Graduation of K to 12 pioneer students on May 30, a landmark event in Phl educational system

A landmark event in the history of Philippine education system will take place on May 30 with the  pioneering batch of the Department of Education's (DepEd) K to 12 Program in two pilot schools in Leyte will be graduating on May 30 of this  year.

Palo Mayor Remedios L. Petilla said the first batch of K to 12 students from the Palo ! National High School and the Merida Vocational School will graduate on May 30 at the upper floor of the Palo Municipal Hall.

This is a very important historical event, Mayor Petilla said as she disclosed that no less than the secretary of Education has been invited to grace the graduation.

It was learned that in a recent assessment made by the DepEd and the Provincial Government of Leyte, about 200 students of Grades 11 and 12 took the K to 12 Program Modeling Implementation for two years.

The students come from Palo National High School and Merida Vocational School and are under the Income Creating Opportunities Thru Technology Projects (ICOT-P) of then Leyte governor now Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla which  being continued under the term of Governor Dominic Petilla.

Several private firms committed to hire the students under tourism, information and communications technology (ICT), automotive and metals, and engineering sector.

The DepEd in Eastern Visayas has initiated the modeling, in consortium with the Provincial Government of Leyte, Technical Education and Skill Development Authority (Tesda), Commission on Higher Education (Ched), and the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges Eastern Visayas Chapter.

Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said DepEd can now assess what are needed to be improved in the implementation of the program in the Philippines.

“The K to 12 Program reinforces our vision to provide alternative learning and skills to our students who would not be able to continue to a college education. As they finish senior high school, they become equipped with skills and competencies that will make them ready to work,” he said.

The shift in the country’s education system started in 2012 with the universal kindergarten program. Filipino children aged five years old are now required to spend two years in kindergarten before entering Grade 1. opt

2014 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING INDUSTRY REPORT

The 2014 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING INDUSTRY REPORT reveals how marketers are using social media to grow their businesses.

In order to understand how marketers are using social media, Social Media Examiner commissioned its sixth annual Social Media Marketing Industry Report.

It set out to uncover the the “who, what, where, when and why” of social media marketing” with more than 2,800 marketers revealing where they focus their social media activities, which social tactics are most effective and how content plays a role into their social media marketing.

Here's a quick summary of the primary findings:

• Marketers place very high value on social media: A significant 92% of marketers indicate that social media is important for their business, up from 86% in 2013.

• Tactics and engagement are top areas marketers want to master.  At least 89% of marketers want to know the most effective social tactics and the best ways to engage their audience with social media.

• Blogging holds the top spot for future plans. A significant 68% of marketers plan on increasing their use of blogging, making it the top area marketers will invest in for 2014.

• Marketers want to learn most about Google+.  While 54% of marketers are using Google+, 65% want to learn more about it and 61% plan on increasing Google+ activities in 2014.

• Podcasting on growth trajectory.  Only 6% of marketers are involved with podcasting, yet 21% plan on increasing their podcasting activities in 2014, more than threefold increase; and 28% of marketers want to learn more about it.

• Facebook and LinkedIn are the two most important social networks for marketers.  When forced to only select one platform, 54% of marketers selected Facebook, followed by LinkedIn at 17%.

• Most marketers aren't sure their Facebook marketing is effective: Only 34% of marketers (slightly more than one in three) think that their Facebook efforts are effective.

• Original written content is most important for social media marketing:  A significant 58% of marketers stated that original written content is the single most important form of content, followed by original visual assets (19%).

Mr. Michael Stelzner, the founder and CEO of Social Media Examiner, also revealed some fascinating findings like which social networks are used by those who invest the most time in social media marketing and the benefits achieved by those who have been at this for years.  opt

First batch of Korea-TESDA heavy equipment operations training graduate on May 30

Congratulations to the first batch of the heavy equipment operation training, a vocational training partnership between TESDA and the Korean Araw contingent in Leyte.

They will graduate on May 30 at around 2:00 PM at the Korean Araw Camp, with Leyte Governor Dominic Petilla as the guest of honor.

Thank You, to the Korean Araw contingent and TESDA for this opportunity for Haiyan survivors to enhance their capacities so that they in turn will be able to train other Haiyan survivors to widen their employability.

To remember, the heavy equipment operation training opened on Monday, March 31 at the TESDA Regional Training Center.

TESDA Region 8 Director Cleta Omega said that the training is intended for those who wish to become operators of heavy equipment like forklift, crane, bulldozer, excavator and payloader.

The four-weeks training, Director Omega said that the training included a two-week Theory Portion which the TESDA provided at the TESDA Regional Training Center.

Another two weeks were allotted for the Practical Component which was handled by the Korean contingent at its Candahug headquarters.

The first batch of trainees is composed of 48 participants, 16 of who are TESDA trainors and 32 are from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. 

It was learned that the succeeding batches will come from the municipalities of Palo, Tanauan and Tolosa, three towns which are now being assisted by the Korean Araw contingent.

Each municipality are now searching for 48 beneficiaries; 8 trainees each for crane, bulldozer, excavator and payloader operation while 16 for forklift operation.

Director Omega said that the beneficiaries must meet the criteria which include employable age or at least 18 years of age; at least High School graduate; physically and mentally healthy; and willing to complete the four-weeks training.

Once they complete their training, the participants will be ready to be employed as heavy equipment operators.

With this partnership with TESDA, the Korean Araw contingent has achieved one of its missions in Leyte which is to provide vocational training to Haiyan survivors. opt

POWER SHUTDOWN IN BILIRAN AND PARTS OF LEYTE ON MAY 31

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said that there is a scheduled power shut down in its transmission facilities in Biliran and some parts of Leyte on May 31, from 7:00 AM to 5:00PM.

The affected distribution utilities are    Biliran Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BILECO);     Leyte III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LEYECO III); and Leyeco V Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LEYECO V).

The affected areas are the entire Biliran Island and some parts of Leyte under the coverage of LEYECO III and LEYECO V.

NGCP, in its website, posted the maintenance works on the 100MVA Transformer at Ormoc Substation and on the 69kV Milagro-Lemon-Biliran-Tunga-Palo line as the reason for the power outage.

Normal operations will immediately resume after work completion. NGCP’s customers and the general public are advised to take the necessary preparations and precautions for this scheduled interruption. opt

CHURCH, GOVT, NGOS TEAM UP FOR LIVELIHOOD RESTORATION IN HAIYAN-HIT SAMAR ISLANDS

Church leaders in the provinces of Samar and Eastern Samar met with agriculture and livelihood officials in the region to set the agenda for livelihood rehabilitation in the typhoon Yolanda-ravaged municipalities in the two provinces.

Bishop Crispin Varquez of the Diocese of Borongan earlier said that livelihood rehabilitation should already take priority over relief operations. He also said people should not be too dependent on aid and dole- outs given by different humanitarian groups. Bishops Varquez is a strong advocate of local ownership and transparency in the rehabilitation of Yolanda-devastated areas.

Bishop Varquez and Bishop Isabelo Abarquez of the Diocese of Calbayog were the convenors of the Samar Island Livelihood Recovery Convergence Workshop on May 26 in Tacloban City. Other convenors are the Department of Agriculture (DA), the social action centers of the two dioceses, and civil society groups Samar Development Agenda Consortium (SDAC) and Eastern Samar Social Development Organization (ESSDOG).

This workshop was supported by The Asia Foundation as a follow through of the Yolanda Transparency Forum held last March.

The workshop  gathered officials from the DA, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and municipal agriculture officers (MAOs) from 12 municipalities in Eastern Samar and six municipalities of Samar.

Participants to this workshop included municipal agriculture officers from the municipalities of Daram, Villareal, Talalora, Basey, Marabut, and Sta. Rita in Samar. Participants are also from Guiuan, Mercedes, Salcedo, Quinapondan, Giporlos, Balangiga, Lawaan, Gen MacArthur, Hernani, Llorente, Balangkayan, and Maydolong in Eastern Samar.

This workshop aimed to set the direction of livelihood programs that will be implemented in the southern part of Samar Island where some of the municipalities hardest-hit by typhoon Yolanda are located.

During the workshop, the municipal agriculture officers identified top crops in their respective municipalities, and cluster their municipalities so that assistance will be more focused and gaps in the livelihood restoration efforts are addressed. The plan is to replicate the workshop in the province of Leyte as well until a coherent plan for the whole region is completed.

DA Regional Director Bernadette San Juan said the convergence workshop is unique because it is locally-initiated and jointly done by government and civil society.

“The composition of convenors is expected to strengthen local ownership of livelihood initiatives and make government more accountable to the people of Samar island,” she said. opt