January 15, 2021 – In celebration of International Day of Education, the Department of Education (DepEd) will conduct Stories of Revitalization and Excellence: 2021 IDE Virtual Forum on January 25 to feature efforts and initiatives of various education stakeholders amid the pandemic.
The DepEd – International Cooperation Office-led initiative will also highlight inspiring stories of our learners and teachers who excelled internationally in line with the international theme, Recover and Revitalize Education for the COVID-19 Generation.
In the forum, outstanding teachers are set to narrate their efforts and sacrifices in ensuring that quality, inclusive, and relevant education will be delivered to the students amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis-Briones, together with Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Nepomuceno Malaluan, will spearhead the said webinar to impart the plans and actions of the Department for this year. Undersecretary Jesus Mateo, meanwhile, will open the program to discuss engagement with ASEAN countries and other international partners.
Furthermore, the program desires to provide a platform for the participants to raise awareness on the IDE proclaimed by the United Nations to be celebrated during the 24th day of January every year.
The forum will also be an avenue for discussion and collaboration in utilizing the Information and Communications Technology in teaching the learners for years to come as the education system progresses.
Educators representing various schools, organizations, and education systems from different parts of the world will participate in the virtual webinar.
Meanwhile, Stefania Giannini, the Assistant Director-General for Education of UNESCO; Dr. Ethel Agnes P. Valenzuela, Director of the SEAMEO Secretariat; and Mr. Rajitsinh Disale, the 2020 Global Teacher Prize Winner of India will be part of the pool of speakers of the program.
Nadia Lopez, the Founding Principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy from the USA; Mr. Efren Peñaflorida, the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year; and Ms. Barbara Ana Zielonka, the 2018 Global Teacher Prize Top 10 Finalist from Norway will also discuss topics related to education.
The program will be held virtually later this month from 08:30 am up to 11:30 am (Philippine Standard Time).
END
September 23, 2020
ACT TEACHERS COMMEMORATES INT’L DAY OF SIGN LANGUAGES Urges Congress to allot budget for Filipino Sign Language
By MARVYN N. BENANING
Assistant Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro and ACT Teachers President Antonio Tinio has urged Congress to allocate at least 0.1% of the budget of agencies to implement the Filipino Sign Language Law.
Castro and Tinio made the pitch as the country celebrated the International Day of Sign Languages on September 23, 2020.
They also asked that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the FSL Law be crafted immediately.
“Today, ACT Teachers Party-list celebrates the International Day of Sign Languages with the deaf community. We also celebrate the deaf community as it continues to fight for their rights,” Castro said. “The Duterte administration can show their support to the deaf community by allocating funds to be able to adequately fulfill services for the deaf like in hospitals, courtrooms and other government agencies.”
“The Filipino Deaf community and ACT Teachers Party-List were successful in having the FSL recognized as the national sign language of the Filipino Deaf with the passage of RA 11106 or the Filipino Sign Language Act. The law seeks to realize the rights of the Filipino Deaf to full and equal participation in society by enabling the acquisition of life and social development skills through the use of Filipino Sign Language as the language of instruction, in an environment which respects their identity and distinct capabilities,” Castro added. “However, government should not sit back and let the law be unfunded. It’s nearly two years since its passage, yet government still fails to give the agencies tasked with various mandates under the FSL Act the necessary budgets.”
“Now more than ever, with the pandemic striking harder at persons with disabilities such as the Deaf, government should implement the law and allocate enough funding to disseminate health information to deaf persons and enable them to access basic social services. If the Duterte administration could just fix its priorities and realign its massive budget for terror-tagging and pork, it could easily allocate at least 0.1% of the budget of agencies should be used for the deaf community,” Castro stressed.
“RA 11106 embodies the principles of the UN Convention of Persons with Disabilities,” ACT Teachers President and principal author of RA 11106 Antonio Tinio said. “From the crafting of the bill to the passing of the law, the Deaf Community worked tirelessly to make sure that their rights are respected. Now that the measure has become a law, we also continue to call for the swift crafting of its Implementing Rules and Regulations for the full implementation of the law that would augment the shortcomings in our society and governmental policies, especially as regards education, health, other social services and media which makes everyday life difficult for the Filipino Deaf community. Difficulties not just in mobility, but also access to basic social services like education and health and rights to information.”
According to the Philippine Federation of the Deaf, persons with hearing impairment accounted for about 1 out of 10 of all persons with disabilities. All government agencies were mandated to spend at least 1% of their annual budget for persons with disabilities. With 1 out of 10 persons with disabilities having hearing impairment, the government should ensure that 0.1% of spending of agencies be allocated for the use of deaf persons to be able to access services.
“The denial of this budget allocation for the deaf community and the continuing delay of the crafting of the IRR for the FSL law is an injustice for the deaf community. The longer the people wait for the IRR and the more time we wait for the full implementation of the FSL law means the deaf community continues to be denied basic social services from the government and they continue to struggle for equal rights and opportunity. On the International Day of Sign Languages, we urge the Duterte administration to hear their loud calls for an adequate budget and the full implementation of the FSL law,” Tinio concluded.
Enero 15, 2021
ACT Teachers Rep. Castro umalma sa pagtaas ng mga bilihin sa kabila ng pandemya at krisis
Inalmahan ni Assistant Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro ang tuloy-tuloy na pagsipa presyo ng mga bilihin sa kabila ng pandemya at sosyo-ekonomikong krisis na kinakaharap ng bansa.
“Mamamayang Pilipino na naman ang dehado sa patuloy na pagsipa ng mga presyo ng mga bilihin—napakababa na nga ng sahod, salat pa sa ayudang dapat magmula sa gubyerno. Di pa tayo nakakabangon sa trahedyang dinulot ng COVID-19 at sunod-sunod na kalamidad na dumaan sa bansa, may panibagong bangungot na naman tayong susuungin. Saan na naman pupulutin ang taumbayan nito?” sinabi ni Castro.
“Matapos tayong ikulong sa halos isang taong militaristang lockdown na nagluwal ng malalang disempleyo sa kalunsuran at kanayunan, heto’t kibit-balikat ang pamahalaan sa malalang kahirapan na tila ba walang napapansin ang DTI at DA sa mga nangyayari,” dagdag ni Castro. “Matinding kahirapan ang nararanasan ngayon ng mga mamamayan, ngunit imbes na atupagin ang mga mayor na usaping kinakaharap ng bansa, mas inuuna pa ng administrasyong ito ang pansariling interes sa pagsasabuhay at muling pagtutulak ng ChaCha.”
Isinaad pa ni Castro na lalo lang din pinahirapan ang aba nang kalagayan ng mga guro sa ilalim ng work-from-home set-up ng distance learning kung saan ang nauna nang naidagdag na gastusin sa internet connectivity ay sinamahan pa ng sunod-sunod na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin at iba pang batayang pangangailangan.
Pumalo sa 3.5% ang inflation rate noong Disyembre 2020, pinakamataas sa nakalipas na 21 buwan matapos sabay-sabay na magsitaas mula P40/kilo hanggang P120/kilo ang presyo ng karneng baboy at manok, at mga gulay tulad ng sibuyas, talong, ampalaya, kalabasa, repolyo, siling labuyo, baguio beans at iba pa.
• karneng baboy – P190/kilo | ngayon: P380 – P400/kilo
• karneng manok – P120/kilo | ngayon: P200 – P220/kilo
• siling labuyo – P600/kilo | ngayon: P1,000 – P1,200/kilo
• ampalaya – P80/kilo | ngayon: P200/kilo
• sibuyas – P120/kilo | ngayon: P200/kilo
• kalabasa – P40/kilo | ngayon: P100/kilo
• talong – P120/kilo | ngayon: P180/kilo
• repolyo – P140/kilo | ngayon: P190 – P200/kilo
• baguio beans – P70/kilo | ngayon: P180/kilo
“Dapat gumawa na ng agarang aksyon ang DTI upang kontrolin presyo ng mga bilihin. Makaramdam naman sana ang administrayong ito na ordinaryong mamamayan palagi ang pumapasan ng kapalpakan at kapabayaan nila,” pagtatapos ni Castro.