The search for the 2012 outstanding teachers is on. 

This was announced by Metrobank Foundation, Inc. President Aniceto M. Sobrepeña in a letter to NEDA-CAR and to RDC Chairman Jocel C. Baac. 

According to Mr. Sobrepeña, the Search bestows honor upon the teaching profession by according special recognition to teachers who manifest profound commitment to the development of the youth through exemplary competence, remarkable dedication to their work, and effective educational leadership.

A cash prize amounting to P350,000, a specially-designed trophy and medal to be awarded by no less than President Benigno S. Aquino III await the ten awardees this year. 

The Search is open to teachers who are Filipino citizens teaching in the elementary, secondary or higher education levels, including those in alternative learning system. Since 1985, 306 teachers have already been awarded, eleven of whom are from the Cordillera Region.

For more information about the Search, please contact the regional offices of DepED, CHED or NEDA or you may visit mbfoundation.org.ph.

The Regional Development Council-Cordillera Administrative Region (RDC- CAR) encourages interested PSOs to apply for accreditation and be qualified to nominate possible Private Sector Representatives (PSRs) in the RDC as mandated by EO 30 dated 30 July 2001. The RDC is the primary institution that coordinates socio-economic development efforts in CAR.

PSOs (may be CSOs, NGOs, POs, civic/professional organizations, business/industry associations, religious/cultural organizations) must have the following qualifications:

1. Registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and/or duly accredited by a government agency (DA, DENR, DOH, DOLE, DOST, DPWH, DSWD, DTI, etc.) or a provincial/city government unit;
2. Must have a track record on socio-economic projects undertaken in two or more provinces in the Cordillera Region for the past three (3) years; and
3. A Filipino organization; federated NGOs are allowed.

Accredited PSOs including those PSOs accredited by the RDC-CAR in 2010 will be invited to participate in the NGO Convention on 17 February 2012, 8:00 am, RDC Hall, NEDA-CAR Compound, Botanical Garden, Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City to select PSR representatives to the RDC Sectoral Committees. The proposed selection process maybe viewed here.

Application forms for PSO accreditation and PSR nomination are available at the RDC Secretariat (c/o OIC ARD Florida P. Faculo, NEDA-CAR) or may be accessed at www.cordillera.gov.ph. For further inquiries, please call 074 448 0041 (ask for Joy).

Click DOWNLOAD to get a PDF copy of  the Application Form.  

Click DOWNLOAD to get a PDF copy of the Nomination Form. 

Deadline of submission will be on or before 10 February 2012.

The national economy reportedly grew by 3.2 percent in the third quarter, only slightly higher than the revised GDP growth of 3.1 percent for the second quarter and 4.6 percent in the first quarter.  The continued economic slowdown is blamed largely on overseas developments such as high oil prices, continuing low demand for electronics, the March disasters in Japan, the poorly performing US and European economies and unrest in the Middle East.  On the domestic front, reduced spending for public infrastructure projects along with delayed implementation of the PPP (public-private partnership) program of the government and the onslaught of typhoons this quarter contributed largely to the slowdown of the domestic economy. 

In CAR, typhoons Juaning, Mina and Pedring that hit the Cordillera this quarter largely affecting Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province dampened the performance of the  region’s agriculture sector.  Still, higher revenues from IT companies operating in the Baguio ecozone, the higher value of the region’s metals despite lower production levels, and increased DTI-registered and SEC-registered investments may have kept the regional economy afloat this quarter.

To read more, click here to download the Third Quarter 2011 Regional Economic Situationer for the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Finally, all parties to the conflict of the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC) are open to mediation – first utilizing indigenous processes to be administered by the Council of Elders, before the Governing Board of the college comes in to formalize agreement.

MPSPC grabbed the headlines, when in July 1, 2011, students and members of faculty walked out of their classes with full support from the community forcing its president Dr. Nieves Dacyon, to sign a resignation letter.  The board, however, did not recognize the resignation as it was done under duress. 

The protest dragged on condemning Dacyon for various alleged graft and corrupt practices which was later dismissed by a fact finding committee organized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) for lack of merit. 

“We are not persuaded by the complaints,” stated the July 29, 2011 Fact Finding Committee’s report, and thus recommended to the MPSPC Board of Trustees to dismiss all complaints.

By Joseph Zambrano (JDP/JBZ- PIA CAR)

BAGUIO CITY. Dec. 26(PIA)-- For the third time a bill is filed in congress for the creation of an autonomous region in the Cordilleras that will fast track development and President Benigno S. Aquino III is asked to certify it as a priority for its realization.

According to Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, chair of the Third Autonomy Drafting Committee (TADC), all Cordillera leaders should lobby and make a manifest asking the President to confirm House Bill 5595 an urgent bill.

House Bill 5595 seeks for the establishment of a autonomous region for the Cordillera composed of the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Baguio City

Please read more at Cordillera Express, December 26, 2011.

On November 28, 2011, NEDA-CAR had an unusual Monday morning meeting.  For the first time the staff had two regional directors attending the meeting with them.  Sir John, as fondly called by his staff, introduced the incoming Director, Director Leonardo N. Quitos, Jr.  The two were “exchanging places”.  By virtue of NEDA Special Order Nos. 347-2011 and 348-2011, Director Juan B. Ngalob, NEDA-CAR Regional Director and RDC Vice-Chairman will be transferring to Region I, and Director Quitos will be moving to NEDA-CAR.  For the outgoing Director who has been a part of the NEDA-CAR for the past 22 years, the air was filled with sadness and apprehension coupled with warm anticipation and welcome for the renowned incoming Director who was at NEDA Region I’s helm for the past 18 years.

Thank you, Sir John

Director Juan B. Ngalob will always be greatly remembered for his numerous pursuits that highlight his passion to push for a truly developed Cordillera Region.  It was during his term as the Acting RDC Chairman of the CAR Regional Development Council that the pursuit of regional autonomy was adopted as the overarching theme of Cordillera development.  This decision was made during an RDC Strategic Planning Workshop conducted in March 2006 at Mount Data, Bauko, Mountain Province.  He was instrumental in pushing for an expanded and deepened IEC on the Cordillera Regional Development and Autonomy Program (CRDAP) down to the grassroots level. This helped renew the people’s awareness and interest in regional autonomy. On December 6, 2011, five years after the Mount Data Strategic Planning Workshop, the Third Organic Act bill was filed by Baguio City Congressman Bernardo Vergara, with the support of the majority of the region’s Congressmen.

Ms. Cristina Segnaken-Aban, a native of Benguet, is one of this year’s five PNVSCA Search for Outstanding Volunteers national awardees.

Her accomplishments

Ms. Aban, who is an Associate Professor of the Saint Louis University, founded IYAMAN, Inc. in 1997. IYAMAN is a SEC-registered non-profit, non-stock organization whose main objective is developing community workers among the youth and farmers to serve needy communities through different programs, with scholarships as the entry point.  Since its establishment, it has granted 42 college scholarships, and has graduated 19 college students under the Adopt-a-Scholar scheme.

Through this SEC-registered organization, she also initiated the creation of local and international programs for the youth, professionals, as well as farmers to help them become more productive members of the society.  Trainees, volunteers and staff of these programs also had opportunities for exposure in Cambodia, Thailand and Japan, countries which have also sent volunteers to IYAMAN.

Quezon City: A Project Management Office (PMO) lodged with NEDA-CAR will be created to manage the Cordillera Regional Development and Autonomy Program (CRDAP).

NEDA-CAR Regional Director Leonard Quitos presented the proposal last December 7, 2011 during the special RDC ExCom Meeting at the Sulo Hotel here. The meeting, attended by some Cordillera representatives, unanimously approved the creation of the proposed PMO.

Quitos said that a fully staffed PMO, will provide the structure that will implement the CRDAP.

As of now, there are only three contractual employees financed by the special autonomy fund (SAF). Secretariat work to CRDAP is largely done by NEDA-CAR. The RDC in justifying year-end autonomy bonus for NEDA-CAR staff, which the Commission on Audit (COA) disapproved, has stated that the CRDAP entails a gargantuan task which used to be performed by a fully staffed Cordillera Executive Board. (CEB).