Twenty-three students from the City College of Naga (CCN) were commended by the city government of Naga for passing the national midwifery board examinations conducted on Nov. 6-7, last year.

Dr. Magno S. Conag Jr., CCN director, said the students’ feat has brought pleasure and pride on the part of the city government.

“Our board examinees were able to achieve 74.19 percent, one thing that the school and the city government can be proud of as it surpasses the national passing percentage of 42.92,” he said.

The 23 board passers who are now licensed midwives are timetabled to pursue Bachelor of Science in Midwifery after completing the Diploma in Midwifery, a two-year course, where they are currently enrolled.

The school official said that at present they are aiming to increase the number of enrolees who wish to take up either of the two courses. “We are targeting at least 400 to 600 enrolees this incoming school year,” he said.

CCN which plans to offer Bachelor of Science in Office Administration this year, is all set for its relocation to an ideal site along the Almeda highway next month. The new site can accommodate several hundreds of students including trainees on slaughtering course. The school has 32 butchering trainees who will graduate in September this year.

Preparations with regard to CCN’s offering of new courses like BS Pharmacy, BS Radiologic Technology, and BS Medical Technology are now being undertaken.

At present, the school is conducting entrance examinations for incoming first year students. Conag said that an examinee must be a senior high school graduate and got at least a score of 50 percent in the exams to be able to qualify for enrolment.

“We are not requiring enrolees to submit their report cards upon their enrolment as it will be all right if the document will be presented to us right after school year 2021-2022 in the month of June.

The concreting of the 250-meter long road leading to the City College of Naga (CCN) from Almeda Highway and the final touches being undertaken on classrooms, like the setting of tiles on floorings of some more classrooms, are among the construction works to be completed next week at the school that will operate limited in-person classes starting May 16 this year.

Dr. Magno S. Conag Jr., CCN president, said that there are more or less 300 midwifery students and around 60 trainees in slaughtering course enrolled for School Year 2021-22 who will be the first batch to occupy the newly constructed school building.

He said that the Commission on Higher Education will inspect the school facilities and equipment to know if they are within the standards of the government agency and that the CCN is prepared for the traditional learning modality.

The school will also formally seek the city government’s approval on the planned conduct of limited face-to-face classes now being implemented in several elementary and secondary schools in the city which is under Alert Level 1 status.

Conag said thermal temperature scanners and hand washing areas were already installed in certain places at CCN and the placement of posters that remind the public of the social distancing rule.

Among the facilities and equipment to be inspected are the teaching electronic materials composed of projectors, screens, cameras, amplifiers and lapels, cable TV equipment with 6 channels, school library, and the laboratories for physics, chemistry, slaughtering and midwifery, school clinic, and the different offices.

He said the city government will allocate additional funds of P6.5 million intended for the procurement of similar devices and equipment that will be installed in the remaining rooms and other physical improvements of the school.

In a related development, Conag said that entrance examinations for those who wish to enroll for year 2022-2023 have been scheduled from May 16-27 (excluding Saturdays and Sundays), at CCN. He said the school will limit from 20 to 30 the number of examinees that will be conducted every after two hours from Monday to Friday.

For incoming first year, the enrolment period is set on June 6-10; 20-24 and the 27-30; July 1; 4-8; 11-15; 18-22; 25-29; and August 1-5, 2022. For 2nd, 3rd, 4th year students, waitlisted examinees and transferees, it will be on Aug. 1-5; and 8-12, 2022.

Students benefitting from the services of the school are almost relieved of financial difficulties due to the subsidy that the national government agency thru the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education has been extending them as learners.

Conag said that several years from now the college will offer Bachelor of Science in Office Administration, BS Pharmacy, BS Radiologic Technology, and BS Medical Technology.

FINISHING TOUCHES The two-storey 16-classroom school building of the City College of Naga undergoes enhancement works to be completed in time for the implementation of its limited in-person classes on May 16, this year. JASON NEOLA/RB/CEPPIO

The Office of the Schools Division Superintendent of the Department of Education in Naga City is readying the full implementation of the traditional learning modality in all the 41 public elementary and secondary schools under its supervision.

Schools Division Superintendent Mariano de Guzman said that at least seven of these schools have begun implementing limited face-to-face classes since March, several weeks after the city was placed under Alert Level 1.

“Limited face-to-face classes mean limited number of teachers are involved in classroom teaching and limited number of pupils are being taught for limited number of hours,” the DepEd official said.

Marilyn Ste. Felipe, school principal of Del Rosario Elementary School, said kinder pupils are attending classes from 7:15 AM to 10:30 AM while pupils from Grades 1-3, 7:15 AM to 11:45 AM and those in Grades 4 to 6, 12:00 noon to 4:30 PM.

At the moment, DepEd Naga has over 10 schools nominated to implement the same learning system as part of the DepEd Naga’s effort to expand the adoption of the progressive expanded limited face-to-face classes.

De Guzman, however, said that there’s no advice yet from the DepEd main office as to when the regular classes will formally start.

He said the four schools constructed under the administration of Mayor Nelson Legacion will immediately be included in the implementation of the progressive expanded limited in-person classes once they have completed the requirements being asked for by the DepEd regional office.

One of the basic requirements is the installation of hand-washing areas and other facilities that will allow students and school personnel to follow the health and safety protocols against Covid-19.

These schools are the Sta. Cruz National High School, Balatas National High School, San Isidro National High School, and the Yabu Elementary School.

De Guzman said the DepEd allows even unvaccinated students to attend the progressive expanded limited in-person classes, which conforms to the recent pronouncement of Mayor Legacion.

Nagkaoyon kasoodma an lokal na gobyerno kan syudad asin an pamayo kan Department of Education sa Naga kabali na an mga school principals na i-oktaba muna an pediatric vaccination sa Naga City Mega Vaccination Site sa Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum.

Boot sabihon, dae muna gigiboohon an nakatalaan na vaccination sa aga, Byernes, Nobyembre 5, sa mga aki na yaon sa edad 12 sagkod 17 anyos tanganing tawan nin dalan an orientation o pagpasabot sa kaakian kan karahayan kan vaccination program asin pakikipag olay o pagkonsulta sa mga magurang.

Pig-oyonan pa man kan mga head of schools asin principals magin kan mga pribadong eskwelahan na gibohon school-based an child vaccination o an pagbosol nin pagbakuna sa mismong ekwelahan kan aki.

Nagtaong halimbawa si Mayor Nelson Legacion na kun an sarong aki taga Concepcion Pequeña, siya mapabakuna sa Concepcion Pequeña National High School siring man kun taga Barangay Tinago an aki, siya mapabakuna sa Tinago National High School.

Sa sitwasyon kan mga aking nag-aadal sa pribadong eskwelahan, pigsabi kan alkalde na sa saindang eskwelahan sinda mapabakuna, arog kan aki na nag eeskwela sa St. Joseph School School, siya babakunahan sa nasambit na eskwelahan.

Pigpaliwanag kan alkalde na tatawan nin prayoridad sa barakunahan an mga aki na nag eestar sa laog kan syudad nin Naga, pagkatapos na sinda mabakunahan dangan isusunod an mga aking nag eestar sa mga pagtaraed na banwaan.

Pigtawan du-on kan alkalde na mawot kan syudad na makumpleto tolos an pagbakuna sa 70 porsyento kan mga taga-Naga. Ini man an rason kun taano ta boot kan syudad na gibohon an vaccination magin sa mga eskwelahan asin bako lang sa JMR Coliseum.

Sa tahaw kaini, pigtawan pang du-on kan alkalde an nagpapadagos na Barangay Vaccination program, pwera pa kan mga barakunahan na piggigibo sa Naga College, Ateneo de Naga University, asin sa Unibersidad de Nueva Caceres.

Pigsaysay kan alkalde na maibobosol na toltol an child vaccination huli kan marikas, malinaw, asin turuwang na pagplano dapit sa bagay na ini. Sarong group chat kan mga pamayo nin mga pampubliko asin pribadong eskwelahan sa Naga an nakatalaan hamanon para sa paghanda sa mahiwas asin lagduan na child vaccination program.

Sa primerong pagkakataon, nakatalaan na gibohon an duwang magkasabay na vaccination program para sa kaakian sa Byernes, Nobyembre 5, ngonian na taon. Pigpiling pilot areas para sa pediatric vaccination an Naga City Mega Vaccination Site (Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum) asin an Bicol Medical Center.

Segun ki Dr. Joey Rañola, Infectious Disease specialist kan hospital, target ninda an 500 na mga aki sa laog kan enot na aldaw kan mass vaccination.

Boot ipaabot kan doktor sa mga magurang na kaipuhan igwa nin certification gikan sa pediatrician an saindang mga aki kun igwa nin comorbidity. Saro pang requirement tanganing matawan nin vaccine an siisay man na aki, kaipuhan igwa nin parent’s consent.

Sa lado kan syudad nin Naga, pigpahayag ni Dr. Butch Borja, city health officer, na an mga babakunahan na aki kaipuhan yaon sa edad poon 12 hanggan 17 anyos. Sinabi pa kaini na Pfizer asin Moderna vaccines an gagamiton siring kan pig-aprobaran kan Bureau of Food and Drugs Administration (BFAD).

An barakunahan na pigbobosol kan syudad pigpaplanuhan na gibohon sa mga public schools sa maarabot pang aldaw para sa mas mahiwas asin lagduan na coverage kan programa. Pigpahayag ni Borja na pigheheling ninda na pwedeng aboton sa 10,000 sagkod sa 12,000 na mga aki an mabenepisyo kan nakatalaan na barakunahan na regular nang gigibohon sagkod sa makumpleto an numero kan mga kaakian sa laog kan syudad.

Isasabay na man sa pagbakuna an mga magurang o guardians na dae pa bakunado tanganing masyerto an saindang pagiging ligtas.

Update sa vaccination program kan syudad, sa pinakahuring datos (October 25, 2021) sa 209,107 na Nagueño, 62,148 an nagresibe nan in first dose mantang 47, 059 an fully vaccinated.

The city government of Naga has put up Wi-Fi connections in 5 barangays selected as pilot areas for its community Wi-Fi program.

The project aims to provide students in elementary, secondary, and tertiary level with free online internet access, especially those whose families are hard-up and cannot afford to pay for such services.

“Within year 2021, we are planning to install more connections to cover the entire 27 barangays with at least 1 connection every barangay,” Reuel Oliver, head of the city’s Information and Technology Office, said.

He said that the city needs to deploy a total number of 135 community Wi-Fi to completely undertake the project after one more year based on the directive of Mayor Nelson Legacion who discussed the plan late last month with youth groups.

The 5 pilot barangays that now operate their respective community Wi-Fi after they were installed with modem and other equipment are the Barangay Tabuco (Fraternidad Street), Barangay Peñafrancia (Sitio Sagrada Familia), Barangay Lerma and the urban poor sites in the barangays of Pacol and Calauag.

The project will be managed by the Sangguniang Kabataan Council and youth organizations in the barangays who will be the ones to issue internet vouchers to students to be able to avail free internet access.

Oliver said that they ensure that the installation of community WIFIs will not affect or interrupt the operations of other internet connections in the communities.

He also said that the community WIFI are ready to extend services 24 hours a day, however, the access that will be given to each individual user will vary depending on the time they will need it. “Most of our college students prefer to spend their time for doing their home-works at night,” he said.

While in the stage of budget preparation, the City Budget Office of the city government of Naga said that it is likely to endorse for Sangguniang Panlungsod approval an annual budget of P1.6-B for year 2022. The LGU’s budget last year was P1.4 billion.

City Budget Officer Francisco M. Mendoza said that at moment all the departments and offices of the city government are presenting their individual budget proposals to the public via zoom with the members of the Naga City People’s Council (NCPC) and other representatives of different sectors in the city. It can also be seen in the Naga City government Facebook page.

He said the public presentation of budgets serves as a facility for the local government’s offices and departments to inform the people of their priority goals in the coming year and report how they dealt with their respective financial plans and finances in previous year.

The budget office plans to submit the city’s proposed annual budget to the city council for approval in October 2021.

The budget officer who also serves as the LGU’s administrator said that it can be presumed at this early that the primordial thrust of the city next year will again be the sound management of Covid-19 responses.

“Aside from that, we also aim to continue to undertake interventions that seek to revive the local economy,” he said.

Mendoza said the city’s community employment program (CEP) is among those that can expect a bigger budget next year along with the Business Stimulus Program and Tabang Tugang.

CEP provides short-term 10-day community work at minimum wage to those who were displaced from their jobs due to the pandemic while the Business Stimulus Program provides interest-free loan to various types of businesses similar to the Tabang Tugang which aimed at providing displaced workers with zero-interest loans to be able to establish online and offline livelihood ventures.

He also bared that the LGU is also planning to hire more skilled and non-skilled Nagueño workers for its long-term projects like the construction of new roads, establishment of new development areas, construction of new hospital and other development works to be able to provide them with long-term benefits and bigger incomes.

In a separate interview, City Engineer Alexander Caning said that the LGU was able to generate more than 13,000 construction works due to its various infrastructure projects. He said these projects were undertaken with workers who are residents of the city.

Expected to get a bigger allocation too in the 2022 annual budget are programs on social welfare, nutrition, scholarship, medical assistance and other forms of services being provided for the benefit of the constituency.