A Resolution Proposed by Coun. Mabel Sunga Acosta during February 23, 2010 Regular Session of the 15th City Council A RESOLUTION URGING THE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (HEIs) IN DAVAO CITY TO CONSIDER THE APPEAL OF THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION (CHED) IN ALLOWING STUDENTS WITH DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS TO TAKE THEIR EXAMS WHEREAS, higher education institutions (HEIs) in the city have imposed an increase in tuition and school fees every passing school year; WHEREAS, Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 (Education Act of 1982), and Republic Act 7722 (Higher Education Act of 1994) grant the authority to the HEIs to impose these increases, subject to certain rules and regulations; WHEREAS, CHED Memo Order No. 07, Series of 2007, which amended Section 8 of CHED Memo Order No. 14, Series of 2005, further provides that any increase in the tuition and other fees in all levels to be made by private HEIs shall be subject to consultation with stakeholders and approval of the CHED; WHEREAS, it has been the practice of HEIs to proscribe students who have outstanding financial obligations with the school from taking their examinations unless and until they have fully settled their accounts; WHEREAS, due to financial constraints and because of the escalating school fees, many students often delay the payment of their towering school obligations and consequently, they are not able to take their mandatory tests on time; WHEREAS, recognizing the present economic downturn and the burden of swelling school fees to parents and students alike, CHED issued Memorandum Order No. 02 on January 22, 2010, calling to all private HEIs for flexibility in the implementation of the “No Permit, No Examination” policy or any such policy that prohibits students from taking their periodic or final examinations due to unpaid tuition and other school fees; WHEREAS, we understand that HEIs are not without reasons for the imposition of increases in the school fees, given that they have to pay the salaries of their teaching and non-teaching personnel, and for the upgrade of their facilities, among others; WHEREAS, we believe that solutions other than the “No Permit, No Examination” policy can be formed which would address both the need of the HEIs to collect payment from their students and the need of the students to take their exams in compliance with their school requirements; WHEREAS, the cost of living nowadays has soared dramatically and the cost of education has become too expensive a commodity for ordinary Filipinos; WHEREAS, it would be a tragedy when the education of our youth becomes a casualty to the economic demands of our educational institutions; WHEREFORE, premises considered, BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that a resolution be passed urging the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Davao City to consider the appeal of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in allowing students with delinquent accounts to take their exams; RESOLVED FURTHER, that copies of this resolution be furnished to Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Davao Association of Colleges and Universities, the City Mayor’s Office, the City Legal Office, and to all others concerned for their information and guidance. MABEL SUNGA ACOSTA City Councilor, 1st District
A Resolution Proposed by Coun. Mabel Sunga Acosta during February 23, 2010 Regular Session of the 15th City Council THE 1ST INTERSCHOOL NEWSCASTING COMPETITION IN DAVAO CITY INTENDED TO DISCOVER AND HARNESS YOUNG TALENTS WHO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME FUTURE BROADCASTERS WHEREAS, ABS-CBN TV 4 Davao, located at located at Shrine Hills, Matina, Davao City, is a television station that is part of the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation; WHEREAS, ABS-CBN TV 4 Davao has been bringing service to the Davaoenos and the entire Davao region by broadcasting quality news and entertainment programs since the 1980’s; WHEREAS, in order to discover and harness young talents in the field of broadcasting, ABS-CBN TV 4 Davao commenced the conduct of the 1st Interschool Newscasting Competition in Davao City on November 2009, which was participated by more than 10 schools and around 400 students from all over the city; WHEREAS, the participating students were tried in their skill of delivering news in three languages, namely: English, Filipino, and Bisaya, and were judged according to the following criteria: Delivery – 35%, Pronunciation and Diction – 30%, Voice Quality – 15%, Appearance on Cam – 15% and Overall Impact – 5%; WHEREAS, on February 20, 2010, the finals of 1st Interschool Newscasting Competition was culminated at SM Davao, with Ms. Diana Grace Juaban from AdDU, declared as the Champion, Mr. Cirilo Corminal, Jr. from UM, declared as 1st Runner-up, and Ms. Christine Mae Camus from HCDC, declared as 2nd Runner-up; WHEREAS, the act of ABS-CBN TV 4 Davao of discovering young talents who have the potential to become future broadcasters, through the conduct of its 1st Interschool Newcasting Competition, is truly a laudable and commendable act; WHEREAS, this pro-active project provides a very valuable contribution in upgrading the academic skills and perspectives of the academe; WHEREAS, it also provides an important social contribution as it sends a strong message to society that professionalism and idealism in the youth can start in the university and could be furthered through journalism even after they have finished their studies; WHEREFORE, premises considered, BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that a resolution be passed and approved, commending ABS-CBN TV 4 Davao for conducting the 1st Interschool Newscasting Competition in Davao City to discover and harness young talents who have the potential to become future broadcasters; RESOLVED FURTHER, that copies of this resolution be furnished to the ABS-CBN TV4 Davao, Ateneo de Davao University, Holy Cross of Davao College, University of Mindanao, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), National Union of Journalist in the Philippines (NUJP), City Mayor’s Office and all others concerned for their information and guidance. MABEL SUNGA ACOSTA Councilor, 1st District, Davao City
A RESOLUTION COMMENDING ABS-CBN TV 4 DAVAO FOR CONDUCTING
Privilege Speech of Coun. Mabel Sunga Acosta Re: NO PERMIT, NO EXAM Delivered during February 23, 2010 Regular Session of the 15th City Council Madam President, my colleagues in the City Council, friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, Maayong buntag. I rise on a personal and collective privilege to take up the “No Permit, No Exam” policy of some higher educational institutions (HEIs) in connection with the CHED Memorandum Order No. 02, issued by Mr. Emmanuel Y. Angeles, Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), last January 22, 2010. Said CHED Memo essentially appeals to HEIs for flexibility in the implementation of “No Permit, No Examination Policy” or any such policy that prohibits students from taking their periodic or final examinations due to unpaid tuition and other school fees. As a background Madam President, the provisions of Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 (Education Act of 1982), and Republic Act 7722 (Higher Education Act of 1994) grant the authority to the HEIs to impose increase in the tuition and other school fees, subject to rules and regulations. However,CHED Memo Order No. 07, series of 2007, which amended Section 8 of CHED Memo Order No. 14, series of 2005, provides that any increases in the tuition and other fees in all levels to be made by private HEIs shall be subject to consultation with stakeholders… and approval of the CHED. In sum, the HEIs, Madam President, can therefore increase their tuition and other school fees provided they comply with the provisions and guidelines contained under the existing laws and issuances of the CHED. It is for this reason, Madam President, why increases in tuition and other school fees have become a perennial concern of our parents and students whenever the opening of classes would come. Madam President, it is a known fact that increases in tuition and other school fees have continue to become unabated every school year. Thus, considering the economic difficulties by many of our fellow Filipinos, the yearly increases in the said school fees have obviously become too much a burden for our parents and students to bear. Generally, Madam President, due to economic hardship, many students often delay the payment of their towering school obligations. Thus, many HEIs often impose the “No Permit, No Exam Policy” to forbid students from taking their periodic or final examinations unless they pay the balances of their unpaid tuition fees and other school charges. That is precisely why, Madam President, CHED Memorandum Order No. 02, series of 2010, was issued – to provide a momentary yet welcome relief to parents and students who are financially hard-up in life. Madam President, the rationale for the issuance of Memo No. 02, series of 2010, is contained in Section 1 thereof which provides, if I may read: “Section 1. Rationale and Background The recent economic recession has greatly affected most of the countries in the world, including the Philippines, As prices in the world market rise, the cost of basic commodities and services in the country becomes prohibitive. Education is one of the basic services that are often affected in times of economic recession. Filipino families value education in view of its role in poverty alleviation and total human capital formation. The government likewise recognizes that this is vital to the attainment of the nation’s development goals. Consequently, the unabated increases in tuition and other school fees has unduly burned affected families and students enrolled in HEIs across the nation.” Madam President, we understand that our HEIs are not without reasons for the imposition of increases in the school fees. We understand that for the most part, a huge percentage of the money collected from the increases go to the salaries of the HEIs’ teaching and non-teaching personnel, and for the upgrade of the HEIs facilities. We understand that the law allows HEIs to determine their rate of tuition and other school fees, subject to rules and regulations. And the government, particularly the CHED, can only do very little to prevent the proposed increases in tuition and other school fees. CHED for the most part can only appeal to HEIs to not impose increases, postpone such increases, and in the case of CHED Memo Order No. 02, series of 2010, allow students to take their exams despite the outstanding school fees and obligations. Time has greatly changed, Madam President, and the cost of living has soared dramatically for ordinary people to afford; wages have not really increased substantially, and the cost of education has become too expensive a commodity for the ordinary Filipinos. Madam President, I feel for our parents and students, and I feel for our HEIs as well. However, I believe that education should not be deprived for financial/economic reasons alone. In this regard, Madam President, I urge our HEIs to consider the appeal of CHED in Memo Order No. 02, series of 2010, and allow students with delinquent account to take their exams. Thank you, Madam President.
Acosta: My Edsa story
By Mabel Sunga Acosta
1st Congressional District, Davao City
I WAS born and raised in Davao City, the only daughter in a brood of six. When I passed the Upcat after high school, I eagerly looked forward to UP life. And now, looking back, I know that I got more than just an interesting university life -- I became a part of world history in that uniquely Pinoy phenomenon that is "Edsa."
The "in" thing at that time was denim and "yellow" accessories. Yellow shirts with Ninoy Aquino's face, or slogans "Di ka Nag-iisa" or "Laban" signs in yellow caps, headbands, wristbands, yellow confetti in rallies, etc., all in defiance of an oppressive Marcos rule.
I remember that so many students and teachers in the Diliman campus attended rallies in and out of the university, there was only a handful seen inside the classrooms. Such that there was a memo issued advising students to indicate their preference in the grading system between the usual numerical system or just a PASS or FAIL mark. Students running for honors chose the standard numerical grading, but most of us opted for the latter. At that time, history was unfolding and was a poor second to mere academic discussion.
After a rally inside campus, we would ride a bus that would drop us at Edsa-Kamuning. Then we would walk the far stretch of the highway all the way to Ortigas, marching, singing, looking, and finally getting lost in the crowd.
There were speakers with bullhorns, sound system playing "Bayan Ko" and other rally standards, Edru Abraham and his theater group doing a street play, a businessman giving away loads of free sandwiches from inside his car ("hay naku, mabuti na lang, salamat po!" we, hungry students would mutter), street hawkers selling bottled water and junk food, vehicles honking their horns.
There were different groups of people all doing their thing -- singing, chanting slogans, praying the rosary, gawking at celebrities, holding instant reunions with friends. There was not much pagers and cellphones then, and it was a pleasant surprise to see that friends and acquaintances were also there at Edsa sea of people from different walks of life. I even saw some high school friends like Matthew Santamaria and others, despite the crowd.
People would point out to Kuh Ledesma and the Apo Hiking Society, Teddy Boy Locsin, Mayor Binay, and other politicians and celebrities, even sexy stars that I do not recognize. Truth to tell, it was more like a day street party. Despite the presence of tanks and soldiers with loaded guns at the other end of the highway and the political crisis, there was also a mardi gras-like atmosphere in the mad adrenaline rush that followed mixed emotions of defiance, fear, awe, anxiety, patriotism, recklessness, etc.
The sea of people would sometimes overflow and sometimes thin out at different times of the day, depending on rumors of violent dispersal, Marcos leaving the country, or calls for more warm bodies to come and pray as if to exorcise coming troops, etc. Despite the uncertainty of the situation and increasing tension, the indomitable Filipino spirit ignores the danger and simply breaks free, manifesting in different forms-through songs, chants, prayers, free speech, performing arts. Or just simply walks the stretch of highway, as a curious onlooker, or as defiant citizen.
I wish I had my photo taken at Edsa. But I was just a poor "probinsyana" with a meager allowance from my Kuya Danny who was starting out as a cadet engineer in Laguna. Cameras and camera phones were not in vogue among students then. Even if they were, I could not afford them on a student's allowance. Friends from the Journ Club were luckier. Snapshots of Ed Lingao in classic dark shades, together with some nuns who were praying in front of military tanks, for instance, were immortalized in newspapers and documentaries.
The people and events that unfolded reminded me of tapestry much like the Bagobo native cloth, which is created through a painstaking and backbreaking process, and requires meditation and inspiration from the gods. But the end results of which give satisfaction not only to the body but also to the soul. While there was action in Edsa, all over the country, the Filipino people including my fellow Davaoenos, also manifested their desire for freedom and peaceful change through prayer rallies, binding the nation as one. Despite the dire situation, the deeply spiritual side of us always prevails. And that's what makes the tapestry all the more unique, significant, and complete.
I am forty years old now, and an elected city councilor in the City of Davao, married to Rey, an ex-Air Force pilot who also saw action as a government troop in the several coup attempts in the succeeding Cory Administration, a far cry from the college student that I was way back when. But the fire and fervor of hope for this nation, and faith in its people remains in me. I would tell and re-tell our four children my Edsa story, hoping that history would not be forgotten but lodge in the hearts and minds of generations of Filipinos to come.
We are a talented but confused race, some say. Perhaps, the reason why the dilemma of graft and corruption, injustice, poverty, etc. still hound us. We learn the lessons of history the hard way. Nevertheless, I am glad our soul has a steadfast homing device and always finds its way back to God in any adversity. That is why Edsa happened as it did.
When I remember Edsa, I am reminded of the many reasons why I am proud to be Pinoy. As we grow as a people, I know that we shall eventually overcome all the trials and crises before us. Nobody can bind the spirit of the Filipino.
Published at Sunstar Davao (February 24, 2006 issue)
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2006/02/24/oped/mabel.sunga.acosta.councilor.davao.city.html
“Muslims, Christians and Lumads converge in Mindanao. Peace and stability in that region rests on the people’s ability to live in harmony. Local School Boards know the local situation best and are critical to building this peace through better education. Davao City, through Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and City Councilor Mabel Acosta, chairman of the council committee on education, has built a strong Local School Board over the past decade that could serve as a model for other cities.”
One of the best
By Roger M. Balanza
Education is a major focus of the administration of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Without fanfare, Davao City has established basic foundations in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd), other national government agencies and private educational institutions to make the city’s educational system one of the best in the country.
At the core of this initiative is the Local School Board which links with DepEd to provide scholarship, infrastructures, salaries for teachers and other basic needs of the local public school system.
Outside of the public school system, the city government locks arms with private institutions to support their programs and projects and establish conditions for students to pursue their education in a safe community.
This article, from an outsider who has extensive background on the Philippine educational system, should place Davao City on top of the heap among local government units in terms of seriousness and dedication to provide for the education of children.
The author, Juan Miguel Luz, is the associate dean of the Center for Development Management at the Asian Institute of Management. He can be reached at juanmiguel.luz@gmail.com and www.mikeluz.net.
Source: DURIANBURGDAVAO
Education
A key driver of growth
By Juan Miguel Luz
FOR SCHOOLS in Mindanao, Manila is too far away to be responsive to local situations. Concerns are likely to get lost in the competition for attention in the Department of Education (DepEd).
Local School Boards (LSB) are the key to making local decisions that meet local needs. LSBs were created by the Local Government Code to help fund public school needs through the Special Education Fund. But LSBs can do much more than that.
The Davao City LSB is a case in point. More than just funding shortfalls, it has focused on interventions that, in my view, provide system-wide solutions for the entire system.
Over the past nine years, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who sees education as a key driver of growth, and councilor Mabel Sunga Acosta, who has managed the city’s education agenda as chair of the committee on education, have led the Davao City LSB.
Three very able superintendents have co-chaired the LSB in that period: Dr. Susana Estigoy (now regional director for Southern Mindanao), Dr. Gloria Labor (who retired mid-2007) and Dr. Helen Paguican. Other members include the city treasurer, the president of the Sangguniang Kabataan, the president of the city federation of Parents-Teachers Associations, the representative of teachers’ organizations and the representative of non-academic personnel of public schools.
Davao City has a significant Muslim population, both indigenous (Kalagan and Sama) and from across Mindanao (Maguindanaoan, Maranao, Badjao), a sizeable indigenous Lumad populace and migrants from the Visayas and Luzon. As the largest city in Mindanao, Davao City has 286 public elementary and 69 public high schools with over 250,000 students and 6,671 teachers (SY 2009-2010). Because of the city’s ethno-linguistic diversity, it is one of the most complex school systems in the country.
Over the past two years, the Davao City LSB has worked with an annual budget of P177 million (2008) and P204 million (2009) to fund:
Salaries of locally funded public school teachers (123 elementary and 178 secondary) to help fill the teacher shortage;
School health and nutrition, including bio-intensive gardens in 50 elementary schools for school feeding;
School-building construction and furniture;
Workbooks, materials and supplies;
Payment of water and electricity for public schools;
School sports.
These expenditures are common for LSBs nationwide. However, the Davao City LSB has pioneered in four specific areas where the potential of LSBs can best be realized.
First, it has become the venue for reviewing school and teacher performance. To succeed, these reviews have to be fair and critical. The Davao City LSB has taken politics out of teacher appointments and promotions by subjecting these to a multi-stakeholder process.
Second, in late 2002, Acosta (in her first term) brought to the attention of DepEd the issue of teacher payroll as a teacher welfare concern. With salaries paid by central office checks, she argued that because of the distance, local teachers found it very difficult to deal with the DepEd central office regarding salary discrepancies like underpayment and over-deduction. The LSB solution: regional payroll servicing.
In 2004, Region XI was the first region to decentralize teacher payroll. All teacher payroll was subsequently decentralized to regional offices nationwide by 2005.
Third, in early 2005, Davao City became one of the first three cities to set up a Library Hub to provide public schools more access to books as a way to bring up the low reading rates of elementary pupils. This was a partnership between Dole Asia, a private company that provided the seed fund, the city government which helped with the venue (an old warehouse near city hall), and DepEd. Today, over 200 Library Hubs have been set up nationwide.
The most innovative program of the Davao City LSB, however, has been its support for Madaris education as far back as 2001, even before the DepEd moved on this. An ALIVE (Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education) curriculum was developed with the DepEd to help Muslim Filipino children acquire a deeper appreciation of their culture as well as give them better learning opportunities in English, science and math.
Today, the Davao City LSB supports ALIVE in 30 public elementary schools and funds an ALIVE coordinator who supervises 104 asatidz (learned teachers) who handle the two subjects.
Finally, under the management of Acosta and Paguican, the LSB has set up a Davao City School Board Data Bank System that tracks school-by-school performance, a GIS-based school location map (to locate high schools and feeder elementary schools and match this with schooling indicators) and a joint program with the Institute of Indigenous People’s Education (IIPE) to provide a more responsive education experience for the city’s Lumad population.
Muslims, Christians and Lumads converge in Mindanao. Peace and stability in that region rests on the people’s ability to live in harmony. Local School Boards know the local situation best and are critical to building this peace through better education. Davao City, through Duterte and Acosta, has built a strong Local School Board over the past decade that could serve as a model for other cities.
January 14, 2010 (
Tocino & Chorizo making with The University of Mindanao 4th Yr. Nursing Students at Km. 6, Matina Pangi,
The Office of Mabel Sunga Acosta, Rm-19, 2nd Flr., Sangguniang Panlungsod Bldg., San Pedro st.,
Tel.# (082) 222-08-55 Loc. 218, 418 (fax), mobile#0916-937-8496, 0916-894-6274 and look for
Mr. Ariel Capidos, Ms. Donna Metran-Escosora and Ms. Eden Colina.
DXRD-AM has recently invited Councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta to their morning talk show program "Baruganan" to discuss current issues and updates on the achievements of the City Council and Local School Board.
