MSU-Marawi resumes classes on December 11
Despite the recent bombing incident, Mindanao State University-Marawi (MSU-Marawi) has announced the resumption of classes on Monday, December 11, 2023.
MSU President Basari D. Mapupuno signed Memorandum No. 294 Series of 2023, outlining the resumption period until December 22, 2023, in coordination with security forces and local authorities.
In collaboration with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Local Government Unit of Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, and university officials, classes will resume.
The university assures the community of comprehensive measures for safety and a conducive learning environment, including mental health and psychosocial support services.
“The timely resumption of classes ensures the continuity and stability of the academic and professional pursuit of the student body. While acknowledging the anxiety and distress the incident has caused among our constituents, the university assures its community of comprehensive measures being undertaken to create a safe and conducive environment for learning and working,” Mapupuno wrote in the memorandum.
Special accommodations and exemptions will be granted to victims of the incident.
Free transportation services from various points will be provided. The provincial government of Lanao del Sur will provide free rides, with pickup points in Cagayan de Oro City, Pagadian City, and the Municipality of Malabang.
Security personnel, military, police, and peacekeeping forces will ensure campus safety with regular K-9 sweeps. The university will coordinate with the Barangay Peacekeeping Team of seven barangays on campus.
In a Messenger interview on Friday afternoon, December 8, Coreen Austria, an alumna of MSU-Marawi, emphasized the need for a concrete plan before resuming classes on campus.
She highlighted the importance of ensuring the safety and security of students, given the open access to university grounds, making it challenging to distinguish between students and residents.
“Resuming classes just a week after the bombing incident is so insensitive and ridiculous. It doesn't give students enough time to mourn and recover from the trauma caused by the senseless killing,” Austria said.
In a separate Messenger interview, Christian Arano, a fourth-year student at MSU pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration majoring in Marketing Management, expressed his belief that classes should not resume immediately.
He said that such a move would be insensitive and insulting to those who lost loved ones in the recent bombing incident. Arano also said that students cannot simply return to classes as if nothing happened.
Arano added, “Oo, ikompara mo sa Marawi siege or kahit anong giyera parang maliit lang na insidente pero alam mo yung masakit pinabomba mismo sa gym while nagmisa ang mga kapwa ko katoliko tapos sasabihin na maliit na insidente at mag klase kaagad ng face to face– di lalim malayo sa pamilya og di pod lalim mawad-an og usa ka miyembro sa pamilya. Five days is not enough para maulian sa trauma (Yes, compared to the Marawi siege or any war, this incident may seem small, but what hurts the most is that the gym was bombed while a Catholic mass was ongoing. Then they say it's a minor incident and resume face-to-face classes immediately. It's not easy being far from family and losing a family member. Five days is not enough to heal from the trauma).”
According to the Incident Command Center of MSU, approximately 1,948 students out of the officially enrolled 14,855 have returned to their provinces, excluding Lanao del Sur, following the bombing incident. RGP