The massive demand nowadays for English teachers in non-English speaking countries who desire to learn the language results in the hiring of many Filipino English teachers to teach online. At first glance, this is to their advantage knowing that they get hired and thus earn an extra income. But if we will look at it closely, they are underpaid and are just exploited.
Leading among these countries is China, where the demand for English teachers is so great. Their schools actually prefer to hire native English speakers, for whom they pay much, in US dollars. But not contented seemingly, parents and students are still hiring private tutors to teach them the language. And for this, they prefer Filipino English teachers because aside from the latter’s good command of the language, they also make do with low salaries.
While the Chinese online schools have to pay 15 or more US dollars per hour to native English teachers, they spend 1 or 2 dollars per hour to Filipino teachers, who are compelled to accept the insulting salary for lack of job opportunities in the country. For sure, Chinese students are paying much to these online schools, but this does not translate to higher or least fair wages for Filipino teachers.
And so, as can be observed, these Chinese online schools that are catering to Chinese English learners have now mushroomed and multiplied, earning huge profits at the expense of poor Filipino teachers. Again, much as these teachers do not like the idea of being exploited, they have no choice but to work for these schools as such income is better than earning nothing at all or staying idle at home.
But in reality, such logic is unacceptable. Something is wrong in this system, and some culprits are at work and to blame. First, we condemn these online schools that are treating our teachers unfairly, and unjustly. Second, we blame our government for not doing anything about it when we know it could intervene, like regulating or accrediting these schools before they can hire our teachers for higher pay.
Globe Platinum, in collaboration with street artist Distort Monsters, has raised P450,000 for underprivileged breast cancer patients in a special charity art auction hosted by luxury cosmetics manufacturer Estée Lauder.
The brand participated in the inaugural version of The Pink Ball: Estée Lauder’s Charity Gala for the Breast Cancer Campaign’s 30th Anniversary, which gathered esteemed guests for a great cause.
The breast cancer campaign started in 1992 and has since evolved into a global movement dedicated to women’s health through life-saving research, education, and medical services.
One of the event’s highlights was “Monster in Pink,” a commissioned piece by renowned street artist Distort Monsters, an ambassador of Globe Platinum. “Monster in Pink” represents solidarity with all the brave individuals who have fought or continue to fight breast cancer.
Distort Monsters hopes that his work can give them the same solace they give him when coping with his own anxieties.
The special sculpture went from a starting bid of P60,000 to a winning bid of P450,000. The proceeds will be used to support the Philippine Foundation For Breast Care (Kasuso Inc.) in providing free mammograms to Filipino women in need.
“We are very thankful to Distort Monsters for the exceptional artwork. We are also grateful that Monster in Pink has rendered high value for art connoisseurs and allowed us to raise more funds for a good cause,” said Kaisie Del Carmen-San Pablo, Business Unit Head for Globe Platinum.
The charity ball raised a total of P9.8 million, surpassing its initial goal of P6 million. The amount will fund over 6,000 mammograms.
Globe Platinum’s participation in the Charity Gala is in line with Globe’s support for the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG No. 3, which promotes good health and well-being for all.
More Distort Monsters art can be purchased by Globe Platinum customers by upgrading to the newest and latest innovation of the brand, the Platinum ONEPlan, which bundles together unlimited home fiber, mobile data, unlimited calls and texts, and VIP service. Customers can register via glbe.co/platminimonsterhead and be part of the raffle. (PR)
GUIUAN, Eastern Samar — Nine years after the deadly storm surge triggered by Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ (international name: Haiyan) flattened communities in Eastern Visayas, residents of a village in Guiuan town still feel anxious.
Mangrove trees in Barangay Bungtod, Guiuan in Eastern Samar. Photo by Aprille Ann Yodico
It is because the seawall in Barangay Bungtod that was destroyed by Yolanda in November 2013 remained far from fixed, exposing coastal communities to hazards.
“Yolanda’s winds were so strong and I could hear the waves crashing against the seawall since my house is just near the shore,” recalled Oscar Gaje, barangay captain of Bungtod.
Federico Paglinawan Jr., also a resident of Bungtod, said they saw more destruction when Typhoon Ursula (international name: Phanfone) struck Eastern Visayas in 2019 because the coastal defense remained damaged.
“Ursula brought us more water than wind so the houses near the shore were almost submerged,” he said.
In a bid to protect residents from waves and storms, coastal communities like Bungtod are engaging in mangrove restoration.
Successful restoration
Mangrove patches in Bungtod protected residents when Yolanda pummeled many parts of Visayas. Most of the mangroves near the shore, however, did not survive the onslaught. So community members have been planting and rehabilitating mangroves.
Mangroves in areas severely damaged by the super typhoon are now recovering. Gaje said that almost half of those living along the shore are growing seedlings, thanks to the different activities organized by the environment and natural resources office in Guiuan and non-governmental organizations such as SIKAT Inc.
“We help whenever there are activities conducted. It’s nice if we receive incentives after like the post-Yolanda cash for work, but without it we’ll still help because it’s for our community,” said Bernardino Tanqui-on, a father and resident of Bungtod.
Mangrove forests guard coastlines all over the world by minimizing losses of life and damage to properties. Mangrove forests cover roughly between 33 million and 49 million acres of the planet and are one of the world’s most productive ecosystems, the World Wildlife Fund said.
These coastal ecosystems prevent coastal erosion, improve water quality, and act as breeding ground of coastal species.
They also play a vital role in the climate fight. These trees can store carbon dioxide for hundreds— sometimes even thousands—of years, making them among the most carbon-rich habitats on Earth.
According to the Protected Area Management Office of the Guiuan Marine Resource Protected Landscape and Seascape, 104.39 hectares of recovered areas with planted seedlings have been mapped out as of 2020.
Mistakes in planting
On the other hand, residents of Barangay Sulangan, another barangay in Guiuan, are encountering problems with mangrove planting.
Angela Amos shared they had various mangrove planting activities post-Yolanda but the seedlings did not survive when planted close to the shore.
“Because they did not survive, we eventually stopped planting and just let them reproduce naturally,” Amos said.
Dr. Jurgenne Primavera, a marine scientist and mangrove expert, said the efforts were unsuccessful because “wrong species [are] planted in the wrong sites.”
“Planting at the seafront will not give us the mangrove area we need for environmental sustainability. For one, it has notoriously high mortality rates because the lower intertidal to subtidal location is not ecologically favorable,” Primavera explained.
Because of the lack of mangrove patches, the only source of protection of residents in the area is a seawall.
Barrier
Sulangan’s seawall stretches from the seafront area of the famous San Antonio De Padua Parish Church to the corner street of the households living close to the shoreline.
The residents are less anxious when cyclones are approaching Guiuan because of the seawall. However, it becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes during rainy days due to trapped water and waste.
While seawalls lessen the damage of typhoons to homes and properties, residents of Sulangan still want their mangrove forests to thrive.
“Mangroves are home for fish and other sea creatures so we are still helping our community officials and our Bantay Dagat in protecting them,” Amos said, noting that residents monitor illegal activities and comply with policies such as the ban on mangrove cutting.
Residents of Baras, a neighboring barangay of Sulangan, do not conduct massive mangrove planting activities like Bungtod. But they disagree with the idea of building a seawall in their shoreline.
“It’s still up for discussion between the council and the residents. But yes, the fisherfolk already stated their dislike for seawall construction,” said Jim Abrajano, a barangay official.
Fishing is the main livelihood of Baras residents. Fishermen put their boats behind thick mangrove trees along their shoreline whenever there are typhoons in hopes that they will be protected by the mangroves’ roots and branches.
They expect the seawall will affect their lives and livelihood if it is constructed.
“We still have a lot of mangroves but I think a seawall ould also be a big help. However, if the majority of the people here won’t opt for it then that would also be okay with me. It’s their livelihood that’s on the line so it should not be taken lightly,” Remedios Gapate, a resident of Baras, said.
Coastal greenbelts better
Primavera, the chief mangrove scientific advisor of the Zoological Society of London and co-chair of the IUCN mangrove specialist group, said she is personally not for seawalls.
“What we need are coastal greenbelts,” she said.
“Guiuan specifically needs more beach forests because it has very steep shorelines, that’s why if the wrong species are planted they don’t survive,” Primavera added.
Primavera and Oceana Philippines earlier called for legislation that would create coastal greenbelt zones composed of mangroves and beach forest areas to protect coastal communities from the severe impacts of climate change.
In a report released this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that while seawalls effectively reduce impacts to people and assets in the short-term, these defenses “can also result in lock-ins and increase exposure to climate risks in the long-term unless they are integrated into a long-term adaptive plan.
This story was supported by Climate Tracker Asia and Oxfam Pilipinas
ORMOC CITY-Two construction workers were killed while another one was injured when the metal pipe they were erecting as flag poles touched a live wire owned by the local electric cooperative resulting in their electrocution on Monday (Nov. 7).
Naval chief of police, Major Ryan Delima, identified the fatalities as Kirby Verutiao, 21, and Michael Corpin, 28, both construction workers and residents of Barangay Maurang, Caibiran, Biliran.
Hurt was Mark Edward Mondedo, 20.
Delima said that the three were erecting a flag pole at the Provincial Fire Marshal office at the government center in Barangay Larrazabal, Biliran at about 2:15 pm when the metal accidentally hit a live wire which resulted in the electrocution of the victims.
TACLOBAN CITY – Social media activities that are “outside school setting” are the ones affected by an order issued by the Department of Education(DepEd) and not those that are related to school or class activities like the creation of group chat(gc)that is used by teachers for communicating lessons and activities to their students.
Outside school setting refers to personal activities, DepEd spokesperson lawyer Michael Poa said.
“The wording of the DO 49 is avoid na lang following them, following learners on social media. But if there is a need to communicate with them thru social media platform wala naman pong masama dun,” Poa said.
“Yung mga gc pwede naman kayong magkaroon ng chat doon with students so wala namang problema as long as it is within the school setting as long as instruction. Hindi naman po ibig sabihin na within the school setting nasa loob lang kayo ng paaralan, and I think that is why nagkakaroon ng confusion and we wanted to clarify that within the school setting basta related sa instructions, sa lesson, sa school activity yung pinag-uusapan wala pong problema,” he explained.
Poa added that the creation of gc has been useful to learners especially during the outbreak of the pandemic as teachers made use of it by giving instructions to their students.
According to the DepEd spokesperson, the purpose of the order was to protect the integrity of the teachers and for practice professionalism.
Any violation committed by the teachers, he said, is to be dealt with under the code of conduct and ethical standards for government employees and officials under Republic Act 6713.
Poa added that what the DO prohibits is for teachers ‘crossing the line’ in dealing with their students.
“Dapat there is a line between the teacher and the learner. You have to be professional kasi yung ang relationship niyo teacher and learners. Once teachers crosses that, it might create a lot of problems,” Poa shares.
Poa added that the order also does not order teachers to unfriend or unfollow students who are already in their friend’s lists or being followed in social media platform.
Poa along with the all DepEd undersecretary and assistant secretary were in Tacloban City Wednesday(Nov.9) for a 3-day national executive committee meeting that started November 8 until 10 as ordered by DepEd Secretary Vice President Sara Duterte that top officials of the agency will have a regular dialogue with officials in the regional offices. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
QUINAPONDAN, Eastern Samar — Sachets and plastic wastes entangled in mangrove roots were the very first intruders that Christopher Quiza, a Bantay Dagat of Quinapondan fish sanctuaries, had to face at the start of his day.
Bantay Dagat patrollers Romeo Germones and Christopher Quiza (from left to right) in their temporary make-shift kitchen. Photo by Ronan Renz Napoto
Just as the sun’s rays lit the sea, Quiza’s bag was filled with trash he collected while rowing around the mangrove forest.
It is his job to ensure that the Panaloytoyon and Mantampok Fish Sanctuaries—breeding grounds of coastal and marine species—are free from wastes and illegal fishing activities.
Members of Bantay Dagat are sea guardians who patrol coastal and marine ecosystems to detect illegal fishing practices and enforce fishery laws and ordinances. In Quinapondan, there are six sea patrollers.
Fish sanctuaries
Panaloytoyon Island was declared a fish sanctuary in 1994. In 1995, Guiuan Development Foundation Inc. (GFDI) established Mantampok Island, which was later maintained and managed by the local government unit (LGU).
In 2017, the Panaloytoyon and Mantampok sanctuaries were declared as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) through a municipal ordinance. Quinapondan Vice Mayor Leo Jaspher Candido said the move was based on the principle of sustainability and only intended to regulate—not prohibit—the fishing activities around the sanctuaries.
According to a recent study published in One Earth Journal, MPAs contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation by sequestering carbon dioxide, protecting coastal communities and biodiversity, and enhancing fishers’ catch and income.
These are important as Eastern Visayas is frequently battered by strong cyclones and is exposed to other climate shocks.
“If we don’t have a healthy ecosystem, where can nearby communities directly source their food?” said Jonh Rey Gacura, a research assistant at GDFI.
From sea to land
Before sunrise, Orly Tabungar already emptied his bucket after watering eggplants and squash on his newly-tilled farm—a different scene from what he used to do.
His boats and fishing nets are now hung up and left to dry, hoping to soon meet the blowing waves from Quinapondan’s east coast.
The decline in fish catch forced Tabungar to shift his focus to farming and parallel activities supporting both fishers and farmers. He is currently the chairman of the board of a cooperative called Island of Samar and Leyte Cooperative (ISLACO).
Tabungar, who also leads the Sto Nino Fisherfolk Association, has witnessed conflicts between members who are now part of the Bantay Dagat and those who continue catching fish for a living because of heightened implementation of the local fishery ordinance.
“The fish sanctuary covers a big portion of where we used to fish, which now leaves us with a smaller area already,” Tabungar said.
Bantay Dagat vs fishers
Quiza recounted when they encountered a group of intruders who tried to fish around the boundaries of Panaloytoyon Fish Sanctuary. As their first action, they called the intruders out and explained that fishing in the fish sanctuary is prohibited.
“We just calm ourselves and try to recognize these people,” he said, adding there were cases filed against individuals who still pushed through with their illegal activities despite warnings.
Their role as active watchdog resulted in threats and curses from, and silent clashes with the fishers who they used to meet around the waters of Quinapondan. There was also an instance when he was invited to a fistfight by a fisherman he previously called out, but Quiza disregarded it.
The tension began after Bantay Dagat members were deployed to more areas, making their presence more visible.
Felix John Bianes, the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer, said that although there are areas where fishing activities are prohibited, fishers can still access a large portion of the town’s municipal waters.
The local environment office conducted a series of information and education campaigns to inform fisherfolk organizations about the ordinance even prior to its implementation. But Bianes said the office has so far engaged with only two communities.
“It is important for them to understand the importance of fish sanctuaries and the consequences when it is destroyed,” Gacura said.
Just transition
Tabungar said that most of the fishers are having difficulty coping with dwindling fish catch and the implementation of regulation. He urged the local government to support small fishers while fish sanctuaries are being established.
In a bid to address the issues raised by some fisherfolk, the LGU, with the support of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, provided them with fishing boats, nets, and gear.
But for GDFI, the local government should consider introducing mariculture, or the farming of marine organisms for food and other products.
Gacura said the provision of fishing gear as an “ayuda” to fishers does not make sense as “we are increasing pressure in a situation where fish stocks are already depleted.”
According to Vice Mayor Candido, the government has introduced bangus culture to a few fishers in Brgy. Sto Nino. The introduction of alternative livelihood sources such as mud crab culture and seaweed farming is also part of their administration’s flagship program.
Ways forward.
Candido acknowledged the issues raised by both the fishermen and the members of Bantay Dagat, and said the government is open to discuss the stakeholders’ concerns on the implementation of the ordinance.
This, according to Quiza, is a smart move to help both parties address their concerns and join forces in protecting marine sanctuaries and ensuring food security.
As the Quinapondan government moves forward with their plans to secure the welfare of their people and marine ecosystem, Candido said they are looking forward to harnessing the available data and science to guide their decision-making processes.
Tabungar expressed his support to the LGU’s plans and noted that “all information dissemination should be done at every barangay to ensure that all are informed of their decisions.”
“I wish to have more catch to sustain the daily needs of every family of fishers,” Tabungar said.
The move also made Quiza, the sea patroller, hopeful that he would start his day with then-intruders as their partners in protecting sanctuaries in their town.
This story was supported by Climate Tracker Asia and Oxfam Pilipinas
