The Pagadian Tribune - NEWS

DepEd Director maintains suspension Illegal

PSRADI on 07/09/2008 at 10:24 am Uhr

Department of Education Regional Director for Region IX Jesus Nieves put a good fight questioning his alleged suspension when he issued an undated Office Memorandum addressed to the Assistant Regional Director, Schools Division Superintendents and their assistants, Regional Chiefs of Divisions and Section Heads and elementary and secondary school principals throughout the region.
In the memorandum, Nieves acknowledged receipt of a notice and information that several Orders addressed to Heads of Divisions and Units of the Regional Office were issued ordering for a reorganization or revamp of several divisions and units in the regional office without proper authority and consultation with him.
He said that these are tantamount to usurpation of authority, falsification of documents, malversation of funds, and gross ignorance of the law. He also cited that these acts sowed confusion and chaos among the rank and file in the office which is grossly prejudicial to public service.
These remarks by Director Nieves stemmed from the order of DepEd Officer in Charge Undersecretary Teodosio Sangil in his Office Order dated June 19, 2008 addressed to Assistant Regional Director Walter Albos designating the latter as Officer in Charge of the Office of the Regional Director after an alleged 90 day preventive suspension was imposed upon Director Nieves allegedly due to a case filed against him allegedly by Members of the Commission on Audit Team for alleged ghost delivery of various computers and accessories.
Nieves said that the suspension was without force and effect because it is a violation of the Revised Rules of Procedure of the Department of Education in Administrative Cases as amended which provides, to wit: “Section 1. Disciplining Authority - The disciplining authorities in the Department of Education shall be the Secretary and the Regional Directors in their respective regions. The Superintendent of Schools shall also be the disciplining authorities for administrative actions against non-teaching personnel in their respective school divisions. For disciplinary actions of administrative cases against officers and employees of the Department of Education at its Central Office and against Presidential appointees namely Asst. Supts, Superintendents, Asst. Regional Directors, Regional Directors, Assistant Secretaries and Undersecretaries of Education, the Secretary shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction. Decisions of the Secretary of Education shall be subject to confirmation, disapproval or modification by the President of the Philippines.”
Based on the foregoing, the director said that Usec Sangil’s suspension order and designating Asst Dir Walter Albos as OIC is illegal and therefore null and void, without legal force and effect.
He stressed that for all intents and purposes, he, Dir. Nieves is still the duly constituted and appointed Regional Director of the Dep Ed. He also cancelled and revoked all orders issued by Albos. Sources said that the Regional Director Nieves after reporting back to office said that he is filing his leave of absence until November, 2008.**

Famed Pinoy Honored by Saks 5th Avenue

PIA on 07/09/2008 at 10:23 am Uhr

by David J. Shapiro
Chicago, USA (12 June) — Saks Fifth Avenue, a leading high-end department store in America, honored internationally renowned Fil-Am artist Fred DeAsis by offering an Artist Reception and Cocktail party Saturday, June 7, in Highland Park, Illinois. The party was in celebration of the annual Highland Park Art Walk being held during the month of June.
Fred DeAsis’ artwork titled “Koi” is currently on display at Saks Fifth front show window on Elm Place and Green Bay Road, Highland Park. The 36" x 48" brightly colored and texturized artwork was done using acrylic and impasto/encaustic technique on hard board.
“We are very pleased to have Mr. DeAsis’ artwork displayed in our front display window. Customers and window shoppers enjoy the colorful and unique technique rendered on the art. It is simple in form but very elegant which fits our store,” said sales manager Peggy McCarthy. “ We wish we have more of his artwork on display.”
“I really admire Fred for being a prolific Filipino artist, he continuously proven Filipino ability to excel and go head to head with other top artists here in America. Being on display at Saks’ show window for a month is an envy of any artist. You got to be really good to get there. I am proud of being a Filipino,” said fellow Pinoy artist Alvin Castro while commingling at the artist bash. Last March, amongst hundreds of entries and rounds of elimination, DeAsis’ artwork titled “The Cellist” was chosen for the cover of Footlight magazine’s March issue. Marcus Production, publisher of Arts Scene and Footlight, serves the upscale performing arts community of Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison area. Footlight has maintained a performing arts presence since its first publication 20 years ago.
Fred DeAsis recently offered Philippine art workshops at the Welcome to the Philippines Night held at the Radmacher Gallery in Skokie and at the Asian Month Celebration at the Daley Plaza in Chicago. On June 15, he is scheduled to do a kut-kut workshop at the Chicago Children’s Museum during the Gateway to the Philippine program in Navy Pier, Chicago.
Mr. DeAsis is the executive director of the Asian American Arts and Cultural Foundation of America, an Arts Commissioner of suburban Arlington Heights and a director of the Philippine American Cultural Foundation.
Fred’s current project is the much acclaimed, “Kut-kut: Lost Art of the Philippines”, a traveling cultural exhibit of the lost art. He also offers lectures and demonstration of the exotic art. Visit www.fdeasis.com, for more information.(PIA)**

Pagadian Schools Violate DepEd Order

PTribune on 07/09/2008 at 10:21 am Uhr

Department Order No. 45, series of 2008 dated June 2, 2008 issued by the Secretary Jesli A. Lapus of the Department of Education mandates Department of Education Regional Directors, Division Superintendents as well as schools not to require student uniforms in public secondary and elementary schools with the objective of increasing school participation of all school-aged children, thereby removing all obstacles particularly financial aspects to their enrolment in public schools.
Said order, as directed by the President and implemented by the Department of Education top brass also provides that the wearing of school identification cards shall be provided to students at no cost to them and the school administration shall fund the printing and distribution of ID cards chargeable against their respective Maintenance, Overhead and Operating Expenses (MOOE). Said order also provides that students with existing old uniforms can use these in order to save the parents from unwanted costs. Based on the survey conducted by The Pagadian Tribune, most public schools in the city and nearby municipalities violated the order as these schools continue to collect payment for identification cards and require students to wear prescribed uniforms.
An example of those that violated the order is Balangasan Central Elementary School who collects around P31.50 for student identification cards, and not from their MOOE. Parents were heard saying that what the school is taking from their MOOE are only class records and lesson plans for teachers excluding the IDs.
It can be said that the Division Superintendent failed to inform the school administrators about this order as it is addressed to Regional Directors and Division Superintendents and not directly to school administrators. Said order is applicable to both elementary and secondary public schools.
Parents are encouraged to inform the Pagadian Tribune regarding the schools of their wards should these schools violate the order as we are ready to assist them in their formal inquiries regarding the matter..
DepEd prescribes proper school attire
Pasig City (11 June) — While the Department of Education (DepEd) does not require the wearing of uniform in all public elementary and high school to ease the financial burden of parents, it came up with guidelines on what constitutes proper school attire.
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said the school attire should reflect respect for the school as an institution for learning and should not be a cause for discrimination particularly for students belonging to a lower socio-economic status.
“A student’s basic right to school to study and learn is of paramount importance and should be respected and promoted at all times,” Lapus added.
In keeping with these guidelines, DepEd prescribes for boys a polo shirt/t-shirt with sleeves of any plain color or with minimum prints. Pants can be long or short of any color. For girls, it can be a dress, skirt and blouse, blouse and pants of any color and any print. Boys and girls can wear any footwear. The directive also reiterates that students with existing uniforms can still wear them if they so desire. Students are discouraged from wearing expensive (signature or designer brands) or flashy clothes, tight-fitting pants/blouses/dresses, mini skirts, short shorts, blouses with plunging necklines, hip-hop pants for boys and sleepwear.
Lapus stressed that promoting hygiene and proper school decorum is part of the teaching-learning process in schools. “Thus, a student’s attire and physical appearance should manifest the learning from this process,“ Lapus pointed out.
DepEd Order No. 45 s. 2008 states that public elementary and secondary schools are not required to wear school uniforms. The order is aimed at increasing school participation of school-aged children by removing any obstacles to enrolment particularly those financial in nature.
The identification card of public school children shall also be given at no cost to the child or parent. School authorities will source funding for this from their maintenance and other operating expenses. (DepEd) **

NIGHTMARE AT THE PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL

JSRADI on 07/09/2008 at 10:20 am Uhr

It was way past dinner time around 8PM when I got an urgent call from Mayor Abubakar Afdal of Labangan, a boss, superior and a very inspiring person who has taught me the value of self sacrifice for the good of others. He called to tell me to check if the message he got was true that a shooting victim in the Provincial Hospital, a Christian, was not given the medical attention he deserves.
With our reporter Melody Mabascog, we went to the Provincial Hospital and I was there at around 8:30 PM.
Searching for the family of the victim was my first agenda and I found them tense and afraid, because they said they’ve been there for an hour and their patient, 21 year old rice mill worker who was shot by a certain Justine twice in the stomach and the third bullet pierced through the upper left corner of his body.
I saw for myself the patient with my company the victim and there he was, crying in pain and bleeding and vomiting green. I could hear Melody say, “na, di najud na magdugay”.
I approached one of the nurses thereat and he told me the Operating Room is being prepared and he will be operated on afterwards. He also told me the surgeon would be Dr. Ampong.
I begun asking them to hurry as I am afraid the patient would not survive should it take longer for them to take care of the OR. At around 9 PM, I was elated when they ferried the patient to somewhere I do not know because I did not follow nor asked as I was expecting him to be brought to the Operating Room as IT WAS THE RIGHT THING FOR THE HOSPITAL STAFF TO DO, and NOWHERE ELSE. So, I talked to the family and told them that the patient should be well now as he is going to the O.R. and I headed for my car to call it a night but as I was onboard, a family member of the victim was seen running towards me telling me that the patient was in the ward, not in the OR. Surprised and wondering was my feeling so I immediately got out again and went to that ward and there I saw the patient more restless, without oxygen, in pain and has grown paler and deteriorating.
I begun asking, why is it that the patient was not in the OR? The sister of the patient was already very tense and the aunt was angry, she said that the prescriptions of the drugs and other needs to be used in the OR were given in installment. So, they have to go around the pharmacy in the city as these cannot be had in the hospital pharmacy. It took them A LOT OF TIMES TO GO TO THE CITY TO BUY ONE BY ONE, PRESCRIPTION BY PRESCRIPTION the needs of the patient until finally, there was this need of blood, Type O as there was only one bag available in the hospital.
Little did I know that the patient’s family was already at the Red Cross to get the needed blood, 4 bags was required but they came back without it because, they were not given the doctor’s note to be presented to the PN Red Cross that they need the blood.
Now, tell me, if you were in their shoes, what would you feel going to Buenavista and back to the Hospital with nothing?
There is NEGLIGENCE AND INDIFFERENCE HERE, the NURSES AND HOSPITAL STAFF SHOULD HAVE ADVISED THE FAMILY TO GET THAT DOCTOR’S NOTE FOR THE RED CROSS BUT THEY DID NOT. It seems that this is A VERY HEAVY OBLIGATION FOR THEM. I could just recall the Nightingale’s Creed for Nurses.
I also cannot forget the very hot atmosphere in the hospital, no ventilation and patients are very like sardines, waiting for their destiny. I don’t blame them because most of them are less in life but they are not supposed to be treated this way.
What makes it hotter is the sight of nurses, four of them, only a few steps away from the patient who could very well hear the moaning and groaning of the patient due to pain but these ladies (nurses!) all in white are sitting in one small room, one sitting on the table, laughing and giggling because they are not in the correct career. They do not care and they do not bother, INSENSITIVE and made me pray, HOW I WISH THIS COULD HAPPEN TO THEIR FAMILIES AND BE GIVEN THE SAME TREATMENT, THAT WAY THEY COULD FEEL THE INSULT AND THE INSENSITIVITY OF PEOPLE WHOM I PAID TAXES FOR (VERY HIGH AT THAT)!
Because of pity, I begun doing the rounds myself, asking the nurses in the quarters why there was no doctor’s advice given to the patient’s family before going to the Red Cross? The nurse replied it is the ER who should have done it because the patient’s chart was in the ER. So, I went to the ER,and told them the same inquiry, I was told the same thing that the chart was already in the nurse’s quarters where I was told it was in the ER.
Now this really made me ANGRY!
I went back to the quarters that pushed me around and confronted them with a bang on the table as I was fuming mad especially when the nurse who gave me false information about the chart replied with a sarcastic tone and DENIED WHAT SHE SAID! That was past 10PM already. Some patients could have died with that situation. But the laws of karma would follow them, these people will experience the same fate, as what you give to the world will eventually come back to you. Good luck, nurses!
I begun shouting at them because of their clear indifference, telling them that they do not deserve their jobs, they do not deserve the taxes I pad which they receive as salaries, I TOLD THEM THAT THEY SHOULD DO EXTRA EFFORT IN EXPLAINING TO UNEDUCATED PATIENTS THE PROCESSES INVOLVED IN THEIR DESIRE TO SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT, LIKE TELLING THEM TO SECURE A NOTE FROM THE DOCTOR BEFORE THEY COULD ASK FOR BLOOD AT THE RED CROSS. THAT SIMPLE, BUT THEY FAILED, MISERABLY AND UNEXCUSABLY.
It is a pity, what happened was the patients were at that moment were educated than the nurses with their attitude.
TO BE CONTINUED

Tribune aids kin of Sulpicio ferry tragedy

ptribune on 07/09/2008 at 10:18 am Uhr

It was an ordinary weekend, June 28, 2008 when Mrs. Rosalie Eltagon of Bayabaya, Tabina, Zamboanga del Sur and an elementary school teacher of the same barangay came to the office to get help for a Department of Education Memorandum regarding the age for children to be enrolled in Grade 1.
I begun searching the Dep Ed’s website and found nothing, searching for orders and memos from 2000 to 2007.
Suddenly, she began asking about data regarding the victims of the Sulpicio Lines Tragedy and I also obliged to make a run out of the data. Jonnie Eltagon, 31 years old, and a resident of Tabina, Zamboanga del Sur was indeed in the list which surprised the lady teacher because they never knew that he was on the manifest and was on board the MV Princess of the Stars, considered as the largest domestic vessel in the country which met a tragic fate during Typhoon Frank’s passage to the country.
Madam Rosalie couldn’t help but remember the kids of Jonnie, her nephew, innocent as they are of what happened to their father who went to Manila to work as a construction worker to make ends meet. He should have been home for the first time after a long absence due to work but what would remain is a memory.
We then called up Sulpicio Lines to verify the veracity of the masterlist and the shipping line said that indeed, his name is in their list.
Because Madam Rosalie was too shocked and was busy texting the family in Tabina regarding Jonnie’s fate, we asked for requirements for claims in behalf of the family and gave it all to Madam Rosalie.
When Madam Rosalie asked that if ever the body is found, would it be possible for them to retrieve it? We did some calls again and found the requirements set by the National Bureau of Investigation for the request. It was for a DNA sampling and indeed, most requirements are too hard to gather.
With this day and age, and in this very trying moment, the mobile phone was indeed an asset we could truly rely on. The piso load we have could also make a difference when emergency situations occur, as it is indeed possible for a piso load to save a life or send a very important information, but what we do with our load is sent forwarded messages and useless jokes which really do not have any value to our lives at all.
We provided Madam Rosalie all the documents she needed and all the help we could just to make her feel that we are with them in their time of grief.
We, at the Pagadian tribune express our sincerest condolences to the families of those who perished in the Sulpicio Tragedy. Should you think we could be of help, please feel free to visit us and we will do all we could in the spirit of compassion and love.(jsradi)**