As some schools gear up to reopen, this means a fresh new year for students and an influx of fresh new expenses for parents, from transportation to school supplies to hefty tuition fees.

When added all up, the numbers may look overwhelming, but there are ways to stay on top of your child’s school expenses. Assess how much you will need to set aside for the entire school year. That amount could range from as low as P50,000 to as high as P500,000 depending on where your child is studying plus the uniforms, school supplies, books and other things that your child may need. Once you have pegged that amount, you can start saving a portion of your income to contribute to the education fund.

As tuition fees can take up to 70 percent of the expenses, review the tuition packages in detail so that you’ll know what’s covered—some may already include the books, supplies, and other essentials. Coordinate with the school regarding the payment schedules and choose the option which works well with your financial situation.

But if you find yourself short on funds at the moment, universal bank EastWest offers a solution to help manage these outgoing expenses—through personal loans.

With EastWest’s Personal Loan, customers can borrow anywhere from PHP 25,000.00 to PHP 2,000,000.00 for any financing need they might have. This will only require a one-time processing fee of PHP 1,900.00 which will be deducted from the loan proceeds. On the average, it takes up five up to seven days to process the loan application upon submission of complete requirements.

They can also experience lighter monthly installment payments to help them better manage their cash flow, with available financing terms of 12, 18, 24, and 36 months at competitive interest rates. The monthly installment rates range from 1.49%-1.69% (for EastWest credit cardholders of at least 12 months) and 1.89% (for non-credit cardholders or credit cardholders of less than 12 months).

To help you decide, there is a loan amortization calculator on the website that you may use to help you choose the most affordable and manageable payment term for your desired loan amount.

A child’s education is one of the top financial obligations in a household, and managing it is certainly doable with advanced planning and a reliable bank partner. For more information, visit EastWest’s official website, any physical store, hotline, or the Chatbot ESTA.

 

Where your child goes to school is a big decision and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Given how their education can impact their future, you might be tempted to take control and decide for them. However, you might be doing more damage than helping them in the long run.

Your job as parents is to support them throughout the process so they can choose their path and find an educational institution that will not only make them happy, but also bring out the best in them as they prepare for real life. Here are helpful ways you can help determine the best school for your child without going overboard:

1. Create a list of school options with your child. If your child doesn’t have a particular dream school, you should help them gauge their choices by brainstorming with them. It’s vital that you take time to listen and understand what your child needs and wants.

For instance, if your child is an independent learner who learns best at his own pace, he might do better in a Montessori school. If your child responds better in a structured teaching style, then a traditional school might be best for him. Keep an open mind and decide on what will give your child what he needs.

2. Visit school campuses with your child. Some academic institutions have impressive websites with carefully curated photos, but in reality, the school leaves much to be desired. Instead of relying on brochures and the internet, take time to visit school campuses with your kid.

Schools are open to tours. You just need to schedule your visit in advance unless you’re an alumnus of that institution and have access to the grounds. You and your child can get a feel of the campus atmosphere to determine if it’s the right fit.

3. Provide guidance and support. While your child should have a say on where they will study, you should give them guidance based on pros and cons, and what you know about the school options. Choosing a school is a big decision and might cause anxiety for your child, so it’s best to be there for them.

The best way to provide emotional support is by actively listening to them. You should make your child feel comfortable about discussing their options and fears. Listen to understand where they’re coming from so you can help them make the right choice.

4. Prepare financially as soon as possible. Tuition fees are very expensive, especially with rising inflation so you need to prepare and be ready to provide for your child’s education. This way, you will be able to provide the best education for them.

Once you have made your choice for your child’s primary education, it is time to think ahead and prepare for the next big educational expense: college. You can save up on your own, or you can get AIA Philippines’ Future Scholar, an insurance product that gives guaranteed cash payouts that can help pay for your child’s tertiary education. Whatever happens, you’re confident your child will be able to get the college education that you envisioned.

Future Scholar doesn’t just help you afford costly school expenses. Aside from guaranteed savings, Future Scholar has an investment component so you can look out for your child financially even after they graduate from college. Moreover, you can choose to build your child’s education funds in five years or until the child reaches the age of 17. Should you decide not to use the funds for educational expenses, it can also be used for other big expenses in the future like buying a car or post graduate studies abroad.

In addition, Future Scholar gives you peace of mind. Whatever happens, your child will have money set aside for his future needs. Aside from that, your child or your chosen beneficiary can also be entitled to an additional lump-sum cash benefit should anything untoward happen to you.

“We know that the pandemic and the volatile economy has made everyone insecure about their savings. As a parent myself, I understand every parent’s desire to ensure that there are guaranteed benefits intended for their child’s future,” said Tennyson Paras, AIA Philippines’ Head of Products. “And this is what we had in mind when our Products Team designed AIA Future Scholar. We wanted to make sure that no matter what happens, a healthier, longer and better life awaits our children.”

If you want to know more about AIA Future Scholar and how it can help you guarantee savings for your child’s future needs, click here.

I live here in Quezon City and I finished my study here in Quezon City as well. I'm sure my parents don't want me to go through the horror of traffic and take note that was during my time. Now, I think it is much worse and I'm pretty much sure that no parents would want their kids to go through today's dreaded traffic. I'm so glad that my parents were so very protective of me and they sought my safety to have a good education.

Now that I am a parent and knows how hard to travel with that traffic, as much as possible I will not let my kids go through that, but it's up to them. I want them to enjoy their school days, their learning and of course get fond of their memories. Preferably I don't want them to remember school days as traffic struggles. So I might just let try the schools here in Quezon City.


 

Recently I attended a Media Launch of National Book Store's NBS College. I am glad they put up their 1st ever NBS College here in Quezon City. It is just one ride away for us, very accessible!

After over 75 years of supporting Filipino's education and lifelong learning, National Book Store is taking the next step by creating an institution for higher learning at the heart of Quezon City, NBS College is located on the 3rd and 4th floors of the National Book Store Building, on Quezon Avenue corner Scout Borromeo and Panay Avenue.

For School year 2018 - 2019, it will be offering six in demand degree programs: BS Accountancy, BS Accounting Information System, BS Entrepreneurship, BS Computer Science, BS Library and Information Science and BS Tourism Management.

“Guided by the 75 years of entrepreneurial excellence of National Book Store, NBS College equips our students with the skills and values they need to succeed in the rapidly-changing global landscape,” says NBS College President Adrian Ramos.

NBS College’s modern facilities and highly competent faculty help create an environment of collaborative learning. True to its values of nurturance, benevolence, and service, NBS College also offers academic scholarships and a special scholarship grant for its pioneer batch.

Scholarship/Financial Assistance Matrix
Academic Scholarships (from both public and private SHS)

Valedictoria, Salutatorian, 1st Honorable Mention (Rank 1-3) – 100% free tuition and miscellaneous fees and free school uniform and books.

Top 10 Graduating SHS Student (Rank 4-10) – 100% free tuition and miscellaneous fees

Pioneer Batch – Scholarship grant of Php12,500 per year for the Pioneer Batch for SY 2018-2019. Tuition per unit locked-in for 4 years.

NBS GROUP EMPLOYEE RATE

- First 75 accepted applicants who are employees of the NBS Group and/or their dependent get 20% discount on tuition

- All NBS Group Employees and/or their dependents get 5% off on tuition.

- Salary loans for employees of the NGS Group are available, payable through salary deduction in a period of 6 months

- Amount loaned will be paid directly to NBS College.

The people behind NBS College





Adrian Ramos/President
Adrian Ramos is a Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer of National Book Store, Inc. He completed the BS Management (Honors Program) from Ateneo De Manila University, and also has a master’s degree in Business Administration.

June Genevieve Sebastian/Vice President for Administration and Academic Services
June Genevieve Sebastian has a double bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. She also has a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Management from De LA Salle University. She is the former executive director of Makati Hope Christian School.

Cecilia I. Anido/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Cecilia Anido is a highly experienced and esteemed academic, with a master’s degree in Information Management and a PhD in Education, mayor in Education Management. She has previously served as Vice President for Academic Affairs of Far Eastern University, and was also a technical panel member for IT education in the Commission on Higher Education.

Deborah Acosta – Cajustin/Vice President for Finance and Legal
Atty. Acosta – Cajustin graduated with a degreein BS Business Administration and Accountancy from the University of the Philippines Diliman, and later completed her Bachelor of Laws from San Beda College. Currently, she is a Law Professor in San Beda College and the Finance and Legal Director of National Book Store group.

Lydia Echauz/Vice Chairman of The Board
Dr. Lydia Echauz has held several leadership positions in various academic institutions, such as Dean of De La Salle University’s Graduate School of Business and Associate Director of Ateneo De Manila University’s MBA program. Most notably, she is the former president of Far Eastern University.

Applications for SY 2018-2019 are currently ongoing. Learn more about NGS College on their website, www.ngscollege.edu.ph and connect with them on social media - @ngscollegeph on Facebook and Instagram. For further inquiries, email info@nbscollege.edu.ph or call 216-5716

You may learn more about NBS College by visiting the link: https:goo.gl/bNm5Ge . Connect with National Book Store on social media @nationalbookstore on INstagram and the @nbsalert on Facebook, Twitter, Viber, and Youtube.

 
The Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU) gave an interesting one (1) million cash reward to Mr. Archimedes Martinez as a token of recognition and appreciation  for ranking top 8 in the recent nationwide professional licensure exam for Civil Engineers at" Success the MLQU Way" event held at the Victoria Sports Tower Station 2, last June 6, 2017.

Engr. Martinez, a BS Civil Engineer graduate from Manuel L. Quezon University, ranked 8th with a rating of 92.65 percent based on results posted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) last May 11, 2017.

Martinez is the only graduate from MLQU to make it to the top 10. Out of 6,988 examiners, only 2,514 passed the exam conducted simultaneously in 12 cities in the country.

With this achievement Martinez has brought honor and pride to his alma mater. And in return, MLQU celebrates this victory through the event "Success the MLQU Way" and by rewarding him one (1 ) million pesos and a job offer from New San Jose Builders, Inc. (NSJBI).
The said event is a celebration of the success and achievements of MLQU graduates who have exhibited exemplary performance during the recent Board and Bar Examination. Together with Mr. Martine, My Raphael Pedroso was also awarded Fifty Thousand pesos for having a total average of 93.25% in th recent nationwide professional licensing exam.

This is MLQU's way to motivate its aspiring students to be committed and to continue to strive for excellence, MLQU will continue to hone individuals who are capable of producing exemplary and notable works.
During the early years of MLQU, the university is known to produce high caliber graduates, some of which are bar topnotchers who are now experts and pillars in various industries.And as the year passed, MLQU had its fair share of trials and challenges that it had to surpass to keep its notable reputation. IN 2014, the New San Jose Builders INc. acquired MLQU which ignited a vision of getting back on track and building the culture of excellence and legacy of becoming an outstanding academic institution. Since then MLQU, under the new management, has been very committed in regaining its glory.

MLQU is continuously beefing up its roster of faculty members and deans who are known practitioners from their respective industry. Adding to the list of MLQU notable deans are former Chief Reynato Puno, Regent & dean Soirano, Dean School of  School  of Accountancy, Business and Real Estate Management and DPWH Undersecretary Raul Asis and former UP Dean of Architecture Danilo Silvestre, special lecturers to namea few. Alongside the enhancement of MLQU facilities and faculty, the basic education program for kindergarten to senior high will be offered at MLQU Space this June.
Visit MLQU Space for more information and inquireis about the latest courses and certification offerings or contact 09566755232 or (02) 994-5133. Visit the website of MLQU.edu.ph or its facebook page @mlquofficial.

The school season is about to begin. For parents with kids who are going back to school, this means spending more time again to prepare their young learners’ school stuff, including packed lunch. Solane, the country’s leading cooking gas, provides simple tips to make packed lunch preparation easier for parents and nutritious and enjoyable for kids.

Make food yummy and healthy. Your preschoolers and grade-schoolers need all the nutrition they can get for their bones, muscles, and brain, among other body parts to be developed. Make sure that the meals you prepare not only taste great but also cover the “recommended dietary allowance” for the nutrients your kids’ need: from carbohydrates and protein to vitamins and minerals. Dishes should form a balanced diet: there should be portions of grains (typically rice and noodles), meat, and fruits and veggies, even oils.

A particularly hard part of introducing a healthy meal would be making the kids eat vegetables. Studies show that the habit is best learned by example, but because parents will not be in school to personally show the kids that greens are fun to eat, the key is to cook them in a child-friendly way, say, by cleverly pairing them with a siding or sauce that they already love. Examples would be boiled beans dipped in mayonnaise, tofu cubes rolled alongside ground beef in a tortilla wrap, or mushrooms slathered in cheese.

Make food interesting and colorful. The same way kids like their clothes, their toys, and their surroundings bursting with colors, kids will be more inclined to finish what’s on their plate if it looked enticing because of the different colors.

Plating is important to capture their imagination. Some of the garnishing items that also bring nutrients to the dish are carrots, cucumber, red or green bell peppers, celery, and pineapples. Make sure your pantry is well-stocked with these fruits and veggies to instantly bring color to your kid’s lunch!

Make a meal plan. Prepare ingredients early to save time without sacrificing the flavor and nutritional value of your meals. Have food staples, like chicken and vegetables, which you can use for multiple tasty meals. Make a weekly menu of packed lunches and prepare the ingredients and cooking necessities in advance.

Kids’ school lunches are best cooked using a reliable source of fuel. For safe and efficient cooking, use Solane LPG, a brand known for its mark of safety and quality.

Order your Solane LPG tank today by calling Solane’s Hatid Bahay hotline number 887-5555 or visiting www.solane.com.ph.

Benedictine International School Systems Thinking Learning Journey at Gawad Kalinga with GK Founder, Tony Meloto (4th from left)

The current changes in the Philippine educational system, particularly with the K to 12 program, expose many challenges that our educational sector has to face for it to be continuously effective and relevant in a fast-changing world. One can argue that the ways of the past no longer effectively meet the demands of the 21st Century; hence, we must reassess our expectations of schools and how they teach our children.

Sir Ken Robinson, an English author and international advisor on education, presents the need to change existing education paradigms. In a speech about changing education paradigms readily available online, he points that schools operate like factories that churn out products ready to be absorbed in the market since these supposed learning organizations are traditionally based on the models of industrialization. The products of these schools, which go thru the semblance of factory lines in batches, are assessed of their quality based on their economic productivity or the promise of it. The rigid compartmentalization of learning may actually result to a stifling of creativity and love for learning. This production line mentality continues to alienate children who do not do well in traditional and worn-out expectations of the educational system.

BIS Systems Thinking learning journey at Gawad Kalinga farm in Bulacan

New ways of doing things are therefore necessary if we truly want our children to grow up empowered in helping create a better future rather than merely playing small, insignificant roles in the social structures and economies that have failed many of us. Schools, being at the forefront of change initiatives, must in itself change. Gone are the days when a school’s name and family traditions would be sufficient a guarantee for the quality of our children’s education. At its core, schools must embrace the principles of a true learning organization.

Benedictine International School family

This notion of “a learning organization” was made popular by Peter Senge in his book The Fifth Discipline. He contends that in situations of change, only flexible and adaptable organizations will excel. It is therefore not enough to merely survive in a changing world; organizations also need to advance “generative learning”, or building the capacity to create and re-create their future. Learning organizations have five dimensions that set them apart from traditional organizations – personal mastery, mental models, building shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking. Among these five dimensions, systems thinking is considered to be the cornerstone of a true learning organization.

Using the words of Peter Senge himself, a school or any learning organization which embraces systems thinking is “concerned with a shift of mind from seeing parts to seeing wholes, from seeing people as helpless reactors to seeing them as active participants in shaping their reality, from reacting to the present to creating the future” (1990).

Understanding connections through the Yurt Circle

Here in the Philippines, Benedictine International School advocates the use of Systems Thinking in the classroom. In a systems thinking school, students are trained to see the bigger picture and how the parts of a whole affect each other. Through this way of thinking, a student is able to be more critical in looking at situations and considers an issue fully before coming up with a decision or a conclusion. Students are trained to respond rather to react to situations, and they are more empowered to design their course of action and make responsible choices. Oftentimes, individuals only look into solutions that are close by because of their immediate short term effects on any given situation without taking into consideration their long-term and unintended consequences. Given this context, a lot of the policies that are not well-thought of result to big long-term costs. Students must then take responsibility over their own choices and do not resort to blaming when faced with a difficult situation or a comprising end result.

In a systems thinking school, students are geared towards finding solutions and are not just relegated to become mere passive consumers of information. They take charge of their own learning and grow beyond the mold of a future good employee, with the backdrop of highly volatile economic times. Students who are products of learning organizations are trained to be more flexible and active agents of change in the 21st Century.

Camp Snowball in Portland, Oregon Photo shows (left to right): Maria Belinda Lopez Villavicencio, LeAnne Grillo, Peter Senge, American systems scientist, founder of Society for Organizational Learning; Joan Marie Bondoc-Antonio, EVP -Benedictine International School; Eric Cruz, Asst.to the EVP, Benedictine International School

As parents and adults, we are in a position to see the bigger picture in helping our children choose the right school for them. We have the power to choose between allowing our children to merely survive or to thrive in a world that demands so much more from us now. Be more involved in your child’s education by expecting schools to be true learning organizations. To know more about Systems Thinking in schools, you may reach Benedictine international School at 951.7154 / 951.7154 / 951.8960. You may also visit the school website at www.benedictine.edu.ph or its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BISphilippines. The school is located in Capitol Hills Drive, Old Balara, Quezon City.

 

Any parent with young children would admit that nothing can be more mentally draining than going through the painstaking process of preparing healthy meals for their kids’ baon.

 

Unfortunately, a lot of little fussy eaters have a tendency to wrinkle their noses, make faces, ordeliberately gag on their food and bring home their baon. Thus, every meal has the potential of becominga battle between you and your children. This shouldn’t be the case! Meal time is NEVER meant to become a fight.

 

Revive the fun in your child’s lunchtime! Accept the stage where your kids are s-l-o-w-l-y learning toad just to a new school-year and to eating packed lunch with foods that are new to them, and save yourself from losing your sanity over unfinished food. Here are parenting hacks that may help:

 

Hack #1: Little eaters need rules

Granted, it’s a parent’s instinct to set rules and standards for the kids. But there will always be a part of you that’s afraid of being too stiff because you don’t want your children to rebel. You know what? The whole “rules = rebellion” belief is a myth. Studies say moms and dads who set ground rules for their children are also the warmest of parents.

 

Don’t hesitate to start a “No-Thank-You Bite Rule” for your little picky-eaters as early as now. If they say no from eating the meal, require them to at least take one big bite or two small bites of the food. That way, you will still get to make them have some food in their stomach for the remainder of their classes. Who knows, they might realize they are hungry and like their baon after all.

 

Here’s the catch: warm parents set rules. Controlling parents rub rules on the faces of their children. This calls for balance. Loosen up! Let go of the all-mighty “Clean-Your-Plate Rule” you grew up with. Stop forcing your kids to eat everything, even the small bits to pieces, just to win the power-struggle over food.

 

Children know when they are full so allow them to stop eating when they want to. To avoid food wastage, serve them small portions but give them an opportunity to ask for more. Make their mealtime at school a way to strengthen your bond and instill independence in them, not to create gaps.

 

Hack #2: Welcome kids in the kitchen

Invite your kids to help out in the kitchen. By doing this, you’ll give them an idea what it takes to prepare their food. Letting them help and allowing them to frequently assist you in the kitchen will make them want to try and sample the food they’ve helped prepare.

 

Hack #3: Be creative!

Presentation is key to making a meal more enjoyable. Children, being very observant, may be more persuaded to eat if what they see looks attractive. This is also one way of masking nourishing ingredients for your little ones.

 

The best hiding options? Grate, wrap, blend, or mix!

 

What comes in handy for all the aesthetically pleasing healthy meals is an equally attractive foodcontainer. Tupperware Brands introduces its Small Square Rounds to solve that for you. This is downright perfect for starting up a kitchen collection, too!

 

The Small Square Rounds have virtually airtight seals that keep food fresh and flavorful. With a tab on the seal for easy opening, this food container is also modular and stackable. You may use it in the fridge, bring to outdoor activities, or use for organizing. The Small Square Rounds comes in four great colors: lime aid, grape fizz, pink punch, and orange peel.

Mealtime is not just about healthy eating; it also entails taking in the water your body needs! Pair up your kids’ Tupperware Small Square Rounds with the Kids Eco Bottle. This comes with a sipper seal spout for convenient drinking and a tight-screw-on cap that prevents leaks. Made of safe, non-toxic materials, the Kids Eco Bottle has two fun character shapes: a frog in lime aid color and a purlicious (purple) penguin.

Make it a habit to prepare well-balanced and healthy meals and get your kids involved. Don’t forget to brighten up children’s lunches with Tupperware’s Small Square Rounds and the Kids Eco Bottle so you can make every mealtime at school fun and meaningful for your kids.

Moms do need to look around for schools that will give emphasis on kid’s talents. Of course we want the best for them and to prepare them when they grow up. Education is one of the best treasures that parents can impart to their kids and it worth more than anything else in the world.
A school that welcomes significantly different individual and learning is enjoying as playing. It is a school with open door policy that welcomes every student’s inquiry and where professors are mentors. Their school president, Ms. Vanessa Tanco… well, I can say that as a Mom, kids will definitely enjoy their stay at school.
Since I’m in for a look out for schools where I would let my kids enroll, which is very very soon, I was able to have a chance to interview and ask questions to iAcademy. And here's some of the details during my interview with one of the deans, Dean Mitch Andaya.According to Dean Andaya the courses at iAcademy is different from the usual courses that is being offered to different colleges and it is different in so many ways. They got two kinds of professors in the academy, one academician who teaches more about theories of a certain field of expertise and the other one is practitioner professor who's expertise are used in their field of industry which is good for me because practical learning is much better than theories. Since Dean Andaya is a professor of Software Engineering he was able to explain that iAcademy Software Engineering course is way different from the other universities because it is integrated with so much creativity in it and not just mere programs. It got its artistic function.  
Aside from the interview I got a chance as well to have a tour of the school rooms and facilities. I’ve learned so much about iAcademy during the interview.
Here are the courses that iAcademy offers and I’m sure a lot of kids who loves animation and gaming will definitely enroll to this school and create their own.

• School of Computing

• Software Engineering
• Game Development
• Web Development

• School of Business

• Financial Management
• Marketing & Advertising

• School of Design

• Animation
• Multimedia Arts & Design
• Fashion Design & Technology