Liza Soberano is Save the Children Philippines’ newest ambassador

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Renowned actress Liza Soberano fulfils her dream to be a child rights advocate as she was appointed Save the Children Philippines Ambassador who will campaign for children’s rights to survival, learning, protection, and meaningful participation.

Save the Children Philippines welcomed Soberano in line with its celebration of its 40th year of lifesaving work for and with children in the country.

“Officially joining Save the Children Philippines as an ambassador is a dream come true for me,” said Soberano who has been silently donating to the child rights organization and sponsoring children in Uganda since 2016.

“I just want to help people in any form and in any way that I can, and I feel like through Save the Children, I’ll be able to do so much more,” Soberano said.

Save the Children Philippines Chief Executive Officer Atty. Alberto Muyot lauds Soberano’s earnest desire to help the most deprived and marginalized children realize their full potential.

“We know that with Liza’s passion and influence, she will be inspiring a lot of children, youth, and adults to prioritize children’s rights at all times and create platforms for meaningful participation of children,” Muyot said.

In the 2021 Global Childhood Report by Save the Children, the Philippines ranked 110th out of 186 countries with children fully experiencing childhood. The study revealed that children in lower ranking countries have been missing out on childhood, including access to healthcare and nutrition, education, and protection from harmful practices like child labor and child marriage.

Prior to becoming an official Ambassador, Soberano has been addressing the said issues in her own ways. In 2018, she participated in Save the Children’s “Lahat Dapat” campaign against hunger and malnutrition, and rallied for children’s fair and equal access to nutritious food.

In 2020, Soberano supported Save the Children Philippines’ #SaveWithStories which raised funds for Project ARAL (Access to Resources for Alternative Learning) to help children from low income families and those with disabilities gain access to alternative learning modalities amidst school closures brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Soberano has also been vocal in her conviction to speak about women and children’s rights, protection of children from online sexual exploitation, and mental health.

Muyot added that working for and with children is both an opportunity and a huge responsibility. With Ambassadors Katarina Rodriguez, Xia Vigor, Ria Atayde, and Liza Soberano working closely with children, they will be able to amplify children’s voices, and help Save the Children engage into meaningful and sustainable partnerships with stakeholders to further support children’s development needs and respond to humanitarian crises.

“There’s nothing more grounding and heartwarming than seeing the look on people’s faces when you give them the simplest of assistance, may it be financial or just showing them that you are physically and mentally there to support them,” said Soberano.

DOST-SEI, partners vow more int’l victories for Pinoy STEM students

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From math Olympiads to robotics competitions, Filipino students have been consistently making their mark in the international arena thanks to the tireless efforts of the Department of Science and Technology - Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) and its educational partners—some of whom have been the agency’s allies for well over two decades.

 

The Institute and its partners recently reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing ceremony on April 14, 2021. The entire event was held online, a poignant reminder of the unusual circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as of the determination and creativity of the various agencies to overcome these challenges.

 

“While Filipinos will always be known for our resiliency, it’s time that we thrived beyond that,” said DOST-SEI Director Josette T. Biyo. “We are thankful to our partners for helping us and our Filipino youth to grow into something bigger and brighter, through STEM.”

 

Dir. Biyo presided over the ceremony, with long-time partners in attendance including National Olympiad in Informatics, Philippines; the Asian MathSci League, Inc.; FELTA Multi-Media, Inc.; the Mathematics Trainers’ Guild, Philippines; the Philippine Foundation for Science and Technology; the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology; the Philippine Meterological Society, Inc.; the Philippine Society of Youth Science Clubs, Inc.; and the Mathematical Society of the Philippines.

 

“Though the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the educational landscape around the world, we look forward to continue to inspire our youth to pursue STEM careers by showing them that they have the capability to win against all odds in international competitions,” Dir. Biyo concluded.

Inauguration of new Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) of theTagbilaran Port in Bohol

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As a fulfillment of a promise, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago formally inaugurated today, 14 April 2021, the new Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) of theTagbilaran Port in Bohol, which was heavily damaged by a strong earthquake way back in 2013.

The improvement, which involves the construction of a new state-of-the art second PTB of the Tagbilaran City’s main seaport is a vital infrastructure project aimed at providing locals and tourists with more comfortable and convenient sea travel.

The Passenger Terminal Building II is expected to greatly augment the passenger capacity of the port. From only 497 passenger capacity of its existing PTB, Tagbilaran Port can now handle 613 more passengers –almost doubling the port’s total passenger capacity to 1,110, with the completion of the second PTB.

“Nakita ko ang nangyari sa Tagbilaran dahil sa unos at earthquake. Nakita ko ang nangyayari sa ibang puerto at sabi ko: ‘Tapusin natin ang mga proyektong ito’. Nakakahiya at nakakaawa sa mga tao sa Bohol kung mananatili ang mga imprastrukturang ito na nasira, nabagyo at hindi nagagamit. Tatapusin namin ang mga proyekto sa Bohol before the end of the term of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” Secretary Tugade said.

The inauguration of the port’s new PTB, which was completed in October 2020, was led by Secretary Tugade and GM Santiago, with Bohol Governor Arthur Yap and other transportation and local officials in attendance.

“Yung mga pangako na ginawa ko, tinapos ko. ‘Yung mga pangako na gagawin namin ngayon, tatapusin ko ‘ho, promise. Ito ho ang pangako ni Pangulong Duterte para maipakita niya sa sambayanan, sa mga Boholano, kung anong klase at kung gaano kalalim ang pagmamahal niya sa mga taga-Bohol. Pakiusap lang ‘ho, kayo sa local government, pangalagaan ninyo at gamitin nang maayos itong mga proyekto, nang sa ganoon ay marami pa ang makikinabang at mahaba pang panahon na pakikinabangan ang mga proyektong ito. If we do the inauguration within this context, I assure you, we will come back in the future and say, noon sabi ko mission accomplished, ngayon sasabihin ko, we have delivered,” Tugade added.

For his part, GM Santiago introduced Secretary Tugade as a leader who has a genuine heart for the country and a leader who truly loves the people. He also described the Secretary as, “ART para sa Transportasyon, ART para sa Transpormasyon, at ART para sa Tao.”

Meanwhile, Bohol Governor Arthur Yap said that with the infrastructure projects being carried out under the term of President Duterte and Secretary Tugade, the province will be more progressive by achieving a diversified economy, especially amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

“With COVID-19, doon namin naramdaman kung gaano kalaki ang impact sa services sector. About 200,000 of our people ay nawalan po ng trabaho, tinamaan sila sa income nila. Nakita namin na walang diversity ‘yung economy namin. Kailangang ma-diversify ang economy namin at panahon na para magtayo ng infrastructure where we can expand,” Governor Yap said.

*Improved Maribojoc Port*

After the inauguration of the Tagbilaran Port’s new PTB, Secretary Tugade, GM Santiago, and other officials inspected another big-ticket infrastructure project – the Port of Maribojoc, also in Bohol.

The Maribojoc port is also one of the vital infrastructures in the province that was totally devastated by the 2013 Bohol earthquake. With works in full swing, the Maribojoc Port Improvement Project is almost complete with a 95.41% progress rate as of March 2021.

“This month tatapusin ko ang Maribojoc para maging cargo port. I assure you that Maribojoc Port will become operational, at the earliest, next month, at the latest on the first week of June. So, consider it done and accomplished,” Secretary Tugade assured.

The two port projects are an integral part of the "BUILD, BUILD, BUILD" infrastructure program of the Duterte administration, to complement the rising stature of Bohol as a major tourism destination and economic powerhouse. The Tagbilaran and Maribojoc Port projects are part of the 22 development projects of the DOTr in the province.

To date, *the DOTr and PPA have completed 15 seaport projects* in different parts of Bohol - Tagbilaran, Jagna, Tapal, Ubay, Catagbacan, Tubigon, Talibon, Inabanga, Baclayon, and Aguinning. Meanwhile, *6 more seaport projects are ongoing* in Maribojoc, Getafe, Buenavista, and Bien Unido.

To enhance air connectivity in the province, *the DOTr and the CAAP have completed and inaugurated* in 2018 the first eco-airport in the country, *the Bohol-Panglao International Airport.* The BPIA, which replaced the Tagbilaran Airport, can accommodate up to 2 million passengers annually and can cater to night-time flights.

*Reefer Vans Donated*

Moreover, to ensure food security and help the Agriculture sector amid the pandemic, Secretary Tugade turned over two Refrigerated Reefer Container Vans to the Provincial Government of Bohol.

Under the “Palamigan ng Bayan” program, the DOTr Maritime sector aims to provide mobile cold storage facilities for farmers and fisherfolks to preserve the quality of perishable goods, reduce wastage and fetch reasonable prices.

Secretary Tugade personally presented the cold storage facilities to Governor Yap, in the presence of other Bohol LGU officials, after the inauguration of the new Passenger Terminal Building of the Tagbilaran Port.