July 26-August 1, 2010

P35-M Dao district hospital now 37% complete — Agana

by Gerry T. Pagharion

       ROXAS CITY ––– Provincial engineer Edgar Agana disclosed that the construction of the P35-million Gerardo Roxas Memorial District Hospital in Dao, Capiz is now 37 percent complete.

       Since the project  was started  the last week of February this year, work has been unhampered and, within 450 days, it will finally be finished, Agana said in an interview.  Thus, the hospital is expected to be operational either by March or April next year.

       The project, funded by the Department of Health, will boost the delivery of  health services to the people in the second district as well as enable them to avail themselves  of modern hospital equipment.

       The putting up of health facilities in Capiz, foremost of which is the Dao district hospital, is in line with Gov. Victor Tanco’s thrust of ensuring healthy Capiceños, Agana said.

       Aside from the aforesaid hospital, Tanco also pushed for the renovation of 14 health facilities like the Botica sa Barangay and birthing clinics costing P12 –million and providing medical and other various kinds of equipment to the rural health units, it was learned from Agana.

       In a report, the governor disclosed that the Province has also seen to it to ensure the availability of cheap but high quality of medicines in the 85 Botika sa Barangays which the Province has established.  It also has procured P1.5-million worth of medicines and distributed these to 5 government hospitals.

       Meanwhile, Capiz provincial administrator Jose Villanueva revealed that since the PhilHealth program of the province was institutionalized, it has increased its enrollment in the PhilHealth Indigency Program.  To date, he said, Capiz is now “universally covered” by the program.  Which means that at least 85 percent of the Province’ s target beneficiaries are now covered by the program.

       Because of these, the Province was among the few local government units and Governor Tanco among the few local chief executives who received an award, Villanueva added.

July 19-25, 2010

2 Capiz villages are dengue ‘hot spots’

By Jimen B. Guillermo, PIA

     ROXAS CITY -––  Two barangays in Capiz are already considered as dengue hot spots.

According to Information Officer Jeoffry Espiritu of the Provincial Health Office of Capiz, barangays Banica and Lawaan in Roxas City are also considered as dengue hot spot areas.

     He explained that to be considered as hot spot area, a barangay must have at least 2 to 4 dengue cases in a week for 4 consecutive weeks.

Data from the PHO disclosed that from January to July 17 this year, Capiz has already 1,006 dengue cases with 8 fatalities.

     Of the total dengue victims in the province, 292 of whom are in Roxas City, Espiritu said, adding that the city has already recorded 3 deaths.

     On the other hand, Roxas City Health Office Program Coordinator Mignon Bermejo said the city’s Sanitary Inspectors are already conducting barangay-based inspections and surveillance especially in the declared hot spot areas here.

     Bermejo stressed that they are also closely coordinating with the barangay officials and different schools for the clean-up drive, particularly destroying the breeding sites of mosquitoes.

     Meanwhile, Department of Health representative in Capiz Dr. Elmer Bucayan pointed out that with the declaration of some areas as dengue hot spots, the people in the barangay must be mobilized to do their share in this clean-up drive.

     Bucayan also said that express lanes for dengue patients must also be put in place in all public and private hospitals, including the rural health units.

     “Persons having fever must already be considered as dengue case and must be closely monitored,” he said, adding that said patients must be given priority attention through the express lane.

     He also encouraged health officials throughout Capiz to have a simultaneous one-time “big-bang” information drive about the increasing number dengue cases in the province.

July 12-18, 2010

FCC now a university

By Gerry T. Pagharion and Edalyn B. Acta

       ROXAS CITY ––– The Filamer Christian College, a 106 year-old private institution, has been granted the University Status by the Commission on Higher Education effective July 14 this year.

       This  was   disclosed  by FCC officials led by its president, Dr. Expedito Señeres, and its Board of Trustees led by its chair  Rev. Eliseo Fantilaga,   during a press conference July 16.

       From a  school for the poor and the orphaned children established by the American missionaries in August of 1904, FCC has grown to become one of the leading institutions in Capiz today, serving a total of 4,712 students in elementary, secondary and tertiary levels.

       Thus, from being known as  “Home School,” then as   “Filamer Christian Institute” and, later, as   “Filamer Christian College,” the school has been  renamed  Filamer Christian University or FCU to conform with its present status.

       In a letter dated July 14, 2010, CHED chair Emmanuel Y. Angeles  declared that the FCC, in accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No.7722, otherwise known as the “Higher Education Act of 1994,” and by virtue of Resolution No. 186-2010 dated July 14,2010 of the Commission en banc,   the Filamer Christian College is hereby granted University Status.

        Earlier, on July 12 this year, Angeles led a team of five CHED commissioners and three CHED regional directors in validating the recommendations of the evaluators who were tasked to look into the viability of the FCC as a university.

A YEAR’S TIME

       Salvio Llanera, dean of the school’s Graduate School and designated as chairman of the University Task Force, said they have applied for a University Status in June last year. In a year’s time, they  got the title, he said, the shortest ever for  schools which applied for such Status.

       It took some schools 15 to 20 years to become universities.  FCC only waited for one year.  The Cordillera University in Baguio, according to Llanera, waited for four years before it realized its dream of becoming a university.

       With the granting of its new status came the need to upgrade the capabilities of the school’s  faculty members in the tertiary level.   Thus, starting 2011, all teachers of the school must have at least a Master’s Degree.   And by 2015, they  must be holders of the Doctorate Degrees.

       Señeres disclosed that the school will offer Bachelor of Science in Information System and Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.                                   Board of Trustee member Jessie Contreras, who is also the administrator of the Emmanuel Hospital, said they expect an increase in enrolment in the coming years. And the school would do within its capability to accommodate the increase by being “pro-active” rather than “re-active.”

       As part of the upgrading of its facilities, construction of the school’s library is now ongoing and is expected to be finished in two years.  The university library will also cater for public use, it was learned.

DOCTORATE STUDY

       It was also stressed during the press con that should there be local issues, such as the perennial flooding in Capiz that need attention, the school can enter into a memorandum of agreement with the city and provincial governments for the FCU to make a “doctorate study.”

       Fantilaga, in his closing remarks, said the granting of a University Status is a process, a long process and it came 106 years after its existence. Everyone, he said, has a role in the “making of a university.”

       He said that becoming a university “is a dream of the American missionaries” to introduce a quality education in a Christian atmosphere.”

       Also present during the press con were the other  members of the FCU Board of Trustees: Samuel Felasor, Violeta Barredo, George Cortel, Mariano Dioso Jr., Nilo Delfin  and  Lucy de la Fuente.

       The name Filamer is a combination of the word Filipino and American as an acknowledgement of the role that the latter played in the establishment of the school.

       The late Capiz Rep. Gerardo “Dinggoy” Roxas Jr. called it the “UP of Capiz” because of its “liberal policies” that enabled students to exercise their “academic freedom.”

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

       It all started in 1900 when American Baptist missionaries in Jaro, Iloilo led by Mrs. Peter H. J. Lerrigo began their missionary work in Capiz.

       Aside from extending medical help to the poor and the needy, Lerrigo’s group also attended to the spiritual needs of Capiz residents.

       Soon, a group of Capiceño believers built a small chapel near the river, which is about 50 meters from the school’s present site known as “Capiz Hill” because of its elevated terrain.

       In December of 1903, Baptist missionary Celia Sainz arrived in Capiz to begin training “Bible Women,” a term coined to refer to women capable of propagating the words of the Bible.

       Iloilo-based Rev. Joseph Robbins spent the whole month of January 1904 in Capiz assisting Dr. Lerrigo.  Later that year, the Robbins family moved to Capiz and organized Sunday school activities for children under the auspices of the Amercian Baptist Church in Mission Society.

       Then sometime in August of 1904, the Robbins received a note from the chief of the now defunct Capiz Constabulary requesting them to take charge of orphaned children and those whose parents were placed behind bars for crimes and other unlawful acts.

       One of those was named Regina.  She and her two brothers were taken by the Robbins into their home.  This was on top of the seven children that the couple had been feeding daily.

       Thus, the deep concern of the missionaries for the poor and neglected children of Capiz grew that it finally gave birth to a Home School, then renamed Filamer Christian Institute and, later, Filamer Christian College.    

2nd UNIVERSITY

IN    CAPIZ  

       FCU is the second university in Capiz, the first being the Capiz State University with a main campus in Roxas City, and branches in Dumarao, Pontevedra, Pilar, Mambusao, Sapian, Tapaz and Jamindan towns.

       It is an affiliate of Capiz Emmanuel Hospital and is a sister school of Central Philippine University and Iloilo Mission Hospital in Iloilo City.

NO INCREASE

Lawyer Mariano Dioso, a member of the FCC Board, said there will be no increase in tuition fees.  Instead, FCU will set a high standard of qualifications for its faculty members who are required to have doctorate degrees.

July 4-11, 2010

Tutor who forced pupil to ‘eat’ crumpled paper probed

      ROXAS CITY –––  A teacher in the Agbalo  Elementary School in Panay town in Capiz is now under investigation reportedly for  lodging a crumpled paper into the mouth  of her pupil as a form of disciplinary action   during a classroom incident on  June 15 this year.

      Class adviser Gelisa Bocala, said to be a native of Bacolod City, and has reportedly made it as a “rule” in her Class that whoever is found guilty of littering, he or she would be made to eat the littered object.

      The female victim, a Grade 3 pupil and a resident of the nearby Barangay Cogon, also in Panay,   had been badly traumatized as a result of the incident.  She   has since transferred to another school in nearby Pontevedra town.

      The June 15 incident started when one of the victim’s classmates reportedly called the attention of Bocala to a crumpled paper atop the desk of the pupil.

      Bocala reportedly then reminded her pupils of her standing rule, which is to let the guilty one “eat” the littered object.

      The teacher reportedly then took the crumpled paper, asked the “guilty” pupil to open her mouth and then stuffed the crumpled paper into it.  

      The victim’s father, Efren Bulao, wrote members of the local media July 6 asking for their help to ensure transparency in the “Committee Hearing” called by the Department of Education-Division of Panay “to give justice to my daughter.”

      The hearing, set at 9 a.m. July 8 inside the Panay Central School compound in Poblacion, Panay, where the DepEd- Division of Panay building was located, was held closed-door.  Broadcasters from dyVR and dyOW Bombo Radyo  who came to cover the hearing were reportedly not allowed to enter the hearing venue. This raised suspicion of a possible white-wash.

      Bulao told reporters here that all he wanted was to give the teacher a lesson.  The teacher had reportedly apologized for her “abusive act”  and has since warned Bulao that he would only “incur more expenses” if he would push through the case.

      “What do you want me to do?  I already  have  apologized,” Bocala was said to have confronted Bulao.

      The teacher was also said to have told Bulao that the most that can be meted to her as a punishment “is a one-month suspension.”

      Bulao said the teacher  was apparently  trying to discourage him from pursuing the case by warning him of the  “complicated process and the  expensive cost” it may entail.

JUNE 28 –– JULY 4, 2010

18 cases of motorcycle theft during 2-month period bared

By Gerry T. Pagharion

      ROXAS CITY ––  Eighteen cases of motorcycle theft were reported to the police here during the two-month (May-June, 2010) period.

      This was disclosed by Supt. Leo Batiles during a recent press conference here.  Of this number, Batiles said, four units were recovered.

      In the wake of this rampant stealing of motorcycles, Batiles advised motorcycle owners to properly secure their units.  He disclosed that one of the suspects was found to have been both involved in motorcycle stealing and  illegal drugs.

      Batiles said they have already tackled the problem with the provincial command after this has reached the attention of Sr. Supt. Josephus Angan, police director of Capiz.  A task force, known as Task Fore Pag-ulikid, has been formed to track down motorcycle theft suspects,he said.

      Owners of stolen motorcycles reportedly have had a hard time recovering their units as these were reportedly dismantled with only their engines being preserved with other parts thrown into the seas.  Thus, once the units are dismantled, there was no way they could recover them, it was learned.

      The engines are reportedly used to run the pump boats, it was further learned.

      In line with this, Batiles said he had ordered the deployment of patrol cars in strategic vicinities and intensity police visibility by  having policemen in civilian clothes deployed in such areas to prevent the occurrence of similar cases.