DepEd cites Lazatin's online education thrust

ANGELES CITY--Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr.’s educational assistance to public schools and teachers amid the pandemic has received recognition from the Department of Education (DepEd) in Central Luzon.

The award was conferred to Lazatin during a virtual recognition hosted by the regional DepEd office on December 28.

The virtual awarding ceremonies recognized the topmost involvement and participation of various stakeholders in ensuring that education must continue amidst the threat of COVID-19 pandemic.

Lazatin has allotted P209 million to purchase 61,200 tablets for 55,000 Grades 4 to 12 students and 3,000 school teachers in 53 public schools, and 3,200 scholars in the City College of Angeles (CCA).

The tablets are exclusively being used in the transition to online learning, which are said to be given back to the school’s administration at the end of the school year.

To date, 49,992 tablets have already been distributed in 48 public schools and are currently being used by students from Grades 4 to 12.

Apart from this, Lazatin has also allocated P20 million for free wifi connection, installing 200 access points in the city’s 33 barangays to further help them with their online classes.

The city government has also distributed via house-to-house P1,000 educational financial assistance to 1,000 indigent students throughout the city’s 33 barangays amid the pandemi c.

Realizing the readiness of public schools facilities and infrastructure once face-to-face learning is implemented, Lazatin has set aside P5 million for the repair of day care centers and classrooms; P12 million to purchase air conditioning units and television sets for all 76 day care centers; and P30 million from the Local School Board fund

ANGELES CITY --Senator Joel Villanueva reiterated the need to include workers in the government’s vaccination program.

The solon stated in particular those earning minimum wage.

He said the ability to sustain the country’s economic recovery relies heavily on inoculating those providing essential services to the public.

Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee, said he would scrutinize the government’s plan for the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine as the Senate convenes the Committee of the Whole on Monday to look into the vaccination program. Officials of the InterAgency Task Force managing the pandemic response, as well as from the Department of Health are expected to attend.

“We have to make sure that workers providing essential services are included in the government’s priority list, on top of its initial pronouncements of prioritizing healthcare workers, the police and the military, and the elderly,” Villanueva said.

“Workers in the services industry, construction workers in public and private projects, market attendants, delivery riders, security guards, and workers in food retail and distribution networks are those who the government should consider to include in the priority list. They are the workers who keep the economy going. They should be included in the vaccination program,” he added.

Minimum wage earners work in high-risk workplaces such as construction sites, factories, groceries, and public markets, among others, and they rely on public transportation to move around, Villanueva explained.

He pointed out that the importance of providing them with access to vaccines since they are working for subsistence of their families.

The lawmaker filed Senate Resolution No. 598 to look into the government’s vaccination program to assess how workers would be covered given the initial pronouncements of the country's vaccine czar that the planned inoculation intends to cover 70% of the population in the next three to five year s.

“Our market attendants ensure that basic goods are readily available. Our garbage collectors help us keep our communities clean. Our security guards protect establishments. Our delivery riders allow us to buy our basic needs without going out of our houses and exposing ourselves to the risk of getting infected. That is why these are among the workers who must be included in the vaccination program because they provide essential services,” Villanueva sai d.