ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Public high school students in this city rated poorly in the National Achievement Test l (NAT) conducted recently by the Department of Education (DepEd). Acting city schools superintendent Pedro Melchor Natividad said the NAT seeks to determine the academic performance of students in major subject areas.

In a report, Natividad noted that local students got a Mean Percentage Score (MPS) of only 35.86 in Mathematics, 33.77 in Science, 40.62 in English, 43.44 in Araling Panlipunan, and 49.74 in Pilipino. “The passing mark in each subject area is 75,” Natividad said. (Tony Pe. Rimando)

Health Concern

ZAMBOANGA CITY – City Health Officer Rodelin Agbulos has declared heart disease as the No. 1 killer in the community even as he noted that local fatalities have increased even among those in the younger age bracket. Agbulos noted that of the 4,363 deaths for the past three years, cardiovascular disease or heart illness covered 25 percent or at least 1,283 mortalities.

He advised the public to observe healthy diet coupled with regular exercise. Other top causes of death in the city, he said, include cancer, pneumonia, sepsis, tuberculosis diabetes, chronic renal failure and bullet wounds. (Tony Pe. Rimando)

Group Assistance

A Malaysian humanitarian organization called “Mercy Malaysia” has maintained its presence in the Philippines since the onslaught of tropical storm “Sendong” as the group continues its assistance to thousands of other disaster victims in other parts of the country.

Mercy Malaysia, a non-profit non-government organization, is set up in 1999 to provide medical relief, humanitarian services, and emergency assistance.

This was learned from Malaysian Ambassador Amb. Datô Seri Dr. Ibrahim Saad, saying the humanitarian group has not left the Philippines since “Sendong” to continue their brotherly mission. (Edd Usman)

Graduation Rites

BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi – The Department of Education (DepEd) in the province of Tawi-Tawi has reminded school principals not to collect fees for graduation from graduating students and pupils for the coming graduation exercises. Tawi-Tawi Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Kiram Irilis said he has issued the reminder to 22 national high school and 258 elementary school principals in the province.

 Irilis said that his order is anchored on DepEd’s standing policy prohibiting the collection of fees from graduating pupils and students. “We must remember that most of the parents of graduating students and pupils here are poor,” Irilis added. (Nonoy Lacson)

Agusan Program

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur – Elementary school heads in the province of Agusan del Sur are now in jubilant mood due to the “Empowering of Agusan del Sur School Heads Program.”

Under the program, at least 25 school heads from the provinces’ various elementary schools have been granted to take up a Masters Degree after a Memorandum of Agreement was formally signed before top school authorities and provincial officials.

The purpose of the program is to enhance the knowledge of the school heads to effectively handle their responsibilities towards their pupils and the pupils’ parents. (Mike Crismundo)