Deretsahan

By September 1, 2014Archives, Opinion

Field trips are meant to be educational

BEBOT VILLAR

By Bebot Villar

 

UNTIL now, I still can’t believe that seven students of Bulacan State University (BSU) died after they were swept away by strong river currents during a field trip last week.  Sa isang iglap, ang isang masayang pamamasyal-cum-educational ay nauwi sa trahedya.

Hindi na bago ang mga field trips o educational trips na ito. This has been practiced in schools, mula elementary until college. And this was not the first time na may nasawing mga estudyante. DepEd at CHED had issued many guidelines on field trips in the past and while they formulated the guidelines, suspended lahat ang field trips.

At some point, naging optional ang pagsama sa field trips. Many parents kasi complained about the high costs of the field trips.  Example, students from Visayas traveled to Luzon or vice versa. Imagine the expenses for fare, food and accommodation! Masakit sa bulsa! And then, ang pupuntahan pala ay mga lugar wala namang relevance sa kanilang subjects! Madalas nga, kasama ang mga malls sa kanilang itinerary!

But it appears that to encourage the students to join the field trips, there are teachers na nagbibigay ng “incentives” for joining.  Halimbawa, may plus 5 sa final grade o kaya’y katulad sa BSU, exempted from final exams ang sasama!

Ang tanong tuloy ng mga magulang: Magkano ba ang kita ni Ma’am o ni Sir for every student that joins?  This is what CHED and DepEd should look into. Baka naman isa nang malawakang racket ang mga field trips na ito!

Dapat may managot sa trahedyang sinapit ng mga BSU students. Dapat may makulong!

Okay, accidents do happen. But they can be avoided. Why would take your students, for instance, to a river after a torrential rain?

Field trips are meant to be educational. Pero sa mga nangyayari ngayon, ang field trip ay isa lamang excursion, isang pleasure trip…or  “business” trip for organizers?

*          *          *          *

Now that the PDEA has set up fully operational forensic laboratories all over the country, mas mapapabilis na ang prosecution ng mga drug cases sa buong bansa! No more long waiting time just to get confirmation of confiscated drugs at arrested drug users.

With the forensic labs, PDEA can now independently analyze seized dangerous drugs and administer drug tests on arrested suspects throughout the country! Breakthrough ito sa campaign against illegal drugs! Noon kasi, the PDEA had only one forensic laboratory and it is located at its national headquarters in Quezon City!

The Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (CGMS) machine which PDEA initially used ay minana pa sa Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) because before the RA 9165 was passed, nasa DDB po ang laboratory at maging ang treatment and rehabilitation ng Department of Health (DOH) ngayon.

The establishment of forensic labs is proof that our government is dead serious in its campaign against illegal drugs. High-tech ang mga forensic labs na ito at we have highly-trained chemists to do the qualitative tests of illegal drugs to be used as evidence in court!

Kaya sa mga pushers at users diyan, mag-isip-isip na kayo! Maghanap na kayo ng legal na pagkakakitaan. Pag nahuli kayo, at tiyak, mahuhuli kayo balang araw, wala na kayong lusot!  Sa mga users naman, i-ayos niyo na ang mga sarili niyo! Sabi nga nila, if there’s a will, there’s a way! Walang maidudulot na mabuti sa inyo ang illegal drugs!

*          *          *          *

There is a proposal in the provincial board of Pangasinan to increase congressional districts from two to four, or a total of 8 to 10 districts.

Halos 3 million na raw kasi ang population natin, but we only have 6 congressional districts. Under the law, each district should represent at least 250,000 population. If Pangasinan now has 2.9 million population, then it should have 10 districts!

It’s time we increase our districts. Patuloy sa paglobo ang ating populasyon at dumarami ang pangangailangan ng mga mamamayan. Kailangan nila ng tinig sa Kongreso na magpaparating sa kanilang mga hinaing at pangangailangan.

The only problem is, it’s only Congress that can create additional districts. And the question is: Will our Pangasinan representatives accede to the call of the provincial board to file the necessary proposal in Congress?

So far, wala pang response ang ating mga congressmen at congresswomen. At kung magkaroon man, palagay ko, hindi madaling usapin ito. The contentious point is how re-district existing 6 districts into eight or ten! Matagal at masalimuot itong usapan. Sa proposal ng provincial board, ang first option ay huwag galawin ang first and fourth districts, at ang ikalawang option naman ay galawin lahat ng distrito.

In 2008, there was an attempt to add just one district. But that failed because it was determined na walang naganap na malawakang consultation.

There is no doubt that it has become imperative to add more districts. It will translate to more funds and additional services for more. Unfotunately, mukhang wala pang malinaw na tatahaking landas ang redistricting proposal.

Ilang tulog na lang kasi, election na naman!

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments