“WE WILL definitely bite the bullet.”

This is what Dr. Amor de Torres, vice-president of Academic Affairs at CU, assures the public as Capitol University implements in full-blast the Department of Education’s (DepEd) K to 12 program in one of the most prestigious schools in Cagayan de Oro City.

De Torres said CU subscribes to the real purposes of the Senior High School – preparing the youth for a better tomorrow.

“The university’s K to 12 program guarantees three things: First, we will prepare them for work, second, prepare them for their chosen career in the higher education, and lastly, prepare them for the world,” de Torres told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro in an interview on December 1.

CU has identified academic tracks which will assist and guide students to choose their field.

Among the tracks Cu offers are Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM), Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) including Senior High School (SHS) for Teaching Assistant, SHS for Drafting and Electricity, SHS for English Communication, SHS for Nursing Aide, Computer Programming, Web Development, Sports Management Program, and CU’s flagship program, the Maritime Senior High School.

“The tracks entirely makes us different especially with our focus on the Maritime program which has three specialization, deck seafaring, engine seafaring, and catering,” de Torres said.

“They will be ready for work,” she added.

Students need not worry for additional burden, de Torres said, since CU entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with DepEd that the expenses of the program for those who come from public school will only amount to P20,000.

De Torres however admitted that there are still fears for the implementation but CU’s administration, she said, is taking it as a challenge to beat.

She shared the administration’s fears, such as “the immense adjustments of the school system will definitely exist, the fear that students might not get employed, and the university’s freshmen population is expected to shrink.”

But, she noted that the administration has carefully studied the program and expects losses in the process of the implementation.

“But hopefully, as part of our social responsibility, we are addressing the need for the K to 12, we have very supportive administration, and of course, we believe in the rationale of the program which is to uplift the youth,” she said.

Seminars were already hosted by CU to help parents and students understand the mechanics of the program, de Torres said, adding that CU admin welcomes queries from the public.

“What we love about the program is it gives the students a lot of options, and that they have the freedom to choose which is which. The idea of being able to do what they think suits their potential is just great,” she said.