Mahinog National High School to be renamed Sixto A. Abao National High School

Late Mayor Sixto Abao

THE Mahinog Municipal Council has unanimously voted to pass a resolution endorsing the renaming of Mahinog National High School in barangay Hubangon after the late mayor Sixto A. Abao.

This after Camiguin Representative Pedro P. Romualdo filed House Bill No. 6915 known as an "Act Changing the name of Mahinog National High School in barangay Hubangon, Municipality of Mahinog, Province of Camiguin to Sixto A. Abao National High School."

Romualdo said the present Mahinog National High School was established through the efforts of the late mayor Sixto A. Abao who is known for his deep concern and passion in education. 

It is the clamor of the residents of Mahinog that in order to perpetuate the memory of the late Sixto A. Abao,  the Mahinog National High School in barangay Hubangon be renamed in his honor, Romualdo said in the bill’s explanatory note.

During the creation of Mahinog as a town in July 1, 1948 by virtue of Executive Order No. 122 of President Manuel L. Roxas, then mayor Sixto A. Abao had shown us the importance of education in his own barangay when he chose the Mahinog High School, the first secondary public school in the island of Camiguin, to be established in his native barangay of Hubangon instead of the town hall and seat of government of Mahinog to be established in his barangay, the members of the Municipal Council said in their resolution endorsing the bill.

Through the effort of then mayor Sixto A. Abao, the family of Cabeza Celedeno Abao, his close relative, agreed to an exchange of property where the said school was established and that the house made of hardwood owned by the latter became the original structure of the school, the resolution added.

“Firstly, we honor the late Sixto A. Abao for his outstanding achievement and exemplary work as the first Mayor of the town of Mahinog.”

“Secondly, we honor this man for his burning passion for education and commitment to public service that led to the establishment of the first secondary public school in Camiguin now known as Mahinog National High School in barangay Hubangon,” the resolution said.

Once HB No. 6915 becomes a law, the newly established Mahinog National High School II in barangay Poblacion will be automatically renamed Mahinog National High School. (HRJ)

President Aquino signs into law Mahinog National High School II

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has signed into law a bill establishing a national high school in barangay Poblacion in the municipality of Mahinog, province of Camiguin to be known as Mahinog National High School II.

Camiguin Congressman Pedro P. Romualdo, the principal author of the new law, said the Chief Executive has inked Republic Act 10234 or Mahinog National High School II law last October 29, 2012.

He said the new law responds to the clamor from parents and community leaders to provide free public secondary education to our young students in Mahinog and in the peripheral barangays of Guinsiliban as well as Mambajao.

RA 10234 shall take effect 15 days after its publication in any newspaper of general circulation. The new law is already posted in the Official Gazette. http://www.gov.ph/2012/10/29/republic-act-no-10234/

Earlier, the Municipal Council of Mahinog passed Municipal Ordinance No. 2011-136 to acquire or whenever necessary expropriate the private properties owned by Grace & Josefina C. Kempis, Luz Densing and Prudencia Vivares all located in Poblacion to be used as school site for the proposed Mahinog National High School II.

Under the new law, the Secretary of the Department of Education was directed to include in the Department's program the operationalization of the Mahinog National High School II and the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Senate passes bill creating Mahinog National High School 2 on second reading

Camiguin Congressman Pedro P. Romualdo

THE Senate on June 06, 2012 approved on second reading a bill which would establish a national high school in barangay Poblacion in the municipality of Mahinog.

The approval came after the Senate Commitee on Education, Arts and Culture chaired by Senator Edgardo J. Angara and Committee on Finance chaired by Senator Franklin M. Drilon submitted its joint committee report recommending its "approval without amendment" on the bill.

In his sponsorship speech of House Bill No. 547, Camiguin Congressman Pedro P. Romualdo said the clamor for a national high school in the Poblacion came from parents, community leaders and young students in the past years.

“Many families were not able to send their kids in the past years to pursue high school education due to dwindling and limited family income,” Romualdo said.

“With the establishment of a Mahinog National High School II in barangay Poblacion, it is expected that more students will be given a chance to go back to school,” the solon added.

Romualdo told local officials that he hoped this bill will be approved on third reading during the third regular session of the 15th Congress.

The measure was approved by the Committee on Basic Education during the 14th Congress but was not taken up due to lack of time in the plenary.

New bridge to open, to be named after JICA

MAHINOG, Camiguin - IN a few days, motorists can already pass over the new Hubangon-Bugwak bridge.

After a year of reconstruction, this bridge which was badly damaged by typhoon Nanang in 2001, is about to open.

This project is part of the P495 M Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assistance to the Philippines for the reconstruction of damaged Hubangon bridge and construction of two Sabo dams in barangay Puntod.

In grateful recognition of Japan's aid, the Municipal Council recently passed a resolution to request Congressman Pedro P. Romualdo to file a bill in Congress to name the new Hubangon-Bugwak bridge as “JICA Bridge.” The resolution was authored by councilor Rey Lawrence K. Tan.

Municipal officials said JICA's financial grant is the single biggest assistance given by the Japanese government to the Philippines to assist the province of Camiguin cope with disaster after the 2001 typhoon Nanang that killed more than two hundred people in this island province.

Naming this bridge for JICA, according to the same official, symbolizes how much the people in Camiguin recognize the long standing friendship between the Philippines and Japan and the greatest financial contribution Japan gave to the province of Camiguin in addressing disaster risk reduction and environmental issues.

Mahinog SB joins calls to defer brgy, SK polls

Coun. Rey Lawrence K. Tan speaking from the podium during the session of the municipal council

STRESSING that holding of two elections in the same year is "unhealthy" to economic growth and political stability, the Municipal Council of Mahinog presided by vice mayor Rogerio C. Acle on Monday passed a resolution calling to defer the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections set on October this year to October 2012.

Several measures have been filed in both the Senate and House of Representatives seeking to postpone the October this year synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

Among the measures is House Bill No. 238 authored by Camiguin lone district representative Pedro P. Romualdo.

The committee on suffrage and electoral reforms in the House of Representatives is set to start August 18 hearings on these proposals.

In House Bill No. 238, the resetting of barangay and SK elections is called for to give enough time for Comelec "to focus on finishing its job on automation elections and attend to various protest cases."

According to the resolution authored by councilor Rey Lawrence K. Tan, the resetting of elections will save the country from huge election expenses and for the new administration of President Aquino to be able to focus on keeping the economy and political transition in order.

The councilors said the country has just experienced the May 10, 2010 elections and the people in the barangay are still recovering from serious divisiveness caused by the recently concluded elections.

The resolution also noted that while elections are essential elements of democracy, holding of two elections in the same year will not be healthy to economic growth and political stability of the country.

Mahinog Municipal Council welcomes HB 6588

by Homer R. Jajalla

The Municipal Council passed a resolution to support House Bill 6588 filed by Camiguin Representative Pedro P. Romualdo seeking to establish a national high school in Barangay Poblacion in the municipality of Mahinog to be known as the Mahinog National High School II.

According to the bill’s explanatory note, the clamor for a national high school in Poblacion has been so imminent from parents, community leaders and young students in the past years because in the municipality of Mahinog there is only one public secondary school located in Barangay Hubangon known as “Mahinog National High School” which is around 3 kilometers from Poblacion.

Data shows that Mahinog has a population of 13,168 people with 13 barangays. Barangay Poblacion has a population of 2,676 while Barangay Hubangon has 1,255 people.

The present total enrolment at Mahinog National High School in Hubangon is 704 while at Columbia St. Michael in Poblacion, the enrolment is 378.

While there is a private school in Poblacion run by the Religious Sisters of Mercy, still many students in Poblacion and neighboring areas like San Roque and Benoni even up to Maac in Guinsiliban were not able to pursue secondary education due to distance to free secondary education located in barangay Hubangon.

Local leaders believe that the establishment of a national high school in Poblacion will add to the quality of life among the people in these areas since more children can now have access to free secondary education which would mean that more and better educated a people, the greater the chances of economic development in the community.

“House Bill No. 6588 authored by our beloved Congressman Pedro P. Romualdo is a very timely and welcome development to the people of Mahinog towards shaping the future of the youth in this municipality as well as redound to the economic development of the whole nation,” the SB resolution reads. (Mahinog Municipal Information Office)