DOH PARTNERS WITH CHED IN UPSKILLING OF CLINICAL CARE ASSOCIATES

By Liezelle Soriano

THE Department of Health and the Commission on Higher Education signed an agreement on the upskilling of clinical care associates.

Under the partnership agreement, 55 hospitals and 19 nursing schools will collaborate to implement the Clinical Care Associates Upskilling Program.

The program hopes to address the shortage of nurses.

Health Undersecretary Kenneth Ronquillo signed the Memorandum of Understanding in behalf of the DOH.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., Commission on Higher Education Commissioner Prospero de Vera III and representatives from the private sector witnessed the signing of the memorandum.

“Through this program, the DOH, in collaboration with CHED and private partners, aims to address the shortage of nurses in the country, aligned with one of the Department’s 8-Point Action Agenda,” the department said.

By Dang Samson Garcia

THE House of Representatives completed the plenary scrutiny and debates on the proposed budgets of the State Universities and Colleges and the Commission on Higher Education for fiscal year 2024, amounting to P100.88-billion and P30-billion, respectively.

House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson Rep. Janette Garin sponsored the CHED’s budget proposal, while Vice Chaipersons Rep. Francisco Matugas II, Raul Angelo Bongalon and Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy defended SUCs’ proposed appropriation.

Matugas said the SUCs’ P100.88-billion proposed budget is five percent less than the 2023 appropriation of P107.03-billion.

During interpellation, 4Ps Partylist Rep. JC Abalos said of the 117 SUCs in the country, 30 will receive lesser funding next year.

Matugas confirmed 30 SUCs will indeed get lower budgets in the range of 27 percent or a total amount of P11.45-billion.

“The budget of all our SUCs in the country was given by DBM, so iyung DBM po ang nag cut ng budgets nila. One of the reasons given by DBM is iyung mga Capital Outlay last year ay natapos na. Those that have been submitted for 2024 ay hindi po siya implementable kaagad. That’s why iyung decrease na malaki sa SUCs budget ay makikita po natin sa CO more than 60 percent, from P14-billion ginawa na lang P5 billion,” he explained.

Abalos also manifested there have been continuous cuts in the SUCs budget over the past two years.

“This can be attributed to the cost-cutting measures in place that are meant to save resources intended for education. However, budget cuts should be done with circumspect and due diligence since there is a widespread sentiment that most SUCs these days seem to be needing more funding to support their development just as the upgrading of facilities and additional support for the faculty and staff, as well as resources for research and development,” Abalos said.

Bongalon, meanwhile, noted 1.85 million students are currently enrolled in SUCs compared to 1.8 million in 2022.

Garin said total appropriation for CHED for 2024 is P30-billion and most of the funding totaling P29.7-billion or 95.8 percent will be new appropriation, the remaining 4.2 percent will come from automatic appropriation under the Higher Education Development Fund.

“Despite CHED’s relatively modest budget of P30-billion, it is crucial that we acknowledge the CHED’s vital role in shaping the future of our nation,” Garin said.

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel said CHED can still expand the enrollees’ slots n SUCs.

“Tingin natin para mas maayos ang paggamit ng government funds to help our students, I think iyung mga pondo na napupunta doon sa malalaking private schools, mas efficient sana na magamit ito sa ating SUCs,” he said.

Garin explained there are situations where no SUCs or local universities and colleges are available in certain areas and that’s actually where the government has to come in because the availability of higher educational institutions is a problem.

By Dang Samson Garcia

HINIKAYAT ni Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez ang Commission on Higher Education na ipawalang-saysay ang partnership sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at ng ilang Chinese universities.

Partikular na hinimok ni Rodriguez si CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III na pangunahan mismo ang pagkansela sa partnership habang pinoprotesta ng Pilipinas ang Chinese aggression sa West Philippine Sea.

Iginiit ng kongresista na habang patuloy ang engagement ng CHED sa China ay nagpapakita ito ng ‘wrong signal’ dahil lumilitaw na hindi nagkakaisa ang mga Pinoy.

Inaalmahan naman ng gobyerno ang harassment at bullying ng Chinese Coast Guard sa mga sunadalong Pinoy, Philippine Coast Guard at mangingisdang Pilipino sa West Philippine Sea.

Pinayuhan pa ni Rodriguez si De Vera na sundan ang ginagawang hakbang ng AFP na ipinatigil ang pagpapadala ng sundalo sa China para mag-aral, magsanay o magsagawa ng social visit, at pagtanggi na magkaroon ng joint patrol sa Philippine Maritime Territory.

Sa halip na makipagkasundo sa Chinese higher education institutions, binigyang-diin ni Rodriguez na dapat sa mga kaalyadong bansa na lamang makipag-partner ang CHED gaya ng Estados Unidos, Japan, South Korea, Australia at iba pa.