December 17 Thought: Lessons Learned

           On a taciturn midnight of December 17, 2011 where everyone was peacefully sleeping, hoping to regain one’s strength after the day’s arduous work. A tough and robust typhoon struck the City of Golden Friendship leaving every Kagay-anon devastated because of a loved one’s death and loss of properties. Who would have thought of Typhoon Sendong flutter into the City very unexpectedly?

A bird's eye view of Cagayan de Oro City after being hit by Typhoon Sendong.

            Cagayan de Oro which was a blooming, blossoming and booming City, has now turned into a nightmare. Most of its barangays have been badly hit and affected by Sendong. This catastrophe was too much of a cost to many Kagay-anons as it curtailed many lives and enormously damaged properties. But have we ever thought of it as a consequence of what we have toiled against nature? It was perhaps, nature’s own way of showing its wrath to us.

            On the account of Cagayan de Oro City’s history, it was on the year 1916 that a heavy rain poured out the City, but just enough not to spill into every Kagay-anon’s property line. Over many periods, Cagayan de Oro River showed its furious torrents on downcast days, but never cruel enough to engulf the community. Subsequently, another heavy rain showered last January 2009 but that did not surpass what happened on 1916. Every Kagay-anon stood still, remained calm taking it very easy until such time that Typhoon Sendong finally walloped the City.

            Isn’t this too much familiarity?

            Palpably, this is what every Kagay-anon should realize “TOO MUCH FAMILIARITY BREEDS IGNORANCE”.  We have been warned not just once but twice that the nature is going to take its revenge against us. But we become so complacent paying no heed of her warnings. And now, we’re pointing fingers. We were blaming people, finding faults to our government officials for being unmindful of what may have not happened. We all are responsible for what had transpired. Thus, we should not have put all the pressures to people.

            It is but timely to remind us all that in times of calamities, we should not be pointing fingers but instead, help one another to uplift our situations. And be sure that next time, we should be vigilant enough and be expectant of whatever nature may instigate us.

            The City is now recovering. And what had happened last December 17 should be lessons learned for every Kagay-anon and the rest of the Filipinos.

Scrutinizing the 'Anti ‘No Permit, No Exam' Bill

One of the basic rights of Filipinos according to Article XIV Section1 of the Philippine Constitution is the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. Education is indeed a right of every Filipino and failure to have primary and secondary education today is probably another side of personal concern because if you will dig the Philippine Constitution dipper in Article II Section 17, it says there that “The state shall give priority to education and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development.” Plus Article XIV Section 2 par. 3 provides that “the state shall establish and maintain a system of scholarship grants, student loans programs, subsidies, and other incentives which shall be available to deserving students in both public and private schools, especially to the underprivileged.” Therefore, everything has been given, and it’s everybody’s duty to utilize and employ such rights, the question is, are these rights realistic in college?

Students are craving to graduate to secure better jobs in the future. Parents are working very hard to send their offspring to college given the even fact that some can’t constantly send them to school because of loose compliance of the private and public schools to an existing policy that allows students with pending arrears to take their final exams. Without any protests, parents just let their children stop their studies temporarily for monetary reasons. This is what Kabataan Party list representative Raymond “Mong” Palatino is trying to put remedy of.

Section 99 Article 20 of the Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education Institutions drafted by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) with private school administrators themselves, contains a provision which clearly states that “No higher education institution shall deny FINAL exams to a student who has outstanding financial obligations, including unpaid tuition and other school fees corresponding to the school term.” That’s according to Kabataan Party list Representative Raymond Palatino.However, what’s happening in reality is that, some of the private universities and colleges are confidentlydefying this code which results to the failing grades of the students. What is worst is that, the most troubled of this scenario is the graduating students; they can’t march up on the stage like an honored man, feel the breeze of an hour of satisfaction, and feel the fruit of hard work and agony because of the unpaid arrears. Is it right? How can this condition support the basic right of Filipino to quality and accessible education?This unfair fact actually pushed Raymond Palatino to action.

“The giant leap in our anti-‘no permit, no exam’ campaign was achieved primarily due to the unity of students and parents and the quick action of Congress to boost the passage of the bill into law. This is good news and it sends a message to schools to desist implementing the ‘no permit, no exam’ policy,” Palatino said. But even before the passage of this law, private higher educational institutions must allow students to take their final exams including those who fail to pay their tuition fee as clearly mandated in the Section 99 Article 20 of the Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education Institutions to avoid legal sanctions. However, as Palatino said, schools are able to implement the ‘no permit, no exam policy’ despite existing guidelines so “The need for the bill’s immediate passage arises. Palatino furthermore added that “It should be clarified that the bill is not against our schools. We hold in high esteem our private schools as partners in creating the best education practices. And it is precisely for this reason that I urge them to forgo the ‘no permit, no exam’ policy and uphold the right of all students to take exams, and “that the implementation of the “anti-no permit, no exam” policy will not financially hurt schools since students are required to pay at least 30% of their tuition upon enrollment and complete the remaining amount during clearance. And for safety net, schools may charge up to 6% interest rate of fees due to them by students. Schools may also withhold the records of students but should release them once the pending arrears are settled.

House Bill No. 4791, “ An act penalizing the imposition of a ‘No Permit, No Exam Policy’ or any such policy that prohibits students of post-secondary and higher education from taking their midterm or final examinations due to unpaid tuition and other school fees’ was  unanimously approved by the House of Representative on August 4, 2011. The House Bill No. 4791, sanctions the act of prohibiting the student from taking his or her final exams, HEIs should not fear of non-payment of the outstanding bills as the law also provides that the school has the right to hold the student’s records, for example, the Transcript of Records and diploma of the student, until the payment has been settled, Palatino explained.“The bill is clear in its principle that no student shall be denied from taking his/her examination because of unpaid fees. Students should be able to focus on studying for their examinations and not worry if they cannot pay the school fees on time,” he added. To some up things, with this law, education is indeed our right!