Sorsogon Museum, PDI lead 'Read Along Program'
by Irma A.Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, Apr. 8 (PIA) -- The Sorsogon Museum and Heritage Center Incorporated (SMHCI), in partnership with the Philippine Daily Inquirer( PDI), will spearhead the first ever story telling session at the provincial museum here tomorrow (Apr. 9) to commemorate the life of our heroes in celebration of the Araw ng Kagitingan.

According to Mr. Joseph John Perez , SMCHI trustee, this event is part of the PDI's "Read Along Program" in its continuing support to make literacy one of its advocacy by focusing on the heroic deeds of our forefathers.

"Inquirer has since been holding similar events in different parts of the country to promote the interest and love of reading books among children, specially the lives of our heroes and people who have contributed a sense of history in our country," Perez related.

Cecilia Hsu-Duran, promotion head of the SMHCI, said that PDI Luzon Bureau correspondent Joane Los Banos coordinated with the SMHCI to sponsor the initial launch of the project in the province.

"We have tapped the assistance of the city government here and we are very thankful to Mayor Leovic R.Dioneda, the SHALOM Foundation and the Department of Education, for gathering 60 children aged 6 to 12 years old who will take part in this activity on Saturday at 10:00 am," Duran said.

Duran also cited that PDI founder "Eugenia "Eggy" Duran-Apostol, sister of former Mayor Fernando Duran and now chair of the SMHCI, has that special affinity to Sorsogon being a true Sorsoguena and would like to contribute a legacy for reading which now seems to be a fading value.

"Another personality within the Inquirer publication is Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, editor in chief, is the daughter of the late Colonel Nicanor Jimenez who also hailed from Sorsogon and considered one of our veteran heroes during the World War II in the province," according to Duran.

Their life will be shared through the read along program to young children who should be made aware of such kind of heroism, according to Perez, and we also want them to develop the love for reading.

This activity according to Perez is open to the public and interested persons should contact the museum office.

Perez said that for this launch, local volunteers were tapped led by retired teacher Ms. Rose Enerio who is a long time volunteer of PDI's Read Along Program in Metro Manila.

Another volunteer is Sorsogon Arts Council spokesperson and Museum Trustee Perez himself once a part of Batibot World of Children Expo and founder of Radyo Pambata, and also to include Gibbs Cadiz, PDI Lifestyle section editor.

This activity that will be done this Saturday will also provide the children a guided tour of the museum, called a " A Walk Through History" telling them about the importance of the things that they will see inside the SMHCI to inspire them of the rich history of our province, its people and its aspirations.

The Read Along Program will be a continuing activity of the SMHCI and will invite national figures, and inspirational leaders who will read stories to children and promote literacy advocacy through reading monthly.

"Today reading seems to be a passing and unimportant activity to kids specially with the advent of computers, internet, cellphones and modern technology games.The life of our heroes are no longer given importance specially by our young generation", according to Mrs. Duran.

"Let us bring back the sense of history here in our province through our museum activities and the emulation of the heroic deeds of our war veterans who have fought for our freedom through reading ", Duran said. (MAL/IAG, PIA Sorsogon)

NSO opens Serbilis outlet in Iriga City
by Lizel S. Macatangay

IRIGA CITY, Apr. 8 (PIA) -- The National Statistics Office (NSO), and the University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP) signed Thursday (April 7) the Memorandum of Agreement establishing an online Census Serbilis Center here.

The Serbilis outlet will serve as of one of NSO’s service points for the decentralized servicing or requests for civil registry documents.

By entering into this agreement, UNEP is given authority to use the system free of charge in accordance to the rules and regulations set for its purpose.

The outlet will not only be servicing the students and faculty members of UNEP but also members of the community from the neighboring towns and outskirts of Iriga City .

UNEP will use the BREQS-LGU System featuring an off-line method of encoding requests for birth, death and marriage certificates.

UNEP executive vice president and concurrently VP for Finance Deli Alfelor-Tibi said that the said endeavor will be a great help for their personnel and students especially now that NSO documents are being required for enrolment, job applications and other transactions that requires submission of NSO authenticated document.

“Through the Civil Registry System IT (CRS-IT) Project, people here from Iriga City , UNEPians in particular, will not have to endure the long queue in getting the NSO document. They will save a lot of time and their finances as well, having saved the penny to travel all the way from Iriga City going to Naga. In one hand, it also saves the university from investing just to build this kind of outlet,” Tibi said.

Clemente Manaog, NSO provincial statistics officer in Camarines Sur, said that Serbilis outlets are NSO’s way of fast tracking the transactions to better serve the populace.

“We understand that there is a great need for these documents from our office that’s why NSO have also devised a way to make it easier for the community and that is by providing them with accessible outlets.”

UNEP on the other hand, will designate the Local Civil Registry Office (LCRO) as the implementing unit of the BREQS-LGU system. (MAL/LSM, PIA CamSur)

Feature: State of Children, Abaca research in Catanduanes
CSC Pisog nin Uswag Awards cites best undergrad theses

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Apr. 8 (PIA) -- A case study on street children and a research about the antimicrobial property of abaca sap are this school year’s winners in the 2010-2011 Pisog nin Uswag Awards, an annual search for best undergraduate thesis conducted by the Catanduanes State Colleges Research and Development Services.

The thesis “Street Children of Virac, Catanduanes: A Case Study,” conducted by Kristel C. Malinana and Jayson B. Tabor, AB Economics students of the College of Arts and Sciences was declared best research in non-science and technology category.

Declared winner in the science and technology category is the study about Antimicrobial Property of Abaca Musa textilis Sap conducted by Renee Daisy J. Avila, BS Biology, also of the College of Arts and Sciences.

A typical street child in Virac, the study of Malinana and Tabor found out, is male, between ages 10-15, eldest in the family, has never enrolled in a school, lives with grandparents and engages in begging, scavenging, stealing, acting as drug couriers, peddling, going out with pedophiles, gambling and other vices.

Meanwhile, Avila determined the antimicrobial property of the abaca sap by using it as an inhibitor of the growth of a bacteria (Propioni bacterium) which causes acne. She used three samples – fresh sap, week-old fermented sap and month-old fermented in finding out which abaca sap has the most effective anti-microbial property. The research found out that as abaca sap ages, it becomes more acidic, hence it is more effective in controlling the growth of bacteria.

Declared second best research in the non-science and technology category is the study about the Acceptability of Virac Businessmen on the Dissemination of Rules and Regulations in the Payment of Taxes Implemented by BIR. This was jointly conducted by Ezekiel V. Tanael, Joefrey T. Ereso, Lionell T. Masagca, Elvin Randolph R. Jubay and Ronan John B. Toririt, BS Accountancy students.

According to the study, businessmen in Virac generally agree on the tax policies implemented by BIR and fairly agree on the manner of implementation. The study recommended that more information campaigns be conducted by the BIR for better awareness about tax policies.

It was also recommended that BIR should accept suggestions from taxpayers to know how they will adopt changes in their tax policies and that tax policies must be written in a manner that can be easily understood by lay people.

Moreover, the study of Geronimo B. Tapas Jr., BS Nutrition and Dietetics about Development and Standardization of Cream Puff out of Kadyos Flour was awarded second best paper for the science and technology category. The researcher compared the acceptability of using 100% all-purpose flour, 100 per cent Kadyos flour, and combined all-purpose and Kadyos flours of equal proportion.

It was found out that the combination with equal proportion of all-purpose and Kadyos flour produces the best quality cream puff. Kadyos or Pigeon Pea is a legume widely propagated in the tropics for the edible seeds and pods.

The study further concluded that there are no significant differences among the samples of formulation in terms of their overall acceptability; hence, it was recommended that Kadyos flour could be used as substitute in cream puff making and other baked products.

Only four student researches passed the preliminary screening of the CSC Research Services this year. The selection committee modified the selection process by categorizing the researches into S&T and Non-S&T categories to widen the scope of getting outstanding undergraduate theses from various academic disciplines. (MAL/EAB, PIA Catanduanes/CSC)

NTC to conduct one day mobile registration, licensing
by Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Apr. 8 (PIA) -- The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Regional Office V will be conducting a "Mobile Registration and Licensing" here for this year to register, legalize and license all unregistered radio transceivers being used and operated by different government and private agencies/individuals in the province of Catanduanes.

The NTC will accept and process all applications for license of new/renewal radio communication network and operator certificates, registration and licensing of all types of two-way radio equipment including mobile phone (cell phone) dealers/retailers/service centers and shall be releasing corresponding permits and licenses on the same day.

An orientation/seminar on radio laws, rules and regulations, licensing procedures and proper handling/maintenance of radio equipment (RLM Seminar) will be held on the same day. Participants may apply and shall be issued the Restricted Land Mobile (RLM) Radio Operators Certificate.

NTC will also be receiving applications for blocking/unblocking of SIM cards/cell phone and complaints on text scam/illegal/malicious text and text spam. (MAL/EAB, PIA Catanduanes)