CVSCAFT should speak with one clear voice-Rep. Chatto
Rep. Edgar Chatto has urged the administration, faculty and stakeholders of the Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology (CVSCAFT) System to speak with one clear, firm voice on the conversion of the school into the first and only state university in Bohol.
They know more of their school and its strength to qualify for what could soon be the Bohol Island State University (BISU), said Chatto in an exclusive interview, he being the principal author of the House bill raising CVSCAFT to a university status.
The Bohol legislator who is the vice chairman of Congress’ education committee could only hope that the CVSCAFT family would speak as one amid just very recent discordant notes over the transfer of the main campus from Bilar to Tagbilaran City once BISU is established.
Chatto has shared the dream of the CVSCAFT community, Gov. Erico Aumentado and Reps. Roberto Cajes and Adam Relson Jala in making university education accessible to as many Boholanos, particularly the young ones who are children of lowly families.
The CVSCAFT System has campuses in Bilar, Tagbilaran City, Calape, Clarin, Balilihan and Candijay.
The original draft of the state university bill had the main campus retained in Bilar, but the idea of a new main campus in the city was pushed by the CVSCAFT System Board of Trustees (BOT) led by the chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Administrative Council, college directors and heads of the campuses.
In the 89th Administrative Council Meeting in Clarin Campus on January 4-5, 2007, the CVSCAFT pushed for the main campus in Tagbilaran City, not in Bilar, on account of the move for a state university.
The BOT met also in Clarin Campus on May 20-21, 2008, this time passing BOT Resolution No. 23, Series of 2008, which approves the Bohol Island State University as the official name of CVSCAFT once it is converted into a state university.
Long before the BISU bill was filed, the BOT passed Resolution No. 47, Series of 2003, transferring the seat of operations of the CVSCAFT System to Tagbilaran City Campus. This transpired in the BOT Meeting in Siquijor on August 15, 2003.
MAIN CAMPUS IN CITY REAFFIRMED
Following the sudden dissenting notes on the main campus transfer, Chatto called the attention of CVSCAFT System president Dr. Elpidio Magante to address the concern in their level in the CVSCAFT.
In its 44th BOT Meeting at Bohol Tropics last August 20, the CVSCAFT reaffirmed its position to have the main campus transferred to the city.
Magante said it is the desire of the Board of Trustees to have the main campus in the city as stated in the BOT resolution transferring the CVSCAFT System president’s office and administrative workforce to the city campus.
Board trustee and NEDA Regional Dir. Marlene Catalina Rodriguez stressed the strategic location of the city campus “which should be accepted by the faculty of the Bilar Main Campus and everybody for efficiency of service.â€
Trustee Argeo Melisimo favored the same on ground that it is operationally viable. He cited the technology development in Bohol, specifically the fiber optic connection in the city which gives the capital of the province advantages over Bilar, an interior town.
Melisimo also said the board is supportive of the equitable allocation and distribution of resources to the campuses under the state university system.
Trustee Avelina Escudero said they in the Bilar Campus faculty have understood and accepted the fact that the existing main campus “could not surpass†the city campus as the main campus, according to the minutes of the latest BOT meeting.
Escudero sits in the BOT as president of the Faculty Association of the CVSCAFT- Main Campus in Bilar.
She clarified that they just want equitable allocation of resources, especially due share to the Bilar campus, once the state university status is attained.
Magante said he had repeatedly mentioned the university status application---with CVSCAFT-Tagbilaran as main campus---during meetings of the faculty, employees, Supreme Student Government, Administrative Council which is composed of all college directors, and in school programs.
Dr. Magante revealed in an interview that the Bohol solons led by Chatto filed the BISU bill by reasons of the appeal of the school (CVSCAFT System) administration.
He added that the governor strongly backed the CVSCAFT want for the state college’s conversion into a university also right at the start of the filing of the BISU bill.
The proposed transfer of the main campus was not a brainchild of the solons as attested by CVSCAFT high-level meeting records and as what some people would like to mislead the Boholanos and make them mistakenly believe, Magante further explained.
In fact, the governor lately met with Chatto and CVSCAFT System president during which the latter provided Aumentado and the congressman minutes of the CVSCAFT Board of Trustees (BOT) and Administrative Council (CA) meetings discussing the main campus transfer.
The governor then called the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) led by the vice governor in a separate ensuing meeting on the state university concern.
In the said meeting, the governor also explained his position on the usufruct term in the school use of the provincial lot, which he wanted to remain in the name of the province even if it is perpetually used by the school.
They agreed on it in principle while the province is awaiting the memorandum of agreement with the state college and, soon, university.
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