by anyajulia | Sep 29, 2009 | Headlines, National News
TWO more tropical depressions threaten to hit the country, barely a week after tropical storm Ondoy wreaked havoc claiming billions of properties in massive floods all over Manila.
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecaster Connie Dadivas said the two weather disturbances are likely to enter Philippine territory late Wednesday or Thursday.
Another Pagasa forecaster however said the weather disturbances are still too far away to affect any part of the country for now.
This however is not any ease because even with Ondoy out of the country, the receding storm enhanced the southwest monsoon and would bring occasional rains over the western sections of Central and Southern Luzon, said Pag-asa. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Sep 29, 2009 | Headlines, National News
THE death toll in the worst flooding in northern Philippines in four decades brought by typhoon Ondoy has reached 100, and may continue to rise.
As of press time, authorities were simply overwhelmed trying to verify scores of unconfirmed deaths, missing persons and those still awaiting rescue, said reports.
Rescuers still need to penetrate villages blocked off by floating cars and debris since Ondoy, internationally named Ketsana swept through over the weekend.
The government has declared a “state of calamity” in metropolitan Manila and 25 storm-hit provinces, including many that have not flooded before, allowing officials to use emergency funds for relief and rescue.
More than 450,000 people were affected by the storm, including some 115,000 brought to about 200 schools, churches and other evacuation shelters, officials said. Troops, police and volunteers have been able to rescue more than 7,900 people so far, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said. (PIA)
by anyajulia | Sep 28, 2009 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Panglao International Airport
Crucial meeting on the the Panglao Bohol International Airport, with Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacanang on Oct. 6, will reveal the fate of the multi-billion airport.
Gov. Erico Aumentado told the President that if the airport project would be derailed, then, it “could be the biggest issue in Bohol against the administration candidates.”
The governor who is a known political leader of the President has oftentimes relayed Ms. Arroyo’s commitment to complete the project within her term.
However, latest developments revealed that due to the delayed implementation of the project, the cost overrun of the project would cost 76%, increasing the project cost to P7.5 billion as against the outlay of P4.2 billion previously approved by the National Economic Development Authority-ICC technical board.
The meeting is expected to address the problems on the airport project, particularly on the funding requirement.
The new cost estimate came out after the Philippine Japan Airports Consultants (Phil-JAC) completed its detailed engineering works for the airport project recently.
Aumentado has a ready second option though – construct the terminal building and allied facilities under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme.
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by anyajulia | Sep 28, 2009 | Headlines, National News
The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to offer French classes in selected public high schools nationwide in the next school year.
DepEd Education Secretary Jesli Lapus and French Ambassador Thierry Borja de Mozota inked an agreement to formally introduce French in 13 science high schools starting school year 2010- 2011.
Six science schools from the National Capital Region (NCR) and seven in Region VII () were selected in the pilot phase of the Special Program in Foreign Language, with Tagbilaran City among them.
The program also eyes the development of students’ skills in listening, reading, writing, speaking and viewing as basic skills to acquire communicative competence in a second foreign language.
Last May 2009, selected teachers from the participating schools underwent a month-long intensive training program at the Alliance Française in Manila and Cebu. The teachers are currently in the second phase of their training which runs until March 2010. (DepEd)
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by anyajulia | Sep 28, 2009 | Headlines, National News
The Department of Education issues new guidelines for honor students selection in the primary and secondary levels nationwide.
Through DepEd Order 92, series of 2009, the candidate for honors at any grade or year level shall be drawn from the Top 10 pupils or students of the school. Likewise, the candidates for honors must not have a final grade lower than 80 percent in any subject.
“To determine the Top 10 pupils or students, they shall be ranked using the 7-3 scheme which means 7 points for academic performance and 3 points for co-curricular activities, while their grades in the previous curriculum level shall not be considered in the ranking of honors for graduating pupils or students,” DepEd Secretary Lapus stated in the order.
Included in the new guidelines is the provision that all candidates for honor must be of good moral character, and have not been subjected to any disciplinary actions within the current year. (PIA)
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