Quezon City News May 2018

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Quezon City - Archived News
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Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

494 DAR employees savor long-awaited promotion

(DAR)

QUEZON CITY -- Agrarian Reform Secretary John R. Castriciones became the toast of the DAR community on Friday, May 25 following the oath-taking of 494 newly promoted and appointed employees from the central office to the field offices in various parts of the country, the culmination of the five-year rationalization plan that was marked with confusion and uncertainty.

Calling them the “heroes of the country’s land reform program,” Castriciones presided the oath-taking of the newly promoted employees at the DAR Gymnasium in Quezon City.

Castriciones urged them to carry on with their tasks of distributing farm lands and delivering support services to agrarian reform beneficiaries to the best of their abilities to uplift the farmer-beneficiaries’ standards of living and spur rural development.

He also implored them “to be selfless and be not afraid to sacrifice and even put their lives on the line, if necessary, in our efforts to address the social ills and injustices in the countryside.”

“Being the catalysts of change, the instruments of justice and the servants of the Filipino people, the more you should be motivated to carry out your sacred duties and obligations without fear or favor as mandated under the country’s agrarian reform law,” the DAR chief stressed.

Undersecretary for Finance, Management and Administration Emily Padilla called it a “D-Day” and a “milestone in the lives of the newly promoted and appointed DAR employees” for their dedication and patience, giving their all despite the misgivings brought about by the aborted rationalization plan (RatPlan).

“For the longest time, they have waited for this very moment when their dreams (finally) become a reality,” Padilla said.

The DAR’s RatPlan actually commenced in August 2013 after having been suspended due to uncertainties brought about by the then near expiration of the five-year Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reform (CARPer) Law.

The law eventually expired in June 2014 and, as if serving as a portent of what to come, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) rejected the DAR’s RatPlan a month later for setting aside the Memorandum Circular No. 3, which calls for the placement of affected personnel to comparable positions before undertaking any promotions for deserving employees.

Leo Mabansag said he is grateful to the new administration of Secretary Castriciones and to President Duterte for making their dreams come true. Mabansag was promoted to municipal agrarian reform program officer (Marpo) for the clustered towns of San Julian and Sulat, Eastern Samar.

“It took us five years, all in all, before our prayers were answered. But it’s worth it. I would say that the invalidation of our promotions brought pains to me and fellow DAR employees, but it only made us even stronger in our resolve to fulfill our duties and obligations to our clientele, both the farmer-beneficiaries and the landowners and other agrarian advocates,” Mabansag said.

Samuel Sesio, who was also promoted to Marpo for the clustered towns of Balangkayan, Maydolong and Llorente also in Eastern Samar, admired the strong political will of the administration of Secretary Castriciones for doing in only five months what his predecessors had failed to do for years – the long awaited promotions.

“Finally, the waiting is over. Now, we can go back to work and work with peace of mind,” Sesio said.

Lucille Mabanua-Busud was also ecstatic with her promotion from senior agrarian reform program officer to chief agrarian reform program officer of Isabela, serving as one of the deputies of the provincial agrarian reform program officer (Parpo) II.

“I’m very happy that finally we got our long overdue promotions. Hopefully, this is it, that this will not be recalled again as what had happened in the past,” Busud said.

Older citizens team up with Manila Water, QC to plant trees

(BusinessMirror)

SENIOR citizens of the Quezon City local government and their grandchildren teamed up with employees of East Zone water and used-water concessionaire Manila Water as they planted trees at the Pugad Lawin Shrine in Quezon City.

The tree-planting activity with the theme “Pamanang Yaman” symbolizes the legacy of senior citizens of giving back to nature a cleaner and greener environment for the next generation.

Present during the event were Frederika Rentoy and Quezon City Councilor Beth Delarmente, who acknowledged Manila Water’s strong commitment to environmental protection. She also expressed hope to replicate the program in other parks in Quezon City.

CSC invites choirs to join the 2018 Government Choral Competition

By Alice Sicat (CSC)

QUEZON CITY, May 26 -- The Civil Service Commission is now accepting entries to the 2018 Government Choral Competition (GCC).

As one of the highlights of the upcoming 118th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary, GCC aims to showcase musical creativity of talented government employees, promote Filipino culture and arts through choral singing, and inculcate in the minds of public servants a culture of excellence in public service.

As a general rule, a choir should have a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 30 members, including one (1) conductor and one (1) accompanist. All singers must be government employees and should belong to one agency only, except for the conductor and accompanist, who need not be government workers.

To register, aspiring government choirs should submit an audio-video recording of their performance of two choral works: 1) "Kaya Ko Ang Pagbabago" by Mr. Edward Gonzales, arranged by Mr. Saunder Choi and 2) one Filipino a cappella piece which must extol one or more of the core values of the CSC, namely love of God and country, excellence and integrity. Entries should be submitted to CSC regional offices in Pampanga (Luzon), Iloilo (Visayas), Davao City (Mindanao), and NCR.

The complete guidelines and registration forms can be accessed and downloaded from the CSC website. For further inquiries, please contact CSC Regional Office No. IV at telephone no. (02) 926 4450.

QC establishes first clinical laboratory services in health center

By Susan G. De Leon (SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Quezon City Government recently inaugurated its first clinical laboratory services at the barangay health center.

Located at the A. Samson Health Center & Lying-In Clinic in Barangay Apolonio Samson (District 1), the clinical laboratory services will enhance public access to quality health services as well as provide people with services for pre-employment medical examination.

The services of the clinical laboratory will include hematology, clinical microscopy, microbiology, serology and immunohematology, clinical chemistry, electrolyte tests and laboratory package.

The setting-up of clinical laboratory services in QC health centers is provided for by Ordinance No. SP 2686, series of 2018, also known as the "Quezon City Clinical Laboratory Ordinance".

Based on the ordinance, each clinical laboratory will have a medical officer, a medical technologist, a laboratory aide a clerk and one utility worker.

Under the ordinance, service fees will be charged for the corresponding services:

1. Hematology: Complete Blood Count with Platelet Count/PhP 180.00; Platelet Count/Php 104.00; Hemoglobin/PhP 70.00; Hematocrit/PhP65.00; ABO and RH/PhP 130.00; RH Typing/ PhP 100.00;
2. Clinical Microscopy: Urinalysis/PhP 45.00; Fecalysis/Php 40.00; Occult Blood/PhP 50.00; Pregnancy Test/PhP 150.00
3. Microbiology: AFP Seminar/PhP 97.00; Gram Stain/Php 100.00; KOH/PhP 100.00;
4. Serology and Immunology: RPR/PhP 200.00; HbsAg/Php 160.00; HIV Test/PhP 310.00;Dengue IgM and IgG/PhP 600.00
5. Clinical Chemistry: SGPT/ ALT/PhP 155.00; SGOT/ AST /Php 155.00; BUN/PhP 100.00; Creatinine/PhP 105.00; Blood Uric Acid/PhP 100.00; Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS)/PhP 140.00; Triglycerides/PhP 160.00; Cholesterol/PhP 125.00; High Density Lipoprotein/PhP 250.00; Low Density Lipoprotein/PhP 280.00; HBA 1C/PhP 700.00
6. Electrolytes: Chloride/PhP 130.00; Potassium/Php 150.00; Sodium/PhP 150.00; Calcium/PhP 105.00

Senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disability (PWDs), and government employees can avail of discounted rates in the Laboratory Package services. Senior citizens with OSCA IDs, solo parents with SSDD-issued IDs and PWDs with PDAO IDs can avail of 30 percent discount. QC Local Government employees (permanent) and their dependents can avail of 20 percent discount in the laboratory package services.

Exempted from paying the service fees are indigent residents of QC (if certified by the SSDD) and those enrolled by the LGU and other sponsors who may avail the TSEK-UP PACKAGE such as elected City and barangay officials, day care center teachers, community health workers and those endorsed by the SSDD to the QCHD as well as all teaching and non-teaching personnel of the DepEd in Quezon City.

The City government plans to establish five more similar clinics in other districts of the city.

Croc Lolong's replica to be displayed in QC wildlife park

By Catherine Teves (PNA)

MANILA -- The National Museum turned over on Tuesday to the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) a replica of "Lolong" the male Indo-Pacific or saltwater crocodile captured in Agusan del Sur province in 2011.

Lolong received the Guinness Book of World Records' certification as the world's largest crocodile in captivity but died in 2013. The BMB, which is under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will display Lolong's replica at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City.

The ceremonial takeover was done at this year's celebration of the annual International Day of Biological Diversity (IDBD) in Manila.

In 2000, the United Nations adopted May 22 as the International Day of Biological Diversity to raise global awareness and understanding of biodiversity.

It also aims to promote sustainable development, that meets the present needs without compromising the future generations' ability to meet its own needs.

For its 2018 celebration, the DENR also launched the second in a series of guidebooks on Philippine protected areas, so the public can learn about the significance of these locations.

"The book is an invitation to take a journey," BMB Officer-in-Charge Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez said at the celebration.

National Museum of the Philippines (NM) scientist Dr. Arvin Diesmos and journalist Howie Severino joined the celebration, sharing their insights on biodiversity.

QC named best in disaster management in NCR for three consecutive years now

By Susan G. De Leon (SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) was adjudged as the best in the areas of disaster mitigation, response, and recovery in Metro Manila for three consecutive years now.

QC topped the Highly Urbanized City DRRM Council and Government Emergency and Response Management Service category in the annual search.

The award was given by the 2018 Regional Gawad KALASAG Search for Excellence on DRRM and Humanitarian Assistance organized by the Office of Civil Defense – NCR under the Department of National Defense.

QC’s Barangay Sto. Cristo bagged third place in the Best Urban Barangay DRRM Committee category.

Melencio Castelo Elementary School in Barangay Payatas clinched 2nd spot in the Public Elementary School category.

Quezon City first joined the KALASAG awards in 2016 and immediately ranked first in Metro Manila.

In 2016 and 2017, it placed 2nd in the National Gawad KALASAG search.

“In the past six years, we’ve been investing on capacitating the city by procuring equipment, building state of the art facilities, and implementing structural interventions. This time, we want to have a harmonized and comprehensive plan pagdating sa ‘The Big One’,” DRRM chief Mike Marasigan said.

The Quezon City government, under the administration of Mayor Herbert Bautista has also acquired and installed state-of-the-art equipment and technologies to promote human security and strengthened of the city’s capabilities and resiliency in times of disasters.

CSC reschedules Fire Officer, Penology Officer, and Local Treasury Exams to June 24

(CSC)

QUEZON CITY -- The Fire Officer, Penology Officer, and Basic Competency on Local Treasury Examinations scheduled on June 17 will instead be given on June 24, 2018. This was announced by the Civil Service Commission through Examination Advisory No. 11, s. 2018.

The rescheduling was made to ensure sufficient time for preparation of administrative requirements and procedures for the conduct of the examinations in light of the two national holidays on June 12 (Araw ng Kalayaan) and on June 15 (Eid’l Fitr or end of Ramadan).

The resulting Fire Officer Eligibility and the Penology Officer Eligibility are both second level eligibilities that are specific and appropriate for second level ranks in the fire protection and jail management and penology services, respectively, and other functionally related services. On the other hand, passing the BCLTE will result in the conferment of the Local Treasurer Eligibility – a second level eligibility, which is appropriate for appointment to Local Treasurer and Assistant Local Treasurer positions, and to positions under the Financial Services that do not require practice of profession and are not covered by Bar/Board or Special Laws.

The CSC will issue an advisory on school assignments and reminders for the examinations through its website (csc.gov.ph) and Facebook page (fb.com/PhilippineCivilServiceCommission). For related queries, examinees are advised to verify with the CSC Regional Office where they filed their applications. A complete directory of the CSC Regional Offices may be accessed at the CSC website.

DSWD launches Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children

By Lucia F. Broño (LFB/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, May 21 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently launched the Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children (CEPC) at the DSWD Auditorium, Batasan Hills, Quezon City.

CEPC was a collaborative effort of different national government agencies (NGAs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) led by DSWD to ensure the welfare and protection of children during emergencies brought about by natural and man-made calamities in accordance with Republic Act (RA) No. 10821 or the ‘Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act’.

DSWD Acting Secretary Virginia N. Orogo said they welcome the establishment of the comprehensive program to protect and ensure the safety of our children as children are among the vulnerable groups gravely affected during disasters and emergencies.

“We have to exert continuous efforts to ensure that no child will fall victim to any form of abuse, harassment, exploitation, trafficking, negligence, and violence. We must also ensure that they will be given priority during the rehabilitation and recovery phases through the provision of effective and immediate programs and services that will cater to their holistic needs,” Orogo said.

The launching was highlighted by the presentation of CEPC booklets by several children to National Inter-Agency Committee (NIAC) heads led by CEPC Champion DSWD Assistant Secretary Michelle Ortega-Pimentel, Save the Children CEO Alberto Muyot and DSWD USEC Hope Hervilla.

Another highlight of the activity was the symbolic pledge of commitment by NIAC heads.

The nationwide implementation of the CEPC increases the accountability of local and national agencies to prioritize the enactment of RA 10821 and to improve the delivery of assistance to children and other vulnerable groups during disasters and calamities, which includes child-centered trainings for disaster responders and local service providers.

Aside from the delivery of assistance, the CEPC aims to ensure that child-friendly and appropriate informational materials will be disseminated to introduce children to concepts on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

The CEPC program features the following components which will be implemented at the national and local levels: establishment of safe, inclusive, child-friendly, gender-sensitive, and responsive evacuation centers; establishment of child and women-friendly transitional shelters, and a referral mechanism for orphaned, unaccompanied, and separated children;

It also assures delivery of immediate basic necessities and services; stronger measures to ensure safety and security of affected children; delivery of health, medical, and nutritional services; plan of action for prompt resumption of educational services for children; establishment of child-friendly spaces in evacuation centers and transitional sites; and promotion of children’s rights during disaster and emergency situations are upheld, respected, and protected.

QC inaugurates first public media arts school

By Susan G. De Leon (SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The first public media art school in Quezon City that will provide quality higher basic education to poor but deserving students who dream of working in the mass media was recently inaugurated.

Mayor Herbert Bautista, ABS-CBN chairperson Mark L. Lopez and ABS-CBN University President Charo Santos-Concio led the inauguration of the Eugenio Lopez Jr. Center for Media Arts Senior High School in Scout Torillo Street, Barangay Sacred Heart last Wednesday, May 16.

The brand-new school features state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, library and audio-visual arts housed in a four-storey building.

“This is the first public media arts school sa Quezon City. Hopefully, dumami pa sa iba’t iba pang parts ng Metro Manila at ng Pilipinas,” Bautista said.

ELJ Center for Media Arts Senior High School is a joint project of the Local Government of Quezon City, ABS-CBN, Department of Education, Schools Division Office of Quezon City and Magna Anima Foundation.

“Tulong-tulong po ang lahat para makapag-provide ng free education, free tuition fee for all those students na walang kakayahan mag-enrol sa private schools na may media arts course at track,” ELJ Center for Media Arts SHS Grade 12 coordinator Guillermo Telan said.

The school was named after Eugenio M. Lopez Jr., long-time head of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation who was also one of the most prominent political prisoner during Ferdinand Marcos’s Martial Law in the 1970s.

Group pushes for product safety monitoring of school supplies

(EcoWaste Coalition)

QUEZON CITY, May 19 -- As retailers enjoy brisk business with the opening of classes for School Year 2018-2019 on the way, a consumer and environmental protection group called on the authorities to intensify ongoing product safety monitoring of school supplies.

The EcoWaste Coalition pressed government regulators to keep an eye on the safety of school supplies from hazardous substances as some items on store shelves may not conform with product standards and regulations.

The group made the suggestion following the on-the-spot inspection on May 18 of retail outlets selling school supplies in Caloocan City by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) representatives.

“We surely support the government’s effort to check business compliance with the suggested retail prices (SRPs) for notebooks, writing pads, pencils, ballpens, crayons, erasers, sharpeners and rulers as contained in the DTI’s shopping guide for school supplies,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

“However, the current list of school supplies being monitored should be expanded to include other must-have back-to-school items such as bags, shoes, water color sets and others. Also, the monitoring should cover compliance with the SRPs as well as product safety requirements,” he said.

“Consumers should be assured of access to affordable as well as quality and non-toxic school supplies that will not pose health risk to children,” he emphasized.

To drive their point home, the EcoWaste Coalition on May 18 procured school bags from four retail establishments in Caloocan City and had them screened for lead, a substance that is highly toxic to a child’s brain, using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence device.

The bags, sold for P130 to P309 each, do not provide basic labeling information about their manufacturers, much less about their chemical composition, the group observed.

Of the eight school bags bought and analyzed, six were found to contain lead in the range of 679 to 3,588 parts per million (ppm).

Lead is prohibited in the manufacture of school supplies as per DENR Administrative Order 2013-24, or the Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds, which also bans the use of paints with lead content above 90 ppm in the production of toys and a wide array of children’s products after December 31, 2016.

In the US, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act requires that “all children’s products must not contain a concentration of lead greater than 90 ppm in paint or any similar surface coatings.” This rule also applies to all accessible component parts of a children’s product.

Studies have shown that lead exposure early in life can result in serious and irreversible damage to children's developing brains, and cause decreased intelligence, poor reading and language skills, hearing loss, aggression, attention deficit disorder and other behavioral problems.

"For our children's health, we need to get rid of all preventable sources of childhood exposure to lead, including lead-tainted consumer products such as school supplies and toys," the EcoWaste Coalition pointed out.

Quezon City, Davao City to renew sisterhood pact

(The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte is spearheading efforts to renew the city’s sisterhood ties with Davao City.

Belmonte said Councilor Gian Carlo Sotto recently filed a resolution which aims to expand the cooperative agreements of the two highly urbanized cities.

“I believe the re-establishment of our sister city partnership with Davao City will boost our promotion of socio-cultural, trade and economic development,” Belmonte said yesterday after her visit to Davao City.

She said Quezon City would learn a lot from Davao City in terms of governance, disaster management, transportation, tourism, education and technology, among others.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing the two cities’ twinning relationships was signed by former mayor Ismael Mathay and President Duterte when he was mayor of Davao in 1995.

Belmonte said the MOU was signed without ”institutionalization” of the Quezon City Council.

“Mayor Sara Duterte will be in Quezon City next month to sign the new agreement with Mayor HB (Herbert Bautista),” Belmonte said.

Quezon City has signed 21 sister city agreements with various cities in Myanmar, China, the US, Taiwan, Canada and Japan.

Free entrance at QCX Museum on May 18

By Susan G. De Leon (SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, May 17 (PIA) -- In observance of the International Museum Day, visitors will get to enjoy free admission at the Quezon City Experience (QCX) on Friday, March 18.

The QCX is a five-pod green architecture museum complex with 15 galleries that tell the history and culture of the city, and allows visitors to experience and interact with the displays through the use of technology.

It presents Quezon City’s momentous events from its founding by President Manuel L. Quezon to the current administration of Mayor Herbert M. Bautista when it became the country’s most progressive city.

“QCX depicts the life of the city as a city, the life of the people of QC and how they contributed [to what the city is now] from the time of its inception to the present,” QCX head museum officer Michael A. Ogalinola said.

He said more Quezon City residents must visit the museum to know more about the city and the role it played in Philippine history.

“Ang pagpunta sa museums ay bahagi ng pagiging Pilipino natin. Sa pamamagitan ng mga museo, maiintindihan natin ang kasaysayan ng ating mga pamayanan,” Oganinola said.

The QCX has a hundred seating capacity theater, lecture and conference rooms, and rooftop gardens which could be used for events such as outdoor exhibits.

QC holds seminar on Anti-Junkfood ordinance

By Susan G. De Leon (SDL/PIA-NCR with reports from QC PAISO)

QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Quezon City government through its Health Department has conducted a three-day orientation on the Anti-Junkfood and Sugary Drinks ordinance as part of its massive information dissemination campaign.

Barangay officials and representatives from public and private schools attended the orientation.

According to Dr. Maria Lourdes E. Eleria of the City Health Department, barangay officials were invited in the orientation because they will take charge of the implementation of the ordinance in their respective communities.

“Hindi lang schools ‘yung kinakausap namin, kundi pati mga barangays kasi sila ‘yung mga magpapalaganap ng batas dahil sila ‘yung nasa grassroot,” Eleria said.

Eleria also mentioned that the cooperation between the city government and barangays plays a huge role in the successful implementation of the Anti-Junkfood and Sugary Drinks ordinance.

“We are expecting na they will coordinate and cooperate with us on the implementation of this ordinance. Malaki kasi ‘yung role no’n. Sila ‘yung tumutulong at magbabantay sa baba kasi hindi naman namin mababantayan lahat,” Eleria added.

In June, another set of orientation for barangay officials on health, and school representatives will participate to learn about the said ordinance.

Honor graduates urged to apply for eligibility

(CSC)

QUEZON CITY -- The Civil Service Commission (CSC) invites those who graduated with Latin honors in their baccalaureate degree to apply for Honor Graduate Eligibility (HGE).

Applicants must have graduated summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude or their equivalent from school year 1972-1973 and thereafter.

The HGE is applicable to graduates of private higher education institutions in the Philippines with baccalaureate/bachelor’s degree recognized by the Commission on Higher Education, or state/local college or university with baccalaureate/bachelor’s degree included in its charter, or baccalaureate/bachelor’s degree duly approved by its Board of Trustees/Board of Regents.

Honor graduates from a reputable foreign school, as verified by the Department of Foreign Affairs through the Philippine Foreign Service Posts, may apply for the Foreign School Honor Graduate Eligibility (FSHGE), provided that they are Filipino citizens.

The HGE and FSHGE are both second level eligibilities that are considered appropriate for first and second level positions in government that do not involve the practice of profession and are not covered by bar/board/other laws.

Applications for HGE may be submitted to the CSC Regional Office (CSC RO) covering the location where the applicant finished his/her degree, or to any of the CSC RO’s field offices. Applications for FSHGE may be submitted to the nearest CSC Regional or Field Office where the applicant is currently based.

Applications submitted through a conduit CSC RO, in case the applicant is already based in another region, or via mail or courier are accepted. However, the CSC points out that these modes may require longer processing times.

Application fees are P200 to be paid upon filing of application, and Php300 to be paid upon approval of the application.

The complete list of requirements and application procedures are available on the CSC website at www.csc.gov.ph.

The Commission grants the HGE to qualified individuals pursuant to Presidential Decree (PD) No. 907, issued on March 11, 1976, which mandates the grant of civil service eligibility to college honor graduates in the hope that “immediate absorption of these honor graduates in the public service will assure their participation in public affairs and bouy up the quality of the civil service.”

In line with PD 907, the Commission issued CSC Resolution No. 1302714 on December 17, 2013 to include honor graduates from foreign schools in the grant of eligibility.

In 2017, the CSC has conferred a total of 8,197 HGEs. No application for FSHGE was received in the same year.

Special eligibilities

Civil service eligibilities may be obtained not only by passing the career service exams. The Commission grants eligibilities pursuant to special laws and relevant CSC issuances.

Other types of special eligibilities include Barangay Official Eligibility, Sanggunian Member Eligibility, Barangay Health Worker Eligibility, Barangay Nutrition Scholar Eligibility, Electronic Data Processing Specialist Eligibility, Scientific and Technological Specialist Eligibility, Veteran Preference Rating, and Skills Eligibility.

These are separate and distinct from the eligibilities conferred by the CSC to passers of civil service exams, such as the Career Service (CS) Professional Eligibility and Sub-Professional Eligibility which are obtained from passing the CS Professional and Sub-Professional Examinations, respectively.

The CSC said that it is optional for holders of special eligibilities to take the CS Exams. For example, holders of the HGE, which is a second level eligibility, may still take the CS Professional Exam. If they pass the said exam, they will be considered holders of both HGE and CS Professional Eligibility. Holders of the Barangay Official Eligibility, which is a first level eligibility, may opt to take the CS Sub-Professional Exam, or aim for a higher level eligibility by passing the CS Professional Exam.

QC polls 'generally peaceful'

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor (PNA)

MANILA -- The conduct of the 2018 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Quezon City is "generally peaceful", Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista said on Monday.

“[The election proceedings are] generally peaceful. Mayroon lang isang barangay na declared as a hotspot, 'yung Barangay Masambong. Pero malaking improvement na 'yun kasi dati, pitong barangay ang hotspots (There is only one village that is declared a hotspot, that is Village Masambong. But there is a big improvement because before there are seven village hotspots,” Bautista said in a radio interview.

Bautista said the city government closely monitored the conduct of the elections and provided the necessary logistical support to the Commission on Elections and the QC Police District to ensure a peaceful and orderly election.

In relation to this, the Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has activated its incident management team and set up several advance command posts and first aid stations in the city’s six districts.

Polling precincts opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 3 p.m.

AFP, PNP to secure 2018 local election

By Jimmyley E. Guzman (JEG/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed its support to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in ensuring peace and order for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on May 14, 2018.

Personnel from the AFP will be deployed to join the police force to man checkpoints in different areas and to provide assistance to the public, prevent any untoward incident, and protect the general public.

According to the AFP, they are continuously undertaking security measures to thwart any possible actions from armed groups and terrorist elements that might take advantage of the situation.

Meanwhile, the AFP assured that they are ready to respond and take necessary measures to safeguard the people and the election process.

NGCP prepares for 2018 Barangay and SK elections

(NGCP)

QUEZON CITY, May 12 – National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is set to activate its Overall Command Center from May 11-17, 2018 as part of its preparations to secure power transmission operations and facilities during this year’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

Contingency plans are in place to monitor and quickly address any grid disturbance.

Since May 14 has been declared a special non-working day, NGCP’s critical units, such as System Operations (SO) and Operations and Maintenance (O&M), remain fully staffed and operational. Line crews, engineers, pilots, maintenance and testing, and other technical personnel are also strategically positioned in NGCP substations to respond to line trippings, should these occur.

“NGCP’s Integrated Disaster Action Plan (IDAP) prescribes these and other measures to ensure the readiness of all power transmission facilities to be affected by emergencies or important national events. With its security and contingency preparations set, NGCP can ensure reliable power transmission services before, during, and after the election date,” stated the company.

NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders Henry Sy, Jr. and Robert Coyiuto, Jr

QC Public Library honors National Artist Cirilo F. Bautista

(Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista has ordered the Quezon City Public Library to dedicate a section featuring the works of the late Dr. Cirilo Bautista, 2014 National Artist for Literature, to honor his valuable contribution to Philippine literature.

Bautista, an Outstanding Citizen Awardee of Quezon City in 1996, died on May 6 due to a lingering illness at age 76.

Bautista wrote the foreword of the book “Lessons and Legacies” in which he connected his experience as a resident of the city to Quezon City’s growth as a “global city.”

Aside from earning local and national awards, he’s also known for helping shaping young talents through founding various writing center and organizations, such as the Bienvenido Santos Creative Writing Center, Philippine Literary Arts Council, Iligan National Writers Workshop and Baguio Writers Group. Among his most notable works are the books Summer Suns (1963), The Cave and Other Poems (1968), Charts (poetry, 1973), Stories (1990), Words and Battlefields (1998), Sugat ng Salita (poetry, 1986), The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus (2001), Galaw ng Asoge (2003).

PDEA upgrades lab service; moves to new building

By Jimmyley E. Guzman (JEG/PIA-NCR with reports from PDEA)

QUEZON CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) upgraded its laboratory service with its transfer to its newly-constructed building.

“In order to come up with a comprehensive laboratory report needed during court proceedings, upgrading our laboratory service is a necessity. This is part of our continuing effort to ensure that we have airtight cases, thereby increasing the conviction rate of drug offenders,” PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino said.

The PDEA chief also assured the public of a more secured storage of turned-over pieces of evidence from other law enforcement agencies (OLEAs).

The three-storey building inside the PDEA national headquarters in Quezon City is equipped with high definition closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) as part of the improved security features considering the risks of a storage facility for the confiscated/seized drugs turned over by the operating units.

The construction of the new laboratory building was made possible through the financial assistance of Senator Vicente Sotto III and Quezon City 4th District Representative Feliciano Belmonte, Jr.

Teachers group leads polls peace covenant signing

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor (PNA)

MANILA -- A group of public school teachers on Wednesday led the peace covenant signing of Barangay (Village) and Sanggunian Kabataan (SK) election candidates in Roxas district, Quezon City. 



The Quezon City Public School Teachers Association - Alliance of Concerned Teachers National Capital Region gathered teachers with poll duties, election candidates, Department of Education (DepEd) supervisors and representatives of the Commission on Election (Comelec), Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Citizen's Movement For Free Elections (Namfrel) for the peace covenant signing.



General Roxas Elementary School Principal Nancy Annie dela Paz said their school has prepared all the classrooms to be used as poll precincts and holding areas for the voters.



"Ang kumpletong listahan po ng mga botante ay sa May 12 pa namin makukuha at ipapaskil namin sa mga boards para makita ng lahat (We will receive the complete list of voters on May 12 and we will post it on the boards for everyone to see)," dela Paz said.



DepEd Supervisor Nimfa Gabertan encouraged election candidates and supporters "to help the teachers conduct a clean and peaceful election despite any misunderstanding which might have been caused by their election campaigns."



"Sa ating mga kandidato, patuloy po natin ipakita na tayo ay nagkakaisa mula sa simula hanggang sa may mahalal para sa ikauunlad ng ating mga barangay (To our candidates, continue to show unity from the start until someone is elected for the improvement of our villages),” Gabertan said.



She noted that "half of the travel allowance allocated for teachers with poll duties is ready but has yet to be distributed because of the changes in the final list of teachers who had volunteered to serve in the election."



In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), dela Paz said, "Nagkaroon kami ng problema dito kasi may mga teachers na nakalista pero wala pang training dahil nasa bakasyon (We had a problem on this because some teachers were listed but they have not undergone training because they were on vacation) and their plane tickets are on the 12th, 13th. So I was forced to replace them. The replacement teachers are undergoing training now and their names are now in the list."



Meanwhile, Comelec District 4 Election Officer Leo Vergara advised the election candidates "to refrain from implying any form of violence, force or any threat that might impede or influence the free exercise of election law."



Vergara also reminded the watchers to stay in their designated areas in the voting precincts and to keep from communicating with the voters and members of the electoral board.



Namfrel QC Chairman Mike Mundo reminded election candidates that they should comply with the implementing rules and regulations of the Fair Elections Act.



"Lahat ng political ads, flyers ng paid propaganda na walang nakalagay sa dulo na paid, may pangalan at address, hindi supporter, hindi candidate, bawal po yun. Kaya yung mga nakapaskil nyo sa labas ng school ay ilegal po, ebidensya laban sa inyo sa hindi pagtupad sa batas. (All political ads, flyers of paid propaganda which do not include ‘paid with name and address’, not supporter, not candidate, that is prohibited. Those displayed outside this school are illegal. They are evidence against those not observing the law)," Mundo said.



“Sa mga kandidato na gagamit ng pera, 'wag po tayo maging maluho. Meron po lamang pinapayagan na five pesos per voter na spending (To candidates who will spend money for the campaign, let's not be luxurious. Only a spending of five pesos is allowed per voter)," he added.



Police Insp. Gina Abay, for her part, told PNA that the police will be present to ensure the security of the voters, teachers and other people involved in the election. 



"Merong tatlong pulis sa bawat shift, tatlong shift din yun. Magsisimula deployment namin sa May 12 sa pagkuha ng materials hanggang sa May 15 na ihahatid pabalik sa city hall at may enough na pulis na na-train na kami (There will be three police officers per shift, and there will be three shifts. Our deployment will start on May 12 to get the materials until May 15 when we send them back to city hall. We have already trained enough police officers for the election)," Abay added.

QC builds care center for CWDs

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor (With reports from Jomari Castigador-OJT/PNA)

MANILA -- To provide for the needs of children with disabilities (CWDs) in the city, the Quezon City (QC) local government has established a special care facility for them in Barangay Batasan Hills.

QC Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte said the Kabahagi Resource Center for CWDs aims “to improve the quality of life of CWDs through mobilization of community resources, the provision of services and the creation of equal access to health, educational, vocational, and social opportunities for the stakeholders.”

“I feel we lack programs for children with disabilities...We realized there are some problems like, for example, in terms of assessment, early intervention, treating the patients, ‘di sila maka-afford ng therapists and developmental pediatricians, medyo magastos (they cannot afford therapists and developmental pediatricians, it's quite costly)," Belmonte said in a statement on May 2.

She added intervention programs will be provided to CWDs depending on the disability. In case the CWDs need to transfer to more appropriate institutions, the center has referral and training programs for their parents for free.

The resource center, which will be launched in June, was conceptualized with the support of barangays, concerned city hall offices, national government agencies, people’s organizations, medical professionals and the private sector, Belmonte said.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday, QC Persons with Disability (PWD) Affairs Office focal person Arnold De Guzman said that centers like this are important to both CWDs and PWDs.

"A center like that is an opportunity for CWDs and PWDs where they can get proper and good service, we welcome projects like this since we cannot do everything on our own, it's good that services and centers like these are replicated," De Guzman said.

De Guzman said there are health services provided at a lower cost for PWDs at certain hospitals in the city.

"There are health services provided like the treatment and therapies, like in Philippine Mental Health and Philippine Children's Medical Center, they are not free but with lower costs or fees compared to private hospitals and this can help the PWDs," he said.

"Also, Councilor Ramon Medalla passed an ordinance for the assessment, evaluation of PWDs, we drafted this with Department of Education and City Health Department, we'd be fixing it and implementing it in the future. It says there would be free therapy for each child depending on his or her disability, there would be a budget for that," he added.

Despite the lack of free health services for PWDs, De Guzman said the QC local government continues to provide help and benefits to them so they can be productive members of community.

The local government provides an ID which gives 20 percent discount plus 12 percent VAT exemption on food, medicine, and transportation; 5 percent discount on basic needs; and employment to some PWDs in the city hall and barangays.

"For employment, I have researched that there are around 60 PWDs here in the departments of city hall and even more in barangays who employ PWDs for different jobs," he said.

"We also have programs such as distribution of hearing aids, training for livelihood projects for, art classes for CWDs right here in the city hall," he added.

DSWD pushes for amendments to Solo Parents Welfare Act

By Lucia F. Broño (LFB/PIA-NCR with reports from DSWD)

QUEZON CITY, May 7 (PIA) -- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Officer-In-Charge Emmanuel Leyco calls for the urgent need to amend the Republic Act (RA) 8972 or the Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000.

The call was made during the Quezon City’s Solo Parent’s Day Celebration in Memorial Quezon City last Saturday, April 28, 2018.

Leyco emphasized the urgent need to amend RA 8972 to make it more responsive to the emerging needs of solo parents and their children.

He said that the government needs to help solo parents because they solely take care of their children.

“The national and local government units should implement programs and services which are responsive to the needs of solo parents, whose number is increasing at an alarming rate. Solo parents and their children should be provided with basic programs such as livelihood and employment, health and education,” Leyco added.

The amendments to RA 8972 are included in the priority legislative measures which the Department is advocating.

DSWD, as the lead agency in social protection, together with other national government agencies (NGAs), non-government organizations (NGOs) and the local government of Quezon City held an Information and Serbisyo Caravan at the Quezon Memorial Circle on April 28 as the Department’s way of showing support to the city’s Solo Parents’ Day celebration.

The local government of Quezon City passed City Ordinance No. SP-2354-S-2014 mandating the celebration of Solo Parents’ Week every last week of April to give due recognition to the city’s solo parent residents. So far, Quezon City is the only local government unit which has come up with an ordinance institutionalizing a special week/day for solo parents.

This year’s Solo Parents’ Day celebration features an array of free services, such as legal, wellness like haircut, massage, among others, for solo parent participants coming from the different barangays of Quezon City and nearby cities. The event was organized by the QC LGU together with 4ks Task Force on Solo Association, Inc., the Federation of Solo Parents in Luzvimin, and partner government agencies and non-government organizations.

This year’s theme is “Sulong sa Bagong Mukha ng Solo”, which emphasizes the image of solo parents as strong, empowered, responsible and resilient.

QCHMB breast milk collection up by 95% in Q1 2018

By Susan G. De Leon (SDL/PIA-NCR with reports from PAISO QC)

QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Quezon City Human Milk Bank (QCHMB) reported an increase in the passing rate of the quality of breast milk being collected in various healthcare facilities in the city.

The QCHMB said human milk collection points posted a 95 percent passing rate from January to March this year compared to just 81 percent in the same period in 2017.

There is a total of 38,045 milliliters (ml) of milk donated to the QC Human Milk Bank for the first quarter of 2018.

The first quarter results are broken down as follows: Quezon City General Hospital (QCGH) with 7,100 milliliters (100 percent), lying-in clinics tallied 8,380 milliliters (100 percent), and health centers recorded 15,430 milliliters (86 percent).

“We had a good yield which means mas madami po tayong nakuhang milk na lesser ang bacterial contamination. So maybe it is because of the proper hygiene na naituro ng ating mga barangay health workers at mga workers natin sa ating mga milk depots which are the lying-ins and the health centers,” QCGH director Dr. Josephine Sabando said.

Potential breast milk donors in Quezon City undergoes interview and blood screening to determine their fitness to donate safe and healthy breast milk.

Donors should pass the following mandatory procedures: (1) initial screening; (2) Hepatitis B and HIV testing; (3) bacteriological testing before and after pre-pasteurization; (4) post-pasteurization, and; (5) dispensing.

According to Dr. Sabando, the QC Human Milk Bank has saved 173 babies from January to March 2018 with the cases of prematurity, sepsis, neonatal pneumonia and well babies of mothers who produces less milk.

“Ang number one pong nakinabang ng QCHMB ay ang mga pinapanganak na kulang sa buwan na tinatawag nating premature babies at pangalawa ay ang mga babies na may sepsis, ‘yun pong may impeksyon sa dugo na naka-admit sa ating mga ICUs, sa ating neo natal ICU hindi lang po sa pagamutan ng QCGH kundi pati sa ibang pagamutan gaya ng nabanggit natin na top 10 recipient hospitals,” Sabando said.

Lactating mothers who wish to donate their milk can visit the QC General Hospital or any of the eight QCHMB depots, namely: San Francisco Lying-in, Batasan Hills Lying-in, Betty Go-Belmonte Lying-in, Murphy Lying in, Kamuning Lying-in, Arsenia Maximo Lying-in, Sta. Lucia Lying-in clinics, and NGC (National Government Center) Health Center in Barangay Commonwealth.

Quezon City is the second local government unit in Metro Manila to operate its own human milk bank. The QC Human Milk Bank was launched March 23, 2015 by Mayor Herbert Bautista in compliance with the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 that requires government and private health care institutions to set up milk banks.

Smart to complete upgrade of QC cell sites

(PR)

MANILA -- The management of Smart Communications announced Wednesday that it expects to complete the upgrade of its cell sites in Quezon City within this month. Hopes are high that with the completion, delivery of mobile services in the country's most populous city would improve substantially.

Smart management, in a statement, said it has stepped up the deployment of Long-Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) and carrier aggregation (CA) technology across Metro Manila to enhance the mobile data experience of its subscribers. The telco claims that LTE download speeds are ranging from 29 megabits per second (Mbps) to 224 Mbps in such areas as Batasang Pambansa and Quezon City Memorial Circle.

The company also reported that the average daily data revenue increased by 23 percent while LTE device usage was also up by 33 percent between September 2017 and March 2018. To meet the growing subscribers' needs, Smart said it has doubled the number of LTE base stations and rolled out more cell sites in Quezon City last year to increase their capacity to handle more calls, text and data traffic.

"These network upgrades in Quezon City and in other parts of the metro and the country are part of our broader effort to deliver world-class internet service to our customers," Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT and Smart Senior Vice President for Network Planning and Engineering, said.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista reportedly expressed his gratitude to the company as it has recently installed a high-speed public WiFi hotspot at the City Hall and upgraded their mobile Internet services in the city. "PLDT-Smart are not only commendable corporate citizens of the City but more importantly, they are our strategic partners," Bautista was quoted as saying.

Parent company PLDT has allocated PHP 58 billion as capital expenditures for 2018 that will be utilized for the rollout of its fiber broadband services and mobile network deployment by providing high-capacity links for cellular base stations, the telco said in the same statement.

CSC sets applications for Pre-Employment Test, Promotional Test and EOPT on June

(CSC)

QUEZON CITY -- Applications for the October 14, 2018 conduct of the Pre-Employment Test, Promotional Test and Ethics-Oriented Personality Test (EOPT) will begin on June 25 until August 24, 2018, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced.

The tests are additional human resource tools—aside from the Civil Service Examinations—to strengthen the overall recruitment, placement and promotion in the government service. It is used by government agencies in the objective screening or assessment of their applicants vying for vacant positions.

The Pre-Employment Test serves as a mechanism to filter applications; the Promotional Test allows objective evaluation of applicants’ readiness and competencies for promotion purpose; and the EOPT determines behavioral tendencies and personality profile of applicants.

The CSC clarified that all applications should be coursed through the government agency adopting any or all of the tests. Only individuals with pending application for employment, or promotion, in a government agency adopting the tests are allowed to take the examination/s. Government agencies should make a written request to the CSC, through its CSC Regional Office having jurisdiction over the agency, to administer any or all of the tests for its applications. The CSC stressed that no individual can file an application directly with the CSC.

Passers of the Pre-Employment Test and Promotional Test will receive a Certification valid and effective for five (5) years. As such, the Certification may be used by the holder for subsequent applications. The CSC explained that the Certification shall be appropriate/applicable only for the level of positions for which the examination is intended (e.g. The Pre-Employment Test for 1st level shall be applicable for entrance to first level positions only. The Promotional Test for Executive/Managerial positions shall be applicable for promotion to the same level of positions only).

For the application procedure, scope of examination and other details, read Examination Announcement No. 6, s. 2018.

DAR begins agrarian reform process for idle gov't land

By Catherine Teves (PNA)

MANILA -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has begun carrying out President Rodrigo R. Duterte's order to subject all tracts of idle government land nationwide to agrarian reform so these would be productive.

"Our regional offices are already verifying the extent of government land in their respective areas of jurisdiction," Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said in a media briefing in Quezon City on Thursday.

Castriciones said he had ordered the verification immediately after receiving the President's instruction on Wednesday.

The verification will enable DAR to determine the total area of government land that can be subjected to agrarian reform.

The government's agrarian reform initiative aims to grant landless Filipino farmers and farm workers ownership of agricultural land to benefit them and help boost agriculture nationwide.

The DAR includes idle government lands previously given to state universities and colleges among those qualified for agrarian reform.

Some 4,000 to 6,000 hectares of Davao Penal Colony land will also be subject to agrarian reform, according to the agency.

The department aims to complete its verification activities as soon as possible, so it can take the next steps in distributing the idle government lands to qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Earlier, the agency estimated 300,000 to 600,000 hectares of agrarian reform-qualified government land nationwide.

The figure includes alien and disposable agricultural land, said DAR Field Operations Undersecretary Karlo Bello.

"The estimate also includes non-agricultural government land that's either already being used for agriculture or has the potential for agricultural activities," Bello said at the press conference, noting that forestland is among such land.

"There are farming activities in forestland already," he said.

Last month, Duterte also expressed his plan to implement agrarian reform in top tourist destination Boracay Island.

Proclamation 1064 series of 2006 classified 628.96 hectares of land in Boracay as alienable and disposable agricultural land.

The proclamation also classified the remaining areas of Boracay as forestland for protection.

QC gov't opens doors to SHS learners thru work immersion program

By Ma. Teresa Montemayor (With Jomari Castigador-OJT/PNA)

MANILA -- Senior high school learners may enhance their work skills by joining the Quezon City government's work immersion program.

This, as QC Mayor Herbert Bautista signed on February 23 an executive order supporting the institutionalization and implementation of the Senior High School (SHS) work immersion program in the city government.

Through Executive Order (EO) 1-2018, Bautista opened the doors of the city hall to SHS learners from Academic Year 2017-18 for work immersion.

The EO states that there is a need for school-industry partnerships which will provide schools the necessary expertise and venue for practical, on-the-job and enterprise-based training for SHS learners.

“Nakita ni Mayor ang pangagailangang ito at nag-utos siya na magkaroon ng immersion program para sa mga SHS graduates dito sa iba’t ibang departamento sa city hall (Mayor saw this need and ordered the creation of an immersion program for the SHS graduates in the different departments here at city hall),” QC Public Affairs and Information Services Supervising Officer Ramon Jose told Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview Friday.

Jose explained that the city hall departments and offices will accept SHS learners for work immersion with proper consideration to the academic or technical-vocational strands they have chosen.

Jose added that a Technical Working Group (TWG) will be formed to prepare an action plan to operationalize the working arrangements between the city government and the Department of Education Schools Division Office-Quezon City.

“Ongoing ang plan formulation, kung paano tatakbo ang immersion, ang problema kasi ay bago pa lang ang K to 12 program kaya ngayon pa lang din kami naghahanda (The plan formulation is ongoing, how the immersion is going to run, the problem is the K to 12 program is still new so we’re preparing just now as well),” he said.

The TWG will also be in-charge of implementing and supervising the program to ensure compliance with its guidelines and implementation of standards, protocols and regulations for the benefit of SHS learners.

“The immersion program is a two-way opportunity for the students and the offices. For the students they will learn, for the offices kapag may extra warm body mas magaan ang trabaho lalo na may tasks na pwede ipasa sa mga estudyante (there is extra warm body so the work would be lighter, especially there are tasks that can be assigned to the students),” Jose added.

The Department of Education implemented the K to12 Basic Education Reform Program that includes SHS by virtue of Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.

One of the course requirements of SHS is the work immersion program to ensure that graduates have competencies to be ready for work, business or to proceed to college.

Jobseekers flock job, business fair in Quezon City

By Ferdinand Patinio (PNA)

MANILA — Jobseekers, majority of whom were newly graduates, flocked to the government job and business fair in Quezon City on Tuesday, Labor Day.

Henry John Jalbuena, Department of Labor and Employment-National Capital Region (DOLE-NCR) director, noted that many of the applicants were applying for local employment.

“Majority of the applicants are newly graduates and many applicants are looking for jobs here in the country,” Jalbuena said in an interview at the Trabaho, Negosyo at Kabuhayan (TNK) fair held at the Quezon City Hall grounds in Quezon City.

He added that those applying for jobs overseas were applicants with work experience.

Meanwhile, DOLE data showed that as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, a total of 4,304 applicants (20.9 percent) were hired on-the-spot (HOTS) in the various TNK fairs held nationwide.

Of the number, 2,804 were hired for local jobs while 81 got jobs overseas.

Data also showed that the job applicants who registered numbered 23,844 for local jobs and 4,939 for overseas employment, while those who were qualified numbered 14,690 for local jobs and 2,885 for overseas work.

The total number of near-hire applicants or those who have yet to submit additional requirements or need further interviews were 7,700 (local) and 1,612 (overseas).

The DOLE said the figure is expected to increase as the agency is still waiting for the breakdown from other regions.

The labor department organized a total of 37 TNKs nationwide in line with the celebration of Labor Day, which carried the theme, “Pagpupugay sa Manggagawang Pilipino: Dangal ng Lahi, Kabalikat sa Progresibong Pagbabago".

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