ON the way to Cebu, an owner of a private school told me that it used to be that in every important activity or event of the municipality where the school is situated, they would always get an invite.
Yes, they were always invited and front row seat pa gyod.
Now, no more.
Why?
Because the municipality is now running its own municipal college, which is now in direct competition with the private school.
And because of that, the resulting effect, among others, was mass exodus, or a migration of sorts – migration of students and migration of personnel
Daghan man unta mi og studyante sa una, pero karon, dako kaayo og decrease sa enrollment. Plus, ang among mga faculty nga mga MAs ug PhDs, namalhin sab so nag-problema na mi ron sa among faculty line-up.
Gawas pa sab ana, dako kaayo mi og problema sa DOLE, sa Labor Standards, kay hilabihan ka istrikto kabahen sa mga wages and benefits sa mga empleyado, apil na ang kahimtang sa workplace, he added.
Kon ingon ani ang mahitabo, maka-survive pa kaha ang mga private schools, he wondered.
* * *
That was a very good point, I told him – survival of private colleges and universities in the face of the “sprouting like mushrooms” of municipal colleges.
It used to be that the competition of private schools was limited to state universities and colleges (SUCs) only.
And it used to be that the SUCs were allowed to open programs or courses not offered by existing private colleges and universities.
But not anymore.
Why?
Because SUCs are now directly competing with private colleges or universities in terms of course or program offerings.
So, ang nahitabo karon – kompetensiya na sa mga private colleges and universities ang mga SUCs, kompetensiya pa gyod sa mga municipal colleges.
Mabuhi pa kaha ang mga private colleges and universities ana, he stressed.
* * *
And here’s the more interesting part.
What is the basic reason for the sprouting of municipal colleges? Or more specifically, why did the mayors suddenly become interested in the opening of municipal colleges?
Did they suddenly develop the urge, the itch or whatever, of really educating their young constituents?
Mikalit lang og santop sa ilang hunahuna nga importante ang college education sa ilang lungsod?
Mikalit lang og santop sa ilang alimpatakan nga mas importante ang college education kay sa ugmaron ang ilang tuburan sa pagkaon?
Maka-afford na sila og tukod sa usa ka eskuylahan karon pero di gani sila ka-afford mo improve o mo-develop sa ilang municipal nursery?
* * *
Let us dissect the sudden urge to open a municipal college, take note note ha, college, dili high school.
One noticeable feature of college education is that the students therein are already of voting age.
Yes, maka-botar na sa piniliay.
So there, because the students are already voters, this is one good and sure way of “cornering” the votes – from students themselves to their family, and even their relatives.
So the students of these municipal colleges become an instant vote-multiplier.
For as long as they are “scholars” of politicians, the mayor and his political team-mates are already assured of getting their votes – yes, captured votes.
Pasabot, bahala og way reliable nga source sa pagkaon ang lungsod, bahala og way saktong panubig nga mainom, basta makatukod lang og municipal college, payts na.
* * *
Because getting the votes is the obvious reason for the establishment of the municipal colleges, can we really expect good, never mind quality, education?
And here’s another interesting feature of the political scheme.
In most cases, the municipal college has one “exclusive” feature – the enrollees come from that municipality only, those from other towns are not accepted.
That fact alone already forecloses any thought of really improving the intellect of the constituents.
Pamolitika ra gyod na.
* * *
Nganong pamolitika ra man beh?
A certain municipal college is being probed by the CHED because reports reaching the CHED regional office is to the effect that the said municipal college will not accept enrollees from nearby municipalities kay taga-diha nga lungsod ra lagi kuno ang pwede mo-enroll kay unsa may gamit nila og taga laing lungsod nga di man maka-botar sa mayor ug mga kaubanan.
Mismo ang regional director sa CHED ang mi-imbestigar sa maong municipal college kay naka-supak nas balaod, matod sa taga-CHED.
Aguy, tua na, migawas na.
* * *
By the way, I got a message from Atty. Manny Luna, one of the very dynamic lawyers in the country, and very active in providing sound legal advice to VP Inday Sara. He asked me to include in this episode his “reading” of BBM.
So here is his piece:
“Batay sa ilang circumstances o kaganapan, posibleng may basbas ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ang pag-impeach ng Mababang Kapulungan kay Bise Presidente Sara Duterte: 1. Nagpahayag siya na kung siya ang respondent dadalo siya sa impeachment trial; 2. Inaprobahan niya ang pagbukas ng tax records ng mag-asawang Mans Carpio at Sara Duterte na sinubpina ng Impeachment Court; 3. May impluwensiya siya sa mayorya ng mga Kongresista sapagkat parte ng Koalisyon ang kanyang Partido Federal ng Pilipinas sa Mababang Kapulungan.”
