CESDEV NURSING SUPPORTS WORLD FOOD PROGRAM THROUGH SOCIAL VIBE

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide[1]. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children.[2] From its headquarters in Rome and more than 80 country offices around the world, WFP works to help people who are unable to produce or obtain enough food for themselves and their families. WFP strives to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, with the ultimate goal in mind of eliminating the need for food aid itself.

The core strategies behind WFP activities, according to its mission statement, are to provide food aid to:

1.save lives in refugee and other emergency situations;
2.improve the nutrition and quality of life of the most vulnerable people at critical times in their lives; and
3.help build assets and promote the self-reliance of poor people and communities, particularly through labour-intensive works programmes.

WFP food aid is also directed to fight micronutrient deficiencies, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat disease, including HIV and AIDS. Food-for-work programmes help promote environmental and economic stability and agricultural production.

WHAT IS SOCIAL VIBE AND HOW IT WORKS ?

By adding the SocialVibe gadget to the UC Nursing CESDEV Blogsite, it will be turning brand dollars into real charitable donations for the chosen cause, The World Food Program. Once installed, the SocialVibe sidebar gadget on the blog will be earning money for The World Food Program every time readers engage with the gadget (e.g. rating a Showtime video clip). Thus far, SocialVibe has been able to raise over $500,000 for charities.

Engage now with the SocialVibe gadget and help raise funds for the World Food Program of the United Nations.

DON'T QUIT. DO IT!

CHED ORDERS 4 NURSING SCHOOLS IN CEBU TO CLOSE

FOUR Cebu schools, including two of the largest universities, were ordered to close their nursing programs after their graduates allegedly failed to beat the national passing rate in the board exams. They are among 147 public and private schools the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) ordered to close their nursing courses, the Manila Standard Today recently reported.

The closure order was issued after graduates performed below the national passing percentage rate of 46.14 percent in the nursing board exams of the past five years.
But lawyer Joseph Baduel, University of the Visayas (UV) vice president for external affairs, said he will call Ched Chairman Emmanuel Angeles to ask why UV is still in the list.

Baduel said the school administration will also ask Ched to issue a correction. UV's nursing college, he said, has been getting a high passing percentage in the board exams for the last two years. It got a passing percentage of 70.10 in the June 2008 nursing board exams, he said. According to the university's website, 61 percent of their nursing graduates passed the June 2009 board exams. The national passing percentage then was only 42 percent.

Apart from UV, Southwestern University (SWU), Benedicto College in Mandaue City and the Saint Paul College Foundation were included in the Ched list. According to the Standard's report, Chairman Angeles allowed the publication of the list to compel the schools to perform better.

"With this move, we are helping the parents and students to carefully choose the nursing schools they want to go to," said Angeles.

Sun.Star Cebu sought for comment Dr. Lucris Tan Jr., dean of the College of Nursing in SWU, but his secretary said the dean declined to comment. As of December 2005, SWU had the biggest nursing student population in Cebu, at 4,894. That year, 13 of 15 nursing schools in Cebu reported an increase in their enrolment.

Baduel of UV said they received a letter from Angeles informing them of Ched's recommendation for the school to close its nursing program. But UV sent Ched a letter last March 20, citing its nursing college's recent passing rates, and requested the commission to check the records of the Professional Regulation Commission to verify the school's performance.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/4-schools-told-stop-course

THE LAST LECTURE

WHAT IS FAILURE?

Failure doesn't mean you are a failure,

it does mean you haven't succeeded yet.

Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing,

it does mean you have learned something.

Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool,

it does mean you had a lot of faith.

Failure doesn't mean you have been disgraced,

it does mean you were willing to try.

Failure doesn't mean you don't have it,

it does mean you have to do something in a different way.

Failure doesn't mean you are inferior,

it does mean you are not perfect.

Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life,

it does mean you've got a reason to start afresh.

Failure doesn't mean you should give up,

it does mean you should try harder.

Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it,

it does mean it will take a little longer.

Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you,

it does mean God has a better idea!

(This piece is for those whose goals were not met and for those who almost made it to the passing mark this summer.)

THE IMPOSSIBLE RUN

PREPARE! LA NINA IS COMING

WHILE THE COUNTRY continues to wilt from the scorching heat brought about by the El Niño phenomenon, meteorologists are already announcing the arrival of La Niña and are warning about floods.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) administrator Prisco Nilo said there was a good chance that La Niña, which brings prolonged rain, was only weeks away.

“According to our calculations, there is a 35-percent chance that La Niña would start possibly around July, August or September,” Nilo told the Inquirer. He said the agency expected above-normal rainfall as soon as La Niña starts.

The La Niña phenomenon refers to the abnormal cooling of sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific that brings heavy rains. El Niño is the abnormal warming of sea surface temperatures that could result in drought in some areas of the world.

This early, Nilo said, the agency has planned meetings with other agencies like the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Philippine Red Cross to prepare for La Niña.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100523-271553/After-El-Nio-Pagasa-warns-against-La-Nia

FROM PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT TEAM TO BSN 1

The Clinical Instructors handling Physical Assessment this Summer would like to extend our best hopes and prayers to the BSN 1 students who will hurdle the Final Examinations today.

Good Luck and God Bless!

HOTTEST DAYS IN CEBU

IF YOU felt extra hot during the weekend, here’s why. Cebu experienced its hottest days of the month last Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures approaching levels last recorded during a heat wave over three decades ago.

Oscar Tabada of the government’s weather station in Mactan revealed, in a TV Patrol Central Visayas report yesterday, that Cebu’s temperature rose to 36.4 degrees Celsius during the weekend.

The last time Cebu experienced a heat wave was in the summer of 1979, when the temperature reached about 36.6 degrees Celsius, Tabada said. Cebu, while hot, still has lower temperatures than Tuguegarao City, where temperatures hit 38 degrees Celsius last week, said Pagasa weather specialist Kelly Torregosa.

In April, the average temperature in the Visayas ranged from 24 to 34 degrees. That same month, the highest recorded temperature in Tuguegarao was 39.7 degrees. The weather bureau is sticking to its forecast that the “moderate” El Niño, which began in June 2009, will last until June this year.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/hottest-days-31-years-felt-cebu

MICHAEL GIL ROMA MONTANO: THE SHUTTER BUG

OUR DEEPEST FEAR

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

LOVE LIVING LIFE ...

"If I fail, I try again, and again, and again..."
If YOU fail, are YOU going to try again?

It matters how you're going to FINISH...
Are you going to finish STRONG?

We are put in situations to build our character.

The tensions in our life are there to strengthen our convictions... not to run over us.

BUILD YOUR FUTURE IN UNIVERSITY OF CEBU

WHAT IS HONORIS CAUSA?

An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa (Latin: 'for the sake of the honour') is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived the usual requirements (such as matriculation, residence, study and the passing of examinations). The degree itself is typically a doctorate or, less commonly, a master's degree, and may be awarded to someone who has no prior connection with the academic institution. Usually the degree is conferred as a way of honoring a distinguished visitor's contributions to a specific field, or to society in general.

EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO DREAM

WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn't know how she was going to make it.

She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.

Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot.

He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.

After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.

Turning to her, he asked. "Daughter, what do you see?" "Potatoes, eggs and coffee," she hastily replied.

"Look closer", he said, "and touch the potatoes." She did and noted that they were soft.

He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.

"Father, what does this mean?" she asked.

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity-the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.

The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

"Which one are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

DASAL NG BAYAN

LESSON FROM MAKING A PANCAKE

Six year old boy decided one morning to make pancake for his parents. He found a big bowl and spoon; He pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor.

He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten. He was covered with flour and getting frustrated.

He wanted this to be something very good for his parents, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove, (and he didn't know how the stove works!).

Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up all mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky.

And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big tears came in the boys eyes. All he did wanted to do was something good, but he did made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him.

LESSON: "Success is not permanent and failure is not final. So, never stop working after success and never stop trying after failure."

SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS IN SRP BY PYROWORKS

THE LITTLE WAVE

The story is abut a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time. He's enjoying the wind and the fresh air – until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore. “My God, this terrible”,the wave says. “Look what's going to happen to me!”

Then along comes another wave. It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him: “Why do you look so sad?” The first wave says: “You don't understand! We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn't it terrible?”

The second wave says: “No, you don't understand. You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean.”

MALNUTRITION IN CEBU PROVINCE

Cebu province registered a 10.51 percentage of malnourished pre-school children to rank second in Central Visayas. Cebu Provincial Nutrionist Gloria Dacalos blamed poverty exacerbated by large families and unemployment as factors contributing the malnutrition problem in Cebu province.

In the province, Negros Oriental tops the list with 11.88 percent, with Bohol third with 9.89 percent and Siquijor fourth with 9.82 percent. Mission said only 18 percent of the total 44 towns in Cebu province have active nutrition councils while Bohol province’s nutrition councils in all its 47 municipalities are active.

Considering this statistics on nutrition, the College of Nursing of University of Cebu - Banilad included Feeeding activities in its Immersion Program as its share to alleviate the present malnutrition status among children in the province especially in the City of Naga where students spent their summer conducting health-related programs and activities.

VENUS AND THE MOON

As seen from parts of southeast Asia like the Philippines, the moon passes in front of Venus at about 10 hours Universal Time today. Tonight, just as it gets dark, look to the western sky and, weather permitting, you should see a beautiful sight — bright Venus with the waxing crescent moon nearby. You should have no trouble finding either object as long as your skies are clear and you are facing west. Venus is a brilliant beacon to the lower right of the moon. Look early, as the two set less than three hours after the sun. By the way, the moon is currently said to be “waxing” in the sense that it is becoming a bit more full each evening.

Why is it that only the crescent moon ever passes Venus? That’s because Venus is “inferior.” No, I don’t mean that it is less valuable in any way. Used in this context, “inferior” means “lower than.” Venus is “lower than” the Earth relative to the sun. In other words, Venus is closer to the sun. Because of this, Venus never appears very far away from the sun in Earth’s sky. It oscillates back and forth from one side of the sun to the other, much like a race car moving from the left side to the right side of a circular track as we watch it from the stands. Thus, Venus sometimes appears in the evening twilight, and sometimes in the dawn twilight. The point is that it is never far from the sun. The farthest it can get from the sun (called an “elongation”) is slightly more than 47 degrees. So when the moon appears to pass Venus, it does so at about the same elongation from the sun. Since 47 and fewer degrees correspond to a crescent phase, only the crescent moon can appear to pass near Venus in the sky. The quarter moon is 90 degrees from the sun, and the full moon is 180 degrees, so you will never see those phases near Venus.

Mercury is an inferior planet as well, but its maximum elongation is only 28 degrees, so only a very thin crescent moon can ever appear near Mercury. On the other hand, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are farther from the sun than Earth, making them “superior.” From time to time they can appear at any angle from the sun, and the quarter or full moon phases can pass near them.

WANTED WATER!

A dry spell that is sapping rivers and creeks in Cebu has so far damaged P75 million in crops, according to the Agriculture Office. "Nadaut na man tanan tungod sa kainit (This heat has destroyed everything)," a resident told Sun.Star Cebu. All that's left of their river are the cracks on its bed. The dry spell has damaged 40 to 50 percent of the crop production, which includes high-value and domestic vegetables.

Nationwide, the dry spell has caused P10-billion worth of damage in the agriculture sector, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reported. Central Visayas' losses amounted to some P 1.3 billion, the council said, affecting an estimated 124,515 farmers and their families.

The student nurses who went on Immersion in the southern city of Naga, Cebu were not spared by the impact of El Nino phenomenon. They had to fetch water from the lower areas near the river beds to supply water needed for various activities like the delousing program that necessitates use of water.

The student nurses were given a first-hand experience on how important water is to human existence.

TULI

photos were taken by Ms Bunnylou Salipong

Despite the scorching summer heat, mothers in Barangay Pangdan, Naga, Cebu, brought along their small boys to avail of the free circumcision operation offered by University of Cebu College of Nursing as part of the services extended during its Community Immersion Program.

Around 28 boys were listed during the Pre-Registration but a total of 48 boys showed up and were attended to by the Operation Tuli team during the actual conduct of the free circumcision.

“Circumcision is definitely an expensive operation to go through. This is a good opportunity for us, parents, and kids to avail of this free ‘Operation Tuli’,” an accompanying mother said.

DELOUSING ACTIVITY DURING IMMERSION IN PANGDAN, NAGA

de·louse (d-lous)
tr.v. de·loused, de·lous·ing, de·lous·es
To rid (a person or an animal) of lice by physical or chemical means.

vb delouse [diːˈlaʊs -ˈlaʊz]
(tr) to rid (a person or animal) of lice as a sanitary measure

LICE / LOUSE

Lice (singular: louse) is the common name for over 3000 species of wingless insects of the order Phthiraptera; three of which are classified as human disease agents. They are obligate ectoparasites of every avian and mammalian order except for Monotremes (the platypus and echidnas), bats, whales, dolphins, porpoises and pangolins.

Most lice are scavengers, feeding on skin and other debris found on the host's body, but some species feed on sebaceous secretions and blood. Most are found only on specific types of animal, and, in some cases, only to a particular part of the body; some animals are known to host up to fifteen different species, although one to three is typical for mammals, and two to six for birds. For example, in humans, different species of louse inhabit the scalp and pubic hair. Lice generally cannot survive for long if removed from their host.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louse

CEBU SUMMER FESTIVAL ENJOYED BY THE VOLUNTEERS

Aside from the fireworks display, thousands of Cebuanos flocked to the “Cebu Summer Festival” in the South Road Properties (SRP) to partake of a free meal of barbecue and rice as well as free entertainment sponsored by the city government. Security in the area was tightened after big crowds excitedly lined up for the P25 meal of grilled pork and puso or hanging rice. Food stubs were earlier distributed to urban poor groups.

Buses, dump trucks and private vehicles parked on both sides clogged the three-kilometer stretch of the South Coastal Road from the Sugbu building. The event was held at the beachfront near the 10-hectare property purchased by Filinvest Land Inc., the first company to invest in the SRP.

The vacant lot in Pond F that was the designated parking area was already full before sunset. The week-long “Cebu Summer Festival” that kicked off the SRP launching began last May 1. It featured nightly entertainment activities, a trade fair, rides and sports activities. A barbecue cookout and a showcase of mixed martial arts exhsibition opened the final day of the celebration early in the evening.

At 7 p.m, 128,000 pyrotechnics were lighted up by a Cebu-based private firm named Pyroworks in an attempt to set a Guinness world record for the most fireworks lighted in 30 seconds. Cebu City policemen, the military and ronda tanods were on hand to secure the area while an Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF) team was on standby for medical emergencies.

Banacia said the city government plans to make the weeklong celebration a yearly event. He said it will be Cebu’s second biggest celebration after the annual Sinulog every January.

http://politics.inquirer.net/politics/view/20100509-268931/Food-fireworks-cap-SRP--launch

CESDEV-NURSING WITNESSED THE ATTEMPT TO SET WORLD RECORD

Did PyroWorks break the record for “The Most Rocket Launched in 30 seconds” during Saturday's South Road Properties (SRP) grand launching?

PyroWorks claimed that it had officially launched 125,800 rockets in 17 seconds at 7 p.m. on Saturday's SRP celebration called the Cebu Fest. PyroWorks was trying to break the record set during the British Fireworks championship with 56,405 rockets launched.

There was also an attempt in 2009 of 110,000 rockets in Britain but it has not been confirmed by the Guinness World Records, according to WorldBreakingRecord.com.

MESSAGE FROM THE PIONEER

QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE EDUCATION IN UC

A school offering less privileged students a chance to have a good and affordable education has always been the motivation that drives businessman and lawyer Augusto Go to make his school, University of Cebu (UC), to grow and become one of Cebu’s pride in the area of education.

And if growth through the school’s facilities and quality of education are among the gauge to measure the school’s success then UC has come a long way since it started nearly half a century ago.

After 46 years, the school has now four campuses and has produced several topnotchers board exams in their chosen courses in nursing, lawyers, and maritime education.

It’s even amazing how lawyer Go started the school with just a P40,000 investment.
“I started the school with a very minimal investment in 1964 with both the high school and college division already,” said lawyer Go, who was then only 28 years old when he opened the school and sat as the school director. His motivation as always was to have a school that would give the less fortunate a chance to get a good and affordable education.

The University of Cebu started as the Cebu College of Commerce in 1964. As a newly opened school, Go said that people were then still hestitant to enrol their children to the school. He said even his friends often would just show interest by sending their house helpers to the school.

After years of diligence and hard work to make a mark in Cebu and in the country, Cebu College of Commerce then became known as Cebu Central Colleges (CCC) in 1972. The school also offers more courses like Education, Liberal Arts, Customs, Criminology, Nursing, Midwifery, Health Aide, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical and Civil Engineering, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Information and Computer Science, Computer Engineering.

In 1983, the University of Cebu (UC) was born and became the first university in the region to offer a course in Computer Science. At present, UC has already set up three other campuses located in Banilad, Mambaling, and Lapu-Lapu Mandaue, that offers courses based on what's needed in the place according to Atty. Go.

UC Banilad campus offers courses including Nursing, Midwifery, Health Aide, Caregiver, Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Management, Computer Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, and Tourism.

“We also have started an incentive system three years ago which we will be awarding those who will be at the top three of any board exam except Maritime graduates because they always would top the exams. This is only for all other courses,” Go said.

His daughter, Candice Gotianuy, is now helping him run the school sitting as the University's Chancellor. Future plans include expansion of their Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue Campus in terms of facilities and buildings, Go said.

“Next year we are also targeting to offer Medicine here in our main campus,” Go said.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/enterprise/view/20100510-269222/UCs-Go-Quality-affordable-education

ONE VOTE

Make your choice. Go out and join. Cast your ballot.

Your vote means a lot.

The fact that a man is to vote forces him to think.
You may preach to a congregation by the year
and not affect its thought because
it is not called upon for definite action.
But throw your subject into a campaign
and it becomes a challenge.

- John Jay Chapman

AKO MISMO

AKO MISMO is about YOU…

… making a stand and taking real action for the causes you believe in. Causes that you yourself can truly pursue to make a real, positive difference to your fellow countryman, to your country.

It is for you who still dare to hope that life for millions doesn’t have to be a hopeless battle against problems like poverty, illiteracy, unemployment.

It is for you who believe that not enough is being done about our country’s problems. And that to do right things, you’ll do them yourself.

It is a movement where you can show your patriotism and compassion, and make these traits infectious.

It’s about action that eradicates hopelessness in every Filipino.

How hard will this be to accomplish? Well that will be entirely up to you.
In AKO MISMO you get to choose the cause you wish to pursue. No cause is too small as long as it is a noble one. The choice is yours.

No matter how small, as long as you pledge that you yourself will take action, it’s sure to make a big difference.

Giving more hope for Filipinos to stop merely surviving, and start living. And it starts with you.

AKO MISMO.

CESDEV NURSING "AKO MISMO" COMMITMENTS

I am only one, But still I am one. I cannot do everything,

But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything,

I will not refuse to do
the something that I can do.

BLOG PRAYER

It’s all systems go for the country’s first automated elections on May 10 as the Supreme Court dismissed all petitions seeking the postponement of the polls, a spokesman for the high court said Friday.

The high tribunal cited the “failure of the petitioners to exhaust all remedies” and that there was “no grave abuse of discretion” on the part of the Commission on Elections, said lawyer Jose Midas Marquez after the court’s special en banc session.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100507-268604/SC-junks-petitions-to-postpone-May-10-polls

SOLAR HALO IN CEBU

A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, from Greek parēlion, (παρήλιον), παρά(beside) + ήλιος(sun), "beside the sun"; also called a mock sun) is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun.[1] (formed by ice crystals)

Sundogs may appear as a colored patch of light to the left or right of the sun, 22° distant and at the same distance above the horizon as the sun, and in ice halos. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but they are not always obvious or bright. Sundogs are best seen and are most conspicuous when the sun is low.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_dog

BAGONG SIMULA

Presidential elections, legislative elections and local elections in the Philippines are scheduled to be held on Monday, May 10, 2010. The elected president will become the 15th President of the Philippines, succeeding President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is barred from seeking re-election due to term restrictions. The successor of the Vice-President Noli de Castro will be the 13th Vice President of the Philippines. The legislators elected in the 2010 elections will join the senators of the 2007 elections and will comprise the 15th Congress of the Philippines.

The 2010 election will be administered by the Commission on Elections in compliance with the Republic Act No. 9369,[1] also known as Amended Computerization Act of 2007. It will be the first national computerized election in the history of the Philippines. Local elections are also to be held in all provinces, cities and municipalities. There are currently more than 85,000 candidates for only 17,000 national and local positions

CONGRATULATIONS ELY APPLE ROSE ANGCON, MISS MANDAUE 2010 2ND RUNNER-UP

Ely Apple Rose Angcon, an incoming 4th year student nurse of UC Banilad clinched the 2nd Runner-up place in the recently concluded Miss Mandaue 2010. Miss Angcon is an active participant in numerous community outreach activities of the Community Extension Services and Development of the College of Nursing. Making it even a bigger triumph was the 4th Runner-up place won by another student nurse of UC Banilad in the person of Miss Jescel Ybanez. Congratulations!

RIZZINI ALEXIS GOMEZ IS ALIWAN FESTIVAL QUEEN 2010

Rizzini Alexis Gomez of Cebu was crowned Aliwan Festival Queen in glittering ceremonies capping this year’s Aliwan Fiesta. The 19-year-old incoming 4th year student nurse of University of Cebu - Banilad Campus is the daughter of former PBA player Ruel Gomez. The statuesque beauty edged out Angelie Joy Golingay of Iloilo, Maricel Gabalfin of Pampanga, Shihan Go of Caloocan and Mariel Joyce Pascua of South Cotabato.

Congratulations Rizzini!

BE INVOLVED: VOTE FOR CHANGE

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Using a consolidation/canvassing system server (CCS), the municipal or city board of canvassers will consolidate the results from the precincts. This will then be electronically transmitted to the provincial board of canvassers together with the certificate of canvass (COC). Once the results are counted, the COMELEC can declare the winning candidates at the city and municipal level.

Results are consolidated and transmitted

What can go wrong: A software and hardware failure prevents board of canvassers from consolidating and printing the results.

What COMELEC says: The CCS of another municipality or city can be used.

What you can do: Accompany the transfer to the nearest municipality and monitor the canvassing to prevent any anomalies.

Results are consolidated and transmitted

What can go wrong: The secret keys used by the board of canvassers to sign COCs and Statements of Votes may be stolen or copied.

What COMELEC says: The keys are encrypted for security and kept under COMELEC’s control. However, the security of the keys have not been tested by a third party IT consultant.

What you can do: Join others and pressure the COMELEC to have the source code reviewed by independent IT experts, as per the legal requirement.

Results are consolidated and transmitted

What can go wrong: There is no mechanism that allows the public to view the consolidated results, causing voters to question the credibility and accuracy of the votes.

What you can do: You can ask the city board of canvassers or the municipality to hook up an LCD projector onto the CCS laptop. This will allow the results to be projected on a wall or screen for everyone to see.

The results from cities and municipalities are consolidated by the Provincial Board of Canvassers. These are then transmitted to the National Board of Canvassers. Once the results are counted, COMELEC can declare winners at the provincial level.

Results are consolidated and transmitted

What can go wrong: Due to a software and hardware failure, the Board of Canvassers is unable to consolidate the results and print out COCs.

What COMELEC says: As in the municipal level, the CCS of the nearest province can be used. The central COMELEC server can also do back-up canvassing.

What you can do: Accompany the transfer and monitor the transmission of results.

From here, the results will be transferred to the National Board of Canvassers. The latter will then consolidate the results and declare the winners for national positions.

http://www.thepoc.net/automated-elections/5628-how-to-resolve-potential-problems-in-the-automated-elections.html

JOIN CEBU FESTIVAL

VOTE FOR CHANGE

MORE HELPFUL TIPS

Once your ballot has been accepted, the PCOS machine scans the ballot.

PCOS machine scans the ballot

What can go wrong: The PCOS machine may not read the voter’s choices correctly; it only gives a confirmation message that the voter’s ballet has been accepted. COMELEC has disabled the feature that will verify that the machine has interpreted the voter’s choice correctly, violating Art. 7 of RA 9369 (Automated Election System Law).

What COMELEC says: According to COMELEC, verification of the actual votes is not necessary because it is the voter who shaded his or her own ballot. Besides, the process will take too long. Voters will have to trust that the machine will read their votes correctly.

What you can do: You can join others in pressuring the COMELEC to enable the verification feature of the machine to ensure the transparency of the voting process. On election day, make sure you see the confirmation message on the PCOS screen before leaving the polling station.

As soon as the PCOS machine is done scanning the ballots, the BEI will close the polls to prevent additional ballots from being inserted.

Polls are closed

What can go wrong: The polls are still open by the end of the voting period.

What you can do: Stay behind to watch and make sure that no other ballots are being fed into the machine

Polls are closed

What can go wrong: If there is a 100% voter turnout, the PCOS machine may not be able to hold all 1,000 paper ballots.

What COMELEC says: COMELEC says that all ballots will fit into the unit, but this claim has not yet been tested.

What you can do: Make sure that all ballots are intact and that the PCOS machines are not opened at any time.

The PCOS Machine starts the tallying process automatically.

The PCOS counts the votes

What can go wrong: At the beginning of election day, the PCOS machine should show a zero report. Instead, the machine prints a summary that shows the total number of votes of each candidate.

What COMELEC says: Two or three days before the elections, every single PCOS machine will be calibrated. There is no way for a zero report to not get printed on election day.

What you can do: If the PCOS machine does not print a zero report, poll watchers should contact the BEI and ask for a new machine. This will prevent the possible rigging of votes.

The PCOS counts the votes

What can go wrong: A discrepancy in numbers, where the number of votes do not match the voter turnout.

What COMELEC says: To countercheck the results, COMELEC will randomly visit precincts and do a manual count of ballots.

What you can do: Examine the printed election returns (ER) posted in the precinct to see if the voter turnout and number of votes match. Alert the poll watchers and the media if you spot any discrepancies.

The PCOS counts the votes

What can go wrong: The machine does not print copies of the ER. Ideally, it should print 8 copies of the ER before the transmission and 22 more copies afterwards. There should be a total of 30 ER copies.

What COMELEC says: Each PCOS unit has a compact flash (CF) card where the images of the scanned ballots and voting results are stored. If this happens, the CF card can be easily removed and inserted in another PCOS machine, which will then print the ERs.

What you can do: If this happens, follow the BEI and keep your eye on the CF card to prevent any switching. Make sure the ERs are printed properly.

After the ballots are counted and ERs are successfully printed, the election officer will insert a transmission cable onto the machine. The PCOS unit electronically transmits the results to the municipal board of canvassers, the central server, and servers for political parties, KBP, and PPCRV.

PCOS sends electronic transmissions of the results

What can go wrong: Poor signal or no signal, preventing the unit from sending the results.

What COMELEC says: The BEI can find a better satellite signal or change the SIM cards. If this does not work, the BEI will take the CF card of the unit and go to the nearest precinct. A functioning PCOS will then be used to transmit the results.

What you can do: Follow the BEI and keep your eye on the CF card to prevent any switching. If the PCOS unit is being transported, make sure nobody removes the ballots from the machine.

http://www.thepoc.net/automated-elections/5628-how-to-resolve-potential-problems-in-the-automated-elections.html

BUMOTO PARA SA ...

HELPFUL TIPS FOR THE ELECTIONS

While you may already be familiar with how to vote in an automated election, there are a few technical problems that can occur before your vote gets counted and transmitted. These helpful tips to the May 2010 elections illustrates what can go wrong, what Commission on Election (COMELEC) has done, and what you can do to prevent further problems. Many of these potential problems can be prevented by vigilance and your cooperation. Do your part to keep our elections clean by educating yourself about the voting process.

Voter shades his votes on the paper ballot

What can go wrong: Each ballot is 25 inches long. Voters have to go through a lengthy list and shade up to 36 names (in municipalities), which may take time. Election officers may also not have enough felt tip pens for voters.

What you can do: Prepare your list of candidates and bring a cheat sheet. This will help you shade the ovals as fast as you can to give way to other voters. Consider bringing extra felt tip pens and lending them to other voters.

Voter feeds ballot into the PCOS Machine

What can go wrong: Each precinct may serve up to 1,000 voters - expect long lines.

What COMELEC says: COMELEC will extend voting day until midnight if necessary.

What you can do: To avoid standing in line for hours, go to your precinct early. All precincts will be open from 7 am until 6 pm.

Voter feeds ballot into the PCOS Machine

What can go wrong: Power outage!

What COMELEC says: PCOS units have batteries that can last for 16 hours. For complete loss of power at the start of election day, precinct will resort to manual voting.

What you can do: Bring flashlights so you can accomplish your ballot in the dark. If a machine is not working, alert the Bureau of Election Inspector (BEI) and Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) volunteers.

Voter feeds ballot into the PCOS Machine

What can go wrong: A ballot is rejected.

What you can do: Make sure your ballot is neat and free of folds or crumples. If the machine spits out your ballot, insert it a second until the fourth time. If the PCOS still rejects the ballot, return the ballot to the BEI Chairman.

Voter feeds ballot into the PCOS Machine

What can go wrong: Despite keeping your ballot clean and straight, the machine jams. This time, it’s the machine’s fault.

What COMELEC says: There are 6,380 spare PCOS machines that can be used if a unit is not working.

What you can do: Hold on to your ballot and report the error to the BEI.

Voter feeds ballot into the PCOS Machine

What can go wrong: Pre-marked legitimate ballots might have already been fed into the machine.

What COMELEC says: Testing and sealing of the PCOS machine will be done at least three days before election day to ensure that it will not be tampered.

What you can do: Take part in the testing and sealing procedures to make sure that no pre-marked ballots are entered. Help secure the polling places where the machines are installed.

Voter feeds ballot into the PCOS Machine

What can go wrong: A ballot may be rendered void or unreadable by the machine due to markings or scratches on the security marks located on the paper’s edge. Overvoting, or choosing more than the allotted numbers of candidates per position, will also cause your ballot to be void.

What you can do: Make sure not to write anything on the security marks. Shade the ovals fully and double-check to see if you selected the right number of candidates per position. Again, it helps to bring a cheat sheet to avoid these mistakes.

http://www.thepoc.net/automated-elections/5628-how-to-resolve-potential-problems-in-the-automated-elections.html

TARA!

KNOW YOUR BALLOT

The ballot is still in paper form just like the old ballot we are used to. But it now looks more professional and is roughly the size of an A4 sheet of paper. The names of the candidates running for national positions are printed back-to-back. Below is a sample of the ballot. You may click on the image for a bigger view.



It’s a lot easier to fill out the ballot now because there is no need to write names. All we have to do is shade the oval beside our candidate of choice. We also do not need to bring pencils or ballpens. COMELEC-provided markers will be available at the precincts. To vote, just shade the oval completely right beside the name of your selected candidate. It’s just like coloring the oval. Simple.

There are a few things to remember so as not to invalidate your vote and to minimize inconveniences to you.

1. Shade the oval completely. Marking it with a dot, X, a line or any other mark is NOT VALID. Partial shading also may risk invalidation as it won’t be properly read by the machine.

2. Do not OVERVOTE. This means you should NOT vote more candidates than available positions. For example, there should be only ONE Presidential vote. If you shaded 2 or more names, your vote for President is invalidated.

3. You can UNDERVOTE. This means you can vote for LESS candidates than available positions. For example, if you need to choose 12 senators but you only opt to vote for 10, that is allowed.

4. It is better to go to the precinct with your list of chosen candidates already (codigo). This will speed up the time it will take for you to fill up your ballot and reduce chances of mistakes.

http://www.thepoc.net/automated-elections/2997-know-your-ballot.html

LIGHT MOMENT : JUST A SPOOF ON PHILIPPINE ELECTIONS (NO PUN INTENDED)

FIND YOUR PRECINCT ONLINE

As part of the Commission on Election's (Comelec) continuing registration program, it has made a way for you to find your precinct online. The data they have is based on Comelec’s Field Data officer’s submissions. It is a good time to verify now where your precinct is, so you could act upon it. Just visit Comelec’s website.




Simply fill up the form - enter your first name, middle name and last name, and date of birth in the appropriate spaces.



For example, if your name is Rachel Sarah Cruz Domingo, type “Rachel Sarah” in the first name field, "Cruz" in the middle name space, and obviously, in the last name space, “Domingo”. Add your birthday, and then press submit. It comes out as something like this:

http://www.thepoc.net/voters-education/3250-how-to-find-online-your-precinct-before-election-day.html

A VERY TOUCHING NOTE FROM DAWN MICHOR

BAGONG ARAW, BAGONG BITUIN

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ELECTIONS

Step 1- Go to your Precinct on May 10, 2010

There will be about 37,062 voting centers and 74,427 clustered precincts. Each clustered precinct will have one Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine, each of which can supposedly accommodate up to 1,000 voters.

Upon arriving at the precinct, a voter should look for his or her name at the Posted Computerized Voters List (PCVL) near the door of the voting center to determine his or her precinct number and sequence number. The voter will be instructed to give these pieces of information to the Bureau of Election Inspector (BEI) together with other personal information.

Make sure you bring your voter’s ID with you. If you don’t have one yet, bring any valid ID along with your registration stub.

STEP 2- Have your Identity Verified

After his or her identity is verified, the name of the voter will be read out loud to give chance for any contention. If uncontested, he or she will be given a ballot by the BEI chairman – only upon ensuring that the said voter has yet to cast his or her vote in another precinct.

STEP 3- How to use your Ballot

Listen to the BEI's instruction on how to fill the ballot. The voter will be instructed to fill out his or her ballot using a secrecy folder and a marking pen provided by the Comelec. He or she must fill out the ballot by fully shading the oval beside the names of the candidates and party-list group of his or her choice.

1.Every voter gets only ONE ballot. No replacement ballots will be given to voters who make a mistake.

2.Make sure the ballot you receive has no marks and is clean.
3.Each ballot comes with the name of the candidates. To the left of the candidates are ovals. Simply shade the oval next to the name of the chosen candidate.

4.The oval must be shaded COMPLETELY. Ballots with check marks, x marks, partially shaded ovals, and other marks will be rejected.

5.Do not over-vote (e.g. vote two candidates for the position of President) because this will invalidate your votes for the position (but not the whole ballot).

6.You can bring a sheet of your chosen candidates with you when you vote.

STEP 4- Feed your ballot to the PCOS

PCOS stands for Precinct Count Optical Scan. This is a paper-based technology that contains pre-programmed information on the location, number of voters, etc. Each precinct will have one PCOS. Voters themselves feed their ballot into the machine. The machine will scan both sides of the ballot and will reject invalid ballots that are fake, photocopied, or have been previously inserted.

Once you have accomplished your ballot, feed the ballot into the PCOS. Every voter must personally feed his or her ballot into the machine. Wait for the confirmation message to appear on the screen.

Wait until the ballot is dropped into the semi-transparent ballot box. If the ballot is rejected, the BEI will allow for re-entry, but if rejected after the 4th time the ballot was inserted, the voter will not be issued a replacement ballot and the ballot will be placed in an evelope for rejected ballots.

The voter should return the secrecy folder and marking pen to the BEI chairman.

STEP 5 Go to the BEI for indelible ink marking

The BEI chairman will in turn apply indelible ink at the base and extend it to the cuticle of the right forefinger nail of the voter, who will then be instructed to affix his or her thumbmark in the space in the Election Day Computerized Voters List (EDCVL).

http://www.thepoc.net/automated-elections/2858-how-to-vote-in-an-automated-election.html