The UNICA Post

11/11/2025

TUP Yey!
Tigreng wagi! 💖

Congratulations to our UNICA softball players and their team. Taking the lead, as Champions! 💖💖💖

Congrats, CSSH Softball Team 2025! 💖

07/11/2025

𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 | After a long wait and delays, the University Intramural Games (UIG) finally commenced its official competitions on November 7 as part of the 64th Founding Anniversary celebration of Mindanao State University–Main Campus.

Photos by
Ayesha Tale, 3rd Year BA Journalism
Norwafa Adapun, 3rd Year BA ComMstud (Media Education)
Crizthel Arañas, 2nd Year BA Journalism
Xylanthraniel Tadle, 1st Year BA Journalism

03/11/2025

25/10/2025

𝐓𝐔𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 | 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟?

It’s your weekly dose of fun — from word searches to riddles, trivia, and more. Fill in the blanks with the words that match the clues in this week's 𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗣𝗨𝗭𝗭𝗟𝗘.

Find out who among your friends has the sharpest mind by tagging them.

22/10/2025

𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 | 𝐌𝐒𝐔𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐂𝐨𝐦

Finalists from five colleges showcased their creativity and skills during the Literary Competition as part of the celebration of Mindanao State University’s 64th Founding Anniversary.

Let us look back as we asked what the participants felt after reaching the final round and their preparations for LitCom.

By
Janisah M. H. Ali, 3rd Year BA Journalism
Ayesha Tale, 3rd Year BA Journalism
Norhana M. Naik, 3rd Year BS Development Communication
Fayzah Inshirah A. Ala, 4th Year BS Development Communication

17/10/2025

𝐈-𝐊𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐨* | 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐒𝐒𝐇

𝙇𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.

These are the most seen announcements across the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH) information platforms. From missing phones to wallets and even simple umbrellas, the recurring issue has left students and faculty feeling vulnerable.

According to Hafsah H. Said, the CSSH Student Council (SC) Chief Minister, reports of missing belongings have become almost a weekly occurrence, a notable increase from previous months.

"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴…𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦," she confirmed.

With the troubling pattern of missing personal items becoming increasingly prevalent at CSSH, students have called for heightened security measures within the college.

𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺, 𝗜𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁
Items are commonly reported to be last seen in various areas of the college, such as the Dream Building, CSSH lobby, or annex rooms. However, the most unexpected yet frequent location is the CSSH prayer room.

Getting her phone stolen while deep in prayer was the last thing Norwafa Adapun, a 3rd-year student, thought would happen.

"𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦," she said, explaining why she let her guard down by placing her phone behind her while praying.

Adapun’s dismay was echoed by Mua Widah, a student who frequents the prayer room, who also experienced losing an umbrella while praying.

"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴," she said.

For Adapun, her stolen phone remains missing even after strenuous efforts to retrieve it. However, needing to pray, she has no choice but to continue her visits to the prayer room. With the extra effort of leaving her belongings to her trusted friends, praying at the college has required precaution for all students like Adapun.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗼𝘄?
The rising number of incidents has not gone unnoticed by student leaders and the college administration. However, with limitations faced by the lack of functioning CCTVs, alternative efforts to ensure safety are made instead.

Abdul Barrie Usman, College Internal Students Rights and Welfare (SRAW) Officer, explained that due to their incapacity to perform in-depth investigations with visual footage, intervention from the SC was unfortunately limited to gathering information, disseminating announcements, and referring the victims to the university Peace Keeping Force (PKF) and other higher authorities.

Esmail R. Repors, PKF Chief Field Operation, advised that cases of missing belongings are best reported directly to the PKF headquarters so it can be referred to their in-house investigator for immediate tracking. He also added that student leaders should bridge the victims to the PKF for such security matters.

Usman reveals that a plan to establish "hotline numbers for every college" to better coordinate responses was underway by the University Commission on Students' Rights and Welfare (CSRAW).

𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗦𝗦𝗛
Prof. Yasmin Mangotara, the College Secretary, confirmed that the administration is fully aware of the growing concern. She mentioned ongoing discussions about implementing security measures, such as the strategic placement of CCTV cameras across the college vicinity, especially in the common hotspots of lost items.

However, with the scheduled exhaustion of the administration’s funding until the end of October due to accreditation efforts—𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘶𝘱𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴, the immediate implementation of these measures is greatly affected.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘺. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨,” she stated.

Despite the delay, Prof. Mangotara emphasized that the issue is also a priority of the administration and will be responded to as soon as possible. Meanwhile, college staff were assigned to monitor their designated areas in the college to keep an eye out for missing items and be the first responders in case of a theft report.

"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨," she notes. "𝘚𝘰, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘥."

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
While the administrative and student government bodies work to address the problem from an institutional standpoint, some students believe that individual responsibility is also paramount. Amer Hassan Maito, a first-year Psychology student, urged his peers to be more vigilant.

"𝘉𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴," he advised. "𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧." This sentiment highlights a dual approach to the problem, one that involves both institutional action and personal precautions.

As students and faculty navigate these challenges, the call for action remains clear. The CSSH community awaits the promised interventions, hoping that a collective effort to raise awareness and improve security will restore the sense of safety that every member of the college deserves. #

by
Fayzah Inshirah A. Ala, 4th Year BS Development Communication

16/10/2025

𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 | 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐂𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲

“𝘈𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘰 𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘺𝘰, 𝘪𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯, 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘣𝘢,” said Dr. Monaimah G. Manabilang, overall chairperson of the University Literary Competition (LitCom) 2025. Her words captured the spirit of inclusivity and creativity that defined the final rounds of the LitCom held on Wednesday, October 15, at the International Convention Center (ICC).

The final round gathered student participants and finalists among various colleges, competing in both English and Filipino categories throughout the day.

The morning session featured the English category, with competitions in Speech Choir, Extemporaneous Speech, Declamation, and Reader’s Theater. In the afternoon, the spotlight shifted to the Filipino category, showcasing Balagtasan, Tanghal Tula, Aktwal na Talumpati, and Sabayang Pagbigkas.

For some participants, the event was more than just a competition, it was a celebration of expression and unity.

“𝘒𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘰, 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘺 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸,” said Ark Malory A. Dianco, a third-year student from the College of Public Affairs (CPA) who served as student coordinator for their Speech Choir performance.

Representing the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH) in the Extemporaneous Speech category, Eman D. Pangcatan, a fourth-year BA Journalism student, shared her pride in joining the event. “𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘔𝘚𝘜𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦,” she said.

For Sir Rufino Ignacio, former Vice President for Academic Affairs of MSU Marawi and founder of MSU Sining Kambayoka, the competition enhances the identity of the university as a cultural and performing center. “𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘚𝘜 𝘴𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴,” he shared.

The event also drew enthusiastic responses from the audience.

Juhary D. Nasser, a second-year BS Nursing student, described the competition as thrilling. “𝘓𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯,” he said, noting that every college had its “own pasabog.” For him the Speech Choir segment stood out the most because of its energy and intensity.

Meanwhile, Abubacar Ismael S. Punag, a fourth-year BSBA Human Resource Management student, found the event “very impressive,” noting that it was “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘚𝘚𝘏 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘊𝘰𝘮.” He highlighted Sabayang Pagbigkas as his favorite performance, saying it “showcased recent news” and “opened minds.”

Closing the day’s celebration, Dr. Hammim B. Casan, overall coordinator of the LitCom, commended the efforts of both participants and organizers. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯…” he shared in his closing remarks, praising their efforts in continuing the university’s tradition of literary excellence.

As the curtain closed on the final round, the event stood as a testament to MSU’s enduring culture of creativity, where art, intellect, and expression continue to thrive in celebration of the university’s 64 years of legacy.

by
Princess Haynee Pangcatan, 4th Year BA Journalism
Photo by Crizthel Arañas, 2nd Year BA Journalism

14/10/2025

𝐓𝐔𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭* | 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

Before the new bulb installation, MSU Marawi students journeyed through dimly lit covered pathways, solely relying on a few lights to guide them. #

Photo by Fayzah Inshirah A. Ala, 4th Year BS Development Communication





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*𝐓𝐔𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 is the photo segment of The UniCA Post that highlights captured moments by UniCA members, offering perspectives and telling stories through images.

12/10/2025

“𝐍𝐨 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐂, 𝐧𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦”: 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐒𝐔 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤

“𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 ‘𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘬𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘩𝘪𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵,” said Junaid Decampong, a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Mindanao State University-Marawi.

𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺
Several MSU - Marawi graduates were unable to take their board exams following the enforcement of a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) policy requiring a Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) for all board programs.

At least eight graduates of BA Psychology program from batches Meraki (2024) and Manawari (2025) were unable to take the Sept. 24–25 Board Licensure Examination for Psychometricians in the Philippines after the department failed to obtain their COPC on time.

The COPC is a key requirement mandated by the CHED for all degree programs with licensure examinations. Earlier this year, CHED and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) issued a joint memorandum requiring State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) to present a valid COPC before their graduates could sit for board exams.

According to Prof. Asmerah Sarip, a faculty member of MSU’s Psychology Department, the department had been working toward compliance prior to the filing period.

“𝘋𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘏𝘌𝘋 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘖𝘗𝘊𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥,” said Prof. Sarip. “𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴.”

She explained that the department needed to acquire multiple copies of psychological test materials, including IQ and personality tests, which cost around ₱150,000. A purchase request for these materials has already been submitted.

Initially, the department believed that their graduates would still qualify for the board exam, citing a joint memorandum from CHED and PRC that allowed exemptions for 3rd year and 4th year students from programs with ongoing COPC applications, provided they were in the process of compliance.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘦-𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘊𝘏𝘌𝘋 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳,” Prof. Sarip explained.

However, MSU’s BA Psychology was not included in the exemption, leaving its graduates unable to proceed with their licensure applications.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
The COPC issue extends beyond Psychology programs. Several departments across the university are facing similar challenges.

According to Prof. Norhanie D. H. Jamel, chairperson of the Department of Agriculture Extension, 58 graduates from their department were supposed to take the Agriculture Licensure Examination. They have already appealed for exemption through the Office of Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (OVCAA) at the central office of CHED.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘪 ‘𝘺𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺,” said Prof. Jamel.

Meanwhile, Dr. Abdani D. Bandera, chairperson of the Agribusiness Management Department, pointed out that their main concern lies in the lack of laboratory facilities, a sentiment echoed by Engr. Ysmael B. Mangrosi, chairperson of Agricultural Engineering under the College of Engineering (COE).

“𝘚𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘢, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘣 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘭𝘢𝘣 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘦𝘵𝘤.,” Engr. Mangorsi explained, noting that it will take a lot of money and time to comply with the COPC requirements for their program.

More than 100 graduates of BS Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, including those from MSU Sindangan (an extension campus), have been affected.

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀
Engr. Karla Madrid-Khalid, Dean of COE, and Officer-in-Charge of the OVCAA until last Oct 10, emphasized that financial constraints and inadequate facilities have slowed down COPC compliance.

“𝘒𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘊𝘖𝘌, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘖𝘗𝘊,” she said.

“𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘏𝘌𝘋, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘪 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘏𝘌𝘋 𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘢. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘥. 𝘞𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦.”

She added that the university administration has appealed to CHED in allowing students to take the board exams while compliance is ongoing, and to give the university more time as it is still undergoing a major transition.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳,” she stressed.

𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆
Despite the administration’s efforts to seek CHED’s consideration, students continue to shoulder the financial and emotional burden of the delay.

“𝘐 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘥 ₱18,000 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘙𝘊 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘹 𝘮𝘺 𝘛𝘖𝘙,” shared Anna (not her real name), a BA Psychology graduate.

“𝘒𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘯, 𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘢 ₱60,000–₱70,000 𝘯𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘴 𝘬𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘣 𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘸𝘢𝘯,” said a graduate of BS Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), who also requested not to be named.

Others expressed their anxiety over the uncertainty of their future.

“𝘚𝘰𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘯𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘬𝘢 𝘯𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘥𝘪 𝘮𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 ‘𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰,” said Juan, another BS ABE graduate. He said that the uncertainty of whether to be allowed to take the exam or not has added to their frustrations while reviewing.

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱
Many graduates revealed that the delay disrupted long-term career plans, forcing them to postpone employment, graduate studies, and even law or medical school.

“𝘠𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘨-𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘺𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮,” shared Decampong.

“𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘨-𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘬𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘪 𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴,” added Mrs. Abigail Emane-Marohom, a BS Agriculture graduate major in Farming Systems.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳’𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦,” said another BA Psychology graduate who also requested not to be named. “𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 ‘𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳,’ 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦.”

𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗗’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀
As of writing, CHED has approved the request of the university to allow 322 graduates from the following programs to process their application and take the licensure examination:
• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Electronics Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Nursing

For graduates not yet included, the university is hoping to submit an addendum to CHED. The official list will be coming from the Registrar’s office to be reconciled with the departments concerned.

All affected departments are continuing to work toward full COPC compliance.

However, the BA Psychology graduates will have to wait until 2026 before they can take their licensure exam. #

by
Princess Haynee Pangcatan, 4th Year BA Journalism