Students from Bestlink College of the Philippines (BCP), progressive youth groups, and several concerned parents staged an indignation protest on Monday, January 30, to assail the school administration’s recent statement on the controversial off-campus Foundation Day Celebration. 

On Sunday, January 26, video clips and photos of the said celebration circulated online along with accounts from students who participated in the event. Testimonials entailed that they had experienced trauma instead of enjoyment during the said trip. The Foundation Day was considered an off-campus event held in Punta Belle Resort in Hermosa, Bataan. 

‘Expectations vs reality’

Third-year Debbie’s (not her real name) excitement over BCP’s Foundation Day celebration in Bataan quickly blew over once she realized that she had to walk for more than an hour just to get to the venue of the said event. 

Their bus was parked at a three-to-four-kilometer distance from the resort, she said, and the walk was too hot. She knew that they were going to a nature-themed resort, but hiking was not part of the adventure or the itinerary. 

“We had to walk because there were too many buses. The roads were too narrow for all of them. They could hardly fit,” she shook her head. “We’re luckier than the others. Compared to them, we came relatively early. Others had to walk for more than 2 hours,” she added. 

Walking to the venue was only half the struggle, Debbie realized, when they arrived at a crowded resort. 

“My classmates and I just chose to rest by the grass because we were so tired. The place had so many people. It was so packed that we found it hard to move,” she said.

Third-year Kagome (not his real name), shared that his experience was better than most. For one, his bus made it earlier. He only had to walk one kilometer to get to the resort. Yet the same circumstance greeted him when he got there.

“We got there earlier, but even then it’s teeming with people,” he said. “I keep seeing students resting somewhere. Some were sprawled out on sacks. I had to buy a carton just so I and my classmates could have a place to sit. There were not many cottages to be utilized,” he continued. 

Both students commented that the whole event seemed to be ill-planned, as they felt that the planned activities such as the concert and contests were rushed. 

Kagome noted that even the call time for the departure to the venue was late. “The call time was 1:00 AM. They said we’ll leave at 2:00 AM. We had to wait for the buses for hours. By 4:00 AM, we started travelling. Meanwhile, we were supposed to leave the venue at 6:00 PM. We were able to set out at around 9:00 PM. I’ve heard stories that some students were still at Bataan by midnight because they were waiting for their buses,” he remarked.

Acquiring food in the venue proved to be another challenge. Debbie stated that while some of the students brought their own food, others who were not able to bring their own faced a dilemma due to the inflated prices in the venue.

“The cost of water in the venue was 30 pesos per bottle. You can buy that same bottle of water here for just 10 pesos only,” Kagome shared. “We’re grateful for the residents of Hermosa, Bataan, though. They sympathized with what we’re going through and gave us free water.”

Debbie lamented, “It was truly an “expectation versus reality” moment for us.”

Anxious guardians speak out

Parents also aired out their grievances on the recent controversy regarding the off-campus event being required.

Faye (not her real name) had two of her kids join the tour. She expressed that she was hesitant to let them go at first, but relented when she heard that it was mandatory.

“I didn’t allow my first year to join an academic tour last semester. I was worried for my kids’ safety,” she admitted. 

She kept track of her children’s whereabouts online, in the official livestream event. 

“I was commenting on their lives until it stopped. Probably went out of coverage because the signal dropped. My third year got back home at around 11 pm. My first year got home by 3:00 am. They were so stressed and drained,” Faye exclaimed, turning emotional. 

Hearing her children’s accounts of the event made her irate, she said, as it fueled her worry for them.

“As parents, we just can’t help but worry for our kids. We never expected that their event would be so unorganized. How could we feel at ease when all we could hear from them was that they felt so spent? That they weren’t able to rest properly because they were so congested? That some of their classmates fainted due to fatigue from walking that far?” she bit out.

For Faye, hearing about their journeys back home was harrowing enough. “They were so tired from walking, that’s already enough cause to be concerned. But they had to walk such a distance just to get to their buses in those late hours on those dark roads!”

She also criticized the lack of supervision from the professors who were on the tour, stating that most professors got home earlier than the students, leaving them all alone in the venue. 

Kagome mentioned that they were mostly left to their own devices on their way back to Quezon City, confirming that there was a lack of presence of teachers to oversee them while they walked back to their respective buses.

The problem with ‘mandatory tours’

BCP’s Foundation Day celebration was announced as early as December, Debbie recalled. She remembered that it was initially not required for students to join.

A week before the said event, however, professors announced that participation was mandatory. Participants were made to sign waivers and paid 900 pesos for the off-campus trip.

“It’s 500 for the transportation fee and 400 for the resort,” according to Debbie.

But why in Bataan? Debbie said that BCP’s campus in Millionaire’s Village, Novaliches, the intended venue for the celebration, was still under construction.

For Faye, the explanation given by the school administration is not enough to justify the off-campus trip. 

“It’s supposed to be a foundation day celebration. Shouldn’t those events be celebrated in their school?” Faye retorted. 

She later added, “I understand that the other campus is undergoing construction. But couldn’t they find a way to make it work? Couldn’t they just divide the students or maybe find a closer location?” 

The school’s policy on the tours was already a heavy burden to bear, Faye said, as the prices were too high for them to afford.

“My kid already had an off-campus trip in the first semester. Now, they already have another trip? And so soon? Where do they think we’re getting the money to pay that for? Do they think we just pick them up from trees?” Faye railed.

She disclosed that typical rates for the tours vary, ranging from 6,000 pesos and going as high as 13,000 pesos. 

“We’re not rich! We’re struggling too!” Faye decried. “That’s why we sent our kids to that school. We have no other choice but to send them there. They have free tuition, which helps us. We’re fine with them only collecting miscellaneous fees but those field trips every semester are just too much,” she argued.

The same sentiments were echoed by the students. Kagome said that he remembered paying 13,000 pesos for a required academic tour to Sagada. He pointed out that the hefty price put a dent in his savings, and he had resorted to borrowing money from others just to complete the payment.

“I’m a working student and I commute daily from Navotas. I have too many expenses to worry about. My daily fare. My food expenses. And now those overpriced academic tours is adding up,” he sighed. 

Debbie said that it’s not as if they could opt out freely. Most students choose to participate in academic tours because not participating at all would only entail more rigorous make-up outputs. The risk of failure is greater, she lamented. 

“We feel that we have no other choice but to participate. If we don’t, we could only choose between either failing or doing more difficult makeup coursework,” she explained.  

With its policy of free tuition and miscellaneous fees amounting to approximately 4,975 pesos, BCP is a top choice for lower to middle-class families to send their children for tertiary education. To date, the estimated student population of the Novaliches-based educational institution ranges from 40,000 to 50,000 students.

Yet parents like Faye and students like Debbie and Kagome ascertain that they pay more than they should, pointing out that the required academic tours are already an added expense. 

BCP releases statement, students and parents fight back

On Tuesday, January 28, the BCP administration released an official statement reflecting the institution’s stance on the recent controversy.

The statement further ignited indignation among the students and parents, prompting them to launch a protest to air out their grievances. 

Faye, who joined the mobilization for her children, said that she made efforts to file a complaint and demand a meeting with the administration as early as Monday, January 27, but was turned away.

“The guards told me there are no classes. Ever since that field trip happened, classes were held online,” she said.

The institution’s response only garnered more angered students, Debbie said. She decried that their suffering was brushed off with the explanation that they’ve gotten.

“Now we’re made to be liars. They’re washing their hands off what happened. As a student who experienced that tragic situation…it’s frustrating,” she said, dismayed. 

Kagome added that not only students were inconvenienced by the trip, but also the residents of Hermosa, Bataan.

“The whole delegation was estimated at 30,000. And there are an estimated 500-800 buses. The locals there weren’t able to work. Some were late to their own schedules. I even saw that a TODA (Tricycle Owners and Drivers Association) wasn’t able to ply a route and make a livelihood because of the buses’ double parking,” he shared. 

Despite this, he was grateful for the local residents who assisted them by giving out food and water. 

On her part, Faye was appalled that the school had resorted to shifting the blame to the service providers instead of taking accountability.

“There’s obviously miscommunication and negligence of duty. And now they had the gall to blame the bus drivers? They had the nerve to make our children and everyone else look like liars when in fact it’s their responsibility as main organizers to make sure that the event is organized! They can’t even admit their wrongdoing,” Faye scoffed.

Debbie furthered that the videos and accounts online are too many to be easily dismissed. 

“BCP should not be defensive now. This just makes them look insincere,” she stated. 

Investigations underway

The recent controversy prompted investigations from the local government unit (LGU) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). 

Neil Aventurado, a representative from the Quezon City Youth and Development Council, stated that the city government is planning to launch a probe into the said incident. 

“We’ve heard about the issue. I personally read some accounts. The LGU also released a statement regarding the matter,” he said. 

In a press statement, QC Mayor Joy Belmonte reaffirmed the LGU’s commitment to ensure the safety of students and advocate for their wellbeing. 

“The safety of students is a matter that transcends jurisdictions. This investigation reflects our firm resolve to ensure that such incidents are thoroughly examined and that we take all necessary steps to prevent these from happening again,” Mayor Belmonte said. 

City Council majority leader Dorothy Delarmente and Councilor Aly Medalla are set to spearhead the probe. 

On the other hand, CHED issued a show-cause order against the school administration on January 28. In its statement, the Commission said that the school has failed to submit the required documents with regard to the activity. 

“The issue raised will be investigated with gravity and urgency especially since this is not the first unauthorized off-campus activity conducted by the institution that has resulted in a mishap,” CHED Commissioner Popoy De Vera said. 

This is not the first time that BCP has launched an unauthorized field trip, CHED stated. In February 2017, the school was embroiled in a controversy regarding another unauthorized field trip in Tanay, Rizal which ended in another incident: a bus accident, ending in the deaths of 14 students and the driver, and injuring 40 other students.

The incident prompted CHED to issue CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) 63, Series of 2017. CMO 63 is an amended version of CMO 9, Series of 2013, which is also known as “Enhanced Policies and Guidelines on Student Affairs and Services”.

De Vera assured that sanctions will be imposed after the investigation of the Commission.

Faye is hopeful that the investigations will be instrumental for BCP to reform its policy regarding excursions.

Debbie, on the other hand, encouraged her fellow students to continue to assert their freedom to express and criticize BCP’s policies.

“We shouldn’t be afraid to voice our grievances. We are only doing this to push the school to improve its policies. BSP should serve the students first and foremost, and learn not to prioritize lining up their pockets,” Debbie ended.

BCP released another clarificatory statement regarding the issue on Friday, January 30.

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