NEWS
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September 2020 - January 2021 | Vol. XXVIII Issue No. 1
Reshaping the usual. Students and employees comply with the rules as the university implements thermal scanning, hand sanitation, foot bath, checking of face masks, and filling out health checklist before entering the campus as a part of new normal. Photo by Kristine Joy S. Nool
“It would NOT be best to open classes earlier than August” says UPang › Rose Andrei V. Sanchez Last March 16, 2020,Philippines have been under Extended Community Quarantine due to the unstoppable spread of Corona Virus. This pandemic resulted to closing of schools and universities nationwide. ECQ should have lasted only for a month but due to increasing number of positive cases especially in Luzon, quarantine is still applied affecting the economical development of the country, hunger of Filipinos under poverty and the academical continuation of students. President Rodrigo Duterte stated that face to face classes will not resume unless there’s a vaccine for the said virus, contradicting with the Department of Education’s ear-
lier announcement that face to face classes are safe to resume on August 24 in areas with eased quarantine protocols. As a response to this, PHINMA University of Pangasinan released an official statement last 25th of May in regards to the continuation of classes for the academic year 2020-2021 indicating “We agree with many experts that it would NOT be best to open classes earlier than August”. Online classes won’t be applied as UPang recognizes that not all students are equipped for this. However, according to Sir Adele Traspe, the director of CSDL, Upang sees the delay of classes as an opportunity to develop a learning sys-
tem considering the factor of social distancing and to sanitize the campus to ensure the safety of students when classes start. UPang’s response to the crisis are highly appreciated by the students, parents and staffs. As they consider the safety and the capability of everyone especially on the financial aspect. Staffs and educators are also readying themselves with a curriculum that would match the “new normal” education during coronavirus pandemic. The current statements of our President and DepEd, however, left many teachers, students and also parents confused on what to follow. Arguments on whether it
is safe to resume face to face classes on August are everywhere and even students especially college are debating that if they didn’t attend classes due to their safety, their subjects and units will have to be delayed. They are torn between their safety and their will to graduate. UPang understands this crisis and ensures that they will reorganize the classes to maximize the time to remain safely at home, maintain safe physical distancing in school and still prepare everyone for their chosen profession. As a part of the “new normal” curriculum, added hygiene equipments are seen once you enter the campus, guards and staffs are also following the precaution-
ary safety gears like face masks, face shields and gloves. Students upon enter will have to undergo a series of safety measures. Health Assessment Questionnaire will also be answered by every student. There will be face to face classes for students but will only last for four days in 2 weeks following a 4-10 curriculum whereas, four days face to face and 10 days school work at home. This will help in observing if a student has symptoms of the COVID-19 virus. Social distancing will also be observed in every classroom with a maximum of 25 students per room. Facilities like Student Plaza and Registrar will also have social distancing factor.
Distance learning: a new normal obstacle? Christian R. Hulipas
Bayanihan sa brigada. Makikita ang isang iClean personnel na bahagi ng Brigada Eskwela ng SSC kasama ang LSCs. Photo by Kristine Joy S. Nool
Student councils on keeping to their platforms amid Covid-19 pandemic Kristine Joy S. Nool
Headed by the PHINMA University of Pangasinan (UPang) Appointments, Performance Evaluation, and Electoral Commission (APEC), the Flames General Elections 2020 was conducted last March 9 to March 14 at PTC 304 and 306 where Wesley Halili won as the Supreme Student Council (SSC) president and Christine Queñano as the vice president. Few days after the turnover, the new officers renovated and repainted the SSC office, which is located at the back of Center for Student Development and Leadership (CSDL), to look more orderly and accommodating to students who need assistance when classes reopen. According to Halili, they will
stick to their platforms stated during the campaign period and will try their best to administer their projects for the university and student body even though this global crisis endures. Some of the proposed projects of the newly-elected SSC: “finding ways to make the enrollment easier, standardization of school events, community service, bridging program, and leadership and training program.” Meanwhile, the Local Student Council (LSC) fulfilled the Internal Brigada Eskwela last August 3-4, 2020. At the end of the semester, the SSC was able to provide 7 lavatory and handwashing sinks and alcohol dispensers around the campus.
During the first semester of 2020-2021, some of the students from the University of Pangasinan (UPang) encountered various difficulties with modular learning, a distance learning modality. The first few weeks of this newly established mode of learning was well-accepted at the university, but some students encountered a lot of difficulties. A lot of the students’ concerns were their internet connection, which is the pinnacle of modular and online learning. According to Claire Dioquino, a third-year BSED student, “Our situation is not fully modular, we still have online meetings with our professors, so what I’ve observed is not everyone can really pull this off. Some just can’t learn independently, some have no gadgets, signals, and/ or internet connection at all; some do not have a learning-conducive environment at home.” Several students did not enroll this semester because they decided to pursue their dreams in another way; some just wanted to be safe. Since some students have weak internet connections, they would have to pass their modules late and some teachers do understand the situation now, but some do not. The other concern is the submittal time of the modules being answered. One student from the bachelor of secondary education students pointed out that “Modular learning is not just about self-learning and acquiring knowledge from our teachers. It teaches us how to be disciplined and manage our time.” In accordance with Mr. Justine Troi Castillo from the Center for Student Development and Leadership (CSDL), “Learning must continue, and no student must be left behind. The employment of the teachers might be terminated and because they have families. Not all are in favor of academic freeze. UPang considered academic freeze, but because of the of ‘Kamustahan’ project, an avenue for students to stay connected, the school adjusted to modular learning.” He was also part of the module distribution team along with the GSD, and finance department. There are a lot of downsides about this new mode of learning– distance, time-consuming, and money. “Maraming kulang sa modules and students won’t have the time to check it because UPang staff won’t allow students to stay long inside the campus to limit the people and prevent the spread of Covid-19. Our staffs have difficulties too.” UPang also partnered with the LGUs and more than 20
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Distance learning... | p5
