‘Smiling’ teachers welcome 1.5-M Bicolano students

By Aida A. Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, June 5 (PIA) -- Around one and a half million Bicolano public school students from kindergarten to high school will encounter “smiling” teachers today, June 4, the start of classes for school year 2012-2013. 

As regular classes begin today, students will be welcomed by smiling teachers as compelled by the education department. 

The Department of Education (DepEd) in Bicol expects 1,511,395 students this school year, or a two percent increase from last year’s school population of 1,479,983, said Jose Bonto, administrative officer and concurrent regional public information officer during the Philippine Information Agency’s radio program “Aramon Ta Daw.” 

Of the 1.5 million students reporting to school today, 133,650 are kindergarten children; 988,163 are grade school pupils; while 389,582 are high school students. 

Teachers are also expected to start lessons while school heads and supervisors are expected to monitor whether the instructions are being followed. Bonto said all educational supervisors have been assigned schools to check. 

DepEd Bicol has hired 903 new teachers this school year spread out to 272 kindergarten teachers, 229 elementary mentors, and 402 high school educators. Last year, 1,103 new teachers were employed to teach in the kindergarten (165), elementary (204), and high school (734) levels. 

June 4 is also the last day of enrollment according to Bonto as school registration started since January 28. During this time, DepEd strictly followed the department’s circular of no collection policy. 

The guideline intends to ensure that the issues and concerns regarding unauthorized contributions and fees in public schools had been resolved. 

Based on DepEd Order No. 41 series of 2012, Education secretary Armin Luistro has directed all school officials that no fees shall be collected from school children in kindergarten up to Grade 4 anytime during school year 2012-2013. 

Likewise, there will be no collection from June to July 2012 for grade 5 pupils up to fourth year high school students. However, starting August 2012 until the end of school year 2013, the following fees may be collected on a voluntary basis per student: Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts membership fee, P50; Philippine National Red Cross, P35; Anti-TB fund drive, P5; school publication fee of P60 for every elementary pupil and P90 for every high school student. 

Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) fee must be reasonable and determined during the PTA general assembly. The PTA may only collect contributions starting August and only after presenting to the PTA members and to the school head or principal a report on the utilization of previous school year’s collections and the 2012 proposed budget of program of activities. 

PTAs are also cautioned from setting exorbitant amounts for voluntary school contributions for graduation ceremonies, extracurricular activities as well as minimize requests for in-kind contributions. 

No teacher, school official or personnel shall collect fees or contributions nor shall they be entrusted with the safekeeping and disbursement of collections made by the PTA pursuant to the Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers. 

For the strict compliance to the order, task force “Balik Eskwela” was organized in all levels of the department. At the regional communication center, the task force’s implementing arm, queries and complaints were received and problems solved. The task force will be active until June 8 this week.

Bonto who co-chairs the task force said most of the inquiries centered on the no collection policy and clarifications regarding the K to 12 curricula. (MAL/AAN-PIA 5)

DILG spearheads Tapatan Roadshow on disaster preparedness in Bicol

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, June 5 (PIA) -- The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional office spearheaded last June 1 here the Tapatan Roadshow on Disaster Preparedness and Climate Change Adaptation with the theme “Harmonizing Initiatives Towards Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Mainstreaming in Local Governance."

The said activity will serve as a call to action for local government units, stakeholders, and chief executives in the province to craft and implement their plans and projects for Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM), according to DILG V information officer Joy Tango during the Ugnayan sa Bikol radio program of the Philippine Information Agency, .

“Part of our advocacy is for our partners in Bicol to come up with disaster preparedness plans operational not only in paper but also implementable and doable,” Tango said.

DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo led laying out the call to action among local chief executives of provinces, cities, towns, and barangays to craft and adopt their respective DRRM plans.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda delved on the province's best working DRRM practices implemented in the province through the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO).

APSEMO is the institution tasked to design and implement DRRM programs, with emphasis on developing more proactive and disaster resilient communities in the province. This initiative enlisted Albay among the Galing Pook Awardees in 2009.

“The roadshow is an opportunity to showcase APSEMO for everybody to learn and replicate the possibility of measures conducted in their own localities,” Tango added.

Also included in the event is the awarding of Good Housekeeping Award to local government recipients to be led by DILG V regional director Blandino Maceda and Sec. Robredo, and the presentation of National DRRM Framework plan by DRRM Senior Adviser Dr. Marqueza L. Reyes. (MAL/SAA-PIA V/Albay)