ACLC College Gensan

General Santos City (PIA SarGen) -- The Department of Science and Technology XII announces the availability of Science and Technology Undergraduate Scholarships for school year 2011-2012.

Regional Director Dr. Zenaida P. HR. Laidan said the S&T scholarships are open to high school students belonging to the top 5% of the graduating class wishing to pursue priority fields of study in all Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering.

The scholarship programs are also in collaboration with the Dept. of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI).

Laidan, however, said that there are two program categories where students may apply. Firstly, by virtue of RA 7687 scholarship otherwise known as the S&T Scholarship Act of 1994, which provides scholarship to talented students whose family's socio-economic status does not exceed the set values of certain incidents as approved by the Advisory Committee on S&T scholarships.

Secondly, students can avail the DOST-SEI merit Scholarships being awarded to deserving students whose socio-economic status exceeds the prescribed indicators.

Application forms, according to DOST can be availed and filed at the DOST XII Regional and Provincial Offices.

Forms may also be downloaded at http://www.science-scholarships.ph.

The deadline for filing of application is on October 8, 2010 (Friday).

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PNA) – The provincial government of South Cotabato has intensified its taxation awareness and information campaign in the wake of its sluggish tax collection performance during the first five months of the year.

Provincial treasurer Elvira Rafael said they only collected some P61.4 million in real property taxes from January to May as nine of the province’s 10 municipalities failed to reach their target collections reportedly due to the onslaught of the long dry spell or El Nino Phenomenon during the period.

She said the province’s total collection output only represents 74.23 percent of its targeted collection for the period.

“Our records showed that there was a significant drop in our real property tax payments when the El Nino intensified last April,” Rafael said.

Based on the Statement of Targeted Real Property Tax Collection released by the Provincial Treasurer’s Office, only the municipal government of Tupi met its target after it collected a total of P6.04 million in real property taxes or a collection rating of 103.55 percent based on its targeted collection of P5.8 million.

T’boli town came in next with a collection rating of 92.28 percent followed by Surallah with 88.75 percent, Banga with 88.66 percent, Tampakan with 79.94 percent, Polomolok with 72.13 percent, Sto. Nino with 69.29 percent, Tantangan with 56.12 percent, Norala with 53.06 percent and Lake Sebu with 13.44 percent.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Aug. 24 (PNA) – South Cotabato officials are pushing for the promotion of various tourist attractions in Region 12, or Southwestern Mindanao, into a single package to help further build up the area's niche in the growing global tourism market.

South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said he had initiated discussions with local government officials of the neighboring provinces of Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato for the development of the area’s tourism areas into a single destination for both foreign and domestic tourists.

“Our tourism sectors will grow or develop faster if we make these available attractions and resources complement each other,” he said.

Pingoy said his proposal mainly intends to link up and develop into a single destination all the area’s tourism attractions, which includes the white sand beaches and diving areas of Sarangani, the eco-tourism areas of Mt. Matutum in Polomolok, T’boli and Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, Mt. Apo in North Cotabato and the famed caves of Senator Ninoy Aquino town in Sultan Kudarat.

These tourist attractions were declared several years ago by the Department of Tourism and the Regional Development Council of Region 12, or Southwestern Mindanao, as the region’s banner destinations and tourism development areas.