Puno cites reason for board action

By Jonathan M. Hicap, Reporter

CHAIRMAN Carlito Puno of the Commission on Higher Education on Monday cited “major policy differences” between CHED and the technical committee on nursing education, which led to the resignation of its members.
The CHED is set to appoint within the next three weeks a new set of nursing committee members following the resignation of chairman Fe Marilyn Lorenzo and six others on Friday.
The others who resigned were Carmelita Divinagracia, Amelia Rosales, Maria Rita Tamse, Remedios Fernandez, Zylma Sanchez and Glenda Vargas.
Puno said the group opposed the inclusion of Dr. George Cordero, the president of the Philippine Nurses Association, as member because it would be a “conflict of interest.” Cordero owns a nursing school.
Puno said the commission’s stand is that school owners and the PNA president should be included in the committee since they are also stakeholders in the nursing profession.
Puno also clarified that the CHED had not bowed to pressure from politicians and businessmen in not closing down schools whose nursing programs had a 30 percent passing rate in the board exams.
He said that the policy was established by his predecessor, Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, and not binding during his term.
Puno pointed out that the policy raised several legal issues, adding that the board exam results should not be the sole basis for closing down a school’s nursing program.
The quality of faculty, facilities and researches should also be part of the standards, he said.
Puno said the Professional Regulation Commission should not include “repeaters” when computing the board-passing rate of schools.
He disclosed that a restraining order by a Dagupan, Pangasinan, lower court prevents CHED from closing down schools that failed to surpass the 30-percent mark.