DepEd statement on the occasion of World Indigenous Peoples’ Day

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The Department of Education is one with the indigenous peoples and the rest of the nation in celebrating the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9, 2015.

DepEd remains steadfast in its commitment to provide access to an inclusive and culture-based education to every indigenous learner in the country through continued efforts in enhancing the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) Program and strengthening the capacity of our public schools and learning programs to deliver such services.

Recognizing the right of indigenous peoples to culturally rooted and responsive basic education, DepEd has recently adopted the Indigenous Peoples Education Curriculum Framework (DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2015), which seeks to provide guidance to schools and other education programs as they engage with indigenous communities in contextualizing the K to 12 curriculum based on their respective educational and social contexts.

Together with our indigenous communities, DepEd renews its call to all education stakeholders to support the continuous transformation of our education system into one that truly recognizes and celebrates cultural diversity.

We remain faithful to our vow that no child shall be left behind in education.

Meet and Greet Dora the Explorer at Megaworld Lifestyle Malls

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Megaworld Lifestyle Malls is inviting all kids to embark on a fun and learning-filled musical adventure with their favorite traveler Dora the Explorer and her friends!

Dora the Explorer, the fun-loving and inquisitive little Latina girl from the world-famous animated children's television series, will be headlining a series of fantastic kiddie events at Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, where kids can also enjoy a variety of fun performances and pocket activities. 

Fans of the Dora the Explorer can come over and see the adorable cartoon character come into life with two meet and greet opportunities taking place at each venue at 2PM and 5PM on the following schedule:

August 15  - Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill August 16  - Eastwood Mall Atrium August 23  - Lucky Chinatown Atrium

Aside from the chance to see Dora the Explorer and her friends up-close, kids can also delight in fun-filled activities and games, and take home exciting prizes.

Parents looking to have their children join the Dora the Explorer Meet and Greet at Megaworld Lifestyle Malls can visit www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com for complete admission details.

Kids can also be part of a song and dance spectacular featuring their favorite explorer at the Dora The Explorer Live! Search for the City of Lost Toys happening on October 8 – 11 at the Meralco Theater. Tickets are available at designated ticket booths located at Eastwood Mall, Lucky Chinatown and Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill.

Aimed at actively engaging children and preschoolers, Dora the Explorer is known for enriching kids’ cognitive abilities by having them observe situations and solve problems as they join Dora's adventure with her friends. Young viewers are also able to obtain essential skills and physical coordination as they are encouraged throughout the show to respond to Dora and to actively participate in the adventure through physical movement.

For more information on Dora the Explorer Meet and Greet at Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, please call the Concierge at 709-9888, 709-0888, 0917-8380111 or visit www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com.

DepEd, educ stakeholders team up for K to 12 full implementation in QC

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The local government of Quezon City and education stakeholders from different sectors gathered together for the Senior High School (SHS) summit on the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) track with Information Technology (IT) as the focus industry yesterday. 

Education Secretary Armin Luistro FSC lauded the efforts of the city to ensure that the TVL curriculum is both aligned with students’ interests and contextualized to satisfy employment demands within the vicinity. 

“It is always a pleasure to be able to witness school stakeholders, the local government and various private-sector partners come together to create effective education programs for the benefit of our learners. Quezon City has always been proactive in engaging the academic community. I pray that their efforts will remain steadfast beyond 2016,” he said.

Luistro underscored that the K to 12 Program equips Filipinos with 21st century skills that will enable them to be prepared for employment, higher education, and skills development, thereby, empowering them to be nation-builders. 

“The goal of education is to empower our youth to become the primary movers of social change. Coming up with immersive policies to teach IT will shape communities able to manipulate technology to address bigger social issues and improve the Filipinos’ quality of life,” he added.

Reaching the ‘last mile’

The education chief stressed that DepEd continues its last mile efforts in delivering quality education to the Filipino children living in areas where access remains a challenge. 

“We have a multitude of programs to ensure that no one is left behind. We have Kariton Klasrum that aims to encourage street children to participate in the learning experience anywhere in the streets. We also have the Abot Alam program, which aims to enlist out-of-school youth and secondary education undergraduates into the public school system by offering courses fit to match their interests and existing skills. And for SPED, we are honing their capacities by constantly encouraging them and the learning community to participate in mainstreaming programs. These programs are not only set to run next year, they are, in fact, already in place and in full effect,” he said. 

He also added that there has been a significant increase of children participating in the formal school system over the years. “The number of OSYs greatly diminished. In 2008, there are 2.9-million OSYs that make up 11.7% of the entire population. This decreased to 1.2-million or 5.2% in 2013,” he explained.

To address the growing enrollment in Quezon City, the DepEd has filled a total of 2,685 teacher items from 2010 to 2014. The Department will also build 47 senior high schools where 31 will be from existing junior high school sites, while the remaining 16 will be new and stand alone.

Multi-sectoral commitment to education reforms

In his opening remarks, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista pledged to come up with different facilities and means to provide for the requirements of the K to 12 tracks their city will offer. 

“Ours is a young and vibrant city with the biggest promise to be at the forefront of academic reforms. Today, we come together as one city to take the lead in supporting Sec. Luistro and Pres. Aquino’s greatest legacy to the Filipino youth,” he said.

Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte also shared the benefits of K to 12 in saying that the program will produce a well-rounded citizenry dedicated to uplifting the values of academic excellence and nationalism, adding, “Senior High School students will be better prepared for their tertiary education and will be much more competitive when seeking employment both here and abroad. All this for the development of a strong and unified nation,” she said.

Australian Embassy First Secretary Nigel Bruce praised the continued friendship and cooperation between Australia and the Philippines, “Our nations have always been partners in education and social development. In fact, this is not the first commitment Australia is signing in support of K to 12. We currently have the Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) Program and the Philippines’ Response to Indigenous Peoples’ and Muslim Education (PRIME) to name a few.”

Founded in San Francisco, USA, the Asia Foundation has also been an unwavering partner in reform efforts of the government not just in education. “We have partnered with the Philippine government in good governance initiatives, disaster response and the Mindanao peace process. You may expect that our level of support to K to 12 will be as faithful and unrelenting as our previous partnerships,” said Deputy Country Representative Maribel Buenaobra. 

“We are, first and foremost, educators; and as educators, we do not give up. Trust that we will continue to support education reform efforts,” she added.

3rd Baby & Family Expo Philippines to launch on September 5, 2015 at Megamall

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The fun-filled star-studded family event this coming September,  the 3rd Baby & Family Expo Philippines  (BFEP), the country’s largest consumer tradeshow for Baby, Kids, Pregnancy, and Parenting Products and Services, will be held at the Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

The most anticipated Family Ultimate Day-out, BFEP 2015, is dedicated to nurture family development and childcare. The 2-day event provides best products and services for the whole family, covering the stages of family growth from maternity, newborns, toddlers and early childhood, providing seminars and talks to parents and guardians that seek essential tips and trends to improve their children’s health, safety, security, education and more. 

From September 5 to 6, the BFEP 2015 is packed with fun-filled activities for the entire family, such as the Family Fashion Show, Familympics, games and raffles. Special attractions and features like the Wonderland Playground, World of Science, Toy Museum, Arts and Crafts Studio, Star Photo Gallery, Face Painting Station, Dining Area, Breastfeeding Area, Diaper Changing Area, and Business Matchmaking Area, are prepared for everyone to enjoy!

Baby and Family Expo Philippines’ World of Fun where children enjoy the fun and exciting rides and games inside the exhibition.

To top it all off, Baby and Family Expo Philippines gets bigger and better with more than 100 exhibiting brands to give away exciting prizes and exclusive discounts only available during the expo.

In 2014, the following brands participated at BFEP: Johnson & Johnson,Baby Mama, Enchanted Kingdom, Children’s Dental Center, Momsie Kitty SPA and many more. It was packed with talks and seminars from industry experts such as Edward Mendez of Sexy Solutions, Relational and Life Coach Ali Gui , and Successful Career-Mom Merlee Jayme of DM9Jayme Syfu.

BFEP 2014 Exhibitors to join again for this year's Baby and Family Expo

Celebrities such as Thor Dulay of the Voice Philippines and Faith Cuneta entertained the visitors with their lovely voices. The whole family happily bonded together as they participated in the special program like the Bubble Dance Number, Puppet and Magic Shows, Interactive Science Illustration, and Mascot Dance Showdown.

BFEP is a one-stop-shop and interactive expo for all babies, kids, pregnancy, parenting, and Family products and services.

BFEP 2015, now on its 3rd year triples the FUN with more Family Bonding Activities, Ultimate Shopping Experiences, and New Learnings and Insights from our experts.

Be part of this star-studded family event! Interested to Exhibit? Call 504 – 4724 / 0905 – 475 – 1331, or email barbie@babyexpo.ph, and join the community at www.facebook.com/babyexpoph. 

NorthPine Land: Where dreams come to life

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It is every hardworking Filipino’s dream to have a house he can call his own. NorthPine Land, Inc. (NLI), one of the leading and most trusted real estate companies in the Philippines, has committed to provide homes and purposeful areas that improve the quality of life. More than a good house, NorthPine Land builds better homes. More than a good neighborhood, it creates better communities. More than a good area to stay, they make a better place of comfort and security for the whole family.

NorthPine Land has established its own niche in the middle income housing market in the country since it was founded in 1996 as a joint venture of four leading companies. Hongkong Land, one of Asia’s leading property investment, management and development groups, partnered with local investors San Miguel Properties, the real estate arm of San Miguel Group; BDO and Metrobank, the country’s largest and leading commercial banks. 

NLI President Alan R. Cruz affirms the company’s commitment to give people who strive to own their dream home the quality of life that only an integrated self-contained community can provide. 

Cruz said, “NorthPine Land defines the ideals of fine living on five foundations namely design, quality construction, lifestyle amenities, continuing estate management, and value.”

In the most recent Housing Preference and Affordability Survey (HPAS) released by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), 82% of the total 4,725 families surveyed prefer to own a house and lot compared to only 2% to those who choose a tenement or condominium unit.

People opt to purchase a house and lot than a condo unit because they have exclusive rights to property; gives them the liberty to design or renovate the indoor and outdoor space any way they want; and it makes a good long-term investment or something they can pass on to their family. The fact that more families dream of owning house and lots over condos is part of the reasons why NorthPine prefers horizontal developments.

Through the years, NorthPine Land has built a solid reputation for distinction, quality, and value for money. The company continues to bring high-quality yet reasonable residential properties in the Philippines with several ongoing horizontal developments. 

Greenwoods Village is a 80-hectare Mediterranean-themed development considered as NorthPine Land’s largest housing project to date. Wind Crest, which boasts Modern-American Country style houses, is a stunning 5-hectare space located within the thriving community of Greenwoods. Kahaya Place, a splendid Modern-Asian space, is NorthPine Land’s latest townhouse project with hassle-free access to daily destinations such as schools, government offices, business districts and malls. All three properties are located at the booming city of Dasmariñas, Cavite. Just a few kilometers away is Kohana Grove which is comprised of 8 hectares of Modern Asian-inspired properties and a close neighbor of Tagaytay, renowned for its cool climate. 

Other quality developments of NorthPine Land are the 10-hectare tropicalized American Country-themed Forest Ridge in San Isidro, Antipolo City which has a commanding view of the city despite being only 45 minutes away from Manila; the 5-hectare Victorian-inspired South Hampton situated at Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Within these communities, NorthPine Land also offers line of trade and commercial areas called NorthPine Spaces. For each horizontal development, NorthPine Spaces features retail slots suited to accommodate the community’s basic daily needs. One can experience the convenience of NorthPine Spaces at the Village Square (Greenwoods), Forest Ridge Lane (Forest Ridge) & Hampton Royale (South Hampton).

The company also developed Lexington, a joint venture with Greenfield Development Corporation. This 8-hectare master planned community in Pasig City is composed of single detached homes. Lexington has been completely sold out since 2008.

Cruz emphasized, “NorthPine Land espouses excellence and customer satisfaction across the company and its portfolio of prestigious projects. It is strongly committed to making dreams come true by providing homes and purposeful areas that improve the way you live your life.”

With companies like NorthPine Land that are committed to providing quality homes to those who work hard for a better future, dreams will come to life. 

About NorthPine Land, Inc.

NorthPine Land Inc. (NLI) is one of the country’s trusted real estate prime movers with a prestigious portfolio of projects such as Kahaya Place, Greenwoods Village, Wind Crest, Kohana Grove (Cavite), South Hampton (Laguna), Forest Ridge (Antipolo City), and Lexington (Pasig City). Its distinguished shareholders are: HongKong Land, BDO, Metrobank, and San Miguel Properties, Inc. To know more about its lineup of products, visit www.northpineland.com.ph or call +632 637.1531.