Roco lauded for decision on field trips

Education Secretary Raul Roco should be commended for his decision not to ban field trips for public school students.

This is a "most welcome development," said Leonor Magtibay, spokeswoman for a group of concerned parents who vehemently reacted to the Department of Education’s initial claims that Roco had disallowed the holding of field trips in the public school system.

Magtibay said parents of public school students were relieved knowing that their children will get equal opportunities as those of private school students.

She further urged Roco to study the possibility of banning instead the use of tour operators or "charterers" in the booking of field trips.

If cost is Roco’s concern, then perhaps schools, she said, should book directly with the institutions concerned as was done in the past.

The cost of field trips skyrocket when tour operators are hired. A normal P300 per head budget for a field trip within Metro Manila, Magtibay said, increases up to P800 or even P900 once charterers are called in.

Magtibay said some of the charterers that public school officials employ are fly-by-night operators or people not connected with any legitimate groups.

"These people may decide to run away at any time after they receive their payment and we would never know how to get in touch with them," she said. "In this case, public schools, parents of students and legitimate organizations are all put in a losing situation."

Magtibay apologized to Roco for implicating him as the author of the alleged memo banning field trips for public school students.

She said their statement was based on a circular issued by DepEd superintendent Elizabeth Manalo dated Nov. 7, which cited the secretary as the source of the order.