Instituto Cervantes contributes to the Heritage Month with an invitation to Rediscover and protect San Nicolas District

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On Tuesday, May 16th at 2PM, Instituto Cervantes is presenting a lecture on the historical value of San Nicolas, and an exhibit by the Urban Sketchers depicting the neighborhood today. Scheduled during the Heritage Month, the said events will be held at Instituto Cervantes’ center in Intramuros (Calle Real, Plaza San Luis, Intramuros).

The district of San Nicolas, an area of Manila’s Historic Chinatown, was where the confluence of Spanish and Chinese interaction in the Philippines largely took place, a process that to a high degree contributes to the Filipino identity. Historically, its relevance is in its role in the Philippine revolution. Architecturally, its 19th-century buildings and its streets are evidences of this interaction and are the last vestiges of a bygone era. Regretfully however, the district has decayed.

The good news is that there is a growing awareness of the value of the said district. Instituto Cervantes is organizing the said lecture and exhibit in order to generate interest in the preservation of the heritage of the area and encourage activity there in order to bring it back to the dynamic place it was before, thereby increasing the value of the zone.

The conference is titled “Trade and Revolution: Historical notes on the Jeopardized District of San Nicolas in Manila”, and the exhibit is titled “San Nicolas through the eyes of the Urban Sketchers.” The San Nicolas heritage community was first chosen as Urban Sketchers Manila’s sketchwalk location back in 2022. Advocates then shared with participating artists their hope for this place to continue to hold the memory of old Manila that generations after can appreciate. The exhibit, which consists of some 50 artworks, will be available for viewing everyday, including Sundays, from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM until July 31st.

Admission is FREE and open for all on a first come, first served basis. For more information, please visit our website at http://manila.cervantes.es or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila. You may also contact Instituto Cervantes at 8526-1482 or at cenmni@cervantes.es.

SSS welcomes new acting SSC member Robert Joseph De Claro

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The Social Security System (SSS) welcomes Commissioner Robert Joseph M. De Claro, one of the new acting members of the Social Security Commission (SSC) representing the Employers’ Group.

As a member of the SSS’ highest governing board, De Claro shares in the responsibility for the governance of the SSS in terms of providing policy directions, monitoring, and overseeing management actions with powers and duties specified in Section 4 of Republic Act No. 11199 or The Social Security Act of 2018.

De Claro has extensive experience and expertise in spearheading, establishing, and managing startup and operating entities.

Prior to this, he has held various executive positions for different companies such as President and CEO of People4u, Inc.; Operating Partner of FutureNow Business Services Inc.; President and General Manager of JMango Philippines, Inc.; General Manager, APAC of GlobalOne Solutions, Inc. and Cloud Sherpas; among others.

He started his career with Nestle Philippines in 1993 and was an Expat in Australia and the Nestle Headquarters in Switzerland.

He earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with specialization in Information Technology at the De La Salle University in 1992.

Other members of the SSC include Secretary of Finance Benjamin E. Diokno (ex-officio Chairperson); SSS Acting President and CEO Rolando L. Macasaet (Vice-Chairperson); Secretary of Labor and Employment Bienvenido E. Laguesma (ex-officio member); and Commissioners Diana Pardo Aguilar, Anita Bumpus-Quitain, Jose C. Julio, Manuel L. Argel Jr., and Eva B. Arcos.

DepEd starts early registration for SY

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The Department of Education (DepEd) started the conduct of early registration of incoming Kindergarten, Grades 1, 7, and 11 learners in public schools starting on May 10 to June 9, 2023.

In the recent order, DepEd reiterates that all incoming learners enrolling in Kindergarten and Grades 1, 7, and 11 in all public elementary and secondary schools shall pre-register or participate in the early registration to allow the Department to make the needed preparations and adjustments of plans for the incoming SY.

On the other hand, incoming Grades 2-6, 8-10, and 12 learners from public schools are considered pre-registered and do not need to participate in the early registration. In the case of Private schools, they are encouraged to conduct their respective early registration activities in the same time frame.

For the conduct of the early registration, face-to-face transactions with schools are preferred, but schools may continue to implement other means of collecting registration forms. Schools Division Superintendents and School Heads will lead advocacy campaigns in their respective jurisdictions and encourage Out of School Children (OSC) and parents/guardians of prospective learners to participate in the early registration.

Furthermore, the policy orders all public elementary and secondary schools to update or encode daily in the Early Registration facility in the Learner Information System (LIS) using the school head or administrator account.

The schools will then use the print or electronic copies of the Basic Education Enrollment Form (Revised as of March 27, 2023) to ensure necessary information in registering incoming Kindergarten, Grades 1, 7, and 11 learners, and other data are appropriately captured.

In addition, the schools may also encode in the Early Registration facility, the prospective enrollees for other grade levels (Grades 2-6, 8-10, and 12) based on the previous school enrollment to get the overall picture of the expected enrollees for the next enrollment.

For more information on early registration https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/DO_s2023_010.pdf, please contact the Planning Service-Education Management Information System Division through email at ps.emisd@deped.gov.ph.