CMDI produces 1st batch of graduates
A total of 88 senior high school learners and 18 college students of Card-MRI Development Institute (CMDI) in Bay Campus and 51 senior high school learners in Tagum Campus are candidates to graduate on April 14 and 17, 2018, respectively. They will be the first batch of graduates of CMDI since its registration as tertiary and secondary institution in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
“Our 18 college students who are set to graduate next month are transferees and finished second year college in other schools,” said Deverna dT. Briones, CMDI’s Vice President for Administration and Academic Affairs (VPAAA).
Humble beginnings
CMDI opens its doors to the public in 2000 as a training center. It catered to the capacity-building needs of the microfinance clients of Card Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI). Then in 2015, the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) approved the application of CMDI as a tertiary educational institution, making it the first tertiary institution established in the Municipality of Bay, Laguna. The following year, the Department of Education (DepEd) granted CMDI permit to operate as a secondary institution where it was allowed to offer Senior High School (SHS) tracks. Year highs Despite being new in the academe, the SHS and college programs of CMDI already bagged awards in various interschool academic and noncurricular events. The SHS department emerged as champion during the first Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) Cup in Lucena City, 6th place winner at the International Social Science Camp – Quiz Bee, and the overall 2nd place winner at the UPLB 18th Annual Mind Games (2nd in impromptu speech, 3rd in poster making and economics quiz, and 4th in essay writing).
CMDI is also actively participating in various sports competition. During the district meets and non-curricular events of Tertiary Schools Association (TESA), CMDI bagged the 1st and 2nd place for volleyball men and women, 1st in athletics (both men and women), 2nd and 3rd in table tennis, and 3rd in chess.
“The performance of our learners and students shows that our efforts for them to excel in all aspects of life did not go in vain,” said Deputy Director Glenda Lagarile. Onward CMDI For the succeeding academic years, CMDI is set to open new programs and tracks that would respond to the emerging needs of our country. Currently, CMDI has four degree programs – BS Entrepreneurship, BSIS, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA), the newly approved BS Accounting Information System (BSAIS), and and two tracks in SHS.
“We will also open more scholarship slots especially for those who have the heart in eradicating poverty,” said Dr. Dolores M. Torres, Dean of the Department of Business Management, adding that the effort is part of its “One Family, One Graduate” program.
The program, Dr. Torres said, is an effort of Card MRI in ensuring that for every family it serves, one will graduate from college. “From this effort, we hope that the economic situation of the family of each student will improve,” the official added.
To date, Card MRI has a total of 4,520 scholars; 883 of them are high school, eight are SHS, one vocational student, and 3,628 are college students. At CMDI, there are 198 scholars from the pool of Card MRI scholars and 98 scholars from the general public.