Billions worth of DepEd learning materials have been sitting in warehouses since 2021, depriving students of access to resources. This involves public funds. What led to this mess? Read this
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exclusive:
JUST IN. In an unprecedented move, over 1,200 Filipino bishops, priests, and deacons officially endorse VP Leni Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan, who are running for president and vice president, respectively.
#WeDecide
#PHVote
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To date, only 4 countries in the world still have not reopened schools since the pandemic began in March 2020. By the end of September, there will only be two — Philippines and Venezuela.
Bangladesh and Kuwait will reopen on September 12 and September 27, respectively.
We're now on week 2 of Marcos presidency. Still, no DOH secretary. COVID-19 cases are on the rise again.
The secretary of health is a very crucial Cabinet position during this time, as the official would inherit the country’s battle against the pandemic.
JUST IN. Senator Risa Hontiveros says there are around 20.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines wasted as of August, amounting to P10.33 billion.
More details soon on Rappler.
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JUST IN. Health workers file complaints vs NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lorraine Badoy over violation of code of conduct and ethical standards of the medical profession thru relentless red-tagging of health workers.
They want her license as physician revoked.
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Senator Raffy Tulfo questions why DepEd schools are asking contribution from students to buy electric fans as there should be allocated budget for it under MOOE.
"Just imagine every single year kailangan mag contribute ng electric fan ng mga estudyante," he says.
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NEWS UPDATE: Unlike DepEd, CHED chair Popoy de Vera says that the commission will not issue blanket policy for in-person classes. CHED leaves the decision to colleges and university to decide for face-to-face classes.
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When I asked Senator Imee Marcos if she supports DepEd’s request for confidential funds: “Why are you asking me that? Parang pa-ulit ulit na lang.”
I replied, “because it’s budget season, senator.”
Marcos: “We support the endorsement to the committee.”
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NEWS UPDATE: Schools Division of Manila releases a statement over its learning module putting Vice President Leni Robredo in a bad light. It says it already directed school heads to retrieve copies of the said module and remove it online.
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JUST IN. In its 2020 audit report, COA finds "various deficiencies involving some P67,323,186,570.57 worth of public funds" intended for national pandemic response of the DOH.
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WATCH: Senator Risa Hontiveros and former senator Leila de Lima hug each other after De Lima was released earlier almost 7 years in detention for what critics said trumped up charges. 📹 Sen Risa’s office
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This is bold and daring. The students are being harrased online for this performance. Let's stand with our fellow
#Iskos
and
#Iskas
.
#HandsOffSkimmers
WATCH: U.P. Visayas students voice out national issues in cheering competition via
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Regardless of who’s asking the question, the question is valid since the approval of the budget lies with the Congress.
The issue on confidential funds is important because there are more important issues that the government needs to spend on.
Sen Risa Hontiveros on VP Sara Duterte's spending of P125 million in just 11 days: "Napakagaspang."
"Anong uri na naman ng magic ang ginamit nila para ubusin ang P125M sa loob ng 11 araw? Hindi na lang yan spending spree. Yan ay paglapastangan sa mamamayan."
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Senator Risa Hontiveros and former vice president Leni Robredo on Thursday, August 17 visit San Isidro Elementary School in Naga City for Brigada Eskuwela ahead of school opening on August 29.
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LOOK: As Christmas day draws near, Filipinos on Saturday, November 21, flock to Divisoria in Manila for early holiday shopping. No physical distancing is observed. The country is still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. Photos by Jirume Monta
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[THREAD] On October 5, public schools will reopen in the middle of a still untamed coronavirus outbreak in the country that has so far claimed over 5,600 lives and left 4.6 million Filipinos jobless.
Senator Nancy Binay on new ad promoting Philippines: Nakaka-bother lang when you see the ad, it seems that we are offering the world our nurses—which is a bit off kasi nauubusan na nga tayo rito ng mga health worker.
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After answering, she looked for me, who asked about confidential funds.
Marcos: Sino yung nagtanong about confidential funds? Taga saan?
I replied, Rappler.
Marcos: ah kaya pala. hayaan na natin.
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Duque gets emotional, hits COA: We're operating under public health emergency. Winarak nyo kami e. Winarak nyo ang mga kasama ko sa DOH. Wala pa rin akong tulog, ilang gabi na ito. This is unfair, unjust.
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Some countries in Southeast Asia are now preparing to return to limited face-to-face classes this June to September.
In the Philippines, schools remain closed over a year into the pandemic.
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NEWS UPDATE: Education Secretary Leonor Briones says the country was "insulted" and "ashamed" by the World Bank education report, which reveals PH poor ranking. She adds that the World Bank did not follow protocols.
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JUST IN. National Center for Mental Health exec Clarita Avila, who spoke out about the hospital’s non-response to the COVID-19 threat, has been reassigned to the Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Las Piñas, sources confirmed to Rappler.
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Senator Risa Hontiveros to Vice President Sara Duterte: Hindi ko hinihingi ang respeto mo, VP Sara. Ang hinihingi ko sa iyo, at ng taumbayan, ay accountability.
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The DepEd would not confirm the information and neither would the officials concerned. But two reliable sources told Rappler that DepEd Usec for Administration Kris Ablan has resigned from his post, along with Asec Christopher Lawrence Arnuco.
NEWS UPDATE: The Philippines receives 1,606,600 doses of he Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United States. Unlike other vaccines, the J&J vaccine requires only one dose, making it easier for countries to roll out the jab.
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NEWS UPDATE. Senator Risa Hontiveros wants the Senate to look into "questionable" P460 million confidential funds by the Davao City government from 2019 to 2022, under the mayorship of Vice President Sara Duterte.
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NEWS UPDATE. In an interview with ANC, Health officer-in-charge Maria Roosario Vergeire says that she was not offered the position of DOH chief.
Vergeire, a career official, adds she explained to the President her "reservations" regarding the post.
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Then moments after, she said that she was just “giving me a hard time” then proceeded with her position that agencies should leave confidential and intelligence activities to expert, yet defending DepEd’s request.
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Vice President Sara Duterte have explicitly said that the country’s education sector needs fixing, but they are also insistent on pushing for mandatory ROTC. Can the Philippines’ top two officials keep their priorities straight?
EXCLUSIVE: At least 4 Coby NBPC 1958 laptops being sold in HMR in Rizal were inspected and checked by Rappler against serial numbers of laptops known to have been supplied to DepEd. We confirmed them to be laptops intended for public school teachers.
WATCH: Senator Risa Hontiveros tells Apollo Quiboloy to show up and face allegations of human rights abuses.
"Siya ang sentro ng mga paratang ng mga biktima kaya siya ang dapat sumagot."
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Sara Duterte will be the next DepEd chief, says Marcos Jr. Will she bring back PH history subject as core curriculum in high school? Will she strengthen media and information literacy as a subject in this age of disinformation on social media?
NEWS UPDATE: Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire says there was a breach in protocol when cops were allowed to be deployed while waiting their COVID-19 test results.
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.
@jnery_newsstand
: That's the problem with Philippine politics. They can get away with it – Ping Lacson, going into hiding; Isko Moreno, keeping campaign funds; Manny Pacquaio, giving money.
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Interesting move from X. The platform is now adding links/contexts on posts. In this case, a govt official. “Contributors can leave notes on any post and if enough contributors from different points of view rate that note as helpful, the note will be publicly shown on a post.”
@carlbognot
I met him as well and he’s really nice. Mang Nanie said he will maintain his library for as long as he can. As long as there are people who are willing to donate books, his mission continues. Here’s how you can help him. 🙂
Risa Hontiveros: How far will her fierce dissenting voice in the Senate take her?
Years away from 2028 polls, certain sectors are already clamoring for Hontiveros to seek higher office. She is mum on her political plans. Read this
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profile:
NOW: Former vice president Leni Robredo launches on Tuesday, May 9, a coffee table book on her volunteer-driven campaign for the presidency.
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This update from President Marcos’ Twitter account as NDRRMC says 8,391 people (2,293 families) have been preemptively evacuated in Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Bicol Region due to
#KardingPH
.
BBM Vlog 226: New York, New York
Matagumpay ang ating biyahe sa New York!
Mula sa pagdalo sa UN General Assembly, mga business roundtable meetings at ang pakikipagkita sa Filipino community dito, ako ay nagpapasalamat sa mainit na pagtanggap sa ating delegasyon.
This is alarming. No improvement from last report.
The Philippines remains among the poorest in learning in East Asia and the Pacific, with 9 out of 10 of students unable to read and understand a simple text.
Former CHED chair Patricia Licuanan: Foreign universities will soon discover, after careful market studies, that branch campuses in PH will not be sustainable. My humble opinion is no to amendments to economic provisions of the Constitution and no to foreign ownership of schools.
CHED did not provide studies that say “flexible learning” works and yet the country is adopting the system for the incoming school years. Read the room, CHED. Online learning has affected students and faculty, both physically and mentally.
LOOK: Based on the study conducted by the Philippine Business Education, presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo is the "education president."
"She is the leader the can resolve our education crisis."
#WeDecide
#PHVote
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This, as 9 in 10 Filipino students are struggling to read a simple text. Can we all focus our energy in making sure that we're able to make these nine students read?
In a press release, House Minority Leader Nonoy Libanan says he wants Mandarin promoted in all school levels to enable "the country’s future workers to capture new lucrative labor markets in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore." | via
@newsdwight
NEWS UPDATE: IATF approves 4th priority list for COVID-19 vaccination. Among those included in the group are market vendors, grocery workers, transport workers, media workers, and teachers.
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NEWS UPDATE. President Rodrigo Duterte appoints Rizalina Justol as new chair of the Commission on Audit, Malacañang says.
Justol served as Davao City's accountant when Duterte was the mayor there.
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LOOK: Former DepEd staff, including ex-education secretaries De Jesus, Abad, Hidalgo, Lapus, Valisno, and Luistro, endorse the candidacy Leni-Kiko tandem for the May 2022 polls.
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In 2010, Justol faced malversation charges, along with Duterte, for allegedly misusing some P2.93 billion in public funds from 2003 to 2006.
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I spoke to Amelita Chua, mother of slain Mark Welson Chua — a UST student who exposed corruption in their ROTC program.
It’s been two decades ago and justice remains elusive for Mark.
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Bishop Tony Tobias: Sa aming pahayag, VP Leni and Kiko pero principles go all the way down. Kung ang ating ipinaglalaban natin ay against family dynasty, dapat hindi na natin iboboto 'yan.
#PHVote
#WeDecide
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The only response this gov't can think of is to put areas on lockdown, no other interventions. Since May 2020, experts have been telling the gov't to pair it with tracing, mass testing, and isolation.
In April 2021, Herbosa made headlines with his “death by community pantry” tweet. He tweeted this in reaction to reports of an elderly man who died while waiting in line at a community pantry organized by actress Angel Locsin in Quezon City.
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Tobias: After EDSA, ito ang sumunod na ang klarong labanan ay 'yung totoo at mali. Bahala kayo kung ang gusto 'nyo ay mali, kung ang iboboto 'nyo ay 'yung may kakasaysayan ng mali, at least nagpahayag na ang mga pari.
#WeDecide
#PHVote
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NEWS UPDATE. The DOH says it is constant coordination with the WHO following a reported case of Omicron XE – a recombinant of Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2 – in Bangkok, Thailand.
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LOOK: Empty podium again for Ferdinand Marcos Jr
Moderator Ces Drilion says when introducing the candidates: "Susunod dapat si Ferdinand Marcos Jr pero hanggang ngayon dedma pa rin siya imbitasyon Comelec."
#WeDecide
#PHVote
LOOK: OVP and DepEd have bigger confidential funds in proposed 2024 budget compared to Department of National Defense and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency. Table from Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros
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If the Congress will always use inter-parliamentary courtesy as excuse to skip scrutinizing OVP budget, the VP could always ask for hefty confidential funds w/o being questioned. This involves public funds, tax payers money – our money. Let that sink in.
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Will this be mandatory for all students? Or can students opt out if they feel unsafe attending in-person classes?
Reporters have reached out to DepEd for clarification. We will give you update once we receive their reply.
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NEWS UPDATE: WHO Representative to the Philippines Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe says there's no need for PH to make face shields mandatory again. This, after PH gov't has floated the idea of reintroducing face shields amid the threat of Omicron.
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JUST IN. The Senate has explicitly prohibited GSIS, SSS, PhilHealth, PAG-IBIG, OWWA fund, and PVAO fund from investing in Maharlika fund. The amendment was introduced by Senator Raffy Tulfo, and was accepted by the Senate.
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LOOK: St Luke’s Medical Center on Monday, March 21, says that its COVID-19 ward and ICU units in BGC and Quezon City have reached full capacity.
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@nizzaregalado
The main goal of the post is to create a conversation about the issue. We found the post not only inspiring, but also relevant given the current state of public education – most definitely in line with our
#InspireCourage
campaign. (1/4)
Experts say the government should not be implementing a "blanket rule" across the country. The government's top-down approach in its policy making is a barrier in the reopening of schools.
@bobfreking
Hi Bob! This is Bonz from Rappler. May we ask your permission if we can use your photo for our social accounts? We’ll credit accordingly. Thank you!
BREAKING: The DOH confirms the detection of the UK variant in the country after samples from a Filipino who arrived from the UAE on January 7 yielded positive genome sequencing results.
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Alliance of Health Workers president Robert Mendoza: Hindi siya nakakatulong sa health workers, tanggalan na siya ng lisensiya.
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