CITY BRIEFS
By Therese Romaine Nalangan Rustia

Enrolment increases
in Makati public schools

Based on the Division of City Schools of Makati yearly enrolment report, 80 713 public elementary and secondary school pupils and students enrolled this school year, 5.47 percent higher than 76 528 pupils and students last school year.

Because of the growing recognition of the quality of education provided by the city’s public school system, a large number of transferees from other cities and municipalities contributed to the increase of enrollees in the city, 51 287 elementary pupils and 29 426 secondary students.

Considering the big turnout of students a positive sign, Schools Superintendent Elena del Rosario Ruiz said that the “education for all” as guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution is being achieved, and it shows the sincerity of the city government in making public education a priority in its political agenda.

Makati studes represent RP
in int’l math competitions

Trained by the Mathematics Trainers Guild of the Philippines, three City of Makati public school learners were chosen from a pool of young mathematicians who underwent summer and intensive training programs.

Kirven De Guzman Molas of I-Nicolaus Copernicus and Joel Edward Berces Cardinal of III-Antoine Laurent Lavoisier represented the Philippines in the 2007 Asian Inter-Cities Teenager Mathematics Olympiad in Hong Kong, on July 3 and the 2007 China Junior High School Mathematics Olympiad in the People’s Republic of China, Aug. 5-10, respectively.

Andrew Joelle Caguntar of the Bangkal Elementary School also represented the country, along with his teammates from other public schools in the country, in the 2007 Wizards for Mathematics International Competition in India, Oct. 27-30.

Batang Bantay Basura gathers
7 869.5 kilos of recyclables

Through the Batang Bantay Basura, a school-based recycling program of the city government, the City of Makati collected 7 869.5 kilos of recyclables—236 kilos of mixed plastics, 801.5 kilos of mixed papers, and 6 832 kilos of polyethylene bottles.

Conceptualized by the City of Makati Department of Environment Services, in cooperation with the Division of City Schools of Makati, the recycling program teaches students and faculty members the importance of waste segregation and helps the city government in implementing its solid waste management program.

Makati hosts CityNet conference
on hygiene and sanitation

In cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the CityNet, Asia Pacific regional network of local authorities for the management of human settlements, the City Government of Makati hosted this year’s CityNet International Seminar on Sanitation at the ADB Headquarters, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Nov. 15 and 16.

With the theme “Delivering Our Vision: Sanitation for All,” the international seminar provided hundreds of participants the opportunity to develop approaches and mechanisms for the attainment of sustainable sanitation at the local level and disseminated best practices in hygiene and sanitation, particularly in the Philippines and in the Asia Pacific region, for possible replication by local governments.

Mobilizing local government officials to act on the urgency of advancing the sanitation agenda to avert further effects to public health and to the environment, the international seminar was attended by civil servants, policy makers, local chief executives, and other stakeholders that represent national agencies, local government units, bilateral and multilateral organizations, non-government and community-based organizations, and international development agencies on water and sanitation.