LaTrinidad, Benguet – After long years of consultation between the community, government line agencies, local government units and Benguet State University, a Memorandum of Agreement was finally signed to by all concerned parties to absorb non-chartered tertiary institutions in Bokod and Buguias by the Department of Education (DepEd).
This is pursuant to the Republic Act 8292 dubbed as the Higher Education Modernization of 1997, whereas it mandates State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), herein BSU, with the blessing of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to phase out BSU’s non-laboratory high schools which to be transferred and absorbed by DepEd
BSU’s non-laboratory high school in their Buguias Campus and Bokod Campus are to be absorbed by Loo National Highschool and Bokod National Highschool respectively.
To further answer the needs of DepEd in providing basic education to the locality of Buguias and Bokod, BSU will be allowed to extend help through the use of its classrooms, facilities and services of its personnel from its Buguias and Bokod Campuses.
BSU will transfer 20 teaching positions and four non-teaching positions to DepEd which will be extracted from its Buguias and Bokod campus.
DepEd will accommodate all high school students from BSU’s Buguias and Bokod Campuses. DepEd will also assist BSU in to upgrade the Teacher Education degree courses in its Buguias and Bokod campuses namely open its doors to practicing teacher students.
As of this writing, aside from Bachelor of Teachers Education, BSU Buguias also offers agricultural courses and other vocational studies all based on the localities necessity. Dr. Henry K. Blinto, the BSU Buguias Dean said that BSU can further focus in answering the localities need and a possible new course opening awaits students.
“The resolutions sent before our office by neighbouring municipalities asking if BSU can open other courses like Criminology is now in the near reality provided DBM will deliver on their promise to grant BSU additional teaching items”, said Bolinto.
Bolinto disclosed he is being approached by numerous graduates residing in Buguias requesting if Buguias Campus will consider opening Public Administration and other grad courses.
Bolinto added that the signing of the MOA is pursuant to one of many target of BSU, one of which is delivering services closer to the neighbouring municipalities of Benguet.
By Rocky Ngalob