Budget session

Senate President Vicente Sotto at the Senate session hall. (File photo by EDWIN BACASMAS / Philippine Daily Inquirer) MANILA, Philippines— Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III shot back at Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya on Monday as the latter unleashed fresh attacks following the signing of the 2019 budget into law. Andaya hinted that the Senate’s alleged pork was still intact in the budget, despite the deletion of P95.3 billion as funding for infrastructure projects, including the P75 billion “unconstitutional” realignments made by the House of Representatives. “My friends in the Senate are going to town claiming victory over the deletion of the House amendments. Does this mean that the Senate pork remains intact?” the congressman said. “Could this be the reason for their celebratory mood? Hindi Biyernes Santo sa Senado ngayon kundi Pasko,” Andaya said. Sotto retorted: “It’s the people’s victory, silly!” “We do not need to pay attention to brickbats. It’s the ... » Learn More about Sotto to Andaya: ‘It’s the people’s victory, silly!’

SINGAPORE - Mujir Hayyan Mohammad Taufiq may be anxious about sitting the Primary School Leaving Examination this year, but his parents are even more stressed - it is their first experience with the PSLE as both were educated in madrasahs (religious schools). "As much as we reassure ourselves that it is just like any other year-end exam Hayyan will be sitting, the pressure and stresses do exist," says his mother, Ms Hurul-A'in Mohd Yusoff, 36, principal of a childcare centre. His father Mohammad Taufiq Mohamed Ismail, 40, manages a mosque. They also have a six-year-old daughter studying in a madrasah. "However, we always remind ourselves that this is not our examination, it is Hayyan's," says Ms Hurul-A'in, stressing that her 11 1/2-year-old son's mental health is more important than his grades. Her focus is not misplaced in a year that has seen educational systems across the world shattered by the pandemic, leaving families disoriented and dispirited. Compared with many ... » Learn More about Coronavirus: PSLE survival guide for parents and kids during the pandemic

SINGAPORE - Tearing your hair out over home-based learning (HBL), which started on Wednesday and is set to continue till May 4? Fret not. Here are some suggestions from academic and parenting experts, who advise thinking out of the box and letting the teachers get on with their job, albeit remotely, while schools are closed. Here is how parents can keep sane while optimising this time to help their children make true learning gains. More HBL resources for parents can also be found on MOE's website . 1. HONE SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING It is a good time to help the children develop self-directed learning abilities, says Dr Tan Seng Chee, an associate professor at National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU). There are many reasons why it is not feasible for parents to take the place of teachers. Subject teachers may have specialised approaches, especially at higher grade levels, while parents working from home have other demands on their time ... » Learn More about Coronavirus: 7 ways to thrive under home-based learning

SINGAPORE - Supervising their children's learning from home while working from home is a struggle for many parents as Singapore starts full home-based learning on Wednesday (April 8) to help stem the spread of Covid-19. Some, like Ms Michele Tan, had to wake up at 7am to do her work so that she could focus on helping her Primary 3 daughter with her lessons from 9.30 am. "This is only the first day. I will have to work out a schedule for the rest of the month," said the administrative executive, who is in her mid-30s and working from home . The home-based learning will continue till May 4, when the stay-home circuit breaker period is scheduled to end. Schools are also giving their students varying amounts of work on the Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS) platform, said parents interviewed by The Straits Times. Some received detailed checklists, while others were given just a few assignments. When contacted, the Ministry of Education said schools and teachers ... » Learn More about Parents struggle to juggle working from home and supervising kids’ home-based learning amid Covid-19 crisis

SHAH Alam residents have voiced their objections to a proposal to build a road and a cemetery across an existing forest that they call the Shah Alam Community Forest (SACF). A total of 25 residents attended a public hearing at Wisma MBSA in Shah Alam, Selangor to put forward their argument on why the state land would be better made a full-fledged urban community forest. Previously, Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) carried out a public feedback exercise for its 2035 Local Draft Plan, in which the proposal to build a road and cemetery across the SACF was stated. MBSA received 718 objections for the road and 195 objections for the cemetery from the public. SACF Society founder and secretary Alicia Teoh, who represented 9,000 members, laid out several reasons why the forest should remain a leisure area for the community. The session that was chaired by Selangor local government, public transport and new village development committee chairman Ng Sze Han and state tourism, ... » Learn More about ‘Preserve urban forest area’

A political expert has warned a large coalition supporting President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration will weaken the system of checks and balances within the government as political parties in such a coalition tend to neglect public concerns and instead fight for the sake of their own interests. “The presence of opposition parties is needed to ensure the system of checks and balances in the current government runs well,” Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) executive director Philips J. Vermonte said on Tuesday. He made the statement in response to the result of a recent CSIS survey that found 71 percent of 1,000 respondents believed Jokowi would be able to manage his supporting coalition, specifically after Indonesia’s second-biggest party, the Golkar Party, and the National Mandate Party (PAN) decided to support the government. With Golkar and PAN’s support, Jokowi has stronger support at the House of Representatives, with 386 out of 560 lawmakers ... » Learn More about Large coalition weakens checks and balances: Expert

SINGAPORE - Technology can be a catalyst for narrowing the gender gap, President Halimah Yacob said at the opening of the Women's Forum Singapore on Wednesday (Sept 12) at Raffles City Convention Centre. The three-day forum, part of an international platform which looks at major social and economic issues from a gender perspective, aims to foster women's leadership for social progress and economic impact across the world. President Halimah told those gathered for the opening that the disruptive economy could be viewed in a positive light. "We have, today, a world that is disrupted. Disruption has accelerated changes and challenges to the economy," said President Halimah, noting that a World Economic Forum study found that the automation of jobs was more likely to impact women negatively. But she said research has also shown that access to and, more importantly, the ability to understand and use technologies could have a positive impact on women's education and employment ... » Learn More about Technology can help narrow gender gap, President Halimah Yacob says at Women’s Forum Singapore

A NEW batch of Malaysian Association For The Blind (MAB) trainees are excited to start their lessons. One of them is 24-year-old Sharifah Nur Jahan Syed Jakirul Alam, who became blind due to a nerve inflammation. She has enrolled to learn Information Technology. Sharifah, who was pursuing a degree in law, stopped her studies in 2018 because of a severe migraine that had spread to her backbone. She was later diagnosed with glaucoma. “I experienced depression when I became blind. “My blindness came as a shock but I wanted to move on with my life and further my studies. “During the movement control order period, I surfed the Internet to find out how I could continue my education in this condition, ” she said. Hoping to continue with her law degree after completing her training at MAB, Sharifah added that she had decided on a university. Prior to this, she attended training sessions at Pusat Latihan dan Pemulihan Lembah Kinta and learned life skills such as cooking and ... » Learn More about Blind trainees eager to resume lessons

FILIPINO engineers are world-class, laying the foundations of infrastructure and technology locally and globally for many generations, and Globe continues to support them in areas they need it most. To commemorate World Engineering Day, held every fourth day of March, Globe co-presented Manila Water Foundation’s World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development to help raise awareness on the role of engineering in modern life that’s essential in mitigating the impact of climate change and advancing sustainable development. During the session, engineers from various fields, representing the women’s sector as well as the youth, were invited to talk about how engineering shapes the world we live in by solving social issues and to encourage students to choose engineering as a career. The speakers also discussed how technology and the collaboration between the public and private sector can help the Philippines achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Globe ... » Learn More about Globe helps lay foundation for world-class Filipino engineers

FROM April 5 to 30, get discounts, flexible all-in or low monthly deals and other freebies for Toyota’s best-selling models. Customers looking to buy a practical vehicle can get Toyota’s best-selling, entry-level hatchback for a low monthly payment. All Wigo variants also come with free comprehensive insurance for one year, making it a sensible option for budget-conscious buyers looking to address their daily mobility needs. Even more value-added benefits are available for the country’s best-selling sedan. Aside from savings, New Vios customers also get free periodic maintenance up to 20,000 km and/or one year comprehensive insurance and five-year warranty for a brand new Toyota Vios G, E or XLE. XE variants are also eligible for free one year comprehensive insurance. An additional rebate is up for grabs when you trade in your old vehicle for a New Vios! Other well-loved models such as the Innova, Fortuner, Corolla Altis, Avanza, Hilux, Rush and Hiace also get outright cash ... » Learn More about Bring home the joy of a new Toyota