School principal’s ouster sought

OLONGAPO CITY – The Association of Barangay Councils called for the dismissal of a school principal who allegedly ordered the cutting of decades-old trees inside a public high school.

The ABC urged Department of Education Secretary Jesli Lapus to sack Helen Aggabao, principal of the Olongapo City national High School.

East Tapinac Barangay captain Ben Franco said Aggabao failed to secure a permit form the Department of Environment Natural resources before ordering the cutting of the 12 trees.

Franco added Aggabao bypassed Barangay officials for not seeking a permit for the renovation works in the school which sits on a city-owned property.

--Peoples Journal

OCNHS PRINCIPAL CHARGED FOR CUTTING TREES

Controversy looms over the Olongapo City National High School (OCNHS) due to the illegal cutting of trees in the school compound.

As Committee Chair on City Environmental Protection, Councilor Jong Cortez invited to a hearing Principal Helen B. Agabao of OCNHS, Erick Nathaniel Ellano, Contractor and Atty. Raul H. Mamac, Officer in Charge of Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) last January 26, 2009 to shed light on the issue. Also present was Daniel P. Miguel from DepEd Olongapo City and Nelson V. Gorospe from PENRO.

The hearing was attended by Vice Mayor Cynthia G. Cajudo, City Legal Officer Angelito Orozco, Councilors JC Delos Reyes, Gie Baloy, Nathan Manalo, Ed Piano, Elen Dabu, Rodel Cerezo, Elmo Aquino and ABC President Carlito Baloy. Cortez presided over the hearing.

Mamac presented to the council a copy of the case filed on the same day to First Assistant City Prosecutor Roel G. Samonte at the City Prosecutor’s Office, against the school principal and contractor for in violation of the Presidential Decree (P.D.) 705, Section 68 as amended or the Anti Illegal Logging Act and Section 3 of P.D. 953 known as Requiring the Planting of Trees in Certain Places and Penalizing Unauthorized, Destruction, Damaging and Injuring of Certain Trees, Plants and Vegetation.

According to Mamac, his office conducted an inspection on the site immediately after receiving a call from a concerned citizen on January 13, 2009, three days after the actual cutting of the trees which was done on a weekend.

They also had a dialogue with Agabao and Ellano on January 21, 2009 which established the fact that no permit was ever secured from the CENR Office regarding the cutting of trees within the school grounds.

Agabao emotionally presented her side stating that personal issues not related to the matter at hand have been included in some news reports and she feels that she has been a victim of “trial by publicity.” Agabao also admitted that she is at fault for overlooking the matter and says that she stands by her command responsibility.

Agabao’s official statement to the CENRO read, “The school is undergoing various beautification and landscaping projects inside the campus and this project was under contract with ERICK NATHANIEL ELLANO of JATI Construction and Supply.”

The contractor admitted lack of knowledge regarding Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regulations on cutting of trees.

Ellano also said that even if the trees were cut down, they have plans to incorporate planting of bonsai trees in the proposed Japanese Garden on June as the school’s Tree Planting Project.

Councilor Edwin Piano asked CENR Officials the ideal ratio of trees to be planted to replace one tree that was cut and Mamac said that a minimum of 20 seedlings per tree (1:20) but since DENR has set no limits, he added that “the more seedlings, the better.”

In closing, after hearing all sides of the story, Councilor Jong Cortez said that “all this is moot and academic since a case has been filed already.”

During the City Council Hearing on the illegal cutting of trees inside the campus grounds of Olongapo City National High School (OCNHS), Atty. Raul H. Mamac, OIC of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) explains a point while OCNHS Principal Helen B. Agabao, (foreground) listens.

PAO/ chay

Atienza, DepEd asked to probe cutting of trees on ‘Gapo campus

OLONGAPO CITY – Environmentalists here are up in arms over the cutting of several trees including centuries-old narra and mahogany on a public high school campus and called on Department on Environment and natural resources (DENR) Secretary Lito Atienza to order an investigation and go after the culprits.

They also asked the Region 3 Department of Education (DepEd) Director Tony Princepe to slap the school principal, Ellen Agabao, with Administrative charges.

City Councilor Jong Cortez, Committee on Environmental Protection chair, slammed school authorities after the environmental group Protect and Preserve to Prosper (PPP) reported about the fate of trees at the Olongapo City National High School (OCNHS).

The trees were felled for unknown reasons. The group blamed Agabao for the total disregard of the environment by authorizing the removal of the trees without first getting permission from the DENR.

“We have a law that estates the cutting requires permission from the DENR. Obviously no permit was obtained. The DENR should now therefore go after the violators,” the PPP said in a statement.

The local environmental watchdog believes Atienza is serious in protecting the environment and urged him to apply the long arm of the law in this particular case to serve as warning to those who would attempt to do the same on their respective campuses.

“Teachers, should be teaching our children to care for the environment and not destroy it. They should serve as role models in nature preservation. But Agabao showed OCNHS students the very opposite,” said Dr. Art Mendoza, Director of the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital and an officer of the OCNHS Alumni Association.

Mendoza said the trees had been part and parcel of the daily campus life of past and present students. Those trees, he said, had stood there for as long as he could remember.

Cesar Santiago, board of director of OCNHS Batch ’85, said DepEd officials should not let those responsible for the misdeed to go unpunished.

“The area where the trees were was our watering hole. It is sad that future students of OCNHS will no longer enjoy the experience,” Santiago lamented.

--Tempo

Cutting of trees sparks outrage in 'Gapo'

OLONGAPO CITY - The cutting of trees inside the campus of a public high school here has sparked outrage among various sectors, especially environmentalists and the school's alumni.

They are directing their anger at Ellen Agabao, principal of the Olongapo City national High School, for what they said was her total disregard for the environment and for removing the trees that had served as "landmarks" in the school grounds. Agabao reportedly ordered the trees felled over the weekend.

"Teachers should be teaching our children to care for the environment and not destroy it. They should serve as role models in nature preservation. But Agabao showed OCNHS students the very opposite," said Dr. Art Mendoza, director of the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital and an officer of OCNHS Alumni Association. Mendoza said the trees had been part and parcel of the daily campus life of past and present students. Those trees, he said, had stood there for as long as he can remember.

The local environmental group Protect & Preserve to Prosper took to task the local Department of Environment and natural Resources for not doing its job.

The group’s spokesperson, Pinky Garcia, said the local DENR officials were sitting on their butts while the trees were being cut.

“We have a law that states the cutting of trees requires permission from the DENR. Obviously, no permit was obtained. The DENR should now, therefore go after the violators,” said Garcia.

Nineteen-year-old Jimson Reyes recalled that they used to hold their classes under the shade of the now cut off trees.

“The area where the trees were was out watering hole. It is lamentable that future students of OCNHS will no longer enjoy the experience,” Reyes said.

Parents of students enrolled in the school also expressed dismay over the matter.

Patricia Chu, whose two sons are enrolled in OCNHS, said she was dumb- founded when her children related to her that the trees in their school were gone.

“Nag weekend lang, Ma, pagpasok naming, wala ng mga puno, putul-putol na,” said Chu, quoting her children.

--People's Journal

Violence mars school opening in ‘Gapo

OLONGAPO City – The opening of classes here Tuesday was marred by a stabbing incident at the Olongapo City National High School where a second year student was stabbed twice by a schoolmate over an old grudge.

The 16-year-old victim, Manolito A. Menes, of Tabacuhan, Barangay Sta. Rita, remains in critical condition at the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital.

Police identified the suspect as Arjay Olayres, 17. He was charged with frustrated homicide and is now under the custody of the Olongapo City Assistance and Rehabilitation Empowerment.

Concerned parents are pointing the blame on school authorities for the frequent violence in the public school, particularly its principal Helen Agabao. They said the lax security and negligence of Agabao are causing the deterioration of order and discipline in the school.

Agabao claimed that the suspect was a school dropout who sneaked inside the campus. She also blamed the absence of police within the vicinity of the school.

But it turned out that Olayres is in the roster of the school’s enrollees for this year.

= = =

Response from reader hbasagit

Its a sweeping statement to blame the school officials and unfair to post a news item without conducting an investigation and mar the reputation of a dedicated school Principal who has no other mission but to educate young people and develop them into responsible citizen. The author should have conducted an investigation in the school and not just base his news item from the students.

If he only contacted the school authorities , he should taken the real side of the situation. These students were dropouts and has enrolled in the same year for so many times and they are both members of a fraternity and uses the school to camouflage their identities as criminal elements of this city. We accepted them in the school because we are mandated to do so for the reason that as educators, we believe in the tenets of EFA.

They are just two (2) students who were accepted in this school together with their 7,458 school mates.If these 7,458 good students who entered the school campus on that day June 10,2008 9:00 am has stabbed each other, then its acceptable to cast the blame on the school principal and post the news item with stating among others that there are frequent violence in the school and tell the world that Olongapo City National High School is run by a neglectfull Principal.

We have been visited by Malaysian and Indonesian students and the whole Asia and Europe has given the school so much praises including the City of Olongapo for the way school officials manage the school deliver education inspite of inadequate facilities. With these OCNHS has been invited several times in these countries as their Partner School because of its outstanding school officials ,teachers and students.

To post these news item is an indication of disrespect to a school being praised and modeled internationally. We do hope that the author should investigate first before he posts news items. How about checking out this fraternity run by citizens of Olongapo City which uses the baywalk of the City Mall as the venue of their meetings? and check on the peace and order of the city before they put the blame on the school for these budding criminal elements.

Why not the police officers check on the peace and order and not just accept reports from complaints?Last friday June 13,2008,630 pm ,an incident happened at the corner of 14th and Rizal Avenue,one of our female students was abducted by a white van and tortured the girl and dropped her at the Centennial Park SBMA and was found by SBMA at around 730 pm the same day.

The poor student of ours was ABDUCTED outside the school on her way home by white van parked along a music store near the campus, should the principal be blamed for that crime committed by criminal elements in Olongapo City?.As of now it has been reported to the police,but I know it will just remain as one of those unsolved cases of abduction in the city.

ARE WE STILL SAFE IN THE CITY?

Please dig into the root cause of the problem before we blame people who are working intently with dedication in order to develop responsible citizens of Olongapo City.