Manila- The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines and EducationUSA, the U.S. government’s official source of information on U.S. higher education, invite all Filipinos interested in studying in the United States to join International Education Week (IEW) events from November 15 to 19.
On Monday, November 15, EducationUSA will host a virtual college essay workshop and financial aid walkthrough for high school students interested in studying in an accredited U.S. higher education institution.
Working professionals and those interested in graduate studies in the United States can tune in to the Embassy’s “Road to International Education” episode on Facebook at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 17. Participants of this event can also join EducationUSA’s free advising session for prospective graduate students on Friday, November 19, for any follow-up concerns on their college plans.
On November 18, EducationUSA and the Commission on Higher Education are holding the eighth session of the Pathways to Opportunity series that will outline best practices on signing MOUs for higher education institutions.
Registration details for these and all EducationUSA events can be found at https://educationusaph.org/
Since 2019, EducationUSA advisees have received more than P115 million in financial aid from accredited U.S. higher education institutions.
EducationUSA provides free advising services to prospective international students in more than 170 countries and offers students resources and tools to help navigate the five steps to U.S. study: researching schools, identifying financial aid opportunities, completing applications, obtaining a student visa, and preparing for departure.
There are more than 4,700 accredited higher education institutions in the United States, and an EducationUSA adviser can help students narrow their options, define their priorities, and plan their college careers.
EducationUSA does not offer scholarships but can assist students in identifying scholarship and financial assistance opportunities. (PR)
EducationUSA announces International Education Week Events for Filipinos
Palo school to welcome 2 kids for the face-to-face classes
PALO, Leyte- The biggest public elementary school of this town will pilot the face-to-face classes on Monday (Nov.15) involving two kids of special needs.
The Palo I Central School, which has a current enrollment of 2,042 students with 64 teachers, has been selected as one of the 10 public schools in Eastern Visayas selected by the Department of Education(DepEd) as pilot schools for a limited face-to-face classes since the pandemic started almost two years now.
School principal Onesima Dacillo said that while they will only welcome two students, they are still upbeat for the ‘start’ of the face-to-face classes on their school this Monday.
“We are ready for the opening of the face-to-face classes in our school and we will have a festive opening with all the teachers in attendance and other officials of the DepEd and local government present,” she said.
According to her, their school was selected by the DepEd as one of the pilot schools for the face-to-face classes as Barangay Cavite West, the area where the school is located, has zero case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
It was learned from Dacillo that the school’s Speed (special education) class has 12 students enrolled but only two parents acceded for a face-to-face classes instead of the current modular learning method.
The students are both boys and 11 years of age.
Kya Demecillo, who will handle pilot face-to-face, said that considering of the nature of her students, she will not teach them at the same time.
“It will be a one-on-one teaching because of their behavioral differences. For sure, it will be very challenging as there will be some adjustments to be made due to different set up,” Demecillo, who will be wearing personal protective equipment all throughout her classes, said.
The first student will attend the class from 8 am until 9 am with a 15-minute interval to be used for the disinfection of the classroom. It will only then the other student will be allowed to enter.
As part of the protocol, the two will undergo body temperature check and to sanitize their hands using alcohol.
Ma.Cherry Cabrigas, village chairwoman of Cavite West, said that they are aware that the Palo I Central School has been selected as a pilot school for the face-to-face classes.
“It will be very limited as only two students are involved. Hopefully, this will eventually result for more students attending a face-to-face method of classes,” she said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Ormoc, Catbalogan stop using of face shield
Face shield still requires in Tacloban, other EV areas
TACLOBAN CITY- The cities of Ormoc and Catbalogan have scrapped the use of face shields, becoming the only areas in the region to have drop using the said protective equipment.
The declining number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were cited as the main reason why these local governments have decided to end the use of face shields.
The Department of Health (DOH) in the region has yet to issue statement on the move of Ormoc and Catbalogan to stop the use of the face shield.
But while face shield will no longer be a requirement among their respective constituents, both Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez and Catbalogan Mayor Dexter Uy stressed that the use of face mask will still be in effect, among other existing health protocols being mandated by the national Inter Agency Task Force.
Based on the orders of the Mayors Gomez and Uy, one can enter business establishments, offices, and banks even without the need of wearing of face shield.
Mayor Gomez, on his Executive Order Number 217 he issued on Nov.8, also allow drivers and passengers of public utility vehicles not to wear the face shield.
At present, Ormoc has only eight active COVID-19 cases.
Meantime, under Executive Order Number 11-002 issued by Mayor Uy also on Nov.8, its constituents could now go to establishments without using the face shields.
The same order, however, mandates that the public should still use face mask, practice frequent hand washing and observe social distancing.
Those who will violate this particular protocol faces P1,000 fine, the order said.
The city has only seven active cases of COVID-19.
Meantime, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said that he would wait for the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force if he will lift the use of face shield in the city.
He, however, said that a person could not be cited for violation if he or she is not wearing a face shield, adding its up to the business establishments if they will scrap it to allow entry.
Tacloban, the regional capital, has still 74 active COVID-19 cases.
Several local governments in the country have also stopped using the face shields which was mandated by the government through the DOH as one way not to get the COVID infection.
Meantime, the DOH reported of 28 new COVID-19 cases with the region having active COVID-19 cases of 207.
DAR-Eastern Visayas to parcelize 206,436 hectares of agri lands
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Eastern Visayas recently held the cascading of the revised guidelines on Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project and aims to parcelize 206,436 hectares of agriculture lands.
The SPLIT project aims to fast-track land subdivision/parcelization of collective certificates of land ownership award (CCLOAs) and eventually issue individual land titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who were previously awarded with lands and collective CLOAs under the CARP.
DAR Undersecretary for Field Operations Office Elmer Distor told the field implementers of the region, during the “Policy Orientation on the Revised Guidelines and Procedures on the Parcelization of Landholdings with Collective CLOAs,” that parcelization of landholdings covered by CCLOAs is expected now to move fast and smooth.
“Various problems, particularly legal issues and concerns, arose during the initial implementation of SPLIT project and now we are addressing them so that we know what to do when we encounter them these coming days,” Distor said.
Assistant Secretary and SPLIT National Project Director, Rene Colocar, disclosed that this project seeks to subdivide more than 1.3 million hectares of lands nationwide covered by more than 134,000 collective titles and eventually issue individual CLOAs to about 1,140,735 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) until the year 2023.
About 129,000 ARBs from the Eastern Visayas region awarded with CCLOAs with a combined area of 206,436 hectares are expected to benefit upon the completion of the project in 2023.
Regional Director Robert Anthony Yu said that for this year the region has a target of about 1,878 CCLOAs covering a combined area of 29,176 hectares for parcelization.
“Around 15,310 ARBs in Region-8 are expected to benefit this year by receiving their individual titles by yearend,” he said.
This P 24-billion SPLIT project is funded by the World Bank wherein 78 percent comprise the loan proceeds, while 22 percent serves as government counterpart. (PR)
Eastern Visayas gets 5K food packs as augmentation support
TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas received on Wednesday 5,000 food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Visayas Disaster Resource Center as augmentation for the region.
The augmentation from Cebu City will raise the region’s capability to respond to the needs of local government units especially during typhoon season this quarter, said Abelardo Bibat, DSWD Eastern Visayas regional information officer in a phone interview.
“Currently, we have 15,296 food packs stored at the DSWD Regional Resource Operations Section in Palo, Leyte, and in our warehouses established in strategic locations in the region,” Bibat said.
Identified as strategic locations are those areas near the shoreline and low-lying communities, he said.
Of the 15,296 food packs, some 10,446 are stored at the DSWD regional warehouse in Palo town; 3,650 in Northern Samar; 1,000 in Samar; and 200 in Eastern Samar.
Each food pack consists of rice, canned goods, and coffee, packed in a small box for one family.
Storing food packs in different strategic locations before a calamity will allow the DSWD to immediately respond to requests of local government units.
Under the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, the local governments are the first responders and the DSWD is tasked to augment the response efforts after disasters.
Typhoons and frequent rains are expected to prevail every last quarter in the region, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Meanwhile, in an advisory issued Wednesday, PAGASA identified several rivers in six provinces that would likely be affected by the downpour brought about by a low-pressure area affecting several areas in the Visayas.
These rivers are Sangputan, Palo, Solano, Daguitan, Marabong, Cadacan, Bongquirogon, Salug, Pagbanagaran, Pagsangahan, and Binahaan in Leyte; Catarman, Bugko, Pambujan, Catubig, Palapag, Mano, and Gamay in Northern Samar.
Other rivers include Oras, Dolores, Ulot, Taft, Borongan, Suribao, Llorente, Balangiga, and Sulat in Eastern Samar; Basey, Silaga, Calbiga, and Jibatan in Samar; Bisay, Himbangan, and Pandan in Southern Leyte; and all river systems in Biliran.
People living in low-lying areas near these river systems have been advised to stay alert for possible flash floods.
Those residing near mountain slopes have been told to watch out for signs of landslides.
This is the second day in a row that the state weather bureau issued a flood alert for the region.
On Tuesday, Pagasa issued a general flood advisory due to the tail end of a cold front.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)