The Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers-Negros Occidental Chapter will sponsor a technical seminar on “Conveyor Belt Technology,” 1 to 5 p.m. Friday at Business Inn, Bacolod City, a PSME press release said.

Ernesto Pasion, Jr. production head, Conveyor Belt Department of PHILBELT will be the Resource speaker for the seminar, conducted in line with the PSME’s Continuing Professional Education Program and in cooperation with Philippine Belt Manufacturing Corp.

Mechanical engineers and interested parties may call Chapter president Ramonito Alejandro and chairman of the seminars Renato Dunlao, Jr.at the PSME at Tel. Nos. 433-0668 or 434-6198, the press release added.*

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Housing project launched

Tens of thousands of out of high school drop-outs can soon get their high school diplomas without attending the conventional intermediate school classes through the proposed “Open High School System”, a press release from the office of House Speaker Prospero Nograles said.

The proposed Act under House Bill 4082 has been approved on final reading by the House of Representatives and transmitted to the Senate before Congress adjourned last June 11.

It is aimed at giving hope to the likes of Manny Pacquiao who dropped out of school to earn a living even at an early age who will have the chance to pursue their education.

“Education is our best legacy to our youth,” Nograles said as he expressed confidence that the Senate will promptly act on the bill during the second regular session starting July 21.

Principal authors of the “Open High School System Act of 2008” include Reps. Edcel Lagman, Del de Guzman, Luis Villafuerte, Maria Isabelle Climaco, Dulce Ann Hofer, Eduardo Gullas, Angelito Gatlabayan, Rodolfo Antonino, Arnulfo Go, Candido Pancrudo Jr., and Rommel Amatong, the press release said.

The OHSS is a system of delivering educational services to high school students utilizing print, radio, television and computer-based communications, satellite broadcasting, teleconferencing, and other multi-media learning and teaching technologies that allow students to study on their own without having to regularly attend classes in conventional classrooms.

Nograles noted that the proposed open high school system would greatly help the youth whose secondary education has been hampered by armed conflicts in some areas in Mindanao and in certain portions of Luzon and the Visayas, the press release said.

Lagman, chairman of the House Appropriations committee, said the measure will benefit children of high school age who are out of school because they have to stay home during school hours to take care of younger siblings, and do household chores to allow their parents and elders to earn a living or are themselves working in order to augment their family income.

The Act mandates that Distance Learning Centers shall be established in a regular secondary school in the regional or division level where the distance learners can conduct researches or gather additional information on topics under study.

The Departments of Education and Interior and Local Governments shall collaborate in the implementation of the open high school system, the press release added.*

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Ilonggo artists to join
exhibit in US, Europe

The Batang Pinoy Artist yesterday opened another art exhibition called “Proud to be Pinoy” at the Mirasol Art Galleries in Manila, a press release from the group said.

The exhibit that runs until June 30, and will be held in the United States and Europe in July and August, features documentary films on Baguio City, Ilocos, Calabarzon, Rizal, Quezon Province and Bacolod City, where the First Philippine International Art Festival will also be launched on August 8.

Participating artists are El Dosado from Pototan, Iloilo; Emmanuel Mena, Metro Manila; Joann delos Santos, Cebu; Shani Lou Santos, Rizal; Michael Samilin,  Cagayan; Ebner Detablan, Bicol; Jonathan Mena, Bulacan; and Andrew dela Cruz, Cavite,

The US tour will be sponsored by Bangon! Bagong Pilipinas on July 16 in Los Angles, California; and National Federation of Filipino American Associations on Aug. 1 to 10 in Michigan, the press release said.

Other schedules are, in the Litegallery in London, England, Aug. 17 to 24; Barcelona, Spain, Aug. 26 to Sept. 1; and Sacramento Art Festival in California, Sept. 3 to 7.

The artists may be reached by calling Tel. Nos. 0920-412-7142 or (02)473-7336 or email to club_888r@yahoo.com, the press release added.*

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VisMin schools get ETVs

Seventeen public elementary schools across the Visayas and Mindanao will receive educational television packages from SuperFerry and Aboitiz Foundation this year, a SuperFerry press release said.

Started in partnership with ABS-CBN Foundation in 2003, there will be 100 educational TV packages benefiting over 100,000 students across the 20 SuperFerry ports in eight Visayas and Mindanao regions by end of 2008.

Turnovers and teacher training for new and existing beneficiary schools are scheduled in the following areas in cooperation with the Department of Education: Zamboanga – today, Surigao – Friday (tentative), and Iloilo – July 7. Others were held in Ozamis – June 19, Cagayan de Oro – June 20, and Davao – June 23.

The program was developed to provide public school teachers with TV-assisted instruction material. A package is composed of one TV, one DVD player, 108 DVD volumes, one Teacher Training DVD, and one Episode Guide CD, the press release said. 

Those interested in the program may visit the Citizenship section of www.atsc.com.ph, the press release added.*

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