Sino students due in Butuan to study English

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Some 5,000 Chinese students, mostly in high school, are due here next year for a one-year English proficiency study, the city government said.

City Councilor Ryan Anthony Culima told The STAR the study of the Chinese students was made possible by I-Study International, a local private group which made arrangements with three schools here.

Culima, who chairs the city council’s committee on peace and order, security and police matters, said the St. Joseph Institute of Technology, which has good speech laboratory facilities, has signed a memorandum of understanding with I-Study International for the one-year English proficiency study of the Chinese students, who will start arriving during the first quarter of 2011.

Culima is also member of the city council’s committee of education, culture and sports.

Two other schools, the Fr. Saturnino Urios University and the state-owned Caraga State University, will soon sign a similar agreement with I-Study International, Culima said.

Under the agreement, the Chinese students will pay in advance tuition and other school fees for one year.

The curriculum on English proficiency for the Chinese students will be submitted to the Commission on Higher Education for innovations, corrections and approval.

Given the huge number of Chinese students, the city government has offered a place for them where they will have easy access to stores, clinics and hospitals, and sports, recreation and study facilities.

“We already offered the 36-hectare city government property in Barangay Tiniwisan where there are already huge buildings that can be converted temporarily as dormitories and the large areas (can be for) sports and recreation facilities. This will be rented for one year, an extra income for the city government. The Chinese students are now studying our proposal as they already agreed by principle,” Culima said.

Butuan Vice Mayor Lawrence Fortun said the city government has discussed with Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Rafal, Caraga regional police director, security and other matters concerning the arrival of the Chinese students.