THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said Tuesday it would investigate the off-campus activity by Bestlink College of the Philippines over the weekend, causing logistical problems and safety concerns to its students.
On Sunday, several students posted on social media their ordeal when they walked 3 kilometers from the resort venue of Bestlink’s foundation day activities in Hermosa, Bataan.
Apparently, the resort was unable to accommodate more than 30,000 students, who alleged that they were “required” to attend the event in exchange for their grades.
Some of the students who posted their experience on social media said that a number of their classmates fainted due to hunger and lack of sleep, while other students remained stranded with no transport to go back to Manila.
In a statement, CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III said that the commission’s National Capital Region office has issued a show-cause order against Bestlink for conducting the off-campus activity without submitting the required documents to the office.
He added that the commission will investigate the school “with gravity and urgency,” as it is not the first unauthorized off-campus activity conducted by the institution that resulted in a mishap.
“In February 2017, a bus accident during an off-campus activity organized by Bestlink College led to 15 deaths, and 40 students were injured. Seemingly, compliance with the rules and guidelines set forth by the Commission was not very tight, and Bestlink College has disregarded these,” de Vera said.
The en banc has also instructed CHED Executive Director Cinderella Jaro and CHED Legal Legislative Service Director Jerome Leynes to handle the fact-finding mission and investigation of the incident.
“Rest assured that necessary sanctions will be imposed after the investigation,” de Vera said.
Bestlink has yet to make an official statement on its social media channels.
Be the first to comment