Two schools in Bacolod City are still waiting for the evaluation of the Commission on Higher Education-Western Visayas to qualify in the gradual face-to-face classes for medical courses.
These are the University of St. La Salle and Riverside College, which have big population of students enrolled in medical courses.
Their applications will be evaluated to determine if they can qualify for the present semester or for the next school year, said Mark Molina, president of Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports, Cultural and Educational Association.
Last month, the CHED released the list of 24 universities and colleges with medical schools approved for gradual face-to-face learning methods, but none from Bacolod was included.
Molina is still verifying if Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod and University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos also applied although they have lesser number of medical students compared to the two other schools.
Four universities in Western Visayas allowed to hold gradual face-to-face classes include the West Visayas State University, Central Philippine University, Iloilo Doctors’ College and the University of Iloilo, all based in Iloilo City.
Molina said the Iloilo schools applied earlier than the schools in Bacolod, the reason why the applications of the Iloilo schools were also approved first.
It is easier and accessible for CHED to inspect the Iloilo campuses, considering the travel restrictions imposed in the previous months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.
Molina said he is optimistic that CHED-Region 6 can conduct the evaluation anytime soon or after end of the semester so that Bacolod schools can start face-to-face classes in the next school year. – MML
