“We have a well-prepared curriculum,” said Quijano, citing several committees that are preparing thoroughly for the implementation of the K-12.

Quijano, an education expert who started her career in teaching special education classes, talked about the reasons why DepEd is embarking on this K – 12 program.

“There is inadequate preparation of our high school graduates in the present curriculum. High school graduates also do not possess the basic competencies or emotional maturity essential for the world of work,” said Quijano.

According to data based on a survey of employers, there are serious gaps in critical skills of graduates such as problem-solving, initiative and creativity and gaps in job-specific technical skills.

The current system also reinforces the misconception that basic education is just preparation for higher education. For most parents, basic education is usually seen as preparation for college education, according to data from the DepEd on the K -12 program.

It added that even this misperception falls short of expectations as most students usually have to take remedial and high school level classes in colleges and universities.

The short duration of the basic education program also puts the millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), especially the professionals, and those who intend to study abroad at a disadvantage.

Another reason given is that graduates are not automatically recognized as professionals abroad. Filipinos face mutual recognition problem in other countries that view the 10-year education program as insufficient.

The Philippines is the only country in Asia and among the three remaining countries in the world that has a 10-year basic education program.

Aware of this urgent and critical concern and in line with the priorities of the President Benigno Aquino III’s administration, the DepEd is taking bold steps to enhance the basic education curriculum.

The enhanced K -12 Basic Education Program seeks to provide quality 12-year basic education program that each Filipino is entitled to.

A graduate of the K-12 Basic Education Program is an empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous critical thinking and the capacity to transform others and one’s self.

“We need to add two years to our basic education. Those who can afford pay up to 14 years of schooling before university, their children are getting into the best universities and the best jobs after graduation. I want at least 12 years for our public school children to give them an even chance at succeeding,” President Benigno Aquino lll said. (PIA 8-Samar)

ILOILO CITY, Jan. 16 (PIA6) — The Department of Education has once again called on parents in the region to enlist their school-aged children for school year 2012-2013.

She said the documentary requirement for early registration is the birth certificate but if it is not yet available, it could be submitted later.

DepEd has declared January 28 this year as the early registration date for the school year 2012-2013 in all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide.

Carrying the theme “Makapag-aral ay Karapatan Mo, Magpalista Ngayong Enero,” the early registration aims to achieve the Millennium Development Goals on Universalization of Primary Education and the objectives of the Education for All.

Specifically, it seeks to enlist all five year-old children in kindergarten and for six year-olds to enlist for Grade 1.

Also, it intends to guarantee enrollment of out-of-school children and out-of-school youth from the disadvantaged groups, indigenous people and street children ages five to 18 in their preferred education delivery system, either formal or alternative learning system.

The activity further aims to keep a record of the out-of-school children and youth with disabilities, ages 5 to 18 years old to provide them with appropriate education intervention.

It will also enable the central, regional and division of DepEd to prepare the Three Year Catch Up Plan in Basic Education from SY 2012-2013 to 2014-2015 in order to accommodate the registered learners.

Likewise, it will enable DepEd in collaboration with the local government units, barangay officials, parents-teachers associations, civil society or civic organizations and the business sector to make the necessary preparations and to address potential resource needs in time for the opening of classes in June. This move also aims to provide education interventions to prevent pupils and students from dropping out from school.

All children who were born on October 31, 2007 or earlier are eligible for early enrollment for Kindergarten while those born on October 31, 2006 or earlier, with or without Kindergarten experience, for Grade 1. (LAF/PIA6)

DUMAGUETE CITY, Jan. 2 (PIA) — Silliman University (SU) in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental is now accepting applications for its 51st National Writers Workshop, which will run from April 30 to May 18, 2012 at the SU Rose Lamb Sobrepeña Writers Village, this city.

The workshop is offering 15 fellowships to promising writers. Fellows will be provided housing, a modest stipend, and a subsidy to partially defray their transportation costs, a release from SU said.

Applicants must submit manuscripts in English on or before February 10, 2012.

Manuscripts should be submitted in hard copy on short-size bond paper, using Times New Roman or Calibri in 12 pt. font type.

Applicants for Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction fellowships should submit three to five entries while applicants for Poetry fellowships should submit seven to ten poems.

Applicants for Drama fellowship should submit at least a One-Act Play. For plays exceeding the one act length, a scene accompanied by a synopsis of the entire work should be included.

Each fiction, non-fiction, or drama manuscript should not be more than 50 pages in double-spaced format.

“We encourage applicants to stay below the 50 pages since a submission half that length is more than sufficient as a critical gauge,” the press release said.

Manuscripts should be submitted along with a letter of recommendation from a literature professor or an established writer, resume, a notarized certification that the works are original, and two 2×2 ID pictures.

Entries that fail to comply with said requirements will automatically be disqualified. Applications must be sent to Dr. Evelyn F. Mascuñana , Chair, Department of English and Literature, Silliman University, 6200 Dumaguete City.

For inquiries, email atnwworkshop_su@yahoo.com or call (035) 422-6002 loc. 350. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental with reports from Ian Rosales Casocot)

DUMAGUETE CITY, Aug. 25 (PIA) — The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) is set to conduct a simultaneous entrance examinations in 37 testing centers nationwide on Sunday, August 28, 2011.

Silliman University is one of the testing centers, PMA Officer-in-Charge Examiner Vladimir Gracilla said. He expects more than a 100 candidates to take the PMA entrance exams, the same number that took in 2010 here in Dumaguete City.

Gracilla said they are still accepting walk-in applicants on exams day. He advised them to bring a true copy of their High School Form 137, birth certificate, 2″ x 2″ ID picture and pencil.

Gracilla said height requirement for male and female are 5’4″ and 5’2″, respectively. Applicant must be at least high school graduate, and with a general average of at least 85 percent. One should also be able to perform the minimum requirements for physical fitness test.

According to Gracilla the examination covers Algebra and Geometry, Grammar and Composition, Reading and Comprehension. Verbal and Numerical Reasoning, and Pattern Analysis.

The Philippine Military Academy is the premier military institution of the country and has graduated some of the best generals in the country. (PIA-NegOr/mbcn/jct)

This pronouncement was made by TESDA Region 8 Director Juan M. Sabulao, Jr. during the recent Harampang Ha PIA media interaction.

The TESDA Director said several of the graduates are now employed at Isuzu Philippines Autoparts and Assembly factories, Isuzu Service Shops around the Philippines, three bus companies, and one trucking company.

The automotive mechanic graduates of the Training Center have been given National Competency IV certifications. Before graduating, the trainees also undergo two to four months on the job training. This is the reason why they are very much employable, Director Sabulao said.

The good Director intimated that most of the mechanics working in the repair shops in the Region only have NC II certifications.

The P130-M TESDA-Isuzu Training Center started operations in 2008 at TESDA Region 8 compound opening its door to poor but highly deserving students from areas where Plan works, in the three Samar Provinces, Southern Leyte, Camotes Island in Cebu, Mindoro and in Masbate.

The Training Center hopes to capacitate out of school youth to be competitive in car making just like in Japan. The first batch has 30 scholars coming from economically-depressed areas of the country under the Plan Philippines Program.

The facility houses a two-storey 1,656 square meter workshop, 160-bed capacity dormitory for boys and girls, cafeteria, multi-purpose covered court, complete set of training equipments and tools for workshops. The training equipments include vehicles costs P39 million. (PIA

For the first congressional district, a total of 96 classrooms will be built, 67 of which are for elementary schools and 29 classrooms for high schools. The district office of Cong. Antonio Alvarez will provide a total of Ph58.98 million for the construction in 76 sites in the district and P5.37 million will come from the DepEd regular school building program.

Municipalities that will benefit this year from the Congressman’s school building program are Araceli, Coron, Culion, Dumaran, El Nido, Linapacan, Magsaysay, Roxas, San Vicente and Taytay. The municipality of Taytay has the most number of programmed classrooms for elementary (23) and high schools (5).

There are 82 new classrooms that will be constructed in the second district in 73 sites with a total budget of Ph51.90 million from Cong. Dennis Socrates and Ph5.09 million from the DepEd regular program.

Of this number, 61 units will be built in public elementary schools while 21 units are committed for the public national high schools.

Areas of coverage for the school building program include all municipalities in the south of Palawan: Aborlan (5), Balabac (12), Bataraza (10), Brooke’s Point (16), Narra (5), Quezon (19), Rizal (14), and Sofronio Española (1). (vsmendoza/pia-palawan)

ROXAS CITY, Capiz, June 8 (PIA) –- The Department of Education lauded the active involvement of the Philippine Army in the week-long school preparation activities for the opening of classes, June 6.

Capiz Schools Division Superintendent Eveleth Gamboa said the participation of the members of the Philippine Army, particularly from the 3rd Infantry Division, helped a lot in making the different schools here physically ready for this year’s opening of classes.

“We are very thankful to the Philippine Army for their support in our Brigada Eskwela program because their presence have helped us a lot in preparing our schools,” Gamboa said, pointing out that they have given great contributions in doing clean-up activities, painting and doing minor repair in our schools.

During the recent Capiz Peace and Order Council meeting, 301st Infantry Brigade Commander Col. Caesar Ronnie Ordoyo of the Philippine Army disclosed that they were able to assist 61 elementary and secondary schools in the entire province during Brigada Eskwela drive.

Ordoyo explained that it is in line with their Internal Peace and Security Plan “Bayanihan” that aims to help the other stakeholders in preparing the different schools for the formal opening of classes this school year.

Aside from the Philippine Army, Capiz DepEd officials also expressed appreciation to the local government officials, parents, private groups and all the stakeholders here for their involvement in the school activities. (JCM/JBG/PIA6-Capiz)

DUMAGUETE CITY, May 24 (PIA) – The Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) is set to ink an agreement with the Philippine Army’s 11th Infantry Battalion (11IB) to extend scholarship grants to four deserving students at NORSU Guihulngan Campus.

The signing of the memorandum of agreement for the educational assistance will be done tomorrow (May 25), 9:00 AM, at NORSU Campus in Guihulngan City, said 1Lt. Angelito Luna, 11IB Battalion Civil-Military Operations Officer, in a text message.

Under said agreement, the 11IB, through its Lapu-Lapu Educational Assistance Program (LEAP), will sponsor four full-time scholars in any four-year course at NORSU Guihulngan Campus.

The 11IB will likewise shoulder their miscellaneous fees and provide the scholars with a monthly living allowance of P2,500.

Board Member Jessica Villanueva and the Serge Remonde Scholarship Foundation, upon the invitation of the 11IB, will also each sponsor one full scholar at the said university with the same educational privileges enjoyed by LEAP scholars.

The battalion stationed in Brgy. McKinley, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental has initiated LEAP as part of its social responsibility to help uplift the condition of the nearby communities. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)

CEBU CITY, May 18 (PIA) – The Department of Education (DepEd) will implement the nationwide “Brigada Eskwela” on May 23 – 28 to both public and private schools.

In an AGIO forum recently, Dr. Clara Rebecca Falconi, DepEd-7 Regional Information Officer said, this yearly activity is part of the school maintenance in preparation for opening of classes next month. It is also based on a DepEd memorandum circular-84.

“This program involves everyone in the community like parents, teachers, students and local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders,” Falconi added.

Falconi explained the Brigada Eskwela will focus on minor repairs, repainting and beautification of schools so that they will be ready when classes start on June 6.

In region 7, this year’s launching ceremony will be held at the San Jose National High School in Talibon, Bohol.

The education department hopes to attract more volunteers and generate more resources in this year’s Brigada Eskwela, Falconi said.

Officers of the parents and teachers associations (PTA) will handle donations of any kind in order to provide whatever the school needs during the Brigada Eskwela activities, Facloni told reporters.

According to Falconi, the activity is held in time for the National Schools Repair and Maintenance Week that is celebrated during the last week of May every year.

The Brigada Eskwela brings together the community every third week of May to repair and prepare public elementary and secondary schools for the school opening. (PIA-7)

ROXAS CITY, Capiz, March 7 (PIA) – While parents in Capiz understand that the purpose of the additional years in school is to provide quality education, however, they are also concerned about the additional financial burden in the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program.

These surfaced during the K+12 Forum attended by more than 300 Capiceños from different sectors last February 28 intended to discuss the different issues concerning the implementation of K +12.

Capiz Schools Division Information Officer Alan Vincent Altamia disclosed that parents who attended the consultative assembly pointed out that they understand the purpose of the program, especially in providing quality education to students.

However, he said, parents were also looking into the adverse effect of said program knowing that additional years to children mean additional expenses, particularly the hidden fees like school projects and other contributions, transportation and other allowances.

Altamia said that the student’s concerns during said gathering were focused on the lack of text books, classrooms, chairs and other school facilities.

“They were also asking whether they can really be accommodated for employment as professionals after completing the senior high school,” he said.

For local government officials, the issue on their role in the implementation of the K to 12 program and additional expenses were presented during said activity.

Suggestions for the review of the teaching force for quality education had likewise been made to ensure quality graduates and high employment rate.

Among those present during the assembly were Governor Victor Tanco, Mayor Ethel Jinon of Jamindan and Rosemarie Gardose of Tapaz, Sangguniang Bayan members from the 16 towns, Supreme Pupil Government presidents, high school leaders, elementary and secondary teachers, barangay officials, district supervisors and education program supervisors, and parents, teachers association officials from the different towns.

Earlier, Schools Division Superintendent Eveleth Gamboa stressed the need to present the program to the public as well as hold a series of focused group discussions in the soonest possible time.

Gamboa is optimistic of that through this enhanced education program the government can create a functional basic education system that will produce productive and responsible citizens. (JCM/JBG/PIA6-Capiz)