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THE OFFICIAL SCHOOL PUBLICATION OF THE BICOL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION INTEGRATED LABORATORY SCHOOL - HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
INSIDER NEWS, p3
DEAD END
Albayanos call for ‘stronger’ security along PNR routes
EDITORIAL, p4
BACKBURNER
VOLUME LXXX ISSUE I
Amid econ crisis, education sacrificed
barker. FEATURE, p4
jeepney SCITECH, p4
TRIGGER WARNING: FAKE BLOOD AND BEHAVIORISM
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budget cut prompts BU financial concerns FREAL JAVEN DEL CASTILLO Bicol University (BU) is facing financial challenges after the P25-million slash from its total budget, following the government’s budget cut on state universities and colleges (SUCs).
BU stakeholders want SHS program to continue amid dissolution order
This was admitted by Dr. Benjamin Baby Boy Nebres III, SUC President IV of BU, during an interview with The Mayon last March 5.
Higher-ups of Bicol University (BU) confirmed that they requested the continuation of the senior high school (SHS) program in its laboratory school and are awaiting approval from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
“The idea of the government is this: they will give you this amount of funds but you haven’t [maximized] it. How much if they will give you [the same amount] of budget, would you still be able to spend it?,” he explained.
BENEDICT D. MARAVILLA
In an interview with The Mayon on March 5, BU President Dr. Baby Boy Benjamin Nebres III confirmed the university’s intent to push through SHS, and is positive about CHED’s response to the appeal. “We are not actually worried about that. In 2019, the Board of Regents of the university already approved the continuation of the senior high school,” Nebres said. On Jan. 2, CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III officially announced and verified the memorandum on the discontinuation of the SHS program in SUCs/LUCs dated Dec. 18, 2023, stating that its implementation is only limited to the K to 12 transition period from the school year 2016 to 2017 to the school year 2020 to 2021.
Philippines. Two, we are the center of teaching excellence. Third, we are the center of excellence in teacher education,” Nebres enumerated.
This has posed challenges to the university in meeting the changing landscapes of administering education.
Dr. Ma. Teresa Abainza, unit head of the Bicol University College of Education Integrated Laboratory School - High School (BUCEILS-HS) also expressed her sentiment on the said directive..
“[For instance], times are different preCOVID and post-COVID. These are big changes in looking at the needs of the students,” Nebres added.
“It’s better if we could maintain the senior high since we are also serving other provinces in the Bicol region, not just Albay,” Abainza said.
Nebres also highlighted an irony in the budget system wherein SUCs are expected to cover supplementary expenditures while there are no funds provided to cover these additional expenses.
“Basic education in BU should not be removed. This is where BU started. If we’re going to abolish it, there is no sense of history,” she added.
“It’s ironic because if you look at it, the budget isn’t increasing, but you’re required to set aside 5% for GAD (Gender and Development) and 5% for DRRM (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management), yet no additional funds are provided,” he pointed out.
Nebres emphasized that although the senior high school is not the university’s mandate, it is still kept running for some reasons.
He emphasized that the budget slash has also affected BU’s fund allocation for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) which includes expenses for utility bills, facilities, and repairs.
“The reason why you are here, the basic education is here, is because of three things. One is that we are one of the original normal universities in the NEWS BIT
85% of graduating BU G10 students ‘cautious’ for SHS admission test JUSTIN ENAJE SALVATIERRA As the Bicol University Senior High School Admission Test (BUSHAT) looms near, 85 percent of the Grade 10 students of the BU Junior High School (JHS) Department expressed ‘caution’ about not being accepted to the institution again. In a survey conducted by The Mayon, 10 percent of the population said that they are ‘somehow confident,’ and 5 percent said that they are ‘very confident’ about
During the interview, Nebres cited that the budget cut was due to the low utilization of funds in the past years.
their future performance in the admission examination. The high-recorded number came after
last year’s BU JHS’ low passing rate to the senior high school, being recorded at 7.5 percent.
“I am not that confident but I am optimistic of what the future holds for me in this university,” they said.
A student who opted to stay anonymous expects that more students will be anxious about the said matter and affirms that this became more reason for them to study harder for the admissions test.
This year will be the third time BUSHAT will be administered to filter applicants before entering the department.
In connection, Nebres expressed his desire to address BU Laboratory School’s problems in facilities such as the insufficient ventilation in classrooms, however lack of budget hinders it. “At the end of the day, my main problem is budget. I want to solve it, but we are tied up to the limited budget we have,” said Nebres. The BU President underscored that, in terms of funding, BU’s mandate is only in higher education; BU Laboratory School only relies on the development fee and share from the BU College of Education (BUCE).