MANILA, Philippines--The Department of Education (DepEd) will push for revisions in the Local Government Code when the 15th Congress convenes to promote well-organized and empowered local school boards (LSBs). In a forum attended by school superintendents and local officials this week, DepEd Assistant Secretary for special projects Jonathan Malaya said that the Code has ambiguities that confuse LSBs in carrying administrative functions, in preparing budget proposals, and in disbursing their supplementary funds. The DepEd, realizing the need to decentralize the powers to the LSBs for the effective delivery of education services, said that having strong LSBs is the key in meeting the Millennium Development Goal of providing education for all. The Local Government Code of 1991 identified local officials and school officers as [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

They just keep on rolling in. Naga City once again garnered another award after the regional office of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) selected its Project Monitoring Committee (PMC) as the most outstanding in Bicol. Incumbent city councilor and mayor-elect Atty. John Bongat was on hand along with other members of Naga?s PMC during the full council meeting of the Regional Development Council (RDC) for the awarding last May 26. The RDC, headed by Albay Governor Joey Salceda, convened at the NEDA building in Rawis, Legaspi City. In 2008, Naga was also chosen as the having the most outstanding PMC. The city government placed second the year after before regaining the top spot this year. According to mayor-elect Bongat, NEDA?s recognition of Naga?s [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Proving that they are not pushovers, members of Naga City?s Persons with Disabilities (PWD) sector expressed support for incumbent city councilor David Nathan Casper Sergio, who is running for reelection. According to Chris Molin, president of Naga?s PWD Association, they have long supported Sergio and his programs for members of their sector. Sergio, who suffers from a limp due to a bout with Polio as a child, has pushed for the empowerment of the PWD sector in Naga. The city councilor recently recommended the creation of a special office that would cater to the specific needs of Naga?s physically handicapped. Molin and other members of the PWD association have joined the campaign trail as volunteers for Sergio and Team Naga. [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

Living up to its motto of ?Ubos kun ubos, gabos kun gabos,? the candidates of Team Naga swept all city posts in another landslide victory. Monday?s post capped the election period which was marred by allegations of massive last-minute vote buying and vicious mudslinging. Despite the candidacy and massive campaigning by former city mayor Sulpicio Roco and CASURECO II director Atty. Adan Botor, city councilor Atty. John Bongat emerged as the new chief executive of Naga. As predicted by various surveys, most notably that of the Ateneo Social Science Research Center (ASSRC), Bongat won a landslide victory, garnering 32,231 votes against Botor?s 13,370 and Roco?s 12,088. Translated into percentage points, Bongat was able to get 55.87% of all votes while Botor received 23.18%. Roco, [...]

Read the rest of this entry »

The smiling faces of candidates on walls, electric posts, and trees would soon disappear. That is, until the next election in 2013. The city government of Naga, through the initiative of city Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) head Oscar Orozco, has embarked on a massive clean-up drive of the city?s main thoroughfares. In a memorandum issued by the city mayor?s office last week, city hall employees and PNP personnel went to the streets last Saturday armed with buckets of water, spatulas, steel brushes, and improvised cleaning equipment to scrape off election posters. Like many other towns and cities, Naga was not spared from the onslaught of paper posters and tarpaulins by candidates for local and national posts. However, Orozco notes that this [...]

Read the rest of this entry »