AT LEAST 49 college students from Marawi City asked assistance from the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) in Davao Region on educational support to continue their studies in the region as firefight between terrorists and government troops in Marawi City continues.
Ched-Davao Regional Director Raul Alvarez, in an interview, said there were students who went to his office a week ago and introduced themselves as college students from Marawi City who are finding it difficult to continue their college education since all schools and universities in their area are either destroyed or abandoned.
Alvarez said Ched-Davao released a regional memorandum for all presidents of Public and Private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the region on the admission of all affected student transferees from Marawi City who are unable to present academic credentials due to the disruption of HEI operations.
The memorandum is pursuant to the pertinent provisions of Republic Act number 7722, otherwise known as the Higher Education Act of 1994 and Republic Act number 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, both indicate that all concerned HEIs are encouraged to extend any form of assistance to alleviate the condition of affected students.
"Although DepEd (Department of Education)-Davao already accommodated elementary and high school transferees from Marawi City, college transferees are a bit difficult to process for certain matters. But we are doing our best to welcome them, following the Ched memorandum order number 22 series of 2014," Alvarez said.
Alvarez said the 49 college students who went to his office will be admitted to various universities in the city. Most of them will be enrolled in those universities that will start their classes this coming August.
The transferees, he added, will have to choose the course they were enrolled in at Marawi City. HEIs chairpersons are appointed to submit a report to Ched on the details of their activities and assistance provided to students on a weekly basis.
"The reports will serve as Ched's tool in assessing the situation on the ground as well as developing the short-term and medium term requirements for the rehabilitation of higher education in Marawi," Alvarez said.
At present, Alvarez said Ched-Davao region is still expecting more college transferees for the next month, advising them to also enroll on other city and municipality's universities and colleges in the region to avoid student congestion.