CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) recently launched a comprehensive program for education featuring the rehabilitation of dilapidated public school buildings, with 15 school buildings already identified.

“The program is our pledge of continued support to the Department of Education (DepEd),“ said RAFI President, Roberto Aboitiz. Also during the launch, RAFI inked a Memorandum of Agreement with DepEd for a P30-million rehabilitation and adopt-a-school project.

DepEd Undersecretary Francisco Varela thanked RAFI for doing its bit to uplift education quality in the country. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

National fitness in Capiz

ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) — Over 500 employees from provincial, city and national government agencies here will join the nationwide simultaneous fitness event dubbed “Ehersisyong Pangkalusugan sa Lahat” activity to be held at People’s Park in Baybay, Roxas City or, if it rains, at the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center on May 15.

Capiz’s participation in the nationwide event is in consonance with the directive of the Department of Health and the Civil Service Commission (CSC). Western Visayas CSC Director Rodolfo Encajonado said the May 15 physical fitness event in all the provinces in Region 6 will be the launch activity implementing the year-round National Healthy Mobilization Campaign.

Free construction workers assessment

CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will conduct free assessment for construction workers between June 27 to July 1 to help them secure National Certificates (NC) which will elevate their status.

Jing Jaime, Head of TESDA’s Assessment and Certification Unit, said this is part of their advocacy to “professionalize” the workers in the vocational sector by issuing certificates that is based on international standards.

Construction workers are urged to visit any of TESDA’s provincial offices to avail of said free assessment and processing of certificates.

Borongan summer sports fest

BORONGAN, E. Samar (PIA) — Eastern Samar Governor Conrado Nicart graced the opening of the San Policarpo Summer Sports Fest in Barangay Alugan, San Policarpo, 125 north of Eastern Samar’s capital town, Borongan.

Some 600 athletes were divided into 14 teams to slug it out in basketball, volleyball and other ball games.

Nicart said he urged the holding of the sportsfest for the benefit of the barangay folks. “One objective of the sportsfest is to make the youth more productive and veer them away from vices like drugs,” he pointed out.

Losers eyed for capitol jobs

CEBU CITY, Cebu (PNA) — One Cebu bets who lost in the 2010 election may soon have jobs at the provincial capitol, said Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

“I’m seriously thinking of appointing certain persons for certain jobs matching their field of expertise,” she said, while adding there will be no revamp but that she might accommodate the poll losers as consultants.

Asked if her running mate, Glen Soco, who lost in the last May 10, 2010 polls will be accommodated, Garcia said it remains to be seen. Defeated candidates in the last elections are allowed to hold public posts a year after the polls.