MANILA, Philippine — Vice President Jejomar Binay will be the speaker at the 88th commencement exercises of the Philippine Women’s University on April 2, 8 a.m. at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

Binay will also receive the Conrado Benitez Heritage Award for his humanitarian efforts and excellent record as Mayor of Makati. Board chairperson Dr. Helena Z Benitez will hand the award. Vice president for Academic Affairs Dr. Vivien Talisayon will present the candidates for graduation from the Manila and Quezon City campuses.

Leading the 650 graduates are magna cum laude Hanna Chua, an Underwood scholar from the School of Music, first honorable mention Alfredo Morecho, Jr. from the School Hospitality Management, and Chessa Yutankin, a Communication Arts graduate and an Underwood scholar.

Celebrity candidates for graduation this school year are TV host and Ambassador of the Arts Boy Abunda (MA in Communication Arts) and movie/tv actress Carmi Martin (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising).

Bongbong seeks student-friendly payment scheme
Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. recently asked Malacanang to execute a student-friendly repayment scheme to ensure success of “study now-pay later” programs of the government.

Marcos emphasized that the government, through the Department of Education (DepEd), should know by now the pitfalls of the student loan program and be able to avoid them by crafting a better “repayment scheme that is both efficient and workable whereby students would not be saddled by payment obligations long after
graduation.”

Marcos said that the DepEd should carefully study the feasibility of the measures as well as analyze successful models all over the world.

He noted the experience in some schools in England and in the United States, whereby students could not timely meet their loan obligations to their schools, such that their delinquencies extended even after they have graduated.

The hearing revealed that the Philippines is no stranger to the phenomenon in the Western countries, since, according to the DepEd, student loan programs presently in use in the Philippines have a dismal repayment rate of zero percent although the rate has recently improved to four percent.

C.E.U.-P.A.C.E. sets Cariology and Aesthetic Dentistry training
The Centro Escolar University Professional and Continuing Education will hold the Cariology and Aesthetic Dentistry Training starting on April 6 to June 8.

The training program, in partnership with the School of Dentistry, includes a lecture- seminar and the didactic application in advanced esthetic dentistry. It includes topics on dental caries – incipient, moderate, sever, cervical caries, preventive dentistry, restorative treatment using direct and indirect composite resins, porcelain, post and core build-up, and other aesthetic options like bleaching, incisal lengthening (crown extension procedures) and diastema closure. The course also includes oral photography for evaluation and presentation of clinical cases.

For inquiries, call PACE at 735-6861 to 71 loc. 337 or e-mail ceupace@yahoo.com.

Science educators hold confab
The Association of Science Teachers and Educators of the Philippines, Inc. (ASTEP) will hold its 7th National Convention on April 14, 15 and 16 at the Bohol Plaza Resort in Panglao Island, Bohol.

Anchored on the theme “ASTEP on the go: Weaving Science and Culture – Experiencing Bohol” the convention aims to relate science teaching with the culture and tradition of the community; and design engaging, interactive and effective classroom activities that will facilitate integration of science and culture and demonstrate transfer of learning.

The confab includes a seminar-workshop and a one-day educational tour. It is open to Science and AP teachers, subject area coordinators, academic supervisors, and administrators.

For inquiries, call ASTEP president Elma Pedregosa at 0905-2943727 or email astep_2003@yahoo.com.