education

Bam pushes for ideal, effective feeding program in public schools

Senator Bam Aquino urged concerned government agencies and other stakeholders to help craft an ideal measure on the proposed feeding programs in all public schools to make it effective in addressing malnutrition and hunger among poor students.

“Let’s aim for the ideal and put together a bill with all of our collective knowledge, collective experiences, and best practices,” said Sen. Bam during the hearing of the Committee on Education on several measures pushing for feeding programs in public schools.

Different government agencies and private organizations, led by the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, all expressed support for the passage of Senate Bill Nos. 23, 123, 160, 694 and 548.

During the hearing, Sen. Bam also underscored the crucial role of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in the success of the proposed feeding program.

“We will make sure that DBM is there to help us compute how much this would cost. The government’s budget is indicative of its priority. If indeed this is our priority, we should be able to budget it better,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam has filed Senate Bill No. 694 or the “Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy” bill, which seeks to alleviate childhood malnutrition in the country through a feeding program for infants, public kindergarten and elementary school children.

“It will promote the health of children who are most in need, by providing regular and free access to nutritious food within a safe and clean school and community environment,” said Sen. Bam.

To enhance the social value of the measure, the proposal will utilize locally sourced and locally produced food products to support local farmers and farming communities, providing them with regular income and livelihood.

“This feeding program will help address not only child malnutrition but also poverty in the countryside,” said Sen. Bam.

Senate Bill No. 686: Youth Participation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act

Our beloved country is one of the most vulnerable nations to the threat of climate change.

In the past years, the Philippines has experienced a consistent battery of alarming natural calamities. In 2013, Typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan, the deadliest typhoon in our history, affected over 14 million people and took over 6,000 lives.

While the Philippines has been on the receiving end of countless disasters, our resilience and spirit of volunteerism has become a source of comfort and inspiration.

In trying times, the youth sector serves as a beacon of hope and catalyst of action. Schools become depositories of donations and efficient centers for packing and deployment of relief goods, never running out of willing volunteers.

Others are volunteer firefighters, first responders and peacekeepers in their respective localities, like the Rescue Assistance Peacekeeping Intelligence Detail‘(RAPID) of Cebu City and the Ormoc City-based Hayag Youth Organization.

RAPID has vast experience in relief and rescue operation. They were one of the first responders in Tacloban City after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda. They also helped rescue passengers of a passenger vessel that collided with a cargo ship in Cebu in August 2013.

Hayag, for its part, has been teaching swimming, disaster preparedness, first aid and open water safety training to youth. They have successfully taught their members when no one among them had a major accident when Typhoon Yolanda hit Ormoc City.

With impending disasters in the country’s future, it is important to move from post-disaster relief to proactive disaster preparedness. And as the nation moves in this direction, it is important to include young Filipinos in this evolving discussion.

The Responsive, Empowered and Service-Centric Youth (RESCYouth) Act proposes to include the Filipino youth in the nation’s disaster risk reduction policy body to recognize their role in DRRM and empower them with information and skills to help communities in times of crisis.

The measure seeks to have the National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairman be included in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to voice out the concerns and proposals of the Filipino youth on disaster prevention, promotion, education, rescue, and rehabilitation, among others.

There is nothing to lose, but so much to gain from engaging the youth in our quest to build a Philippines that is capable of efficiently responding to natural calamities and able to reduce its negative impact on society.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

 

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Senate Bill No. 657: Adolescents and Youth Mental Health Program Act

In 2011, the World Health Organization found that 16% of Filipino students aged 13 to 15 had contemplated suicide, whilst 13% had actually attempted suicide. Suicide, although not often publicly discussed, is closely linked to mental health disorders.

Unfortunately, mental illness is still a relatively misconstrued concept in our nation with limited public discussion on the proper management and care for those affected.

In a fast urbanizing nation, youth find themselves facing increasing amounts of pressure from the demands of school, employment, and various other social pressures. On the other hand, families now have much more diverse set-ups and and limited time, leaving the youth to be more independent in resolving their own conflicts. Unfortunately, many young people are left with few persons from whom they can seek advice when going through symptoms that are linked to mental illness. Efforts must be made to empower the youth in that mental illness is something that can be addressed without prejudice and with the full support of the community and State.

This bill proposes the creation of a Mental Health Program for the youth aged 15 to 30 years old, to be implemented by the Department of Health, in conjunction with various other government agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The Mental Health Program for youth will see a widespread information drive on mental health awareness, to be implemented by all local government units. This bill also seeks for the establishment of a Mental Health Desk at all city and municipal health offices where a mental health practitioner will be able to cater to consultations and queries of adolescents and the youth. 

In addition, this bill seeks for every public or private educational institution to employ at least one qualified guidance counselor who is authorized as a mental health practitioner to provide support and advice to students. 

We must ensure that adolescents and the youth’s rights are protected and their needs addressed. By establishing the Mental Health program, we can better equip them to face the challenges of present-day realities. In doing so, we can fully harness the potential of the bright Filipino youth who are our invaluable partners in building the nation. 

In view of the foregoing, the passing of this bill is earnestly sought. 


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Senate Bill No. 654: Tax Exemption Act for All Donations, Grants or Gifts to Non-Stock and Non-Profit Educational Inst.

The quest to improve the quality of education and improve the facilities of our schools and institutions is a collective effort that drav\/s like-minded advocates from government, civil society, and the private sector.

In many cases, the non-government sector is enthusiastic to assist the development of education in the Philippines with the hope that the next generation of well-educated Filipinos hold the key to leveling up the country and finally putting an end to longstanding issues that have plagued our nation, such as hunger, poverty, public transport, and even the patronage system that is entrenched in our culture.

It is our responsibility to encourage this enthusiasm and incentivize donations to non-stock and non-profit educational institutions in order to further our cause for improved education and educational facilities across the country.

While non-stock and non-profit educational institutions benefit from tax exemptions, donors aren’t granted similar incentives. This measure extends tax exemptions to donors, mandating that all contributions to non-stock and non-profit educational institutions be tax-exempt and deductible from their taxable income.

Through this bill, citizens with a heart for education can opt to donate hard-earned money, property, or other assets to the cause of education in lieu of contributing tax payments to the State.

Let’s embolden Filipinos to take a more active role in nation-building and have a choice in who benefits from their contributions. Together, all sectors of society can further the cause of quality education in the Philippines and produce intelligent, skillful, and conscientious young Filipinos.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.


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Senate Bill No. 663: Nurse in Every Public School Act

Delivering quality education isn’t just a matter of delivering instructional modules inside the classroom. Quality education, that every Filipino child deserves, is holistic in nature. It is concerned with the whole self- physical, mental and spiritual.

With a fifth of the Filipino populace under the poverty line, health-related issues of school children abound, thus hampering their ability to learn and retain lessons and skills. Some students might even be forced to skip school days due to sickness, further impeding their ability to learn.

Thus, this measure proposes that students’ access to basic health care services in schools be assured by requiring every public school to employ at least one registered nurse to look after the health and nutritional needs of its students.

Nurses are as important as other support personnel in the school system.1 They attend to the physical and mental-health needs of students. They can even spearhead programs to promote nutrition and contribute health-related content in the curriculum.

Having a nurse in every school emphasizes the value of health, nutrition and well­ being as part of the formation of our Filipino children.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

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Senate Bill No. 662: Fare Discount for Students Act

In many areas of the country, particularly in rural towns, students must walk up to five kilometers each way to get to school. A daily tricycle ride, the only alternative, would be too costly. However, with our climate that brings either torrential rains or, extreme heat, the long and arduous walk sometimes spells the difference between pursuing and halting one’s education.

To give all Filipino students an equal opportunity to an excellent education, this bill proposes to strengthen the mandate for student discounts on transport fares. Under this act, students with valid proof of enrolment to an educational institution must be granted a 20% discount on all land, water and air transportation all throughout the year.

Additionally, this bill seeks to impose stricter penalties for transport providers who do not honor student fares with the help of a hotline through which complaints may be coursed.

Through this mandate, our most underprivileged students stand to benefit from reasonable transportation costs that will be applicable even on weekends and holidays during which students often have extra-curricular activities related to enriching their education.

The inclusion of air and sea transportation will facilitate students’ access to learning not only in the classroom but also around the Philippine islands, across our region, and beyond.

In view thereof the passage of this bill is earnestly requested.


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Senate Bill No. 661: Indigenous Peoples’ Education Systems (Iped Systems) Act

In the Philippines, the 95 distinct groups of Indigenous Peoples remain among the most vulnerable sectors of society affected by displacement, conflict and poverty. During the recent Pahiyas Festival in Quezon, a young Badjao girl begging for money captured the public’s attention shedding light on the issues that IPs continue to face, challenged by instability, living on the fringes of mainstream society.

As a multicultural nation, we must endeavor to develop as an inclusive society that celebrates and promotes diverse identities that exist across the archipelago.

In accordance with RA 8371, the Indigenous People’s Rights Act, which recognizes the States duty to promote the “strong expression of the ICCs/IPs for cultural integrity by assuring maximum ICC/IP participation in the direction of education , this bill seeks the creation of an Indigenous Peoples Education Council (IPEDC).

Under the Department of Education, the IPEDC will oversee, control, manage and supervise all IP Schools. The IPEDC will aim to give IP communities ownership of their education so that it may be developed in the context of their cultures, customs, traditions, interests and beliefs and may be used as an instrument for their maximum participation in national development and in ensuring their involvement in achieving national unity.

The IP curriculum shall ensure that learning takes place within the ancestral domains of an IP community and uses culturally appropriate learning standards and methods. Moreover, this bill seeks for the creation of an IP School Regional Accreditation Body mandated to monitor and give accreditation for schools to be able to issue certificate of IP curriculum completion.

The IPEDC will ensure that the adequate financial support from both the public and private sector is available to support the pioneering of  IP Schools that will be able to grant scholarships, subsidies and incentives for those who wish to participate in the development of IP Education in any capacity such as curriculum development.

By institutionalizing the educational system of Indigenous People in our nation, we are taking a step toward empowering them, enriching our culture and ensuring that all Filipinos, regardless of ethnicity, can participate meaningfully in Philippine society while maintaining the integrity of their tradition.

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Senate Bill No. 675: National Amateur Sports Training Center Act

The development of grassroots sports in the country has long been overdue. Despite the Filipinos’ love for sports and athletics, support to achieve sustained excellence in sports from the private and public sector has been lacking.

With limited resources, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has sought to support our national athletes with a proper support system, international exposure, monthly training stipends and adequate training equipment. One major gap is a state-of-the-art facility where budding athletes can be turned into national champions and world icons.

Thus, the bill proposes the establishment of the National Sports Training Center (NSTC) to provide amateur athletes the facility they need for a more apt, focused and scientific training with the hope of nurturing our next generation of world-class athletes.

The NSTC would not only serve as the official venue of training for athletes, but it would also be the center for sports science research and development.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.


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Senate Bill No. 173: Free Education for Public School Teacher’s Children Act

Who would appreciate the great value of education more than the very people who have dedicated their lives to teaching in our public schools?

Many of our public school teachers sacrifice higher paying jobs and more comfortable working environments to answer their calling of educating those from less fortunate families. Their act of public service is invaluable to the lives of their students and molding the future of our country.

But as they fulfill their vocation in the field of education, they too struggle to afford the tuition fees to send their own children to school. With the meager salaries of public school teachers, paying for a college education comes as a heavy burden.

To unburden our modern-day heroes and to promote the value of education and becoming an educator, this bill endeavors to provide full tuition subsidies available in all State Universities and Colleges in the Philippines for the children of public school teachers.

This measure is in line with our efforts to improve access to quality education for every young Filipino and sends the message that becoming an educator within our public school system is a dignified vocation worthy of special benefits from the State.

Let’s continue to support and reward citizens who take part in nation-building and creating a brighter future for the next generation of young Filipinos.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

 

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BIDA KA!: Garantiyang trabaho pagkatapos ng senior high school

Mga bida, bilang chairman ng Committee on Education ngayong 17th Congress, isa sa ating tinututukan ay ang pagsusulong at lalo pang pagpapalakas ng K to 12.

Ang programang ito ay binuo, isinabatas at isinakatuparan ng nakaraang administrasyon upang maiangat ang estado ng edukasyon sa bansa patungo sa pagiging world-class.

Natutuwa naman tayo na ipinagpatuloy ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang nasabing programa dahil alam niya na malaki ang maitutulong nito upang mabigyan ang ating mga estudyante ng de-kalidad na edukasyon.

Sa tulong nito, mas malaki ang pagkakataon nilang magkaroon ng magandang hanapbuhay o ‘di kaya’y kabuhayan para sa kanilang hinaharap.

***

Bago pa man pormal na nagsimula ang K to 12, may ilang paaralan na sa bansa ang nagsilbing “early implementers” ng programa.

Kabilang na rito ang Fidelis Senior High sa Tanauan, Batangas na nagbukas ng pinto noong 2014 sa dalawampu’t anim na Grade 11 students bilang pioneer batch ng Senior High School.

Habang ang iba nilang kaklase ay nagtuloy sa kolehiyo, buong tapang namang hinarap ng 26 ang hamon ng programa, na tumakbo sa ilalim ng sistemang “study now, pay later” at may garantiyang trabaho pagsapit ng graduation.

Sa nasabing paaralan, agad sinabak ang 26 sa mga kasana­yang may kinalaman sa trabaho at entrepreneurship upang maihanda sila sa papasuking hanapbuhay sa hinaharap.

Sa unang taon, kasabay ng pag-aaral ng iba’t ibang paksa ay bumisita rin sila sa mga kumpanya sa science park sa Batangas at Laguna upang malaman ang mga sistema sa paghahanap ng trabaho.

Sa isang kompanya, tinuruan pa sila kung paano mag-fill-up ng application form, kumuha ng exam at humarap sa iba’t ibang interview.

Pagsapit ng Grade 12, ipinadala sila sa iba’t ibang kumpanya para sa on-the-job training.

Noong March 19, 2016, gumawa ng kasaysayan ang dalawampu’t anim bilang unang batch ng graduates ng Fidelis Senior High Grade 12.

Habang ang karamihan sa kanila ay nagpasyang magtuloy sa kolehiyo, ito sa kanila ang nabigyan ng trabaho pagka-graduate.

***

Ito ang pakay ng isinumite nating Senate Bill No. 170 o panukalang magtatag ng Trabaho Centers sa lahat ng Senior High Schools sa buong bansa.

Ang Trabaho Center ay tutulong sa Senior High School graduates, na nais nang maghanapbuhay at huwag nang magpatuloy pa sa kolehiyo, upang makakita ng trabaho.

Kapag naisabatas, tatlong pangunahing aspeto ang tututukan ng Trabaho Center — career counseling services, employment facilitation at industry matching.

Sa ilalim ng career counseling, bibigyan ang mga estudyante ng bagay sa career na kanilang pipiliin sa Senior High School.

Sa Employment Facilitation, bibigyan ng lahat ng kinakailangang tulong ng senior high school student sa paghahanap ng trabaho.

Sa pamamagitan naman ng industry matching, mapupunuan ang pangangailangan ng mga kumpanya sa pagbibigay sa kanila ng listahan ng mga graduate at profile ng bawat estudyante.

Magtutulungan naman ang Public Employment Services Office (PESO) at TESDA sa paglikha ng database ng mga bakanteng trabaho sa lokalidad at kung anong dagdag na training ang hinahanap para sa isang partikular na trabaho.

Naniniwala tayo na edukasyon ang magandang tulay tungo sa pagkakaroon ng hanapbuhay.

Sa tulong ng Trabaho Center, magiging abot-kamay na para sa isang Senior High School student ang inaasam na trabaho.

Ito’y isa lang sa marami pa nating plano upang mapalakas ang edukasyon sa bansa at makalikha ng marami pang trabaho para sa ating mga kababayan.

Article first published on Abante Online

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