CHED evaluates MCC graduates' credentials

CEBU, Philippines - Officials of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Central Office in Manila was in Mandaue City to accept individually the credentials of graduates of the Mandaue City College (MCC) run by Dr. Paulus Mariae Cañete, so that their documents can be evaluated for a chance to take the board examination this coming September.

 CHED’s move came after the office of Cebu Sixth District Representative Luis Gabriel Quisumbing initiated for a negotiation between CEHD and the graduates.

Some students sought his help, worried that they will not be able to take the September board exams even if they already paid the fees at the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).

 More than 20 MCC graduates have already paid their examination fees with the PRC but they were told they could not take the board exam if they cannot present a CHED certification that their school has an “authority to operate board programs.”

  Although CHED officials were in Cebu for a lecture in all local colleges and universities on how to acquire a permit from their agency, some of them heeded the appeal of Quisumbing and met with the students of MCC.

 Earlier, 10 graduates were interested to submit all their documents for CHED evaluation but so far, only four came to submit their documents.

 Another examinee, Ericson Abendiano, did not submit his documents but he instead wrote a letter asking CHED to allow all 20 examinees to take the exam.

 It was learned that after their meeting with CHED last Tuesday night, all of them were called by Cañete to a separate meeting, telling them not to see the CHED officials anymore. They were allegedly threatened that Cañete will no longer help them in case their credentials will fail the CHED evaluations.

 In an interview with Dr. Elmer Ripalda, dean of the IT department of MCC, he said he was the one who advised the students to forego submitting their documents as the school will be filing a petition for temporary restraining order in court so all of them will be allowed to take the September board examination.

 Ripalda said the reason some of the students did not go back and meet with CHED officials yesterday was because of fear that they will not pass the evaluation to be conducted by CHED as their credentials will be compared with a Manila-based school.

However, he said he thanked the Office of the Quisumbing for initiating such move. 

CHED did not give a time frame, but Quisumbing’s chief of staff, lawyer Jocella Sipin, is hoping that the issue would be settled before the September board exam since CHED earlier made a pronouncement that the sanction against the school should not prejudice the graduates. (FREEMAN)