Novo Ecijano Youth gather to call for Clean, Honest, and Responsive Elections

The youth of the province pose with the tarpaulin covered with their signature of commitment for a clean, honest, and responsive elections.

Novo Ecijano youth gathered last May 12 at St. Nicholas de Tolentino Cathedral, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija to call for clean, honest, and responsive elections. Youth representatives from Rock the Vote, KABATAAN Partylist, College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), I Against Child Trafficking (i-ACT) Movement, Students for the Advancement of Volunteerism and Excellence (SAVE-NE), Central Luzon State University Supreme Student Council (CLSU-USSC), You.ORG, and Parish Youth Council (PYC) of Cabanatuan all pledged their support for the campaign against fraud, violence, and indifference.

The youth leaders expressed their hope for the prospect of genuine social change through active participation in the elections, not just as voters, but as watchdogs, and their understanding of the role of the youth sector in nationbuilding. Dan Kevin Roque

RTV prepare the youth for upcoming elections

Delegates from Viewpoint, Genre, and PHINMA Scholars listen attentively to the speaker,
 Maya Santos from KPL National Office.

Kabataan Partylist-Nueva Ecija Chapter (KPL-NE) and College Editors Guild of the Philippines Central Luzon (CEGP-CL) joined forces to organize Rock the Vote (RTV): Voter's Education Seminar last May 3 at Bishop Balce Hall, St. Nicolas of Tolentine Cathedral, Cabanatuan City.

RTV provided an avenue for the student and youth leaders to learn the important role of the youth for responsible practice of the right of suffrage, as well as the prospect of genuine social change through the mobilization of the youth. Student-leaders and student-journalists (specifically from Viewpoint and Genre) attended the said event, along with delegates from PHINMA Scholars Society. Guest speakers included Mark Troy Oliva and Maya Santos of KPL National Office and Butch Miranda of Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL).

The event ended with the formation of committee for RTV Nueva Ecija. Jerome Estavillo, Deputy Secretary General, CEGP-CL

Mga magbubukid ng Gitnang Luzon, nagtipon para sa KALBARYO NG BAYAN

Special report for Community Development

Matagumpay na naisagawa ang "KALBARYO NG BAYAN", isang penitensya ng mga manggagawang bukid at kabataan ng Nueva Ecija nitong nakaraang ika-26 ng Marso sa pangunguna ng Samahan ng mga Magsasaka Laban sa CLEx at sa pakikipagtulungan ng Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luzon (AMGL).

Ang nasabing penitensya ay nagsimula sa isang misa sa Iglesia Filipina Independiente sa bayan ng Nampicuan, at tumuloy sa mga kalapit bayan na Cuyapo, Guimba, Sto. Domingo, Quezon, at Aliaga.

Ang penitensyang bayan ay isinagawa bilang protesta sa pagtatayo ng Central Luzon Expressway (CLEx) at ng North Luzon East Expressway (NLEEx) at magpanawagan para sa isang maka-masang sistema ng transportasyon. Kalbaryo sa mga magsasaka at mamamayan ng Nueva Ecija ang proyektong Central Luzon Expressway Phase 1 at 2  (CLEx) at North Luzon Expressway - East (NLEx East), ayon sa Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson - Nueva Ecija (AMGL – Nueva Ecija), Alyansa ng Mamamayan Laban sa CLEx (ALMA-CLEx), AMGL at Anakpawis Partylist-Gitnang Luzon, dahil ito ay magtutulak ng  malawakang pangangamkam ng lupa at pagpapalayas sa mga magsasaka at mga manggagawang bukid.

Sa kabila ng magandang intensyon, nakaranas pa rin ng pananakot at kawalang respeto ang makatwiran, lehitimo, at mapayapang pagkilos na ito ng mga magsasaka mula sa pwersa ng kapulisan.Dan Kevin Roque

Viewpoint holds Konsultahang KABATAAN

Youth leaders of Nueva Ecija pose for pictures together with the
officers of the newly-established KPL-Nueva Ecija Chapter. (Photo credits to Diane Claire Malgapo)

Viewpoint, alongside KABATAAN Partylist (KPL) and College Editors Guild of the Philippines - Central Luzon (CEGP-CL) gathered student-journalists, student-leaders, and youth-leaders of the out-of-school youth in the provincial youth leaders' assembly entitled Konsultahang KABAATAN last March 15 at Bishop Balce Hall, St. Nicolas of Tolentine Cathedral, del Pilar St., Cabanatuan City.

The said event, themed "Kabataang Novo Ecijano, Kaisa sa Pagbabago" featured  politically-charged fora, the presentation of the Youth Covenant, and Educational Discussions about Philippine social realities, provincial youth situation, and the peasant struggle in the province. Speakers included Mr. Jerome Estavillo of College Editors Guild of the Philippines-Central Luzon; Ms. Niña Valdez of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines; and Mr. Butch Miranda of Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luzon.

The event culminated with the establishment and planning of the KPL Nueva Ecija Chapter, as well as the signing of the Youth Agenda. Dan Kevin Roque

Life Can Be Better

AU-South Plan

The Philippine Investment-Management (PHINMA) Group of Companies remains true to its mission of creating a better quality of the Filipino life. Phinma’s brand of excellence has been creating waves in the business sector for the past 56 years; the vision of three optimistic gentlemen for the country is gradually building our destiny of being at par with the rest of the world. When the Group acquired Araullo University in 2004, Novo Ecijanos were given the opportunity to share the PHINMA dream, and make it real as well.

As we extend Hawak Kamay to everyone, we move forward to an era where studying in the province is no longer a cheaper alternative but a primary choice to make our lives better. Indeed, Araullo University-PHINMA has come a long way from the humble class of 27 law students in 1950. Ma. Gladys Repollo

As read by COO and SVP Ms. Ana S. Chua during the AU-South Campus Groundbreaking.

Ecija pols' rivalry spawns conflicting class suspension advisories

Political rivalries in Nueva Ecija seem to have spilled over to the aftermath of the sustained rains and resulting floods caused by the Southwest monsoon, leaving a public confused over conflicting advisories by public officials.

Governor Aurelio Umali and Cabanatuan City Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara gave out conflicting directives regarding the suspension of classes on Thursday.

Umali, through TV48, the local news frequency, announced that classes in all levels in the province are suspended due to the effects of adverse weather conditions.

But Vergara, on his own radio station, DWJJ, mandated that classes resume today, Thursday. On top of the chaos and fear brought by the calamity, Novo Ecijanos, especially students, had to deal with the confusion caused by the escalating power struggle in the area.

In the end, school authorities and students heeded the decree of the governor, he being the higher authority. They stayed away from classes even though the rains had stopped and the sun shone.

The political rivalry of Umali and Vergara which started from Vergara’s move to upgrade Cabanatuan to highly urbanized city (HUC) status has spilled over to petty matters and now threatens to further divide the province. 

President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III earlier  certified the conversion of Cabanatuan into an HUC after it satisfied the minimum requirements of population (at least 200,000 citizens) and annual income (P50-million). The conversion now only awaits ratification by a plebiscite scheduled in November 2012. Dan Kevin Roque