CHED allays fears on unified regional state university

DAVAO CITY, March 12 (PIA) – The Commission on Higher Education has addressed fears and concerns on the proposed Davao Regional State University System (DRSUS) and its impact on existing state universities  and colleges (SUCs) in the Davao Region.

Secretary Patricia Licuanan of the CHED allayed concerns of the proposed amalgamation during a meeting attended by the governing boards of the four SUCs under the DRSUS bill; presidents, faculty, student and private sector regents/trustees together with the representatives of regional agency offices, Senate and Congressional committees on Higher Education held last March 2 in Davao City.

“The total budget for Davao Region SUCs shall not be divided equally among the four institutions,” Sec. Licuanan assured the audience.

“USEP and the state colleges’ budget can only increase with the Regional University System given the stimulus funds earmarked by the Department of Budget and Management for institutions willing to amalgamate as a University system; autonomous units shall still have their own budget and sufficient operational autonomy,” the Secretary added.

The proposed DRSUS is contained in House Bill 5311 filed by Davao City 3rd district Representative Isidro Ungab which seeks the amalgamation of the region’s four SUCs; namely the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), Davao del Norte State College, Southern Philippines Agribusiness and Marine Aquatic School of Technology or SPAMAST and the Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology.

Sec. Licuanan assured that academic programs under the DRSUS would improve and will not be indiscriminately closed.

She said that the CHED is laying down the foundations for amalgamation to enable people in the four SUCs to work together instead of competing with each other and prevent them from being caught flat footed.

The amalgamation is part of the CHED reform agenda, which is being pursued by the present administration throughout the country.

Meanwhile the private sector representatives favoured the amalgamation foreseeing students will have wider choice of courses, easier access to institutional service facilities and the shared advantages of each SUC under the University System.

They urged the setting aside of the institutional interests in favor of collective and joint regional interests.  The private sector representatives also urged for more efforts to address infirmities in the proposed DRSUS bill. (PIA-11/RG Alama)