Amazon rainforest fires: Everything we know and how you

can help
The Amazon rainforest has been on fire for the past month, and Brazil
has declared a state of emergency in the region. The fires are destroying
the homes of indigenous tribes and threatening millions of animal
species. One tribal chief described the halting response of Brazil's
president, Jair Bolsonaro, regarding the fires, along with his support for
deforestation, as a form of genocide CBS News reported Thursday.

The number of fires in Brazil this year is the highest on record since
2013 and is up by 85% from last year alone, CNN reported. So far this
year, more than 80,000 fires in the country have been detected by
Brazil's space research center, INPE.

What caused the fires?

While the Amazon rainforest is typically wet and humid, July and August
-- the onset of the dry season -- are the region's driest months, with
"activity" peaking by early September and stopping by mid-November,
according to NASA.

Fire is often used to clear out the land for farming or ranching. For that
reason, the vast majority of the fires can be attributed to humans,
Christian Poirier, program director of the nonprofit Amazon Watch, told
CNN.

Without providing evidence, Bolsonaro suggested the fires were set

by nongovernmental organizations in retaliation to funding cuts. He later
said he never accused them, according to the BBC.

What's the connection to climate change?

In a release on Aug. 22, Greenpeace said forest fires and climate
change operate in a vicious circle. As the number of fires increase,
greenhouse gas emissions do too. This makes the planet's overall
temperature rise, the organization said. As the temperature increases,
extreme weather events like major droughts happen more often.
 "In addition to increasing emissions, deforestation contributes directly to
a change in rainfall patterns in the affected region, extending the length
of the dry season, further affecting forests, biodiversity, agriculture and
human health," Greenpeace said in the release.

On Aug. 23, NASA released an AIRS Map showing the carbon

monoxide associated with the fires in Brazil between Aug. 8 and Aug.
22. The animated map shows a carbon monoxide plume bloom in the
northwest Amazon region, move south and east, and then toward San
Paolo.
Source. CNet.com

Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman fight results, scorecard:

PacMan earns title in split-decision win
 By Brian Campbell CBSSports.com
 Jul 21, 2019
 LAS VEGAS -- Nearly a quarter century into his legendary career, Filipino icon
Manny Pacquiao isn't done thrilling fans and winning world titles.
 Far from it.
 The 40-year-old Pacquiao out-dueled unbeaten champion Keith Thurman over
12 all-action rounds on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to capture the
WBA title in a thrilling split decision. The instant classic saw two judges score the
fight 115-112 for Pacquiao while the third had it 114-113 for Thurman. CBS
Sports also scored it 114-113 for Thurman.
 Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) recorded a knockdown in the opening round on a
beautiful right hook that proved to be the difference as it helped him steal Round
1 and edge out Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) in a fight-of-the-year contender that saw
both fighters compete at an insane pace.
 Despite the one-sided bad blood between them coming in and Pacquiao,
boxing's only eight-division world champion, vowing to make Thurman pay for
saying he would retire and crucify him, both fighters showed tremendous respect
for each other after the fight.
 "I'm not the kind off boxer to be a talker, just promoting the fight," Pacquiao said.
"I think we did a lot off things [to promote the fight]. He did his best, and I did my
best to make the people happy."
 Thurman out-landed Pacquiao in this incredibly close fight by a margin of 210 to
195, according to CompuBox. But Pacquiao had the sold-out crowd on his side
throughout as they exploded with cheers each time he connected and reveled in
the historic nature of what Pacquiao is still doing 24 years after he turned pro. He
became the oldest welterweight in boxing history to claim any of the recognized
titles.
 "I really loved the fans. Thank you so much for coming here and witnessing the
fight," Pacquiao said. "I'm sure you were happy tonight because you see a good
 fight. Even though Thurman lost, he did his best. He's not an easy opponent.
He's a good boxer, strong. I think I'm just blessed tonight."
Thurman rebounded nicely from a slow start that saw him have difficulty dealing with the
explosive speed and power of Pacquiao. But the frenetic pace went on to favor the
younger fighter as the 30-year-old Thurman came on big in the second half with power
shots. "I knew it was just too close. He got the knockdown so he had momentum in
Round 1," Thurman said. "I want to thank the fans. I want to thank everybody for coming
out. This was a beautiful night of boxing. Manny Pacquiao is a great, truly great
champion.
"I wish I had a little bit more output to go toe to toe. I felt like he was getting a little bit
tired, but he did have experience in the ring. My conditioning, my output was just behind
Manny Pacquiao. It was a great night of boxing. I'd love a rematch."
Pacquiao plans to return to his home in the Philippines where he serves as a senator
after the fight, but will be back in the ring soon -- he's just not sure when yet. He plans to
watch the upcoming Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter fight with the hopes of facing
the winner in 2020

Poverty incidence drops to 21%

By
Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star)
-

April 11, 2019 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The number of Filipinos living below the poverty line
was reduced in the first semester of 2018 despite faster growth in inflation and
rising poverty thresholds, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported
yesterday.

The PSA’s parent agency, the National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA), said this was largely because of improvements in the quality of
employment in the past three years since the last poverty survey in 2015, as
well as the expansion in government social services.
The nationwide poverty incidence fell to 21 percent in the first half of 2018
compared to 27.6 percent in the first half of 2015.

Deputy National Statistician Josie Perez said this means there are 23.1 million
Filipinos who do not have incomes that meet the poverty threshold during this
period, or the minimum amount needed to meet the basic food and non-food
requirements of a family of five.

Considering the 16.1 percent poverty incidence among Filipino families in the
first semester of 2018, this means around four million families were living
below the poverty line. But this was still lower compared with the 22.2 percent
poverty incidence among Filipino families in the first semester of 2015,
equivalent to five million families.

In the first semester of 2018, a family of this size needed no less than P7,337
a month to meet basic food needs. This is based on food items that can help
them meet the recommended 2,100 calories per day. Compared with the first
semester of 2015, only P6,600 was needed monthly.

A family of five needs no less than P10,481 monthly on the average.

Compared with the poverty threshold in the first half of 2015, only P9,453 was
needed.

Based on these thresholds, 6.2 percent of Filipino families have monthly

incomes that fall below the food threshold. This compares with the
subsistence factor of 9.9 percent for families in the first semester of 2015.

Among individuals, 8.5 percent of the population do not have incomes to

cover even the basic food requirements. But this was lower than 13 percent in
2015.
Regions with the lowest poverty incidence as of the first semester of 2018
continued to be the National Capital Region (NCR), Region 4A and Region 3.

Regions that consistently posted the highest poverty incidence were

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Regions 12 and 13.

Despite having the lowest poverty incidence, however, NCR saw a higher
poverty incidence of 4.9 percent in the first semester of 2018 from 4.6 in the
same period in 2015 because of higher poverty thresholds brought about by
higher food prices. Most regions also reported lower poverty incidences during
this period.

“One explanation is (NCR) felt the increase in food prices more strongly,
especially in rice,” said NEDA Undersecretary Adoracion Navarro.

Navarro said the overall easing of poverty incidence could be traced to the
growth in employment in the manufacturing and construction sectors as well
as employment shifts to the industry and service sectors from agriculture.

Even as inflation rose to 8.1 percent between 2015 to 2018 from 7.8 percent
in 2012 to 2015, the growth of average income nationwide accelerated to 21.2
percent from 15.3 percent.

The expansion of government social services such as the conditional cash

transfer programs to include a P600 rice subsidy grant and P1,000 pension
increase from the Social Security System released in 2017 added to
household incomes, Navarro said.

“These indicate that the pace, quality and consistency of economic growth
over the past seven years continue to benefit the poor,” Navarro added.
Moving forward, she said there is a need to take advantage of this momentum
by pursuing key reforms such as scaling up the implementation of social
programs at the local government level, peace-building efforts, full
implementation of the Reproductive Health Law and facilitating new
investments that can create more jobs. – With Alexis Romero, Paolo
Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe

Transgender disallowed from CR for females,

detained
Published August 14, 2019 12:03 AM GMA NETWORK

A transgender woman was not allowed to use the comfort room for females of
a mall in Quezon City on Tuesday, according to a report on GMA News' Saksi.
Gretchen Custodio Diez related that the janitress led her out of the comfort
room and told her to use the rest room for males.
She left but returned to talk to the janitress and proceeded to do a video
recording of the exchange.
A lady guard then handcuffed Diez and brought her to the police station.
The staff members, reportedly, were distressed that Diez took a video without
their permission.
A few minutes after midnight, Diez told reporters mall staff members have
dropped the charges against her.
A transgender woman was not allowed to use the comfort room for females of a mall in Quezon
City on Tuesday, according to a report on GMA News' Saksi.

Gretchen Custodio Diez related that the janitress led her out of the comfort room and told her to
use the rest room for males.

She left but returned to talk to the janitress and proceeded to do a video recording of the
exchange.

A lady guard then handcuffed Diez and brought her to the police station.

The staff members, reportedly, were distressed that Diez took a video without their permission.

A few minutes after midnight, Diez told reporters mall staff members have dropped the charges
against her.

Bataan Congresswoman Geraldine Roman, a transgender woman, went to

the police station where Diez was detained.
Roman condemned the incident.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, in a statement, said the discrimination against
transgender people is unacceptable.
In a post on her social media account, Hontiveros said, "THIS IS
UNACCEPTABLE! A lawyer from my office is w/ Gretchen now. She has my
full support. I am extending whatever help she would need to seek justice. "
"She is being harassed for living her truth. Discrimination against transgender
people has to STOP!" she added.
Hontiveros took a swing at people who say that the Sexual Orientation or
Gender Identity Equality or SOGIE Equality Law is not needed in the country
because Filipinos welcome members of the LGBT group.
"A trans woman has just been humiliated in a mall restroom in Cubao.
Pinosasan at dinala sa Karingal! LGBT persons face harassment &
discrimination every day. This must stop!," she said. — BAP, GMA News

K to 12 program not being scrapped,

DepEd clarifies
By

Gaea Katreena Cabico (Philstar.com)

-

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 7:31 p.m.) — The implementation of the K to

12 program is not being discontinued, the Department of Education stressed
Monday amid claims circulating online that the curriculum will be scrapped.

“Sentiments and questions on social media pertaining to the supposed plan to

scrap the K to 12 Education Program are clearly based on misinformation and
lack of critical discernment,” DepEd said in a statement.
DepEd called on the public to consult the agency’s website and social media
accounts before spreading rumors that may influence the opinion, decision or
action of learners.

The department noted the claims came after news of the Commission on
Higher Education’s plan to review and change the system for its K to 12
transition program—a five-year effort aimed at the development of higher
education institutions and personnel from 2016 to 2021—was wrongly
interpreted to mean the implementation of the entire K to 12 program.

“These two are not one and the same,” DepEd said.

It also explained the implementation of the K to 12 program is mandated

under Republic Act 10533 or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.”
Hence, the implementation, amendment or repeal of the program is within the
scope of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Therefore, DepEd, as an executive arm of the government, cannot arbitrarily

discontinue the program,” the department said.

‘Prompt necessity’
DepEd said the basic education reform program that added two years to
secondary education in the country has seen “numerous gains” despite
challenges.

“Nevertheless, the department maintains its stand that the K to 12 program is

a prompt necessity that pushing it back might prove detrimental to the
accelerating and increasing demands on education,” DepEd said.

It added: “The challenges still abound but the support of the national and local
government and of stakeholders in the private sector and the community, has
been overwhelming that it silences doubts and strengthens the resolve to
move forward with change today.”

In 2018, the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of the K to 12

program, noting it went through public consultations.

DepEd started the implementation of the K to 12 educational system in 2011.

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-fifth day of July, two thousand sixteen.
REPUBLIC ACT No. 10931
AN ACT PROMOTING UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION BY
PROVIDING FOR FREE TUITION AND OTHER SCHOOL FEES IN STATE UNIVERSITIES AND
COLLEGES, LOCAL UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND STATE-RUN TECHNICAL-
VOCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, ESTABLISHING THE TERTIARY EDUCATION SUBSIDY AND
STUDENT LOAN PROGRAM, STRENGTHENING THE UNIFIED STUDENT FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE SYSTEM FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION, AND APPROPRIATING FUND
THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate House of Representatives of Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary
Education Act".
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared that quality education is an inalienable right
of all Filipinos and it is the policy of the State to protect and promote the rights of all students to
quality education at all levels. Therefore, the State shall take appropriate steps to make such
education accessible to all.
Likewise, the State hereby recognizes the complementary roles of public and private higher
education institutions and technical-vocational institutions in the educational system and the
invaluable contribution that the private tertiary schools have made and will make to education. For
these intents, the State shall:
(a) Provide adequate funding and such other mechanisms to increase the participation rate
among all socioeconomic classes in tertiary education;

(b) Provide all Filipinos with equal opportunity to quality tertiary education in both the private
and public educational institutions;

(c) Give priority to students who are academically able and who come from poor families;
 (d) Ensure the optimized utilization of government resources in education;
(e) Provide adequate guidance and incentives in channeling young Filipinos in their career
choices and towards the proper development and utilization of human resources; and
(f) Recognize the complementary roles of public and private institutions in tertiary
educational system.
Section 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:
(a) Cost of Tertiary Education refers to (1) tuition and other school fees, (2) educational
expenses and (3) the cost of living allowance;
(b) Graduate courses refers to higher education programs leading to a certificate, diploma,
master's or doctorate degrees, as may be authorized and recognized by the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED);
(c) Higher education refers to the stage of formal education, or its equivalent, requiring
completion of secondary education and covering programs of study leading to bachelor and
advanced degrees, including associate degrees;
(d) Higher Education Institution (HEI) refers to an education institution authorized and
recognized by the CHED to offer bachelor's degree or graduate courses;

(e) Local universities and colleges (LUCs) refers to CHED-accredited public HEIs
established by local government units (LGUs) through an enabling ordinance, financially
supported by the LGU concerned, and complaint with the policies, standards and guidelines
of the CHED;

(f) National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) or Listahanan
2.0 refers to the information management of the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) that identifies who and where the poor are in the country. The system
makes available to national government agencies and other social protection stakeholders a
database of poor families as reference in identifying potential beneficiaries of social
protection programs;
(g) Other education-related expenses refers to expenses related to the education of a
student such as books, school supplies, uniforms, reproduction of materials, electronic
devices necessary for education and other fees such as for practical teaching devices
student publication, yearbook, insurance and student trust funds:
(h) Other school fees refers to fees charges by HEIs and technical-vocational institutions
which cover other necessary costs supportive of instructions, specifically the following: library
fees, computer fees, laboratory fees, school ID fees , athletic fees, admission fees,
development fees, guidance fees, handbook fees, entrance fees, registration fees, medical
and dental fees, cultural fees and other similar or related fees;
(i) Private higher education institution refers to HEI not not owned and controlled by the
government or its instrumentalities;
(j) Private technical-vocational institution refers to post-secondary technical-vocational
institution run by the private sector offering programs registered with the Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);
 (k) Qualified student refers to any student who possesses all the qualifications under Section
4 and 5 and none of the disqualifications under Section 6 hereof;
(l) State-run technical-vocational institutions refers to technical-vocational institutions
operated by the TESDA or LGUs: Provided, That in the latter case, the same should be
accredited by the TESDA;
(m) State universities and colleges (SUCs) refers to public HEIs established by national
government and are governed by their respective independent boards of trustees or regents;
(n) Student loan program for tertiary education refers to a loan program established under
Section 8 of this Act;
(o) Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) refers to the education process
designed a post-secondary and lower tertiary levels, officially recognized as nondegree
programs aimed at preparing technicians, paraprofessionals and other categories of middle-
level workers by providing them with a board range of general education, theoretical,
scientific and technological studies, and related job skills training;
(p) Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVIs) refers to learning institutions offering post-
secondary (TVET;
(q) Tertiary education refers to the stage of education following the secondary cycle which
covers post-secondary nondegree diploma, TVET, and higher education programs, including
graduate education;

(r) Tertiary education subsidy (TES) refers to a subsidy established under Section 7 of this
Act;

(s) Tuition fees refer to fees or school charges for subjects or course enrolled in by a tertiary
eduaction student;
(t) Undergraduate courses refers to any program leading to a degree as may be authorized
and recognized by the CHED; and
(u) Unified StudentFinancial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) refers to
the harmonized, state-run and administered system of higher education and technical-
vocational scholarships, grants-in-aid, student loans, and other modalities of student financial
assistance program under Republic Act No. 10687.
Section 4. Free Higher Education in SUCs and LUCs. - All Filipino students who are either cirrently
enrolled at the time of the effectivityof this Act, or shall enroll at any time thereafter, in courses in
pursuance of a bachelor's degree, certificate degree, o any comparable undergraduate degree in
other school fees for units enrolled in: Provided, That they pass the entrance examination and other
admission and rentention requirements of the SUCs and LUCs: Provided.Further, That all SUCs and
LUCs shall create a mechanism to enable students with the financial capacity to pay for their
education in the SUC and LUC to voluntarily opt out of the tuition and other school fees subsidy or
make a contribution to the school. SUCs and LUCs must report the tuition payments and
contributions collected from these students to the CHED: Provided, finally, That the amount required
to implement the free tuition and other school fees in SUCs and LUCs shall be determined by the
respective governing boards of SUCs and LUCs based on the projected number of enrollees for
each academic years, which shall be the primary factor in computing the annual proposed budget of
SUCs and, in the case of LUCs, the CHED for such purpose. This shall in turn serve as the baseline
during the preparation of the annual National Expenditure Program (NEP) by the Department of
Budget and Management (DBM).
Section 5. Free TVET in Post-Secondary TVIs. - All Filipino students who are currently enrolled at
the time of the effectivity of this Act, or shall enroll at any time thereafter in any post-secondary
TVET leading to nondegree certificate or diploma programs offered by any state-run TVI under the
TESDA shall be exempt from paying tuition and other school fees: Provided, That all state-run TVIs
shall create a mechanismto enable students with the financial capacity to pay for their education in
the TVI to voluntarily opt out of the tuition and other school fees subsidy or make a contribution to
the TVI. TVIs must report the tuition payments and contributions collected from these students.

The amount required to implement the free tuition and other school fees in state-run TVIs shall be
determined by the governing board of the TESDA based on the projected number of enrollees for
each course, which shall be primary factor in computing for the annual proposed budget of the
TESDA for such purpose. This shall in turn serve as the baseline during the preparation of the
annual NEP by the DBM.
Section 6. Exceptions to Free Tertiary Education. - The following students are ineligible to avail of
the free tertiary education:
(a) In SUCs and LUCs:
(1) Students who have already attained a bachelor's degree or comparable
undergraduate degree from any HEI, whether public or private:
(2) Students who fail to comply with the admission and retention policies of the SUC
or LUC;
(3) Students who fail to complete their bachelor's degree or comparable
undergraduate degree within a year after the period prescribed in their program; and
(b) In State-Run TVIs:
(1) Students who have obtained a bachelor's degree, as well as those who have
received a certificate or diploma for a technical-vocational course equivalent to at
least National Certificate III and above:
(2) Students who fail in any course enrolled in during the course of the program.
Students ineligible to avail of the free tertiary education shall be charged the tuition and other school
fees, as determined by the respective boards of the SUCs and LUCs, and in the case of the state-
run TVIs, to be determined by the TESDA.
Section 7. TES for Filipino Students. - To support the cost of tertiary education or any part or portion
thereof, a TES is hereby established for all Filipino students who shall enroll in undergraduate-post-
secondary programs of SUCs, LUCs private HEIs and all TVIs. The TES shall be administered by
the UniFAST Board and the amount necessary to fund the TES shall be included in the budgets of
the CHED and the TESDA: Provided, That prioritization shall be given to students in the following
order: (a) students who are part of households included in the Listahanan 2.0, ranked according to
the estimated per capita household income; and (b) students not part of the Listahanan 2.0, ranked
according to estimated per capita household income based on submitted documentation of proof of
income to be determined by the UniFAST Board: Provided, further, That such prioritization shall not
apply to Filipino students in cities and municipalities with no existing SUC or LUC campus.
The TES may, among others, and to support the cost of tertiary education or any part or portion
thereof, cover the following:
(a) Tuition and other school fees in private HEIs, and private or LGU-operated TVIs, which
shall be equivalent to the tuition and other school fees of the nearest SUC or state-run TVI in
their respective areas;
(b) All allowance for books, supplies transportation and miscellaneous personal expenses
including a reasonable allowance for the documented rental or purchase of a personal
computer or laptop and other education-related expenses:

(c) An allowance for room and board costs incurred by the student;
(d) For a student with a disability, an allowance for expenses related to the student's
disability, an allowance for expenses related to the student's disability including special
services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably
incurred: and
(e) For a student in a program requiring professional license or certification, the one (1)-time
cost of obtaining the first professional credentials or qualifications, which may include the
following: application fees, notarial fees, review classes fees, insurance premium fees and
documentation fees: Provided, That the amount of subsidy shall be based on the guidelines
set forth by the UniFAST Board and on the annual budgetary appropriation for this purpose.
Section 8. Student Loan Program for Tertiary Education. - To support further the cost of tertiary
education or any part or portion thereof, a student loan program for tertiary education is hereby
likewise established for all Filipino students who shall enroll in SUC, LUC, private HEI and TVET
program in all TVIs registered under the TESDA. The Loan program shall be administered by the
UniFAST Board and the amount necessary to fund the program shall be included in the budgets of
the CHED and the TESDA: Provided, That the UniFAST may offer short-term or long-term
loans: Provided, further, That those who availed of the loan during their undergraduate degree may
still avail of another cycle of student loan for their pursuit of graduate studies, including medicine and
law after they have fully paid the previously availed loan: Provided, furthermore, That those who did
not avail of the loan program during their undergraduate studies may avail of it to pursue graduate
studies including medicine and law: Provided, finally, That those who did not avail of the loan
program during their undergraduate studies may avail of the loan program for their review expenses
for licensure examinations administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

Repayment shall be effected by the incorporating a portion of the loan amount or a percentage
thereof in the employee's monthly Social Security System (SSS) or Government Service Insurance
System (GSIS) contribution, as the case may be based on a reasonable schedule of repayment and
interest rates. As may be formulated by the UniFAST Board.

Payment of the loan amount will commence once the beneficiary secures any gainful employment
with compensation, remuneration or earnings that reaches the Compulsory Repayment Threshold
(CRT). For purposes of this Act, the CRT shall be set and reviewed by the UniFAST Board, and
adjusted when necessary.

The UniFAST Board, in consultation with relevant agencies, shall formulate loan payment guidelines
for loan beneficiaries whose earnings are not covered by the GSIS or the SSS programs, including
those of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), emigrants, and self-employed persons and professionals
(SEPs).
Section 9. Requirements for SUCs and LUCs. - SUCs and LUCs are hereby mandated to:
(a) Establish a learner information system in accordance with the guidelines to be developed
by the CHED in order to facilitate the tracking of students and their performance;
(b) Submit relevant information as determined by the CHED on school quality and
performance; and
(c) Formulate and submit to the CHED and to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee
on Universal Access to Tertiary Education created under Section 17 of this Act, a detailed
SUC development plan updated every ten (10) years which shall included plans for facilities
and infrastructure development and expansion.
Section 10. Quality Standard for SUC and LUC Budgets, TES and Student Loan Programs. - The
CHED and the TESDA shall ensure quality standards in the review and consequent endorsement of
the budget of the SUCs, LUCs abd state-run TVIs, respectively. The detailed design of the TES and
student loan programs shall also be subject to similar quality indicators defined by the UniFAST
Board.
Section 11. Prohibited Act. - Upon effectivity of this Act, it shall be unlawful for any person, SUC and
state-run TVI to collect tuition and other school fees from qualified students who voluntarily opt out of
the tuition and other school fees subsidy or make a contribution to the school.
Section 12. Penalties. - A violation of the prohibited act under Section 11 of this Act shall be meted
a penalty of imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not more than one (1) year or a fine of
not less than Twenty thousand pesos (?20,000.00) but not more than One hundred thousand pesos
(?100,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court. In case of a university, college or any other
judicial entity, the penalty shall be imposed on the president, treasurer or the officer or person
responsible for the violation.
Section 13. Expansion of the UniFAST Board. - The UniFAST Board shall be expanded to include
the following:
(a) President of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges as Member;
(b) Chairman of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations as Member;
(c) President of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities as Member;
(d) President of the GSIS as a nonvoting Member; and
(e) President of the SSS as a nonvoting Member.
The UniFAST Board is authorized to establish an enhanced organizational structure, staff
development and incentives and such other administrative measures needed for the efficient
discharge of tasks and commensurate to the level and scope of its responsibilities. It may tap the
expertise and management services of eligible service providers subject to the appropriate
guidelines promulgated by the UniFAST Board.

Section 14. Reporting Requirements. - All SUCs, LUCs and state-run TVIs shall submit to the
CHED and the TESDA respectively, within five (5) days after the last day of late registration for each
semester, a report detailing the names of students eligible for the free tuition and other school fees
in their institutions.
Section 15. Appropriations. - The amounts necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act,
specifically Section 4, 5, 7 and 8 shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA)
and shall be appropriated under SUCs, CHED and TESDA in accordance with the provisions of this
Act: Provided, That an amount equivalent to not more than three percent (3%) of the TES and
student loan program for tertiary education provided under this Act may be used as administrative
cost under the UniFAST.
Section 16. Other Sources of Funds. The national government is hereby authorized to prioritize
funding this measure in negotiating and utilizing loan-term deeply concessional official development
assistance (ODA). Other sources of funds such as grants, donations, collections, and other forms of
assistance from local and foreign donors or other public or private entities, and other private
domestic and international sources may be tapped and facilitated by the UniFAST Board to support
the programs under this Act, subject to the regular auditing guidelines and procedures;
Provided, That in case of donations from foreign sources, acceptance thereof shall be subject to
existing government rules and regulations.
Section 17. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Universal Access to Tertiary
Eduaction. There is hereby created a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to oversee, monitor
and evaluate the implementation of this Act.

The Oversight Committee shall be composed of five (5) members each from the Senate and from
the House of Representatives, and shall include the following: Chairperson of the Senate Committee
on Education, Arts and Culture; Chairperson of the House Committee on Higher and Technical
Education; Chairperson of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education by the Senate
President and the House of Representatives and in the Senate. Funding for the expenses of the
Committee shall be taken from the appropriations of both the Senate and the House of
Representatives.
Section 18. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this
Act, the UniFAST Board, in consultation with the CHED, the TESDA, and other relevant
stakeholders in higher and technical education, shall promulgate the implementing rules and
regulation necessary to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of this Act: Provided, That
the failure of the Board to promulgate the said rules and regulations shall not prevent or delay the
effectivity and implementation of this Act in accordance with Section 21 hereof.
Section 19. Separability Clause. - Should any part of this Act be declared unconstitutional or invalid,
the other parts or provisions hereof not affected not thereby shall continue to be in full force and
effect.
Section 20. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, implementing rules
and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby replealed or
modified accordingly.
Section 21. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazzette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,

(Sgd.) PANTALEON ALVAREZ (Sgd.) AQUILINO "KOKO" PIMENTEL, III

Speaker of the House President of the Senate
of Representatives
This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 1304 and House Bill No. 5633 was finally passed
by the Senate and the House of Representatives on May 30, 2017 and May 29, 2017, respectively.

(Sgd.) CESAR STRAIT PAREJA (Sgd.) LUTGARDO B. BARBO

Secretary General Secretary of the Senate
House of Representatives

Approved: August 3, 2017

(Sgd.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
President of the Philippines

The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Equality

Bill (SOGIE, Tagalog: ['sɔdʒi]), also known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB), is a
proposed legislation of the Congress of the Philippines. It is intended to prevent various
economic and public accommodation-related acts of discrimination against people based on
their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.[1]The current versions of the bill are
championed by Kaka Bag-ao, Geraldine Roman, and Tom Villarin in the House of
Representatives, and Risa Hontiverosin the Senate. The version in the House of Representative
passed its third reading most recently on September 20, 2017, but died in the Senate.[2] It has
been refiled for the 18th CongressThe bill was first filed in Congress in 2000 by then-
senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and then-Akbayan party-list Representative Etta Rosales, in
which the bill passed 3rd reading in the House but stalled in the Senate. Similar measures were
filed by other senators in the 15th and 16th congresses which failed to see progress.[3] The bill
was re-filed by Defensor-Santiago in every congressional period in the Senate until the end of
her last term in 2016. The counterpart bill in the House was also filed continuously by the
representatives of Akbayan party-list.
17th Congress
In 2017, House Bill No. 4982, sponsored by Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, who has been
the principal author of the measure since her first term, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, Akbayan
Party-List Rep. Tom Villarin, and several others, was approved on third and final reading for the
first time since 2001[4] with 198 members of the House of Representatives voting for the bill and
none opposing it, a historic pro-LGBT move from the House of Representatives.[5]
The counterpart bill in the Senate, filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros (the first Akbayan senator),
was in the period of interpolations by May 2018. It is backed by Senators Loren Legarda, Grace
Poe, Nancy Binay, Franklin Drilon, Bam Aquino, Chiz Escudero, Ralph Recto, Sonny Angara, JV
Ejercito, Francis Pangilinan, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Leila de Lima, although de Lima is barred
from voting on the bill as she is currently in police custody.[6][7] It was opposed by Senators Tito
Sotto, Manny Pacquiao, Cynthia Villar, and Joel Villanueva (who signed up as a co-author of the
bill).[8] Other senators such as Win Gatchalian, Koko Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes, Panfilo Lacson,
and Richard J. Gordon have not yet expressed their support or rejection of the bill. Senator
Trillanes is currently facing cases that may put him in jail, which may make him ineligible to vote
for the bill like senator De Lima if ever he is arrested. Additionally, Alan Peter
Cayetano and Gregorio Honasan no longer have voting rights on Senate measures as they
declined to be part of the presidential cabinet.[9] All in all, out of the existing 24 Senate seats: 12
seats support and can vote on the bill; 1 seat supports but cannot vote on the bill (although the
number may rise to 2); 4 seats oppose and can vote on the bill; 5 seats can vote on the bill but
have not yet given their positions on it (although the number may be reduced to 5); and 2 seats
are de factovacated.[9] For a bill to pass the Senate, it needs a vote of 50% (12) of the body,
plus one (1) vote for a total of thirteen (13) votes. The SOGIE Equality Bill currently is supported
by 12 seats that are allowed to vote on the measure.[10]
The bill is also supported by the Catholic student governments of University of the Philippines-
Diliman (UPD), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), De La Salle University(DLSU)-Manila, De
La Salle - College of St. Benilde (CSB), Far Eastern University (FEU), Miriam College (MC), St.
Scholastica's College (SSC)-Manila and San Beda University (SBU). The longest running LGBT
student organization UP Babaylan has also been supporting the bill ever since it was first
filed.,[11]as well as known celebrities and icons such as Heart Evangelista, Bianca Gonzalez, Iza
Calzado, Charo Santos-Concio, Dingdong Dantes, Joey Mead King, Divine Lee, Karen Davila, Chot
Reyes, Tootsy Angara, BJ Pascual, Samantha Lee, Christine Bersola-Babao, Rajo Laurel, Tim
Yap, Anne Curtis, Mari Jasmine, Laureen Uy, Pia Wurtzbach, Lorenzo Tañada III, Vice
Ganda, Arnold Van Opstal, and Chel Diokno.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
In March 2018, a small group of Christians protested at the Senate against the SOGIE bill by
calling the proposed legislation an 'abomination', adding that homosexuality is allegedly a 'sin'
citing that their 'hate' is allegedly credible because it is supposedly written in the Bible and that
viewing that identifying as part of the LGBT community is a supposedly a 'lifestyle'. [21] The
group also claimed that the bill relates to same-sex marriage, which is not found anywhere
within the bill.[22] Senators Villanueva, Gatchalian, and Villar spoke against same-sex marriage
after the protest.[23] In May 2018, senator Tito Sotto, who opposes the SOGIE bill, became the
new Senate President. In an interview, Sotto was asked on the bill's passage, to which he
responded, "Not in this congress."[9]
In July 2018, various high-profile celebrities rallied for the passage of the SOGIE bill. They also
called out senators Sotto, Pacquiao, and Villanueva to end the debates and pass the proposed
legislation.[13] In August 2018, on the height of the bill's postponed debates, various
discrimination events against the Filipino LGBT community surfaced, causing public calling for
the passage of the SOGIE Equality Bill in the Senate.[24][25]Numerous influential personalities,
including political allies of the three senators who oppose the bill, sided with the calls to pass the
landmark proposal.[17][24][7]
In January 2019, fake news and chain mails[26]claiming that there are 'satanic'[27] and 'same-
sex marriage' provisions in the SOGIE bill began circulating, a move to dislodge the bill's
progress.[28][29]
In May 2019, the SOGIE Equality Bill officially became the longest-running bill under the Senate
interpellation period in Philippine history. Supporters of the bill have remarked that the
prolonged interpellation was intended by the dissenters to block the passage of the historic anti-
discrimination bill.[30] The bill's principal author and sponsor in the Senate, senator Risa
Hontiveros, has again called on her Senate colleagues to formally close the interpellation
period, so that the bill can finally be subject for amendments and voting.[30] In June 2019, with
the end of the session of the 17th Congress, the SOGIE Equality Bill prohibiting discrimination
on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression -- after the lawmakers failed to
tackle the bill in this session of the Senate of the Philippines. The Senate version of the bill was
first filed in August 11, 2016. It was sponsored by Risa Hontiveros in December 14 of the same
year. The bill has become one of the slowest-moving bills in the country’s history. The passed
house version of the bill would have penalised discrimination with a fine of not less than
₱100,000 but not more than ₱500,000, or imprisonment of not less than one year but not more
than six years or both, depending on the court's decision. [31][31] however, she said the bill had
gained new allies and wider acceptance among policy makers and the public and that she is
confident the bill will pass in the next Congress.[32] The bill was archived, and the bill must
again be refiled in the 18th Congress, starting over the one to three-year process of enactment
again.[30]
18th Congress
In early July 2019, Senator Sonny Angaraintroduced a new proposal to Congress. "Any form of
discrimination threatens social stability and economic progress in the Philippines, making it
imperative that discrimination—or any act that establishes, promotes and perpetuates standing
inequalities and disregards the right to 'equality of treatment' afforded by the 1987
Constitution—be reduced", Angara argued. The measure would prohibit unfair discrimination
based on, among other categories, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity and
expression.[33]

Gov't offers loans to rice farmers as palay prices fall to P7 a

kilo
MANILA — Farmers suffering income loss from a recent deluge of rice imports may get zero-interest
loans, but not conditional cash transfers, from the government, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said
Tuesday.

 Presyong P7-P11 kada kilo ng palay sa Nueva Ecija idinaing

1. Ayuda sa mga magsasaka inihirit dahil sa 'bagsak-presyong' bilihan ng palay

The government needs to shell out P6 billion if it gives P5,000 each in conditional cash transfers to 1.1
million farmers tending to rice fields 1 hectare and below in size, said Dar.

"We don't have that money," he told radio DZMM.

Farmers listed in the government's registry could avail a P15,000 loan payable in 8 years with zero
interest, which would be sourced from the agriculture department's credit policy council, he said.

In the "later part of September", the government will offer another P25,000 loan package with 2 percent
interest payable in 3 years, which would come from rice import tariffs, he said.

Farmers have complained that the price of palay has dropped to P7 to P11 a kilo due to a flood of cheap
rice imports.

Under the rice tariffication law that removed the cap on grain imports, the government is mandated to
allot P10 billion to aid farmers.

Out of this amount, P5 billion should go to the mechanization of rice farming, P3 billion to the
distribution of inbred rice seeds, P1 billion to credit for farmers and another P1 billion for their skills
development, said Dar.

DZMM, September 3, 2019

What is Financial Literacy
Financial literacy is the education and understanding of various financial areas
including topics related to managing personal finance, money and investing. This
topic focuses on the ability to manage personal finance matters in an efficient
manner, and it includes the knowledge of making appropriate decisions about
personal finance such as investing, insurance, real estate, paying for college,
budgeting, retirement and tax planning.

BREAKING DOWN Financial Literacy

Financial literacy also involves the proficiency of financial principles and concepts
such as financial planning, compound interest, managing debt, profitable savings
techniques and the time value of money. The lack of financial literacy may lead to
making poor financial choices that can have negative consequences on the
financial well-being of an individual. Consequently, the federal government
created the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, which provides
resources for people who want to learn more about financial literacy.

The main steps to achieving financial literacy include learning the skills to create
a budget, the ability to track spending, learning the techniques to pay off debt
and effectively planning for retirement. These steps can also include counseling
from a financial expert. Education about the topic involves understanding how
money works, creating and achieving financial goals and managing internal and
external financial challenges.
The Importance of Financial Education
Financial literacy helps individuals become self-sufficient so that they can
achieve financial stability. Those who understand the subject should be able to
answer several questions about purchases, such as whether an item is required,
whether it is affordable, and whether it an asset or a liability.
This field demonstrates the behaviors and attitudes a person possesses about
money that is applied to his daily life. Financial literacy shows how an individual
makes financial decisions. This skill can help a person develop a financial road
map to identify what he earns, what he spends and what he owes. This topic also
affects small business owners, who greatly contribute to economic growth and
stability.
Financial illiteracy affects all ages and all socioeconomic levels. Financial
illiteracy causes many people to become victims of predatory lending, subprime
mortgages, fraud and high interest rates, potentially resulting in bad credit,
bankruptcy or foreclosure.
 The lack of financial literacy can lead to owing large amounts of debt and making
poor financial decisions. For example, the advantages or disadvantages of fixed
and variable interest rates are concepts that are easier to understand and make
informed decisions about if you possess financial literacy skills. Based on
research data by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, 63% of Americans
are financially illiterate. They lack the basic skills to reconcile their bank
accounts, pay their bills on time, pay off debt and plan for the future.

Financial literacy education should also include organizational skills, attention to

detail, consumer rights, technology and global economics because the state of
the global economy greatly affects the U.S. economy.

PH population to reach 109 million by end of 2019

Raphael Bosano, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Mar 27 2019 06:56 PM

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MANILA - Three babies are born every minute in the Philippines, the Commission on Population
(POPCOM) said Wednesday.

If this rate continues, the population will increase by 2 million in just a year, the agency added.

From 107 million in 2018, the population is likely to reach 109 million by the end of the year, according
to POPCOM NCR Director Dr. Lydio Espanol Jr.

The desired number of babies in urban areas is two per family. This is enough to replace a mother and a
father. But because of failure in family planning, some families conceive more than they desire.

The same can be said in families living in urban areas where three is the usual desired number. But some
families have up to five children, maybe even more.

Espanol said the higher the number of children, the higher the possibility for a family to become prone
to poverty.

With these data, POPCOM and members of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society have
urged specialists to reinforce a family planning campaign, especially those in informal settler
communities.
At present, Espanol said, the rate of acceptance of modern family planning by those from the middle
and lower classes is at 46 percent. This is still below their target of at least 65 percent.

POPCOM said one of the targets of President Rodrigo Duterte’s executive order on Zero Unmet Need for
Modern Family Planning is to decrease the number of children per family to the desired number of 2.
The result of which, in the long run, will mean more workers (15 to 64 years old) compared to
dependents (children and senior citizens).

MMDA’s new policies worsened traffic

along EDSA, and commuters have
evidence
By

Catalina Ricci S. Madarang

August 8, 2019

The strict implementation of the yellow lane policy along EDSA to supposedly ease traffic
congestion made the situation worse based on commuters’ posts on social media.

The yellow bus lane policy restricts the first and second lanes of EDSA to city buses only.
Provincial buses and private cars are therefore not allowed to drive there.

However, posts and video clips being circulated online showed that buses got congested
within this area instead. Some commuters could also be seen walking through the traffic.

Twitter user Junzen Lavapie shared that the bus he rode was stuck in traffic for 20 minutes
while private vehicles passed by freely at the other lanes. This traffic scheme was also
enforced last March and provided some interesting results.

MMDA Traffic Chief Edison Bong Nebrija apprehended more than 10,000 motorists that
time, and 70% of them were private motorists.
Several studies have already shown that majority of the vehicles that pass by EDSA are
private vehicles.

In 2017, records showed that 247,527 private vehicles take up the most space of the
highway while only 12,283 buses, including provincial ones, ply there.

Reasons for the failed policies

MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago told reporters that both the provincial bus ban and the
yellow lane system failed.

The agency cited several reasons for this. However, there’s no letup so far on its goal to
reduce the number of public buses on EDSA regardless of the results.

“That’s why we want to reduce the number of buses on EDSA by 50%,” Nebrija said,
referring to provincial buses.

Confusion on the ground

Nebrija said provincial buses should have been allowed on the third lane.

However, some enforcers prevented them from going to the tunnels and flyovers and
instead directed them to use the yellow lane. Some private vehicles also erred in driving in
this area.

This inadvertently caused the traffic buildup particularly on the intersections along the
thoroughfare.

“It was hard because they literally occupied the whole lanes of EDSA and of course, in
doing so, in funneling them back to the yellow lane, there are private vehicles who got stuck
in the process,” Nebrija said on CNN Philippines’ “The Source.”
Despite the evident negative outcome, Pialago insisted that this traffic rule shouldn’t be
blamed for what happened.

“Ang daming factors. Umulan today, ayun hanggang ngayon po umaambon. Alam naman
po natin kapag nakakaranas tayo ng ulan, medyo bumabagal ang takbo ng trapiko,”
she said.

Buses snub dry run

Based on this new measure, public buses from the north with terminals along EDSA will
have to end their routes in Valenzuela. The terminals of these buses will also be removed.

Meanwhile, those in the south with terminals in Pasay will have to end at the new
Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange while those with terminals in Cubao will have to
end in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Only 31 of the 31,000 provincial buses joined the dry run, according to MMDA.

A regional trial court in Quezon City previously ordered to stop the implementation of this
system due to the staunch opposition from commuters, bus operators and some lawmakers.

MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia cited this injunction as the reason why most
operators, particularly from the north, did not partake in the activity.

“I’m holding on to our meeting last week when there was still no injunction. The operators
said yes when asked if they would participate. Of course I would not have any problem with
that. The public’s welfare is most important here,” Garcia said.

What does Saint Gabriel College stand for?

Saint Gabriel College (SGC) is a private educational institution in Kalibo, Aklan. Established in
1970, it was originally the Saint Gabriel School of Nursing and is the first paramedical school in
Aklan. As the enrollees increased, the school opened more vocational courses in allied health.
In 1979, the School of Nursing offered its first bachelor's degree program in Nursing and
consequently earned its college status.

At present, the college provides undergraduate courses in Nursing, Pharmacy, Medical

Technology, Radiologic Technology, Midwifery, BIology, and Accountancy. It also has a School
of Technical Vocational Education offering a variety of TVET coursesthat lead to a National
Certificate (NC) after a successful assessment. These tech-voc courses can also be taken
as Bundled Programs in which students can take two courses at a time. Additionally, SGC now
has a Basic Education Department with programs from preschool through senior high school.
The SHS department offers selected strands from the Academic and the Technical-
Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) tracks.

Source: sgc.edu.ph

Violence Against Women (VAW)

Violence against women (VAW) appears as one of the country’s pervasive social
problems. According to the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey conducted by
the National Statistics Office, one in five Filipino women age 15-49 has experienced
physical violence since age 15. It is indeed alarming that despite efforts to address the
concern, VAW persists.

VAW is deemed to be closely linked with the unequal power relationship between women
and men otherwise known as “gender-based violence.”Societal norms and traditions
dictate people to think men are the leaders, pursuers, providers, and take on dominant
roles in society while women are nurturers, men’s companions and supporters, and take
on subordinate roles in society. This perception leads to men gaining more power over
women. With power comes the need to control to retain that power. And VAW is a form
of men’s expression of controlling women to retain power.

Women are also put to blame as the cause of their own misery. In the home, some
women are accused of being “naggers” or neglectful of their duties as wife that is why
they are beaten by their spouses. Rape is sometimes attributed to a raped woman’s
 “flirtatious” ways. A woman filing for sexual harassment, in some instances is blamed for
being malicious by interpreting her employer’s appreciation of her good looks.

These are just some of the realities that contribute to the vulnerability of Filipino women
to VAW. An even greater problem is the lack of concrete information to show the extent
of VAW in the country as many cases of violence against women often go unreported due
to women victims’ “culture of silence.” Many of the victims are ashamed to relate their
experiences while others tend to dismiss their ordeal as a result of their lack of faith in
the country’s justice system caused by frustrations over the lack of results in filing
complaints.

Several government mechanisms have already been put in place to address VAW. Non-
government organizations also take part in this crusade. It is uncertain when this trend
will totally diminish in the Philippine setting, but as long as current efforts to fight VAW
are sustained, hope could be set high.

Meet The Winner Of The 2017

Breakthrough Junior Challenge
(VIDEO)
Twelfth-grader Hillary Diane Andales talks about what inspired her to make her prize-winning video on

the theory of relativity and the equivalence of reference frames.

December 11, 2017 Features By Shai Panela Meet The Winner Of The 2017 Breakthrough Junior Challenge
(VIDEO) Twelfth-grader Hillary Diane Andales talks about what inspired her to make her prize-winning video on the
theory of relativity and the equivalence of reference frames. SHARE AsianScientist (Dec. 11, 2017) – Like any
scientist worth her salt, twelfth-grader Hillary Diane Andales from Tacloban City, Philippines, is unfazed by failure.
Although her popular video about Feynman’s path integrals did not win the Breakthrough Junior Challenge last year,
her new three-minute explainer of the theory of relativity and the equivalence of reference frames was selected as
this year’s winning entry. The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a worldwide science video competition where
students between 13 and 18 years old explain the fundamental concepts in the life sciences, physics and
mathematics. For her latest efforts, Andales has won a scholarship worth up to US$250,000, a new science
laboratory valued at US$100,000 for her school, designed by and in partnership with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory,
and another US$50,000 for the science teacher who inspired her. These new prizes add to the molecular biology
laboratory she won last year for her school, the Philippine Science High School in Eastern Visayas, which was
severely damaged by the 2013 superstorm Haiyan. Who or what motivated you to study science? My family has
always been interested in science. My father, Roy Andales, is a chemist who is really fond of physics while my
mother, Imelda, is an accountant who also likes science. They are the ones who encouraged me to read books and
keep abreast with the latest science news. I also have a younger brother, a 13-year-old student at the Philippine
Science High School as well. The love for science runs in the family. Have you always been interested with physics?
When I was younger, I liked astronomy a lot. I wanted to become an astronaut. My dad introduced me to physics
when I was about 10. He told me about quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity. But it was only last year that I
started to study it seriously. Why did you choose the topic of the theory of relativity? Based on what I learnt from the
previous competition, I realized that the topic should be big and complex but still something that can be conveyed to
lay people easily. Right after dealing with the results of the previous competition, I started looking—albeit passively—
for new topics. Last summer, I started to write the script. After about 20 drafts and some 200 hours of animation and
shooting, I came up with a new video. My father helped me a lot through the whole process; he was the one checking
scripts. Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine at: https://www.asianscientist.com/2017/12/features/2017-
breakthrough-junior-challenge-hilary-diane-andales/What do you hope to study in the future? I want to pursue a
research career in physics. Right now, I’m eyeing fundamental or particle physics. Who are the scientists you look up
to? Filipino astrophysicist and data scientist Dr. Reinabelle Reyes inspires me a lot. Her story amazes me. I also love
that she is into science communication too. I also look up to Richard Feynman, like any other physicist does. I get
really, really excited whenever I hear him speak and when I read his works. During our internship in 2015, I had the
honor of being mentored by another physicist at the University of the Philippines National Institute of Physics, Dr.
Francis Paraan. We were programming different things in his laboratory, the Structure and Dynamics Group. What is
do you think young people like yourself can contribute to science? I believe that youth like me have huge potential
and responsibility towards future generations. We need to take care of the world we’re living in as we will soon inherit
this world. We have the responsibility to make this world a better place to live in and science can help us do that. A
generation that appreciates science can take care of the world better. For example, I find it fascinating that there’s still
even a debate about climate change when it’s a scientific consensus that climate change is real. What we should be
doing now is finding ways and actually try to do everything to minimize its impacts. The youth have that social
responsibility. With science, we will learn how to start thinking critically. If a society thinks critically, then it will soon
enjoy the benefits of an intellectual population. There’s a huge misconception that science is just about numbers and
equations but it’s all about the world we’re living in and our appreciation of it. ——— Copyright: Asian Scientist
Magazine Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine at: https://www.asianscientist.com/2017/12/features/2017-
breakthrough-junior-challenge-hilary-diane-andales/

Brillante "Dante" Mendoza is a Filipino independent film director. He was born and raised in San
Fernando, Pampanga. He took advertising arts of the then College of Architecture and fine arts at
the University of Santo Tomas. He has directed sixteen films since 2005.

Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray is a Filipino-Australian model, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder
who was crowned Miss Universe 2018. She is the fourth Filipina to win the pageant. Previously,
Gray was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2018 and Miss World Philippines 2016.

Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, OL, is a Filipina singer and actress, best known for her roles in
musical theatre, for supplying the singing voices of two Disney Princesses, and as a recording artist
and television performer. Wikipedia

Born: 22 February 1971 (age 48 years), Ermita, Manila

Awards: Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical,more

Michael Cinco (born August 8, 1971 in Samar, Philippines) is a Filipino fashion designer. He
launched his eponymous fashion line in Dubai in 2003.
Education: University of the Philippines; Central Saint Martins
Nationality: Filipino
Born: August 27, 1971 (age 48); Catbalogan City, Samar, Philippines

Kelsey Alaine Merritt is a Filipino-American model best known for being the first Filipino to walk in the
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and to appear in the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Wikipedia
Height: 1.73 m

Parents: Philip Merritt

Efren Manalang Reyes, OLD, PLH, nicknamed The Magician and Bata, is a Filipino professional pool player. A
winner of over 70 international titles, Reyes was the first player to win world championships in two different
disciplines in pool. Wikipedia

Spouse: Susan Reyes

Philippines tops gender equality in Asia,

improves global ranking
By
Patricia Lourdes Viray (Philstar.com)
-

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines remains as the country with the

narrowest gender gap in Asia, according to the Global Gender Gap Report
2018 of the World Economic Forum (WEF) released Tuesday.

The Philippines also improved three notches in its world ranking from 10th
place last year(0.790) to seventh place this year (0.799).

The Global Gender Gap Report evaluates 149 countries on their progress in
gender parity through economic participation and opportunity, educational
attainment, health and survival and politicial empowerment.

The best score for each indicator was one while the worst score was zero.

The Philippines scored the highest in educational attainment with a perfect

score of 1 and ranking 1st, fully closing the gender gap in this key pillar.
For political empowerment, the country ranked 13th with a score of 0.416,
14th in economic participation and opportunity with 0.801 and 42nd in health
and survival with 0.979.

Iceland remains the most gender neutral country in the world with 0.858,
followed by Norway (0.835), Sweden (0.822), Finland (0.821), Nicaragua
(0.809), Rwanda (0.804) and New Zealand (0.801).

Ranking 9th and 10th are Ireland (0.796) and Namibia (0.789), respectively.

In the East Asia and the Pacific region, New Zealand and the Philippines
scored the highest. Southeast Asian countries that entered the region's top 10
are Lao PDR (26th, 0.748), Singapore (67th, 0.707), Thailand (73rd, 0.702),
Vietnam (77th, 0.698), Indonesia (85th, 0.691) and Myanmar (88th, 0.690).

Home of two of the overall Index’s top 10 performers, and with an average
remaining gender gap of 31.7 percent, East Asia and the Pacific scores in the
middle of the range," the report read.

Among the G20 group of developing countries, France scored the highest with
0.779, ranking 12th worldwide. Other powers scored poorly — China (103rd,
0.673), India (108th, 0.665), Japan (110th, 0.662) and South Korea (115th,
0.657).

The WEF noted that only four countries in the East Asia and Pacific region
have fully closed their education attainment gender gap while more than half
of the other countries have closed the gap for professional and technical
workers. This means that tertiary-educated, higher-skilled women have been
integrated into the labor force.

The world has closed about 68 percent of its gender gap as measured from
the four key pillars of the WEF report.
"At the current rate of change, the data suggest that it will take 108 years to
close the overall gender gap and 202 years to bring about parity in the
workplace," the WEF said

Solid waste mismanagement in the Philippines

Sara Mae D. Mawis - 4 months ago

Human society sustains itself by transforming nature into garbage,” said aphorist and
professor Mason Cooley.

Unsurprisingly, the Philippines generates more solid waste as population increases,

living standards are enhanced, and urban and rural areas are being developed.
According to a report by the Senate Economic Planning Office (SEPO), the country’s
waste generation steadily increased from 37,427.46 tons per day in 2012 to
40,087.45 tons in 2016.

Meanwhile, solid wastes produced by Philippine cities are expected to increase by

165 percent to 77,776 tons by 2025.

Residential areas produce the most amount of solid wastes at 57 percent, while
wastes from commercial establishments, institutional sources, and industrial or
manufacturing sector accounted for 27 percent, 12 percent, and 4 percent of the
total waste generated, respectively. More than 15 years after the passage of [the
Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA No. 9003)], enforcement and
compliance with the law remains a daunting task due to technical, political, and
financial limitations of concerned agencies and [local government units (LGU)],” said
the SEPO. “Majority of LGUs have yet to comply with the provisions of RA 9003,
particularly on the establishment of local [solid waste management (SWM)] Boards,
submission of SWM Plans, establishment of [materials-recovery facilities], and
closure of all open and controlled dumpsites.”

RA No. 9003 prohibits the use of open dumps for solid waste disposal and enjoins
the LGUs to convert their open dumps into sanitary landfill.

Moreover, in its Administrative Order No. 50-1998, the Department of Environment

and Natural Resources (DENR) prescribed guidelines for identifying and establishing
sanitary landfills such that, among others: (a) the site should not be
located in existing or proposed residential, commercial, or urban development areas,
and areas with archeological, cultural, and historical importance; (b) the site should
not be located in or up gradient of shallow unconfined aquifiers for drinking water
supply; (c) the site should not be located near airports; and (d) the site should not be
located in soft and settling soils.

As of last year, however, the DENR’s National Solid Waste Management Commission
disclosed that a total of 384 open dumps still operate nationwide except in Metro
Manila.

Meanwhile, according to Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternative Coordinator

Ramon Lopez, LGUs continue to operate landfills within environmentally critical
areas, such as the Payatas landfill in Quezon City, which is less than a kilometer away
from Metro Manila’s water source, La Mesa Dam.

Individuals comprising each LGU are likewise responsible for solid waste
management. In fact, Presidential Decree No. 825 (PD No. 825) enjoins all citizens
and residents of the Philippines, educational institutions and commercial and
industrial establishments to clean their own surroundings, as well as the canals,
roads or streets in their immediate premises.

Meanwhile, owners of idle lots in Metro Manila shall keep them clean to protect
them from becoming breeding places of mosquitoes, flies, mice, rats and other
scavengers. Otherwise, the government shall
undertake to keep said lots clean at the owners’ expense.

Moreover, RA No. 9003 prohibits the littering, throwing, dumping of waste matters
in public places, or causing or permitting the same. Any person who commits this
offense shall, upon conviction, be fined for not less than P300 but not more than
P1,000, or render community service for not less than one day to not more than 15
days to an LGU where such prohibited acts are committed.

These laws may have never seen the light of day, however, with garbage ending up
on streets, sewages, canals and other waterways. This phenomenon may be
attributed to, among others, the absence of implementing ordinances in some LGUs,
residents’ lack of participation in promoting solid waste management, and the
general public’s limited awareness on waste disposal and segregation.
 Department of Public Services operations division technical staff Jayson Umali was
quoted in news reports as saying: “One of the major problems we encounter until
now is the human and cultural behavior. We can’t clean the environment alone.”

“[W]e need the community’s participation especially barangay officials… [W]e need
their full cooperation and support.”

Deforestation: Facts, Causes & Effects

By Alina Bradford 04 April 2018
Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land
available for other uses. An estimated 18 million acres (7.3 million hectares) of
forest, which is roughly the size of the country of Panama, are lost each year,
according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Some other statistics:

 About half of the world's tropical forests have been cleared, according to the
FAO.
 Forests currently cover about 30 percent of the world’s landmass, according to
National Geographic.
 The Earth loses 18.7 million acres of forests per year, which is equal to 27 soccer
fields every minute, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
 It is estimated that 15 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions come from
deforestation, according to the WWF.
 In 2016, global tree cover loss reached a record of 73.4 million acres (29.7
million hectares), according to the University of Maryland.
Location

Deforestation occurs around the world, though tropical rainforests are

particularly targeted. If current deforestation levels proceed, the
world's rainforests may completely vanish in as little as 100 years, according
to National Geographic. Countries with significant deforestation in 2016
included Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, the Democratic Republic of Congo and
other parts of Africa, and parts of Eastern Europe, according to GRID-Arendal,
a United Nations Environment Program collaborating center. The country with
the most deforestation is Indonesia. Since the last century, Indonesia has lost
 at least 39 million acres (15.79 million hectares) of forest land, according to a
study by the University of Maryland and the World Resource Institute.
Though deforestation has increased rapidly in the past 50 years, it has been
practiced throughout history. For example, 90 percent of continental United
States' indigenous forest has been removed since 1600, according to the
University of Michigan. The World Resources Institute estimates that most of
the world's remaining indigenous forest is located in Canada, Alaska, Russia
and the Northwestern Amazon basin.

With much of the country experiencing an unseasonably warm winter, fears of

climate change come to mind. See how well you understand recent weather,
climate and the difference between them. Causes

There are many causes of deforestation. The WWF& reports that half of the
trees illegally removed from forests are used as fuel.
Some other common reasons are:

 To make more land available for housing and urbanization

 To harvest timber to create commercial items such as paper, furniture and
homes
 To create ingredients that are highly prized consumer items, such as the oil from
palm trees
 To create room for cattle ranching
Common methods of deforestation are burning trees and clear cutting. These
tactics leave the land completely barren and are controversial practices.

Clear cutting is when large swaths of land are cut down all at once. A forestry
expert quoted by the Natural Resources Defense Council describes clear
cutting as "an ecological trauma that has no precedent in nature except for a
major volcanic eruption."

Philippines Situation Report 4 - Dengue Outbreak (13

Aug 2019)

REPORT

from World Health Organization

Highlights

 167,607 dengue cases, including 720 deaths, reported from 1 January to 27 July 2019: 97% higher than
in 2018, in spite of a delayed rainy season.

 Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 0.43% as of 27 July 2019 is lower than in the same time period in 2018
(0.54%), but still significantly higher than the regional average of 0.22% in the Western Pacific.

 The Philippines Department of Health (DOH) declared a National Dengue Epidemic on 6 August 2019,
urging all regional DOH offices to step up dengue surveillance, case management and outbreak re-
sponse, clean-up drives, and vector control in health facilities and communities, conduct Sabayang 4-
O’Clock Habit Para sa Deng-Get Out focusing on search and destroy of mosquito breeding sites, and to
enable LGUs to use their quick response funds to help address the epidemic.

Current Situation

Between 1 Jan to 27 July 2019, 167,607 dengue cases including 720 deaths were reported through
the DOH routine surveillance system, with a CFR of 0.43%.

With a median age of 12 years, the most affected age group among dengue cases is 5-9 years (23%).
Similarly, the most affected age group among dengue deaths is 5-9 years (42%). The majority of
dengue cases are male (52%), whereas the majority of dengue deaths are female (54%).

CFR is highest in regions XI (.58%), BARMM (.87%), and V (0.57%), whereas incidence is highest
in regions VI, IV-A, XIII, IX, X.