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THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH and the DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.DOST.GOV.PH
VOL. 2 | NO. 25 July 22-31, 2014
Province embraces ‘Text2Teach’ program
by pinky dianne calunod llorente SIQUIJOR (PIA)—The Province of Siquijor in collaboration with Nokia, Globe Telecom, PEARSON Foundation, Department of Education (DepEd) - Siquijor Division and Ayala Foundation formally launched the ‘Text2Teach’ Program and turned over the Text2Teach Packages to 18 recipient-public elementary schools in the division of Siquijor recently. ‘Text2Teach’ provides public elementary schools with educational videos and lesson guides on least-learned competencies and hard-to-teach subjects such as Math, English, Science and Values Education in intermediate level. According to Dino Rey Abellanosa, Head of Visayas Operation of Ayala Foundation, ‘Text2Teach’ is an innovative teaching intervention that will make the lives of teachers easier, teaching and learning more fun and exciting in the whole
Gov. Villa lauding Text2Teach program as an effective tool in the modern learning process for both teachers and students.
education community. “Text2Teach is a UNESCO model for technology integration and have been implemented in 50 countries worldwide,” he said. “We are happy that we’re here to support, to attain the vision of Siquijor Province in terms of improvement of the quality education,” he added. The 18 schools that received Text2Teach Packages of 32-inch LED Toshiba Television, Software that Text2Teach developed, Nokia Lumia Cellphone with 1 year free of load were Licuan Elementary School, Nabutay Elementary School, Tagmanocan Elementary School, Poo Elementary School, Tignao Elementary School, Campalanas Elementary School, Cadoldolan Elementary School, Kimba Elementary School,Capalasanan Elementary School, Can-asagan Elementary School, Solangon Elementary School, Nonoc Elementary School, Cabulihan Elementary School, San Antonio Elementary School, Cang-alwang Elementary School, Pangi Elementary School, Caipilan Elementary School, and Bolos Elementary
Mayor Villa eyes Larena town as top veggie producer LARENA, Siquijor (PIA)—Larena Mayor Dean Villa is set to turn Larena into a top vegetable producer in the province during his speech at the Nutrition Month culmination in Sandugan, Larena, Siquijor. He said some of the town’s barangays will pilot activities that promotes backyard gardening and other projects that fosters growth of vegetable production in the town. At present, he said, on-going programs are closely monitored for possible expansion and sustainability as he expressed commitment to support and pursue efforts to
address promotion of health. “We all need to be healthy in order to have a strong municipality and a strong province, Villa declared. Municipal health officer Susan Jojie Villa also commended the local government unit for the steps initiated to counter malnutrition citing that two percent of the town’s 1,000 0-5 year old children are considered malnourished. The health officer calls on all mothers to prepare only what is healthy for their families. (mbcn/RAC/PIA7-Siquijor w/reports from IAAbatayo)
School. Schools Division Superintendent, Dr. Joseph Irwin Lagora gives a message of appreciation to Gov. Zaldy Villa for accepting the proposal and made the Memorandum of Agreement between the Province of Siquijor and Ayala Foundation and to the Mayor’s League of Siquijor headed by Mayor Dean Villa for their support to the different education programs of the Dept. of Education particularly in their respective schools and municipalities. In his message, Villa said Text2Teach is an effective tool in the modern learning process for both teachers and students. Teachers are scheduled to be trained on September for the procedures to operate the said equipment. (mbcn/RAC/PIA7-Siquijor/with reports from PDCLlorente/PIO-Siquijor)
iSIQUIJOR GOVERNMENTNEWS
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Project NOAH sows seeds for agri use - Going beyond disaster preparedness and hazard identification
The Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards or Project NOAH has been very effective in aiding local government units and the general public in terms of disaster preparedness and mitigation through its digital platform. The website, www.noah.dost.gov. ph, which provides timely weather and hazard information, is easily accessible to users. Flood forecasting with the use of flood hazard maps generated from the component
project of NOAH, referred to as Disaster Risk and Exposure Assessment for Mitigation or DREAM, is an important feature in the NOAH website. Through DREAM, unsafe and safe areas for evacuation or relocation in the event of floods are identified. Pushing the envelope: NOAH for agriculture In 2014, two years following its launch in Marikina City on July 6, 2012, Project NOAH has morphed into a different form of information vehicle: Project NOAH’s weather data are now being utilized as a tool for agriculture.
(from left) P A G A S A reg’l director Oscar Tabada, Siquior Gov. Zaldy Viulla, P A G A S A P A G A S A administrator V i c e n t e Malano and DOST-Siuqijor provincial director Mario de la Pena in a pose following discussions o n plans to install a Doppler radar in Siquijor.
PAGASA-7 OIC Oscar Tabada explaining the eathersystem that may affect the country also during the provincial summit
PIA7’s Minerva N e w m a n talking about the importance o f C o m mmunication n disaster risk reduction management during the #provlsummit on Disaster Risk Reduction Management at Salagdoong Beach Resort
You heard it right: Project NOAH is going beyond disaster mitigation. It is now churning out data and information that can help farmers increase productivity by knowing when to plant and where to plant. The Weather Information Integration for System Enhancement or WISE is a component of Project NOAH. It enhances the existing 5-day forecast given by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA to a 7-day forecast. By extending the weather forecast time coverage, farmers can now plan ahead and adjust planting schedules to avoid possible hazards like typhoons, floods and drought. In short, WISE provides critical information in determining the best time for planting and harvesting specific crops like rice and corn. During the Agri-Aqua Forum held last July 27, 2014 during DOST’s recently concluded National Science and Technology Week at the SMX Convention Center, “smart agriculture”, the government’s initiative in addressing climate change adaptation, took prominence. Dr. Erika Mari Macapagal of NOAHWISE delivered a presentation by colleague Dr. Gay Jane Perez titled “Drought and Crop Assessment and Forecasting or DCAF.” Dr. Macapagal showed the drought vulnerability maps for the country’s two major crops: rice and corn. The color-coded map identified areas highly vulnerable to drought represented by color red, moderately vulnerable by color yellow, and least vulnerable by color green. For rice, the highly vulnerable areas include Central Mindanao, Central Luzon, Bicol, Iloilo and Negros. On the other hand, the least vulnerable is Northeastern Mindanao. For corn, the highly vulnerable areas include Zamboanga, half of Eastern Mindanao, Cebu and Batangas. On the other hand, almost the entire area of Luzon including Mindoro, Palawan, Panay Island and Eastern Mindanao were identified as least vulnerable. Also presented were crop classification maps for coconut, sugarcane, abaca and tobacco. By making this information available, Project NOAH-WISE is able to give farmers the flexibility in choosing the right crop for a particular season, thereby minimizing their losses when drought comes. Dr. Macapagal also briefly discussed the parameters they were using to assess drought events. These include data on rainfall, soil moisture, temperature and vegetation cover. Likewise, the NOAH-WISE project aims to come up with seasonal forecasts of up to 6-months in advance. Once completed, this information will greatly help those in the agricultural sector – from individual farmers to corporate agricultural ventures -- in programming their planting activities, thereby minimizing loss and increasing production. (S&T Media Service)
iSIQUIJOR GOVERNMENTNEWS
Philippine government moves to prevent spread of Ebola The Department of Health (DOH), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) are closely coordinating the repatriation of Overseas Filipinos Workers from the countries affected with the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). “Knowing your enemy is half the battle won,” Health Secretary Enrique Ona declared as he underscored the importance of educating the public on the deadly EVD, even as he stressed that the DOH is in close coordination with the other members of the Inter-Agency Task Force to
Gov’t survey shows 2.5 M Filipinos out of poverty level, Palace official says An annual poverty indicator survey conducted by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) shows that 2.5 million Filipinos have been moved out of the poverty level, a Palace official said on Wednesday. “We have government statistics to buttress that and we do so with confidence,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during the daily press briefing in Malacañang. Lacierda was commenting on the survey on self-rated poverty and hunger, conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), which said that fewer Filipino families went hungry in the second quarter even as more claimed to be poor. “We have no problem with that. We respect that survey,” he said, noting however that the result of the SWS survey fluctuates as it is done on a quarterly basis. The government, on the other hand, has a formula for computing poverty incidence, he said. “We take into consideration the number of families, their salary below the poverty income level threshold, over the number of families that are part of that,” he explained. “So there has been a three percent decrease in poverty, insofar as the annual poverty incidence survey is concerned,” he said. PND (ag)
share information and discuss preparations and response to potential arrival of OFWs and foreign nationals from West Africa. The DOH, DFA and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), today informed the public on what the Inter-Agency Task Force is doing to prevent the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), including the following guidelines on handling Filipinos in affected areas: (1) OFWs should coordinate with their recruitment agencies in assessing the risk of the spread of the epidemic in their places of deployment. (2) Proper coordination of Philippine labor officials (DOLE, POEA, OWWA) should be undertaken in the possible repatriation with the DFA and the Bureau of Immigration. (3) Any returning symptomatic Filipino (those who have fever, headache, intense weakness, joint and muscle pains and sore throat) should seek clearance with the local health authorities from the country of employment b e fo re b e ing allowed t o em bar k. As of July 31, 2014, the number of cases in the four affected West
African countries has so far reached 1323, which includes 729 deaths. The over-all case fatality rate is at 55%. The Philippines has many OFWs in the EVD-affected countries. Data from the DFA show there are about 880 Filipinos living in Guinea, 1,979 in Sierra Leone and 632 in Liberia, including the 148 Filipino UN Peacekeeping Force. Meanwhile, POEA said that in their records, there are 72 in Guinea, 398 in Sierra Leone and 202 Filipino workers in Liberia. The DFA raised Alert Level 2 for Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia while a deployment ban is now implemented on newly hired OFWs to these countries. Meanwhile, recruitment agencies have been notified by employers in West Africa of repatriation of 15 OFWs from Sierra Leone. DOH is now monitoring these OFWs for 30 days after their departure from their points of origin. “We are still Ebola-free. But we are on our toes. We are closely monitoring all possible ports of entry”, the health chief said as he assured the public that we have the capability and the facility to address Ebola.
iSIQUIJORGOVERNMENTNEWS
iNFOBYTES Proposed 2015 nat’l budget gives priority to social services
The biggest share of the proposed 2015 National Expenditure Program, amounting to P967.9 billion, will go to the government’s social services, a Palace official said on Thursday. The figure covers 37.2 percent of the proposed P2.606 trillion budget for next year that was submitted to Congress for ratification on Wednesday, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said during a press briefing in Malacañang. “The budget also focuses on delivering high-impact projects in 44 provinces with the following characteristics: those with high poverty magnitude where more job opportunities will be created; those with high poverty incidence that require adequate social safety nets; and those which are vulnerable to natural calamities,” Coloma said. Social services include basic education and universal health care. The provision for education covers the construction of 31,728 classrooms and 13,586 water/sanitation facilities, as well as the acquisition of 1.3 million classroom chairs, among others. Economic services meanwhile will have a 26.9 percent cut of the national budget totalling P700.2 billion, while general public services will get 16.2 percent amounting to P423.1 billion. National defense will receive 4.4 percent or P115.4 billion. Coloma further noted that the 2015 budget enhances the government’s accountability for the results of public spending. He said that in the 2014 budget, the performance targets were pegged against the outputs or tangible goods
iSIQUIJOR
is the Island of Siquijor’s first electronic newsletter produced by the Philippine Information Agency-Siquijor Information Center and the DOST - Provincial Science and Technology Center. It contains snippets of information about Siquijor, Central Visayas and the Philippine Government.
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Cebuano News
DSWD, adunay tanyag nga educ’l assistance hangtud P75,000
MANILA (PIA)--Adunay tanyag nga educational assistance ang Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) taman P75,000 alang sa mga angayan nga benepisyaryo. Gibutyag ni DSWDAssistant Secretary Javier Jimenez nga nitanyag og educational assistance ang ilang buhatan tungod kay karong tuiga lamang kini gibutang sa ilang GAA. Pasabot pa ni Jimenez, parte kini sa kapin P4 bilyon nga nasudnong pondo sa DSWD. Alang kini sa gitawag nga Crisis Intervention Program, gi-gahin alang sa mga indibidwal ug pamilyang nakasinati og krisis o emergency situations. Ubos niining programa, apil sa mga tanyagan og ayuda mao ang pagpalubong, medikal, transportasyon, mga pagkaon o butang man ug ang educational. Giingong prayoridad niini ang mga naa sa listahanan o National Household Targeting System, informal settler families (ISFs) ug ang mga naapil sa general category nga “poor, disadvantaged ug vulnerable.” Gikinahanglan lamang ang mga mosunod: certificate of enrolment o registration form, student ID sa gusting mahimong benepisyaryo, certificate of indigency gikan sa barangay ug valid ID sa aplikanteng nag-proseso niini. Ang kantidad nga mahimong and services that the agencies must makuha alang sa educational assistance deliver, while the proposed budget for mao ang mosunod: P5,000 (makuhang 2015 includes indicators for outcomes. cash sulod sa 1 hangtud 2 ka adalw); “We continue to implement the P6,000-P10,000 (makuhang tseke ug basic management principle that each peso kinahanglang aprubahan sa assistant that the government spends must be tightly regional director sa DSWD Central Office); linked to measurable results,” Coloma P25,000 (kinahanglang mo-agi og pagquoted President Benigno S. Aquino III aprubar sa regional director); ug P75,000 as saying in his 41-page budget message. (alang sa “extremely justifiable cases” apan “ H e n c e , t h i s b u d g e t d o e s kinahanglang aprubahan sa mismong not only show how many households kalihim sa DSWD nga si Dinky Soliman). Pahimangno pa sa DSWD, or families, for example, will benefit from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino dili na kinahanglang pa sa estudyante Program, but it also discloses how many ang endorsement letter gikan sa bisan of these beneficiaries will actually be kinsang politiko alang niining tabang. Apan matud pa ni Jimenez, lifted from the level of survival to a level of subsistence, and eventually to a level kinahanglan og laktaw nga tulo ka buwan of self-sufficiency,” Coloma explained. sa pagpangayo alang sa susamang In his budget message, the matang sa assistance nga gitanyag President emphasized that the proposed sa DSWD gikan sa 5 ka kategorya 2015 budget expands with the economy (burial, medical, transportation, food o and supports further economic expansion; non-food ug educational assistance). Alang sa dugang kasayuran, focuses on the imperatives of inclusive development; prioritizes the needs of the mahimong motawag sa DSWD trunklines poor and vulnerable localities; increases nga 931-81-01 hangtud 07, makigthe people’s voice in the use of their taxes; alayon pinaagi sa Twitter account sa increases the government’s accountability ahensiya nga @dswdserves o sa website for the results of public spending; supports nga www.dswd.gov.ph. Naay link didto the rapid and effective delivery of public ang uban pang detalye sa educational services; and enhances the health assistance ug ubang ayuda nga gitanyag of government’s finances. PND (ag) sa DSWD. (mbcn/ecb/PIA7-Bohol)