Connecting Calbayog's National High Schools

You are looking at pictures of some students from the Tarabucan National High School. The first one shows the usual classroom scene (something quite common in every school there is). The other picture has students in front of the computer, not just to encode assignments or projects but they were connected to the world via the internet. No big deal, you might want to say, but not for the schools in the left and right river areas of Calbayog. As of today, 8 National High Schools in Calbayog are connected. These schools are:

• Calbayog City National High School (with 10 PCs)
• Mag-ubay National High School (with 10 PCs)
• Oquendo National High School (with 10 PCs)
• Pilar Agricultural High School (with 20 PCs)
• Rafael Lentejas Memorial School of Fisheries (Tinambacan) (with 20 PCs)
• San Policarpo National High School (with 44 PCs)
• Tarabucan National High School (with 20 PCs)
• Trinidad National High School (with 31 PCs)

On the list of schools still to be connected are San Joaquin and Malaga National High Schools. Both schools are located in Tinambacan District (which many also refer to as the "along the coast" area).

This project was made possible through the tie-up between the City Government of Calbayog and Gearing up Internet Literacy and Access to Students (GILAS) Program of the Ayala Foundation.

Last Friday (January 23, 2009), Mayor Mel Sarmiento joined the representatives of Ayala Foundation and some DepEd officials for the program dubbed as "Celebration of Gilas milestone in Calbayog City: Connecting 100% of Connectible Public High Schools". The said program was held at the DepEd Calbayog Confrence Hall. After the messages were delivered, the GILAS School Recepients represented by Lolita Alera gave a message of commitment. Guests then proceeded to the Calbayog City National High School for a Tele-Conference with some teachers and students from the National High Schools in Pilar, Tarabucan and Mag-ubay. The same schools were visited by the guests after the Tele-Conference.

Mayor Sarmiento (partly hidden) talks with a student surfing the net from Brgy. Mag-ubay.

For more pictures, you may check this link.

Barangay Consultative Dialogue

About a week ago, the Sanguniang Panlungsod spearheaded a Consultative Dialogue in Barangay Pilar. On the agenda, among other issues was the peace and order situation in the left river area.

Present in the dialogue were the city officials namely Mayor Mel Sarmiento, Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino and Councilors Jonas Montealto, Arturo Pasacas, Ambrosio Dean, Susano Salurio, Virgil Clemens and Raymund Uy.

Also present were Sr. Insp. Eduardo Serrano of PNP Calbayog and 1Lt Sorelo of the 20th IB (PA).

The dialogue had for its theme: "Pulong-pulong para san mahimyang nga pag-ukoy, ngan mauswag nga kinabuhi"

Mayor Mel Sarmiento speaking before the Pilarnons who gathered for the acitivty.

Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino

Councilor Monmon Uy

Mayor Mel Sarmiento (on the rostrum) with (seated r-l) Councilors Jonas Montealto, Arturo Pasacas, Monmon Uy, Sonny Salurio, Benjie Dean and Virgil Clemens.

crossing Mabagdoc Creek

As I posted these pictures, the rains have stopped, but not the flood at the left river, specifically along Mabagdoc Creek. These pictures were forwarded to me by Efren Jordan. He took these as they crossed the area at midday yesterday. It is along the boundary between Brgy. Cag-Anibong and Brgy. Pilar. Some enterprising locales raked it in that day. One crossing cost each person 20 pesos while a motorcycle can go as much as 50 pesos.