Recognizing the emotional and psychological impact of the horrific bombing incident at the Mindanao State University (MSU)-Marawi campus, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Tuesday, Dec. 12, announced that an “academic adjustment policy” will be implemented for the affected students.

“As a policy adopted by the Board of Regents, students who are distressed and traumatized, specially those who underwent counseling and who feel they cannot continue their studies, will be given a non-numerical grade and another semester to complete their requirements,” said CHED Chairperson Popoy De Vera in a statement.

“We need to address the mental health situation of the students,” he added.

De Vera, who serves as the Chairperson of the MSU Board, commended MSU President Mapupuno and other university officials for “immediately strengthening safety and security measures” in the Marawi campus.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/3/ched-pushes-for-review-of-university-policies-after-msu-bombing

This move, De Vera said, helped “bring back the confidence of students, faculty and employees that MSU will remain a zone of peace in the coming months.”

The BOR of MSU, De Vera said, instructed Mapupuno to implement an academic adjustment policy where affected students can be given a “grade of INC and granting them another semester to complete their academic requirements.”

CHED said this policy was adopted during the 4th quarter meeting of the MSU Board where Mapupuno briefed the regents on the measures adopted by the university in the aftermath of the tragedy.

For the affected students who are scholars of government institutions and organizations, CHED said that MSU will be sending a letter of request for consideration to these scholarship-granting institutions to ensure the scholarship status of the students will not be affected.

“For those scholarships given by the university, we will relax the rules. I have also instructed the OVCCA to send letters to the scholarship-giving institutions to give consideration to our students,” said Mapupuno.

As of Dec. 11, under the declaration of all government security agencies such as the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that the university is “safe to resume classes,” CHED noted that classes in the MSU-Marawi campus have been resumed.

Around 1300 students have returned to the campus for face-to-face classes, CHED added.

Meanwhile, CHED noted that about 2,000 students were picked up by their local government unit (LGU) to return home at the request of their parents.

To assist these students in returning to the campus for face-to-face classes, free transportation assistance is being given by the university through pick-up points for students in adjoining cities and provinces, CHED said.

Financial assistance

Meanwhile, De Vera assured that CHED will be providing “additional financial assistance” to the affected students in the blast by including them as Tulong Dunong beneficiaries for the school year 2023-2024.

Mapupuno also informed the MSU Board that the PNP had already arrested the suspected accomplice of the incident.

“While we are advancing our instruction, research, and extension, we will not lower our guards in protecting our students,” Mapupuno said.

Likewise, CHED urged the constituents of the MSU and other HEIs to continuously enhance the security of their campuses and strengthen their cooperation with government security agencies.

“We will not be deterred by this act of violence, we will continue to work towards ensuring that our HEIs remain a safe haven for our students,” De Vera said.