We have been busy with so many activities these past months. Each activity represents a priority program or advocacy that is held dear by the City Government. Last March, we celebrated the Women’s Month with a theme that was not only special, it was also very timely as it calls on our women’s sector to take an active role in tackling an issue that directly affects us. Our city has has a history of natural disasters. Women, having been given the traditional role of homemakers, always carry the burden of ensuring the safety of their family whenever these disasters occur. It is for this reason that this year’s theme “Women Weathering Climate Change: Governance and Accountability, Everyone’s Responsibility” strikes a chord within us. It specifically calls on women to become a part of the solution in addressing these problems which are often rooted in environmental degradation, which in turn is the cause of climate change.

For our activities, the Local Council for Women (LCW) partnered with the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) in conducting a series of fora in schools and barangays. Our team managed to push through with the fora in the high risk area of Barangay San Andres as well schools like Samar State University and Samar National School. The topics discussed were RA 9262 or Anti-Violence Against Women and Children, Magna Carta for Women, Climate Change and its Impact on Women, Community and Building Resiliency and Rescue and Operations. From the flow of the fora, our message is loud and clear – that women must be aware of their rights to be empowered so that they can effectively act for the safety of her family and community in such circumstances.

When April came, we witnessed a very significant even in the history of our city, which is the the rebirth of our City Schools Division. It was last April 16, when the momentous event took place and was met with much jubilation by our school sector as well as every Catbaloganon. We all know that the old City Division, which was opened in 2008, had to close down in 2009 as a result of the fund shortage that was brought about by the cityhood crisis then. Hence, we can also see the reactivation of the City Schools Division as a strong message that our city is indeed on the right track.

But for the most part, our gladness have to do with the advantages that this can possibly bring to our academic sector. Having our very own City Schools Division means being able to focus on concerns and issues affecting our schools. It also means being able to closely monitor the improvement of our students and teachers. We will also have more leeway in creating programs that will more appropriately address their needs. In short, having our very own City Schools Division means that we will have more freedom charting the direction that we want for  our educational system.

We now enter the month of May. Even as we start another month, we will bring with us the lessons that we have gleaned from our past activities. Most importantly, our commitment for the advocacies represented in each activity will only grow stronger with time and will push as to implement its corresponding programs so that we can better serve you.

Nearly 300 young people attended the recently-concluded ISKOLAR-BOS Training or the Integrated Sangguniang Kabataan Organizational Leadership and Reorientation – Basic Orientation Seminar (ISLOLAR-BOS) held at Leyte Park Resort Hotel, Tacloban City.

Sangguniang Kabataan Chairs and Kagawads from the 57 Barangays attended the said training from May 11 – 13, 2012, which was mainly facilitated by The Waray-Waray Youth Advocates (WARAYA), the leading partner of The City Government of Catbalogan in all youth-related activities and programs.

Said training was co-organized by the DILG Catbalogan City thru City Government Operations Officer Mr. Jose Obrero; initiatied by Sangguniang Kabataan City Federation President Hon. Dexter M. Uy and supported by City Mayor Hon. Coefredo “TEKWA” Uy and First Councilor Hon. Stephany Uy-Tan.

City Mayor Coefredo T. Uy extended his congratulations to the team of the Bureau of Fire Protection – Catbalogan, who participated and placed second over- all in the Regional Fire Olympics held recently in Tacloban City.

The team’s second place finish over-all was due to their strong performance in various challenges including Target-Hitting and Busted Hose Replacement (2nd place), Hose Maneuvering (2nd place) Up-the-Ladder Rescue (3rd) and Target – Hitting with Wye Connection (3rd place).

The team that represented Catbalogan City in the said competition was composed of Insp. Romeo A. Jaca (Team Leader), SFO1 John P. Castillo (Team Captain), FO2 Archie Belida, FO2 Christopher Gabiana, FO2 Renato Raquel, FO2 Rogelio Tomale, FO1 Isagani Bagasol, FO1 Marianito Cabadsan, FO1 Eduard Cabrigas, FO1 Ponciano Ferrer, FO1 Roque Rodriguez, FO1 Glady Barral, FO1 Antoniette Froilan and FO1 Rachel Tabao.

The Local Council for Women (LCW) will be handing out an assistance of grocery items and one (1) sack of rice, all costing two thousand pesos (2,000) as well as a cash of five hundred forty pesos (540) to fifteen pre-selected families this May 4, 2012, 9:00 am at the City Hall lobby. These families were those who were greatly affected by the landslides in Barangay Bunu-anan and Brgy. 08 Poblacion early this year.

The assistance worth PhP 2,540.00 allocated for each family came from the proceeds of the benefit dinner organized by the LCW in partnership with the New Life Christian Center, as a closing activity of the Women’s Month Celebration last March. Out of the the fundraising dinner, which was dubbed as Dinner for a Cause, the organizers were able to raise a sum of PhP 38,100 from donations of PhP 1,000 from the invitees who were mostly private individuals from the business community and other partner agencies.

Honorable Councilor Numero G.Lim of the Second District of Manila paid a courtesy call to City Mayor Coefredo T. Uy today. Prior to his meeting with the mayor, Councilor Lim was at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Session Hall to observe the City Council’s regular session. Although a resident of Manila, Councilor Lim also has roots in Zumarraga, Samar where City Mayor Uy’s mother hails from.

Councilor Lim is the Chair of the Manila City Council’s Committee on Science and Technology as well as Co-Chair of the Committee on Environment. Aside from this, he also heads the same committee for the National Movement of Young Legislators.

“The long wait is over!” These were the first words uttered by Nimfa Sol Muñoz, a teacher from the Samar National School and the Mistress of Ceremony, the moment that the program started. The statement had immediately set the prevalent theme for the occasion which, from the messages that were given to the intermission song numbers, was clearly about overcoming hardships and trials in order to revive a key agency.

In this case, that key agency was the Division of Catbalogan City (DCC), which pushed through with its soft launching last April 16, 2012 around 3:30 in the afternoon. It will be remembered that the DCC was first established in 2008 to comply with the requirements of RA 9391, which converted the then Municipality of Catbalogan into a component city. However, the said status was reverted back into that of a municipality a year later due to pressures from the League of Cities. The subsequent decrease in the Internal Revenue Allotment  led to inability to sustain operations and the eventual closing of the City Division.

Adding significance to the event were the presence of top officials from the Department of Education (Dep. Ed.)-Regional Office led by Regional Director Luisa Bautista Yu, who formally installed Dr. Edita S. De Veyra to the post of Officer-in-Charge (OIC) City Schools Division Superintendent. De Veyra previously held the post of OIC Assistant Division Schools Superintendent of Dep. Ed. Samar and will be holding her new post in an OIC capacity while awaiting a formal appointment from the central office.

The other Dep. Ed. officials who graced the affair were Atty. Alberto Escobarte, Assistant Regional Director and Dr. Thelma C. Quitalig, Samar Division Schools Superintendent. City officials who were present were City Mayor Coefredo T. Uy, City Vice Mayor Art Sherwin Gabon and Honorable Councilors Stephany Uy-Tan, Ernesto Arcales, Maximo Pescos, Teodoro Ilagan and Joselito Mendoza.  School supervisors, principals and teachers of schools that will be under the supervision of the new division were also there.

The newly-reactivated Division of Catbalogan City will consist of 11 education supervisors, 1 cashier and 1 bookkeeper, all of whom were designates from the Samar Division. The rest are Job Order employees that were hired by the City Government. The designates from the Samar Division have yet to receive their direct special order from the regional office.

Speaking in behalf of the mayor who was suffering from a sorethroat at that time, Councilor Uy-Tan welcomed back the old and new employees and urged them to work with the City Government to revive the office’s earlier reputation of being instrumental in the growth of sports, arts and culture and academic excellence in the city.  “I am confident that with your passion determination and strong sense of purpose we will be able to bring back its past glory”, she said.

For her part, Director Bautista-Yu likened the division’s relaunching to a wedding with its four main ingredients: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. “Transitions always call for something old”, Dir. Yu said as she explained why the DCC will be manned by employees from the Samar Division who will man the new office. She said that experience will be required in implementing Dep. Ed. programs in a newly-opened division. On the other hand,  ‘something blue’ refers to the employees who will be saddened because they will be left behind in the Samar Division.

The culture of Dep. Ed. which will be adapted by the new DCC is what ‘something borrowed’ is all about. “Let us not compete but let us build upon each other”, she said concerning this. However, Yu also wished that new work ethics will be brought to the new office to put the new division on the right track. “The competency, skills and attitude should match the new building”, she added.

With this new beginning came new plans. Yu disclosed plans of putting up the Eastern Visayas Regional Science High School in Catbalogan. Towards the end of the program, Mayor Uy also shared that a subsidy of 2 kilos of rice for teachers every two months are also in the works. In the past, the DCC played a hand in organizing activities that involved the schools’ participation especially during the month-long fiesta celebration. It was also under their supervision that a Catbalogan City Athletics Association Meet was held and the first time that Catbalogan City took part in the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletics Association (EVRAA) Meet as a separate division.

The occasion ended with an acknowledgement message by City Budget Officer Adelaida Lamadrid, wherein she made special mention of the individuals who were involved in making the DCC’s reactivation a possibility. Lamadrid was the one tasked by Mayor Uy to see to the details involved in the reopening of the DCC. According to her, the legal basis was one of the matters that they prioritized to ensure that the services to schools will be continuous this time. She also gave an amusing account of the ordeal that came with the said task, providing laughter in the final hours of a very momentous occasion.

The soft launching of the Division of Catbalogan City (DCC) pushed through as planned last April 16, 2012. The activities that were conducted to mark the said event included a motorcade, which was followed by the ceremonial ribbon-cutting which was led by City Mayor Cofredo T. Uy, Dep. Ed. Regional Director Luisa Bautista-Yu and Assistant Regional Director Atty. Alberto T. Escobarte. Fr. Jose Calderon also led in the blessing of the new office located along Del Rosario Street prior to holding a thanksgiving mass.

Other highlights of the event included the unveiling of the official seal of the city division as well as the formal installation of Dr. Edita S. De Veyra, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Assistant Schools Division Superintendent of Dep. Ed. Samar as the OIC- Schools Division Superintendent of DCC.

Aside from Dir. Bautista-Yu and Atty. Escobarte, those who gave messages were Dr. Thelma C. Quitalig, Samar’s Schools Division Superintendent, City Vice Mayor Art Sherwin Gabon who gave a meaningful closing remarks, City Councilor Stephany Uy-Tan who gave the welcome remarks and City Budget Officer Adelaida C. Lamadrid who delivered a message in acknowledgement of all the individuals who contributed in making the DCC’s reactivation a possibility.

The Business Expenses Savings Training (BEST) is a tool that the Department of Trade and Industry-Samar (DTI – Samar) uses to teach proper business values and strategies to businessmen particularly those from the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector. In coordination with the City Government, DTI-Samar conducted said training in barangays San Roque and Cabugawan last April 4, 2012 to community women, most of whom were sari-sari store owners.

As the most common form of enterprise in small communities, sari-sari stores may be considered as the economic backbone of most barangays in the city. The said training was aimed at capacitating these small businessmen so that they can avoid common pitfalls like falling into debt or losing income. This was accomplished through an experience-based exercise that exposes participants to real-life situations and business-related problems. This enables them to relate the game to their respective enterprises.

Next to building a school, another big challenge is making sure that said school serves its true purpose with regards to guiding the students and preparing them for a higher level of learning.

This was the challenge that Pangdan National High School had to contend with when it first opened. It was constructed in 2008 as the City Government’s answer to the need for accessible yet affordable secondary education in Pangdan, which is one of the interior barangays of the city.

It was therefore with pride that its administrators and faculty members presented their first batch of graduates last March 30, 2012. Councilor Stephany Uy-Tan gave an inspirational message to the graduates. She was also there to present the Stephany Uy-Tan Leadership Award and Mayor Coefredo T. Uy Academic Excellence Award to the school’s first valedictorian.

It was a clear message that the school’s faculty and its administrators were able to stand up to the challenge of managing a new school and that they passed with flying colors.