'Hooray for Hollywood’ on Taal Volcano Island

By Jerome Balinton
Inquirer Southern Luzon

HOLLYWOOD, HOLY COW! This is how Taal Volcano would look from the Tagaytay ridge once a giant “Batangas” sign is put up on the island as approved by the Hollywood-inspired Batangas provincial government. The idea was conceived by movie star-Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto. PHOTO FROM THE OFFICE OF THE VICE GOVERNOR OF BATANGAS

BATANGAS CITY—It was something only a movie star could have conceived.

Why not put up a towering “Batangas” sign on Taal Volcano island similar to the “Hollywood” sign in Los Angeles, California?

The provincial council approved on October 5 a resolution supporting the idea of Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, the award-winning actress, to erect a hard-to-miss landmark and potential tourism draw, according to Vice Governor Mark Leviste II.

Emelie Katigbak, officer in charge of the Batangas tourism office, said floating restaurants or fish pens can be set up on Taal Lake in such a way that their layout would form the famous Batangueño expression “Ala Eh.”

It could be such a dazzling sight especially if lit up at night, she said.

14-meter letters

Leviste said the idea was based on the premise that the scenic volcano and the lake surrounding it “form the heart of Batangas. The geography of the province suggests that (they are) at the center of the province.”

Also, history had shown that Batangueños were blessed with rich and fertile agricultural lands thanks to the volcano’s past eruptions, he said.

He said the proposed sign would be painted white and positioned following the contours of the island volcano. The letters would be 14 meters tall and stretch for about 110 meters.

The font would be similar to that of the iconic Hollywood signage, the official added.

“It is not an out-of-this-world concept. It’s a simple development which can easily attract attention and even visitors to the area,” Leviste said.

Identity crisis

Leviste said the signage would help establish the identity of the lake and volcano as part of Batangas—and not of Tagaytay City, which lies within the neighboring province of Cavite.

He said the volcano was often mistakenly identified as part of Tagaytay, a mountain resort city which offers a picturesque view of Taal.

In a text message, Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham Tolentino maintained that the city had never laid claim to either the lake or the volcano.

“However, the best view of Taal Volcano is from the ridge of Tagaytay City where the best photos are shot, the best hotels and restaurants are found and the perfect weather is felt,” Tolentino said.

“Thank God, He created the volcano in Batangas so that Tagaytay will have the best view,” the mayor said.

‘But why?’

Tolentino, however, questioned the Hollywood-inspired design for the island, flatly saying: “Why put up a Batangas sign? It won’t help.”

“People, while sipping a cup of coffee, will just say that the view is more beautiful from Tagaytay without that sign,” Tolentino said with a hint of a warning.

Expect a “global reaction” once that plan pushes through, he said.

“It’s a sign of what? Bicolanos will not put an ‘Albay’ (sign) on Mayon Volcano. (Their officials) would not destroy the view of Mayon. They are not insecure,” Tolentino said.

Little-known college tops engineering exams

By Juan Escandor Jr.
Inquirer Southern Luzon

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SORSOGON CITY—Wanting in laboratory facilities but blessed with dedicated teachers, a little-known state college here has proven it can equal the finest engineering schools in the country. Its recent graduates have topped successive engineering board exams.

Sorsogon State College (SSC), some 500 kilometers south of Manila, has produced the likes of Joseph Cyril R. Gredoña and Daniel E. Forteza, who ranked first and second, respectively, in the mechanical engineeringboard exams last month.

Gredoña—a son of a tricycle driver—garnered a grade of 92.70 percent, while Forteza—a son of a farmer/fisherman—got 92.65 percent in the exams.

In April, another SSC graduate and a son of a shellfish vendor, Jhonrey Aguirre, topped the electricalengineering board exams with a grade of 89.65 percent. A college mate, Leandro Salamatin placed 10th with a grade of 87.05 percent.

SSC first made its mark among engineering schools in 2006 when its graduate, Emmanuel Liwag, placed eighth in the electrical engineering board exams.

One of the oldest trade schools in the country, SSC became a state college in December 1993 with three national vocational high schools in the province integrated to it.

“We don’t have Ph.D.s in our faculty, which we still dream of until now. But we could say our instructors are good teachers while we see a high number of students with talents,” says Felino S. Jasmin, SSC director of branding and communications.

He says most of the college instructors have at least 20 years of teaching experience.

Jasmin points out that the school’s performance is measured by its passing rate in board exams, which must not go below the national passing rate.

Against the national passing rate of 62 percent, SSC’s feat in the mechanical engineering board exams has become more meaningful because of the school’s 79 percent passing rate. Nineteen out of its 24 mechanical engineering graduates last school year passed the board exam.

P150 per unit

He says SSC only charges P150 per unit and a student here needs at least P5,000 for one semester.

The state college received a budget of P93.64 million from the national government in 2010 while the fees collected from 8,570 students totaled P44 million.

Jasmin says 260 personnel are paid from the budget given by the national government, while 147 personnel are subsidized by the income SSC derives from the fees it collects.

Noel Benavides, program chair of the engineering and architecture department, says SSC is still wanting in laboratory facilities, which are shared by 40 to 45 students in every class session.

He says the ideal class size in a laboratory is 25 to 30 students but the students have to make do with what they have.

This limitation, however, did not prevent the students from delivering very satisfactory performance in the board exams.

Jasmin says SSC caters to students from low-income groups whose parents cannot send their children to universities outside of Sorsogon, like Legazpi City, Naga City or Metro Manila.

Although SSC charges the lowest rate compared with those collected by other engineering schools, many students still have difficulty paying tuition and other fees.

Jasmin cites Gredoña and Aguirre who both struggled hard financially before topping the mechanical and electrical engineering board exams, respectively.

From Aroroy, Juban

The eldest among six siblings, Gredoña hails from the far-flung village of Aroroy in Juban, Sorsogon.

His parents were able to ask a landowner in Sorsogon City to allow them to build a small house in the city while Gredoña was in college.

Gredoña recalls that when he was in elementary school, he walked 2 kilometers to reach the school from their house.

Forteza, who placed second to Gredoña, also comes from a low-income family. His father, the only breadwinner, makes a living from farming and fishing in the village of Macabari in Barcelona town.

He was a consistent honor student from elementary to high school and found the questions in the board exams familiar. Still, he was surprised he made it to the top two.

Forteza says he hopes that his achievement will be a life-changing experience for his family, especially since a big company has offered him a job.