Supremely Surprising South Cotabato!

“Ano? Taga-Cotabato ka? Hindi ba magulo doon?” I was kinda used with these questions after hearing me say where my home province is…I replied, “Yes, I was born and raised in South Cotabato. Hope you can visit my home turf so that you’ll realize why my heart solely belongs to that place”.

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For almost six years now, I have been away from my home. I merely have the opportunity of going back to South Cotabato once a year (and if sometimes I get lucky, twice). I blame the insufficient bank account and the bottomless pits of work for this. Waay abi sing damo nga kwarta mo. (Transliteration: I have no lots of money, that's why).

Life is not a piece of cake especially if you’re living alone in a far-off place where you grew up. After finishing four years of my undergrad education, I decided to study law here in Iligan City while working at daytime as a college teacher. Working like a dog in this city, a half-day-bus-trip-away from your folks, simply meant a “challenging” life.

Spending some sixteen years on my home province gave me a sense of affection towards it; a thing hard to believe by people whose minds were inked with negative notions of Cotabato being unsafe. I remember an appalled co-teacher who said: “Ano? Taga-Cotabato ka? Hindi ba magulo doon?” (Transliteration: What? You’re from Cotabato? Is it safe there?).

I was kinda used with these questions after hearing me say where my home province is . Somehow getting the hang of it, I replied, “Yes, I was born and raised in South Cotabato. Hope you can visit my home turf so that you will realize why my heart solely belongs to that place”.

Somehow after an ample time of staying away from home, I developed my nostalgia outlet. I often grab the opportunity of going back to the Municipality of Tupi on the two-week long Christmas breaks. After the vacation, my loneliness would spring to life and a coping mechanism, I have musings of turning back time to when I had my wonderful moments at my Southern turf.

Since my two-week vacation is a few months away (it will already be October tomorrow!), let me share to you some of my happy moments and my stress-relieving escapades at my home province...

On a bus ride upon reaching my place, I can instantly tell if I’m nearing South Cotabato just by a quick glance outside the bus window. How? If I see the stretches of wild grass, trees and ricefields which are interrupted with occasional sea of pineapples and cornfields, I know I’m close to home.

Formerly among the country’s dormant provinces, South Cotabato is progressing significantly with the lure of exciting activities drawing a record number of both local and international tourists alike. Although South Cotabato’s claim to fame on the international tourism stage came in the form of the highly lauded Lake Sebu, the province is fast gaining fame for its numerous activities on its other municipalities, too. Lake Sebu and Tupi towns will be the focus of today’s musing. First stop will be Lake Sebu.














I’ve had my first taste of Lake Sebu back on my high school days. We had a provincial journalism seminar scheduled at the town and I was one of the delegates. I never knew that it was grandeur as it is.

We took the Tupi-Marbel bus trip and hopped to another going to Surallah. From there, we had a short trike ride to a jeepney terminal bound to Lake Sebu. From Tupi, it would take more than 3 hours to get there. (If you’ll be starting off from GenSan, it will take more than 4 hours). But the trip is twice engaging, especially while on the jeep trip to Lake Sebu.

I still can’t forget that feeling even it happened a couple of years back. The jeep going up to the lake-town was slogging heavily on the snaky road, probably due to its heavy cargo and passengers. It was pretty slow but as I with the delegate went upwards, the cool South Cotabato wind can be felt. Thinking about this reminds me of my Tagaytay escape last year.

Staying at the Punta Isla Lake Resort, for three days, I never missed the opportunity of seeing the golden sun rise as it reflects on the mirror-like surface of the idyllic lake. There and then, I appreciated the beauty of this picturesque cozy haven. And with luscious huge lake tilapia dishes for our meals, both my eyes and stomach were deeply satiated.

The Lake Sebu experience seemed was not enough for me that after a few months, upon hearing that the 2004 Provincial Scouting Jamboree was to be held at the same town, I quickly enlisted myself to scout there hoping to visit the place one more time.

You may experience riding on a habal-habal (motorbikes on steroids of quick trips) as substitute to the dawding jeepney trips. I’ve experienced riding on those grand prix motorcycles on my second Lake Sebu outing.

I’ve had the opportunity of traversing through its glorious seven falls. The hours of hike may get arduous but for adventurers out there to help you for the trek, I've got a tip: secure a cane (mine was a makeshift cane from a kakawati trunk). But when you finally reach the seven interconnecting falls, you’ll surely appreciate this great work of The Almighty.

I’ve enjoyed my five-day camping there by enjoying other exhilarating activities such as rock-wall climbing, rappelling, and kayaking. One can also enjoy the 700-kilometer zipline dash there. Tourists can also visit huts where the native T’bolis interlace indigent threads on a loom to make the famous t’nalak cloth. It is the inspiration for the joyous month-long festivities of the province thus calling it “T’nalak Festival”.


Lake Sebu was truly a dreamlike place for people on an eco-vacay. No wonder this “South Cotabato Summer and Tilapia Capital”, was acclaimed internationally considered by the German hiker Jens Peters* as "the country’s most beautiful lake". It was even featured by Discovery Channel one time. As a South Cotabateño, it truly made me proud.

While the pristine Lake Sebu is South Cotabato’s top tourism jewel, my hometown of Tupi was also making the news. This is our second stop. Tupi is not just a sleepy town where buses plying the Koronadal and GenSan routes stopped only briefly at the bus terminal to load and unload passengers.

A municipal forest park called “Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape” in Barangay Linan, Tupi is making high notes for wildlife tourism. And why wildlife tourism?

Bohol = Sole home of the tarsiers? Now, it doesn’t hold true anymore. It was recently discovered that a throng of the world’s smallest primates were naturally breeding here in Mindanao – and that’s in my hometown of Tupi. Those adorable bug-eyed ET-looking creatures are now protected by the townspeople and last year formally made the landscape a protected area open for tourism business.

Tupi, known in the region as the home of Mt. Matutum and the “Flower, Fruit and Vegetable Basket of South Cotabato”, boasts many surprises too. The now tourist center, Barangay Linan, is a mere 5-kilometer ride from Poblacion. A few years back, I’ve visited Linan hotsprings and it is a good thing the local government is making ways of promoting and developing this environmental fantasyland.

Clearly, Tupi’s pride can stand up to par with Lake Sebu, given the potential attractions of the Bailinan River, pineapple plantation, orchards, its eleven falls, caves, springs, and pilgrim hills. Tupi’s Linan is a haven for relaxation after one’s fast-paced leisure activities, indeed.

Springing back to reality, reliving my precious trekking experiences at South Cotabato never failed to refresh me. South Cotabato is one of the country’s fastest rising tourist destinations. The question of the province’s security is never an issue for people who use good sense, I believe. Well aside from my mom’s delish home-cooked meals and Tupi’s fresh fruits, meeting Linan’s tarsiers will be a thing I will surely look forward to.

So if you're planning for a place to visit, my serene home province is obviously a sure hit that would take your breath away. You may check out www.southcotabato.org for your awaiting unforgettable escapade. Or better yet, you may inform me A.S.A.P. and don't forget to prepare your camping gear, backpacks and fare.

This December, you will be sitting beside me on the bus.





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Madamo nga salamat sa akon mga 'migo sa South Cotabato Tambayan sa pag-mugna sing 1st SCT Blog-Writing Contest. Indi gid matungkad ang akon nga kalipay sa pagsali para makabulig sang pagpalambo kag pag-edukar sa aton nga mga kasimanwa diri sa cyberspace.

Ang mga still pictures gali diri kay halin sa Isulong Music Video. Other pictures are linked back to its respective source by clicking the it. Madamo gid nga salamat!

* Thanks to the German-national Mr. Hans Brandeis for pointing out that Jens Peters was "German" and not "American". I thought Jens Peters was an American only based in Germany. :-)

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Bar Exams Blast leaves 46 Wounded

TAFT AVENUE, MANILA - Last Sunday (September 26), while thousands of bar examinees and well-wishers gathered at the DLSU Campus to celebrate the supposed-to-be joyous culmination of the month-long bar exams, an improvised explosive device blasted in the throng of people leaving 46 wounded.

MPD says that the IED was thrown at the crowd of the law students of UP and San Beda. Because of the blast, forty-two were wounded by the shrapnel while two law students were seriously wounded. One of those seriously wounded was Raissa Laurel, who, after finishing the bar exams was at the point-blank range of the bomb. Her two legs were amputated yesterday.

While many say that the cause was a conflict between rival fraternities, the Supreme Court and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim as of the moment deny such claim for lack of proof. Although the Supreme Court has not yet received an official report from MPD or NBI as of this writing, it will conduct an independent yet parallel investigation to further look into the incident.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim on the other hand, said that conflict is likely to happen because of the presence of different schools teasing and throw crass remarks at each other. He suggested that tighter security measures should be done in the traditional “salubong” of students to prevent such incident in the future.

In an interview by Arnold Clavio, SC Spokesperson Midas Marquez said that if the suspects are law students, they should abandon their dreams of becoming a lawyer. PNP says the manhunt for the suspects is ongoing and someone should pay for the bloody incident.

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My brother Jasper Ian, was there to meet my sister Celeste Mae who also finished taking the bar exams last Sunday. Good thing they were not hurt. I pray for those affected especially for the two aspiring lawyers who were seriously hurt. The suspects should receive the full penalty of the law for their criminal act.

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MSU-IIT to IITNU Part 1: Are We Ready For IIT Separation?

The first time I heard of this MSU-IIT separation issue was when I was a freshman five years ago. It was the House Bill No. 658 then, authored by then Representative Tikbong Badelles. For quite sometime now, various bills were introduced that aimed for IIT separation, a recurring scenario since the 90’s I was told.

Senate Bill 1966, HB 4912, HB 658, and the others that came out of the woodwork were heavily thwarted by militant student organizations, studentry and faculty members. Previous bills, such as HB 658, reveal that commercialization and privatization of the institution’s facilities, services, and grounds are bound to happen.










And with the rebirth of another bill submitted last July 31, I did not wonder why majority of the MSU-IIT people are quite hostile with regards to this new bill proposed by the representative of the new Iligan lone district, Varf Belmonte. This is obviously for the fear of soaring tuition fees, privatization issues, and the likes that daunted us in from the past bills.

This is a two-part article that tries to assess how ready IIT is to be separated from the MSU system. We will try to ascertain what this new bill is about, by looking into the significant provisions of the bill.

I remember the newly-elected Rep. Belmonte mention about this IIT separation in his speech last June. Come to think of it, since we became a city a few years back up to now, the city doesn’t have its “own university”. In various cities all over the country, all of those have their own universities. With this trend, Iligan seemed to be an exception. From the year 1958 up to now, the city doesn’t have its “domestic” university.

For a little retrospection, MSU - Iligan Institute of Technology came into existence by virtue of Republic Act 5363 which aims to produce graduates who have expertise on technical skills and knowledge to serve the growing number of industrial companies in Iligan City and the surrounding regions.

MSU-IIT was the first external unit of the MSU system after the main campus’s creation in 1961.Often called as “The UP of the South”, MSU-IIT has been the choice of many Filipinos, especially those of poor but deserving Mindanaoans. Both of my parents, coming from impoverished families, finished their Civil Engineering Technology course three decades ago on this institution. All three of us (me, my sister, and my brother), also finished our degrees in Political Science at this prestigious university.

The school is definitely ready for possible changes, its numerous achievements speak for itself. MSU-IIT has been declared as regional and national Top Performing School by the Professional and Regulatory Commission in Licensure Exams in Electronics and Communications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering (For producing topnotchers, for 100 % passing percentage, or for higher percentage of passing than the national average).

We also had topnotchers in business administration courses, education, etc. Name it, we have it. Mylene Macumbal of MSU College of Law – Iligan Extension who ranked second in last year’s Bar Exams, was also a topnotcher in the CPA Exam at this university. I also remember Miss Irene Te, ranking second in the CPA exams a few years back. In 2008, The MSU-IIT College of Education ranked number one in the Philippines being the Top Performing School in the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) Board. IIT bested other education schools such as UP Diliman and St. Louis University in Category A with 10-99 examinees. In 2007, we ranked 2nd and 3rd in 2006. And who would not forget MSU-IIT’s debating stint two years ago? MSU-IIT defeated UST and UP in the televised Frankahan Debate Championships at ANC. We are currently the Top 2 Performing Nursing School in the Philippines with 96 out of 97 passers. Talk about underdogs, eh?

MSU-IIT has an effervescent research environment, too. There were a total of 65 researches: 17 were completed, 39 on-going, 9 newly started 6 big studies were actually funded. Research results and papers delivered by faculty members in national and international fora were published in national and international journals and monographs for wide dissemination.

We also have multitude of extension projects. One hundred thirty (130) extension projects were conducted by different Academic Units as well as by the Department of Extension in Iligan City and Lanao del Norte.

We are the only academic institution in the country with the most vibrant, nationally recognized, and successful SC Coop, the MSU-IIT Multi Purpose Cooperative, now with
11 branches, 28,000 members and half a billion peso-asset. We are the only one in the country whose in-house-developed IT applications (e.SMS) are used by other public and private colleges and universities.

MSU-IIT has a range of stellar institutional awards and recognitions. The institute has been working hand-in-hand with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for more than a decade now. IIT is the Center of Excellence in Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry; Center of Development in Physics and IT; Center of Excellence in Teacher Education; Best HEI Research Program for Region X (Biodiversity Research Program (BRP)); Center of Development for Excellence in Information and Communications Technology; Center of Development in Ceramic, Civil, Electrical, Electronics and Communications, Mechanical, and Metallurgical Engineering.

IIT has also been the Zonal Research Center for Regions XII, IX, ARMM. It is also the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Learning Hub for Northern Mindanao; Virtual Center for Technology Innovation - Microelectronics.

The University has these accreditations statuses from the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges and Universities (AACCUP): Level II Re-accredited for all programs of the College of Arts and Social Sciences; Level II Re-accredited for College of Education (Secondary Teacher Education, Industrial Teacher Education, and Physical
Education) (Elementary Teacher Education Candidate Status); Level II Accreditation for Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering; Level I Accreditation (Candidate) for all other Engineering disciplines; Level I Accreditation for all programs in Business Administration.

In addition to that, MSU-IIT also is one of the four universities in the Philippines that has a Haribon Foundation Academic Center of Excellence in Biodiversity. The university is a member of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and 2007 KAPATID Awardee.

For Mindanao peace and development, Institute of Peace and Development for Mindanao (IPDM) is the most effective and productive Peace Center in the entire MSU System and in the academic institutions of Mindanao. These accomplishments are simply, the indicators of the institution’s attainment of its vision and mission.

MSU-IIT has the largest concentration of doctoral and master’s degree holders in its faculty, more than any university or college in Mindanao. I remember my teacher, Dr. Hilton Aguja joking about IIT having the most doctoral degree holders in the world… per square kilometer. (IIT measures merely 14 hectares).

The university currently has a total of 557 members in its faculty as of 1st Sem., AY 2010-11 composed of (96 Doctoral degree holders, 304 Master’s degree holders, and 157 Bachelor’s degree holders). MSU-IIT offers total of 116 academic programs (10 Doctorate, 35 Master’s, 2 Graduate certificate, 47 Bachelor’s degree, and 22 Diploma).

According to the CHED Evaluation in 2003, IIT is the most qualified to be University among fourteen colleges/institutes applying for conversion. Come to think of it, MSU-IIT has long reached a level of accomplishments and development to deserve becoming a full-fledged and independent university.

Without a doubt, I strongly believe we are more than ready for any institutional reforms.

(Please click here for the Second Part of My Blog Entry on MSU-IIT Separation).

MSU-IIT to IITNU Part 2: HB 1743 and FAQs on Separation

I’ve mentioned on my previous article that judging on the merits of the school, MSU-IIT has surpassed all the MSU units including that of the Main Campus. Indeed, we are more than ready for changes may it be a separation from the MSU System.

The new House Bill No. 1743 aims for the setting up of a distinct national university similar to the University of the Philippines, in Southern Philippines which will be headed by a President, a separate and smaller BOR but still headed by the CHED Chair.

House Bill 1743 uploaded by JR Lopez Gonzales

But what brings us to separation? Why is there a need for IIT to be separated from the MSU System? Eleven reasons were enumerated by the IITNU Presentation (Click here):

1. Grants intended for the entire university usually end up only in MSU Marawi.

2. Being viewed as just one university, MSU is provided only one item each for important positions by Civil Service and DBM, e.g. Registrar, Librarian, Chief Security, PPD Director, Medical Director, HR Manager, etc and all of these are given to MSU Marawi.

3. The Institute gets penalized for breaches of contracts with external agencies committed by faculty members in another campus.

4. Poor performance of other units of the MSU System has adverse effects on budget allocations, (e.g. normative funding) for the entire University System, including IIT.

5. Proposals for the offering of some new programs were obstructed.

6. Faculty promotions of faculty members for Associate Professorship and up have to be reviewed by MSU Marawi, which involves a very long process.

7. Being part of MSU, IIT has become vulnerable to the so-called “Marawi politics”.

8. Constricting bureaucratic procedures and policies, political interference.

9. As a unit of MSU, we cannot apply for land grant.

10. As an external campus cost center heads should only have a maximum salary grade of 18, thus existing items beyond 18 are classified as CT positions. This is the reason why the positions of Registrar, Librarian, Chief Security, PPD Director, Medical Director, HR Manager, IT Director were deleted in our plantilla of personnel. Being viewed as just one university, all these said positions are given to MSU Marawi.

11. Level of Authority of the Chancellor in the MSUS Management Matrix is very limited since he can only sign contracts up to PhP 2M. All contracts beyond PhP 2M should be brought to Marawi for the signature of the President. Contracts and MOAs have to be signed by the MSU President.

Looking into the significant provisions of the bill, the following are the perceived advantages from MSU separation:

1. A bigger budget share for Higher Education

2. Access to quality and state of the art education for the Mindanaoans

3. A Research University as clearly stipulated in the proposed bill

4. Can apply for a land grant, can invest and own properties (like UP-Diliman)

5. Faster promotions and retention of all existing privileges of personnel

6. Proposals for new and innovative programs are always evaluated in terms of the implementing capabilities of other units, many of which are far behind IIT.

7. Additional layers of decision-making in the system unnecessarily delay implementation of plans, programs and projects. For example, a simple curriculum revision designed to be responsive to the challenges of the times would still need the approval of all the other ten campuses before these can be submitted to the Board of Regents for its consideration.

To further enlighten us on the nitty-gritty, I compiled the Frequently Asked Questions about the bill:

HB 1743 Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ 1: What will be the benefits of the conversion to students?

1.Assured representation in the Board of Regents. (Section 3.g)

2.Equal access to quality, market-driven, and cutting-edge academic programs

(e.g. Mechatronics, Bio-informatics, Animation, Film and Production, Communication Arts, Development Communication, Culinary Arts, etc.).

3. More academic scholarships in all disciplines, (e.g. Polsci., History, Accountancy, Education, Marketing, etc.).

4. Faster implementation of curricular revisions.

5. With bigger budget, better facilities and more academic programs for the students.

6.Better chances for poor but deserving students through scholarships and socialized tuition schemes.

7. IITNU will have its own distinct representations to interuniversity/ state competitions, fora, etc.

8. Additional courses

FAQ 2: Won’t this move lead to Increase of Tuition and Other Fees?

No. Increase in tuition is not automatic. Any increase in tuition and other fees will be done only after a thorough consultation with all sectors concerned, especially the

students. This is enshrined in the bill.

The University will “Fix the tuition fees and other necessary school charges, such as but not limited to matriculation fees, graduation fees and laboratory fees, as the Board may deem proper to impose, after due consultations with the involved sectors” (Section 21.o)

Moreover, the bill provides for scholarship programs and other affirmative action programs to assist poor but deserving students in all disciplines. IPs will be given preferential treatment.

Sec. 18. Scholarship Program and Admission. – The University shall provide a scholarship program and other affirmative action programs to assist poor but deserving students, includeing special programs for those who come from the indigenous communities, who qualify for admission to the University.

FAQ 3: Won’t this move lead to Localization or politicization of IIT?

No. The proposed bill ensures that IIT will maintain not only its present character and stature but in fact aims to upgrade into the national university in Southern Philippines. Also, the structure of the Board of Regents in the bill guarantees that governance is free from local politics.

FAQ 4: Won’t this move lead to Privatization/ Commercialization of IIT?

No. The bill stipulates that IIT will remain a state university, the mandate of which is to make quality education accessible and affordable to the people of Southern Philippines.

The things that will be privatized are only “the management or non-academic services such as health, food, building or grounds or property maintenance and such other similar activities” (Section 5.R).

FAQ 5: Won’t this move lead to Decrease in Salaries and Other Benefits?

No. We are covered by the Salary Standardization Law. The bill ensures

that there is no diminution in salaries and other benefits. In fact, the bill allows the

granting of special allowances to ensure the retention of the most qualified

personnel. (Section 21)

In order to continue to attract and maintain an excellent pool of teaching personnel, all faculty members of the University may be granted special allowances upon approval of the Board, up to a maximum amount equivalent to one hundred percent of the basic monthly salary specified for their respective salary grades under Republic Act No. 6758, as amended, otherwise known as the “Salary Standardization Law”.

The bill assures additional funds to the new university, being national in scope as reflected in the title itself.

FAQ 6: Can we not upgrade while we are still a part of MSU System?

No. The problems of IIT are largely caused by the system governance and from the fact that units/campuses of MSUS are of different levels and conditions of development. The policies proposed by IIT to address its needs are not approved because other campuses are unable to implement them. Curricular revisions, even just a change in course content in order to be responsive to present needs, have to approved by the other campuses.

FAQ 7: Won’t we lose IIT’s privileges as part of MSU?

No, the bill ensures provisions to retain all these privileges currently enjoyed by IIT and its employees (Section 22 in Bill).

FAQ 8: Why change the name into IIT National University (IITNU)?

“IIT” is our brand which is recognized not only nationally but also internationally.The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, which was converted into a university after 123 years of existence, retained the name RMIT and became RMIT University. Also, Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) retained its name instead of changing to Malayan University because of the name’s value.

FAQ 9: Won’t this move lead to the Disintegration of the MSU System?

No. IIT is only one campus. MSU System has 10 other campuses with their own respective thrusts and strengths.

FAQ 10: Won’t this move affect Muslim-Christian relations?

No. The move to an independent universityhood is a product of a growth and development process and therefore should not be viewed as anti-Muslim.

In fact, IIT, among all other campuses of the MSUS is the most active in promoting peace and development, multiculturalism, and dialogue, through its Institute of Peace and Development for Mindanao (IPDM), and will remain so.

IITNU will always continue to promote harmonious relationships among all peoples in Mindanao.

FAQ 11: How about the appropriations?

The amount of needed to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be charged the current year’s appropriations of the MSU-IIT. Such additional amount as may be necessary for the effective implementation of this Act shall be funded from the appropriations for the Commission on Higher Educaiton under the current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for the continued operation and maintenance of the University shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. (Section 24)

On a personal note, there are some things we should also carefully look into. In some discussions and fora that I have heard, I feel that the socialized scheme of the tuition fee enshrined can be a source of problem for most students.

Historically, the socialized scheme of tuition fees was first implemented last more than 2 decades ago in UP. True to its essence, the tuition fee in UP ballooned from Php 17.00 per unit to Php 200.00 in the first year of its implementation alone.

The bracketing system is biased towards making the students pay that even the poorest will only be minimally subsidized for their education. In the University of the Philippines experience, 13 years after the implementation of socialized scheme of tuition fee, 83.6% of the students ended up paying full tuition (Bracket 9) and only 8.6% enjoys full waiver of tuition (Brackets 1-4 / low family income brackets). This might also happen in the IITNU with the socialized tuition fee.

Secondly, the proposed law transforming MSU-IIT into a university must better be designed and formulated by the IIT constituents taking into full considerations its current needs, its purpose and path to growth (like what happened to the new UP Charter). Bakit kaya ang mga politiko ang gumagawa?

According to Philip Altbach (2004), a world-class university should have the following characteristics:

1. Excellence in research is the primary criterion, requiring top-quality professors. Favourable working conditions are also necessary, including job security and good salary and benefits for academic staff.

2. Academic freedom, allowing professors and students to pursue knowledge wherever it leads, and the ability to publish without fear of sanctions by academic or external authorities.

3. Institutional self-governance, in which the academic community has significant control over the central elements of university life – admission of students, curriculum, criteria for degrees, and selection of new members of the professoriate

4. Adequate facilities, appropriate to the discipline, for both teaching and research.

5. Adequate funding, consistent and long-term.

6. An atmosphere of intellectual excitement.

Our glorious MSU-IIT at present cannot perfect its distinction if its academic and administrative management is dictated by the system. A school like MSU-IIT can’t realize its vision to be “a world class institution” with so many restrictions/limitations within the system.

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POLL SURVEY RESULTS:

Sang-ayon ka ba sa pagggamit ng Multilingual Education sa Pilipinas?

Oo naman! Mas naiintindihan eh. 6 votes (66.66%)

Hindi. Ingles at Filipino lang ang nararapat. 3 Votes (33.33%)