Adopting to the new normal due to COVID-19 pandemic

TACLOBAN CITY-Students in one of the universities here in this city might just be flash drives this school year.
This after an official of the Leyte Normal University (LNU) submitted his proposal before the regional office of the Commission on Higher Education (ChEd) and to the university president, Jude Duarte to use flash drives or USB sticks during this time of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic.
Clemelle Montallana, LNU’s director of the physical plant and facilities, said that under his proposals, students of the university would use flash drives where they can store their class works which they will submit to their respective instructors for review.
The use of flash drives is part of what Montallana described as ‘A-New Normal Project’ or Assistance to Normalistas in the Online Education of the New Learning Hub Project.
According to him, the use of flash drives is just one of the innovations that should be applied during this time of health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Montallana said that part of his proposal is the university providing computer sets to different local government units in areas where there are LNU enrolled students.
He said that these computers will be used by the students who does not own a computer where they can do their class assignments or activities which they will stored in the flash drives.
“I am positive that ChEd as well as our university president will approve my proposal considering that it’s not costly and is aimed for the safety of our students,” Montallana said.
The LNU official said that students need not go to school every day as online teaching will be applied during this school year.
“The students will only be required to come to school to deposit their flash drives where they stored their assignments or activities at the Guard House,” he said.
This will limit face-to-face contacts between the instructors and students, thus, avoid any possible spread of COVID-19 inside the university, Montallana said.
The instructors would then collect the flash drives of their students for review or checking. LNU has more than enough computer sets to adopt to the new method of teaching.
LNU has around 8,000 students enrolled for this school year to start on August 24.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

BY: EURICA CONCEPCION A. VILLANUEVA

BURAUEN, Leyte – The Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park is preparing to open its doors to nature-loving tourists in the future under the new normal.
Although unsure on the exact date of reopening, the Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park Ecotourism Association (MVNPEA) has been setting up measure to observe the minimum health standards.
The Burauen local government unit reported through its Facebook post that a hand washing area for visitors has been set up. The Burauen Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism (BEST) project also turned over on July 16 two thermal scanners to members of MVNPEA.
“This is to help the organization in its preparations so it would be ready once the Covid-19 pandemic is over. The organization, however, does not accept visitors yet as part of the town’s measures against the spread of the virus,” the local government said in a statement.
Proclaimed as a national park in 1937, the site near the volcano is endowed with other natural attractions — a lake, falls, multi-colored mud, hot springs, virgin forests, and lagoon.
Mahagnao Volcano is about 50 kilometers south of Tacloban City and 18 kilometers away from the town center of Burauen.
Although the volcano has been inactive, it is classified as potentially active due to the active thermal features of the mountain. The summit of the volcano is a steep-walled heavily forested crater that opens to the south with a peak elevation of 860 meters.
(Note: The writer is a teacher of Burauen Comprehensive National High School)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Budget and Management has released on Friday(July 17) the budget circular that will finally implement the Salary Grade 15 entry-level salary of nurses working in the government.
An Waray Rep.Florencio Noel said that it is important that the compensation of the health workers are adjusted for them to live based on the current economic situation.
“It is important that we now adjust the compensation of our health care workers” the lawmaker said.
Noel informed that the DBM Budget Circular No. 2020-4 entitled Upgrading the Entry Level Nurse Positions was issued to prescribe the rules and regulations on the upgrading of the entry-level nurse positions to SG15 as well as to highlight the administrative procedure in view of the consequential modification in the position attributes of the nurse items.
“This is a good start with our nurses in government service. During these difficult times, our nurses play a vital role in preventing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),”added Noel.
With the release of the circular, the government nurses in Nurse I positions get 4 SGs upgrade, from SG 11 to SG 15. Under the current Salary Standardization Law which took effect January of this year, SG15 is at P32, 053.
The upgrade of salary covers all nurse positions, whether regular, casual, or contractual in nature, full-time or part-time, now existing or hereafter created in the national government agencies (NGAs), including SUCs and GOCCs, and in LGUs.
The adjustment was made in compliance with the Supreme Court decision upholding the Republic Act 9173 or The Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 which says that government nurses must receive minimum base pay of not lower than SG15.
Congress supported the decision of the Supreme Court by earmarking P3 billion in the General Appropriation Act of 2020 or the national budget, for its implementation.
In the Circular, DBM orders the head of agencies and local chief executives to implement the salary adjustment. The circular shall take effect immediately.
(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)