Forum-Dimensions Tabloid 2021 (The Forum)

Page 1

Full protection amid ‘baseless’ redtagging, WVSU assures students West Visayas State University President Joselito Villaruz says students’ safety and security will be his administration’s primary concern amid red-tagging incidents.

The future of democracy at our fingertips The Filipinos should never forget that the power to vote should be coupled with facts and conscience.

▶ News | Page 2

Luna St, La Paz, Iloilo City, 5000 Iloilo

Scan this code to get a digital copy of The Forum, WVSU’s University Student Newspaper

▶ Opinion | Page 8

TheForum Integrity | Reliabilty | Commitment

Volume LXXXI No. 1 December 2020 - July 2021

The Official University Student Newspaper of the West Visayas State University

Delta threat delays WVSU’s limited in-person classes

Richard D. Olano, Jr.

A

mid the threat of the more infectious COVID-19 Delta variant in Iloilo City, West Visayas State University (WVSU) awaits the approval of its application to open limited face-to-face classes for undergraduate students in the colleges of Medicine and Nursing.

Despite pending application, retrofitting of facilities completed

Through a joint memorandum circular issued February 12, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Health provided guidelines for higher education institutions in opening limited in-person classes for health-related degree programs. Universi t y administrators presented the status of the application to stakeholders during a virtual town hall meeting held June 8, emphasizing that facilities needed for the planned in-person classes have been retrofitted and that a comprehensive learning continuity plan has been developed. Delta and delays According to WVSU President Joselito Villaruz, the University Crisis Management Committee has already completed the preparations and submitted the application to CHED Regional Office 6.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

A senior physician of West Visayas State University Medical Center volunteered for a Sinovac jab to encourage colleagues to receive the coronavirus disease vaccine during the initial roll-out. John Glen L. Teorima for Forum-Dimensions

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West offers PH’s 2nd gov’trun dental medicine program

BY THE NUMBERS

93,515

Eric D. Morguia, Jr.

FULLY VACCINATED Iloilo City residents against COVID-19, as of July 30.

59,666 SWAB SAMPLES TESTED

By the Iloilo City Uswag Molecular Laboratory, as of July 31

Almost a year after being granted the authority to offer a law degree, West Visayas State University (WVSU) officially announced the opening of its new program, the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). The University will be the first state university in Western Visayas and second in the country — after the University of the Philippines (UP) in Manila — to offer the program, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced in its press release Friday, May 21. “While dentistry is covered under RA 10931 or the Free Higher Education law, only UP had a dentistry program,” according to the CHED, adding that WVSU was chosen to offer the course because of its “strong medical program.”

For students’ safety amid pandemic, WVSU devises region-wide tablet distribution plan Keven Rizzo C. Sitjar Students living outside Iloilo City will no longer have to claim their learning tablets at the West Visayas State University Main Campus, as the administration is crafting a region-wide delivery plan. According to University President Joselito Villaruz, students’ addresses in the Integrated University Information System will be used to map locations to “complete the distribution the soonest” without compromising students’ safety.

▶ News | Page 20

▶ News | Page 20

MAKING EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE.

Taga-West students and representatives from the Collge of Communication gathered at the Villareal Stadium in Roxas City for the distribution of educational tablets in Capiz, December 21, 2020. Photo Courtesy: Nickson De Guzman

At a glance: How the WVSU academic community responded to the COVID-19 pandemic March 16, 2020 WVSU suspends classes due to COVID-19 outbreak

April 30, 2020 WVSU admin: Synchronous online classes ‘discouraged’

A.Y. 2019 - 2020 March 20, 2020 Student orgs slam WVSU’s ‘antipoor’ online learning policy

May 29, 2020

WVSU eyes reduced class sizes, 3-day school week: Villaruz says in an interview

September 5, 2020

Villaruz, in a The Forum interview, says ‘learning should continue’ amid acad freeze calls

A.Y. 2020 - 2021 July 8, 2020 Provision of learning tablets for students announced

July 29, 2021 Iloilo City records first Delta variant case; WVSU’s application for limited F2F classes delayed

A.Y. 2021 - 2022 June 3, 2021 WVSU applies for limited in-person classes for medicine, nursing


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