By ALMA B. SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY – Parents and faculty of Mountain Province State Polythecnic College (MPSPC) called on the protesters to resume their classes while waiting for the result of the investigation.

In an emailed statement entitled “An urgent appeal to faculty and students: Go back to class and let the investigation be,” they expressed their sympathy to the students with legitimate issues raised particularly on their democratic rights. They also salute said students for actively asserting their rights to expression.

Moreover, they expressed their concern to their co-faculty raising issues like permanency, honorarium, process of hiring and firing, and promotion.

They also strongly suggested the students and faculty to come together and collate the cases of threats, harassments and intimidation specially committed in the duration of the rally.

However, they are alarmed that the students have not attended their classes for a month already. “They missed a lot of lessons in the so many days that classes were suspended and disrupted,” the statement reads.

The topics that have not been lectured, they said, have piled up to more than two pages modules and hand-outs. They are also worried about the computer and laboratory classes and on-the-job trainings that hand-out instruction would not suffice.

Classes outside the school

Mau Bartolome, the spokeperson of the concerned teachers, also called the protest leaders to stop harassing members of the faculty and students that are going back to class. In a phone interview, she shared that she had experienced being locked by the protesters in the classroom with her students while having their class. “Until now, harassment by the protesters is continuing,” she added.

Because of this, Bartolome said that they are resorting to conducting classes outside the school. “May nagkaklase sa Bontoc Plaza, provincial library at pati sa mga bahay,” (There are those that are having their class at the Bontoc Plaza, provincial library, and even in houses) she said.

She also raised their concern on the welfare of the faculty on job order basis that are being payed per day and the part-time instructors who receive pay per hour. If classes continue to be disrupted and worse if the school shuts down, the non-permanent faculty members will no longer receive their dues. “They will no longer have a source of income to feed their families,” their statement further reads.

They stressed that they (faculty) are accountable to the students, parents and the community. Parents who are sending their children to school, Bartolome added, are hoping that the students are learning. “If classes will not resume, the students and their parents are the ones who will suffer the most,” Bartolome added.

They are calling the attention of the student leaders, concerned faculty members, administrators and their community leaders to encourage each and everyone to resume classes as they wait for the result of the investigation of the issues raised against Dacyon’s administration.

“Let due process prevail,” said their statement.

Moreover, they are calling the help of concerned agencies to intervene so that the situation will go back to normal. This, they said, will give way for the investigating team to do their part in solving the problems and issues brought out.

They are also hoping that the investigating team will conduct an impartial investigation.

Meanwhile, concerned parents of the students of the said school in an emailed open letter are asking the leaders of the protest to have mercy on their children and let the classes resume. They also expressed their doubt that the problems raised by the rallyists can be solved if Dacyon will resign.

Moreover, they called the leaders of the protest to study their actions and consider the welfare of their children. # nordis.net