Lawmaker: Local maritime learning should level-up

Gatchalian stated, as he cited that his Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers will be a “significant step forward.”

As such, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the EU’s move also acknowledged the Philippines’s efforts to boost the state of education for the maritime sector.

The European Commission recognized the country’s serious efforts particularly in complying with requirements in key areas such as monitoring, supervi - sion, evaluation of training and assessment.

As chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture,Gatchalian urged concerned agencies to ensure that the training must be provided to seafarers to improve their overall competitiveness.

“The challenge remains for the

Philippines to ensure that our seafarers are globally competitive, given their critical role and contribution to the economic growth of the country,”

In 2022 he filed Senate Bill 822, or an act seeking to protect Filipino seafarers beyond “our borders and build their competency [via] education and skills training to sustain and improve…overall competitiveness and professional advantage.”

Sea-based remittances in 2021 reached $6.54 billion, which comprised at least 21 percent of the total dollar remittances of all overseas Filipino workers, and was slightly higher than that of 2020 at $6.35 billion. Leonel

THE United States government, RTI International and the Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI) signed last March a n ew tie-up to boost the reading skills of Kindergarten to Grade 3 students via radio and television-based learning resources.

Starting March 13 KCFI will regularly air existing learning materials jointly developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Advancing Basic E ducation in the Philippines (ABC+) program-implementing partner RTI International, and the Department of Education (DepEd). The programs were designed to instill genuine love for reading in young children, and help them master the four macro literacy skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing.

By Roderick L. Abad

IT’S back to basics for students in Muntinlupa, as the city government has renewed its priority on one of the most vital building blocks of learning, which is reading.

Following its recent launch, the Muntinlupa Readers Book Club (MRB Club) is now making rounds within the locality with the conduct of free book-reading sessions with the help of volunteers.

“This reading program aims to develop basic literacy skills such as reading, listening and comprehension, especially among young learners, to give them the necessary skills to achieve in life,” Mayor Ruffy Biazon said.

To date the MRB Club has reached out to the communities of Southville 3, NHA Phase 1 to 4, and Sto. Niño, Aplaya—all in Barangay Poblacion.

“We also aim to encourage Muntinlupeños to be part of the MRB Club by volunteering as readers to kids in their community under the ‘Make Your City Proud (MYCP)’ volunteer program,” the local chief executive added.

Currently the MRB Club, through the Tourism, Culture, and the Arts Department, is calling for volunteer readers. Muntinlupa residents who are 18 years old and above, with clear speaking voice plus good storytelling and communication skills, may apply. They must be in good health, and willing to commit at least an hour to the MYCP.

Under the volunteerism program, qualified volunteer readers will undergo free workshops and are entitled to MYCP points, which can be used to redeem benefits and incentives from the city government and accredited partners.

IN a few short weeks, thousands of graduating highschool students will make one of their biggest decisions: choosing a college degree.

However, most students pick a course based on their chances of landing a job quickly after graduation, rather than building toward a long-term career.

Mapúa’s director for its Center for Guidance and Counseling (CGC) Arlene Macatuggal said students should think of the professional and personal journeys they want to pursue before they even zero-in on a specific course.

“Choosing a personally and professionally fulfilling career is important, because it gives a person guidance in life,” said Macatuggal. “Students should, early on, set their sights on a career path to quickly sift and assess if a specific course can pave the way to their target profession, and eventually help them experience not just longterm financial and professional growth, but also personal fulfillment.” which senior high-school strand or college program a student should take in Mapúa.

Graduating students, and their parents, should also be aware of the possible jobs each course can offer to align the degree program the former enroll in and their career pathway.

“At the same time prospective college applicants should also proactively self-assess their abilities, talents, and potential. They can reflect on the things or work they enjoy, activities they find rewarding, their skill sets, values, likes and dislikes, and their longterm vision and goals,” added Macatuggal.

In the case of Mapúa, a significant number of students enrolled in their top courses like Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, BS Architecture, BS Computer Engineering, BS Mechanical Engineering, and BS Computer Science cited interests and skills in math, computers, building and sciences as main drivers for their career choice. The influence of their parents, teachers, peers, and previous positive experiences in high school aided some Mapúans arrive at their career choice.

S aid partnership addresses the continuing gaps in education in the Philippines, and ensures that children have access to quality education that will build their literacy skills for lifelong learning. It also supports educational innovations through the creation and promotion of multimedia learning resources for young children.

“We thank KCFI for its interest in our initiative and desire to promote learning and access to education, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized children,” Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks of USAID Phils. said. “As your en - during friend, partner and ally, [we] w ill continue to forge and strengthen partnerships with the private sector to expand learning opportunities for children, so that they can grow up to reach their full potential and contribute to the country’s growth.”

“ We are confident that this new partnership between ABC+ and KCFI will not only be beneficial to our respective organizations but more important, to the students, teachers, and communities that we serve,” P resident and Executive Director Rina Lopez of KCFI said. “By bringing the video lessons to more audiences all over the country, we will be making… meaningful contribution to the efforts of schools, teachers, and parents n ationwide who are working hard to enrich their students and children’s learning.”

“It is our fervent hope that this work will encourage practitioners and teachers to be knowledgeable, skillful and insightful as we all work together to the care and education of young children,” Education finance undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said.

“The DepEd wholeheartedly believes in this collaboration, and we are all confident that we will contribute to the commitments of our ‘ MATATAG ’ agenda: a whole pro-creation approach which aims to support our l earners— Bansang Makabata —to become productive and nation-loving Filipinos: ‘ Batang Makabansa.’” wants to promote them to the global market.

MANILA-BASED Top Draw Animation plans to open three academies, each in Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Caraga regions, as part of its expansion and harnessing of untapped talent in the provinces.

THE Philippines’s consulategeneral in Hong Kong recently conducted its first language and cultural-exchange program with local university students. Held online, the program featured presentations on the Philippine and Hong Kong cultures, then provided an opportunity for students to exchange their perspectives on their respective cultures, as well as to practice their English and Cantonese with their contemporaries.

The program was conducted in partnership with the Hong Kong Metropolitan University, the Ateneo de Manila University, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Hong Kong’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

This strategy can help learners (and also, their elders) determine if their chosen course covers the required units and learning outcomes for their professional journey, and if they need additional exposure, or postgraduate or supplementary studies.

To take the guesswork out of it, graduating students should also consult a guidance counselor for career counseling or better yet, take the MPASS or the Mapúa Program Placement Assessment—a tool that measures the student’s cognitive and academic development, and comprehensively recommends

Of course, enrolling in an internationally recognized higher education institution like Mapúa University, which has a diverse range of futureready degree programs, is a huge advantage that many college students also consider. Its undergraduate programs, which include double degrees, joint-program offerings, and full online programs enable students to have a wide range of options and possibilities in pursuing their chosen career path.

For more information on how Mapúa’s varied degree programs can help you achieve your career goals, visit www. mapua.edu.ph. College and senior high school applications for Academic Year 2023 to 2024 are still open. Interested applicants can go to https://www.mapua. edu.ph/ApplyNow to apply.

In a recent press briefing, Top Draw executive vice president Jared Wolfson said animation companies are interested in establishing presence in the country because of its enormous talent: “They’re coming to the Philippines for quality talent and production that they can get at the right price, and right sensibility to do it. They can get all here…and most of our team members are based in Metro Manila, but there are still lots of talented Filipinos outside [of it].”

The Top Draw official disclosed that the company has definite expansion plans, with a presence outside the National Capital Region. He added that this move is part of keeping people where they want to be: “You will have excellent work when you have happy animators and production people. At the end of the day, if you have unhappy people, you can see the difference and feel it on the screen.”

Through the Top Draw Academy, Wolfson said the animation school wants to reach out to Filipinos who are interested in animation and possibly pursue a career in the future. Being attractive industries, Wolfson said movies and television can have a strong attachment to their work when they are shown to the global market.

Further, he believes Top Draw is ready to train Filipinos who want to hone their talents in animation. As some of the best in the world, Wolfson

As an option to work overseas, he said a career in the animation industry will enable Filipinos to earn competitive salaries and packages without the need to seek overseas employment. “There’s no point in traveling around the world if you are working in the animation business.”

He added: “Top Draw is one of the premier 2-D animation studios in the world. We think about the world of animation, and…[it’s] coming to the Philippines.”

The animation firm is well-known for programs like “Littlest Pet Shop,” “Monster High,” “My Little Pony,” as well as the “Tom and Jerry Show.” Such were put together by Top Draw’s 400-plus animation pros. Most of its customers rely heavily on animation as part of its offerings, and include entertainment heavy-hitters like Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, and other leading global-content providers.

His visit to the Philippine operations, Wolfson shared, is to continue to bolster and support the firm’s new phase for strategic growth. He currently heads business development, partnerships, and critical operating divisions.

According to Wolfson: “The Top Draw Animation family is filled with great talent…to drive this organization forward with best practices, operational efficiencies, and the support needed to thrive. Having the opportunity to meet with the teams in person to assess opportunities, address challenges, and discuss needs is crucial to sustainable success.” Rizal Raoul S. Reyes