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Landslide kills three

LAGAWE, Ifugao (Sept. 22) — Three died when a landslide, triggered by continuous monsoon rains, totally covered a three storey house at 4:30 AM last September 17 at Sitio Bisang, Barangay Tam-an in Banaue.

Reports reaching the PIA office here said Clifford Domin-ong, 13 and sister Adrialyn, 11 including house tenant, Minda Bocbocalon, 28 were fast asleep when the incident happened.

Records of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) stated that neighbors who responded immediately helped the mother, Caroline Domin-ong, and three of her children, Cheyenne, Jun Jun and Cedric to safety. Domin-ong is a widow.

Mrs. Marcela Cortez, Coordinator of the PDCC said Clifford and Adrialyn were dug out later from the debris but were found dead, while Bocbocalon, who was at the basement of the house was found at around 1:30 PM after rescuers dug a depth of about 25 feet of mud which covered her.

The provincial government through the Provincial Social Welfare Office (PSWDO) has extended assistance to the family of the victims. # Vency D. Bulayungan / PIA Ifugao

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Mt. Province school goes high-tech

BONTOC, Mt. Province (Sept. 22) — “High-tech” classroom instruction has reached this highland province when a technical-vocational institution here now going on-line to support lessons.

Joel Fagsao, director of the XiJEN Institute of Technology in this capital town announced that since July this year, students of this school can now access their lessons from the internet using the MOODLE or the Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment.

Fagsao explained that MOODLE is an open-source course management system that can be downloaded for free from the internet. This was introduced to his school by Jerson Watan, a local but Manila-based computer enthusiast and web-hosting provider.

XiJEN initially adopted the system designed to supplement learning in the classrooms while the students to access their lessons on line while still attending their regular classes with their teachers. Students and teachers alike view this as a new way of learning things, Fagsao said.

With this system, students can have their quizzes, submit their assignments, view other lessons support materials on line. These can be accessed at the school’s e-learning site at www.bayanwebhost.com/xigenonline.

After just two months of implementation, Fagsao noted some realizations like absences being reduced to almost zero, teachers becoming more enthusiastic and learning becoming collaborative. Students are also observed to be bonding together discussing their lessons on the corridors while some who have not seen or used computers during their high school days have more reasons to explore the internet.

Fagsao emphasized that the commitment of teachers is very important in teaching approach such as this because it means extra time in preparing their lessons for on line use. But if they see the benefit of the system, training on the various features of the MOODLE takes just half day, he added.

Among the schools using MOODLE are the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, College of Saint Benilde, UP High School in Cebu and La Consolacion College.

This new technology is seen to better prepare the students for nicer chances in the job market especially with the national government promoting information and communication technology under its thrust for education and youth opportunities. # PIA-MP

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Remote sensing to address boundary disputes

BAGUIO CITY (Sept. 23) — Boundary dispute problems between municipalities in the Cordillera will soon be addressed easily through the use of Remote Sensing - Geographical Information System (RS-GIS).

This was disclosed by Dr. Jose Aban of the Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD) during an open forum last week at the Supreme Hotel.

Aban explained that utilizing the RS-GIS, the mapping system of the concerned agencies would more accurate.

“Inter-agency coordination in terms of mapping have problems, that is why boundary problems are difficult to resolve”, Aban said.

He pointed out that data, which can be gathered from the technology, also include elevations or the geographical characteristics of a certain area, which could be used as an input for a development plan of a community.

Aban also explained that an LGU would be able to construct a model projection for future plans through the use of the technology.

PCASTRD is planning to form an inter-agency committee for the Geographical Information System (GIS) in the Cordillera for a systematic reporting and to tackle issues on mapping problems, Aban said.

Harnessing space technology is an opportunity for us in providing the public with an accurate data and fast delivery of services, Aban added. # FNM/PIA-CAR

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