CHED SUSPENDS COLLEGE FIELD TRIPS NATIONWIDE
Bestlink College mulls charges against bus firm
The Commission on Higher Education (Ched) announced Tuesday that it will not allow any educational trips in all colleges and universities nationwide until an investigation is conducted on the Tanay bus crash that killed 15 people.
“I will request the Commission en banc today to immediately issue a directive to all higher education institutions so we can properly investigate this tragedy and review current policies covering field trips,” said Ched Commissioner Prospero de Vera.
He also urged concerned government agencies to strictly regulate the use of public transportation being tapped for school-sponsored excursions.
Fifteen people, mostly college students from Bestlink College of the Philippines (BCP) based in Novaliches, Quezon City, were killed Monday after their bus lost its brakes on a downhill road and slammed into an electric post and a tree in Barangay Sampaloc in Tanay, Rizal.
De Vera said the investigation will determine whether BCP followed the proper procedure in holding an educational trip. Before the trip, De Vera said colleges and universities are required to seek the approval of Ched, local government units and other private offices based on a 2012 Ched memorandum.
“We must determine if higher education institutions comply with requirements of safety and whether current policies adequately protect students,” he said.
Parents of the students have complained that they were made to sign a waiver freeing the school of any liability and that their children were told they would not graduate if they fail to join the trip. The excursion was conducted in compliance to the requirements of the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
The school administration denied that the students were forced to join the excursion.