By Ruby Jean Ricafranca and Redentor Domingo
Through Board Resolution No. 5A series of 2012, first year students from Bulacan State University (BulSU) Laboratory High School (Lab High) paid an additional Php5K tuition during the enrolment period.
The said resolution mandates the additional collection of fee from incoming freshmen starting academic year 2012-2013 and was approved by the Board of Regents (BOR) last May 9.
According to BulSU President Mariano de Jesus, the additional fee was implemented due to the present shortage of funds for the Lab High since it is not subsidized by the government but by the university itself.
“We are not mandated to offer DepEd (Department of Education) programs; the existence of laboratory high school is due to College of Education (CoEd) program. Kung wala ‘yong CoEd, p’wedeng wala tayong high school, that is why hindi sina-subsidized ng gobyerno ang Lab High,” explained de Jesus.
The collection of the additional fee covered only freshmen who enrolled during the academic year while old students of Lab High paid the previous rate which cost Php2, 641. Meanwhile, a total of Php7, 472 tuition fee was paid by 170 freshmen students.
On the other hand, De Jesus confessed that the prompt decision by the BOR was also affected by the implementation of DepEd’s K+12 program.
“Magiging six years na ang high school, mahirap naman ‘yon dahil sina-subsidized ng college [CoEd] ang high school, kaya the board decided to add a very minimal amount,” the prexy added.
Moreover, the Lab High has been utilizing the laboratory fee paid by every BulSUan to operate yearly.
Budget officer Laura Gonzales said that the laboratory high school doesn’t have a fixed budget allocation because all the equipment needed by the college and high school comes from the laboratory fee.
“We comply depending on their [Lab High] annual procurement projects na ipinapasa nila sa amin [Budget Office]. Kadalasan kasi ‘yong mga request basta para sa laboratory kahit anong college o high school ‘yong nag-request kapag p’wedeng ibigay, ibinibigay. Kaya wala kaming totality kung magkano ‘yong nagagastos para sa laboratory high school lang,” Gonzales told Pacesetter.
Illegal resolution?
Despite the board’s approval on the said resolution, Student Government (SG) Senator for Student Rights and Welfare Patrick Carpio revealed that it did not undergo the right process.
“Illegal ‘yon [approval of resolution] kasi railroaded siya at hindi dumaan sa tamang proseso. Sang-ayon sa kanila [BOR], pumasa raw sa board ‘yon kaso wala namang pirma ‘yong resolution no’ng makita namin,” exclaimed Carpio.
According to him, during the board meeting, the concern was studied by the board and decided to conduct a student consultation to incoming freshmen with their parents.
However, after a week, the resolution was suddenly approved by the board without undergoing the said processes.
“Nagulat na lang kami na naka-post na ‘yong resolution na walang proper consultation at study. Ang ginawa kasi nila in-impose agad nila na wala man lang hinihinging side, maski kami sa Student Government hindi namin alam,” Carpio said.
On the other hand, De Jesus admitted that the consultation had been dropped because there are no incoming students to consult to.
“Sinong kukonsultahin namin e wala pa namang incoming [freshmen]? Kaya napagdesisyunan na first year lang ang magkakaroon ng added fee. Kung ayaw no’ng magulang, p’wede nilang i-pull out ‘yong mga anak nila dito. Kaya lang kahit naman may bayad na, marami pa ring nag-enroll,” De Jesus defended.
But Carpio answered, “Kaya nga e, wala pa. Bakit nila [BOR] in-impose agad? Bakit hindi nila hinintay magkaroon ng incoming freshmen?”
Moreover, the senator believes that the reason for the said collection of fee is the commercialization of education in the university.
“Ginawa nila ‘yon [collection of additional fee] kasi hindi raw sila kumikita sa high school pero isipin din natin, bakit kailangang kumita? State university tayo, dapat sina-subsidized ng gobyerno ang pondo sa edukasyon,” he said.
Furthermore, Carpio promised that the SG and Partido Pagkakaisa ng mga Demokratikong Mag-aaral (PDM) will continue to investigate the issue.
“Kami sa SG at PDM, magre-research kami tungkol d’yan kung tama ba o hindi ‘yong naging proseso, pero para sa amin hindi siya tama. Maximum we can do ay bawasan ang fee,” the senator ended.
But for Angelica Dizon of I-Tanguile, “Okay lang naman po kung tumaas ‘yong babayaran namin kasi compare naman po sa ibang school, ‘di hamak naman po na mas mababa po ‘yong babayaran po namin. Saka sabi na rin po ni Sir Angel Caparas [Lab High principal], para naman sa amin ‘yon.”
Pacesetter tried to take Caparas’ side but he refused to give comments regarding the issue.
Through Board Resolution No. 5A series of 2012, first year students from Bulacan State University (BulSU) Laboratory High School (Lab High) paid an additional Php5K tuition during the enrolment period.
The said resolution mandates the additional collection of fee from incoming freshmen starting academic year 2012-2013 and was approved by the Board of Regents (BOR) last May 9.
According to BulSU President Mariano de Jesus, the additional fee was implemented due to the present shortage of funds for the Lab High since it is not subsidized by the government but by the university itself.
“We are not mandated to offer DepEd (Department of Education) programs; the existence of laboratory high school is due to College of Education (CoEd) program. Kung wala ‘yong CoEd, p’wedeng wala tayong high school, that is why hindi sina-subsidized ng gobyerno ang Lab High,” explained de Jesus.
The collection of the additional fee covered only freshmen who enrolled during the academic year while old students of Lab High paid the previous rate which cost Php2, 641. Meanwhile, a total of Php7, 472 tuition fee was paid by 170 freshmen students.
On the other hand, De Jesus confessed that the prompt decision by the BOR was also affected by the implementation of DepEd’s K+12 program.
“Magiging six years na ang high school, mahirap naman ‘yon dahil sina-subsidized ng college [CoEd] ang high school, kaya the board decided to add a very minimal amount,” the prexy added.
Moreover, the Lab High has been utilizing the laboratory fee paid by every BulSUan to operate yearly.
Budget officer Laura Gonzales said that the laboratory high school doesn’t have a fixed budget allocation because all the equipment needed by the college and high school comes from the laboratory fee.
“We comply depending on their [Lab High] annual procurement projects na ipinapasa nila sa amin [Budget Office]. Kadalasan kasi ‘yong mga request basta para sa laboratory kahit anong college o high school ‘yong nag-request kapag p’wedeng ibigay, ibinibigay. Kaya wala kaming totality kung magkano ‘yong nagagastos para sa laboratory high school lang,” Gonzales told Pacesetter.
Illegal resolution?
Despite the board’s approval on the said resolution, Student Government (SG) Senator for Student Rights and Welfare Patrick Carpio revealed that it did not undergo the right process.
“Illegal ‘yon [approval of resolution] kasi railroaded siya at hindi dumaan sa tamang proseso. Sang-ayon sa kanila [BOR], pumasa raw sa board ‘yon kaso wala namang pirma ‘yong resolution no’ng makita namin,” exclaimed Carpio.
According to him, during the board meeting, the concern was studied by the board and decided to conduct a student consultation to incoming freshmen with their parents.
However, after a week, the resolution was suddenly approved by the board without undergoing the said processes.
“Nagulat na lang kami na naka-post na ‘yong resolution na walang proper consultation at study. Ang ginawa kasi nila in-impose agad nila na wala man lang hinihinging side, maski kami sa Student Government hindi namin alam,” Carpio said.
On the other hand, De Jesus admitted that the consultation had been dropped because there are no incoming students to consult to.
“Sinong kukonsultahin namin e wala pa namang incoming [freshmen]? Kaya napagdesisyunan na first year lang ang magkakaroon ng added fee. Kung ayaw no’ng magulang, p’wede nilang i-pull out ‘yong mga anak nila dito. Kaya lang kahit naman may bayad na, marami pa ring nag-enroll,” De Jesus defended.
But Carpio answered, “Kaya nga e, wala pa. Bakit nila [BOR] in-impose agad? Bakit hindi nila hinintay magkaroon ng incoming freshmen?”
Moreover, the senator believes that the reason for the said collection of fee is the commercialization of education in the university.
“Ginawa nila ‘yon [collection of additional fee] kasi hindi raw sila kumikita sa high school pero isipin din natin, bakit kailangang kumita? State university tayo, dapat sina-subsidized ng gobyerno ang pondo sa edukasyon,” he said.
Furthermore, Carpio promised that the SG and Partido Pagkakaisa ng mga Demokratikong Mag-aaral (PDM) will continue to investigate the issue.
“Kami sa SG at PDM, magre-research kami tungkol d’yan kung tama ba o hindi ‘yong naging proseso, pero para sa amin hindi siya tama. Maximum we can do ay bawasan ang fee,” the senator ended.
But for Angelica Dizon of I-Tanguile, “Okay lang naman po kung tumaas ‘yong babayaran namin kasi compare naman po sa ibang school, ‘di hamak naman po na mas mababa po ‘yong babayaran po namin. Saka sabi na rin po ni Sir Angel Caparas [Lab High principal], para naman sa amin ‘yon.”
Pacesetter tried to take Caparas’ side but he refused to give comments regarding the issue.