HAPPY WEEKEND

MPSPC college employees not happy over office transfer
BY GINA DIZON

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Employees of the Mountain Province Polytechnique College are not happy in the transfer of their offices to Baang school campus located an hour-ride away from the main campus here.

Administrative officer Josephine Aguana said paper routing, a standard office procedure is inconvenient that when signatory officers are not in Bontoc, the papers are brought to Baang then back to the main campus.

As instructed by MPSPC President Nieves Dacyon, 19 officers and clerical staff including equipment were transferred to Baang campus in Bauko town since July 2 for the school’s “expansion” on research and development.

“While development of Baang campus is welcome, clientele of the school are located in the main campus which makes paper transactions and other services not readily available . It is more convenient if concerned officers are more accessible,” Aguana said.

Officers who were transferred include finance officer Letecia Napat-a, administrative officer Josephine Aguana, human resource management officer Zenaida Soliven, accountant Imelda Guidangen, budget officer Norma Akilit, vice president for administration and finance Elpecio Marrero, records officer Lester Chaokas and seven other clerical staff.

College vice president Dr. Caridad Fiarod said expansion and development of Baang campus does not necessarily need the transfer of vital offices out from the main campus. Incurring more costs on travel is an added expense of the school. “If the president calls for a meeting in Baang, then the school hires a ride from Bontoc to accommodate two or three personnel to attend the meeting”, Aguana said.

Baang campus, located on a controversial donated lot, houses one abandoned administration building and two half-finished structures designed for academic purposes.

MPSPC composes of four campuses including the main campus in Bontoc, school of arts and trade in Tadian municipality, forestry campus in Sinto, Bauko; and the envisioned expansion campus in Baang, Bauko.
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The administration of the MPSPC is in the process of renegotiating the use of a privately-owned lands in Baang for the institution’s research extension and development and production units to ensure continuity in the implementation of vital projects and programs that would be beneficial to the school in the future.

Dacyon, earlier said efforts were now geared towards survival in preparation for the impending abolition of the aid being provided by the national government to state universities and colleges in the country, thus, idle properties of the State-run institution must be made productive coupled with the tapping of private properties for productive projects.

Earlier, Rep. Victor S. Dominguez donated a 20-hectare property within the MPSPC campus in Baang to be used as a future expansion site of the school to decongest its overcrowded campus in the capital town of Bontoc.

However, Dominguez withdrew the donation of the property after residents in the area strongly opposed such donation claiming that the legislator does not own the properties despite the existence of tax declarations under his name.

With the withdrawal of the donation, what were left for the school includes three buildings, a completed administration building, and two uncompleted academic buildings and the area occupied by the said structures.
Dacyon was quoted as saying the development of the properties must be included in the assessment to improve the management of the various Baang-based projects. She expressed confidence that the land owners will appreciate the efforts of the institution to develop into one of the more productive institutions in the country in the future.

Dominguez earlier told newsmen he was willing to renegotiate with MPSPC officials on the utilization and donation of a portion of his property in Baang but it will no longer be the same land area to prevent further conflicts.

Initially, the lawmaker disclosed that he is willing to allow the school to use a portion of the 20-hectare property for various income-generating projects provided that the school will not build permanent structures in the area.
Dacyon believes the expansion of MPSPC in Baang will not only provide a conducive environment for learning but it will also perk up economic activities within he community which will benefit the people and their dependents