One stop shop info portal for Typhoon Haiyan
created
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 5 (PIA) - The Philippine
Information Agency (PIA) Caraga has assigned a special page of its website,
www.piacaraga.com for Typhoon Haiyan, as the weather disturbance is set to
enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Thursday.
Various forecast tracks of Typhoon Haiyan from
the different weather agencies such as Japan Meteorological Agency, US Joint
Typhoon Weather Center, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration (PAGASA), among others can be viewed on this webpage.
“It serves as a one stop shop information portal
for Typhoon Haiyan in just a click away and this is being updated every now and
then,” said PIA Caraga regional director and Northeastern Mindanao Information
Cluster Head Abner Caga.
Caga said that the ultimate purpose of this
initiative is to create a massive awareness to the community and hopefully
provide appropriate information intervention of the impending ‘Super’ Typhoon,
which is set to make a landfall later this week. “This is also our
manifestation of our will to provide simple but innovative and convenient way
of gathering, and monitoring information that can effectively serve the
community.”
Caga said this initiative is the first in the
agency, “we have learned from Typhoon Pablo and Tropical Storm Sendong. We want
our community to have an informed decision and eventually achieving zero
casualty.” (FEA/PIA-Caraga)
Bislig Bay is free from red tide toxin, BFAR
says
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 5 (PIA) - The Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)-Caraga has released the latest Shellfish
Bulletin No. 25 dated October 18, 2013, disclosing that Bislig Bay in Surigao
del Sur is negative from red tide toxin.
BFAR Caraga regional director Nerio Casil said
based on laboratory results, all shellfish around the area of Bislig Bay are
safe for human consumption.
However, shellfish from the waters of
Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur; Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte
and Misamis Occidental; Balite Bay in Mati, Davao Oriental; and coastal waters
of Milagros in Masbate are still positive for paralytic shellfish poison that
is beyond the regulatory limit and are not safe for consumption.
With these developments, BFAR reminded the
people to avoid consuming shellfish from the infected areas.
They also said fish, squid, shrimps and crabs
are safe to eat but must be properly prepared and provided that the fish is
fresh and washed thoroughly. Internal organs such as gills and intestines must
also be removed before cooking. (FEA/PIA-Caraga)
Cabadbaran schools receive armchairs from TESDA
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 5 (PIA) – Some 16 elementary
and high schools in the division of Cabadbaran City recently received a total
of 3,376 armchairs from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA)-Caraga.
In a ceremony held in one of the elementary
schools in Cabadbaran City, TESDA-Caraga Regional Director Dr. Florencio Sunico
Jr. led the turnover of armchairs to DepEd City Schools Division and local
officials led by Mayor Dale Corvera.
Dr. Sunico, in his speech said this is part of
the PNoy Bayanihan Project initiated by TESDA through the leadership of Sec.
Joel Villanueva, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
through Sec. Ramon Paje and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation
(PAGCOR), where illegally-cut logs in the region confiscated by DENR were
processed and made into armchairs and desks, addressing the armchairs shortage
of public elementary and high schools in the region.
“This is another noble project of the Aquino
Administration initiated by TESDA, DENR and PAGCOR to ensure that elementary
pupils and high school students will be comfortable as they spend basic
education in their respective schools,” Dir. Sunico said.
Meanwhile, Cabadbaran City Schools Division
Superintendent and concurrent DepEd-Caraga OIC Assistant Regional Director Dr.
Rebecca Delapuz acknowledged TESDA, DENR and PAGCOR for choosing their division
as one of the recipients of the project in the region.
The official said this is another laudable
project of the national government in providing quality education to
schoolchildren not only in their division but as well as in other divisions in
Caraga Region.
“While we are advocating Education for All (EFA)
by 2016, our government has see to it that this will be achieved by providing
facilities for the comfort of our schoolchildren… Thanks to TESDA and DSWD,”
Delapuz said.
Of the total number of armchairs turned-over,
North Cabadbaran Central Elem. School received 841, Caasinan Elem. School
received 117, while Kauswagan Elem. School received 43 armchairs.
To complete the list, Bay-ang Elem. School
received 54 armchairs, Comagascas Elem. School – 162; Del Pilar Elem. School –
251; Pirada Elem. School – 173; Putting Bato Elem. School – 286; Cabinet Elem.
School – 144; Calibunan Elem. School – 226; La Union Elem. School – 198;
Sanghan Elem. School – 70; Cabadbaran City National High School – 391; Alfonso
Dagani Elem. School – 74; Calamba Elem. School – 69; and Cabadbaran South
Central Elem. School (CASOCES) with 277 armchairs. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)
TESDA-13 chief presents Phl’s qualifications
framework
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 5 (PIA) – Citing the
importance of educational qualifications towards the attainment of quality
education in the country, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA)-Caraga regional director Dr. Florencio Sunico Jr. presented the
Philippines’ qualifications framework.
Speaking before the members of the Regional
Technical Education and Skills Development Committee during its second regular
meeting held recently in one of the local convention centers here, Dir. Sunico
explained that qualification is a package of competencies describing a
particular function or job role existing in an economic sector. Dir. Sunico
added it covers the work activities required to undertake a particular job
role.
The Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF)
according to Dir. Sunico is a national policy describing the levels of
educational qualifications and sets the standards for qualification outcomes.
“It is also a quality assured national system
for the development, recognition and award of qualifications based on standards
of knowledge, skills and values acquired in different ways and methods by
learners and workers of a certain country,” RD Sunico said.
Objective of the PQF is to establish national
standards and levels for outcomes of education and training, skills and
competencies. It also supports the development of maintenance of pathways and
equivalencies which provide access to qualifications and assist people to move
easily and readily between the different education and training sectors and
between these sectors and the labor market.
“PQF also aligns with the international
qualifications framework to support the national and international mobility of
workers thru increased recognition of the value and comparability of Philippine
qualify qualifications,” Dir. Sunico added.
When asked what are the benefits of the PQF, the
TESDA chief of the region said that for the person/individual, it encourages
lifelong learning allowing the person to start at the level that suits him and
then build-up his qualifications as his needs and interests develop and change
over time. He also said the certificates and licenses awarded to the person are
recognized by government.
For the employers, Dir. Sunico said they are
assured that standards and qualifications are consistent to job requirements
and demands. It also provides common understanding on standards, qualifications
and levels.
The official also said for the education and
training providers, PQF ensures transparency in training provision, conformance
to standards and preciseness of accountability for learning outcomes, as well
as to provide common understanding of policies and guidelines on credit
transfers, articulation, portability, bridges pathways and RPL.
For authorities, the PQF provides the standards,
taxonomy and typology of qualifications as bases for granting approvals to
providers and stakeholders. It also harmonizes qualifications and education and
training across the country.
With these developments, RD Sunico said
authorities will review and revise Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSGs) to
transform into an outcomes-based format. The Technical Panels/Committees for
each discipline will also prescribe the competencies required for each program.
Further, Dir. Sunico said concerned agencies
should also review and revise the training regulations to realign with the new
descriptors; harmonize the pertinent K to 12 curriculum with the new
descriptors; Department of Education (DepEd), TESDA and the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED) to agree on the format. There should also be a
continued consultations with the industries; and advocacy and public hearings
to be conducted at the regional levels. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)
88% of C4TP graduates in Dinagat Islands are
NC-holders
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 5 (PIA) – Eighty-eight percent
of the total graduates of the Cash for Training Program (C4TP) in the Province
of Dinagat Islands (PDI) are now holders of national skills certificate.
Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA)-Dinagat OIC provincial director June Elizabeth Tanquieng said
of the 142 beneficiaries of the program who graduated, 125 were already
certified by TESDA and awarded national certificates (NC).
The awarding ceremony was held in time with the
program’s culminating activity held recently at Don Jose Ecleo Memorial Foundation
College of Science and Technology (DJEMFCST).
PD Tanquieng stressed the seven municipalities
of the island, namely Basilisa, Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo, Loreto, San Jose,
and Tubajon were allotted scholarship slots and the trainings were provided by
TESDA-PDI partner schools like the DJEMFCST and the Surigao del Norte College
of Agriculture and Technology-Ruben Ecleo Senior Polytechnic College
(SNCAT-REESPC).
The number of graduates is broken down as
follows: Housekeeping NC II – 25, Bartending NC II – 20; Preparing and
Maintaining Aquaculture facilities/Operating fish nursery – 17; Electrical
Installation and Maintenance NC II – 25; Automotive Servicing NC II – 17;
Driving NC II – 17; and Computer Hardware Serving NC II – 38.
Tanquieng further 62 recipients of the
self-employment or hanapbuhay component were given entrepreneurship training
program to enable potential entrepreneurs to generate and select business ideas
that can be subsequently developed into a concrete business or any productive
economic activity.
“This training completed the participants’ need
for self-sufficiency and equipped them for entrepreneurial activities,”
Tanquieng said.
The program is a collaboration of TESDA and the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that has been effective as
significant training provision and intervention on the identified priority
skills need has been pursued as a shared responsibility to address community
development.
“The Province of Dinagat is less urban with less
opportunities for skills provision. This is bringing the training to the
communities. This is reaching the grassroots. This is real deal,” PD Tanquieng
said. (TESDA-13/PIA-Caraga)
