ‘yung mga reasons why we’re doing this kasi we want them to be culturally prepared,” Hernandez adds.

PRACTICAL?

Given that acquiring foreign language has its advantages, especially for the ones who really need it. But is it practical to a public school student?

Makati SHS principal Divinelinda dela Cruz opines that it’s not practical to learn the said language because there are a lot more that has to be improved in the country’s education system.

“It’s not practical because we still have to improve our English instruction,” dela Cruz says in a phone interview. “But our students can cope with the French language. It’s also an advantage when they enrol in colleges like in UP (University of the Philippines). Knowing how to speak a different language gives them the advantage,” she explains.

Makati SHS started offering French language classes back in 1998, then wholly- sponsored by the French Embassy.

It now offers the program as a mandatory elective, thus all of its 378 third year and fourth year students are taking the classes. It is held twice a week and is equivalent to 0.60 units.

It is likewise advantageous to some public teachers as well. Selected teachers of the aforementioned public science high schools have started training at Alliance Francaise in Manila and Cebu. As follow-through, the teachers are currently undergoing a once-a-week face-to-face training in the said language schools, which will run until March 2010.

“We are training the teachers to build their confidence and acquire more knowledge in teaching French as a second foreign language after English,” Hernandez explains.

Due to some constraints, DepEd and its partners have no plans of expanding further the program to other public high schools in the country.

I'm glad that the DepEd is realizing the need for greater foreign language instruction, but if we look at where we are, is French honestly the most relevant language the Filipino students should be learning now? Shouldn't there also be a slightly greater stress on foreign language instruction of the languages that are immediately close to us, which could in turn lead us to greater economic prosperity? I.e. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Thai etc.? I'm not saying no to French, but I think given where we're situated, there are more relevant languages to us. Think about, just how many relevant economic powerhouses in our area primarily speak French?

Plus, if we do put French into the system, just how often do you think they're going to be using it? If they learn the other languages I mentioned, however, they'd have far greater chances to practice the languages, and we can find teachers easily (at a cheaper cost) from these places (not to mention a lot of them are in the Philippines right now, so they could have conversations all the time).

[TeslaCoil]

^^ And what's the relevance of those languages you mentioned?

[epik ll ian]

^^ You're kidding right?

Go get a map, and look at where the Philippines is located in relation to these countries.
Note how many of them are economic superpowers now, and how a lot of them do business with our country. There's also a greater availability of these teachers in our country. ALSO note how many more of their people are even in our country in comparison to French speakers. Think of how many more times we could use these languages in comparison to French.

[TeslaCoil]

^^ I believe english is being taught to them. So why do we need to learn their language/s?

[epik ll ian]

^^ English isn't being taught to all of them. Some choose other routes and learn Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Korean etc. It's not like the Philippines where they decided to take on a second almost first language (now) which is English. There's way fewer people who can speak English than most people think. A LOT LESS people. That's why the individuals in these countries (especially in South Korea) who CAN speak English fluently get such high paying jobs. Even then, there still are A LOT who can't speak English. Plus, it wouldn't hurt for us to consider our environment and what would behoove of us to learn. French would be nice for some Filipinos to learn in order to maintain our relationship with France and the few French-speaking countries that are pretty much all in the western hemisphere. BUT, considering our options and taking practicality into account, the other languages I mentioned above would be more relevant to suit our needs and abilities.

[RonnieR]

Filipinos expect much of elite schools
www.chinaview.cn
2009-11-11 13:01:54
by Prime Sarmiento

LOS BANOS, Philippines, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Criselda Go is happy, because she is studying at the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA).

Her happiness arises from the credits of PHSA, one of the elite schools in the Philippines, which has produced renowned artists like concert pianist Rowena Arrieta, sculptor Gerry Leonardo, independent filmmaker Raymond Red and ballerina Nonoy Froilan.

Alyssa is also happy, because she is studying at another such elite school in the Manila Science High School which is more popularly known as MaSci.

Her happiness comes from the MaSci prospects in turning out distinguished graduates like former Director of National Institute of Physics Jose Magpantay; environmental activist Von Glenn Hernandez, and visiting scientist at the Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden of Germany, Arnold Guloy.

Criselda Go, 14, aspires to become an opera diva like U.S.-born Greek Maria Callas or a composer like compatriot Nicanor Abelardo while 13-year-old Alyssa simply expects to resort to her algebra forte to fly an airplane some day.

Families in the Philippines that can afford tend to send their kids to elite schools, hoping that one day they would graduate into some kind of fame or fortune, or better still both, in the country.

PHSA executive director Fernando Josef has described being able to study in elite schools as the "most important gift that parents can give to their kids in the country."

He added that both parents and their kids would do anything to get a studying place in PHSA or MaSci or other elite schools.

But entrance exams are not easy to sit through, in that these schools are established by the government to nurture students with exceptional gifts, through high academic standards and a teaching faculty chosen from among the most respected and capable in their respective fields.

Criselda Go has to learn the basics of math, science and English in the morning, before she can devote the afternoon to composition, solo and choir singing and practice of the school's annual recital.

The hectic schedule leaves little time for her to hang around with friends but Criselda Go does not feel missing anything there.

Alyssa has already made herself a math whiz before the end of Year Two in MaSci thanks to her thorough knowledge about intermediate algebra.

[hiiamdib]

why? philippine colleges and universities are equivalent to community colleges in the us and other g7 countries where the standard of basic education is 12 years prior to college. a community college is a two year associate degree granting institution. if you add up the number of years of schooling for philippine college graduate is 14 years compared to g7 countries of 16 or 17 years. no wonder why they dont consider our universities at par with their standards. so in the rankings, we're nowhere to be found. even the community colleges ranked better among philippines schools based on that survey,

Colleges and universities in the Philippines are equivalent to community colleges here in the US? One comment: Entirely false. Masyado mo namang dinegrade ang Philippine schools. Community colleges don't even have entrance tests or selectivity.

And also, in my opinion, the 10 years of basic education that I had was more than enough to prepare me for college level. When I started college here back in 200* hehe, they were surprised that I was 16 years old and in college when it's normal in our country to start college at 16. Did I had a hard time to keep up with my older classmates? Nope, I even had to tutor some of them. Even if schools here in the US are more than 10 years, that does not mean the quality is good. They don't even require classes like Calculus or Physics to graduate in HS unlike in our country. Even the young Filipino children who goes to school here find it EASY compared to our country.

[MatudNilaBaby]

Colleges and universities in the Philippines are equivalent to community colleges here in the US? One comment: Entirely false. Masyado mo namang dinegrade ang Philippine schools. Community colleges don't even have entrance tests or selectivity.

And also, in my opinion, the 10 years of basic education that I had was more than enough to prepare me for college level. When I started college here back in 200* hehe, they were surprised that I was 16 years old and in college when it's normal in our country to start college at 16. Did I had a hard time to keep up with my older classmates? Nope, I even had to tutor some of them. Even if schools here in the US are more than 10 years, that does not mean the quality is good. They don't even require classes like Calculus or Physics to graduate in HS unlike in our country. Even the young Filipino children who goes to school here find it EASY compared to our country.

you must be lucky or one of the above average pinoy who belong to the top 10 or 20 of the graduating class that can pass entrance or equivalency test easily since you were taking calculus and physics in high school. young asians including filipino tend to do good in american schools based on performance tests. karamihan mangamote muna sa simula

if you have a high school diploma, thats the minimum requirement to enter a community college here. so there is no selection process. when you go to a four year college or university, then thats a different story.

[x12y12]

yeah.. go pinoys. im working here in SG but i can i say that Filipino in terms of Knowledge, skills and work ethic is far better than most people I work on here. We have so much more to offer than these people. Im not saying everyone but majority of us surely excel in our own fields.

Responsibility of every Filipino

For the next gen, I think we should continue to strengthen the fundamentals and go forward with applications. We need to collaborate also with other academics inside and outside our country to further incorporate the relevance of specific courses/sbujests in our curriculums. To further boost the quality of Filipino education which in turn will reflect to the stand of our economy, i think we should focus on these key areas


a. economics, business admin and accounting----for future financial centers in our country. we need more leaders in these fields. MBA etc

b. engineering and applied science-- advancement in engineering practices and technology. talking about infrastructures, urban planning, environemnt(big boost with the current trend) and manufacturing sectors.

c. Medicine----to support of course filipino healthcare, medical tourism and specially our nurses ehhe(remittance yan joke=)

d. law and international relations

e. Tourism and arts...

f. Information technology-

g. technical trainings/vocational/SMEs

and we really need to strengthen our ENGLISH

[epik ll ian]

Yeah there needs to be a bigger focus on technology and engineering. We soon need to take a turn towards building up our country with big industry (like Samsung, LG, Sony, Honda, Hyundai etc.) ...

Colleges and universities in the Philippines are equivalent to community colleges here in the US? One comment: Entirely false. Masyado mo namang dinegrade ang Philippine schools. Community colleges don't even have entrance tests or selectivity.

And also, in my opinion, the 10 years of basic education that I had was more than enough to prepare me for college level. When I started college here back in 200* hehe, they were surprised that I was 16 years old and in college when it's normal in our country to start college at 16. Did I had a hard time to keep up with my older classmates? Nope, I even had to tutor some of them. Even if schools here in the US are more than 10 years, that does not mean the quality is good. They don't even require classes like Calculus or Physics to graduate in HS unlike in our country. Even the young Filipino children who goes to school here find it EASY compared to our country.

Oh? And why skimp on the few years of basic education when they can easily be added back, so the students can receive an even fuller education? No reason not to teach kids as much as we possibly can. There's PLENTY of things that can be added to the education system's curriculum.

[x12y12]

President Arroyo inspects 100,000th and 100,001st classroom in remote Porac village
By Zorayda S. Tecson


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

PORAC, Pampanga, Nov. 18 (PNA) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday inspected the 100,000th and 100,001st classroom in the remote barangay of Diaz in this municipality, a strong manifestation of her unwavering commitment to provide every Filipino student an equal and better access to education.

In fact, it is one of the major milestones of the present administration, the legacy that President Arroyo wanted to leave before her term ends in 2010.

Citing that education is the foundation of economic prosperity and individual liberty, justice and self-worth, the Arroyo administration has been vigorously pursuing providing quality education to Filipino students through the improvement of the learning environment.

Since she assumed presidency in 2001, Mrs. Arroyo has considered education as one of her top priorities.

And all these efforts now reaped the fruits with the remarkable achievement of even surpassing her administration’s target in building 10,000 classrooms every year.

In her inspection of the ongoing construction of school classrooms here, the President not only added another feather in her cap, but also fulfilled the long dream of the Aeta children that is to have their own school.

Children in this remote barangay, like 14-year-old Joan Duya have been walking for hours just to go to the nearest school.

Duya is a sixth grade pupil at the Villa Maria Integrated School, which is a three-hour walk from her upland residence.

The President learned the Aeta children’s ordeal when she visited the Villa Maria Resettlement Area last June 8.

Immediately, she ordered the release of P1 million from the President’s Social Fund to start the construction of the school project, the first ever in the said Aeta community.

Aside from this community, the government has been investing for new school classrooms all over the country through the support of the private sector like the Asian Development Bank, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and other government institutions through their various school building programs.

These programs include the Regular School Building Program of the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Legislations, Local Government Unit Projects, Foreign-Assisted School Building Programs, the Classrooms Galing sa Mamamayang Pilipino Abroad, Department of Trade and Industry-National Development Corporation Lending Program for Local Government Units, Adopt-a-School Program and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.'s School Building Program.

Additional funds were also sourced from loans and grants from bilateral and multilateral donor agencies as well as foreign government and institutions.

With all these efforts and support, the Arroyo administration is optimistic that the government will soon meet its Millennium Development Goals in the education sector. (PNA)

[hiiamdib]

you must be lucky or one of the above average pinoy who belong to the top 10 or 20 of the graduating class that can pass entrance or equivalency test easily since you were taking calculus and physics in high school. young asians including filipino tend to do good in american schools based on performance tests. karamihan mangamote muna sa simula

if you have a high school diploma, thats the minimum requirement to enter a community college here. so there is no selection process. when you go to a four year college or university, then thats a different story.

Thus, community colleges should not be regarded as something higher when compared to Philippine Universities and Colleges. Just because these schools are in USA does not mean they are great.


Yeah there needs to be a bigger focus on technology and engineering. We soon need to take a turn towards building up our country with big industry (like Samsung, LG, Sony, Honda, Hyundai etc.) ...



Oh? And why skimp on the few years of basic education when they can easily be added back, so the students can receive an even fuller education? No reason not to teach kids as much as we possibly can. There's PLENTY of things that can be added to the education system's curriculum.

Fuller education? The big question is, do we really need a FULLER BASIC EDUCATION? FULL BASIC EDUCATION is not enough? I would not say I skipped as the basic education I got was SUFFICIENT. I rather saved two years of my life to spend on something more worth while. Longer years does not mean more learning. I know there is no reason not to teach kids as much as we possibly can so why not teach the kids in college, is it not continuation of their education? Basic education is called as such for the main goal of basic education would be to build upon a foundation to prepare them for higher learning, be it vocational or professional. As long as they are prepared, why pull them back? Ok, let's say we add more maths and sciences (e.g. anything with the conventional general physics), or any other classes you'd like. These classes would still be High School classes. It would not give great leverage but to prepare them for college level courses. Why strain them with more classes when you can just get them on college level learning and have them learn these classes where there is leverage and where credit is most accounted for?

Why do we always think that it's the curriculum that needs overhaul? Have we even gave a slight thought about the learning conditions? Did that have an effect to the students? < Rhetorical Question. Before we fix the curriculum as we deem it to be lacking, fix the learning conditions first and see the change. See if it was the curriculum, or if it was the learning conditions.

[hiiamdib]

dp

[lochinvar]

We may only have 10 years of pre-college studies but the load is quite heavy for the Philippines. In the U.S. they usually offer only the core subjects, i.e., English, Math, Science, Social Studies, History & PE. In the Philippines or in the public school I attended, in addition to the above we also had Good Manners and Right Conduct, Pilipino, Music, Practical Arts (Vocational).

[manila_eye]

Can we get rid of christian values and replace it with religion (study and understanding of different religions). Buong high school ko kasi christian bible lang ang tinuro sa amin.

[bakasaurus]

Can we get rid of christian values and replace it with religion (study and understanding of different religions). Buong high school ko kasi christian bible lang ang tinuro sa amin.

If you went to a Sectarian school, then of course that's part of the package.

[jpdm]

yeah.. go pinoys. im working here in SG but i can i say that Filipino in terms of Knowledge, skills and work ethic is far better than most people I work on here. We have so much more to offer than these people. Im not saying everyone but majority of us surely excel in our own fields.

Responsibility of every Filipino

For the next gen, I think we should continue to strengthen the fundamentals and go forward with applications. We need to collaborate also with other academics inside and outside our country to further incorporate the relevance of specific courses/sbujests in our curriculums. To further boost the quality of Filipino education which in turn will reflect to the stand of our economy, i think we should focus on these key areas


a. economics, business admin and accounting----for future financial centers in our country. we need more leaders in these fields. MBA etc

b. engineering and applied science-- advancement in engineering practices and technology. talking about infrastructures, urban planning, environemnt(big boost with the current trend) and manufacturing sectors.

c. Medicine----to support of course filipino healthcare, medical tourism and specially our nurses ehhe(remittance yan joke=)

d. law and international relations

e. Tourism and arts...

f. Information technology-

g. technical trainings/vocational/SMEs

and we really need to strengthen our ENGLISH

Good news!

We must sustain this...

You forgot to include new courses in the Philippines like development studies (socio-economic development studies) and some tradtional but important vocational courses such as welding, auto mechanics, electrical and computer technology...

[RML]

Entry level teaching in UP is about 11k-14k and I am not sure kung may mga prof sa UP na umaabot ng 50k. These are foreigners and I am not sure if they will be contented 11k-14k monthly salary.


ur figures are wrong.

[bakasaurus]

ur figures are wrong.

In 2007, before the new charter was approved, entry level Instructor 1 was around 17 thousand pesoses plus a hellotta bonuses, and additional overload pay (since 12 units is a full load, and most teachers go over this).

With the exemption from SSL, I don't know if the figures are still the same.


Can I just also comment on the all beaming with pride people here, I just want to keep it real (and no, I'm not a jaded, pessisimistic chap), but your observations on competence of Filipino students are to me not part of the greater mass. You are probably describing the upper percentiles. For really smart people, they shine and learn even if placed in a not so outstanding educational system. What is really of concern here is the majority, those who really need a good education. Our system as a whole needs a great amount of fixing.

[MatudNilaBaby]

Thus, community colleges should not be regarded as something higher when compared to Philippine Universities and Colleges. Just because these schools are in USA does not mean they are great.


if you think most of our colleges and universities are better than the american community colleges, then why arent they topping on the survey?

Fuller education? The big question is, do we really need a FULLER BASIC EDUCATION? FULL BASIC EDUCATION is not enough? I would not say I skipped as the basic education I got was SUFFICIENT. I rather saved two years of my life to spend on something more worth while. Longer years does not mean more learning. I know there is no reason not to teach kids as much as we possibly can so why not teach the kids in college, is it not continuation of their education? Basic education is called as such for the main goal of basic education would be to build upon a foundation to prepare them for higher learning, be it vocational or professional. As long as they are prepared, why pull them back? Ok, let's say we add more maths and sciences (e.g. anything with the conventional general physics), or any other classes you'd like. These classes would still be High School classes. It would not give great leverage but to prepare them for college level courses. Why strain them with more classes when you can just get them on college level learning and have them learn these classes where there is leverage and where credit is most accounted for?

Why do we always think that it's the curriculum that needs overhaul? Have we even gave a slight thought about the learning conditions? Did that have an effect to the students? < Rhetorical Question. Before we fix the curriculum as we deem it to be lacking, fix the learning conditions first and see the change. See if it was the curriculum, or if it was the learning conditions.

there's so much you can learn in two years of basic education. adding two years in our curriculum will level off our lag. just look at the educational curriculum of the g-7 nations with singapore, australia, new zealand and south korea ahead of us all, and leading the world.

ano ang mga pinoy, sunod sunoran lang. kasi may kakulangan talaga sa ating training. kung may marinig kang pinoy na nag-excel, most likely s/he was trained abroad. just because you know how to read, write and work with numbers means literate kana. there's really an element of learning that's missing in our curriculum that our teachers are not delivering to our students.

[bakasaurus]

there's so much you can learn in two years of basic education. adding two years in our curriculum will level off our lag. just look at the educational curriculum of the g-7 nations with singapore, australia, new zealand and south korea ahead of us all, and leading the world.

ano ang mga pinoy, sunod sunoran lang. kasi may kakulangan talaga sa ating training. kung may marinig kang pinoy na nag-excel, most likely s/he was trained abroad. just because you know how to read, write and work with numbers means literate kana. there's really an element of learning that's missing in our curriculum that our teachers are not delivering to our students.

I agree bai. Except with the last few words of the last sentence. I don't think the teachers are the ultimate cause, just maybe the proximate cause, so I don't think they should bear the brunt of the blame. We have to remember that they, too, are churned out by our educational system. It is our educational system itself that is not delivering the goods to the students.