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Stakeholders of the Congress-approved law converting the Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology (CVSCAFT) to Bohol Island State University (BISU) are strongly battling for the retention of the main campus in Bilar town.

Teachers, students, Bilar officials and alumni, accused the officials of the CVSCAFT including the Board of Trustees (BoT) of proposing the school's main campus shift from Bilar to Tagbilaran City for "operational convenience" and not for "operational efficiency."

Spearheading the campus retention, lady Board Member Ester Corazon J. Galbreath, told the committee meeting last week, "I'm not convinced of the operational efficiency" as the reason for the planned transfer.

If that's the main reason then, "That means that your employees are not efficient if they will be working in Bilar instead of Tagbilaran or just for operational convenience because most of them are living in Tagbilaran or from Tagbilaran," Galbreath bluntly told CVSCAFT president Dr. Elpidio Magante who attended the said meeting.

Magante appeared doing the Pontius Pilate and told the meeting that "It's not me who decided the main campus shall be in Tagbilaran City. It's the board of trustees."

He explained that when he took over the presidency, it was the BOT that decided to transfer his office to Tagbilaran City.         

He said that operational efficiency in the transfer of the main campus is considered because of the "nearness of Tagbilaran City to the airport (or) to the port and Tagbilaran is the nerve center of communication and transportation. For example, (school) visitors coming from Manila could easily be entertained in Tagbilaran City. And there are so many things that operational efficiency could be the main reason. It is not for convenience."

Galbreath countered, "Why the Los Banos (referring to University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna) was not transferred to Manila which is farther than Bilar-Tagbilaran.? The original bill provides that Bilar is the main campus."

SUPPORT

Galbreath's struggle for the retention of the main campus in Bilar got the support from the stakeholders as well.

Bilar Sangguniang Bayan passed Resolution No. 073, series of 2009, "requesting Sen. Mar Roxas, chairman, Committee on Higher and Technical Education, Senate, to retain CVSCAFT system whether the status of the CVSCAFT be catapulted to the status of State University or not."

And the Sangguniang Panlalawigan also pitched support to Bilar Resolution.

Bilar Resolution accused the CVSCAFT administration that "there was no consultation done" in the proposed transfer of the main campus.

"CVSCAFT Bilar is strategically located and has an area of 89.53 hectares, part of which is titled to Bohol Agricultural College and a Forest Reserve/forest Academic Research Area of 3,020 hectares suitable for all forms of expansion when the State College be converted into a state university," the Bilar Resolution said.

The said Resolution stressed that the main campus here is already in place because of the "exemplary performance of the staff and faculty" that contributed to the points for the State College to be raised to Level II."

Avelina D. Escudero, president of CAVSCAFT Bilar Faculty Association and association secretary Manolito C. Macalolot told the meeting that the students and faculty are one that in opposing the said transfer.

Macalolot said the students leaders made a signature campaign for the retention of the main campus.

Bilar councilor Henry Vidal hastened to say that the council agreed to the conversion but not the campus transfer. He lamented that the council has been "ignored" by school administration. "We shouldn't be blamed that there is now containment. Now, we are quite dismayed to the fact that something is brewing and we've never been informed."

SENATE ACT

Senator Mar Roxas, chair of the education committee, has informed Vice-Gov. Julius Herrera that House Bill No. 5638, converting the CVSCAFT to BISU, was already passed by the Senate on August 18, 2009.

The senator said in his letter to Herrera that the bill recognizes the important role of the university as the "training ground for Bohol 's and the country's succeeding generations and future leaders."

Also Included in the BISU satellite campuses are those located in Candijay, Clarin, Calape, and Balilihan, the law provides.

Those who favored the approval of the said bill include senators Benigno Aqiono III, Joker Arroyo, Pia Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, Francis Esucero, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilio Pimentel, Jr., Ramon Revilla, Jr., Mar Roxas and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

House sponsors are Reps. Edgar Chatto, Rberto Cajes, Adam Relson Jala, and congressmen Javier, Remulla , Del Mar,Padilla, Madrona, Nicolas, Amatong, Aquino, Mitra, De Guzman, Garay, and Angping. -Ric V Obedencio

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