BY: MARCELINO C. CANETE, JR.

One of the biggest challenges that I have handled and hurled as a teacher was when I was assigned as the chairman/organizer of Science Fair and Quiz Bee back in 2010.
The said Science Fair and Quiz was one of the activities lined up by the Babatngon Central School as part of the month-long Science Month Celebration which falls every September of the year.
As the chairman-organizer of the event, about 18 pupils from Grades III to VI participated Quiz Bee.
Part of my responsibilities was to assigned rooms where the contest per level would be conducted.
The Quiz Bee was conducted not only as a mere competition among participating students but achieved the following:(1) create science learning environment that will inspire pupils;(2) develop confidence and creativity;(3) produce talented and competitive pupils;(4) develop scientific attitude and analytical skills of the students;(5) increase academic performance in Science III, IV, V, and VI; and (6) participate in the Division Science Fair and Quiz.
Needless to say, the said Science Fair and Quiz was a success, thanks to the cooperation not only from the pupils but even from the teachers and our School Principal, Lorlyne Minano.(Note: The author at the Babatngon Central School)

TACLOBAN CITY-Four doctors from Egypt and Canada and other volunteer local doctors will take part in a five-day medical camp which will be organized by the St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Foundation in Tacloban City from June 15, 16, 17 and 19, 2019.
The medical camp will be held from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on the said dates at the SMCOF Office located at 196 Avenida Veteranos Street, Barangay 23-A (in front of DES Marketing) Downtown Tacloban City.
SMCOF Project Director Mina Ghabriel said that at least a thousand patients will be served by doctors specializing in skin, ear nose, and throat diseases, and dental and internal medicine during the medical mission. Free medicines will also be dispensed to patients, he added.
Prior to the medical mission, patients are advised to register on June 8, to 14 from 9: 00 am to 5:00 pm at the SMCOF office or send an email to stmarktac@gmail.com stating the name of the patient, contact details and their ailments/medical condition.
Patients can also call or text the following number to reserve a slot for the Medical Camp: 0949-941-17303 (SMART) and 0995-366-9155. Those who registered will be notified through the text of their schedule.
The SMCOF is holding the medical mission in the city in coordination with the city government of Tacloban through Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez.
Meanwhile, the group will be conducting a similar activity at the Kawayan District Health Center on June 18, disclosed Ghabriel.
SMCOF is a nonprofit company registered in the Philippines since 2010 and its primary purpose is to “protect children especially orphans and provide them their necessary needs.”
In the aftermath of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’, several medical missions were organized by the group which benefited typhoon victims. (HENRY JAMES ROCA/CIO)

CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte – The Philippine National Police(PNP) has increased the cost of construction for police stations located in remote or island towns.
This was disclosed by Police Major Aspiro Badiola, project management unit officer-in-charge of the PNP-8, who said that the increase in funding could help attract more bidders.
It was learned that some contractors shy away from joining bidding for construction of a police station located in a remote or coastal area due to a low amount earmarked by the PNP for such project.
At present, the PNP has a uniform budget of P4.8 million for its standard three-storey police station.
“Given this present budget, they are not keen in participating in the procurement process,” Badiola said.
The region, particularly in Samar and Northern Samar provinces, has island municipalities and towns that are located along the mainland but are better reached by boat due to accessibility or road condition problems.
“We already made a recommendation for the upgrading of cost estimates for upcoming projects. In fact, for the projects for 2019, the island municipalities and far-flung towns will now have a P6.4 million budget for police station construction,” Badiola said.
“Hopefully this will entice our contractors to participate in our bidding processes,” he added.
Of the 101 on-going implementation of standard municipal stations, the PNP-8 is set to inaugurate police stations in the towns of Bobon, Northern Samar; Can-avid, Eastern Samar; Liloan, Southern Leyte; Tabango and Bato, both in Leyte.
Other police stations set to be inaugurated are in San Isidro and Biri, both in Northern Samar; Basey and Hinabangan, both in Samar; Inopacan and Ormoc City Police Station 2, both in Leyte.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

NAVAL, Biliran- The Biliran Provincial Hospital is soon to open an Epilepsy and Seizure Clinic, according to Vanessa Ramirez, Biliran provincial health education and promotions officer.
The initiative is in coordination with the Philippine League Against Epilepsy (PLAE) who, for the first 10 months, will send representatives to mentor trained doctors in the four health facilities in the province.
Ramirez said trained doctors in the field of epilepsy and seizure are Dr. Madonna Payao, medical officer at the Biliran Provincial Hospital; Dr. Fernando Montejo at the Naval Rural Health Unit; Dr. Estrella Pedrosa at the Culaba Rural Health Unit; and Dr. Dionesio Plaza at the Caibiran Rural Health Unit.
Initial enrollment and assessment of patients started May 23 at the out-patient department of the provincial hospital where eight patients submitted for assessment while five patients submitted for initial assessment at the Culaba RHU and 10 other patients at the Naval RHU.
Dr. Rosario Latorre, pediatrics-child neurologist, and Dr. Ana Javelosa, both PLAE members, assisted in the interview and assessment of patients and their guardians at the BPH and Naval Rural Health Unit, respectively.
“The significant turnout of patients on the first day of the service was attributed to the department’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme which they started in 2014,” said Ramirez.
Ramirez informed that within 10 months, PLAE representatives will continue mentoring trained doctors in Biliran and will regularly visit every second Thursday of the month.
Next visit will be on June 13 this year.
With assistance from PLAE, patients under this program are provided free medicines and are entitled to free diagnostic tests such as the electroencephalography (EEG).
The establishment of epilepsy and seizure clinics in health facilities in the province of Biliran aims at providing immediate access to neurology services at the primary level without the need of seeking specialized services in the cities and modern hospitals.
The program also aims at strengthening the skills and knowledge in epilepsy management of the stakeholders, Ramirez added. (LDL/MLT/PIA-8, Biliran)

TACLOBAN CITY- Unlike in other churches in the country, the Archdiocese of Palo in Leyte has no plan yet to remove the arancel system or asking fee for particular sacraments like funeral or blessings.
This was disclosed by Father Chris Arthur Militante, spokesperson of the archdiocese of Palo.
Militante said that the Archdiocese, which covers the entire province of Leyte and with suffragan dioceses of Naval, Catarman, Borongan, and Calbayog, is not yet financially capable to remove the system.
According to him, the money generated by the archdiocese out of the collection from the arancel are used to help run and maintain the operation of the churches and for the faithful who are in need.
Some churches in the country has removed the arancel system like those in diocese of Balanga in Bataan and the archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan.
“While we are open to that, the Archdiocese of Palo, to include its suffaragans, are not yet ready to remove the arancel system,” Militante said.
“We don’t see it as a payment but as a form of support (from the faithful). How can we help the Church and our brothers if we don’t have the funds? That is why, we are thankful that we still have this arancel system,” the spokesperson of the archdiocese added.
The Archdiocese of Palo is headed by Archbishop John Du who is also the treasurer of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Militante, however, could not say as to how much the archdiocese earns out of the arancel system.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)