International Health Educators to visit model schools in NegOr

By: Jennifer Catan-Tilos

DUMAGUETE CITY, Apr 4 (PIA) A group of 40 officials and executives from the Ministers of Health and Education in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Uzbekistan and Philippineswill arrive on April 6 in Negros Oriental (NegOr) for a study visit to model public schools under Fit for School project of the Department of Education (DepEd).

NegOr Schools Division Superintendent Maria Milagros Velez of DepEd said the international education ministers will visit the four (4) resource-poor model schools of the Fit for School on the achievement of Essential Health Care Program (EHCP) in the province and Dumaguete City.

The Division of Negros Oriental has identified Sibulan Central Elementary School and San Miguel Elementary School in Bacong and another two schools in Dumaguete City as theselected schools to be visited.

The educational tour coincides with the First International Fir for School course-capacity building for effective school health, which is implemented on April 4-12 by Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology of the Southeast Asia Ministe4rs ofEducation Organization (SEAMEO-INNOTECH), Philippines.

This one-day fly in and fly out tour of the international educators aims to obtain some learning with the EHCP in place, improves school attendance and so is academic performance.

The EHCP is a school-based health program of DepEd in partnership with the local government units, private sector and other community stakeholders. Under the EHCP, each student gets a free kit that contains a toothbrush, soap, de-worming tablets and access to toothpaste. (PIA NegOr/JCT)

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Runners urged to help plant 1,400 trees in Negros Oriental
by: Rachelle M. Nessia

DUMAGUETE CITY, April 4 (PIA) -- Runners, walkers and sports enthusiasts are encouraged to do their share in a bold attempt to restore the local environment by helping plant 1,400 trees in Negros Oriental by the end of 2011. 

The goal of 1,400 trees is in line with the "Race for 350 Trees," a series of eco-sports-tourism fun runs organized by non-government organizations (NGOs) here in four events marking environment conservation-themed observations this year. 

The race will start with Earth Day in Dumaguete City in April, followed by Biodiversity Day in Valencia in May, Environment Day in Sibulan in June, and World 350 Call for Action in Bacong in October.

Local environment and sports enthusiasts can help the province reach said goal by becoming a sponsor, a volunteer or a participant during the fun runs. 

Every race participant will fund one tree seedling or an endemic tree to the area. 

The funds raised during the runs will be used by the NGO organizers to purchase and plant 350 tree seedlings and other tree-growing needs at the Urban Tree Park Project in Brgy. Camanjac, Dumaguete City.

The seedlings will be bought from the Liptong Rainforest in Bacong town at P50 per seedling. 

Already 350 trees were initially planted in October last year at Lawigan, Bacong town when the One350 activity was launched. 

The NGO organizers are the Silliman University Student Government's Environmental Committee, One350, Metro Dumaguete Roadrunners Club (MDRC), and the Friends of the Environment in Negros Oriental (FENOr). 

Paultom Paras of the MDRC said the race's details are still being finalized as of this writing. (RMN/PIA-7 Negros Oriental)

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Former RP National Treasurer receives prestigious award for women leaders

by: Rachelle M. Nessia

DUMAGUETE CITY, April 2 (PIA) --- Former National Treasurer of the Philippines Prof. Leonor Magtolis-Briones has been chosen as one of this year's ten awardees of the Bayi Citation Award in the field of Government Service.

Briones, an alumna of Silliman University (SU) and former chairperson of the university's Board of Trustees, is currently the lead convener of Social Watch Philippines, a non-government organization (NGO) that seeks to stamp out poverty and corruption, according to a statement from SU's Office of Information and Publications.

She is also teaching at the National College of Public Administration of the University of the Philippines.

Briones was an Outstanding Sillimanian in the field of Fiscal and Public Administration and continues to be active in civil society, strongly campaigning for increased government allocations for programs on the Millennium Development Goals.

She joins a long list of nationally recognized women leaders who have been granted the said award by the Institute of Politics and Governance and the Barangay Bayan Governance Consortium since 2005.

The award is given biennially to honor and identify female leaders who have shown exemplary leadership in efforts to empower and inspire women to take on leadership roles at all levels of governance.

This year, the award is granted in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung-Philippines andOne World Action, an NGO based in United Kingdom.

Other awardees this year are: CheChe Lazaro (Media), Julie Lluch (Arts and Culture), Edith Magos-Regalado (Women and Public Health), Rep. Maria Isabelle Climaco (Legislative Advocacy), Heidi Mendoza (Anti-Corruption/Good Governance), Mayor Maria Cecilia Claire Reyes (Good Local Governance), Bae Era Espina (indigenous Peoples Governance), Tessie Fernandez (Community Leadership), and Maria Ruiz Bunghug (Barangay Governance). (RMN/PIA-7 Negros Oriental with reports from SU OIP)

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GSIS to deploy more service kiosks in NegOr towns and cities
by: Rachelle M. Nessia

DUMAGUETE CITY, April 5 (PIA) --- The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) is set to roll out more units of its Wireless Automated Processing System (G-W@PS) kiosks inNegros Oriental to serve GSIS members living in areas far from the capital city of Dumaguete.

Around nine additional kiosks will be installed in selected areas, including local government units (LGUs), in the province although the GSIS has yet to finalize the number and the locations.

"We can't say for now to which areas we will deploy the additional kiosks as we are still working out the memorandum of agreement with the LGUs that we have identified so far," said Risty Villahermosa, local GSIS Information Officer, in an interview with Philippine Information Agency.

Villahermosa said the kiosks would be rolled-out as soon as they have finalized the details with the recipients.

Some of these kiosks will also be set up in big government offices in Dumaguete City, he said.

The deployment of additional kiosks is in line with GSIS' efforts to serve its members living in far-flung areas.

"This is for the convenience of our members who are residing in places far from Dumaguete so they won't have to travel all the way to the city each time they want to use our kiosk," said Villahermosa.

The additional units will complement the existing seven kiosks in the province, four of which are inside the GSIS office in Bantayan, Dumaguete City and one each in Bayawan City, Guihulngan and Bais City.

The kiosks stationed in Bayawan City, Guihulngan and Bais City were, however, pulled out for upgrading but will be re-deployed along with the new units.

There are also two G-W@PS kiosks serving GSIS members in Siquijor province, which is under the coverage area of GSIS in Dumaguete City. (RMN/PIA-7 Negros Oriental)

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DOST names 12 new government scholars in Negros Oriental

by: Rachelle M. Nessia

DUMAGUETE CITY, April 5 (PIA) --- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) here has identified the 12 students in Negros Oriental who have qualified for the two government scholarship programs administered by DOST.

Of the 12, eight students have qualified for the RA 7687 or the Scholarship Act of 1994 Scholarship Award, namely: Gian Chris Alabata of Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial-DumagueteScience High School; John Dominique Bayate and April Joy Pedros of Jose B. Cardenas Memorial High School; Antoinett De Arca, Actin High School; Justine Nuay, Valencia National High School; Renato Tabilon, Guihulngan National High School-Hilaitan; and Neil Tinaytina and Alona Grace Villaflores, Negros Oriental High School.

The four who qualified for the Merit Scholarship Award are Sam Joseph Alcoriza, Clemence Orl Cadano and Jesse Bonne Garillos of RTPM-Dumaguete Science High School and Franz Loui Rosario of Dumaguete City Science High School.

The new scholars are expected to take up baccalaureate degree courses in the fields of Science, Mathematics and Engineering and will receive tuition subsidies and allowances for books, school uniform, transportation and other privileges.

A statement from DOST here said, that the new scholars will undergo an orientation-seminar on April 25 at Silliman University.

Said scholars were among the 257 examinees in the province who took DOST's 2011 Science and Technology Undergraduate Scholarships examination held November 21 last year in Silliman University and simultaneously in provinces across the country.

The aptitude test is designed to measure the abilities of the students that will determine academic and professional success in Science, Mathematics and Engineering. (RMN/PIA-7 Negros Oriental)