CHED slams rally vs closure of PMI courses

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) yesterday denounced a rally conducted by a group of students and supporters protesting the closure order it served on two alleged sub-standard courses at the Philippine Maritime Institute (PMI).

Patricia Licuanan, CHED chairperson, maintained that the closure order it served on the BS Maritime Transportation and BS Maritime Engineering courses at PMI's Manila and Quezon City campuses was appropriate, adding that the courts upheld the closure order.

Licuanan also stressed the need to close the programs because of its continuing non-compliance with CHED policies, standards and guidelines since 2006.

“Had the commission not done so, the country’s seafarers would face dire consequences since the European Maritime Safety Agency of the European Union had threatened to classify the Philippines as non-compliant with the International Convention on Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW),” CHED said in a statement issued yesterday.

A group of protesters, claiming to be students and supporters and employees of PMI Colleges staged a rally at the main gate of the CHED central office inside the UP Diliman complex last Tuesday.

CHED noted that the rally caused undue grave damage to government property because the protesters threw stones which broke the glass windows inside the CHED premises.

The rally also caused a disruption of operations of CHED and transactions of its stakeholders.