E2 Monday, December 17, 2018 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos
Education BusinessMirror
Senate ratifies bicam report on Tulong-Trabaho legislation
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HE Senate ratified on Monday, December 10, a bicameral conference committee report aimed at improving the technicalvocational skills of Filipinos and narrow the unemployment gap in the country. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives approved the harmonized version on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill 1431 and House Bill 8139, which seeks to institute Philippine Labor Force Competencies Competitiveness Program and free access to Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Sen. Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, said the measure seeks to increase the funding for technical and vocational trainings by providing for a Tulong-Trabaho Fund.
The fund would be administered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda). In his speech sponsoring the bicameral report, Villanueva said the Tulong-Trabaho Fund will “provide qualified recipients with access to the TVET training programs through the full payment of the selected programs’ training fees.” The fund could also be utilized to provide additional financials to recipients such as transportation allowance and laboratory fees if needed, he said. The senator cited American economist and politician Phil
Gramm who said that “the government is not the generator of economic growth; working people are.” “That’s why we want to give more support to our people—working and not working, by apportioning a ‘Tulong-Trabaho Fund’ in the General Appropriations Act that will be managed by the Tesda Board,” he said. “Sa panukalang batas na ito, ang tulong ay ginawa po nating obligasyon ng gobyerno at ang programa para tiyaking akma ang kakayahan ng ating mga kababayan ay ginawa nating bahagi ng responsibilidad ng mga employers o industry bodies,” he said. “Hence, the reconciled bill involves industry bodies in the determination of qualified recipients of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund,” he added. He said increasing the allocation of Tesda scholarship programs will lead to greater output and productivity of workers. Villanueva said Tesda received P2.2 billion for its Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) last year. However, he said, the
amount for TWSP funding remained the same for this year despite the increasing demand for tech-voc courses. Tesda records showed enrollees of tech-voc courses increased sharply by 45 percent or 2.3 million in 2015, from 1.6 million enrollees in 2010. Under the Tulong-Trabaho bill, the Tesda Board would approve the list of eligible applications based on the recommendation of the Tesda secretariat. The recipients of the Tulong-Trabaho Fund would be evaluated periodically to ensure that at least 80 percent of the beneficiaries would be certified after the training program. Failure to meet the passing rate would subject the recipient industry board to performance review and be audited by the Tesda Board, the bill stated. “The passage of this bill will make tech-voc accessible to all, boost our workers’ confidence to face the world of work and ensure that the youth who are ready to work hard with the right skill sets to obtain in-demand jobs,” Villanueva said.
‘WILD EDENS: RUSSIA,’ Pepsi PHL turns over 3,200-liter water DOCUMENTARY DEDICATED tanks to Marawi elementary schools TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING
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HE Russian State Atomic Energy Corp. Rosatom rallied policy-makers and business leaders in the Philippines to lend more support to the fight against global warming through a special screening of Wild Edens: Russia on December 7. The first in a series that highlights the issue of climate change, the documentary features the flora and fauna in the unique natural habitats of Russia. It was filmed in a number of rugged and remote locations, including the Altai Mountains, the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Artic. Russia’s ambassador to the Philippines, Igor Khovaev, kicked off the event and talked about the perils of global warming and commitments to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions. “Reducing the consumption of carbon energy and the creation of enterprises producing and working on ‘clean’ energy is the key to a bright and happy future of our planet,” Khovaev said. “Here in the Philippines, this is very well understood: as a country highly vulnerable to climate and disaster risks, it is very sensitive to the negative impact of climate change.” Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corp., the world’s leading producer of safe and clean energy, is deeply concerned with the threats associated with global climate change. Egor Simonov, Director for Rosatom Southeast Asia, said: “Through the Wild Edens project we hope to draw more attention from the international community to climate change and the need for a global transition to clean energy.” Last year the Philippines signed the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change. It committed to reduce carbon emissions by 70 percent particularly in the energy, transport, waste, forestry and industry sectors come 2030. According to experts, nuclear power, together with renewables, can help hinder the devastating effects of climate change and preserve the planet for generations to come. Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) Director Carlo A. Arcilla echoed the potential of using Rosatom’s expertise in generating clean energy in cutting greenhouse-gas emissions particularly in the Philippines: “With electricity demand increasing in the Philippines by 2 percent each year, the Philippines can turn to a clean source of energy like nuclear to expand its capacity while preserving its natural resources.” In December 2017 Rosatom signed a memorandum of understanding with the Philippines’s Department of Science and Technology, committing technical assistance in the form of exchange of experts, arrangement of workshops and symposia, training and education of personnel, and exchange of scientific information, among others. Acclaimed wildlife conservation guru and Philippines environmentalist, Kim Atienza, meanwhile, emphasized how individual contributions are equally important to combat global warming: “It is important to remember that every one of us can make a difference and play our part. Each little step counts for a lot—whether it’s recycling our garbage or simply choosing to walk or bike instead of drive a car. And it’s encouraging to see the people working in big corporations lead the way.”
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EPSI-COLA Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI) together with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), turned over two 3,200-liter water tanks to various elementary schools in Marawi city on November 23. The initiative is part of their “Water for Peace in Marawi” project which aims to provide a total of 12 cylindrical stainless-steel water tanks with 20,000-liter capacity to underserved transitional shelter sites. The 12 tanks have been converted into seven 20,000-liter water tanks, 10 smaller tanks with a capacity of 3,200-liters, and one 50,000-liter tank as requested by the beneficiaries.
The 10 smaller tanks were allotted for distribution to 10 elementary schools around the region with the first beneficiaries being Rorogagus Elementary School and Abdulazis Elementary School. Aside from the tanks, the bottling firm along with PDRF also provided water sanitation and hygiene activities for the children of Area 1 Sagonsongan Village. They were taught proper hygiene and waste management through a simple lesson, games and songs. The kids also received hygiene kits containing basic toiletries like soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush and hand towel. The 50,000-liter tank is set to serve a new camp in Marawi for turnover next year.
Mondelez, Robinsons Easymart partner for early Christmas season for students
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TUDENTS of the Holy Spirit Elementary School in Quezon City got an early Christmas gift from its benefactor, Mondelez Philippines Inc. that partnered with Robinsons Easymart came together to give an early gift to the former’s adopted school Holy Spirit Elementary in Quezon City. Mondelez Philippines makes popular snacks, such as Eden Cheese, Oreo cookies, Tang powdered beverages, and Toblerone and Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolates. It aims to empower people to snack right—with the right snack, for the right moment and made the right way. With this shared goal in mind, the two companies embarked on a social-marketing sales promotion in October 2018. For one month, customers who purchased participating Mondelez Philippines products such as Oreo or Cadbury Dairy Milk from Robinsons Easymart stores were able to enjoy delicious snacks, as well as make a P5 donation to Mondelez Philippines’s Joy Schools adoption program. The two companies then shared the proceeds from this campaign with Holy Spirit Elementary School, one of Mondelez Philippines’s adopted Joy Schools. The shared gift came in the form of much-needed kitchen and gardening equipment. These will be used by the school to strengthen their feeding program for undernourished students. In attendance during the gift-giving were representatives from Mondelez Philippines, as well as Daisy Lyn Sy, AVP Food 2 and Mai Magleo, AVP Food 4 and Easymart of Robinsons Supermarket Corp. Together, the two Companies expressed the importance of empowering communities to improve children’s nutrition. “Good nutrition is a gift which keeps on giving,” said Ashish Pisharodi, managing director of Mondelez Philippines. “Through our Joy Schools program, which has been benefit-
ing students since 2011 through a nine-month daily feeding, we have seen that having a full tummy helps children improve their well-being, as well as gain energy to participate and be more active in class. This leads to better attendance and improved class standing. That’s why we know this gift will be very important for the students today, as well for their future.” Currently, the Joy Schools feeding program benefits 300 undernourished students in Holy Spirit Elementary, as well as in two other adopted schools. Mondelez Philippines supports the communities in which it operates and is focused on making a real difference to children through the Joy Schools program which adopts public elementary schools. Across Southeast Asia the company has invested close to $1 million since 2011 in community partnerships to promote healthy lifestyles in five countries under the Joy Schools. It aims to empower young children to take positive steps toward their overall well-being focusing on initiatives for nutrition education, physical activity and access to nutrient fresh foods. During the event, volunteers from Mondelez Philippines and Robinsons Easymart also played games with the students, to encourage being active and to maintain a balanced diet. Robinsons Easymart is a network of minimart stores for everyone’s day-to-day needs. Now at 21 branches in and around Metro Manila and still growing, Robinsons Easymart is a product of Robinsons Supermarket Corp.’s continuous innovation of the grocery experience. The minimarts promise patrons unmatched convenience, being an all-in-one hub for fresh food and other household necessities, as well as other services like a pharmacy, payment center and Telco loading stations. Robinsons Easymart reimagines grocery shopping to better suit the needs of the community.
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PHL students’ entrepreneurship education project wins 2nd in Asean Data Science Explorers tilt
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ILIPINO students bagged the second place in the regional finals of the Asean Data Science Explorers (ADSE) competition for their insights and data-driven solutions to solve the region’s pressing social issues. Team Dimicrocambio of the Philippines, comprising Jade Hizon and John Rusty Perena from the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, came in second place with the project “Recalibrating educational gears through entrepreneurship education,” which focuses on how entrepreneurship education can empower students to turn their ideas into actions. It aims to produce graduates who are job creators and professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit who are more productive and self-sufficient in a bid to solve the perennial problem of unemployment in the region. The experience was memorable for Jade and Rusty, who first bested Team Bazinga of Mapua University and Team Tony of De La Salle University in the Philippine national finals before moving on to the regional finals to become the runner-up among all Asean country finalists. “We believe this is a great opportunity to address the youth unemployment in the region and drive social impact within our communities. Through entrepreneurship education, students can develop entrepreneurial attitudes, skills and knowledge to thrive in today’s fast-paced, digital world.” “Team Dimicrocambio displayed great passion in tackling today’s social issues through their project ‘Recalibrating educational gears through entrepreneurship education,’” said Edler Panlilio, managing director of SAP Philippines. “At SAP, we are focused on empowering the youth with the right skills they need to thrive in the digital economy. In achieving a sustainable future, we must create opportunities for the younger generation, so they can help make our country, and then the world, run better and improve people’s lives.” Coinciding with Singapore’s Asean chairmanship in 2018, Singapore played host to the competition, now in its second edition running. This year, the initiative reached out to 5,000 youths across 175 institutes of higher learning in the Asean to increase their digital literacy and cultivate a greater sense of responsibility and ownership of the region’s future. They were having trainings in SAP’s Analytics Cloud software through a series of webinars and incountry seminars, thereafter using their newlyacquired data skills to tackle six selected United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs.) These are good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; and sustainable cities and communities. Competition entries tripled this year with 801 student teams from a wide range of disciplines, such as political science, engineering and architecture gleaning actionable insights
from data to come up with solutions that have an impact on these areas. Team Plan B of Singapore, comprising Tay Kai Jun and Madhumitha Ayyappan from NUS High School of Math and Science, were crowned the Asean champion at the regional finals. Their winning project “From Slumming to Sustainability” aims to galvanize Asean to transform slums into sustainable microcities. Meanwhile, Team Pangolin of Vietnam, comprising Nguyen Van Thuan and Mai Thanh Tung from RMIT University Vietnam, clinched third place for their project “Conquering the Waves of Global Trade” which addresses the issue of disadvantaged trading due to the disparity in sea transport capacity among Asean countries. “Education is one of the foundational cornerstones of Asean’s integration and socioeconomic development blueprint. To this end, initiatives such as Asean Data Science Explorers promotes greater cross-border interaction and mobility across the region and equips our youths with critical skillsets needed to thrive in an increasingly challenging and disruptive future,” said Elaine Tan, executive director of the Asean Foundation. “We are very encouraged by the creativity and innovation displayed in the entries today, which is a strong testament to the passion of Asean youth to aimfully create a better future for their societies.” The Asean Foundation and SAP also inked a memorandum of understanding to extend their strategic collaboration into 2019, following the collaboration over the past two years. The MOU aims to support the trainings for youths in the skillsets as they join the work force and equip them to potentially solve societal and economic issues facing the region. “Our collaboration with the Asean Foundation over the past two years has yielded exceedingly positive outcomes in promoting purpose-driven innovation. We are very honored to play an integral part to help in upskilling the next generation work force and providing them with the foundational platform to start driving social impact in their communities,” said Claus Andresen, president and managing director, SAP Southeast Asia. “2019 is shaping up to be the start of another promising era and we look forward to deepening our collaboration to help the world run better and improve lives.” “The Asean Data Science Explorers competition is a great initiative to strengthen ICT skills and enhance youth employability within Asean,” said Adeline Lee, head of Executive Support Division of Asean Secretariat. “The participants gain skills and insights valuable to launch their own professional careers, contribute to the digital economy and be ready for the Industrial Revolution 4.0. And we are keen to support the continued expansion of such programs through the Asean Foundation and SAP.”
FULFILLING DREAMS VIA DEPED’S A.L.S.
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ACH morning for 19-year-old Shajhana Bonso from Concepcion, Iloilo starts with preparing breakfast for her child and husband rather than preparing for school. At the early age of 17, Shajhana had to set aside her dream of having a diploma due to her pregnancy and the situation she faced early on as a teenage mother. She knew that it would be challenging for her and her husband, a motorcycle driver, to provide their child a bright future. She believed that completing her studies is the only ticket for her to be employed and earn enough money to sustain the growing needs of her family. Regrets came every now and then for the last two years as her dream drifted away from day-to-day. “Going back to school today is close to impossible. With the advancement in technology, almost all our output is done using a computer and I can’t afford to pay for school fees,” she said. Last December, with the help of a friend, she enlisted for the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System. Since its inception, the ALS program has opened numerous opportunities for the likes of Shajhana who have limited or no access to formal basic education. ALS educators—mobile teachers as they are popularly known—bring literacy, basic education and useful knowledge to deprived and underprivileged Filipinos. They often brave rough roads, hike mountains or cross rivers to reach far-flung communities where they teach. They dedicate their time to fulfill their mission and help their students achieve their dreams in life. “Here I felt the joy of being in school with my co-learners. One of the things that I like is
the use of modern technology by our teacher in imparting the lessons hence we are very grateful for the ICT package from the generous hearts of City Savings Bank,” Shajhana said. She also recalled one of the best memories she had so far in her class. “With this I was able to learn basic computer with the help of my teacher, Ma’am Obillos, which I will be able to apply once I’m employed. I also gained self-confidence as I report and share lessons to my classmates with the use of the projector,” she said. City Savings has greatly supported DepEd’s ALS program since 2016. To date, the bank has donated technology tools comprised of more than 250 laptops, and over 240 LCD projectors, as well as external hard drives and pocket Wi-fi to more than 120 DepEd divisions. The tools are to provide assistance to over 4,500 mobile teachers and their students across the Philippines. In its third year of advocating for literacy, the bank has moved past inspiration into actively helping build communities where every child, parent, out of school youth has access to opportunities to elevate their lives and fulfill their dreams through education. Shajhana is now thrilled more than ever to visit their local ALS center to learn more. She has set her mind toward getting her diploma soon and most important, become a good role model for her child and her family. Her story is just one of the several stories of hope. As a socially responsible organization, City Savings will continue to focus on driving change for a better world through our corporate social responsibility that will benefit all our stakeholders by advancing business and communities.