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Lobaton: Ched is on the practical side Posted: 23 May 2021 07:00 AM PDT I RAISED the same concerns in the past about the adjustments of our learning institutions in the midst of this pandemic. The bottom line is the realization that all this cannot live by the same norm as during normal times because things have been altered by the pandemic. It follows that part of our innovations is to make our roles and rules attuned with the reality of the time. This extends to offices, private or public, thinking that everything will have to be based on the situation set by the problems on Covid-19. Though it is to strike a balance between safety and the ongoing activities of our organizations, it has to go back to the same concerns of safety for the workers or employees. I knew many organizations who have been allowing their workers to report despite the dangers of the coronavirus are now being haunted by the cases of Covid-19 in their offices. But there is a high expectation among our learning institutions to understand the situation and let other social institutions learn from what they could offer as part of educating society. It could be hard to think that the very institutions of learning were, in some instances, the least of social structures to understand the supposed policies responsive to the needs of the people, even at just protecting them from the coronavirus. The announcement of the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) through Chairman Prospero De Vera is timely to set our direction on the future of higher education. On reports of the Manila Bulletin, De Vera announced that traditional face-to-face learning may not be applicable at the level of higher education as the Commission will adopt a policy to implement flexible learning. "If we go back to the traditional face-to-face classroom, we run the risk of exposing our stakeholders to the same risks if another pandemic comes in and we would waste the investments in technology, teacher training and retrofitting of facilities", De Vera said. Inevitably, the next thing to look at is the way that higher education plays a role in the lives of our young people and society as a whole. It is good that as early as now, Ched acknowledged it should be proactive to weigh things, putting safety as the ultimate consideration. Going to school and prepare for the future is not only a burden to the government but for the family as well. The pandemic makes life difficult for many Filipinos, thus, it should be the resolve of the government to ensure that policies are made to help lessen the impact of the crisis. Before this announcement from chair De Vera, I have in mind that it would be a challenge if our courses and mode of teaching our students would remain the same. Because of the new normal, I doubt if our courses and subjects would still be what our new society needs. And whether spending the time and resources on face-to-face classes would be rewarded by a kind of career that future professionals will receive after the opening of the economy. From what I knew, we are still in our ongoing fight against the coronavirus with the hope that vaccination could be rolled out fast to reach herd immunity. This means it is still uncertain. Safety is still our priority while not sacrificing the quality of education and the efforts to be rendered by faculty and students in these new normal times. We can't go beyond something we cannot see at this point. Yet, Ched on its level might have seen the practical side that most of all favor the Filipinos now and in the future. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Ombion: Focus on basic sectors and MSMEs Posted: 23 May 2021 07:00 AM PDT DEPARTMENT of Health (DOH) facts show that recoveries from Covid infection remain consistently higher than the incidence of death even without vaccines or anti-viral medicines. Those infected and died are mostly seniors and people suffering already from some illnesses like heart ailment, hypertension, diabetes, kidney problem, chronic pneumonia, not to mention the malnourished. After a year of Covid crisis, it now appears that it is not as dreaded as opined by others, or as projected so badly and gruesomely in some international media and social media networks. Still, I believe per advice of the medical society, that we have nothing to lose by just following the strict observance of anti-Covid health protocols and other government-directed health measures. But equally important is for our citizens to strengthen their immune systems through healthy food habits and living lifestyles that enhance our resistance to viruses and diseases. But the common question is, how can our citizens pursue and sustain healthy living when the pandemic has reduced substantially their economic activities and incomes? In fact, the most affected by the pandemic are the basic sectors, laborers, farmers, vendors, transport workers, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), "no work no pay" employees, odd jobers and self-employed, construction workers, seniors, persons with disabilities (PWDs), "food riders," and the micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMEs). Their numbers account for around 65 to 70 percent of the population of every city and municipality in the province. This is where I find the responses and actions of the Bacolod City government to the impact of pandemic more sensical especially at the start of this year than the provincial government and other local government units (LGUs), which continue to stress stricter control measures over the citizens' movements, thus, affecting their capacity to meet their basic needs and pursue economic activities. Bacolod City's easing of curfew, allowing longer business activities for all economic sectors and resisting longer granular lockdowns and the moratorium on inter-island or provincial travels, while strictly enforcing health protocols down to the street level. I still look forward to the City's increasing its focus and efforts on basic sectors struggling to meet the daily basic needs and save for the next days and weeks, and also the local MSMEs whose businesses were forced to close or reduce operations substantially during the pandemic. So for other LGUs in the province. Basic sectors are the arms and legs of the local economy. Without them, the local economy will standstill. In a predominantly agricultural and backward economy dependent on mono-crop sugar industry, in and surrounding Bacolod City, the MSMEs like the small sari sari stores, small groceries, local convenience stores, small restos and roadside eateries, mass of retailers of various food items and goods, small food shops and deliveries, small hardware, automobile repair shops, and many more -- are the lifeline of the local economy and the immediate link to consumers. They are mostly locally owned, and the most consistent source of taxes and other revenues for the City government, not the big malls, not even the big real estates, sugar haciendas, and not manufacturing factories and big assembly plants which we don't have. The city government and other LGUs need to give more focus on the basic sectors and the MSMEs. Bacolod City's ongoing special financial assistance to families affected and displaced by pandemic is very laudable. Its recent initiatives to address MSMEs needs are likewise appreciated, and so its moves to explore the provision of capital infusion to recover MSMEs businesses, ease their taxes and permits, all with reasonable terms. The quiet, less fanfare ongoing efforts of the City Mayor's Sectoral Concerns Office to facilitate capacity training for enterprise development, and also livelihood projects for the organizations, cooperatives, and community associations of the basic sectors -- are likewise big boosts to push local economic recovery. After all, the equation of this thrust is quite simple -- strengthening the capacity of the basic sectors, MSMEs, and the general citizens to meet their own needs, and access basic services is an important muscle to invigorate the local economy towards recovery and sustainable development. For all the city government efforts, and so to other LGUs preparing or already undertaking the same -- kudos and more power! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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