CHED halts field trips

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) yesterday ordered all higher education institutions to suspend the conduct of field trips and other out-of-school activities following the deadly bus accident in Tanay, Rizal on Monday.

CHED Commissioner J. Prospero de Vera said the full commission unanimously approved his proposal to impose a moratorium on all educational tours and field trips in all public and private colleges and universities effective immediately.

“This is being done in consideration of the safety of students and it will allow an investigating committee to look into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy that happened in Tanay,” De Vera said in a press conference.

He said the moratorium will also allow the commission to revisit a memorandum order issued in 2012 that provides for the framework on the conduct of educational tours and field trips for college students.

“During the interim while the moratorium is in place, the commission will be able to review the existing policies, correct whatever deficiencies it might have and issue a new memorandum order as soon as possible,” he said.

“The new order will cover succeeding field trips and educational tours of students. Hopefully we will be able to do it in time for the opening of the next school year,” he added.

According to De Vera, the moratorium will cover all out-of-school activities, including fieldwork, immersion in communities and even public service programs such as medical missions.

“We are instructing all colleges and universities to develop alternative activities to compensate for the field trips and educational tours,” he added.

At least nine buses full of students of Bestlink College of the Philippines in Novaliches, Quezon City were on their way to a resort in Tanay on Monday, when one bus figured in an accident.

They were en route to a camping activity that was part of the school’s National Service Training Program.

The driver of the bus reportedly lost control of his vehicle, which slammed into a concrete lamppost, killing him, a school staff and at least 13 students. About 40 students were seriously injured.

Some parents claimed their children were asked to pay P2,200 for the field trip.

The CHED regional office in Metro Manila has directed the administration of Bestlink College to submit an incident report, but De Vera said the school has yet to respond to their request.

In a separate interview, Bestlink school coordinator for school activities Zanny Samsona said the school will comply with all the directives of CHED regarding the incident.

“We’re very open to communicate with them,” he told reporters outside the funeral house where the remains of the victims were processed yesterday.

CHED chair Patricia Licuanan said the commission will study if the college has complied with the prescribed policies and guidelines in connection with the conduct of the educational tours.

“The security and safety of students should be of utmost importance to higher education institutions in the conduct of educational tours or field trips,” she said.

“CHED will study if its prescribed policies and guidelines were met,” she added.

According to De Vera, the CHED investigation will focus on the administrative issues surrounding the incident, saying the criminal aspect will be handled by the police and the courts.

He said Bestlink may lose the authorization to offer courses if they are found to have violated the existing guidelines on the conduct of educational tours.

“Let’s not jump the gun. We’re still waiting for the incident report from the school and the investigating team of CHED has just been organized and they will take the necessary steps and make sure there’s due process in the investigation,” he added.

DepEd urged to also ban field trips

Unlike the CHED, the Department of Education (DepEd) has not issued an order halting the conduct of field trips in elementary and high schools in the country.

Lawmakers yesterday urged DepEd to also impose a ban on field trips.

“We should immediately stop other schools from conducting similar trips pending the establishment of their relevance to their study and the assurance of the student’s insurance and safety,” Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano lll said the DepEd should regulate field trips and excursions organized by schools and hold school owners responsible for anything untoward that happens during a field trip.

“I am for having field trips if these are for educational purposes like visits to historical sites. But going to a resort? I see no educational value in it,” he said.

DepEd assistant secretary Tonisito Umali said the department has a strict policy when it comes to the conduct of field trips.

“We don’t have that (moratorium) because we have existing guidelines,” Umali said in an interview with radio dzBB.

He said field trips in elementary and high schools are not mandatory and cannot be used as a basis for the grades of the students.

Umali, however, noted that field trips are also part of the learning process of the students.

“But it is important to have the consent of the parents,” he added.

PAO: Bestlink College could be held liable

Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said Bestlink College could be held liable for the bus crash and tapped PAO lawyers to provide legal assistance to the families of the casualties and injured students.

“There could be civil liability on the part of the school. The waiver, if there’s really any, was unilateral on the part of the school. It was not a license to allow the deaths and injuries,” Acosta stressed.

She also bared that a team of PAO lawyers would study possible criminal negligence of the school, apart from its civil liabilities.

The legal team is led by public attorney Mariel Baja, sister of one of the 14 passengers of the Florida Trans bus that plunged into a ravine in Mountain Province in 2014.

The PAO chief also cited media reports quoting parents of the victims that the school required the students to attend the medical and survival training at Sacramento Adventure Camp in Tanay as part of the NSTP program.

“That trip should have not been mandatory because it’s not an academic subject,” she argued.

Castelo noted that schools are making big profits from out-of-town activities. Reports reaching his office “show that some schools make a killing out of this scheming practice of excursion in the guise of educational tours.”

“The tours have no relation at all to their studies. Students are asked to pay exorbitant fees lest they get a failing mark. The schools are doing this to hapless students whose parents work hard to make ends meet,” he added.

Bus company to face charges

Meanwhile, the Rizal police is set to file a charge of negligence resulting in multiple homicide and physical injuries against Panda Coach Tours and Transport Inc., the owner of the bus that figured in the accident.

Senior Supt. Randy Peralta, Rizal police director, said they are gathering statements of survivors and witnesses to pin down the owners of the Panda Coach Tours.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will also probe Haranah Tours Corp. which subcontracted the services of Panda Coach Tours.

LTRFB member Aileen Lizada said the agency will summon Haranah Tours Corp., which was the firm hired by Bestlink for the transport service for the camping trip.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), on the other hand, sent a team to investigate if Panda Coach Tours violated occupational safety and health standards.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has tasked Zenaida Campita, director of DOLE Region 4-A, to lead the probe.  

Based on a DOLE order issued in 2012, transport companies should adhere to public road transport safety by improving the working conditions, compensation and competence of bus drivers and conductors. 

The Senate committees on education and public services are also set to conduct an inquiry into the tragic bus accident.

Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, chairman of the education panel, said the inquiry will focus on reforms to ensure such incidents will no longer happen in the future.

Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the public services committee, said she wants to focus on the quality of bus drivers and the safety features of public utility vehicles.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, vice chairman of the public services committee, said the tragedy as well as previous fatal bus accidents could have been avoided if the LTFRB issued the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the Speed Limiter Act.

He said the law was enacted seven months ago but it cannot be implemented because of the lack of IRR.

Malacañang condoled yesterday with the families of the victims and has ordered agencies to ensure the road worthiness of buses.

“The Palace expresses its condolences to the families of the victims who died in the fatal bus mishap in Tanay, Rizal,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a press briefing.

“The LTFRB has already been directed to ensure the road worthiness of the buses and to remind public utility drivers to guarantee the safety of all their passengers,” he added. – With Jess Diaz, Edu Punay, Sheila Crisostomo, Romina Cabrera, Alexis Romero, Paolo Romero, Non Alquitran, Delon Porcalla