Bill on Elevation of BSU-Buguias to a State College Passed
12.09.09 -SSao-an/CBalangen

     BSU-Buguias Campus is soon to be separated from the main campus and will be Benguet State Polytechnic College.

     This is under House Bill No. 2430 sponsored by Congressman Samuel M. Dangwa last June. The bill converts BSU-Buguias campus formerly known as the Buguias-Loo Polytechnic College, into a separate state college. VP for Administration, Dr. Alfredo C. Tipayno said that the school will offer more technical courses, thus the name Benguet State Polytechnic College.
As of press time, the bill is under review in the House of Representatives.

     “It will take long for the bill to be approved since it will still undergo several processes,” said Atty. Agapito K. Bolislis, chief legislative aide of Cong. Dangwa.

     The BSU administration convened a task force committee headed by Dr. Alfredo C. Tipayno to endorse the bill to the Administrative Council. Under the provisions of Republic Act No. 8292, or the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997, Buguias Campus was formally integrated into BSU last May 24, 2001.

     According to Dr. Tipayno, the Buguias campus is not yet fully integrated with the main campus because of some requirements that the Buguias campus and the community of Loo, where it is located, refuse to follow.

     The first requirement is the abolition of the high school department. This was declined by the community because there are students that need to be accommodated in the area. 

     Second, only qualified teachers shall remain in the school and those not qualified will be redesignated to the Department of Education (DepEd). Qualified teachers are those who finished their master’s degrees. Most of the BSU-Buguias faculty are not master’s degree holders so they cannot be promoted. The last requirement is for the campus to turn over some of its facilities to Dep-Ed including the land as probation of the law.

     Because of the three requirements, Buguias campus cannot be fully integrated to the main campus. Dr. Tipayno also stated some problems that may arise if Buguias campus continues to be connected with the main campus such as teachers cannot be promoted and the school cannot be accredited.

     “It is either that Buguias campus will be fully integrated to the main campus or it will be independent, realizing the present situation, it is more advantageous for the Buguias campus to be independent since they can develop more once they have their own charter.”