“On this occasion, I am proud to greet the Ad Standards Council on its Golden Anniversary”
FOLLOWING the clamor of people, especially from parents of students of public schools due to the searing heat wave that caused the suspension of face-to- face classes nationwide, the Department of Education has submitted to the President a letter proposing among other options to return to the old academic calendar year of June to March for the coming school year 2024-2025.
I can understand the concern of the DepEd in the wake of the continuous suspension of classes in so many LGUs (Local Government Units) because face-to-face classes became impossible due to the unbearable heat and students had to continue with the old online classes.
The new calendar year would avoid the summer months of April and May, the hottest time of the year.
Even now, PAGASA predicts the climate will be much hotter this month of May.
I can believe that forecast because I know that it is always much hotter come May. Even now being an elderly, I cannot bear the heat outside of my house.
The concern of the DepEd is the law that prescribes the number of learning days in schools.
With the suspended days in public schools, it would be next to impossible to come up with the required number of learning days in compliance with the law with all the forecasts of the heat reaching to as high as 54 degrees Celsius.
I am certain there will be no objection to the return to the old calendar academic year of June to March.
The only objection as far as I know is that parents of students in public schools claim it is in the harvest time months of the old calendar academic year that they need the manual help from their children still in school.
The DepEd did not reveal what other options were given to the President.
As far as I am concerned, the option to return to the old calendar academic year is the best option so far following the forthcoming hotter days ahead.
If you think the heat is unbearable now, I hate to imagine how it will be this May.
Review of minimum wage
On Labor day last week, while there was an order from President Marcos Jr. on wage hikes, so long sought by the labor sector, BBM has directed the regional boards nationwide to review the pay rates in their respective areas.
The President also urged Congress to pass a number of measures which did not include bills on increased wages.
The directive of the President is certainly good news for the labor sector since it is regional wage boards that know how much regional workers need instead of relying on Congress to enact legislative wages.
Following inflation with food prices going sky high it is the labor sector, especially the poor, who are hurt the most.
As I said, if there may not have been legislative measures urging an increase of the minimum wage, the labor sector would certainly welcome this directive of the President.
Those receiving wages nationwide have been crying for some help from the administration. The President’s directive is the answer to their plea, my gulay!
Golden anniversary
Today, May 7, 2024, the Ad Standards Council will mark its Golden Anniversary, 50 years in the forefront of keeping advertising within the Code of Standards for the benefit of the public.
I have been invited as one of the honorees of the ASC’s Golden Jubilee for my contribution to the industry in working with the Broadcast Code to uplift the standards and ethics of the broadcast sector as a member of the Media Advisory Council and the first President of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.
My contribution is being recognized as being valuable in pioneering self-regulation in marketing communications in the Philippines.
I am honored and truly proud of being one of the honorees since at my age of almost 97 years, any honor given to me is precious.
I can only recall that when Martial Law was proclaimed, I was appointed as one of the three members of the Media Advisory Council to oversee media.
As an MAC member in charge of broadcast and foreign news, I had an idea of how to get media out of the ambit of Martial Law. Santa Banana, I thought of a self-regulating body of broadcasters.
I then formed and organized the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas .
Being a founder of the KBP, I was its first President.
Our first order of business was a Code of Standards in Advertising, which was then taken up by the advertising industry. That gave birth to the Ad Standards Council.
On this occasion, I am proud to greet the Ad Standards Council on its Golden Anniversary.