Five schools in DdO re-opens limited face-to-face classes

After almost two years, the Department of Education officially re-opens limited face-to-face classes in selected schools in the country.

 

Covid-19 pandemic brought major uncertainties in schools. The rapid transition of most instruction to online platforms affects the academic achievement of students in varying educational levels, and now that DepEd resumes the face-to-face classes, learning gaps can now be remediated in the four corners of every classroom.

 

Among one hundred (100) schools approved by the joint memorandum of the Department of Education and the Department of Health, eight (8) schools were approved by the authorities to resume limited face-to-face class in Region XI, and five (5) of which are from Davao de Oro, a manifestation that the province is prepared for the implementation of the face-to-face mode of learning, somehow easing the agony of students in the last two years.

 

Bariz Elementary School (Pagsabangan Extension), Parasan Integrated School, Lower Panansalan Elementary School (Jacinto Extension), Maugat Elementary School, and Digaynon Elementary School (Manurigao Extension) were the schools in the province approved for the re-opening of the limited face-to-face class, all of which were from far-flung areas where there is little risk for covid-19 infection.

 

Just in time for the pilot implementation of the limited face-to-face class, the “Bayanihan Para sa Karunungan” program or BPSK of Davao de Oro, officially turned over the “iDdO Read” modules, a reading remedial instruction for elementary learners that aims to amplify reading exercises and fulfill the educational gaps in primary levels. The creation of the workbooks was made easy through the strong collaboration of PLGU-DdO’s BPSK Program with the Department of Education Davao de Oro.

 

Further, BPSK also introduced volunteer teachers for the five schools that will aid on-site DepEd teachers on the delivery of instruction and implementation of the “iDdO Read” workbooks. DepEd Davao de Oro also distributed tablets for every student, while the Kusina ng Kalinga (KnK) of DdO also gave milk feeding supplies.

 

The limited face-to-face class is complementary to the modular modality which is used since the outbreak of the virus. The five schools will still undergo alternate learning schedules for students and will follow the recommended health protocols set by the Department of Health. (JA, Information Division, Davao de Oro, photo by J. Cadiz)

BOOMERANG KIDS

 

So I see myself trying too – it’s difficult to write about any topic in our daily life without mentioning COVID-19. I observe it within my own family in the Philippines.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many young people to move back in with their parents. Their lives have been turned upside down, and they’ve had to come to grips with feelings of failure and guilt. Being forced to move back home can lead to depression for some young people. 
Boomerang children, or boomerang kids, are terms used to describe the phenomenon of an adult child returning home to live with their parents for economic reasons after a period of independent living.

In my own family, the elderly tried to help as much as they  could. The strong family ties are really amazing for me as a German expatriate living in the Philippines for good since 23 years now.

Some of my inlaws are staying abroad and trying to survive as much as they can.

Young people were hit particularly hard by the pandemic — especially those who had to move back in with their parents. For them the pandemic has meant a hit to their studies, more stress and a total loss of autonomy. 
Homeschooling has students at their limits. 

The situation varies across Europe i.e., when it comes to young adults choosing to live with their parents. That was the state of affairs before the pandemic as well: whereas early independence is the norm for Scandinavians. EU statistics show that a different culture exists in southern and southeastern Europe. Every region has its own financial and cultural conditions.

Still teaching many times I feel like a man giving a lecture in an empty room, filmed for broadcast online, standing next to a TV screen while interacting and communicating with my students is very difficult. Bad or no internet connections makes it more difficult. 

Various factors can have an impact on when and how young adults choose to set out on their own, from the job market, the familiar comforts of home and even tradition. But regardless of the circumstances, it’s clear that one group has suffered disproportionately during the pandemic.

Marginalized people, for instance those belonging to the LGBTIQ+ community, find it more difficult than others to cope with the situation at home. Similarly, lower income families living in small quarters have had to come to grips with the increased potential for conflict.

India i.e. fears ‘lost generation’ of students. Jennifer Caputo, a sociologist at the University of Chicago who has surveyed “boomerang kids” in the United States, found that those who were forced to return due to COVID, in particular, more frequently showed symptoms of depression.

Economic and social independence, as well as the simple fact of living in one’s own space, she voiced out, are seen as important steps for a successful transition to adulthood. If those goals aren’t achieved, she said, those affected may suffer from feelings of failure.

For some of my nieces and nephews, being back home wasn’t easy. It certainly was a stressful situation. The biggest challenge “was the simple fact that they’re my parents. In their eyes, you’ll always be their child, no matter how old you are.”
How to deal with this new situation: Accept that we’re all adults.

Do Tagalog-speaking Filipinos use the expression "Hala"?

By 

Dayang C Marikit

Philippine History Professor

 Yes, “Hala” is an expression that is mostly used during chaotic situations, it’s similar to (“Oh my God”) in English… (It could also mean, “you’re in trouble”, depending on the context of the statement).

• (“Hala!, gumigiba ang gusali”) = (“Oh my God!, the building is collapsing”).

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This expression could have originated from the Islamic expression (“Ya Allah”) which translates to (“Oh God”)… This is because pre-colonial Filipinos have been influenced by Islam prior to colonization.

• The modern Filipino word for thank you (“Salamat”) was originally a greeting of Islamic origin, but the meaning of this word had obviously changed over time, and this may have also been the case with the expression (“Hala”).

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I’ve also discovered that there is also a Spanish term (“Ojala”) which is derived from the Arabic term, (“Ma sha Allah”), this is because most of what is now Spain was once under Islamic rule… this could also be another possible word of origin for the Filipino term (Hala).

• It must be noted that in Spanish (“J”) is pronounced as (“H”) so (Ojala = Ohala).

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I would like to remind people that these are only my speculation about the origin of the Filipino expression (“Hala”).

Duterte: Face shields are out, but face masks are forever

by Argyll Cyrus Geducos, Manila Bulletin

President Duterte said he has approved the recommendation to lift the mandatory wearing of face shields in almost all areas in the country but said face masks will forever remain while the coronavirus (COVID-19) is still around.

Duterte made the statement after Malacañang issued an order that limits the use of face shields to areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), Alert Level 5, granular lockdown, and medical and quarantine facilities.

In his pre-recorded address on Monday evening, November 15, Duterte said that the public can now do away with face shields but not with face masks.

“Ang desisyon ko is, okay tanggalin na ninyo yung shield. Pwede na ninyong (My decision is okay, you can now remove your shields), you dispense the shield but not the mask,” he said.

“Yung mask will forever remain and it will be part of our day-to-day safety measures kasi matagal pa itong virus na nasa hangin lang (because the virus which is airborne will be here for a long time),” he added.

According to the President, while the COVID-19 positivity rate in the country continues to come down, it was up to the people to make sure it will stay that way.

"It’s up to us to take care na ‘di tataas uli (that our cases will not increase again),” Duterte said.

“You have to obey what the government will tell you to do because it’s for the good of the country and for you. Sumunod lang kayo (Just obey),” he added.

Based on a Palace order signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, the following guidelines on the use of face shields are to take effect immediately:

For areas under Alert Level 5 and granular lockdowns, the use of face shields in community settings shall be mandatory

For areas under Alert Level 4, local government units (LGUs) and private establishments are given the discretion to mandate the use of face shields

For areas under Alert Levels 3, 2, and 1, the use of face shields shall be voluntary

Meanwhile, as the government is yet to fully implement the Alert Levels System nationwide, LGUs that are not yet under the new pandemic response system shall have the discretion to mandate the use of face shields except in areas under ECQ and those under granular lockdown where it shall remain mandatory.

Regardless of community quarantine classifications, the use of face shields will remain mandatory in medical and quarantine facility settings. Medical workers are also still required to use face shields in healthcare settings.

In June, President Duterte said he preferred that people only be required to wear face shields in hospitals but eventually decided to keep it due to the Delta variant.

In September, Duterte finally lifted the mandatory requirement on the use of face shields outdoors, except in closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings.

God cannot be outdone in generosity

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          THAT’S right! The more generous we are with God and with

others, the more generous God will be with us. This is just a simple

law of ‘we reap what we sow.’ We usually sow just a seed, but with the

generosity with which we take care of that seed, we are bound to get a

lot of fruit.

          This truth of our faith is highlighted in that gospel

parable about a nobleman who went off to a distant country to obtain

the kingship, leaving his ten servants with ten gold coins with the

instruction to engage in trade until he returns. (cfr. Lk 19,11-28)

          He was happy with those who carried out the instruction and

gave them charge of big cities. “Well done, good servant! You have

been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities,”

he said. He punished the servant who did nothing with the gold coin.

          Later on, he told the servants that the gold coin of the

servant who did nothing with it be given to the one who gained ten

more with his trading. When the other servants commented that this

productive servant already had ten gold coins, the nobleman who

personifies God said: “To everyone who has, more will be given, but

from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

          All this only show that we are meant to be fruitful and

productive with what God has given us and that we would be receiving

more graces and blessings the more fruitful and productive we are with

all the gifts God has given us.

          Everyday, we should be keenly aware that we need to be

fruitful and productive. That’s simply because even from the beginning

of our creation in Adam and Eve, this has always been God’s will for

us.

          “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and

subdue it,” (Gen 1,28) God told our first parents, clearly outlining

his mandate to them. It’s a mandate that continues to be repeated up

to now.

          That should be fair enough. If one is given a lot of gifts,

blessings, privileges, opportunities, etc, then a lot should also be

expected of him. Christ himself said so. “Much will be required of the

persons entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the

person entrusted with more.” (Lk 12,48)

          He reiterates the same idea a number of times in the parable

of the talents, the parable of the seed, the tenants in the vineyard,

and the different images he taught about the Kingdom of God. Even on

the basis of common sense alone, that idea should be a given.

          We have always been taught to trade with our talents, to

make the most of what is given and entrusted to us, to be generous in

the way we spend our life. Our life here on earth, after all, is a

test of love, the real love, which is love for God and others, and

never just self-love.

          We have been repeatedly assured that if we are generous with

God and with others, we will also be the object of a greater

generosity from God and from others as well.

          Christ said so. “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or

sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will

receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal

life.” (Mt 19,29) Yes, God cannot be outdone in generosity.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE),Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com