Duterte extends ‘State 

of Calamity’ until 2021

CORTES, Bohol, Sept. 20 (PIA) -- Local government units (LGUs) now have the latitude to continue utilizing appropriate funds in disaster preparedness and response efforts to contain the spread of the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed a proclamation extending the period of state calamity until September 2021.

The President stood solid in the recommendation by the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) and kept to the constitutional mandate of giving the people the right to health as a state policy. 

Through Proclamation No. 1021, which the President signed Sept. 16, 2020, the President explained that even with the significant stride that the country has achieved with the cooperation of the government and the public in enhancing and improving the country’s capability to implement measures against the spread of the corona virus, the number of COVID-positive cases and deaths continue to rise despite the efforts and interventions.

With the extended state of calamity, not only will the national and the local governments be authorized to use their disaster funds including the Quick Reaction Funds, it also empowers LGUs to monitor and implement price control on basic necessities and prime commodities as well as provide basic services to affected populations.

It may be recalled that in March this year, the President issued Proclamation No. 929, which declared a national State of Calamity for the next six months or until earlier revoked or extended depending on the prevailing circumstances.

As the said proclamation lapsed, Proclamation 1021 effectively stretched the state of calamity all over the country from Sept. 13, 2020, until Sept. 12, 2021.

With this, all government agencies and LGUs are enjoined to continue rendering full assistance to and cooperate with each other to mobilize necessary resources to undertake critical and urgent disaster response aid and measures in a timely manner in order to curtail and eliminate the threat of the disease.

All law enforcement agencies and with the support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines are directed to continue undertaking all necessary measures to ensure peace and order in affected areas as necessary, the proclamation stated. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

THE EXTENDED STATE OF CALAMITY allows LGUs to utilize their disaster funds to continue with their relief operations, even as Proc. No. 1021 also mandates the national government agencies to continue sharing resources to communities affected by the pandemic. (PIA Bohol file photo) 

AUTHORITY TO USE DISASTER. The extended State of Calamity allows national and local governments to use Quick Response Funds as well as empowers LGUS to monitor and control the prices of basic and prime commodities, until the time when the declaration has been lifted. (rahchiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

DOST scholarship application 

deadline moved to Sept. 30

CORTES, Bohol, Sept. 17 (PIA) -- There is still sufficient time to comply for applicants to the 2021 Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undergraduate Scholarships who have submitted incomplete papers. 

This was disclosed by Science Research Specialist Meljun Signe during the recent Kapihan sa PIA which was held to announce to Boholano aspiring DOST scholars that this year’s deadline for application of scholarship is moved to Sept. 30, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year, the DOST has moved the application process online as physical submission is still not allowed.

Signe, who represented Provincial Science and Technology Center Manager Vina Antopina, said about 2,803 aspirants all over Bohol have filed their applications, hoping to get the scholarship benefits of P20,000 for tuition fees, P7,000 monthly living allowances, P5,000 book allowance per semester, uniform allowance, transportation allowance, thesis allowance, graduation allowance, and group insurance allowance.

However, of the 2,803 applicants, only 1,292 applications are deemed successful as the rest submitted incomplete documents. 

Only those applications deemed successful are allowed to take the qualifying examinations to shortlist the applicants.

Eligible to apply for the scholarship are Grade 12 students who belong to the top five percent if they do not belong to the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) strand.

Meanwhile, all graduating students taking up STEM strand can apply for the scholarship.

While th DOST has yet to set the date of the examinations, Signe pointed out that since the application is now online, applicants have to visit the DOST SEI website to access the forms.

But before that, he urged applicants to send a message to DOST Bohol PSTC, so that someone in the local office can assist the applicant in filling out the online forms. 

The application form, when submitted, is a student’s singular chance to get a slot in the examinations, and anything erroneously filled or unknowingly left out could invalidate the application, DOST explained.

The submission also entails scanning important documents for submission or taking screenshots of necessary documents and uploading them, Signe said as he highlights the necessity of getting the all the help that prospective applicants can get.

Scholarship application forms can be accessed at the www.sei.dost.gov.ph, he said.

He added that Bohol averages about 300 annual scholars for the DOST.

This has increased to almost 400 last school year.

Signe, who himself was a DOST scholar, shared that Boholano DOST scholars have always been envied by many provincial scholars because Boholanos scholars consider themselves as family.

"We have kept the tradition of uniting to help each other, in almost everything that entails school," he said. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

GRAB THAT CHANCE. DOST Bohol PSTC Science Research Specialist Meljun Signe (L) shares during the Kapihan sa PIA interview that only half of those who sumbitted their scholarship application papers to the DOST Undergraduate Scholarship provided complete documents, so they could not be considered valid applications. DOST advised applicants to comply with the requirements as the deadline for applications have been moved to Sept. 30, 2020. (PIA Bohol) 

BOHOLANO FAMILY. DOST scholars have been known for their tight bond of cooperation, unity and camaraderie, something that DOST SEI wants to duplicate in all provinces where DOST has scholars, says Science Research Specialist Meljun Signe during the Kapihan sa PIA interview. (PIA Bohol)