/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/54/66/546650fa-26a4-40fd-8d6d-5a7a04540f81/rosetta2.png)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/robert-prevost-050825-1-39395418ab494da5a3a700c9478e66c8.jpg)
format(webp))
format(webp))
CHED issues a show cause order to Bestlink for engaging in unauthorized off-campus activities.
CHED Chairperson Popoy de Vera announced plans to issue a show cause order after students reported serious logistical problems during the event, including long wait times for transportation and overcrowding at the venue. The situation raised safety concerns, with some students likening their experience to historical tragedies. The investigation is further complicated by the college's past, including a deadly bus accident in 2017 that led to stricter regulations on field trips.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has launched an investigation into a private college in Quezon City for allegedly conducting an unauthorized off-campus event without securing the required approvals.
CHED Issues Show Cause Order
CHED Chairperson Popoy de Vera announced on January 27 that the commission will issue a show cause order to Bestlink College of the Philippines after the school held its founding anniversary celebration at a resort in Bataan.
"The CHED Commission en banc has discussed the issue, and a show cause order will be issued against Bestlink College for holding an off-campus activity without submitting the required documents to CHEDRO NCR," De Vera stated.
He has also tasked CHED’s National Capital Region director, Jimmy Catanes, to look into allegations that students were required to pay for the event while facing serious transportation and safety issues.
Students Report Chaos During the Event
Numerous students have taken to social media to express their frustrations about the event held on January 26, citing significant logistical problems. Among the reported issues:
- Stranded students: Some students waited up to six hours for transportation to the venue, while many were allegedly left behind at the resort due to an insufficient number of buses.
- Overcrowding: Attendees described pushing and shoving at the venue, with at least one student suffering foot injuries in the commotion.
- Bus safety concerns: A student reported a terrifying moment when their bus struggled to ascend a hill, nearly rolling into a ravine.
Some students compared the chaotic experience to the Bataan Death March, a reference to the forced march of Filipino and American prisoners of war during World War II.
Bestlink’s Troubled History with Field Trips
This is not the first time Bestlink College has been involved in a controversial off-campus event.
In February 2017, a bus carrying Bestlink students on a field trip to Tanay, Rizal, lost its brakes and crashed into an electricity post, killing 15 students and injuring around 40 others.
The tragic incident prompted CHED to impose a moratorium on field trips, which was later lifted in December 2017.
As the investigation unfolds, many are calling for stricter regulations on school-organized trips to prevent further safety lapses.
What's Your Reaction?
