BILAR–The Central Visayas State College for Agriculture, Forestry and Technology (CVASCAFT), where the main campus is located in this agriculturally-rich town, was not qualified to become a state university but its application was considered after all. National Economic Development Authority Regional Director Marlene Catalina Rodriguez issued the statement during the CVSCAFT Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting and forum held here to thresh out kinks. Rodriguez, also a BoT member, attended the meeting on September 14 which was presided by Commission on Higher Education commissioner William Medrano. The forum tackled on resolving the furor over transferring the main campus to Tagbilaran City by Bilar populace led by Mayor Fanuel Cadelina and former mayor and incumbent Provincial Board Member Ester Corazon Galbreath. Rodriguez, who described herself as “staunch” critic to the bill converting CVSCAFT to a state university, said that CVSCAFT did not qualify under the strict criteria set for a state university since CVSCAFT was still at level I. Based on the said criteria, a state college to become a state university should have attain the level IV status. But she was short of explaining what level IV of excellence is all about. But she changed her mind “after a soul-searching” and after her own economic analysis of the CVSCAFT application. Stressing her stand based on logic and objectivity, Rodriguez ended up supporting the bill passed recently by both the House and the Senate.

“We evaluate (it) in a macro view, we don't do it at a very micro view,” was how she described the NEDA endorsement of the CVSCAFT's conversion into Bohol Island State University or BISU, for short. She added, “BISU can become a major instrument of triggering a development for Bohol country-sides, thus fast-tracking its growth that will redound to the uplifting of people's quality of life.” Rodriguez' revelation came out minutes after Congressmen Edgar Chatto of the first district, Roberto Cajes of the second district, left the forum apparently to catch the flight back to Manila to attend the regular session of the House in the afternoon of Sept. 14. Rep. Adam Relson Jala of the 3rd district was visibly absent in the forum but was represented by his father then congressman Eladio Jala, who favored for the retention of Bilar as the main campus of the university. The timing of the conversion of the school to a state university is suspect, said an official who is very vocal of the retention of the main campus.

The official said if Rodriguez telltales are to be taken at face value, then what are the “considerations” that CVSCAFT was converted to a state university if it is not qualified. Were there other agenda in what she called “railroading” the passage of the bill? Almost all of the stakeholders, including the local government unit here, are in favor of converting it to a state university, anyway. Bilar town officials, alumni, faculty and student associations, however, are opposed to the transfer of the main campus to Tagbilaran City when BISU becomes operational. The oppositors to the transfer of the main campus said that they were not consulted with regard to the said transfer allegedly manipulated by the school administration led by its president Dr. Elpidio Magante.

Appeal junked

The appeal of the faculty, studentry and officials here turned to naught when the BoT turned down during the same forum, the proposal to retain the main campus here even if “in the name only” while the “administrative operations” will be in Tagbilaran City . Norris Oculam, a BoT member representing the private sector, confirmed this in an interview yesterday. The BoT decision junking Bilar appeal for campus retention has dimmed the hope for Bilar people and stakeholders' dream of having the main campus retained in their turf for academic upgrading and for some “sentimental” reasons. Right now, the CVSCAFT system is practically operating under this set up. It appeared that BoT was not convinced of the grounds advanced by the Bilar stakeholders and despite proposal of Cong. Roberto Cajes to classify main campuses based on the specialization of each satellite campuses.

Cajes hinted for a “win-win” solution to the BISU campus transfer uproar, saying that, if everybody is agreeable, Bilar campus could be referred to as the main campus for agriculture or Tagbilaran City , main campus for technology. Bot was also in a hurry because it was given by the congressmen until September 16 only to submit their recommendation as to the transfer of the main campus for reconsideration prior to the signature of the President for the bill to become a law. Rep. Edgar Chatto, who also spoke on the CVSCAFT conversion during the same forum, stressed that the CVASCAFT family should have a unified voice on the main campus to hasten the signing of the bill by the President. Both Chatto and Cajes assured the stakeholders for a speedy approval of the bill for the entire CVSCAFT to become a state university.

Backlash

If the campus transfer will be effected, Chatto and Cajes could face a backlash on their political career. Chatto and Cajes, who are on their last terms and are considering tossing their hats for governor and vice-governor in 2010, respectively, an observer here said. But Cajes, reports said, appeared unfazed of the threat if Bilar people to junk him in the elections. He was quoted as saying that he just doing his job in crafting the law of CVSCAFT conversion to a state university for accessible and affordable university education. The alleged railroading of the passage of the bill for BISU was seen here as a political ploy to gain political mileage for some politicians without directly referring to the sponsors of the bill, said an observer. CHED commissioner William Medrano, chair of the BoT, reiterated the grounds for the campus transfer mainly for “operational efficiency” aside from the fact that Tagbilaran City is the hub of transportation and communication. CVSCAFT Tagbilaran City campus has more infrastructure to offer for the various courses than what Bilar has, he said. No retreat, no surrender Mayor Fanuel Cadelina has never given up the fight for the campus retention in Bilar. In his letter to Vice-Gov. Julius Herrera, Cadelina urged the SP to make strong representation  by way of a Resolution addressed to Congress to still retain the campus in Bilar even if the school is already a state university. “We all the reasons to claim the retention of the main campus of CVSCAFT system in Bilar as soon as it will be elevated to a university status because in the first place the name CVSCAFT existed because of the tedious and collective efforts of then Mayor Ester Corazon Galbreath, the Sangguniang Bayan of Bilar, (then) congressman Isidro Zarraga and the school's alumni association coupled by the school's geographical location and land area which had convinced Congress to enact RA 8659 converting Bohol Agricultural College into CVSCAFT,” Cadelina lamented.   

CVSCAFT operations

The state college operates, by virtue of RA 8659 enacted on June 22, 1998 with a total annual budget of P125,132,000. Personnel services or salaries got the lion's share to the tune of P96 million while P25 million and over P4million for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) and capital outlay, respectively.   It accommodates a total of 10,247 enrolment with a 219 teaching force, 87 master degree holders and 33 doctorate holders. Tagbilaran City campus has the biggest student population with a total of 5,620 for schoolyear 2009-2010. Its satellite campuses are located in the towns of Bilar (Bohol Agricultural college), Clarin (Clarin School of Fisheries), Candijay, (Bohol School of Fisheries in Cogtong), Calape (Calape National School of Fisheries) and Tagbilaran City (Bohol School of Arts and Trades). Bilar main campus has an area of 89.5 hectares and 3,020 hectares for agricultural and forestry reserve, respectively and Tagbilaran City , 1.4 has.; Candijay campus, 30.95 has.; Clarin, 25.45 has.; and Calape, 3.24 has. The school takes pride of its at least 14 “exemplary performance in board examinations” and numerous topnotchers. The school is governed by BoT composed of Medrano, as chairman; Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano representing the Senate; Rep. Cynthia Villar for the House; Rodriguez for NEDA; Dept. of Agriculture regional director Ric Oblena; Rene Burt Llanto for Dept. of Science and Technology; AVelina Escudero for faculty association; Arnelos Olandria for federated alumni association; Argeo Melisimo and businessman Norris Oculam, both for private sector; and Anjo Bantono (Clarin) for the student government, members. Villar, Cayetano and Melisimo were not around during the BoT meeting presided over by Medrano. (RVO)