Smooth class opening in Siquijor, says DepEd

By Rizalie A. Calibo

SIQUIJOR, June 6 (PIA) -- The opening of classes in the province went smoothly with no complaints coming from the students and parents reaching the division office as of today, said DepEd-Siquijor Administrative Officer Loreta B. Tangapa. 

Tangapa said that their office has been closely monitoring enrolment activities and classes opening in schools provincewide since May 28. 

Since then, school activities have been smooth, she said. 

DepEd planning officer Vivian Bomediano also reported that as of June 4, some 7,221 elementary and 3,332 secondary students were estimated to have registered in public schools here. 

Overall enrolment turnout is still to be established as they are still waiting reports from district supervisors. There was also no report yet coming from the private schools, she said. 

There are 64 public elementary, 14 public secondary, and 10 private elementary and secondary schools in the province, she said. 

The Philippine National Police also said that the peace and order was not a problem during the enrolment and start of classes. 

Intelligence Officer PO1 Eden Pactol of the Larena Police Station said there are no reports of school-related incidents reaching their office. 

He added that they have heightened police visibility in schools. 

“We also continue assisting the children in crossing pedestrian lanes to ensure their safety,” he said. (rmn/RAC/PI -7, Siquijor)

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DepEd to implement Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual education

By Rizalie A. Calibo

SIQUIJOR, June 7 (PIA) -- The Department of Education (DepEd) here recently conducted a three-day training seminar on the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) aimed at teaching kindergarten pupils using their mother tongue as the medium of instruction starting this school year. 

School division superintendent Dr. Joseph Irwin A. Lagura said it is necessary to implement the MTB-MLE in the teaching curriculum for the kindergarten pupils because it helps them in the early development of their reasoning skills and higher thinking skills. 

Through the use of the mother tongue, pupils easily express their different views and ideas during class discussion, he said. 

The seminar also tackled on the new strategies and techniques in improving teaching skills of the teachers. These include, the production or making of big books and compilation of mother tongue songs using the new technologies. 

Head of the kindergarten teachers Edna Lee Ocay also encouraged all kindergarten teachers to teach their children effectively, and have strong determination and dedication to work. (RMN/RAC-PIA7 Siquijor)

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Maria town in Siquijor endorses bet for Dangal ng Bayan Award

By Rizalie A. Calibo

SIQUIJOR, June 7 (PIA) -- The town of Maria in Siquijor has nominated a clerk-cum-medical technologist to the Dangal ng Bayan Award. 

The nominee is Nanette Lingo-lingo-Gumahad, 38 years old. 

In a press release from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) here, Gumahad voluntarily worked as the town’s Medical Technologist for about nine years without extra remuneration and despite the inherent hazards of the job. 

Sometime in 2006, the report said, Gumahad was instrumental in arresting the dengue outbreak in the town of Maria by working overtime in order to finish the voluminous laboratory examinations. 

Maria town Human Resources Management Office (HRMO) designate Bienvenida Daug said the rural health unit in Maria was able to quickly treat infectious diseases because of the prompt laboratory confirmation of Gumahad. 

With her services, blood typing in the town’s 22 barangays was completely conducted, she said. 

Gumahad has also set up the work processes and systems in the laboratory and designed forms and data retrieval systems. Despite her opportunities to find a better-paying employment abroad, she chose to serve Siquijodnons despite her modest pay, great responsibilities and serious hazards that entail a lot of sacrifice, the report said. 

Per records, Maria’s tuberculosis cure rate also improved by 63 percent and detection rate to confirm diagnosis rose to 81 percent, the CSC release said. 

The rural health unit (RHU) of Maria is accredited as Sentrong Sigla, which means that the RHU has attained a higher level of quality service. The center is also accredited by the Philhealth where clients can avail of Philhealth service while availing RHU services. 

Nanette is quiet but brilliant, as she bested other medical technologists in Region 7 by perfecting the examination at the DOH Reference Laboratory, CSC report also said. 

The Dangal ng Bayan is the CSC’s annual search for hero-public servants throughout the country who have consistently lived out the eight norms of conduct: Commitment to Public Interest, Professionalism, Justness and Sincerity, Political; Neutrality, Responsiveness to the Public, Nationalism and Patriotism, Commitment to Democracy, and Simple living. (RMN/RAC-PIA Siquijor with CSC reports)

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Siquijor population shows increase of 11.6%More than 91,000 posted as of May 2010

By Rizalie A. Calibo

SIQUIJOR, June 7 (PIA) -- The province of Siquijor posted a total population of 91,066 persons as of May 2010, according to a report from the National Statistics Office (NSO) here. 

In a press release submitted to the Philippine Information Agency, NSO-Siquijor officer-in-charge Leopoldo P. Alpanta, Jr. said the figure shows an increase of 9,468 persons or 11.6 percent over the total population of 81,598 in 2000 census. 

The annual population growth rate (PGR) recorded in the province for the period 2000 to 2010 was 1.10 percent, which shows an increase of 0.11 percentage points from the 0.99 percent annual PGR noted for the period 1990 to 2000, he said. 

Among the six municipalities in the province, the capital town of Siquijor showed the biggest population with a total of 25,231, comprising more than one-fourth at 27.71 percent to the total population, the report said. 

This is followed by the town of Lazi with a total population of 20,024, which is 21.99 percent. 

The third and fourth spot was a close contest between the towns of San Juan and Maria at 13,525 and 13,383 respectively, which is an equivalent share of 14.85 and 14.70 percent, respectively, of the total population, Alpanta said in the report. 

President Benigno S. Aquino III signed Proclamation No. 362 on March 30, 2012 declaring the 2010 Population of the Philippines by province, city/municipality, and barangay, based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing (2010 CPH) conducted by the NSO, as official. 

The census of population is the source of information on the size and distribution of population as well as information about the demographic, social, and economic characteristics. 

This information is vital for making rational plans and programs towards national and local development, the NSO said. 

The 2010 CHP is the 13th series of Census of Population in the country since 1903. 

Official results can be downloaded in the NSO website www.census.gov.ph. (rmn/RAC/PIA-7,Siquijor with reports from LPAlpanta Jr./NSO-Siquijor)