CALIFORNIA DREAMING

Free education in Mountain Province
Benito ‘Jong’ Molintas Jr.

SAN FRANCISCO, USA -- Free education is surely one of the platforms of some if not most of the politicians in the Philippines like my home region, the Cordillera particularly with the coming elections. Mt. Province is one of our epitomes on free education especially in the tertiary level of the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College.

Even if I wasn’t a graduate or a part of that school, I say, my utmost thanks to Congressman Victor S. Dominguez. for the younger generation of the province. What he did is now one of the issues and such are heard as far as here in United States questioning his every move, but we never appreciated what he has done to our province.

We have to accept the fact that a lot from us came from poor families wherein we couldn’t afford miscellaneous fees or even minimal tuition of state colleges but with free tuition, a lot of students could go a long way in creating a better future for themselves and their families. I was reflecting on my years when I was teaching at AlBaGo National High School, seeing students and contemplating their future. It struck my heart, more so thinking that most of them would surely not continue their education after graduating from high school even if they are very much interested in going to college and carve a niche for themselves.

It was good this free education program was initiated. It is in stark comparison to Mt. San Jacinto Community College, a school close to my place here in California -- a very interesting school with many opportunities given to community members or any folk interested in education. I accompanied my cousin Philip to enroll in this school and since he couldn’t avail yet of the regular matriculation until he has a year and a day staying in the US, he was given an opportunity to enroll in any course offered by one department, Community Education where they give free education to students interested in enroll any courses or subjects like: ESL, automotive, and a lot more. During my interview with the officer in-charge, I asked why they offer free education to people who are not certain to enroll in their school for credited units.

Her impressing statement: “It is one way of helping those who are needy and a way to have better relationships in the community.” For ESL alone, students who are from Russia, Germany, China, Korea, and the like usually can’t interact in the community because of language barriers. In this case, they tend to stay home and become “parasites.”

The school has seen the need for the community to be productive, thus it offered education to individuals so they could live better lives. In our home province of Mountain Province, let us be thankful for everything that was given to us and we should grab opportunities that are within our reach and not make issues on it. Let us stop messing up whatever is given or around us and instead making something good for the whole community.