Archives for December 2013

            A week after the result of the Licensure Examination for Teachers was released, the College of Education together with the LET Review Center gave a thanksgiving celebration to the new teachers of WVCST as promised.

                Based on the PRC LET Result, there are 107 passers out of 130 examinees from the College of Education who at the same time chose to review at WVCST LET Review Center. With a percentile rate of 82.31%, the College was ranked as #8 in the Top Performing Schools nationwide from the national passing rate of 31.22% for BEED and 39.75% for BSED. Also, the LET Review Center was able to produce one reviewee from the Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College who successfully ranked #10 in the September 2013 licensure exam.  All, first in the history of WVCST.

                This achievement which was described by Dr. John Eric V. Juaneza as once only a desired dream but now it is a dream come true.  For him, the good result of the examination is a contributing factor for the College to become a University. He is also very elated being the Director of the Review Center, that although the 10^th placer of the LET is from NIPSC, the College Review Center was able to extend and share the expertise of its lecturers to him and helped him make it to the top 10.

                Dr. Ma. Asusina Asuncion E. Echaveria, Dean, College of Education expressed how proud the College of Education and the school are for this success and wished the passers good luck in the next endeavor and may they continue to work hard as they face their future.

                Likewise, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and at the same time College Administrator, Dr. Manuel A. Sanchez, Jr., conveyed his happiness especially that this is the first time for WVCST to be in the top 10 performing schools. He reminded the passers that whatever they do or wherever they go they are bringing the name of their Alma Mater. Passing the board exam he said is just the new beginning of the new horizon of their profession. “Continue dreaming, but for your dreams to come true dedicaton, hard work and commitment to your job is a must. Self confidence, motivation and determination are your best weapon in order to be successful in your chosen profession.”

                On her part, the VP for Admin and Finance, Dr. Nehema K. Misola commended the passers especially for uplifting the name of the school in the result of the examinations. She advised them that attaining their goal, they have to go out and multiply. They have to show what they have learned and what they can do as graduates of WVCST. “You will become the living testimony that WVCST exists. Passing the board, makes us parallel as teachers and professionals. However, you have to walk your talk. It is not just enough that you have passed the exam and you know all the theories. You have to show what you’ve got and have that commitment, perseverance, hard work and dedication so that the College can be proud of you. You have to model the truth and what is right and tell the world we are worth to be called a University.”

                Also present in the Thanksgiving celebration was Gerald B. Batarlan, the 10^th placer in the Licensure Exam from NIPSC whose success story touched everyone in the room especially when he said that “I’m not intelligent, I am only diligent . . . and even people looked down on our status in life, I was determined to study hard because I can see how my parents strive just to send us to school.” He inspired the passers by saying that poverty should never be considered an obstacle in attaining one’s dreams.

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            The College of Education, Technology and Livelihood Education Department, had their educational tour in Luzon for 5 days from October 21 to 25, 2013, to get abreast with the current technology of industrial companies and be exposed more to the best practices done by other State Universities that may be helpful for WVCST and its faculty.

The first stop of the group was Ifugao State University where they got impressed with the natural landscape of the campus and also had the chance to check on the different programs offered by the university.

                Before reaching the next destination, the group took a scenic route to Banaue Rice Terraces, The Sagada and the majestic Sierra Madre. They also had the chance to visit the Windmill turbine in Ilocos Norte where they generate electricity thru the movement of the wind, with all the turbines facing the ocean.

                Other universities visited by the group were the University of Northern Philippines, Pangasinan State University and the Mariano Marcos State University which offers Ceramic Engineering that made the university known as the Center of Development which was granted by CHED. Tarlac State University was also included in their destination where the University President toured them around including to the school business enterprise that really helps the university earn their income.

                The TLE faculty was warmly welcomed in Batangas State University by its VP for Academic affairs and its faculty members. Batangas State University showcased their library, where books are accounted thru bar codes, school gates are controlled by bar codes in their students’ IDs and impressive buildings like their 5-storey building, home-tel with elevator and wi-fi facilities all over the campus. They were even more impressed with the hospitality of the Batangueños when tokens were handed to them by the faculty of the state university.

                Meanwhile, there were two industrial companies that the group dropped in – the Tri-R and Choryo Industries, all located at Silang, Cavite. The Company President who happened to be an Ilongga, ushered them around showing the robotics, pneumatic, hydraulic technology and other huge machines. They were also exposed to some of the company’s operations like the cutting of hard and thick metals thru laser technology.

            The BLT or Busog Lusog Talino Health and Nutrition Thrust of WVCST Extension Services Division in cooperation with Jollibee Group Foundation and the Local Government Unit, is making progress with almost 50% of its recipients gained Normal Body Mass Index from being Severely Wasted Body Mass Index during the midyear measure for this school year 2013-2014.

                Based on the study made by ESD on 90 school recipients from the City and Province of Iloilo, from its Baseline implementation with 2,286 pupils (68%) Wasted (Low weight) and 1,077 pupils (32%) Severely Wasted (Malnourished), 48% or 1,586 of these pupils now weigh normal. Meanwhile, there are 1,289 pupils or 39% are still in the wasted Category, and only 429 pupils or 13% are left in the Severely Wasted Category.

                                The WVCST Extension Services Division has become an area implementing partner of Jollibee Group Foundation and the Local Government Unit in combating malnutrition in the country.  This is a school feeding program which is carried out to public school pupils from Grades 1 to 2 which were pointed out to belong to the Wasted and Severely Wasted Body Mass Index. Aside from the feeding program, the group also conducts lectures and seminars to pupils as well as to parents especially in facilitating the feeding program. Though there are feeding program facilitators, the parents are the ones tasked to prepare and cook low cost (Php 11 per meal, per child) but healthy meals for the pupils. The feeding runs for 136 days, from Monday to Friday, but the program continues with activities designed to educate the parents on food safety, meal planning and budgeting while values formation are taught to the pupils. A result assessment is then conducted. The Jollibee Group Foundation sponsored 75% of the program budget for the first year, and 50% for the 2^nd year. In the succeeding years they provided four personnel as facilitators to oversee the activities.  The Local Government also sponsored 25% of the program budget in the first year, 50% for the 2^nd year and later the budget was provided both by the LGU and the DEP-ED. It also provides social and health workers, a nurse and rural health physicians.

                This project started in 2009 with only 7 schools in the City of Iloilo as recipients wherein WVCST was then a local implementing partner of Jollibee Foundation and the LGU.  In school year 2010-2011, there were 12 school recipients coming from the City and Province of Iloilo and Guimaras. In 2011-2012, it increased into 38, then it became 68 in 2012-2013. For this year, there are already 90 school recipients of Busog Lusog Talino Health and Nutrition Program, 22 came from Iloilo City, 2 schools from the 1^st , 24 from the 3^rd District, 9 from the 4^TH District and 34 schools from the 5^th District.

                The BLT Program wishes to minimize if not zero in malnutrition in Region 6 by 2020 based on the millennium development code. This is designed not only to help fight hunger and malnutrition but also help the students focus in school as education is an essential tool to overcome poverty. Unfortunately, in the recent statistics, the City and Province of Iloilo ranks 2^nd in malnutrition while Region 6 is ranked 5^th in the whole country.

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