SWU told: Apply separate permit for medical school

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Higher Education has advised the Southwestern University to apply for a separate permit for its college of medicine to be recognized instead of prolonging the management issue.

 CHED-7 Director Dr. Freddie Bernal said it’s a “win-win solution” to the problem considering that SWU-Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine Inc. is the one duly recognized by CHED since 1970.

 “Kung gusto n’yo mag-operate mag-apply kayo,” he said.

In a statement, CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan said both institutions can “co-exist” by forging “viable and acceptable” solutions for their mutual benefit.

 To achieve this, Licuanan said SWU and SWU-MHAM should exert all efforts to come up with a feasible solution to address medical students’ plight.

The solutions that would be agreed upon by the parties must be in accordance with CHED policies, standards and guidelines, she added.

 Any agreement to be arrived at and executed should also be presented to the court for its final resolution that will bind all parties. It can be recalled that the commission filed on June 29, 2015 an Interpleader case before the Regional Trial Court against SWU and SWU-MHAM to settle the ownership issue as it continued to recognize the latter based on its official records.

 CHED, however, clarified that if SWU opts to apply for a permit and appeal for recognition it will go back to square one in complying pertinent requirements.

The requirements include proofs that the school has own/resident hospital, school buildings, faculty, equipment and facilities.

But, Bernal assured that they will assist SWU by fast-tracking the processing of its application.

 “Tutulungan namin sila. But, wala kaming nakikitang effort on their part,” he said.

 Citing Republic Act 7722, Licuanan asserted that CHED has authority and discretionary prerogative to grant or withhold permits or recognitions subject to its determination of compliance with the policies, standards and guidelines.

 She further said that CHED is “independent” from the Department of Education and is attached to the Office of the President for “administrative purposes only.”

 Thus, she stressed that CHED’s technical decisions are not usually subjected to review by the said Office.

SWU has appealed the decision of CHED to continue recognizing SWU-MHAM Inc. before the Office of the President.  The Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs has issued a Stay Order on CHED’s recognition of SWU-MHAM while said office is deciding on the appeal of SWU.

 Licuanan said they are concerned about the effect of the Stay Order to the approximately 500 medical students, roster of medical faculty and staff, and administrative personnel of SWU-MHAM Inc, which is the entity that has been recognized, regulated, supervised and monitored by CHED for more than 40 years.

 She, on the other hand, said they are also concerned about the status of around 500 medical students of SWU.

 CHED-7 found out some “irregularities” in hospital rotation of SWU medical students in one of the universities in Bohol, following the certification of no rotation issued by the school official.

 Bernal said the school amended the reported error and said the hospital rotations were done at the Cebu City Medical Center and Sacred Heart Hospital.

He said rotation is only allowed among level 2 hospitals. Rotations at CCMC are no longer accepted after the Department of Health downgraded it to a Level 1 hospital.

 “Kailangan at least second level teaching hospital,” he said.

 CHED, through its composite team of officials from Central and Regional Offices, would be validating and verifying the SWU medical graduates’ compliance with the hospital rotation requirement of the medical program on February 18-19.

 Once the team has certified and reported positive results to the Commission en banc, the Special Orders will immediately be issued to SWU medical graduates last March 2015.

 On July 27, 2015 the commission approved a Resolution No. 427-2015, which is the grant of Limited Government Recognition for Graduation to these graduates.

Foreign medical students of SWU claimed that they were traumatized by the controversy involving their school and the CHED.

 Speaking before the media yesterday, Linus Etete from Nigeria expressed that though the controversy has hit on all students of the SWU School of Medicine but they, the foreigners, have had a “double fold of it.”  (FREEMAN)