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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

Second Regular Session

House Resolution No. 1904

Introduced by Kabataan Party-List Representative Raymond V. Palatino

A RESOLUTION

STRONGLY URGING THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION TO

IMMEDIATELY REVERSE ITS ORDER TO ABRUPTLY CLOSE DOWN THE BS

MARINE TRASPORTATION AND BS MARINE ENGINEERING IN THE MANILA AND

QUEZON CITY CAMPUSES OF PMI COLLEGES, AND URGING THE COMMISSIONTO ADDRESS THE LEGITIMATE GRIEVANCES OF THE STUDENTS AND

EMPLOYEES

WHEREAS, the PMI Colleges (formerly Philippine Maritime Institute) is the biggest

maritime training institute in the country with a total enrollment of at least twenty thousand in its three

campuses in Manila, Quezon City and Tagbilaran, Bohol;

WHEREAS, Resolution No. 092-2011, as amended by Resolution No. 139-2011 was

approved in May 2011, during the 372nd Regular Commission en Banc (CEB) meeting of CHED for

the closure of the BS Marine Transportation and BS Marine Engineering programs in the Manila and

Quezon City campuses of PMI Colleges. On October 21, 2011, PMI Colleges received a CHED order

to close the said programs starting on the 2nd

semester of the academic year thereby ordering the

immediate stoppage of enrollment for the said semester except for graduating students for the

academic year 2011-2012. The order indicated that no new students may be admitted to the said

programs, and the students of the other year levels shall be transferred to other CHED compliant and

recognized programs that shall accept said students;

WHEREAS, Section 21 of CHED Memorandum Order 40 Series of 2008 or the Manual of

Regulations for Private Higher Education of 2008 states: Section 21. Closure of a Program. The

closure of any degree program offered by a certain higher education institution may either be

voluntary or involuntary. In any case, the closure may be outright or done through phase out process.

The institution shall remain obligated to furnish the necessary transfer credentials and records to

students affected by the closure In any case, the termination or closure of a degree program shall be

effected at the end of an academic year;

WHEREAS, matriculation for BS Marine Transportation and BS Marine Engineering

programs at the PMI Colleges is estimated to be at seventeen thousand pesos per semester, the most

financially accessible among all maritime schools in the country;

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WHEREAS, at least twelve thousand students, mostly from low-income working families,

are affected by the closure of the BS Marine Transportation and BS Marine Engineering programs.

Students and their families are put in a position of emotional and financial distress given the higher

cost of matriculation in other maritime schools and the attendant costs of a transfer;

WHEREAS, thousands of PMI Colleges students have held peaceful demonstrations

protesting the closure of the said programs.

WHEREAS, the Commission on Higher Education for years failed to perform their mandate,

and allowed hundreds of schools to operate without strict regulation and support to comply with

minimum standards;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that1

the Commission on Higher Education be strongly urged to reverse its order to abruptly close down the2

BS Marine Transportation and BS Marine Engineering programs in the Manila and Quezon City3campuses of PMI Colleges.4

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BE IT FURHER RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, that the Commission on6

Higher Education address the legitimate demands of the students and employees of PMI Colleges and7

hear out their concerns through a dialogue, and base any future decisions on the stakeholders8

considerations.9

Adopted,

HON. RAYMOND V. PALATINO

Representative, Kabataan Party-list