OUR heartfelt felicitations to Davao City’s third district congressman Isidro “Sid” Ungab who was awarded Outstanding Alumnus of the University of the Philippines – Los Banos during its most recent recognition day.
Yes, we got it from a post on Facebook last weekend where the Davaoeno national lawmaker was given the exceptional distinction along with several other graduates of the prestigious government school for their outstanding service to the people both in government and in the private sector.
We have no doubt Congressman Ungab deserves the accolade. He did not only create a name in his work in private businesses but even more when he joined the government. The Calinan native first served as councilor of Davao City’s third district and topped every local election for the local legislative body.
When he finished his 9-year 3-terms as councilor Sid ran for congressman of the third district then lorded over by the late venerable mayor and later congressman Elias Lopez until his death when his son Ruy took over the helm.
It was from Ruy that Sid started his very fruitful 9-year, 3-term congressman where he steered the review and deliberations of the national budget by the Lower House. Sid was then holding the most salivated chairmanship of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations.
When Congressman Sid took a respite after the end of his 9 years as Congressman, his younger brother Engr. Abet Ungab took over his place in what was observed to be a hardly contested congressional election in the city’s third district.
After Abet’s single term ended Sid came back and was elected overwhelmingly. He again was made chairman of his old committee where his experience made the Lower House pass the national budgets without so much controversial discussions.
But the re-alignment of forces in Congress due to a sudden change in leadership pushed the Davao legislator to the back burner unceremoniously. Nevertheless, he showed the people of his district, the city, as well as the entire country that a congressman can still matter as a lawmaker if he continues to participate in committee deliberations and offer his talent and expertise in crafting and refining proposed legislations that are seen beneficial to the Filipino people.
And these inherent traits of the Davao City national legislator, we have no doubt, were Congressman Ungab’s ticket to his consideration and eventual selection as outstanding Alumnus Awardee at UP – Los Banos.
Again, congratulations Congressman Sid Ungab. We are looking forward to your comeback to the House Committee where you have given the most significant aspect of your service as a national lawmaker.
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Here is one newly discovered risk of the online classes now being implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd).
The non-face-to-face classes using the online system has been discovered by some naughty students as a venue for getting back at teachers that they may have brushes with in the past or those who have been known or talked about in the campus as “terrors” in the classrooms.
This danger has been exposed and demonstrated lately by some students of the Davao City National High School (DCNHS).
According to television reports last week when one of their teachers appeared unable to hear their participation in discussions, the students called the concerned teachers names including being deaf. And they even went on to mock the teacher in cyber space showing no iota of respect teachers so deserved. Apparently the disrespectful students were unaware that at that very moment their teacher was able to hear their disparaging words.
Hence, the teacher was able to identify who they were and reported the incident to the school authorities and later to the top officials of the Davao City Schools Division and the DepEd Regional Office.
The bully students’ parents were immediately called to the Office of the Principal and advised of the conduct unbecoming of their children using the very facility of the on-line teaching scheme of the DepEd.
And considering that it has been brought to the attention of the DepEd, naturally the incident did not escape the nosy Davao City media. When the bullying was reported on television and the print media the Education authorities and the parents of the bully students were suddenly put in an uncompromising situation. That is, that the education officials have no other option but to impose disciplinary measure against the students; or the parents have to do their share in making their bully children make amends or face the consequences.
Yes, those students must be made to realize that the government, and their parents as well, have set aside huge amount of money and time just to make the new education-imparting method work. They should not be given the impression that holding classes on-line is a venue to show disrespect towards other people especially if they are teachers who are sacrificing a lot of their time and even money just so the Filipino learners will not miss a single class-less school year.
So, we believe that at this early stage of the discovery of on-line classes as potential venue for bullying the teachers and fellow students as well, this undesirable characteristic must immediately be cut in the bud before it allows a number of students to do their morally and psychologically damaging behavior.
We are certain that if this situation be allowed to prosper without any intervention, the purpose of adopting the on-line education system will just go to naught.
