CHED Cordillera in upbeat mode/ Caroling in Baguio/ Pregnancy in hiring women

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – I was talking to one of students from tertiary schools all over the region who participated in a journalism seminar organized by the Commission on Higher Education Cordillera Administrative Region headed by Director Demetrio P. Anduyan Jr. in this summer capital last week.
    During a break in my lectures, she commented it was a welcome development the CHED-CAR was so active nowadays in involving tertiary schools and students in a lot of activities.
    I could attest to that, I told her considering that Yours Truly and speakers from the media among other stakeholders were involved in the activities, courtesy of the tireless Dr. Mariano D. Marchan Jr., CHED education supervisor 11.
    Marchan, along with other officials of the government agency organized events which included those on oratory, essay, cultural, poetry, music and journalism.
   **
Just last month, a video entry made by a student from Cordillera particularly from Kalinga was adjudged first place in a national  CHED competition.
    It was the real life story of a young woman, who despite hardship in life, persevered and became a teacher. Even when she was a kid, she had to fetch water, carry it and bring it to her ancestral home walking a long distance.
    She later married and was able to build a house along with her husband where they now live with their children.
   ***
Over the past months, we could see the students were excited and upbeat in wanting to learn new things through these events. Last week’s question and answer portion was revealing. We could see they had a thirst for knowledge.
    Anyhow Frank Cimatu, my then co-writer with the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Palanca awardee handled feature and poetry writing.
    Frank is now writing for Rappler and Baguio Chronicle.
    Libel was handled by lawyer Delmar Carino, also our peer then at PDI. Carino is now legal counsel and human resource manager of Benguet Electric Cooperative.
    Aldwin Joseph Quitasol, president of Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club and Daily Tribune writer, talked on opinion writing.
    Yours Truly handled news and editorial writing. Masters of ceremony were Doctors Marchan and Josephine Aguirre of CHED. Vender, of the regional office, like in past events, also helped during the journalism seminar.
    The national tertiary schools competition, according to Dr. Marchan, may be held early next year, depending on health protocols due to the still prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.
    Congratulations to the CHED-CAR. Let us have more of these events.
    We hope the national government will allot a higher budget to the CHED-CAR for such events as it may only be the only regional office of the government agency which is doing these.       
             ***
The Baguio office of the City Social Welfare and Development Officer under officer-in-charge Liza Bulayungan said that Christmas carolers are not required to get solicitation permits.
    “Under Dept. of Social Welfare and Development Memorandum Circular No. 05 series of 2021, caroling is one exemption for solicitation permit,” she said.
    However, Bulayungan said carolers are required to observe health protocols especially that there is still active coronavirus disease transmission in the city.
    “House-to-house and main thoroughfare caroling is still discouraged and minors who engage in caroling must be under the supervision of parents to ensure health protocols are properly observed,” she was quoted by Aileen P. Refuerzo, chief of the city public information office.
   ***
If you think that a woman should not lose out on a job just because she could potentially get pregnant, then this bill is for you.
    The House of Representatives recently passed on second reading House Bill (HB) No.4479, or the proposed Act expanding the prohibited acts of discrimination against women on account of sex.
    The measure seeks to amend for this purpose Presidential Decree (PD) No.442, as amended, otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines.
    The pro-women bill went from sponsorship on the House plenary floor all the way to second reading approval during the course of the session on Monday, Nov.21.
    Sponsoring HB No.4479 was lead author Calamba City lone district Rep. Charisse Anne Hernandez.
    According to her, the measure will prohibit employers from choosing not to hire women on account of “her monthly period and her ability to get pregnant”.
    “A woman being a woman has nothing to do with their work ethics, productivity, and efficiency as a member of our labor force,” Hernandez, who is a vice chairperson of the House Committee on Labor and Employment told media.
    “Women can do things equally as men,” she said.
    Specifically, the bill–endorsed to the plenary by the labor and employment panel–aims to revise Article 135 of the Labor Code.
    Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., who presided over Monday’s session, later announced the second reading approval of the measure after a  voice vote (ayes vs. nayes), an article sent to media outlets said. This paves the way for HB No.4479’s possible approval on third and final reading by House members next week.