MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte (PIA) — The Department of Education (DepEd) – Maasin City Division will hold National Schools Maintenance Week, or “Brigada Eskwela” May 21-26, 2012. A kick-off caravan will start 6:30 a.m., followed by a program and inter-agency convergence meeting to discuss issues and concerns regarding opening of classes for school year 2012-2013. The event aims to ensure pupils are properly enrolled and able to attend classes. The kick-off activity will include a signing by stakeholders of a commitment pledge of support to DepEd’s “Brigada Eskwela” activities.

Aklan's Population

KALIBO, Aklan (PIA) — The National Statistics Office (NSO)’s 2010 Population and Housing Census says Aklan’s population is now at 535,725, up 84,411 over its 2000 population count of 451,314 or an annual growth rate of 1.73 percent, indicating an additional two persons added for every 100 persons yearly. Of Aklan’s 17 towns and 327 barangays, Malay registered the fastest growth in population size, or 6.45 percent, or almost four times the rate of the provincial level and nearly five times  the regional level’s growth rate or 1.35 percent. “Rapid increase in population growth here could be attributed to in-migration due to a booming tourism industry in Brgy. Caticlan, Malay, and Boracay Island,” Blas Solidum, NSO-Aklan Provincial Statistics Officer said.

Media's Role

BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occ. (PIA) — The Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) will orient local tri-media members here on their role in emergencies and teach them basic first aid on May 12 at Forest Park in Brgy. Taculing. Media members will also be familiarized with the city’s DRRMO system. Bacolod City’s DRRMO Acting Head Joemarie Vargas said the Office recognizes media as an essential partner in bolstering the capacity of the city’s implementers of disaster risk reduction and management.

Socialized Condo's

CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — Urban poor families in Brgy. Lorega San Miguel here were given keys to their new Gawad Kalinga (GK) socialized housing condo units late last week. Initially, 40 families will get into Condoville 1, the three-storey socialized housing condo comprised of 60 units. The lot where said socialized condo building now stands was the old Lorega Cemetery site where the identified beneficiaries used to live. In 2005, the Cebu City Council, acting on the Cebu City Health Department’s declaration that the old cemetery was no longer Sanitary Code-compliant, closed the cemetery and had 9,000 sq.m. of the lot converted into a socialized housing site.

L.E.T. Exams

CATARMAN, Northern Samar (PIA) — The Northern Samar Provincial Employment and Service Office (NSPESO) is accepting applicants for Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) scheduled September 30, 2012. Filing for first timers goes on until June 29, 2012. The NSPESO office here will entertain first-time applicants from May 2 to June 22; a June 25, 2012 deadline has been set for repeaters. Applicants must pay a R900 registration fee, R65 for documentary stamps/window mailing envelope, R100 for digital photo, R200 for courier service if filed in NSPESO,  birth certificate, T.O.R with scanned photo, records for board exams and current Community Tax Certificate.