𝐊𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐖𝐅, 𝐍𝐚𝐠𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐲𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐂𝐀𝐃

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 





Nagpulong ang Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) at Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) noong 10 Marso 2026, 10:00 nu, sa tanggapan ng Korte Suprema hinggil sa tuntuning ipinatutupad ng Korte Suprema sa Filipino Sign Language (FSL) sa Hudikatura.



Nilinaw ng dalawang panig ang mga proseso sa pagsasagawa ng Visual Communication Assessment for the Deaf (VCAD) kabilang ang pagtalakay sa dokumentasyon at pagbabayad sa Deaf Assessor, alinsunod sa A.M. No. 21-12-04-SC (Re: Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Filipino Sign Language Act). Nakaangkla rin ito sa Batas Republika 11106 o FSL Act na naglalayong palakasin ang akses ng Deaf Community sa mga serbisyong panghudikatura at maisulong ang ingklusibidad na pamamahala bilang tugon sa Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) ng Korte Suprema.

Dumalo mulâ sa KWF si Dr. Benjamin M. Mendillo Jr., Komisyoner sa Pangasiwaan at Pananalapi, kasáma ang Yunit ng FSL sa pangunguna ni G. Patrick Bryan Q. Ablaza, Senior Deaf Advocacy Officer; Bb. Diana Pria Vizmanos, Deaf Advocacy Officer; at mga Admin Assistant na sina Bb. Nicah Lagrimas at Bb. Mitzi Mae Tabao. Kinatawan naman nina Hon. Lilian Barribal-Co, Assistant Court Administrator, at Atty. Andrea Mae E. Oraciln ang OCA.

DepEd three-term calendar reform gains support from teachers, parents

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MAKATI CITY, 25 March 2026 — Several parents, teachers, and school leaders have expressed support for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) shift to a three-term school calendar, saying the reform could help improve the flow of instruction and give teachers more time to focus on teaching.

The new calendar for School Year 2026–2027, approved by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. after consultations with education stakeholders, reorganizes the school year into three terms to better manage teaching time, assessments, and school activities.

Consultations were conducted at national, regional, and school levels, including engagements with teachers and school leaders.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that the change aims to help teachers manage their workload through clearer scheduling of grading, reporting, and other administrative tasks.

School leaders like Edwin Fuego, school head of Alveola Integrated School Annex in Butuan City, said the three-term structure could help schools focus more on time spent on actual instruction.

“With a more structured distribution of the school year, educators can devote sufficient time to ensure that learning competencies are thoroughly taught and mastered,” Fuego shared.

Teachers themselves said the change could help reduce the pressure from administrative work during the school year.

Teacher Reden Juego of Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School said the three-term calendar separates instructional time from tasks such as checking exams and preparing report cards.

“On the part of the teachers, administrative tasks such as checking the summative test papers, computing for grades, distribution of report cards, and the like will be reduced. This entails time for teachers to focus on actual planning and execution of lessons,” he said.

Among parents, the reform is seen as a way to bring better pacing to the school year.

Miriam Illescas, a parent from Malolos Marine Fishery School and Laboratory in Bulacan, views a more structured calendar could help minimize class disruptions caused by frequent school activities or unforeseen events.

“The three-term school calendar by DepEd offers a structured yet flexible framework for learning. With proper planning, it can improve student achievement, minimize fatigue, and provide timely support for learners who are struggling,” she said.

Angara noted that the calendar shift is part of broader efforts to improve learning outcomes nationwide, alongside programs on classroom construction, school feeding, literacy interventions, and the delivery of textbooks to learners.

DepEd said it will continue to engage stakeholders and monitor implementation to ensure that the reform supports both learners and teachers.

Nurse Susie Calls to 'Cut Plastic Use, Choose Reusables' in Hospital Roadshow in Tacloban City

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"Change old habits at mag-segregate"

"Cut plastics dahil ito ay waste"

“Commit to reusable na mga gamit”

“Champion sustainability ang ating awit”


These are the first lines of a jingle that played as mascot 'Nurse Susie' entered the Out-Patient Department of the Eastern Visayas Medical Center in Tacloban City to promote toxics-free and zero-waste practices in hospitals during a road show organized by the Philippine Healthcare and Mercury Wastes Management Project (HCWM Project).

The lyrics reflect the 4Cs slogan of Nurse Susie: Change Old Habits, Cut Plastics, Commit to Reuse, and Champion Sustainability.

Now on its second leg, the Nurse Susie Roadshow is part of the Toxics-Free Hospitals Campaign of the HCWM Project, promoting the reduction and proper management of healthcare waste to protect public health and the environment. Nurse Susie was first introduced in January and is the central character of the campaign. The road show kicked off last week in Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) and is set to go to Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in April.


According to Jam Lorenzo, HCWM Project Manager and BAN Toxics Deputy Executive Director, key to the Toxics-Free Hospitals Campaign is the reduction of waste generated by hospitals, especially plastics.

“Minimizing plastic use is one of the ways to ease the burden of high waste volumes for hospitals. Plastics are a potential source of toxic chemicals in the environment, and when burned, can emit unintentional persistent organic pollutants (UPOPs) such as dioxins and furans,” Lorenzo added.

Last year, the HCWM Project conducted waste audits in CVMC, EVMC, and QMMC, which revealed that more than 70% of the waste composition of each hospital is plastics.

In EVMC, the initial audit report showed that plastics make up 78% of the total waste composition — 54% from infectious waste, indicating extensive use of medical textiles, sanitary products, and other medical plastics in patient-care areas, and 24% from general or non-hazardous waste, showing that even non-clinical areas are significant contributors to plastic waste. These include plastic foodware and other single-use plastics such as 'labo' bags and sachets.

According to Lorenzo, among the interventions of the HCWM Project is looking into reusable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to replace single-use disposables. Meanwhile, the campaign is promoting reusable items such as food and water containers, cloth bags, and face masks to the general public.

"While the majority of plastics in hospitals come from patient-care, reducing dependence on single-use plastics by hospital clients and visitors can significantly help reduce plastic waste. Healthcare waste management is a public health and environmental concern, and thus everyone shares the responsibility," Lorenzo said.

Nurse Susie and the Toxics-Free Hospitals Campaign is also promoting proper waste segregation, one of the key issues faced by hospitals. Poor segregation and handling often cause contamination, effectively converting general waste into hazardous waste. Hazardous and infectious healthcare wastes are required to undergo treatment first before disposal, which entails added cost for the hospitals.

One of the main interventions of the HCWM Project is the adoption of low- or zero-emission non-burn waste treatment technologies for healthcare facilities to reduce the release of toxic and hazardous chemicals into the environment.


About the project:

The Philippine Healthcare and Mercury Wastes Management Project aims to strengthen healthcare waste management nationwide, with a special focus on reducing emissions of hazardous substances such as dioxins and furans and ensuring the safe and proper disposal of mercury. The project is implemented by UNIDO and the DENR-EMB, with funding support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and BAN Toxics as the executing partner.