May 29 to June 2, 2012

Hello 7th graders!

Schools open on Monday in K to 12 fashion

There will be no more first year high school on Monday.

On June 4, the first day of school year 2012-13, Grade 7 will already be a student's first level in junior high school. Cynthia G. Demavivas, Asst. Schools Division Superintendent and OIC of the Department of Education-Division of San Carlos, confirmed that it is "all systems go" for the Kindergarten plus 12 years of Basic Education Program (K to 12)  on the opening of classes for both public and private schools all over the country.

In San Carlos, 150 Grade 1 teachers plus four local trainers and 92 Grade 7 (formerly first year high school) subject teachers have already been trained for K to 12.

No enrollment on day 1

-Demavivas

"There will be no enrollment on Monday."

This is the new Department of Education policy. Cynthia Demavivas, Asst. Schools Division Superintendent and OIC of the DepEd-Division of San Carlos explained that DepEd wants formal classes to begin right on the opening day and that an early enrollment for first graders had been conducted last January and enrollment for other levels had been opened three weeks ago for this purpose.

WV youth camp in San Carlos

Close to 1,500 Western Visayan youths spent the one-week Regional Summer Life Skills Encampment in San Carlos City. The Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines (PYAP) held Sulong Dulong Skills Olympics and forums on youth-oriented topics from May 28 to June 2 for participants from all over Region VI and 90 percent of them are out-of-school youth.

Gelime Fia Lumawag, 22, PYAP regional president, from Bacolod City said that PYAP's goals include to train out-of-school youths for employment, develop their inter-personal skills, to make them productive, and, in the process, to empower them.

Youth hope. Antique Provicial delegates to the Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines Regional Summer Life Skills Encampment take oath during the first camp day on May 29 at the City Auditorium.                                                                              Photos by Dateline City Hall

Let's speak in Cebuano

MTB-MLE from K to 3

Aside from the Kindergarten plus 12 years of Basic Education Program (K to 12), teachers, students, and parents have another issue to deal with, the Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education (MTB-MLE).

So, what is MTB-MLE?

It is the use of the pupils' mother tongue or home language as medium for classroom instruction. However, this program now exists in two modules for Kindergarten to Grade 3. Module 1 is that one of the 12 Philippine Languages is the medium of instruction. Module 2 makes the mother tongue a subject area from first to third grade.

No Baby Talk

By Georgene Rhena P. Quilaton-Tambiga

Conversations with Gab

A take on MTB-MLE

Motherhood is an experiment. And, language is the experiment I love best.

My two-year old son started expressing himself at a year and six months in the language that all members of the household speak best: Cebuano. His godmothers, that he now calls his "barkada" (bosom friends), complains that he is too "Bisdak" (Bisayang Dako) or one who cannot speak in any other tongue than Cebuano. Instead of sulking though, I often smile and raise my head in pride of my little achievement.

You see, unlike most modern Filipino mothers I do not speak to my son in any other language but Cebuano. I teach him in Cebuano and he does not watch Dora the Explorer or Blues Clues but spend the whole morning playing while his great grandfather's radio is tuned to GMA Radyo Cebu. As of press time, he starts and carries a conversation, makes observations, and expresses himself fluently and critically in Cebuano.

Okay, I know, I sound like one proud, stage Mama but this seems to be the only way I know for driving home a point: Kids learn easiest, fastest and best in their mother tongue.

Friendly Observer

By Arthur Keefe

There is more to governance

Recent statements by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank (WB) recognize improvements in the Philippines, but also draw attention to the need for further progress.

The areas they have concentrated on are the high levels of poverty still tolerated here and the issue of governance.

These are connected. They applaud the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) initiative, which for the first time, offers a small degree of income redistribution, but consider it as only first step. For example, it directs small amounts of income to poor children, but does nothing for the elderly, the disabled, or other adults in poverty.

Bantay Banat 

Ni Rics Cañisarez

Inyong SALN

Nahuman na gayud ang Impeachment Trial batok sa kang Chief Justice Renato Corona ug niining kapin sa 40 ka adlaw, nahukman sa 23 ka Senator-Judges nga guilty si Corona gumikan kay wala niya ideklara sa iyang statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN) ang minilyon niya nga deposito sa bangko.

Tungod sa desisyon sa mga senator-judges, dili kalikayan nga duna say mo-ingon nga dili kuno balanse, pero ang Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) mipadayag sa ilang pagrespeto sa desisyon sa mga senador. Busa, maka-ingon ko nga magsilbing leksyon kini sa mga ana-a sa gobyerno nga ideklara gayud ang ilang kabtangan sa insakto.

                                    **********

Pikpik sa Abaga

Ni Henry Sandoval

Danggit

Nagka interes ako pag-ayo sa istorya nga akong nasagap nga didto kuno sa Barangay San Juan, isla sa Sipaway dunay usa ka panghitabo nga dili normal sa mga tawo didto.

Sa may Pantalan sa Dapdap adunay nakita ang pipila ka mga tawo ug duha ka isda nga gisaw nga milutaw. Gikuha kini nila ug ilahang gi abrihan ang tiyan. Ug unsay ilahang nakita sa sulod ila ra usab nga gilabay pagbalik sa dagat. Ug unsang pag kaunsaa nga ang gisaw nga ilahang gilabay sa dagat gikaon kini sa dakong isda nga pangalwan. Wala sad kuno magdugay ang isda nga mika-on sa gilabay nga isda milutaw sad. Nahilo.

May 17 to 28, 2012

The Younghusband. Phil Younghusband, the Men’s Philippine Football Team striker, kicks the ball in during the practice game against the Junior Azkals at the Center Mall football field. The mesh barricade keeps fans and onlookers from pushing in to the famous booter.                                               Photos by Ian Serion, City Tourism Office

Historic Azkals visit in San Carlos

At long last, San Carlos City has etched a permanent emblem on the Philippine football map.

For the much anticipated football training camp, the Philippine Football Team, better known as the Azkals, came to the city to train on its now nationally famous football field at San Julio Realty, Inc. (SJRI) or Center Mall grounds. Surrounded by screaming fans, the Under-22 (Junior Azkals) and Men's teams practiced together from May 22 to 23. While the Men's stay was rather short in preparation for their game against Guam in Panaad Stadium, Bacolod City on June 5, the Juniors will be here until June 6.

Defense guy. Jimmy Malaloan-kneeling, right-extends the reach of his legs to defend their goal as a booter from the Men’s team attempts a goal during the practice game on May 22. Malaloan is from San Carlos City and is also a member of the Negros Occidental Football Association.             

The Azkals entourage of 67 members, including 49 players, and 18 coaching staff arrived around one in the afternoon of May 21 and was immediately treated to lunch at the Sangguniang Panglungsod Session Hall. San Carlos City Mayor Gerardo Valmayor, Jr. hosted the event to welcome the team that also included his 20-year old son, Gerardo Valmayor III, a Junior Azkals and University of the Philippines Diliman  FC player.

Exclusive photos of the Philippine Football Team Azkals in San Carlos City!

Photos by Ian Serion, City Tourism Office

Jogging on the field

Phil Younghusband, Azkals striker jogs on the Center  Mall football field. 

Soldier's Pen

By BGen. Alexander Cabales (Ret.)

Beefed-up Philippine Navy 

vs. US presence 

The Philippine Navy needs to be abolished!  That was the gist of an article that I wrote for the NewsRecord many issues ago.  This was because our navy cannot perform its basic mission of protecting our external waters or the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from foreign aggression. 

It is a known fact that the Philippine Navy at present is just mostly duplicating the traditional job of another agency - the Philippine Coast Guard.  Except for limited support to counter-insurgency operations (which is also not its job), it simply implements maritime laws and conducts patrols on our internal waters.  This job is the mandate of the Philippine Coast Guard which ably performs because it is better equipped, better trained and better motivated.  It is therefore prudent for purposes of economy and practicality, that the navy should be abolished. 

Recommending the dissolution of an important component of our military organization may seem such a wise thing to do considering the economic constraints of our country at present but it cannot be as simple as that.  No self-respecting country would admit that it has an incompetent military and show it off by allowing the disbandment of any of its traditional armed components no matter how inept and lame they may be.  All sovereign nations need to flex their muscles (or pretend to be doing so) and show an air of strength sometimes in order to gain respect in the community of nations.  Even land-locked countries such as Bolivia and small countries that have no maritime problems with its neighbors such as Singapore have their own creditable navies.  My recommendation for the abolition of the Philippine Navy therefore was in the spirit of sarcasm to drive a point-that our navy needs to be capacitated to perform its mandated mission and become responsive to the security needs of our country.  It was a suggestion that our navy does not count at all as if it is non-existent.

Friendly Observer

By Arthur Keefe

Sharing the benefits 

of development

As work gets underway on the new tennis courts at Center Mall, it is timely to reflect on the activities of San Julio Realty and its relationship with the city.

Some claim that the whole Center Mall is no more than a successful business venture by the Ledesma Family, who have transformed sugar land into high value real estate. Further, by managing to pass some of the costs of road and other infrastructure costs to the taxpayer, they have produced private profit with public subsidy.

It may well be that the Ledesmas have benefitted from the increased land values, but in my view, the public benefit has also been considerable. There are few cities in Negros with such a large and well-managed public space. The sports facilities (basketball, football, and now tennis) are excellent. Everyday hundreds of people in the early morning and afternoon use it for walking and exercise.

The sites of the high school and City Hall have been donated to the city at nil cost and the commercial properties provide small business opportunities.

Bantay Banat

Ni Rics Cañisarez

Sa usa ka tindahan

"Sugod karon dili na ko mamalit pa ug bisan unsa nga palaliton dinhi sa Libra Mart."

Mao kini ang reaksyon sa mga mamalitay diha sa maong tindahan kaniadtong Mayo 18. Kini gud ang Libra Mart, kon adlaw nga Biyernes ug Sabado maghuot gayud ang mga pumapalit nga halos dili na kaagi ang mga costumer nga inug kahuman nga makapili sa mga palaliton isulod sa plastic basket ug molinya padulong sa cashier aron mobayad. Ingon niini ang patakaran sa maong tindahan. Bisag unsa ka taas ang linya kinahanglan molinya ka gayud pasunod ug kon ikaw ulahi molinya ka gayud. Niadtong adlawa apil usab ako sa taas kaayo nga linya bisan tinuod nga gamay ra nga kantidad ang akong napalit. Pero, duna lang koy namatikdan apil na ang uban nga naglinya. Dihay usa ka tawo nga puno-puno ang push cart nga nagpasumada sa cashier. Busa, ako ug ang uban nga naglinya nga human sa sulod sa push cart mohawa na ug mosunod na usab ang lain nga naglinya. Unsa gud diay pagka unsa-a nga duna pa man diay laing push cart nga puno gihapon pero, wala sa linya ug pagka human duna pay lain nga push cart nga nag sunod-sunod nga wala mo-apil sa linya.

Pikpik sa Abaga

Ni Henry Sandoval

Hold-up sa C-Mall

Usa na sad ka hold-up ang nahitabo niadtong milabay nga Mayo 19. Si Siegred May Liagas, dalaga, nagpuyo sa Hope, Barangay V, gikan ningsuroy didto sa pista sa Pantalan, Barangay VI, ning-adto pud sa Center Mall. Matud pa sa inahan nga nag-asoy kanako samtang nangihi ang usa niya ka kauban kalit lang may miduol kanila nga duha ka batan-on ug dayun ti-un sa hunting knife ug mideklarar nga "Hold-up!"

Nadala gayud ang cellphone sa duha ka mga hold-upper. Na blotter ang maong hitabo ug dali nga miresponde ang kapulisan apan wala na diha ang mga suspetsado.

Kanang hold-up diha sa Center Mall dugay na ug daghan na ang nabiktima dinhang lugara. Ambot ug may nadakpan na ba ang atong kapulisan dinhi sa San Carlos. Murag wala pa man gayud ko kadungog nga dunay nadakpan. Ug labot pa ang back-to-back nga patrol car sa pulis anha man lang makita sa may Shell Gasoline Station mag standby. Ug duna pa lang untay mo-standby dinha sa Center Mall sigurado ko nga dili na magsige ug himo nang mga mangtas sa kagabhi-on diha sa Center Mall.

Kalas siguro ang gasolina ug adto maglibot libot sa Center Mall ang sakyanan sa atong kapulisan. Kanang dalan padulong sa City Hall bisan adlaw nga dako labnotan ka sa mga snatcher. Ang asawa lang ni Tata Marani samtang mangumpra unta dinhi sa merkado kalit lang nga gilabnutan sa iyahang bag ug maayo gayud nga pagkadala ang bali P14,000 nga inug kumpra unta. Sa adlaw dako manglabni ug wala pa gayud madakpi ang maong snatcher.