REP. PABLO JOHN GARCIA OFFERS INCENTIVES FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS TO EXCEL

The program, which was held in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Province of Cebu, was attended by all the third district supervisors, mayors and other municipal representatives.

“This proves your commitment to the enhancement of the standards of education to the third district,” Rep. Garcia said during the launching of the summit.

Rep. Garcia initiated the program due to the latest 2006-2007 National Achievement Test (NAT) results, which had five elementary schools and one secondary school from the third district in the ten lowest performing schools in Central Visayas.

The schools were Loay Elementary School (Toledo City), Tangub Elementary School (Pinamungajan), Anislag Elementary School (Pinamungajan), Magcalape Elementary School (Asturias) Lunas Elementary School (Asturias) and Pinamungajan National High School (Pinamungajan).

These schools garnered a mean percentage score (MPS) of 34 per cent and below, particularly in the areas of Math, English and Science.

Rep. Garcia called all DepEd District supervisors to the summit to come up with concrete and doable solutions. Included in the one-day summit were planning workshops participated in by all supervisors.

The summit focused on the key area of human infrastructure in the educational system. Causes that have been identified were the low commitment of teachers, the decline of attendance on teachers and students, inadequate teaching skills of teachers, lack of books and other instructional materials, the lack of supervision of teachers by higher authorities and the existence of combination or multi-grade teachers.

Continuous trainings for teachers is seen as one of the immediate and doable solutions. Rep. Garcia already allocated P5 million for the teacher trainings, and is prepared to add another P5 million if the program succeeds. The program also tapped the support of the Cebu Normal University, represented by Dr. Ester Velasquez, as venue for the continuing intensive teacher trainings in English, Math and Science.

As a result of the summit, a technical working group that would continually monitor developments in the district’s education will also be formed.

“An educational program can only be successful if the stakeholders have a say on what that program should be and how it should be implemented,” Rep. Garcia added.

DepEd, on the other hand, is grateful for the immediate action taken on the matter.

“Our thanks to Congressman PJ (Garcia) and Gov. Gwen (Garcia) for having felt the urgency of this education summit,” said Schools Division Superintendent Serena Uy, adding, “This coming together is a great opportunity for us to focus our minds on the things past, our strengths and weaknesses.”

Assistant Regional Schools Superintendent Recaredo Borgonia also added that education is “too important to be left to DepEd alone,”

Aside from having teacher trainings, Rep. Garcia also plans to give incentives to teachers and students who will do well through scholarships, study grants and tours, and cash.

REP. PABLO JOHN GARCIA DISTRIBUTES EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE

The software for elementary education focuses on Math, Science and English. The software for high school also includes Math and English modules while the science component is broken down into Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

The software and PCs were purchased using Congressman Garcia’s Priority Development Assistance Fund and turned over the schools through the Department of Education (DepEd) in a brief ceremony at the Capitol Social Hall this afternoon.

“My goal is to bridge the digital divide and put elementary and high school students in the countryside at par with their counterparts in the metropolitan areas. If technology is making learning easier, only those with access to technology will learn more and faster. The disadvantage to technology is that those who don’t have access to it will lag farther behind and faster,” Congressman Garcia said.

He continued, “So this is my small contribution to bridging the gap. This is just the start. I will devote most of the resources of my office to the education of children of the third district.”

DepEd has been tasked to arrange the teachers’ training in the use of the software. Under the purchase agreement, Softmax Software Solutions of New Delhi, India, the software developer, will provide free training to teachers on the use of their products.

Softmax is a leading developer of educational CD-ROMs in India.

1. REPUBLIC ACT (RA09501) enacted on 2008-05-23

AN ACT TO PROMOTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP BY STRENGTHENING DEVELOPMENT AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6977, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE ‘MAGNA CARTA FOR SMALL ENTERPRISES’ AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

2. REPUBLIC ACT (RA09502) enacted on 2008-06-09

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR CHEAPER MEDICINES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

3. REPUBLIC ACT (RA09500) enacted on 2008-04-29

AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES AS THE PREMIER STATE UNIVERSITY

4. REPUBLIC ACT (RA09497) enacted on 2008-03-04

AN ACT CREATING THE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, AUTHORIZING THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THEREFORE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

5. REPUBLIC ACT (RA09513) enacted on 2008-12-16

AN ACT PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT, UTILIZATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

6. REPUBLIC ACT (RA09744) enacted on 2009-11-10

AN ACT CONVERTING THE CEBU STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF CEBU AND ALL ITS SATELLITE CAMPUSES LOCATED IN THE PROVINCE OF CEBU INTO A STATE UNIVERSITY TO BE KNOWN AS THE CEBU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (CUST), AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

7. REPUBLIC ACT (RA09745) enacted on 2009-11-10

AN ACT PENALIZING THE COMMISSION OF ACTS OF TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN AND DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT, PRESCRIBING PENALTIES THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Only two and a half years into the term of Cong. Pablo John “PJ” Garcia, 14 elementary schools and 13 high schools in the six municipalities and one city in the third district became recipients of computers and software as teaching aids under the congressman’s information and communication technology project.

Fifteen high schools in Barili, Aloguinsan, Pinamungajan, Balamban, Asturias, Tuburan and Toledo City also received test tubes, … and other science laboratory equipment in 2009.

Both the information and communication technology and science laboratory projects form part of PJ’s “Primero ang Tersero” program which focuses on education as a means to improve the livelihood of the district’s residents. It is also aims to address the difficulties teachers and students alike face in everyday school life.

The problem on education was highlighted by achievement tests in recent years in which students in a number of elementary and night high schools in the district got the lowest scores in Region 7.

“Dili maka-angayon nga ang atong mga kabataan dili makakab-ot sa maayong edukasyon tungod lamang sa kawad-on,” said PJ on his Primero sa Tersero program.

“Ang pamilya sa akong amahan pobre kaayo pero tungod sa iyang kadasig sa pagtuon ug pagkab-ot sa taas nga edukasyon, nakahatag siya ug maayong kinabuhi sa iyang mga anak. Mao nga panahon na sad nga among ibalik kini ngadto sa mga batan-on karon isip pasalamat,” PJ said further.

PJ’s father is Cong. Pablo Garcia of Cebu’s second district. Pablo is a lawyer and bar topnotcher, like PJ himself. Among PJ’s siblings are Gov. Gwen Garcia, Cebu’s first woman governor and GSIS President and General Manager Winston Garcia, also a lawyer.

Local officials and teachers in the third district are grateful for the equipment that have been distributed. Ruel Mag-aso, a teacher at the Colonia National High School in Tuburan, said, “Ang speech lab nga nadawat sa among eskwelahan dako kaayo ug ikatabang sa among mga estudyante labi na karon nga daghan kaayo kahigayonan nga makatrabaho sa mga call center.”

Teachers are also benefiting from the congressman’s program. “Nakatabang sab na sa atoang mga teachers. Gani karon, sa among in-service training, gamiton namo ang speech lab. Naa na man gani gi-schedule si Congressman nga training for call center alang namo,” Mag-aso added.

Meanwhile, Mayor Constancio “Boyet” Suezo III of Tuburan said the science laboratory equipment that have been distributed have energized science teaching in their schools. “Sige na karon ug apil-apil ug science quizzes ang mga estudyante sa Putat National High School,” he noted.

The Tuburan National High School also received science lab equipment from PJ.//