Colleges and universities in Negros Occidental were urged yesterday by Isabela Mahler, Commission on Higher Education Director for Region 6, to review their curriculum to make their course offerings relevant worldwide, a University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Bacolod City press release said.

In her speech before the newly-inducted officers and Board of Directors of the Association of Colleges and Universities in Negros Occidental yesterday, Mahler also said that there is fear that the perceived increasing commercialization of tertiary education will adversely affect the educational opportunities for the poor. She added that maintaining and sustaining an educational institution is not merely a problem of private institutions, but of government-subsidized schools as well.

"The budget is becoming less, and less, and eventually running an institution private or public will be difficult," she said. She encouraged the school administrators to find some means of increasing their income but stressed the need for them to improve the quality of the programs they are offering.

The newly-conducted officers of ACUNO for school year 2007-2009 are headed by Dr. Ramona Lamo, administrator of the Bago City College, the press release added.*

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NSO to conduct
population census Aug.

The National Statistics Office will conduct a population census Aug. 1 to 25 to gather current data on population counts, to be the basis for the Internal Revenue Allotment and the creation of new local government units, a press release from the agency said.

This also aims at continuously addressing specific data requirements of the national government agencies and LGUs, especially in targeting beneficiaries of basic social services.

Census enumerators will gather population data through house-to-house visits and personal interview of the household head or any responsible member.

Institutional populations such as those living in hospitals, sanitaria, penitentiary, military camps, convents, seminaries, and the like will also be covered, the press release said. Executive Order No. 121, or the Reorganization Act of the Philippine Statistical System, states that the NSO shall be the major statistical agency responsible for generating general-purpose statistics and for undertaking such censuses and surveys as may be designated by the National Statistical Coordination Board, the press release added.*

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NSO to conduct
population census Aug

ILOILO CITY - An Aklan-based freelance photojournalist has scored the unauthorized use of photographs he took in the campaign materials of Aklan officials in the last elections.

Joe Haresh Tanodra, 42, alleged that photographs that he took of Aklan Rep. Florencio Miraflores, Gov. Carlito Marquez and former Vice Gov. Ronquillo Tolentino were used without his permission in the 2007 calendar and T-shirts distributed by the provincial government.

He said thousands of copies of these calendars and T-shirts were distributed to the 17 towns of the province during the Christmas party of the Tibyog Akean, the political party of the three officials, last December 18 and during the campaign period. Tanodra, who is based in Kalibo, Aklan has been a photojournalist for 24 years and is a contributor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and European Press Photo Agency.

He said he wrote Marquez in May and complained that he had not been compensated for the use of his work. He said he had allowed the use of his photographs by provincial information officer Ulysses Espartero "for journalism purposes" and was surprised to see the photographs in the calendars and T-shirts.

"Doubtless some print or publication establishments had made money out of my photographic creative works at my great expense and prejudice," Tanodra said in his letter.

He said the unauthorized use of the photographs violated his rights under the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (Republic Act 8293) and he is seeking a stop to the use of his photographs without his permission and compensation for their use. Espartero, meanwhile, said he used the photographs in the calendar but sought the permission of a local photo studio to which Tanodra was connected. He said he was willing to compensate the photojournalist but claimed that Tanodra refused to talk to him. He also denied that he knew about the use of the photographs in the T-shirts.

Tanodra, however, said it was Espartero who ignored his repeated calls and text messages.

Tanodra has sought the help of media organizations and photographers groups to compel the provincial government to pay him for his work.*NPB

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