Latest news with #Bayanihan
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Marcos vows overtime pay for teachers, pushes digital learning upgrades
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday promised long-awaited reforms for public school teachers, including compensation for overtime work and teaching overload, while ramping up efforts to digitalize education nationwide. In his fourth State of the Nation Address, Marcos acknowledged the daily burdens faced by teachers, pledging stronger institutional support to ensure their well-being and effectiveness in the classroom. 'At ngayong school year na ito, makakatanggap na kayo ng kabayaran para sa inyong teaching overload at para sa inyong overtime,' he said. (This school year, you will start receiving compensation for your teaching overload and overtime.) The announcement comes after years of appeals from education stakeholders for fairer compensation. Teachers' groups have long called out unpaid extra hours due to paperwork, lesson planning, and administrative tasks. To ease the workload, Marcos said his administration had already removed nearly 100 non-teaching documents previously required from teachers. The rest, he noted, would soon be digitalized—streamlining processes to allow teachers to focus more on instruction. 'Gagawin na din nating digital ang mga natitira pang papel na kailangan ninyong asikasuhin. Para puwede na ninyo itong gawin online—diretso na mula sa inyong mga bagong laptop!' (We will digitize the remaining documents you need to process—so you can do them online, straight from your new laptops!) As part of the broader digital push, Marcos announced that laptops for public school teachers are being distributed, assuring the public there were no irregularities in procurement. 'Ngayo'y nagdaratingan na ang mga laptop na laan para sa bawat guro sa public school. Tiniyak natin na walang anomalya sa pagbili ng mga laptops na ito,' he said. (Laptops intended for every public school teacher have started arriving. We made sure that there were no anomalies in the purchase of these laptops.) Supporting this digital shift are additional learning technologies such as smart TVs, free Wi-Fi in last-mile schools, and SIM cards with data load under the 'Bayanihan SIM' initiative. 'Nakahanda na ang mga high-tech at digital na mga materyales, mga smart TVs, libreng Wi-Fi, at libreng load sa Bayanihan SIM card,' the President said. (High-tech and digital materials, smart TVs, free Wi-Fi, and free load through the Bayanihan SIM card are now ready.) These resources aim to equip both learners and educators with tools that match modern-day demands—especially critical as the country continues to recover from pandemic-era learning disruptions. Marcos emphasized that educational recovery remains at the core of his administration's priorities. Programs like the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) initiative, early childhood care development, and expanded remedial and tutoring sessions were cited as key efforts. Still, he pointed out that the nation continues to face serious challenges in learning outcomes, particularly in reading, math, and science. To address this, the President stressed the need for both systemic interventions and teacher empowerment. Marcos also reiterated the need for outcome-based performance metrics, moving away from a mere headcount of passed students. 'Asahan po ninyo na hindi gagawing sukatan ng galing o ng performance ninyo ang dami lamang ng estudyanteng inyong pinapasa. Kundi, ang dami ng mag-aaral na inyong pinapahusay at pinapataas ang ambisyon sa buhay,' he told teachers. (Rest assured, your performance will no longer be judged merely by the number of students you pass, but by how many you empower and inspire to aim higher in life.) In line with addressing the education workforce shortage, Marcos said the government had added 60,000 new teaching positions, giving jobs to thousands of licensed educators. He also reiterated support for expanding classroom infrastructure, with 40,000 new classrooms targeted before the end of his term. Marcos concluded the education segment of his address by calling on Congress for continued budgetary support, emphasizing that investment in education is investment in the nation's future. 'Kung tayo ay nagpupundar ng malaki para sa imprastraktura, mas malaki pa ang pinupundar natin para sa ating mamamayan,' he declared. (If we are investing heavily in infrastructure, we are investing even more in our people.) —AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
06-06-2025
- General
- GMA Network
EcoWaste Coalition pushes for eco-friendly Brigada Eskwela 2025
Zero waste advocate EcoWaste Coalition called on schools to conduct eco-friendly Brigada Eskwela events scheduled from June 9 to 13, 2025. In a statement on Friday, the group said that ecological Brigada Eskwelas will help in creating an environment free of pollution for students as the school year opens on June 16. 'We enjoin our schools across the country to conduct this unique expression of the Bayanihan spirit in the most eco-friendly manner possible to avoid garbage and pollution, which may pose health and environmental risks during and even after the Brigada Eskwela,' said EcoWaste Coalition national oordinator Aileen Lucero. EcoWaste Coalition encouraged participating schools and individuals to follow a set of reminders: Reduce generation of preventable trash. Reduce release of environmental toxins. Reduce exposure risks from hazardous chemicals. Reduce emissions and residual waste 'An ecological Brigada Eskwela will also contribute to the advancement of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment," the coalition said. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News
SBS Australia
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
Melbourne's Filipino seniors to lead 127th Philippine Independence Day tribute to heroes old and new
Bayanihan in Melbourne Inc. is a group of mostly senior citizens dedicated to combating loneliness through social activities and cultural engagement. The event, themed "Greatness of the Past, Strength of the Present," will pay tribute to figures from Dr José Rizal to modern heroes, including nurses, legal advocates, and community changemakers—featuring Rizal's great-granddaughter, now living in Melbourne. Set to take place at St Peter's Eastern Hill Hall, Melbourne, the celebration will include cultural performances, games highlighting Philippine national symbols, and opportunities for social connection. SBS Filipino 29/05/2025 10:56 In an interview with SBS Filipino, Versie Tamblyn, president of Bayanihan in Melbourne, shared that her personal modern-day heroes are mothers. "Mothers sacrifice so much, especially here in Australia, where there's often little help with raising children, unlike in the Philippines, where you might have nannies, parents, and extended family for support. Mothers are often forgotten, even by their own children, yet they continue to love unconditionally. That's why, for me, mothers are true modern-day heroes.' 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
CBC
03-05-2025
- CBC
Northerners come together to honour victims of Vancouver Lapu Lapu Day festival attack
Hundreds attended vigils in Whitehorse, Yellowknife on Friday Hundreds of people gathered in Whitehorse and Yellowknife on Friday to show solidarity with the victims of last week's attack at a Filipino cultural festival in Vancouver. On April 26, a man drove through a crowd of people at the city's Lapu Lapu Day Block Party, killing 11 people and injuring more than 20 others. The festival was a joyful event honouring Datu Lapu Lapu, an Indigenous Filipino freedom fighter who resisted Spanish and Portuguese colonization in the Philippines in the 16th century. Since the attack, communities across Canada have organized vigils and donations for the victims of the tragedy. Friday was also designated a provincial day of mourning in British Columbia. Yellowknife vigil The Yellowknife vigil was organized by the Philippines Cultural Association of Yellowknife (PCAY) and held at Somba K'e Civic Plaza outside of Yellowknife city hall. The event was called Luksang Bayan, meaning Community of mourning. PCAY president Narlie Dapilos began the ceremony by speaking to the Filipino values of Kapwa — solidarity with others — and Bayanihan — coming together — that he saw embodied in the crowd of well over a hundred people, of all demographics. "The significance of this vigil is to show that support, show that Kapwa, that Bayanihan spirit, that we are there for them. Even though we are not there physically, we are there for those who are affected by the tragedy," Dapilos told the crowd. Those remarks were followed by a prayer from Father Brando, a priest who travelled to the event from Norman Wells, N.W.T., a town about 685 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife. The crowd then took 11 minutes of silence to remember each of the victims who died in the attack. Before the event, Dapilos told CBC News that one of the organization's goals was to provide a communal space for members of Yellowknife's Filipino community to heal from the tragedy. "There's strength in community, there's strength in solidarity," he said. "No one has to go through things alone." Image | Yellowknife vigil for Lapu Lapu Day attack Caption: The Luksang Bayan community vigil in Yellowknife included 11 minutes of silence for the people killed in the Vancouver attack. (Sarah Krymalowski/CBC) Open Image in New Tab Cheiyenne Fontanilla, who volunteered to make signs for the event, said it was good to see so many people come together in a time of such sadness. "This Indigenous Filipino concept of Kapua, this shared sense of community, of self, of kindred, it just reflects what Yellowknife, as a community, is as a whole," Fontanilla said. Whitehorse vigil The Whitehorse vigil took place at the Healing Pole on Front Street in the city's downtown. The Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, the Community Cache and the Canadian Filipino Association Yukon (CFAY) organized the event. Leaders from various community groups spoke in solidarity with the Filipino community at the gathering. Lianne Charlie, an organizer who is also a faculty member with the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning, hoped the gathering would be an opportunity for different communities to learn from each other and heal together. "As a Northern Tutchone woman, I know that, for our people, we have ethics of caring and sharing. These ethics are embedded in other people's cultures as well," Charlie said. "I really like the idea of us learning that about each other." Community leaders at the gathering spoke of the support the Yukon Filipino community has shown to others. During the gathering, Saba Javed, a member of the Yukon Muslim Society, recalled how the Filipino community immediately welcomed his family — one of the only Pakistani families around. "We have to return that embrace," Javed said. James Antopina, speaking on behalf of the Canadian Filipino Association Yukon during the event, said the support from other communities this past week has meant a lot to him. "As a member of the Filipino community, I can see now how I felt that we are not alone as a minority community," he said. Antopina named the gathering 'I belong to community.' He hopes that message will resonate with each person who attended the gathering. "I wanted the message to be personal," he said.
Saudi Gazette
28-04-2025
- Saudi Gazette
Sorrow and fury among Vancouver's Filipinos after attack on festival
VANCOUVER, Canada — Vancouver's Lapu Lapu festival, meant to be a celebration of Filipino pride, ended in a wail of sirens and screams. Eleven people died and many more were hospitalized after a man drove an SUV through the crowd. "A lot of us are still numb. A lot of us are still angry, confused, sad, devastated — and some of us don't know how to feel, what to feel," said R.J. Aquino, chairman of Filipino B.C., the organization that put on the festival. He spoke at a vigil attended by hundreds of people from across the Lower Mainland on Sunday night. "Honestly, I'm kind of all of the above right now," he added. That was the sense I got from talking to people in the neighbourhood around the festival site all day: an intense mix of shock, sorrow and two Filipino friends I met on the street where it happened, Roger Peralta and Bjorn both arrived in Canada in 2016 and were having a fabulous evening at the festival, listening to the music and eating the food of their homeland."Suddenly I hear this unimaginable noise," Bjorn said."It was a loud bang," Roger men describe seeing bodies bouncing off an SUV just meters away from them."I did not run away," Bjorn said. "I actually followed the vehicle, because I felt like I could stop him."It was horrendous. A lot of people are just lying on the street and crying and begging for help."Almost a day later, Roger said he had not been able to sleep and was in shock, seeing flashes of horror in his mind over and over and finding himself having to stop and he also talked of a strong Filipino spirit that he said will lift the community."We have in our culture Bayanihan," he said. It translates as a spirit of unity and cooperation among Filipinos."When you meet another Filipino, even if you don't know them, you greet them, you feel like they're family, even if you're not."The Premier of British Columbia, David Eby, paid tribute to the Filipino community."I don't think there's a British Columbian who hasn't been touched in some way by the Filipino community."You can't go to a place that delivers care in our province and not meet a member of that community."Our long-term care homes, our hospitals, child care, schools. This is a community that gives and gives."Bjorn, who works at a hospital as a magnetic resonance imaging technologist, agreed."We are very caring people," he he and Roger were furious the SUV got into the crowd in the first place. They said they felt let down by Eby said he feels that rage too."But I want to turn the rage that I feel into ensuring that we stand with the Filipino community," he said in front of a police cruiser blocking access to the crime scene."This event does not define us and the Filipino community or that celebration." — BBC
