Ched orders BSU external centers closed

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent .

Vice Governor Joey Pelaez has announced that the 2014 Commission on Higher Education’s (Ched) Gradual or Outright Phase Out Order of all Bukidnon State University – External Study Centers (BSU-ESCs) in Misamis Oriental will not be fully implemented.

Pelaez said based on Ched Resolution No. 097-2018 and Ched Implementing Order dated May 29, the following BSU-ESCs shall continue to operate in the municipalities and cities of Sugbongcogon, Alubijid, Medina, Talisayan, Salay, and Gingoog City.

“This is a good development kay sa mawala na gyud tanan ang mag-operate,” he said.

The campuses that were ordered to close were BSU-ESCs located in the municipalities of  Kinoguitan and Magsaysay.

Ched Deputy Executive Director Napoleon Imperial, CESO III ordered Ched-10 to close Kinoguitan campuses within the first semester and recommend enrollment of incoming freshmen to Sugbongcogon which is 10 minutes to 15 minutes walk away from Kinoguitan.

Ched-10 were also ordered to let BSU-Kinoguitan furnish the necessary transfer credentials and records to students affected by the closure, cause the preservation of all the students’ academic records by submitting the same to the Ched-10 or to the National Archives Office.

Another ESCs that were allowed to operate was ordered to comply with some conditions within the prescribed period otherwise they were also ordered to close immediately under the conditions set forth in Section 62 of Ched Memorandum Order NO. 40, series of 2009.

Those were allowed to operate were told to work out the allocation of P1.5 Million for capital outlay, P2.5 Million for personnel services and P1.5 Million for maintenance and other operating expenses starting the next year 2019 so that it could transition into a satellite campus.

Imperial also ordered BSU administration should transfer ESC into a site that owns or that with a definite and feasible program for ownership within a reasonable period and with adequate provisions for continued use by the school through a long-term lease.

In Gingoog City and Iligan City, BSU-ESCs campuses were ordered to close graduate programs and immediately facilitate the transfer of the existing graduate students affected by the closure to nearby Higher Education Institutions.

The order was based on Ched implementing order upon discussion and deliberation during the 503rd Joint Management Committee and Commission en banc meeting on March 13, the Ched-10 recognizes that some of the BSU-ESC particularly those in the Bukidnon area could be formed into a satellite campuses because of the efforts and initiatives of the various stakeholders.

However, Ched-10 shall close ESCs in Kalilangan, Baungon, Malitbog and Libona through the phase-out process effective school year 2018-2019. ESCs in Talakag and Kadingilan could also be facing phase-out process for the second semester this year if they still failed to transfer to another site.