CHED issues show cause order vs Bestlink for unauthorized off-campus activity

MANILA, Philippines — A private college in Quezon City is facing scrutiny from the Commission on Higher Education after reportedly holding an unauthorized off-campus activity without the required documents.

CHED Chairperson Popoy de Vera announced on Monday, January 27, that the commission would issue a show cause order against  Bestlink College of the Philippines after celebrating its founding anniversary at a resort in Bataan.

"The CHED Commission en banc has discussed the matter and a show cause order will be issued against Bestlink College for conducting off-campus activity without submitting the required documents with CHEDRO NCR," he said.

De Vera said he has also instructed CHED's director for the National Capital Region, Jimmy Catanes, to investigate posts online that have accused the school of requiring its students to pay for the event while providing inadequate transportation and safety measures. 

In different social media posts, students say they experienced severe logistical problems during the January 26 event, with many stranded for hours without transportation back to Manila. 

According to some accounts, students waited up to six hours just to board buses to the venue. During the return trip, when many were reportedly left behind at the resort due to the insufficient number of buses servicing Bestlink students. Some social media posts have described it as being akin to the "Bataan death march."

Students described overcrowding at the venue that led to pushing and shoving, while one student reportedly suffered foot injuries in the chaos. Others recounted a dangerous moment when their bus struggled uphill, nearly backing into a ravine.

In February 2017, a bus carrying students from Bestlink who were on a field trip lost its brakes and crashed into an electricity post in Tanay, Rizal. The incident led to 15 deaths, while an estimated 40 Bestlink students were injured. 

The incident led CHED to issue a moratorium on field trips, which it lifted in December of the same year. — Cristina Chi