The speech given by salutatorian Krisel Mallari of Sto. Niño Parochial School of Quezon City grabbed the attention of social media after school officials tried to censor it when she accused them of favoritism. But that’s not the only news story, good or bad, that involve graduating students.
In Cebu, the Department of Education (DepEd) reminded the Talisay City College that their Education students won’t graduate because the school failed to meet requirements.
If misery loves company, then Talisay City College students may find solace with the scholars of the Asian College of Technology (ACT) who were told by school officials that they cannot graduate because of unpaid tuition, courtesy of an ongoing court dispute between Cebu City Hall and the school owner, Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa of Cebu City’s south district.
Mallari’s case had been debated and commented on by Netizens and mainstream media for days now. It is under investigation by the DepEd so it’s perhaps better for the public to wait for the results which would take a long time.
The plight of the Talisay City College students and the scholars in Rep. Abellanosa’s school are more complicated and involve a lot more victims.
And the blame largely goes to those elders running the show.
Yes, they can be considered victims because they were promised a better future by their elder powers-that-be if they studied hard and performed well, only for that promise to be pulled under their feet.
After tangling with the school administration which was largely aligned with his political rival, former congressman Eduardo Gullas, one would think that Talisay City Mayor Johnny delos Reyes should have at least been informed about the school’s failure to comply with DepEd requirements.
While the school addresses this matter with DepEd, it would be better for them not to advertise and accept new enrollees for their Education department until the matter is resolved.
In the case of the ACT students, the options offered by the City Legal Office — including for the school to put up a bond to ensure the release of the transcript of records to the scholars while the graft case against Abellanosa is ongoing — are a viable alternatives.
Right now, the plight of these students should be prioritized by Cebu City and Talisay City officials in whose hands lie the key to their immediate employment.
While it’s true that a student’s future is shaped by how he or she prepares and deals with it, the primary responsibility of ensuring a bright future for them lies in the hands of their elders, who must act early and set aside their differences.
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