PRC to administer LET in Catanduanes

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Sept 19 (PIA) -- The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) will administer the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) in the province on September 30.

All examinees from Catanduanes who filed applications either in Virac or Legazpi City shall take the test in Virac following PRC's approval of the Resolution 190-2012.

Said resolution was passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan requesting the chairman of PRC, Teresita Manzala, to administer LET in the province. It was approved on July 9, 2012 with Provincial Board Member Wilfredo Santelices as the sponsor.

Santelices cited that residents of Catanduanes have to take a long trip just to take the exam in mainland Bicol and other testing centers.

LET takers were thankful to the SP as well as PRC since the conduct of LET in the province will ease their financial burdens and other related expenses. (EAB/PIA Catanduanes)


CSC-Sorsogon, PGADC conduct Gender Sensitivity Seminar for city barangays

By Bennie A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, Sept 19 (PIA) -- The Civil Service Commission (CSC) provincial field office here, in partnership with the Provincial Gender Advocacy and Development Council (PGADC), organized on Friday a Gender Sensitivity Seminar for women and youth coming from selected barangays of the city.

The seminar concurs with this year’s Philippine Civil Service’s 112th anniversary taking into account the emphasis on gender equality.

Along with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the CSC Sorsogon, headed by Director Arpon U. Lucero, the activity was jointly steered by CSC Regional Office-V Human Resource Division (HRD) Chief Rosallini V. Moneda, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) Social Welfare Assistant Salvacion L. Hermo and shared by the barangays of Sampaloc, Pamurayan, Sirangan, Talisay, Cambulaga, Bitano and Marinas.

Sorsogon’s Public Information Officer Von Andre Labalan said participants engaged in collective life-like depictions and discussions around social concerns wherein gender issues are implicated.

“The deliberation took up multifaceted subjects infused by rules and impositions of different institutions, the government, work places, as well as peers, the family itself and even the media which permeate life from infancy to adulthood,” he said.

Labalan added that the seminar similarly spelled out its principles “not as a war of the sexes, not anti-male, but both women and men are considered victims - although women more than men – and that both have a stake in the struggle for gender equality.”

In the course of the meeting, a chronology of CSC’s initiatives was presented and enlightened the participants with the commission’s existing accomplishments such as establishment of day care and breastfeeding centers, flexible working hours, equality advocates, modified maternity leaves, issuance of policy on sexual harassment in workplaces, special leave privileges, paternity leave, amended maternity leave, and gender and development perspective in government exams, among others.

Exemplifications of actual experiences on personal violence against women like marginalization, subordination, multiple burdens, and gender stereotyping were also presented by the facilitators and emphasized a ceremonial pledge of support from all the participants.

In her statement, Board Member Rebecca Aquino said that the seminar envisions women empowerment and gender equality.

“We are all gathered here together to share a common goal as we continue our journey towards something remarkable,” she said.

Aquino lauded the partnership with the CSC, which she said will herald more opportunities in the future.

Lucero, on the other hand, was thankful to Aquino for supporting the event.

“Our office (CSC) advocates gender equality and it is our mandate to promulgate this impartiality to abate violent acts against women, and even men,” Lucero said.

The CSC director likewise encouraged the participants to share the information and knowledge they have learned from the seminar as they go back to their respective barangays. (MAL/BAR-PIA5/Sorsogon)