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By Jaime Pilapil

The Office of the Ombudsman has to begin looking into the P728 million fertilizer scam and determine who should be held liable for the irregular use of public funds.

Two progressive groups, the Lakas ng Magsasakang Pilipino (LMP) and Aksyon Sambayanan (AkSa) said yesterday that the panel created by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to probe the fertilizer scam should not drag its feet.

“The Ombudsman should not protect the officials being linked to the scam by ignoring the overwhelming evidence presented by the Commission on Audit (COA),” Ali Asis, LMP president, said.

AkSa Spokesperson Jorge Azuelo pointed out that it is the ombudsman’s job to go after grafters in government. “Delaying the probe would only trigger speculation of a coverup.”

COA auditors have confirmed that the fertilizer purchased under the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) was overpriced by P127 million.

Te anomaly was noted in the fertilizer allocation for nongovernment organizations.

Of the P728 million allotted for the GMA program, P643 million were allocated to the regional field units of the DA. The fertilizers purchased under the program were to have been distributed to farmers.

COA auditors also unearthed other irregularities such as inconsistencies in bidding and purchase documents and nonexistent liquidation reports.

In all, the auditors said government officials involved in the distribution of the fund may have pocketed at least P48 million.

A witness earlier said four congressmen who received the fertilizer fund got 30 percent kickbacks from their allocation. One of them even demanded a 70 percent “commission.”

COA report said over 100 congressmen, 53 governors and 26 mayors received fertilizer allocations.

“The sheer immensity of the anomaly should propel the ombudsman to take action at once,” Asis said.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics04_feb13_2006

 

Manila, Philippines - Singer-actress Vina Morales doesn’t mind letting the whole world know she’s pregnant.

Vina is carrying her first baby with boyfriend Cedric Lee, who owns a beauty clinic. She says she considers her baby a blessing, and thanks her fans for not judging her.  Vina adds that she and Cedric have always wanted a baby. It’s still unclear though when the two will tie the knot.
Vina will talk about her pregnancy in an interview on ABS-CBN’s talk show "The Buzz" this Sunday.

1.       Teach them how to learn, in a manner that is relevant, meaningful and memorable.

2.       Bridge the gap between theory and practice.

3.       Good teaching is about listening, questioning, being responsive and remembering that every student and class is different.

4.       Good teaching is about being flexible and adjusting to changing circumstances.

5.       Good teaching is entertaining.

6.       Good teaching is about humour.

7.       Good teaching is about caring, nurturing, and developing minds and talents.

8.       Good teaching is supported by strong and visionary leadership.

9.       Good teaching is about monitoring senior and junior staff/faculty, teamwork.

10.   Good teaching is about having fun.

The Roles of a Teacher

·         As an “Instructional Expert”

·         As a manager

·         As a counsellor

What is Teaching?

·         It is an action of a person imparting skill, knowledge or even value to another. (Moore, 1992)

·         It is an attempt to assist students in acquiring or changing some skill, knowledge, ideal attitude or appreciation. (Clark & Starr, 1993)

General Teaching Skill

·         Pre-instructional skills

·         Instructional Skills

·         Post-instructional Skills

PRE-INSTRUCTIONAL SKILLS

Step 1 – Identifying content

Step 2 – Writing objectives

Step 3 – Introducing the lesson

Step 4 – Selecting an instructional strategy

Step 5 – Closing the lesson

Step 6 – Evaluating the lesson

Step 7 – Identifying the new content to be taught

INSTRUCTIONAL SKILLS

·         Ability to .communicate effectively

·         Ability to gain students attention

·         Ability to arouse and maintain interest

·         Ability to use stimulus and reinforcement effectively

·         Use of appropriate questioning techniques

·         Management of the learning environment smoothly and effectively

·         Ability to use appropriate lesson closure

·         Skill in evaluating lesson objectives

POST – INSTRUCTIONAL SKILLS

·         Ability to analyze collected evaluative information

·         Making judgments regarding evaluative information

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF EVERY TEACHER

·         The teacher as a decision maker

·         Commitment to the students

·         Commitment to the profession

·         Instructional responsibilities

·         Non-instructional responsibility

IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS OF TEACHERS

·         Executive functions

·         Interactive functions

·         Organizational functions

            Man has always tried to understand and control his environment. Inseparable from this instinctive effort is his impulse to express his understanding of his environment and life.
            Using nature as his guide and inspiration, the visual artist – the painter or sculpture –formulates a basic style or mode of expression with which to express and communicate an idea, feeling, or mood. He sees shape, color, texture and space in nature. He uses them, and organizes them into a work of art.
            Thus, the visual artist turns to nature for insights to power his imagination and inventiveness, because practically everything under the sun is raw material for the visual artist to draw his subject from. Many an aesthetically admirable work of art by visual artist has Nature for its theme. Among the favorite subjects are landscape, seascapes, and cityscapes; flowers and fruits; animals, and the human figure.

Everyone is longing to live in a house where you can feel the comfort while staying. House is a place where we can rest, gather together and experience the love and bonding of every family member. Do you know what the most expensive house ever? Well, the ritches man in India build $1 billion worth of just one house. The property was owned by Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani who has the net worth $22 billion. Amazing but true. Its really good to be rich and get watever you want in life.

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S. While the majority of new breast cancers are diagnosed as a result of an abnormality seen on a mammogram, a lump or change in consistency of the breast tissue can also be a warning sign of the disease. Heightened awareness of breast cancer risk in the past decades has led to an increase in the number of women undergoing mammography for screening, leading to detection of cancers in earlier stages and a resultant improvement in survival rates. Still, breast cancer is the most common cause of death in women between the ages of 45 and 55. Although breast cancer in women is a common form of cancer, male breast cancer does occur and accounts for about 1% of all cancer deaths in men.

Some fast facts about Pre Mentrual Syndrome (PMS)

>Almost 75 percent of mentruating women experience some forms of PMS

>Some PMS Symptoms have been linked to deficiencies in calcuim and vitamin A,E and B

>less than 10 percent of women experience symptoms so severe that it disrupts their lives.

>The exact cause of PMS is unknown

>lack of physical activity increases the risk of PMS

The DOH declared Oct.15 to 21 Osteoporosis Awareness Week
Here are few things you should know about the disease:

What is osterporosis?
    Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leadingto bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures, specially of the hip, spine and wrist.

Here are few tips to prevent this disease:

Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence can be the best defence  against developing osteoporosis later.

There are five steps, which together can optimize bone health and help prevent osteoporosis.

>Maintain a balance diet rich in calcium and vitamin D
>Do weight-bearing and resisitance training exercises
>A healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake
>Talking to one’s health care professional about bone health
>Bonedensity testing and medication when appropriate.

Protect your skin from harmful ultraviolate rays
Do not let the sun ruin your skin health.

1. Water resistant sunscreen, with SPF 15 or higher
2. Medicated lip balm with SPF 15 or higher
3. Wide-brimmed hat for hair and face protection
4. Spray for sunscreen for hair
5. Cold sore/fever blister treatment