11/09/2025
๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐-๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ
It was 8:41 in the morning when the gates of Bago City College welcomed a new chapter in its history. The arrival of the CHED-OIQAG evaluation team was not met with nervous silence but with the kind of warmth and quiet anticipation only a true community can give. Students lingered with curious eyes, faculty and staff stood ready, and administrators prepared to showcase the best of what BCC has built through the years.
The AVR carried the weight of the moment during the opening program. Among the esteemed guests were CHED NIR Regional Director Raul C. Alvarez Jr., Hon. Marina Mayette Javellana Yao, and Dr. Deborah Nathalia Singson, who led the welcome with both grace and conviction. The evaluatorsโMr. Gleen Marco Antonio, Mr. Foulette Gunao, and Dr. Lourdes D. Cesar stood alongside Educational Supervisors Dr. Louie U. Callora and Dr. Roxanne I. Edrosolano, their presence a reminder that what unfolded that day mattered not only for BCC but for the greater landscape of higher education.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Singson did not just welcome the evaluatorsโshe welcomed everyone back into the heart of BCCโs story. She reminded the community of its milestone in 2018, when BCC became the /first local college qualified under UniFASTโs free tuition program/. It was more than a line in history; it was a turning point, a symbol of education made accessible, of doors opened wider for students whose dreams once seemed out of reach.
The evaluators moved from Ferrer Hall into the very spaces that keep the college alive: the Registrarโs Office, Clinic, SASO, Guidance Office, R\&D Office, Community Extension, Faculty Lounge, IS Department, Forensic Laboratory, Criminology and Education Departments, NSTP Office, Library, IMC, and even the often-overlooked stockroom. Each room told its own story of dedication, resilience, and the countless hours poured in by those who believe in the institutionโs mission.
And as the dayโs program unfolded, one thing became clear: the evaluation was not only about standards and compliance. It was about listening, witnessing, and affirming the legacy of a college that continues to grow. In the unity of its faculty, staff, and students, BCC showed that it is more than ready not just to be evaluated, but to be remembered as an institution that rises with purpose, pride, and promise.
Article by: Therese Marie Alcazaren
Photos by: Joven Zuriaga, Lauro Bayles and Trixie Joy Martir
