CHEd funds free agri review classes

The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) are providing free review classes to students from 15 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) offering agriculture courses.

UPLB, being the center of excellence in agriculture, was tapped by CHED to provide review classes to students from Basilan State College, Batanes State College, Capiz State University-Tapaz Campus, Kalingan State University, Isabela State University-Palanan Campus, Mindanao State University-Sulu Campus, Norteastern Mindanao State University-San Miguel Campus, Northwest Samar State University-San Jorge Campus, Quirino State University, Romblon State University-Cajidiocan Campus, Southern Luzon State University-Tayabas Campus, Sulu State College, Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College, University of Eastern Philippines-Catubig Campus, and University of Rizal System-Tanay Campus.

“By June, they can start the review classes targetting the examination in October,” CHEd chairperson Prospero de Vera said, adding the initiative has been funded by the commission.

“Basically, what we’re going to do is use the expertise of the UP Los Baños to conduct free review classes for agriculture students who are preparing for their licensure test,” he said.

The CHEd official said he saw at the Sulu State University that students do not have access to a review center, with them needing to go to Zamboanga by boat for that purpose.

He said most students in other universities like those in Tawi-Tawi and Basilan share the predicament. “So, I said why don’t we use the power of technology and expertise in public service. Why don’t universities work together to help each other?”

De Vera said the 15 universities are selected based on three criteria items: They must have strong connectivity and they must have computered laboratory; they must come from far-flung areas; and they must have licensure results that need to be improved.

The review classes) will be done electronically with the review materials being loaded online.

“You cannot do that in a regular face-to-face review classes,” De Vera said, adding that more than 500 students from the universities will benefit from the initiative.

Emphasizing that food security is a centerpiece initiative of the Marcos administration, De Vera is encouraging more students to take up courses in agriculture.

“But even more students would go to agriculture, we have to make sure more of them would become agriculturists because even if the enrollment goes up, if the passing rate and licensure exam is down, then we cannot produce,” he said.

“We need to produce the next generation of farmers. And one way of doing that is to produce more agriculturists,” the CHED chief added.

To be able to entice more students to go into agriculture, De Vera underscored the need to make agriculture courses more exciting.