Museo Pambata (MP) celebrates the month of October as "Museum Month" and has come up with a number of activities for visitors and MP club members.

The Museo Pambata Guides Corner, a free arts and crafts demonstration by the theme room guides will be held on Oct. 9 and 23, 2pm at the Crafts Room. Lively and colorful dance performances by the Philippine National Folk Dance Company called "Ang Bayanihan sa Museo" as well as learn-to-dance lessons will be held on Oct. 21, 10am at the Karapatan Hall.

Also on Oct. 21, the Museo Pambata Club Activities which is exclusive to MP club members will be held at 2pm.

The Dentist Is In which will teach children about the importance of dental hygiene is scheduled on Oct. 28, 10am at the My Body Works. Resource person is Dr.Celian Teng of the Philippine Dental Association (PDA). Storytelling Hours will also be held every Saturday, 10am at the MP Children’s Library.

Writing competition kicks off

The delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines is inviting journalists from print and on-line media who stood out for their remarkable understanding and particular involvement in reporting on human rights and democracy to join the Natali Prize for Journalism.

All prize nominees will be special guests of the European Commission at the Natali Prize-Giving ceremony in Brussels in January 2006. Each prize winner will receive a trophy and a financial award according to the following: First prize £5,000; second prize £2,500, and third prize £1,500.

Each entry must come with an entry form, which is available at the Lorenzo Natali Prize website: http://www.nataliprize.info.

Deadline for submission of articles is on Oct. 31, 2005.

New director at St. Anthony

The Saint Anthony School System held an investiture for several of its new faculty and directors at the CDY Memorial Campus II, Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga. Robert Lucero is the new and first director for the Saint Anthony College of Technology – Institute of Multimedia Arts (SACTIMA). At 27 years of age, he will be presiding over the said facility and will be responsible for determining the overall educational thrust and commercial viability of the institute.

Training course for educators

Spalding Education International of Phoenix Arizona USA will conduct a Spalding Integrated Language Arts Course, for the first time in the Philippines, in cooperation with AA Tutorial & Review Center on Oct.19 - 29, at the New Philippine Army Officer’s Clubhouse, Fort Bonifacio, Makati City.

The comprehensive 45-hour course is designed for general and special education teachers, school administrators, curriculum specialists, and speech and reading specialists, and is likewise recommended for instructional assistants, tutors and home-schooling parents.

UP Asian Center turns 50

The University of the Philippines Asian Center celebrates 50 golden years in November.

A series of lectures highlights the Center’s anniversary, along with an Asian bazaar, exhibits and book launching, culminating in an alumni homecoming and fellowship on Nov. 26, and week-long celebration of its Foundation Day from Nov. 21 to 28.

Lectures are ongoing at the Salaam Hall, Japan and East Asia was the forum for August, followed by Security, Community in Southeast Asia: The Indonesian Perspective and Vietnam: Past, Present and Future in September, International Conference on China in October and Philippine Foreign Policy Issues & Prospects in November. All lectures are open to the public.

The Asian Center, the Philippines’ first graduate school to train country and area specialists thru Asian Studies and Philippine Studies programs, is calling on all alumni to keep the ties active and vibrant for the jubilee celebration and has formed a network work loop for the purpose. All alumni are enjoined to send their personal information via email indicating their complete name, batch year, degree (MA/Ph.d), home address & tel. number, company/government affiliation/position title, e-mail address and mobile phone no. to Dr. Asiri Abubakar (asiri.abubakar@up.edu.ph).

PWU-JASMS reunion set

Officials of the Philippine Women’s University-Jose Abad Santos Memorial School (PWU-JASMS) in Quezon City have formed an alumni committee task force for the school’s 50th Alumni Homecoming on February 18, 2006 to be held at PWU-JASMS campus along EDSA, Diliman, Quezon City. Theme is "Kita-kits sa Mountain."

Among those expected to attend are celebrity alumni such as stage actress Adrianna Agcaoili, musicians Bond Samson and wife Lynn ShermanSamson, former Health Undersecretary Suzy Pineda-Mercado, public relations practitioner Cris Icban III and television newscaster Nina Castro.

The Feb. 18 reunion begins with an open house and photo exhibit at 9 am, followed by registration at 2 pm. At 3 pm is the opening of the art exhibit. The program on stage begins at 6 pm to be be followed by dinner at 7 pm and capped by song and dance numbers.

Inquiries may be emailed to hugo3@yahoo.com. (JCA)

Language seminar set

The 10th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics (ICAL) will be hosted by the Linguistics Society of the Philippines and SIL International from Jan. 17-20,2006 at The Legend Hotel in Pueto PrincesaCity, Palawan. Plenary speakers will be Dr. Lawrence Reid,who will be speaking on "Aspects of Morphosyntax of ProtoNorthern Luzon" and Dr Nicole Revel, to speak on"Epics in Austronesian Languages and Cu;tures: Ethnopoetics, Ethnomusicology and Ethnology."

Special sessions will include: Austronesian sociolinguistics, austronesian transitiity, dictionary and dictionary-making in austronesian, early austronesian sub-grouping, epics in austronesian language and cultures, language of Maluku, languages and literature in Palawan, noun phrase structures:Functional elements and reference tracking, pronooun ordering typology in austronesian, and teaching austronesian languages. Email your inquiries to 10-ICAL@sil.org.

Academic programs at St.Scholastica

St. Scholastica’s College is on its way to its Centennial year. The institution, predominantly with female population, offers excellent programs steeped in liberal arts and innovative strategies that develop the competencies of the students and prepare them for successful careers in the industry and the academe.

These programs include undergraduate and graduate courses in Education (Pre-School and Special Education), Psychology, Music, Accountancy, Business Management and Women’s Studies. Among its roster of new programs for the bachelor’s degree are HRIM, Information Technology and AB Literature and Literacy.

Through its Language and Literature Department, SSC crafted the AB Literature and Literacy Program which has started its implementation this school year. The program aims to develop the students’ proficiency in the different communication skills, enhance their knowledge and appreciation of literature and promote their abilities in the artistic and technical aspects of theater.

Courses in expository and creative reading and writing, speech and phonetics, theater and stagecraft, poetry and literary criticism are featured in the program that uses literature as a creative teaching-learning medium. AB Literature and Literacy is recommended to those interested to seek career opportunities in teaching literature, reading, speech and language, theater production, curriculum development, writing, and editing. For further information and inquiries, call 5247686.