TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte (PIA) — Results of the 2010 Census of Population and Housing reveal that Eastern Visayas’ total population is now 4,401,322 as of May 1, 2010.

The National Statistics Office Office in Region 8 said Eastern Visayas’ population growth rate was 1.28 percent annually from 2000 to 2010. In Region 8, Leyte province has the most population with 1,567,984, excluding Tacloban City’s 221, 174 population as of May 2010. Samar now has 733,377 total population; Northern Samar has 589,013; Eastern Samar, 428,877; Southern Leyte, 399,137; and Biliran, 161,760. Overall, Philippine population as of May 1, 2010 stood at 92.3 million, higher by 15.83 million compared to 2000’s population of 76.51 million.

Mentors’ Training

CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — The Department of Education in Region 7 (DEP[-7) has started a 15-day training program for 1,027 Cebu public school teachers in preparation for the implementation of the K-to-12 program this June.

Public teachers from Cebu, Mandaue, Toledo, Bogo, Carcar, Talisay, Danao, and Naga cities will participate in the mass training on the Implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum for Grade 1 Teachers at the DepEd Ecotech Center in Lahug, Cebu City.

The training includes preparing the teachers for the Mother Tongue Curriculum which allows them to use the dialect to effectively teach Grade 1- 3 pupils their lessons.

G.S.I.S. Assistance

ILOILO (PIA) — The Government Service Insurance System in Region 6 (GSIS-6) is now accepting applications for the GSIS educational assistance program entitling all active GSIS members the full amount of R4,000 payable in five years at six percent rate, with no service fee.

The program runs up to Dec. 28, 2012 to help members shoulder education expenses of their children up to the second semester of the school year. The program is based on availability of a joint P11.2 billion Educational Assistance Fund from the Social Security System (SSS) and the GSIS.

P.A. Recognition

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The Philippine Army (PA)’s 302nd Infantry (Achiever) Brigade received a Command Plaque of Merit from the PA Commanding General, in recognition of its search and rescue, and relief operations during tropical storm Sendong and the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Negros Oriental on December 17, 2011 and February 6, 2012 respectively.

Brigade commander Col Francisco Patrimonio received the award during the PA’s 115th Founding Anniversary Program at Fort Bonifacio, Manila.

Health Workers

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar (PIA) — The provincial alliance of health workers here conveyed to concerned agencies their plight when they marked “Health Workers Day” recently. Eastern Samar Health Workers Association president Zaldy Tomines and Provincial Schistosomiasis Prevention Center staff aired to media their concerns, hoping that local and national leadership would heed their call to grant them their due benefits.

Foremost, he said, like all other health workers in the country, “it is also our ardent wish to be granted full hazard pay and other benefits as when health workers are well-compensated, they can give better service,” Tomines said, stressing that health is the most important aspect of life that must be given utmost attention by leaders and policy-makers.