Back to school: This time, it’s for real

Published March 3, 2022, 12:05 AM

by Manila Bulletin

Don’t let the title of this editorial fool you. Online classes, of course, are real — as real as the virtual world would allow. But after almost two years of classes conducted in front of a screen, with students digitally participating, it comes as a breath of fresh, COVID-free air that the Department of Education (DepEd) is now considering more schools for face-to-face classes. 

Since November 2021, the DepEd has given permission for a number of schools to welcome students back into the four walls of a classroom. This setup was briefly halted in January of this year by the unexpected surge in COVID cases brought by the virus’ omicron variant. As of February, however, there have been around 1,700 schools implementing a face-to-face setup, according to the DepEd Sec. Leonor Briones. She added that some 6,213 schools all over the Philippines are now ready to conduct in-person classes now that an Alert Level 1 status has been implemented in the National Capital Region as well as in other parts of the country. Moreover, the ongoing vaccination of children ages five to 11 has definitely contributed to the more relaxed attitude toward schools and the conduct of classes. 

It truly is the way to go. In many other countries around the world, face-to-face classes have since been conducted as early as the first couple of quarters in 2021. While that, in itself, was experimental at best—an adjective one would not have considered to describe face-to-face classes prior to the pandemic—there is no denying that a year or so of classes behind screens has had detrimental effects on learners, particularly on children who are in their more formative years. There is no replacing actual physical interaction among students, although many schools have tried quite hard to remedy the situation. Some resorted to creativity with their Physical Education classes and others even considered creating a semblance of normalcy by encouraging their students to digitally interact with their classmates. 

After almost two years of living in a pandemic, one that some experts are saying is already on the verge of dying down, it is safe to assume that face-to-face classes can no longer be put on the backburner. This, of course, does not mean that every precaution that is necessary to ensure the safety of both educators and learners should be neglected. Despite the high vaccination rate among the DepEd personnel and teachers, and now with more students getting inoculated, a degree of safety should still be practiced—the wearing of face masks, for example, should be strictly enforced.

As parents welcome this move to a new normal in education, it is perhaps the students, especially the younger learners, who are most excited to see their friends again, this time for real. After all, if guidelines allow for children to go out to malls and restaurants, why shouldn’t they be given the chance to learn at the comfort of a classroom once again? 

P977.48 M allotted for progressive expansion of face-to-face classes — DepEd

by Merlina Hernando-Malipot, Manila Bulletin

The Department of Education (DepEd) has approved the allocation of funding to help ensure that participating schools in the progressive expansion of face-to-face classes would be able to respond to emerging needs.

During the Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday, March 2, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said that DepEd will be spending close to P1 billion to “strengthen the progressive expansion for the schools.”

In the same briefing, DepEd Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said that DepEd has already met with the concerned regional directors to discuss the funds that might be needed in preparation for the implementation of progressive face-to-face classes in their respective areas.

 

“Marami po sa mga pondo na atin pong pinaghahandaan ay iyong pong physical arrangements ng eskuwelahan – iyon pong protection and safety ng mga learners at mga guro at siyempre po iyong mga learning resources na kailangan natin. (Part of the funds we are preparing is for the physical arrangements of the school to ensure the protection and safety of learners and teachers and of course, for the learning resources that we need),” Sevilla said.

Based on the data obtained by Manila Bulletin provided by Sevilla, a total of P977,477,000 was allotted for participating schools under the school Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).

Of this amount, P531.36 million will be allocated to elementary schools (Kinder to Grade 6); P303.63 million will be given to Junior High School (Grade 7 to Grade 10); and P142.49 million for Senior High School (Grade 11 to Grade 12).

DepEd said that these amounts are to be downloaded or to be released to the Regional Offices.

“The Regional Directors are authorized to allocate the said amounts among schools considering the implementation status of face-to-face classes in their respective regions,” DepEd said.

DepEd noted 4.24 percent or P41.48 million of the total available funds “shall be retained in the Central Office as a contingency fund.”

Meanwhile, DepEd clarified that the use of the said funds shall also be subject to existing budgeting, accounting, auditing, and procurement rules and regulations.

Thus, in “no case shall these funds be used” for procurement of tangible items beyond the capitalization threshold; hiring of contractual or casual employees, whose salaries and other compensation benefits should be charged against Personnel Services allocations; and payment of other Capital Outlay items such as infrastructure projects.

DepEd said that its Budget Division is preparing the Sub-Allotment Release Order (AROs) to be downloaded to the respective Regional Offices. The target date of downloading to Regions is on March 4.

Traffic jams back in Manila as restrictions ease

MANILA. People walk as traffic builds up as the government places the capital on the lowest rung of a five-step pandemic alert system on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Quezon City, Philippines. (AP)

TRAFFIC jams and outdoor crowds are back in the Philippine capital and 38 other cities and provinces Tuesday, March 1, 2022, after officials allowed businesses and public transport, including shopping malls, movie houses and restaurants, to operate at full capacity as Covid-19 cases continued to drop with more vaccinations, officials said.

In a bid to further boost the pandemic-battered economy, authorities placed metropolitan Manila and 38 other regions under the lowest rung of a five-step pandemic alert system from Tuesday, March 1, to March 15 and lifted most health restrictions, but still required the full vaccination of residents 18 and older against the coronavirus and the wearing of face masks outdoors and in indoor establishments.

Social distancing is no longer required in Manila and the other specified areas, restaurants can now remove plastic barriers on tables, and public gatherings — such as birthday parties, weddings, sport events and family reunions — can fully resume. All government employees have been ordered to return to office for work.

“Now everything is open,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said. “We’re happy seeing the traffic again, it means there’s really economic activity and people are going out.”

The Philippines imposed one of the longest lockdowns and police-enforced quarantines two years ago when successive Covid-19 outbreaks hit and sparked the worst economic recession in 2020 and pushed unemployment and hunger to record levels.

Economic growth has resumed since then and could return to pre-pandemic levels this year unless external turbulence like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine worsens, Lopez said.

Daily Covid-19 cases dropped from over 37,000 during the most recent peak in January to below 1,000. The 951 cases reported Monday bring the total number of confirmed infections to more than 3.6 million with 56,451 deaths, the second-highest totals in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. (AP)

Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

THANK God, for a good number of reasons, Ash Wednesday is celebrated in our country in a very popular way. Even if it exudes a dire, gloomy air, what with all the liturgical protocols on fasting, abstinence and other forms of self-denial, it continues to enjoy a large following among us. Even those who are not very faithful in their Sunday obligation would exert the effort to have their foreheads marked with ash on that day.

Obviously, we should continue to clarify the true significance of this day. Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent which is meant to prepare us for the culmination of Christ’s redemptive mission that is liturgically celebrated in Easter. It somehow encourages us to have another renewal of our baptismal commitments or to have another conversion.

In the gospel of that day, we are reminded of having purity of intention in all our deeds. We have to understand that intention plays a very crucial role in our life. That’s where we choose where we want to be—with God or with ourselves, to truly love God and neighbor or to indulge in self-love.

             With our intention, we can direct our acts to God, following what was once indicated by St. Paul, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10,31) That’s how our acts become good, or moral. Otherwise, they are bad, or at least dangerous.

       

             This is so, since God, being the Creator, is the standard for everything. And more than the standard, he is, in fact, the very substance of what is good, true and beautiful, what is fair and just, what is perfection itself.

             

             Nothing is good, true and beautiful, nothing is fair and just, nothing is perfect if it is not done with God and for God. In short, we need to refer all our acts to God. We have to make this affirmation very clear in our mind and do everything to make that ideal a reality.

             

             We need to realize then that we have to take utmost care of our intention, making it as explicit as possible, and honing it to get engaged with its proper and ultimate object, who is God. 

We should try our best to shun being simply casual or cavalier about this responsibility. We can easily play around with it, since intentions are almost invariably hidden from public knowledge. We are urged to be most sincere in directing our intentions properly.

We can easily fall into hypocrisy and deception, doing what can appear good externally but is not internally, since we could refuse giving glory to God, which is the proper intention to have, and instead feed and stir our vanity, pride, greed, lust, etc.

We need to actively purify our intentions, since we have to contend with many spoilers in this regard these days. In fact, we just have to look around and see how openly opposed many people are of directing their intentions to God.

To them, intentions are strictly personal and confidential matters that others do not have any right to meddle. While there is a certain truth to this claim, we have to remind ourselves that our intentions too are subject to a moral law.

That is why we have to pay serious attention to where our intention tilts, to who or what actually holds our heart, for it is the heart, the home of our intention, where we determine the morality of our acts and ultimately where we find our true identity.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

LOSING OUR FAITH?

A friend of mine started talking with me and mentioned the good old days. Yes, those were the days my friend! Well, we all know: times have changed. More natural disasters, more wars, more people all over the world who are losing their faith. 

Faith, like love, is an element that bonds together relationships. And we lose faith like we lose love — for many reasons. Loss comes from misunderstandings, personality conflicts, tragic circumstances, ill treatment and our own ignorance, to name a few.

Some may lose faith because they disagree with religious teachings on current issues, or because the doctrine lacks strong evidence, doesn’t make sense to them anymore, or because it simply does not add up. Others may become disillusioned following personal trauma; unanswered prayers; the existence of natural disasters, diseases and evil; the conflicts caused by religions; or the questionable morality of religious leaders and religious people.

Others say they dislike organized religion and want to make their own decisions rather than listening to somebody else. Still others become distracted by materialism, or find that they’re too busy to participate.

People who walk away from religion usually say, “I shall be just fine. Please do not worry about me.”

To be or not to be. Sein oder nicht sein. Shakespeare. To say it clearly: without faith, we’re really nothing.

Faith is belief; believe in us, in our works, talents and our personalities. We should also believe in our parents – or much better, in our whole family including the black sheep, which can be found everywhere. We should believe in our friends, even though it seems to become very difficult many times.

Please remember, my dear readers: without faith will we reach the rock bottom. Don’t say, it’s a likely story.

The German poet Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1815) has mentioned in his drama “Maria Stuart”: “Even the word might be dead, but faith keeps it alive!” Chapter I of Second Thessalonians gives encouragement to all Christians, who were undergoing persecution for or because of their faith. Yes, faith is really not everybody’s thing, or “not everyone has faith”.

“If I have faith, that can move mountains” (First Corinthians 13,2).

Faith is a tantamount to convincing and conviction. Richard Wagner (German classical composer and poet, 1813-1883) found the following lyric: “Blessed are those people, who know how to live their life in humility and faith.”

So, let’s even continue believing in our governments or the institution church. Faith means also a belief specially in a revealed religion. Faith is trust or reliance. Faith is indeed a pledged word. Yes, I know.

Faithful love is loyal, reliable, exact and honorable love. Faithful love means even to love your enemy.

Allow me to close this column with a Chinese proverb: “People without faith in themselves cannot or will never survive!” – Worth to think about it!

“𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐧”, 𝐃𝐝𝐎 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝟐𝟒!

 

A golden season awaits Dabawenyos as the province will celebrate its 24th Founding Anniversary on March 5-8, 2022.

The past 2 years might be heavy, but Davao de Oro sees opportunities behind difficulties, and continuously turns towards greener sides and hope for its people. Depicted on this year’s founding anniversary theme, “Davao de Oro 24k: Walang Iwanan sa Tanang Panahon”, DdO will celebrate 24 years of golden victories which made significant changes in the lives of Dabawenyos.

As the province continues to rise and push forward in the new normal, the celebration is not only be intended for leisure. The celebration will commemorate DdO's years of unified strength and promote new openings to restore the losses brought by the pandemic. 

The fun-filled week-long celebration will open opportunities for all participants. On the first two (2) days, March 5 to 6, local athletes will shine for the Golden Football Tournament to be held on New Bataan Football field. The competition promotes local sports activity towards the goal of developing good leadership, discipline, and camaraderie for the athletes. Competing teams are required to be vaccinated as a protocol to participate in the tournament.

Also, on the first day is “Sikad ta Uy! PadyaKapayapaan,” the first-ever biking competition and fun ride for all bikers in the province that intends to advocate for peace and unity, and promote a healthy lifestyle for a sound mind and body amidst the pandemic.

The celebration will also be made much more engaging for the youth as the founding anniversary features the “Battle of the Legends-Mobile Legends Tournament.”  In the course of the pandemic, technology was used as a tool to continue essential services and provide leisure during lockdown periods widening social connections in the new normal.  As part of the celebration, the online tournament aims to develop teamwork among the youth and improve 21st-century skills as a pathway for industry jobs.

On the second day will be the “Al’law ng Kalumonan”, a celebration of diversity and rich culture of Davao de Oro’s six tribes namely: Mansaka, Mandaya, Manobo, Mangguangan, Dibabawon, and Kagan. “Al-law ng Kalumonan” is a day dedicated for the ICCs/IPs to be given the spotlight to showcase how culture depicts the original Filipino values (Customary Law), its relationship to nature (Ancestral Domain), and how it contributes to the economic (Indigenous Craftsmanship and Arts) gains in the province, especially in the tourism industry.

Davao de Oro will also lead to an opening of more than two thousand (2,000) job vacancies  which will recruit qualified applicants during the “Mega Jobs Fair.” Many have lost their jobs at the onset of the pandemic and as part of the celebration, the jobs fair will help alleviate unemployment incidence province-wide, promote entrepreneurial opportunities and strengthen the public-private partnership in the delivery of employment services.

Skills in performing arts of Davao de Oro’s youth will now be showcased through the “Dance for Gold: an Interpretative Dance Competition.” Stage performance has never been the same since the outbreak of the pandemic and through the competition, dancers and choreographers will again express their creative and expressive potentials, thereby enhancing personal, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical communication.

On the last day, March 8, Davao de Oro will celebrate “Babayinihan: Women's Day Celebration”, to recognize the countless achievements of women in various fields and uphold their significant contributions to society. The event will be participated by more than 3,000 women coming from the 11 Municipal Local Councils of Women and 9 women sectoral organizations in Davao de Oro. The event will also have 'ZumBayinihan', and the groundbreaking ceremony of the first-ever International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) Peace Monument. The monument will be installed in Davao de Oro and will stand as a marker of the province’s desire for peace and harmony.

Finally, commencing the 24th Founding Anniversary celebration is the 24k Golden Concert and Fireworks Display, a celebration of unity and thanksgiving where for 24 years, the province remains steadfast in providing unfaltering services all for the people of Davao de Oro. (JA, PAO-IPRD)

Warm, humid weather to prevail across most of PH due to easterlies

Published March 2, 2022, 9:02 AM

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz, Manila Bulletin

Most of the country will experience warm and humid weather due to the easterly winds originating from the Pacific Ocean, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Wednesday, March 2.

In its 4 a.m. weather bulletin, PAGASA said Eastern Visayas and Caraga will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms.

Those in these areas were warned against possible flash floods or landslides due to occasional moderate to heavy rains.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy conditions with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

PAGASA also advised the public to remain vigilant as severe thunderstorms may sometimes trigger flash floods or landslides.

Weather specialist Aldczar Aurelio said PAGASA has not monitored a low pressure area or tropical cyclone inside or near the country’s area of responsibility as of Wednesday.

Why do Filipinos use a lot of whitening products?

Wayne Spillett

It’s not just in the Philippines, it’s practically all of the South East Asia and Oriental Asia. The Chinese favour lighter skin, and their climate ranges from tropical to almost Siberian; and Japanese geishas -once the archetypal image of Japanese beauty- wore make-up that made them completely white.

Basically, in the cultures of most of these Asian countries, darker skin is synonymous with a life outdoors, everything from farming to begging on the streets, and so dark skin is regarded as a sign of poverty. If you have a good job and a nice house, you typically spend a lot of your time inside and therefore you are shaded from the sun and don’t get much of a sun tan.

They also spend their money unwisely where their skin is concerned, whitening soaps, scrubs and lotions are sold in huge numbers but factor 50 sunblock is a bugger of a thing to find in Asian supermarkets and stores. My wife is Filipina and from a very poor, provincial background and she is just the same. I always tell her that if she’d wear sunblock of a sufficiently high factor, her face, arms and legs, which are almost always exposed, would be the same colour as the parts of her that only she and I ever see; but what do I know?!

We white westerners are the other way around, many of us live in climates where a sun tan is a hard thing to obtain and so for us, darker skin is a sign of sufficient wealth to travel to sunnier climes!

Heavy downpour causes landslides, sinkhole in DavOro

RALPH LAWRENCE G. LLEMIT

March 01, 2022

THE heavy downpour experienced in some parts of Davao de Oro over the weekend resulted in some roads becoming impassable due to landslides, while some families were affected by a sinkhole.

On Sunday, February 27, six lanes of the national highway in Barangay Tapia, Montevista, Davao de Oro were not passable due to landslides.

In a report from the Philippine Information Agency, the Provincial Government, along with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), immediately conducted a clearing operation in the area, which resulted in some vehicles using other alternate routes.

On Monday dawn, February 28, the area was already passable to motorists.

Meanwhile, four families were affected by a sinkhole in Mawab as rains persisted on Sunday evening, February 27.

According to Mawab Municipal Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO), the houses of the four families were damaged by the sudden movement of the soil.

As of Sunday evening, February 27, Mawab MDRRMO reported that only one family evacuated.

The Provincial Government has yet to provide additional information on the incident.

The Municipal Government of Nabunturan, in a Facebook post, suspended the mining activities in the municipality due to the heavy downpours.

The Municipal Government said that it was a preemptive measure especially to barangay mining sites that are landslide-prone.

According to the 3:30 p.m. advisory of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), some parts of Davao de Oro, namely, Maragusan, Pantukan, Mawab, Maco, and New Bataan, were placed under yellow warning level due to heavy rains brought by the easterlies weather system.

Pagasa said flooding was expected, especially in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous areas.

Heavy rains were also experienced in some parts of Davao Oriental.

Moderate to heavy rains were experienced in some parts of Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao City, Davao Occidental, and other provinces in Mindanao.

Duterte-Carpio: City eyes lifting more Covid-19 restrictions

By RALPH LAWRENCE G. LLEMIT, SunStar Davao City

March 01, 2022

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is pushing for the lifting of some Covid-19 restrictions and fast-tracking the further reopening of the city's economy.

Duterte-Carpio said in an interview stream lived on her official Facebook page Monday, February 28, that the City Government will issue an executive order to suspend some Covid-19 restriction policies.

This came after Davao City has been placed under a less-strict Alert Level 1 effective March 1 until 15 due to the continuing downtrend of Covid-19 cases.

The mayor did not specify when the executive order will be released.

Despite the lifting of some restrictions, she said the minimum health protocols, such as wearing of face masks and observing physical distancing, will remain.

“[Walaon na] Kanang pag-lockdown, pagsarado sa mga offices and businesses depende sa (We will lift the lockdowns, closure of offices and establishments depending on the) alert levels, so we want everyone to open, and we want everybody to be on full operations, except we will not lift the mandatory wearing of mask, and importante gihapon ang distancing (distancing is still important),” the mayor said.

The mayor cited the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) guidelines on Alert Level 1, allowing local governments to suspend implementations of Covid-19 restrictions.

"Naa didto sa IATF resolution na pwedeng i-suspend sa local government ang implementation sa mga Covid-19 restrictions, which is mao pud atong direction sa pagkakaron (The IATF resolution provides local governments the authority to suspend implementations of Covid-19 restrictions, which is the direction we are pushing), in lieu of this war dinha sa (there in) Ukraine ug (and) Russia because any war sa tibuok kalibutan will affect kitang tana (in some parts of the world will affect everyone),” she said.

“We need to move fast in reopening our city and economy tungod kaning giyera dinha sa Russia ug Ukraine duna na siya epekto diria sa ato (because the war in Russia and Ukraine would have a huge impact to everyone), especially in terms of prices sa (of) basic commodities, prices sa gasolina (and gasoline prices),” she added.

The move, she said, would uplift the business sector and provide more jobs to Dabawenyos.

Duterte-Carpio, meanwhile, said the business sectors will be given discretion in imposing restrictions against unvaccinated individuals.

She said, though, that restricting those unvaccinated would be difficult to impose.

“As I said kaniadto, lisod kaayo i-restrict ang mga unvaccinated (As I said before, it is hard to restrict those unvaccinated) when, in fact, dili man mandatory ang atoang vaccination. Mura gani’g gina-punish nato sila sa choice na ilang gipili na gitagaan man sila sa choice (since vaccination is not mandatory. It’s like we are punishing them for their choice),” Duterte-Carpio said, adding that restricting them would be possible if law would mandate the public to get vaccinated.

Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Covid-19 Task Force, said the recent surge, suspected to have been caused by the Omicron variant of the Sars-CoV-2 virus, is over as the positivity rate drops to five percent as of February 20.

Schlosser said the city is considered "low risk" for the virus, and that it can now slowly shift to the “new normal.”