UP officials: High school closure not final

CEBU, Philippines - Despite to reports that The University of the Philippines-Visayas Cebu College administration led by Dean Enrique Avila will phase out its high school department, university system officials said it is not yet final and executory.

Teresita Rodriguez, college secretary said that the approval of the proposal to close UP high and downsize its students takes time since it will undergo scrutiny of the UP Chancellor, officials, advisers, University Council and the Board of Regents.

“There will be a series of steps but I am not sure of the sequence,” she said.

The Board of Regents, the highest governing body in the UP System, has members from various sectors in the University, like the private sector and the government.

It is headed by Emmanuel Angeles of the Commission on Higher Education; UP President Emerlinda Roman; Manuel Roxas II who is also the chairman of Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture; Cynthia Villar, chairman of Committee and education; and faculty and student representatives.

Avila, in an earlier interview said that as a prelude to the closure of UP High, he will just let students who are currently enrolled in UP High finish until they graduate.

He has also ordered the suspension of the acceptance of High School Admission Test applications for school year 2010-2011.

Cebu 3rd district Rep. Pablo Garcia earlier objected to the proposed closure suspecting Avila’s action is “another unilateral decision motivated by his well-known, well-documented, and long-standing bias against the continued operation of UP High”.

Garcia, in a letter addressed to Roman, said Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia had likewise made known her sentiment that the high school should remain open, and even offered any help that the provincial government could extend.

Moreover, Phoebe Sanchez, faculty of UPVCC cried foul over Avila’s decision which allegedly gives the impression that UPVCC has self-liquidating purposes.

“Ang mga tawo ngadto ang gitan-aw ang gasto, dako kaayo ug financial expenses kung i-sustain ang UP High tungod kay naay 25 percent of its budget kay makaon niya dako man ang expenditure so gusto nila kuhaon ang UP High para gamiton ang budget for other programs para ang UPVCC mahimong autonomous unit or constituent unit of UP system,” she said.

She said that Avila is “slashing certain programs or division” to pursue his pans in converting UPVCC into an autonomous unit.

“Ang iyang ambition na mahimong autonomous unit ang UP is to slash certain programs or division para mabuhi ang ubang division kay iyang mandate kay tertiary education. But that is not UP’s only thrust, it also has research and extension na part sa service learning option to develop basic education,” she said.

However, Avila during his appointment last October 21, 2009 said that he will focus on three major steps like streamlining academic programs and liberalizing electives, strengthening existing and recruiting new faculty, and achieving financial autonomy.

But Sanchez argued that education is not a corporate institution and believes that UP should provide a democratized admission policy giving preferential admission to underprivileged but intellectually deserving students. —Marjun A. Baguio/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)