by magnolia_eic | May 31, 2010 | Headlines, National News
THE Brigada Eskwela wont be just for a week, instead becomes a sustainable activity of communities helping the schools attain the ultimate goal of education for all, explains Department of Education authorities during the recent Kapihan sa PIA.
According to Dr. Erlinda Mahinay, the Brigada Eskwela, which allows members of the communities to show their concern for education through voluntary services in repairing and maintaining government schools is just the formal opening of a yearlong activity implemented by the DepEd.
This is so that by June 15, the pupils do not necessarily get stalled for clean up or repair jobs but proceeds directly to their classes and miss nothing of the 202 school days for this year, Dr. Mahinay said.
The Brigada eskwela also happens to be just one of the major activities characterized by a massive DepEd campaign to get all school age kids back to classes. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | May 31, 2010 | Election 2010, Headlines, National News
INSTEAD of public school teachers, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has deputized its lawyers and police trainees to serve as Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) in the special elections in Lanao del Sur on Thursday.
In an 11-page resolution, the Comelec ordered the replacement of election officers in Lanao del Sur’s seven municipalities with Comelec lawyers and Philippine National Police (PNP) trainees.
Comelec lawyers will be assigned as chairmen of the Board of Canvassers as well as election officers for the special polls.
At the same time, the Comelec also ordered police trainees from Regions 10, 11 and 12 to be on stand-by in case there would be a shortage of teachers who will serve as members of the special BEIs.
The police trainees will undergo training in the operation of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and procedures for voting and counting.
Earlier, the poll body declared failure of elections in the seven Lanao del Sur towns after teachers there refused to perform election duties last May 10 due to threats and violent incidents. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | May 31, 2010 | Headlines, National News
EXPORT growth targets have been revised upwards on the back of strong orders and could be hiked further following the economy’s better-than-expected performance in the first quarter.
Senen M. Perlada, executive director of the Export Development Council (EDC), said the public-private body, in a May 21 meeting, adjusted its 2010 growth forecast to 22% from 20%.
With exports “really going strong,” he said the target for merchandise goods had been raised to 20% from 16% while that for service exports was kept at 30%.
Perlada, who is also head of the Trade department’s export promotion bureau added that the electronics sector is still performing strongly and may grow around 25%. He said giftware may also grow by 10%.
The adjustment was made ahead of last Thursday’s announcement of 7.3% gross domestic product (GDP) growth for January to March, which the government said was due in part to increased trade following last year’s economic downturn. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | May 31, 2010 | Local News / Bohol Balita
PEACE advocates here found new recruits in the members of half of Inabanga’s 50 barangays as the government and civil society organized human rights (HR) violations watchgroup here.
In its recent efforts to enlarge the peace ripples here, the municipal peace and order council (MPOC) along with barangay captains warmly welcomed the Bohol Local Monitoring Board in launching the local human rights complaint receiving body in the town and its neighboring areas.
The LMB in Bohol was set up to help monitor compliance by the agents of the state and the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front on the Comprehensive Agreements on the Respect for Human Rights and the International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).
CARHRIHL is one of the key agreements entered into by both conflicting parties in the 35 year old struggle to find peace in the country.
In Inabanga, 25 of its 50 barangays with prevalent cases of human rights violations got into the LMB orientation given by Bohol LMB.
Bohol LMB coordinator Romeo Teruel led the board composed of government and civil society agents in giving the proper orientation to the community.
The orientation cascades the roles and responsibilities of the members of the local LMB, which has been institutionalized by an executive order issued by Governor Erico Aumentado.
By the same executive order, Bohol can now set up around six local LMBs, two per district. Aside from Inabanga, District 2 also has an LMB set up in Talibon while District 1 has Catigbian and Loon and District 3 has Mabini and Carmen.
Mayor Jose Jono Jumamoy said he welcomed the development even as he aggressively campaigns for cottage industries translating to more jobs and better hopes for his people who have shown excellence in crafts over time.
Peace, he said is not just the absence of war but having the capability to make out for their lives and living with the means to cover their basic needs.
Historically the hometown of a local hero Francisco Dagohoy, Inabanga has eloquently shouted that the town is home to freedom and peace fighters. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | May 31, 2010 | Features, Local News / Bohol Balita
WITH raw materials in its handicrafts easily obtainable by China where cheap labor can churn products flooding international niche markets, how would Bohol crafts fare?
The Department of Trade and Industry says the keyword is innovation.
And in its recently formalized their collaboration with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines’ (EECP) Materials Research and Development Program, a Business Accelerator and Materials Innovation (BAMI) program is now being studied with the raffia weavers of Bohol, particularly in Inabanga and Tubigon.
The Program, which kicked off last January is conceptualized by Materials R&D Project Manager Ingrid Haufe and assisted by freelance designer Doro Barandino, has the key personalities immersed in weaving communities to try on new design patterns and media on locally made crafts, a DTI Bohol source revealed.
“They are currently assisting the raffia weavers in coming up with new design patterns and mixed media applications based on the newest trends,” the source who wishes to remain unnamed said.
By mixed media applications, the weavers are experimenting recycled materials such as newspapers and old plastic twine mixed together with raffia, she shared with the characteristic excitement of a scientist discovering a new product for the market
Other indigenous materials like buri and abaca are also being experimented, she added.
From these hand-wovens, select exporter companies convert them into actual products, and these companies who will have exclusivity on their chosen materials for at least a year.
Other areas of experimentation include the pattern development, and the most recent patterns developed are set for display at the Materials Library at the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation (CFIF) building.
The first material output will be showcased in Bohol’s raw materials fair in July, while the first products by the companies will be presented in Bijoux Cebu in September and Manila FAME in October. (PIA-Bohol)
