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Internet café owners agree on safeguards

March 18, 2011

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Internet café owners, parents, school officials and the City Government agreed Tuesday to implement safeguards and rules regulating the entry of students to the shops during class hours.
In a hearing conducted by City Council committee on education and good governance and ethics chairman Jimmy Lazatin, the stakeholders discussed the complaints of parents and school officials regarding the unregulated internet café hours, where a large number of students skip classes to go online for games.
The group also took another look at Ordinance 2006-19, which amends the City Council Ordinance 2002-012 particularly Article 1, Section 1.3 (Internet cafes).
In the amended ordinance, the 100-meter radius from educational institutions has been lifted and no longer applies to an internet shop, provided the operating hours shall be from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. with set time for students’ use only after class hours.
Internet cafés are also required to have a logbook of students visiting them, containing their names and schools, the time and purpose of internet use. The amended ordinance strictly stipulates that internet cafés near schools shall only be research and other educational purposes and not for gaming.
While warning internet café owners with three violations, Lazatin said: “We are here not to pinpoint one another but to communicate to you the complaints of parents. Hindi namin ipinagbabawal ito but would want to put everything in the right perspective. Internet cafés are already part of progress. But there is a need to regulate it and protect the welfare of the youth.”
Virgilio Navarro of the San Fernando Elementary School Techies Club and Parents Teachers Association said the big problem lies in internet cafés that allow students to play even during class hours.
“We cannot do away with internet cafés but we can put in place safeguards like coordinating with school officials about students who cut classes and stay in these shops,” he said.
But V8 Internet Café owner Robert Sembrano said the problem lies with the students themselves.
“I think a deeper probe should be done on this. Baka talagang pasaway ang bata at internal iyung problem. Hindi naman nakakasama ang technology. Pero kung pagbabawalan namin sila sa shop, pupunta naman iyan elsewhere like sa billiards hall o sa kalye. But we will coordinate with schools from now on at sana ay magtulungan tayo,” Sembrano said.
School officials and guidance counselors from Pampanga High School, St. Nicolas College, STI and SFES admitted that many students cut classes just to get online.
“The ratio of games is indeed higher in internet cafés. In reality, we could not do away with them. Just don’t allow students to play during class hours. It’s more of a moral obligation on the part of café owners,” they said in a statement.
Business Licensing and Permits Division chief Joseph Garcia, meanwhile, said that those who have been identified violating the ordinance three times would be closed.
“This city is business-friendly and we do not want you to lose your business. But please comply with the ordinance and work with us in protecting our students and parents as well as the city. Even the schools should do something about their security and gates closing time para walang makapuslit,” he said, adding his division found many cafés and students violating the ordinance during their regular inspection.
“Let us just work together closely and address the complaints of parents. By doing so, we can definitely give priority to welfare of the students,” said Lazatin.

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2011/03/18/internet-cafe-owners-agree-safeguards-145477

With new golf courses springing up in and around Clark Philippines and an ever-increasing patronage by tourists from neighboring South Korea, Clark Freeport is short on hotel accommodation.

Even with the addition of 27 holes in 2009 and 2010, there is an acute shortage golf tee times for at least 5-6 months each year. Local players compete with frustrated (golf) tourists from Korea and China for tee times. Unfortunately Clark Philippines doesn’t have the luxury of vast tracts of land suitable for this type of development.

Mimosa offers 36 holes of championship golf, visitors can pay and play, busy during the weekends but not that difficult to get on or join up with a group to form a 4-ball. The new FAKCC offers 27 holes of world-class golf.

This web site contains articles and information that will be helpful to visitors, residents and tourists traveling out of town from Manila on a short getaway to Subic, Angeles City, Pampanga and Clark Philippines. There are several web sites that contain information that might also be pertinent to what is happening in North Luzon.

For assistance with organizing and planning weddings and garden receptions, log on to http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

For assistance with lodgings, accommodations, hotels and resorts near Manila in Subic, Pampanga, Angels City and Clark Philippines log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

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