CHEd and graduation blues

INTO this particular April, this column inevitably finds itself swarmed with the tidings of the graduation season: some glad, some sad, some inspiring, some revolting, at any rate, testimonies of how determined students have consistently held their best to cope with all imaginable difficulties and prevailed in the end.

Here is Tiffany Amber Pagador, a consistent Dean’s Lister at the Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) in Quezon City who, during the last year of her tourism course, had to take night employment to support her studies, suddenly finds herself faced with one last financial hurdle — the P40,000 cost of her last OJT. Needless to say, if she doesn’t make it to the OJT, scheduled on April 8, she does not graduate. The most this column can do to help is publish her predicament, hoping readers can ease her graduation blues. Contributions to her cause may be coursed through her GCash 09564001299 until April 2, the last day of payment for the OJT.

Quite inspiring is this darling of a girl named after my middle name, “Gia.” Diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) while in Grade 2 at Assumption School, she was advised to seek a smaller school, since the implementation of the K to 12 curriculum would not qualify her to skip one grade level onward to Grade 4 together with her classmates — a situation which her teacher said could worsen her infirmity.

Imagine the ordeal of her daily seeing her classmates in Grade 4 while she languishes in Grade 3. One day, the service vehicle of her new school passed by Assumption to pick up a student. She went home in tears, telling her grandpa, “You know, Daddy, we passed by Assumption. I cried.” Years after, during her elementary school graduation, I asked her, “Would you like to return to Assumption?” She shook her head, smiling such that her cute dimples prettied up her face even more. This May, she will be graduating from Grade 12 at the Mother Goose Montessori School.

I asked her, “What would you like to take up in college?” “Medicine,” she said promptly. I gaped in disbelief. Medicine for somebody once diagnosed with ADHD?

“Kaya mo?”

She pressed her lips, her cute dimples serving as punctuation marks for her firm reply — a resolute nod.

Now, this one makes me throw up. And surely, you will too, once you get the real story.

It is said that there is this respected personage from the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) who sidelines as professor at the Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) in Pampanga. The CHEd official seems to have earned the repute not as an academic but as a faggot flirting with “debonair-looking” male students. One example is this MBA student who, despite having completed all requirements, was given by this professor a grade of Inc (Incomplete). That, in fact, or so the grapevine has it, is the gambit of the CHEd official in hooking his intended sex mates. He gives the poor fellows failing grades so that they “come across” with dates with the professor in the most non-academic places, like gay bars. Such nauseating immoral practice has become a heavy headache for the school so that it does not intend to give the CHEd official any more

load in the coming semester.

Anyway, this CHEd item throws us back to the same CHEd commissioner who was the object of serious complaints of corruption and various malpractices early this year. This commissioner was Dr. Aldrin Darilag, the CHEd head for Luzon. According to the records, the complaints were forwarded by CHEd chairman Prospero de Vera 3rd to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. The main context of the De Vera endorsement is that being a presidential appointee, the commissioner must be subject to disciplinary action by the president. Not to mention President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “no corruption” policy as stated in his state of the nation address. Evidently, investigation had transpired thereafter so that the last information this column got on the case was that Darilag had been meted with a suspension.

Alongside the suspension stories is noisy gossip on sex escapades exacted by a CHEd professor with “debonair-looking” male students in exchange for passing grades. No dots yet connect this episode to Darilag.

In any case, Darilag’s complainants strongly feel that the suspension was not enough. Aside from corruption and malpractices prejudicial to the best interest of the service, the complainants allege that they have been victimized by Darilag with crimes for which they deserve justice far more than a mere suspension.

How does a victim of sexual molestation get justice, for instance? By getting the molester suspended from his job? Non sequitur!

The true justice is based on what the specific law on sexual molestation prescribes.

As far as this column is concerned, the case of CHEd Commissioner Darilag is far from over. It actually touches on the very basic ideal of education, which, as exemplified at the beginning of this piece, no self-respecting educator is to tarnish ever with foul deeds.