Kabataan Partylist Representative Raymond ‘Mong’ Palatino today announced  that so far they have documented 26 schools violating “no graduation fee policy” in elementary and high schools, as per Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 13, s. 2010 or the Guidelines on Graduation Rites. Palatino said that they have received hundreds of complaints from parents since they launched their complaint hotline yesterday.
“Our hotline has been ringing non-stop, proof that the DepEd order is not being implemented,” Palatino said.
Schools where a ‘no graduation fee’ policy …

Students with arrears should be allowed to take final exams

Kabataan Partylist Representative Raymond ‘Mong’ Palatino today announced that students with unpaid fees could take their final examination in accordance with  Department Education (DepEd) Order No. 15, s. 2010. The said order was released February 18, 2010.
January 27 of this year, Kabataan Partylist sent a letter urging DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus to implement an anti-“no permit, no exam” policy after receiving streams of complaints from parents of elementary and high school students.
In news reports, DepEd Lapus categorically rejected the partylist’s request.
“This …

deped-nopermitnoexam-2010

Kabataan Partylist Representative Raymond ‘Mong’ Palatino today urged newly appointed Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Mona Dumlao-Valisno to strictly implement DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2010 or the DepEd Graduation Rites Guidelines, particularly the order forbidding schools from collecting any graduation fees.
“The DepEd Order is very clear in stating that strictly no graduation or non-academic fees should be imposed on students this graduation season,” said Palatino.
The youth solon added that the order is “very timely since majority of the Filipinos are affected by the recent …

deped-grad-fees-2010

“Arroyo does not follow rule of law because she thinks she is the law” – youth solon
Kabataan Partylist today joined the Solidarity March of lawyers, law students, youth groups and concerned groups against Pres. Gloria Arroyo’s “midnight appointment” of the next Supreme Court chief justice.
In a press conference before the march, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino said, “Pres. Arroyo does not know nor follow the rule of law because she thinks she is the law.”
“Like Medusa who turns anything she stares at into stone, so would Arroyo taint the …

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino today extended his congratulations to students, teachers and local officials in the Cebu community for the successful campaign to keep the University of the Philippines Cebu High School open.
U.P. High School Cebu is now accepting applications for admission to first year high school SY 2010-2011. The High School Admission Test (HSAT) will be on March 20, 2010. Last day for filing applications is on March 18, 2010, Thursday.
“This is one example of how a united community can assert the rights of its youth and …

Campus papers closing down due to flaws in the law – youth solon
Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino vowed to introduce amendments in the Campus Journalism Act of 1991 (CJA of 1991), saying that the law is flawed and being used to attack campus press freedom.
Palatino said that he would particularly prioritize the scrapping of the non-mandatory collection of fees and the lack of penalty clauses in the CJA of 1991.
In his recent trips to Visayas and Mindanao regions, Palatino said that he was “deeply bothered to have been accosted with …

Urgent reforms needed in partylist law, says youth solon

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino today said that one of his group’s main legislative agenda is to reform the partylist law.

“The partylist system was established to empower the marginalized and not to serve as a backdoor entry for political dynasties,” Palatino said.

The youth solon earlier slammed the partylist bid of presidential son Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo. The young Arroyo is reportedly eyeing a partylist seat as a nominee for AGP, a partylist of security guards.

“There are already four …