CHED summons QC school over unauthorized activity

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has summoned on Tuesday, Jan. 28, a school in Quezon City for an unauthorized activity in light of viral complaints from students.

In a statement, CHED said Bestlink College of the Philippines did not submit required documents for its off-campus activity in Bataan on Sunday, Jan. 26.

The commission said the incident is under investigation “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 cited an off-campus activity of Bestlink College in 2017, which left 15 people killed and dozens injured.

“Seemingly, compliance with the rules and guidelines set forth by the commission was not taken seriously,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City government said its council will investigate in aid of legislation the incident.

In a message to NewsWatch Plus, a student who requested anonymity, said she and her fellow students were “obligated” to join the activity.

“Food and water were also a major issue. There were long lines to buy food, and supplies often ran out before it was your turn. Prices were high, making it unaffordable for many students. There was no available drinking water inside the venue, leaving us dehydrated,” the student said.

The student said the school used city buses, which, she said, “are not built for long travel in provinces or travel for private schools.”

“The buses leaving the venue were situated so far from the main event that it was like a race, waiting to get on a bus. Students had to walk such long distances that the 4.3 kilometers led some students to wait as long as four hours to reach their buses. For many, the experience almost felt like a death march,” the student said.

A video showed students getting off the bus because of smoke inside the vehicle.

The student further said they were not taken to campus as planned and instead went home on their own.

NewsWatch Plus has sought the comment of Bestlink College.