The Bicol UniversitarianTHE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF BICOL UNIVERSITY

Editorial Board AY 2015-2016

Editor-in-Chief Joshua Caleb Pacleta Associate Editor Jervy Anne Romero Managing Editor Bryan del Castillo

Senior Editor Jessica Bechayda Arts and Graphics Editor Nichole Baloloy

Online Content Editor Randall Matthew LorayesCopy Editor Arthessa Marie Ladoing

ContributorsAlyssa Joana Aro & Jeano MarcaydaTechnical Adviser Felipe Jose Peralta

THE BICOL UNIVERSITARIAN is located at the 2F MP bldg., BU Main Campus, Legazpi City

EDITORIALBUPC pioneers online printing of COR

Bear in mind

As part of boosting its Online Elec-tronic Registration (E-Reg), Bicol Uni-versity Polangui Campus (BUPC) tested the first online printing of Certificate of Registration (COR) in Bicol University during the enrollment for academic year 2015-2016.

Guillermo Red, developer of the Online E-Reg and Information Management Office Head said that the registration system was already implemented way back in 2011.

However, it is only the students from the Computer Engineering Studies Depart-ment (CESD) of BUPC who got the hold of printing their own CORs without the inter-vention of the BUPC administration.The campus aimed for a total online

printing but due to service provider prob-lems, IMO decided to enclose first the printing within the campus.

Red said that even the other depart-ments can implement the online printing of CORs. He further stated that evaluation and reviews are still to be considered to prepare the system in catering all the de-

partments next semester.BUPC Dean Arnulfo P. Malinis said

that CESD students were into technology and had a background about it so the COR printing became easy.

Another thing that we look forward to is the online payment of the students. We are moving towards that maging online na lahat, yung babalik na lang sa campus ay yung kulang ang pambayad, Malinis stat-ed.The Online E-Regs main features are

the department module, cashiering and registering module. The department module handles the

subjects and assessment of students as well as the fees. Payments are handled with the cashiering module while the registering module is about the grades and the stu-dents academic standing.

SMOOTH-FLOW ENROLMENTAccording to BUPC CSC President

Jhonny Pet Topasi, regular students were given a two-day schedule of enrolment.

The students are required to secure a medical certificate at the campus clinic and settle fees at NSTP office, Inditers Office and CSC office before they can proceed at their respective departments. The enrolment process has two steps

and handled with the department module and the cashiering module of the Online E-Reg.

The students do enroll within the de-partment. The student will not leave the department without a COR. Under the de-partment, he will be evaluated whether or not he has a failing grade and next is the assessment of fees followed by the printing of COR, according to Red.

Mas madali kasi pati sa Information Communication Technology room pwede na magpaprint ng COR ang mga CESD stu-dents gamit yung account sa pag-access ng net,Gerald Allison Rico, a 4th year Com-puter Engineering student said.

CAMPUS LOCAL SYSTEMIn the previous news report by The Bicol

Universitarian, University Registrar, So-phia A. Romero said that she is determined for the full implementation of Online E-Reg in Bicol University but it was not clear if the E-Reg that she was referring to is the one that is being implemented in BUPC.

We always look into how to attach the system in case that the university implement the E-Reg. Kung di siya mai-attach kahit online reporting system lang mai-attach through online. So we have a separate system but we have one system with the university on online reporting, Malinis said.

Meanwhile, the BUPC Dean disclosed that they are trying to pilot the same system of enrolment to Guinobatan and Tabaco Campus since they are also separate units.

He said that they could link a string and the three units can have a common report-ing system. The report is then to be passed to the university registrar and then the registrars office will just enter the reports on their system. With a report from Jervy Anne Romero

Unib

Lest we forget.Many BUeos have forgotten that on March

19, 2005, a student activist and Journalism ma-jor named Cris Hugo, was mercilessly shot dead at Bagumbayan Village, Legazpi City by two un-identified men. Hugo was a graduating student of Bicol University who rallied on the streets and demanded for good service from the govern-ment. Likewise, it might be a sad truth but many BUeos have also forgotten that a happy depar-ture from college is supposedly on its way for then Accountancy student Laesybil Almonacid but that fateful night of November 3, 2011 took both her chance of receiving her diploma and a chance at life. She was found dead in a mud field, apparently raped before being killed.

Why cant we hear anything about them any-more? Why arent we interested of knowing and helping to solve their cases which were already buried six feet below the ground? Did we be-come apathetic and passive students? Probably yes.

Apathy and passivity have been the peren-nial problems among Bicol University students. If there are events and gatherings, that need the full participation of BUeos like the BU Foun-dation Week and the student council elections, only half of the population of the studentry wants to get involved. If there are issues inside the uni-versity where everyone needs to know, only a few knows it and have an interest to voice their own view points.

We claim to be the Iskolars ng Bayan and if we are a true blood BUeo, then we should prove it. Hugo and Almonacids death should not be put into waste. They need our help. Let us not be hypocrites and care only about our-selves. If we still continue this kind of mental at-titude, might as well, the new breeds of BUeos would inherit this culture of apathy and passivity that we have been nurturing for a long time.

We should always remember that we are the most important part of this institution. We are the lifeblood of Bicol University that is why our thoughts and opinions really matter. We ought to be engaged and empathize on every issues and activities inside or outside the perimeters of BU. We are responsible for taking care of one another because at the end of the day, it is only us who will fight and stand for each other and for our co-BUeos who are still searching for justice.

Effective this academic year, the top 10 public high school graduates across the country can now avail a full scholarship in any State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) including Bicol University (BU).

Under Republic Act 10648 or the Is-kolar ng Bayan Act of 2014, beneficiaries shall be awarded an automatic admission and will no longer pay their tuition and miscellaneous fees in the SUC of their choice for their first year in college.

However, the scholarship is not effective on the University of the Philippines for it has its own institutional autonomy be-ing a national university and not an SUC.

According to Dr. Benjamin Nebres, Scholarship and Grants- in- Aid Officer of the BU Office of Student Services (OSS),

they are still accepting applicants for the said scholarship that is why the total number of beneficiaries under the program cannot be determined yet.

The Iskolar ng Bayan beneficiary should meet BUs admission requirements and is enrolled only in the priority courses of the Commission of Higher Education (CHED).

It is a merit scholarship. The basis [to further avail the scholarship] is their General Weighted Average [for the first semester of AY 2015-2016]. If they could not maintain it, thats the time that they could not avail the scholarship, Nebres, said.

FINANCIAL GRANTS POLICYMoreover, the application of the stu-

dent for this scholarship will not prevent him or her from receiving other publicly and pri-vately - funded student financial aids subject to the internal rules on scholarships, grants and other financial assistance of the univer-sity.

The university has a policy of no two scholarship will be enjoyed by a student un-less it is complimentary in nature according to Nebres.

When you say complimentary in na-ture, if the coverage of the scholarship and the coverage of the internal scholarship is the same, the student cannot avail both scholar-ships. But if the benefits of the scholarships are not the same, they can still enjoy both scholarships, he stated.

(with a report from Nichole Baloloy)

Top 10 public HS studes awarded study grant in SUCs

As the highest student government organization in Bicol University (BU), the University Student Coun-cil (USC) spearheaded this years General Assembly (GA) and Gen-eral Legislative Assembly(GLA) last June 5 and 6, respectively.

Officers from the different Col-lege Student Councils and University-Based Organizations in BU participat-

ed in the said event, held at the College of Arts and Letters Amphitheater.

During the GA, the USC laid their plan of activities for the academic year, presented an update on the BPI-Globe BanKo Proposal and acted on the re-quests and grievances presented by the student body. Meanwhile, the resolu-tion to adopt a new logo for the USC was approved during the GLA. By Jervy Anne M. Romero

GEARING UP. A Regional Mass Training for Grade 10 Teachers of the K-12 Basic Education Program for Albay, Legazpi and Ligao City Division was held last May 4 to 9, 2015 at Bicol University College of Education. The said conference was part of the Department of Education's goal to equip the teaching and non-teaching human resource for the upcoming senior high school in 2016. Photo by Earl Recamunda

USC holds general, legislative assembly for UBOs, CSCs

Out of 107 private Higher Education Insti-tutions (HEIs) in Bicol, 13 were approved by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to increase tuition fees for academ-ic year 2015-2016.

Divine Word College of Legazpi, Mariners Polytechnic Colleges Foundation (MPCF) Legazpi and Daniel B. Pea Memorial College Foundation were the three private HEIs here in Albay which added P48.50, P44.80 and P9.38, respectively, to their tuition fees.

Meanwhile, MPCF - Naga gained the high-est raise in the region amounting to P87.40.

Other schools were St. Peter Baptist Col-lege, Inc., Camarines Norte College, Liceo de San Jacinto, Inc., Southern Masbate Roosevelt College, La Consolacion College, University of Saint Anthony, MPCF Baras, Ateneo de Naga University and Universidad de Sta. Isabel.

For the approval of the applications, the commission adhered to CHED Memoran-dum Order (CMO) No. 3, series of 2012 or the Enhanced Policies, Guidelines and Proce-dures Governing Increase in Tuition and Other School Fees, Introduction of New Fees, and for Other Purposes.

Under the CMO, CHED considered the factors like the regional inflation rate, financial standing of the institution, financial capacity of the general studentry, impact of calamities, quality track record of the school and the mis-sion and vision of the institution.

Meanwhile, two out of the 15 applicants

for tuition fee hike were not approved. When it comes to the applications for the increase in other school fees, no institution applied in Bi-col.

APPLICATIONS FROM SUCSSalvador M. Mediavillo, Chief Administra-

tive Officer (CAO) of CHED Region V, stated that the list of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) that will increase their tuition and other fees this academic year has not been released.

He added that no SUC in Albay applied for tuition fee increase but two community colleges sent their applications, namely Oas Communi-ty College and Polangui Community College.

There is an increase because of the teaching and non-teaching staffs demand for their sal-ary increase, because 70 percent of that will go to the wages and the improvement of the school facilities, Mediavillo explained.

Mediavillo further said that the grant for tuition fee increase in SUCs would depend on the schools needs because these institutions are already getting subsidy from the govern-ment.

In Bicol University (BU), Mediavillo dis-closed that the institution had applied for tu-ition fee increase for the past years. Matagal na. Siguro for the past five years wala na kasi may apela yung previous Chairperson na wag mag-increase sa lahat na SUCs nationwide, he said.

He also believed that BU wont get a high percentage increase if it sends an application to CHED.

13 Bicol private colleges approved for tuition fee hike

The implementation of the mobile payment system of tuition fees and the conversion of the Bicol Uni-versity (BU) Identification Card (ID) into an ATM card this academic year is still under deliberation according to Irene Kayle Santillan, University Stu-dent Council Chairperson. The said offers are under the Bank of the Philippine

Islands (BPI) and Globe Telecoms four proposals to BU before the academic year has started.The BPI-Globe bids include: the conversion of the BU

ID into an ATM card; mobile payment system of tuition fees; gadget loan; and an internship program for Micro-finance and Entrepreneurship students.

Santillan said that the Memorandum of Agreement between BU and BPI-Globe is still on pending, causing a delay on the proposals implementation.

ID INTO AN ATM CARD, CASHLESS TRANSACTION

Under BU IDs conversion into an ATM card pro-posal, the new ID will serve as an ATM debit card pow-ered by Globe BanKO, the countrys first mobile phone-based, microfinance-focused savings bank which was established by Globe in partnership with BPI in 2009.

It is the choice of the student if he or she will activate his or her own card.

However, if the proposals are approved and imple-mented, there is a possible increase of the ID fee from P75 to P100 to cover the additional cost of the integrated ID.

In our meeting last week with the BPI representa-tives, baka daw na pumayag na sila [BPI-Globe] na P75 [pa rin yung proposed ID] para wala nang additional na babayaran yung mga estudyante, Santillan stated.

Aside from the new ID, it would also be possible to pay the schools tuition fees through a mobile payment transaction in which the proposed integrated ID card is linked to a Globe and Touch Mobile (TM) SIM cards.

Yung Globe and TM users, you can put up your phone and dial *118*1#, click pay bills, click BUs ac-count, and you can pay your tuition fees through your mobile phone, Santillan said.

Meanwhile, Santillan said that this year all students are mandated to change their IDs because of the change of the president. As of the moment our IDs are invalid dahil ang nakapirma pa ay si Dr. Faye Lauraya.

FEEDBACKSAs of press time, there has been positive response on

the proposed integrated ID and mobile payment system. Its about time that they introduce an alternate payment option. This will reduce long queues during the enrol-ment process, Zandro Santiago Amador said on Face-book.

Meanwhile, the USC Chair said that BU President Arnulfo Mascarias likes the proposals of the BPI-Globe and he plans to implement it this semester.

Pact on cashless payment, ID to ATM conversion still on process - Santillan

by Jervy Anne Romero

by Randall Matthew Lorayes

by Alyssa Joana Aro

by Arthessa Ladoing

by Jeano Marcayda

The slots for Students Financial Assistance Programs of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) dropped from last years 24,087 to 6,153 for the Academic Year 2015-2016.

Included in the fewer slots are those allotted for Full Merit and Half Merit scholars, Tulong-Dunong grantees and Study-Now-Pay-Later-Plan beneficiaries.

Despite the limited slots, there are still high number of applicants. In Albay alone, there were 9,414 students who tried to secure educa-tional support. However, the allocated slots for the three districts of Albay summed up to only 1908.

On the other hand, there are 825; 413, and; 660 slots for the first, second and third district of the said province.

According to Salvador Mediavillo, Chief Administrative Officer of CHED Region V, the decision to reduce the slots was from the Na-tional Government and therefore mandated throughout the country. He also stated that the reason for the decreased slots is the insufficien-cy of funds.

There is no sufficient budget to pay for the allowances of these students, he admitted.

Approximately, more than P36 M is the al-located fund for the incoming CHED benefi-ciaries this year compared to the fund last year which relatively amounts to P114 M.

Mediavillo also stated that some areas and congressional districts in Catanduanes, Sor-sogon and Camarines Surs fourth district were not given slots.

Mediavillo assured that the limited slots this year will be fairly given by basing on CHED guidelines and compliance to their require-ments.

There is no sufficient budget to pay for the allowances of these students.

Opisyal na Balitang Pader ng The Bicol Universitarian

Magbasa.Magdangog.

Makiaram.Bungkaras Bueos!

Volume XLIX Series 1

CHED cuts slots on its financial

aid programby Bryan del Castillo