LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN – A new year and a second wave of scholars of 700 young Pangsinenses will receive free education from the Pangasinan Polytechnic College.
This after the 700 of 1,500 Pangasinan youth hurdled the admission examinations administered last May 26 and 27 and are expected to receive scholarship at the PPC.
The 700 will join last year’s pioneering 700 scholars and will be enrolled in four baccalaureate degrees of either Public Administration major in Local Governance, Multi Media Arts, Agribusiness and Special Needs Education.
The PPC is a legacy project of Governor Ramon V. Guico III who aims to have every poor family to have at least one college graduate in their household.
“Dumadami ‘yung estudyante na dumadating, 700 last year at may inaasahan tayong 700 ulit this year,” said PPC president Dr. Raymundo D. Rovillos as he added that this will surely will see a 100 percent increase in the school’s population this coming school year.
(The number of students is increasing, it was 700 last year and we expect another 700 this year.)
The PPC located at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC) compound is the first state college run by the province. It was opened last year with 700 college scholars.
Dr. Rovillos, formerly the University of the Philippines – Baguio chancellor, said that with more students, more classrooms will be in place as assured by Gov. Guico.
The governor has earlier approved the conversion of six more classrooms from the former dormitories at the NRSCC. Likewise, a four-story building within the sports complex is expected to rise soon.
Dr. Rovillos said the four-story building will have 34 classrooms and learning research centers.
In addition, the PPC president said that the governor has earlier green lit the hiring of additional faculty members. Rovillos added that a similar request has been made with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), which will approve the hiring of such through an ordinance.
Aside from the four-year courses, the PPC also offers technical-vocational courses through its CeLL or Center for Lifelong Learning.
The creation of the PPC was a campaign promise of Gov. Guico in 2022. The governor added that in his second term, he assured the establishment of the Bugallon and Umingan campuses.
Gov. Guico also seeks the establishment of a School of Medicine at the PPC. Health is one of the main thrusts of the governor, whose mother is a doctor, by improving all provincial hospitals and provide with state-of-the-art equipment. He is also in the middle of creating dialysis centers to of course cater to his more than 3.2 million constituents.
“We immediately convened a group of medical doctors who are now working on the (creation of a curriculum for the Doctor of Medicine program including (a similar program for) BS Nursing,” Dr. Rovillos said. Rovillos said that this will be realized next year or in 2027, within Gov. Guico’s second term.
Gov. Guico is also looking forward to the establishment of the PPC School of Law.
Meanwhile, PPC admission committee head Rhodora E. Malicdem said a short list of the examinees will be prepared and who will undergo interview portion prior their admission.
“Short list means it will be more than 700 as long as they are within the cut-off score the PPC has set,” said Malicdem. She added that the short list will be released on July 7 and the interview is set from July 8 to 25.
From the final list of 700 scholars, 250 students will be accepted for agribusiness and a similar number for public administration. The multimedia arts and for special needs education courses will receive 100 students each.
“On behalf of Gov. Guico, I would like to express our best wishes to the students who took the examination. This is one of the promises of our governor to provide a better future for the incoming students. This is for free!,” said Dr. Rovillos, who helped draft the proposal to have the UNESCO recognize Baguio as a creative city in 2016.
(Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)
