THE S A L A N D R A
THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS
LGU bans e-bikes in nat’l highways
opinion
12
7
STePPING Into A NEW SPOTLIGHT feature
REVERTING TO TRADITION
Community
JOHN EZEKIEL VALERIO
O
n December 6, 2023, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) released Memorandum Circular No. 2023-195, prohibiting the use of tricycles, pedicabs, and motorized pedicabs on national highways. This memorandum was strengthened by San Mateo local government’s Ordinance No. 009-S-202 and the Land Transportation’s Office Memorandum Circular No. 7212006, and Administrative Order No. 2021-039. The San Mateo Public Information Office (SMPIO) announced the memorandum on their Facebook page, and it was officially implemented on February 1, 2024. E-bikes have become a popular means of transportation for pupils and teachers at San Mateo National High School. Mrs. Elisa Mahilum, an SMNHS teacher and e-bike user, felt the new memorandum impractical. She brings a lot of stuff to school, so commuting is a burden. The law is still in existence as of April 2024, and it was commended by Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Abalos, who remarked, “Kudos to the LGU of San Mateo, Rizal sa pagbabawal nila ng mga e-bikes and other motorized vehicles sa national road.” Abalos continued, “Matagal na din po natin itong pinapaalala sa ating mga pamahalaang lokal, sana po ay sumunod na rin po ang iba.” The San Mateo Police have issued tickets to those drivers who were caught violating the prohibition on the use of e-bikes on national highways. Many e-bike users requested for reconsideration because their primary mode of transportation was temporarily inaccessible.
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF SAN MATEO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL VOLUME XXVI. ISSUE I. AUGUST-MAY 2024
Dance WITH THE DEVIL
5-day classes implemented in school School
A
REU MARA FAMBUENA
After the Parent-Teacher Association General Assembly emphasized the need of adopting 5-day classes, San Mateo National High School (SMNHS) took a huge step forward by officially launching face-to-face classes on January 31. However, the transition was not without difficulties, as the school faced logistical challenges and resource limits.
On October 17, 2022, the Department of Education (DepEd) emphasized that on November 2, 2022, all public schools nationwide will have mandatory five days of faceto-face classes, yet according to Ma'am Rowena Vega Buñag, the chairwoman of the TLE Department, the school did not have enough classrooms, tables, and chairs that SMNHS students needed, so the school was not able to implement the return of face-to-face 5-day classes. Rowena Vega Buñag, the chairwoman of the TLE Department, said the school did not have enough classrooms, tables, and chairs that SMNHS students needed, so the school was not able to implement the return of face-to-face 5-day classes.
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Mayroon ang school natin ng mahigit 5000 enrollees, at ang isang klase ay mayroon lang dapat na 45–50 students. Mahigit kumulang 31 rooms lang ang mayroon sa ating paaralan. Kaya, pinagmerge ang dalawang sections, nagkaroon ng 90–100 students per classroom. Mrs. Rowena Bunag TLE Department Chairman
In addition to having their sections combined, some teachers were given new responsibilities and forced to bid farewell to ones they had previously supervised because other teachers would take over in accordance with their set schedules. With the problem of not having enough chairs, San Mateo’s Local Government Unit (LGU) helped SMNHS by giving 500 monoblock chairs on January 29, yet the chairs were still not enough, so some advisers have really advised students to bring their own chair as they will have to sit on the floor if they do not have one. Mrs. Julie Ann Priela, a TLE 9 teacher, said that before the implementation of 5-Day Classes, she reminded students to bring their water tumblers to prevent students from going outside to buy water from time to time and to bring their fans because there are only 4 electric fans in each classroom, which would be suffocating as every classroom would contain about 90 students. “The advantages of our 5-day classes are that we get to learn and have more time to acknowledge our lessons in a more clear way and not the usual way that we have on our past 2 to 3 days of school,
but in our 5 days of school, students are struggling as it was very hard for us to get to our proper classroom in time due to the many students causing a stampede,” shared Aziel Jaime Mendoza from 9-Zircon. Moreover, SMNHS has advanced their ways in order to maintain order given the rise in the daily enrollment of students. When the first group of students is to be dismissed and when the second group is permitted to go to their dorms, there are specified bells that sound. When students are permitted to enter their rooms, some teachers have assisted the nonteaching personnel in guiding the pupils. Additionally, students from Special Science Class (SSC) were not affected by the sudden change of schedule and merging of classes because they were already having classes for 5 days, even before DepED announced the mandatory 5-day face-to-face classes. Recently, SMNHS teachers announced the return of sets A and B starting on April 11 due to the intense weather, yet with how high the heat index is, SMNHS changed the schedule and implemented shortened period classes with sets A and B combined.
BY THE NUMBERS San Mateo National High School Enrollment Quick Count School year 2023-2024
Grade 7 LEARNERS
570
502
Grade 8 LEARNERS
562
559
Grade 9 LEARNERS
656
657
Grade 10 LEARNERS
622
673
Data Source: School LIS Infographics by: Riane Gwyneth Relos
TEENDIG SETS TO EMPOWER SAN MATEANS “Sobrang taas ng mga cases ng mental health nitong nakaraang pandemic” Dra. Evangelista stated, that the DOH data show that in 2021, around 11.6 percent of Filipino adolescents aged 15 to 19 had suicidal thoughts, while 5.8 percent committed suicide, meanwhile, 18. 4 percent of this age group reported having experienced physical violence.
📷 San Mateo National High School Facebook Page EMPOWERING TEENS. Cong. Jose Arturo Garcia Jr., Hon. Bartolome Rivera, and DOH CALABARZON Regional Director Ariel I. Valencia grace the TEENDIG event, giving an inspirational speech and signing the poster as part of the implementation of the project in San Mateo National High School last September 4, 2023.
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The “TEENDig KABATAAN! Kalusugan ay Pahalagahan Project,” a joint DOH, DepEd, and LGU project, was officially launched on September 4, 2023, at San Mateo National High School. Cong. Jose Artiro Sm Garcia Jr., Hon. Bartolome M. Rivera, DOH CALABARZON Regional Director Ariel I. Valencia, PSDS of San Mateo Sub-Office, Dr. Elvira R. Conese, and personnel from SMNHS were present. In the TEENDig Kabataan
Project, T.E.E.N. refers to “Trustworthy - Engaging Encouraging - Nurturing a place for adolescents, while Dig: Dignity” to empower the youth and promote their long-term health and well-being as the line says, “Kabataan ang Pag-asa ng Bayan” The project components include a TEENdig Center— located in the clinic at the AP Building, a Research component, a Referral system, and a TEENdig nurse.