TACLOBAN CITY — The families of three students killed in the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School(SJNHS) received financial assistance and condolences from the Senate as lawmakers renewed calls for stronger measures to protect students and school personnel from violence.

Representatives from the Office of Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian visited the bereaved families on Sept.5, and provided P50,000 in assistance to each family, while conveying the Senate’s sympathy over the deaths.

The delegation included Jojo Rosales, director for political affairs and constituent services; Ahna Mejia, director for media affairs and communications; and Carla Cantal, provincial media relations officer.

The Senate earlier adopted a resolution expressing sympathy to the families of the three students who were killed in the school shooting, which also heightened calls for stronger school security measures.

Gatchalian also reaffirmed his support for Senate Bill No. 2426, or the proposed Comprehensive School Safety Act, which seeks to establish a National School Safety Framework.

The proposed framework would set standards for the prevention of, response to, and recovery from threats and incidents affecting the safety and security of schools.
“Tututukan natin ang mga panukalang batas na magtataguyod sa kaligtasan ng mga paaralan. Hindi na natin hahayaang maulit ang mga karahasang nauwi sa trahedya,” Gatchalian said.

The Senate also provided PHP50,000 in assistance to the family of the late Ateneo cager Rene Baterbonia.

The assistance came as the families of the three students continue to grieve, while government authorities and lawmakers pursue measures aimed at improving school security and preventing similar acts of violence in educational institutions.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY — BDO Unibank Inc. plans to expand its presence in Eastern Visayas, including opening branches in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, and Sogod, Southern Leyte, as it seeks to nearly double its share of the region’s banking market.

The country’s largest bank by total assets currently operates 12 branches across Eastern Visayas, including four in Tacloban City, but its regional market share stands at only about 9 percent, significantly lower than its approximately 20-percent share in other parts of the country.

BDO executives disclosed the expansion plans during a press briefing in Tacloban City on Friday, September 4.

Albert Chu, BDO Unibank First Vice President and area head for Eastern Visayas, said the planned expansion reflects the bank’s confidence in the region’s economic prospects while allowing more residents to gain easier access to formal banking services.

“For Eastern Visayas, we have 12 branches here and four in Tacloban, but we are planning to have more branches,” Chu said.

The bank is looking at major economic centers in the region, including Borongan, the capital of Eastern Samar, and Sogod, Southern Leyte, where growing economic activity and improved infrastructure, including telecommunications, could support additional banking operations.

BDO executives said expanding its physical presence could help the bank capture a bigger portion of the region’s banking market while bringing banking services closer to communities that remain underserved.

Cyrus Polloso, BDO Unibank senior vice president and head of Region 7 Visayas and Mindanao, said the bank hopes to increase its Eastern Visayas market share to about 20 percent.

“Its actually low. In other parts of the country, our share is around 20 percent,” Polloso said.

He said increasing the bank’s reach could also encourage more residents to save through formal banking channels.

Polloso noted that some Filipinos hesitate to enter banks because they feel intimidated or embarrassed, while others are discouraged by the distance of bank branches from their communities.

“We have realized that some Filipinos are ashamed to go to the bank for some reasons, like being shy,” Polloso said, adding that BDO employees are being reminded to treat everyone as a potential client regardless of their financial standing.

The bank is also using community-based initiatives and alternative banking channels to reach areas where it has no physical branches.

“We have actually a network which goes to areas that are not served. We expand our reach through our network to reach as many people as we can,” Polloso said.

The expansion comes as banks increasingly combine traditional branches with digital and other technology-based services to reach customers.

BDO officials said the bank has strengthened security measures to protect clients’ deposits and prevent unauthorized access to accounts, while continuing to introduce digital banking services designed to make transactions more convenient.

For Eastern Visayas, the expansion of banking services could support a broader shift toward formal financial services in a region where many businesses, farmers, workers and households still rely heavily on cash transactions.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY — Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre welcomed the enactment of a new law strengthening government assistance for disadvantaged students, saying it would help ensure that financial support for tertiary education reaches learners who need it most.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12325, which strengthens the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, at Malacañang on September 4.
Acidre, who chairs the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, said the law introduces a clearer system for prioritizing beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), with learners from households enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) given top priority.
The law also creates a Private Education Assistance Program for qualified disadvantaged students pursuing priority programs in private higher education institutions and technical-vocational institutions.
According to Acidre, the reforms address gaps in the implementation of free higher education by directing government assistance toward students based on their financial needs and circumstances.

“This is what universal access should mean: not simply free education, but a system where poverty, geography, or family circumstance does not determine how far a young Filipino can go,” he said.

The measure is intended to expand educational opportunities for students who may face financial and other barriers to completing tertiary education.
Acidre said the strengthened subsidy system would provide disadvantaged learners with more meaningful pathways to pursue and complete higher education and technical-vocational training.

The enactment of RA 12325 forms part of the government’s continuing efforts to improve access to tertiary education by complementing free tuition with targeted assistance for students who require additional support.

(JOEY A. GABIETA, LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)