CEBU CITY (PNA) — The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) 7 is now accepting applications for the Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP) for school year 2013-2014. EDSP is a scholarship grant offered to qualified dependents of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who shall enroll in any four or five-year baccalaureate or college degree courses at any Commission on Higher Education-accredited colleges or universities. Scholarship grantees shall receive a financial assistance amounting to R30,000 per semester or a maximum of R60,000 per school year. The program is open to all high school graduating students who are children of OFWs or brother/sisters of single OFWs, below 21 years old and are not recipients of any scholarship award.

T.E.S.D.A. TRAINEES

CEBU CITY (PNA) — The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) 7 reported that there are 16,000 slots for trainees this year, almost three times higher compared to 2011. TESDA Regional Operations Chief Madelina Salarda said as of June, almost 30 percent of the slots have been taken. She said they want to make sure that 60.8 percent of the trainee population will be employed after graduation. In 2010, 5,900 trainees graduated from their courses with almost 60 percent of these trainees got employed after graduation.

PATROL SYSTEM

CAMP SERGIO OSMEÑA, Cebu City — A top official from the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 announced that crime volume for the first semester of this year is way lower as compared to last year’s data during the same period due to the strong implementation of the Police Integrated Patrol System (PIPS). PRO 7 data showed that from January to June this year only 10,871 crime cases were recorded compared to last year’s 13,270 cases. Supt. Audie Villacin, PRO 7 chief of the Regional Investigation and Detection Management Division, in a recent police forum here disclosed that PIPS has been an effective tool in reducing crime incidents in the region. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

D.O.T. GUIDELINES

CEBU CITY, Cebu - The Hotel, Resort & Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) lauded the new guidelines issued by the Department of Trade and Industry (DOT) with regard to the hotel accreditation since the new rating scale is now aligned with international standards. “The more you offer, the more points you collect, the higher the star-rating,” said HRACC President Hans Hauri, who is also the general manager of the five star-Marco Polo Plaza Cebu and vice president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines for the Visayas. Hauri said the new star-rating system is hoped to bring more transparency for the travelers and hotel guests, particularly for the  international visitors, as well as eliminate possible disputes and complaints from the customers. (Malou M. Mozo)

SOLAR AIRCON

ILOILO CITY (PNA) — The solar-assisted air conditioning units in the seventh floor of the new City Hall building has helped the city government cut down its energy consumption. Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog said an estimated 4,552 kilowatt hours translating to R59,184.84 was saved in a span of 22 days in June.