Negros Oriental

1st Sports for Dev't and Peace Certificate Course held in Dumaguete

By Rachelle M. Nessia

DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug 23 (PIA) -- The first-ever course on Sports for Development and Peace in the country was held in Dumaguete City after Silliman University's Masters in Peace Studies Program initiated the event in cooperation with goals for peace international.

A first of its kind in the country, the two-day seminar gathered educators, athletes, government staff and students for a discussion revolving around the theme: "Beyond the Olympics, Beyond the Games: Harnessing the Power of Sports for Development and Peace."

The seminar featured as its lecturer and trainor Alexander Cardenas from Colombia-US who is an expert in sports for development and peace from the Catedra UNESCO de Filosofia pa la Paz (Spain).

He is also a recipient of the prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship of the Consortium on Sustainable Peacebuilding funded by the European Commission

The course's program is a specialized modular offering aimed at equipping participants in the theories and practical applications of sports as a tool for societal transformation.

This program supports the idea that sport can be utilized as a way to advance principled leadership, human rights, teamwork and conflict transformation, according to a statement provided by Jenny Lind D. Elmaco, a member of Masters in Peace Studies faculty.

Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) is a new strategy for social intervention that has gained support from the United Nations, FIFA and other entities. It has become a platform for the implementation of development and peace programs and the design of research that recruits sports and other forms of physical activity to the realization of international community goals such as the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s).

Using sports, cooperative games, Theater of the Oppressed, critical analysis of literature and other pedagogical tools, the certificate course aimed at equipping a pioneer batch of SDP practitioners and motivating them to create their own Sports for Development and Peace programs in their respective communities.

Cyril Mapula, Foundation University Student Government President, who was given a scholarship by Goals for Peace, International to attend the course said, “it injected knowledge as well as the passion to use sports as a tool for development and peace. It opened our eyes towards the usefulness of sports aside from competition itself.”

Myra Vivares-Waddington, coordinator of the Masters in Peace Studies program of Silliman University, hopes that the activity will be a springboard for initiatives from the different sectors in Negros Oriental and in the country to create effective and interesting SDP programs, especially for the youth. (RMN-PIA7 Negros Oriental with reports from Kriss Michael Abadia Tubog)

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CHED top officials to witness investiture of new NORSU prexy

By Rachelle M. Nessia

DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug 23 (PIA) -- Top officials from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) are expected to witness the investiture of the new president of Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) on August 30.

Dr. Don Vicente Carballo Real will be formally installed on that day as the new president of the university, 9 a.m. at the NORSU Cultural Complex, Main Campus.

Aside from CHED officials, among the guests who will witness the investiture of Real are presidents of state universities and colleges in the country along with local government officials in the city and province, according to NORSU Information Officer Joy Perez.

Perez said former NORSU President Henry A. Sojor will also be attending the event.

Real first stepped in as the new state university president on July 13.

“He took his oath of office before Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan, the CHED chairperson who sits in the NORSU Board of Regents at the Higher Education Building in UP Campus Diliman,” said Perez.

Previously, Real was the administrator of NORSU Bais City Campus II, one of the seven satellite campuses of the state university in the province.

He is the second president of NORSU, succeeding Henry Sojor who sat as NORSU president for 18 years. (RMN-PIA7 Negros Oriental)

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ONE Rescue gets new ambulance for free emergency medical service

DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug 23 (PIA) -- The Oriental Negros Emergency Rescue Foundation, Inc (ONE Rescue EMS) received on Friday, August 17, a brand new ambulance for their free emergency medical service (EMS).

First District Representative Josy Limkaichong turned over the 2012 model Hyundai Grand Starex ambulance to ONE Rescue president Atty. Riodil Montebon, after which Archbishop John Du of Palo, Leyte led the blessing ceremony together with Monsignors Gamaliel Tulabing and Julius Heruela.

The ambulance is equipped with life-support system equipment to provide immediate medical response for residents in Metro Dumaguete areas. This provide out-of-hospital acute medical care and transport to definitive care for those in need.

The ONE Rescue has trained almost two hundred paramedics in three years, of whom several dozen continue to volunteer, according to ONE Rescue EMS secretary Danah Fortunato.

“Nine of these volunteers have been absorbed as paid regular emergency medical technicians or EMTs. Their salaries are supported with donations from Lee Plaza, BigFoot, Appliance Centrum, OK Mart and Silliman University,” Fortunato said.

The ambulance, now displaying the contact numbers 422-9110 and 225-9110 will respond to emergency calls and the service is free.

“The foundation acquires this ambulance through the following generous private individuals and family donations; Julio Sy Sr., Jeanne Sy-Krebs, Reynald Uy, Bowen Gothong, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, 1st District Rep. Josy Limkaichong and Lee Plaza,” Fortunato said.

However, a group of respectable doctors in Dumaguete City also offered their time and professional skills to help craft the protocols and teach each batch of volunteers.

The training and operations of the ONE Rescue is led by Dr. Rosalind Yu and Dr. Kenneth Coo, along with Drs. Krypton Kho, Bobbin Sy, Daryl Aplaon, Pamela Mosqueda, Karen Sayson and Michael Singco.

ONE Rescue EMS is a non-stock, non-profit, SEC-registered foundation, composed of the following directors and officers include: Atty. Jose Riodil Montebon, president; Fr. Enrique Balongag, vice-president; Arthur Chua, treasurer; Danah Fortunato, secretary; Victor Vicente Sinco, Dr. Ben Malayang III, Eddie Uy, Roy Cang, Dr. Felix Sy, Conrad Yulo and Dr. Kenneth Coo as members. (MBCN/JCT-PIA7 Negros Oriental)