New City Health Office in Barangay San Miguel: An Investment of a Healthy Community

By Arabella Ian G. Palonpon

People will achieve healthier lifestyles when prevention and wellness programs are accessible and available to them in their community, through their health providers and their community leaders.

An inauguration ceremony for the newly built City HealthOffice, located in Sampalukan Road, San Miguel, City Government of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, beside Sto. Tomas Senior High School was led by City Mayor Arth Jhun A. Marasigan, City Vice Mayor Catherine Jaurigue-Perez, and other city government officials. Along with this, the blessing of the rural health unit and facilities were also undertaken by Fr. Onofre Pantoja of St. Thomas Parish Church. The event was held on January 31, 2023, at exactly 9:00 in the morning.

Months of preparation have been invested to arrange the rooms, clinics, and medical equipment needed for check-ups and treatments that patients and medical staff can utilize. Before the official opening of the new building of the health office, the provision of health services was already initiated to residents of the City of Sto. Tomas, Batangas led by the City Health Office officers, Dra. Roselle Sanchez, Dra. Arnielyn Marasigan-Aguirre and Dr. Fernan Macrin Ramos.

The new City Health Office offers medical services that aim to enhance citizen's good health conditions in maintenance of their wellbeing, such as medical consultation, treatment of animal bite, Covid-19 vaccination, provision of medicines, dental services, x-ray services, and laboratory services, registration, correction, and issuance of Department of Health VAX certificate record, and issuance of health card, sanitary permit, prescription, medical requests, medical certificate, death certificate, and certificate of portability which can be acquire through the submission of requirements needed and following of client steps that are listed and disseminated through its officialFacebook page (The City of Sto.Tomas Batangas). In addition, the 24-hour ambulance and emergency services to various areas of the entire city are also included.

Someof the services providedeither require no payment or are low-cost, which can surely be a beneficial aid for the patients who are struggling with their financial expenses just to undergo medication and overcome injuries or diseases. Theofficeopensfrom 8:00 in themorninguntil 5:00 in the afternoon if the doctors are on duty or still available to assist the patients. Also, the cut-offs and numbering system are no longer carried out.

The City Health Office was located before in General Malvar Avenue,Poblacion 2, City of Sto. Tomas and then moved out to Brgy. San Miguel. However, the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU), Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEMONC), and Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (TB DOTS) facilities will remain temporarily in the old building of City Health Office in Poblacion 2, City of Sto. Tomas.

By having these healthcare facilities which give a wide array of services, it can give people access to a more comfortable and decent living free from any sufferings brought by numerous illnesses and diseases. Therefore, the health of an individual is taken considerably as one of the top-level priorities in a community for it is the human's valuable wealth. As they say, a healthy and strong community starts when its people are healthy, too

Work Immersion: A Glimpse of the Future

By Fherly C. Pernes

Grade 12 learners were assigned to various government institutions and private companies in the City of Sto. Tomas, such as schools under the SDO Sto. Tomas, Museo ni Malvar, Bureau of Fire, Philippine National Police, Schools Division Office, City Government of Sto. Tomas, as well as Golden Arches Phil. (McDonald's), Galaxy Cable Inc., Hashtag Coffee, Sunnyside Hotel, DB Access, Power Works, Villa Piamonte Resort, Daejin Advanced Materials Inc., and IM Digital Inc. In these placements, students gained practical experience and received mentorship from industry supervisors, allowing them to develop their skills in different fields.

Invest in Our Planet: Earth Day 2023

By Rose Lyn M. Macapuno

In April, the Student Supreme Government(SSG),conductedactivitiesto raiseawarenessamongthe youth aboutthe importance of environmental conservation. Tree planting, a search for thecleanestroom,andpostermakingwere among the engaging initiatives that aimed to inspire action and highlight the significance of our planet's well-being. Together, we can create a safer and healthier environment with the caring involvement of the younger generation.

Esther Hicks once said, "Your true knowledge comes from your own life experience." This rings true in the context of WorkImmersion,a curriculum program that aims to provide learners with hands-on experience and enhance their technical skills and knowledge. Since 2017, the Department of Education (DepEd) has made it mandatory for students to undergo work simulation in their chosen tracks, offering them valuable opportunities to apply what they have learned.

Sto. Tomas Senior High School shares the same objective of nurturing young minds and has adopted different options to prepare learners for their chosen curriculum paths. The Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) and TechnicalVocational and Livelihood (TVL) tracks have chosen to engage in Work Immersion with the assistance of partner institutions, guided by Master Teacher II Cristy C. Reyes.

Meanwhile, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) track, guidedbyMaster Teacher II Wilma Aguspina, focused on research and capstone projects to prepare students for the world of work. Engaging in a series of activities and symposiums, students worked on their capstone projects and prototypes.

For the Accountancy Business and Management(ABM)track, Ma'am Lorena Lara supervised the Business Enterprise Simulation. Grade 12 ABM students were exposed to real-life business activities, followingthecompletebusinesscyclefrom identifying opportunities to crafting business plans, implementing them, and presenting their products or services.

While each strand has its own specific expertise, the Work Immersion Program serves a common goal for all learners – to equip them with knowledge, skills, and lifelong experiences that will seamlessly transition them from senior high school to higher education and employment. Together, we strive to produce learners who are well-prepared and confident in facing their future endeavors.

SAYAW, HATAW, GALAW

By John Meldwin B. Baronia

People of all ages are drawn to dance for its vigor and excitement, as does the sense of community, the pure joy it brings to dancing to music, and the physical intimacy. People discover more about themselves, lose their inhibitions, challenge their intellect, and make new friends as a result.

This is what dance in Indak Tomasino is all about.

SAYAW. Dance has some moral lessons, it teaches you not to give up, dance is a daily exercise until you learn the right steps. One thing you can learn as a dancer is perseverance. When you fall or make a mistake, you need the courage to get up and try again. Practice, practice, practice. Dance is about hope, hope gives hope to complete its steps and perform better next time to impress the judges. It forces us to work hard and never give up, in most cases it is training. We dance because we love to dance three times our energy when we dance, which makes it the most beautiful form of art.

The recently concluded Earth Day program, held from April 27 to May 12, showcased remarkable achievements. The Poster Making Competition was a highlight, where participants expressed their creativity and talent in conveying powerful messages about environmental stewardship. Renz Ivan Villaralbo from STEM Prudence claimed first place in the Grade 11 category, followed by Maria Alexa Postrado and Jaicetel Kyla Alcaraz, both from STEM Faith. In the Grade 12 category, Jinky Golis from HUMSS Patience emergedas the first-place winner, with Herlyn Belza from STEM Diligence and Jhoselle Maldia from STEM Wisdom securing the second and third positions, respectively.

These talented individuals serve as inspiring examples, reminding us of our collective responsibility to protect our planet. Their artworks and efforts encourage us to act and make sustainable choices in our daily lives. Let us continue to invest in a greener and more sustainable future for all, embracing the spirit of Earth Day every day.

HATAW. Dance requires pushing your body to the ultimate limit, to dance you must stretch daily and get as flexible as you can be. Dance requires patience and practice. In dance you may not get a new move right away, so you must be patient with yourself and keep practicing and practicing till you finally get the move. So, when you combine all these elements passion, practice, patience, flexibility, and emotion you get something beautiful, you get dance. In a way, dance is like life. Whenever we’re learning a new move, we always find ourselves landing on the ground head flat hard.

GALAW. Dancing is the best way in which people show the world their truth and show who they can be. Who Indak Tomasino is. Through dance, we understand our emotions and know ourselves better by understanding our talents in a way that we did not know until we were dancing. When we dance, we connect with music that affects our bodies, our thoughts, and our minds. Dance is deeply personal, and it reflects something within us that we can only do with the world.

We dance, not to impress, but to express our inner selves.