by anyajulia | Apr 4, 2009 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has formally instructed the country’s higher education commission to look into reforming the no-tuition, no exams policy in another bid to enable the upward mobility of the youth through education.
“The ‘no payment, no periodic examination policy’, I understand is one of the main reasons why young students from poor families drop out of college,” she said in front of 6000 students and youth leaders at the Bohol Wisdom School gym.
On revealing her instruction to the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) the president pressed “this has to change to ensure a decent graduation rate for college.”
“Rigid tuition fee payment rules cannot be allowed to sabotage the great educational agenda of our Administration,” she stressed further as he instructed the review to make education a way to marginalize poverty.
By this, she has also bared her Administration’s considered of the tuition fee policy as a concern that must be responded to immediately to expand educational opportunities.
“That is so important because in today’s global economy, knowledge is the greatest creator of wealth,” she announced amid the applause of students and youth leaders gathered during the national convention here.
She impressed the government’s role of pouring all savings and revenues into programs that help the poor and the middle-class, investments in economy, environment and education.
Another concern was to expand the coverage of the Student Assistance Fund for Education (SAFE).
The benefits of our SAFE should receive the fullest of endowments, the president daughter of a poor man turned president said.
Inspired by the stories of successful poor students, President Arroyo told CHEd to instruct all state universities and colleges to devise a flexible, socially-sensitive tuition fee payment plan, aside from reforming the “no payment, no periodic examination policy”
In the executive order, she also instructs the commission to expand the coverage of the SAFE program.
“On top of tuition, beneficiaries of the program should be able to borrow from the fund for a monthly stipend to subsidize the students’ transport fares and laboratory, research and book allowance,” the president said.
My dream for the youth that you represent is that in the prime of your life ten years, twenty years from today, you will see the Philippines on the verge of first world, she bared
That in the prime of your life, poverty shall have been marginalized; and the marginalized raised to a robust middle-class, President Arroyo said. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Apr 4, 2009 | Headlines, National News
HOLY week rolls along with only two working days for the country’s labor force, this as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Proclamation 1699 late last year.
According to the proclamation signed December 24, April 9, which is traditionally celebrated as the Araw ng Kagitingan is being moved to April 6, the Monday nearest to it.
Meanwhile, April 9 and 10 have been traditionally observed in the Christian world as the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, two of the most important days of solemn reflection in the Holy Week, thus both are declared regular holidays across the country.
The Presidential Proclamation then legitimizes the three holidays within the week and opens only Tuesday and Wednesday as the regular working day.
Sources from the Department of Labor and Employment also explained that leaving two working days in the week would eventually assure daily wage earners at least two days income to feed the family.
On Monday, when the country commemorates Araw ng Kagitingan, Filipinos also remember the tragic Fall of Bataan.
Fall of Bataan is an annual commemoration of the Filipino’s true spirit of freedom and valor when freedom defenders holed up in Mt. Samat in Bataan and Corregidor Island to stop the Japanese invaders from entering the Manila Bay.
The American and Filipino strong hold of Bataan is very crucial for the country as they delayed the Japanese occupation and thus prevented the Japanese forces from gaining a strategic control of the vast Pacific Ocean.
The eventual capture of the freedom defender’s bastions in Bataan also started the infamous Death March, where both Filipinos and Americans who fought side by side were forced to march from Bataan to Tarlac.
Along the way, thousands of Filipinos and Americans died of exhaustion and abuse.
On the other hand, in the religious tradition of the Christians, the whole Christendom bows in prayer in contemplation of the agonies of Christ, the Savior who eventually died to redeem the world.
The event is symbolically commemorated by days of prayer and fasting, especially on Good Friday when Christ would die while crucified. (rachiu/PIA)
by anyajulia | Apr 3, 2009 | Headlines, National News
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is pushing for the large-scale processing and manufacture of nutritious and affordable vegetable-based foodstuff for the consumers, in order to reduce the effects of the global crisis.
The President will inaugurate the Benguet Vegetable Processing Center in Benguet State University (BSU), in La Trinidad on Tuesday, April 7, together with Presidential Management Staff Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan, BSU President Rogelio Colting, and members and representatives of the Inter-Agency Group under the Veggie Noodles Project.
President Arroyo has already infused a P10-million financial assistance and instructed BSU to concentrate first on the development and commercial production and distribution of veggie noodles. (PMS-ICO)
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by anyajulia | Apr 3, 2009 | Headlines, National News
The Department of Agriculture extended P3.2 million fertilizer discount coupons to farmers under the Fertilizer Subsidy Program.
The Malacanang press report disclosed that under the Fertilizer Subsidy program, the DA also provided the following: a) 13,635.52 MT of organic fertilizer and soil ameliorants; b) 2.615 million bio-agents; c) location-specific interventions like Bio-N, Vital-N, Zinc Sulfate and Bio-con and d) soil and plant testing kits to minimize wastage of fertilizer and soil ameliorants. (PIA)
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by anyajulia | Apr 3, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
“There is no irregularity or substantial error in the P168 M bidding for the purchase of a fleet of brand new heavy equipment of the provincial government.” This was the findings of the review panel looking into the bidding controversy.
The result of the bid review did not come as a surprise as anti-graft watchdog Boholanos Against Corruption and Social Harassment (Bacos) already cast doubts on the integrity of the review committee which was formed by Gov. Erico Aumentado.
Vice-Governor Julius Herrera said the review team meticulously reviewed the procedures outlined under RA 9184 (the Government Procurement Law) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) vis-a-vis the bidding process undertaken by the Biids & Awards Committee (BAC).
However, a separate inquiry and monitoring is being conducted by the Commission on Audit (COA) on the bidding. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan committee on public accountability headed by Board Member Asther Piollo is also conducting its own probe.
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