The Ilocos Times

By Noralyn Dudt When people actively seek out opportunities to assist others in need, it's called volunteerism . Volunteers make considerable and continuing commitments to provide assistance,   and sustain these commitments over extended periods of time,   often at considerable personal cost. That's exactly what Alphonsus de Alban and his wife Kimberly did when they founded St. Philomena School Kids' Comfort Zone in 2008.   They and their co-founders were driven by a purpose to offer quality educational services to children with disabilities. The school started as a "pro-bono" private Special Education Center and because of the lack of facilities offering special education programs,   they then applied for permit to operate as a school. . Today, St. Philomena School is government- recognized,   accredited by the Department of Education and is a thriving institution catering to students with diverse needs like autism, ADHD, DS and intellectual disability,   as

By Liwliwa B. Suguitan Technology has the potential to significantly change how people learn. It may strengthen and deepen connections between teachers and students, help us reimagine how we learn and collaborate, close long-standing equity and accessibility gaps, and modify the learning process to accommodate the needs of all students. Thus, student engagement may be raised, lesson planning can be improved, and tailored learning can be facilitated in the classroom with the wise use of digital learning resources. Furthermore, it assists pupils in developing crucial 21 st century abilities. However, the question is: are all educators equipped with the information, abilities, and skills required for teaching with technology? Teaching online poses challenges for teachers trained primarily to work face to face. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck all over the world teachers were forced to move online to ensure students continue their education. This is not an easy transition and succes

City of Batac —To keep Ilocanos informed and empowered, a PTV transmitter station will soon rise at the MMSU campus in this city. People's Television Network, Inc. (PTNI) and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at Brgy. Quiling Sur, this city on June 14, 2022. , PTNI General Manager Ms. Katherine Chloe S. De Castro and MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis led the program, at the 500 square-meter lot where they plan to build the PTV tower. Joining them were Ilocos Norte government officials led by Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia A. Marcos. De Castro said the PTV Ilocos Norte station, which they expect to be operational by December this year, will soon cater to over 400,000 residents in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and Apayao. It will broadcast relevant information and updates about national and regional development projects, especially highlighting that of Ilocos Norte. “With this station, we will be bringing government informa

MMSU President Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis delivers her state of the university address at the Batac campus’ Teatro Ilocandia. (Photo by Marc Kevin Bituen & Roi Domingo) By Matthew C. Esmino & Jonie C. Luis  (Correspondents) City of Batac —As the leading university in the Ilocos Region, the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) has started taking bold steps to become a “University of the Future.” In her state of the university address (SOUA) during MMSU’s Convocation Program on Jan. 20, 2022, MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis bared the university’s goal of being “crisis-proof” by fully embracing the “Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe) or Industry 4.0”. “FIRe shall be the new norm in all university operations in order to stay relevant and responsive amid various crises,” Agrupis said. Agrupis added that the “MMSU 4.0 Framework and Road Map” has already gained the approval of the MMSU Board of Regents—ready to create policies, programs and funds for said purpose. It is a sys

Manila —PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of the largest fully integrated telecommunications company in the Philippines, called for innovative solutions that would address the threats to the well-being of students and teachers as they continue eLearning in the next normal. During PLDT Enterprise’s recently held eBossing Online Class—dedicated for the members of the   Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU)   and their 3,000 university and colleges heads, faculty members, and admin officers—Dick Perez, PLDT Enterprise Assistant Vice President and Corporate Relationship Management Head for Academe & FMCG, said that the toll of increased workload on teachers and other associated effects of the pandemic should not be underestimated. A study from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) found that more than 28 million students, educators, and parents are grappling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which also affects their heal

Clockwise from top left) UNP President Erwin Cadorna; UNP Vice President Dr. Ferdinand Pio Lamarca; Director  Edelyn Cadorna; Dean Joselito Dela Rosa; Dr. Florida Ursulom; and Prof. Arnold Pio. Vigan City —Aimed at sustaining a culture of research amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Northern Philippines, through its Research and Development Office, held the first Virtual Student Research Congress joined in by student researchers from various colleges. The poster entry of the College of Public Administration (CPAd), “Food Security Among the 4P’s Families during the Covid-19 Crisis in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur” was most liked in social media. It was adjudged as first runner-up in the poster competition. Moreover, the paper “Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Awareness and Practices in the Municipality of Luba, Abra” ranked second runner-up in the oral presentation held July 8 through an online platform. Dr. Florida Ursulom, a seasoned researcher, mentored poster author

  Eranio A. Mojica was standing beside a poster by the door of their office as he waited for the employees of the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) to arrive. He was tapped to be part of an activity that would feature farmers-recipients of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund – Rice Extension Services Program (RCEF-RESP). Mojica, chair of the five-year-old First Damayan Bagsit Irrigators Association in Brgy. Bulawen, Palauig, Zambales, can be seen smiling even if half of his face was covered with a face mask as the PhilRice staffers approached him. “Welcome, Ma’am and Sir! These are the posters on PalayTandaan that you sent us,” he greeted the PhilRice staffers with eagerness. The First Damayan Bagsit is among the hundreds of farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) reached by the RCEF Extension Program. As part of the goals of the program to enhance the skills and capabilities of the farmers on modernized rice farming for impr

Manila—PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of the largest integrated telecommunications company in the Philippines, stressed the need for the adaption of creative education technologies that would better promote student engagement in eLearning. During PLDT Enterprise’s eNDUSTRY Online Forum for eLearning, PLDT Enterprise Assistant Vice President and Corporate Relationship Management Head for Academe & FMCG Dick Perez said that while eLearning has been the top educational trend for the past year, it still requires continuous innovation for a more effective learning experience for the students. “In eLearning, learners are just soaked in knowledge through viewing or reading content. The competition in the education industry now lies on which school have the more interesting and engaging digital platform,” he said. Perez said that gamification, or the application of gaming principles in non-game contexts, could help keep learners engaged in online learning despite numerous distraction

Young Filipinos intending to have a positive impact in their communities are invited to apply By Bernardo B. Ver II  (Contributor) Applications are now being accepted for the Youth Leadership for Democracy (YouthLed)’s 2021 Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Fellowship, a first-of-its-kind program aiming to empower youth for civic participation and democratic governance. Thirty youth leaders, ages 18-30, are targeted to participate in a series of leadership and skills development activities, real-world application training, and network-building engagements spread out from May 2021 to March 2023. “We are looking for youth leaders from diverse backgrounds, particularly those who are active members of a private, public, civil society organization, educational institution, and community organization. We need champions of civic engagement, democratic participation, and activities for the benefit of the community. The program is completely free” says Ching Jorge, Chief of Party, Youth

By Bernardo B. Ver II  (Contributor) Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos has asserted that face-to-face classes should resume as soon as possible where schools are capable of enforcing health protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Ms. Marcos said schools may reflect the prevailing infection rates in their communities but that no proof exists of their being venues for spreading COVID-19. “The Philippines is the penultimate country in the world to keep our schools shuttered,” the senator pointed out. She also criticized the “baffling priorities” of the IATF-EID (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases), which issued a resolution on October 15, 2020 that allowed the opening of cockpits over schools. “Has gambling now become an essential activity to Filipinos and education a frivolous luxury?” she asked. Ms. Marcos expressed confidence that teachers and schoolchildren can strictly observe the wearin

By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—Young achievers in the province of Ilocos Norte received their cash stipend in a simple ceremony held at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena. Running for nine years now, the Provincial Capitol workers’ children who are performing well in school get cash reward from the provincial government of Ilocos Norte. According to human resource management officer Fe Siazon, this year’s 52 beneficiaries have increased compared to previous years which ranges from 20 to 30. The beneficiaries graduated in elementary, senior high school and college on top of their classes and each of them received PHP6,000 cash reward. For a parent like Lyn Marie Asuncion from Laoag City, she said she is grateful to the provincial government under the administration of Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc for inspiring more government workers and rewarding their children who do well in school. “The cash incentive is a great boost to our childr

  Manila—PLDT Enterprise, together with Smart Communications, Inc., has recently expanded the Smart Giga Study data pack by offering access to both Canvas and NEO Learning Management Systems (LMS) to cater to the current e-learning requirements of schools and universities nationwide.  “With e-Learning being the new norm, we want to help our students and teachers remain productive at home by providing the necessary tools they need for online education," said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups. “We at PLDT Enterprise are committed to onboarding more LMS platforms for us to assist and serve more schools, more teachers, and more students in making their e-learning efforts easier.” Smart Giga Study is PLDT Enterprise's academe-centric solution to the current need for online learning. It is a prepaid data pack specifically geared towards students and members of the academe allowing easier access to a selec

  By Ma. Joreina Therese A. Blanco  (Contributor)  “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” This is one of the quotes about life that Melody Allado from Paoay, Ilocos Norte held on to as the opportunity to study in the People's Republic of China came knocking at her door in the year 2016. She was a high school student back then, but a great destiny is already ahead of her. The Chinese Consulate in Laoag, an embassy of China located in Laoag City, set up an academic scholarship to support local students to study in China. Through the help of the local government, the embassy scouted for outstanding candidates who are fit to study in one of the largest countries. Through the help of her friends and her Mandarin teacher at Paoay National High School, Melody went beyond her comfort zones and willing to let go of a planned life for a life that is something bigger than her. “With the encouragement of my good frien