Undermining BCC

Last week I learned of a comment from media that the board courses of the Bacolod City College have no authority from the Commission on Higher Education and its graduates are not qualified to take the licensure examination. If true this is terrible news, a blow to the dreams of the students and their parents and an unjust lapse on the part of the college administration. The situation can only mean either negligence or pure incompetence of the city officials or the college administration.

I inquired on how this came about and finally got the documents related to this controversy. The talks began when Bacolod Congressman Anthony Golez wrote Patricia B. Licuanan, chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education on February 20, 2012 alleging that it has come to his knowledge that the “Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) made a joint issuance, CHED PRC Circular No. 1, Series of 2010” which “disallows students to take board exams if they graduated from State Universities and Colleges (SUC) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUC) that did not secure the proper authority from CHED to operate board programs.”

This circular was issued on May 14, 2010.

Something is not right here. Golez claims “I have not (sic) obtained information from your office that BCC, a LUC, do not (sic) have the proper government recognition or permit from CHED to operate nor has it complied with the said joint circular.”

Just ignore the grammatical errors and the double negatives that cancel out each other, but the sense of Golez’ letter is that BCC has no permit. This is borne by another claim in the succeeding paragraph that “Since CHED has informed my office that BCC did not comply with the CHED PRC … said students (of BCC) will be disallowed by the PRC to take the LET fro (sic) 2012.” Did CHED write him about this “no permit”?

Showing concern, Golez wrote “respectfully begging for the indulgence of CHED to allow all the board program graduates of BCC to take the LET for 2012.”

But what really are the facts? Is Golez truly concerned, did the college administration neglect its duties or are the students and the college being made fodders for political advantage?

I wondered why Golez sent this letter to CHED without first inquiring from BCC whether indeed it has secured the authority to operate because it is well-known, in fact, was given much media mileage and included in the State of the City Address of Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia that the BCC graduates were among the top-notches in the LET in 2011.

If the circular took effect in 2010, how come the BCC graduates were allowed to take and pass the exams in 2011? In fact, BCC had relatively more passers than other public and private colleges and universities in Western Visayas and on the top rank at that! Surely CHED and PRC did not make a monumental blunder.

From the documents I learned that Dr. Johanna Ann Rabago-Bayoneta, the college Administrator had submitted on January 24, 2011 all the requirements that CHED and PRC through CHED Regional Office 6 listed. There is no record of CHED saying BCC has not complied.

The college had in fact submitted to CHEDRO 6 most of the requirements on July 29, 2010 for review and on advice of CHEDRO 6 submitted additional requirements by January 24. On March 3, 2011, BCC submitted its Status Report to CHEDRO 6.

BCC thus fully complied and its graduates were allowed to take the examination in April and September 2011. On December 5, BCC tendered a testimonial dinner to the board passers with the CHED Regional Director Dr. Vigininia P. Resurreccion present. Would the Regional Director have attended an illicit testimonial dinner if she knew that BCC was not authorized and its graduates denied by CHED and PRC to take the exams?

Was Golez given a bum steer or in our media language, a “koryente”? Did CHED really squeal to him?

If so, who did and for what intent? The political season has begun. Is this part of the anti-Bing campaign by undermining the integrity of BCC, founded by Bing in 1997 and somehow has become his enduring legacy? With almost 4,000 tertiary students, BCC is a political gold mine. Imagine the anger of these students and their parents if indeed its graduates were barred from taking the professional examination. Bing would be crucified.

If Golez is to be faulted, it is his failure to inquire first from the college. By directly writing CHED he unnecessarily raised doubts on the integrity of the college.

Golez should tell us who truly “informed” him so we will know who is undermining BCC lest people suspect him as the author of a simulated concern for BCC for political gain.*

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