Planning above all

Students go to school for the purpose of pursuing their dream careers. In addition, they are likewise interested to explore, to gain new ideas from experience and to become active learners. Hence, student holistic development matters. Right?

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) sets policies and guidelines for the use of income, special trust fund and programs and receipts of expenditure of the State Universities and Colleges (SUC).

According to CHED Memorandum of Agreement No. 20, Series of 2011, Article 3, Section 6 which pertains to the Budget Allocation for Instruction, the Student Development Fund (SDF) should have 12.5% from the total budget allocation.

Such memo also stated that budget allocation shall be used for various aspects of student development. To name some, those are trainings and seminar-workshops for student leaders, student labor deployment and compensation, IT equipment, medical and dental programs, and scholarship.

Yes, it is centered on the holistic experience of students that has an intention to nurture skills and to advance relevant knowledge. This allows students to be risk-takers in engaging themselves into any field where theirt alents and skills complement.

Last December 2018, PIT received the payment from the government for the first semester. The burden of the 4-month cost-cutting predicament which the Institute experienced expectantly diminished. On the contrary, in an interview, Administrative Officer for Budget Mae R. Marquez admitted that PIT is not yet done with the budget crisis. This was due to the fact that the government has proved time and again that it has a slow process in releasing funds.

Additionally, to meet certain budget allocation, a proper deliberation was made by deans of the different colleges of the Institute and the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). As a result, they resolved to reduce the total budget allocation of the SDF by 5%. The deduction was then transferred to the Faculty and Staff Development Fund to address the necessity to raise the budget allocation because of the plan to increase salary expenses for contractual.

"... a master plan has to be formulated because of the government's slow motion in providing funds..."

With the government’s delayed payment which became one of the main factors contributing to the budget distribution fluctuations, the Institute formulated a plan to address the matter leading to the take down of the promotion of student holistic development, a growth that can only be fully realized if the funding for students’ seminars, trainings and workshops were sufficient.

Nonetheless, a master plan has to be formulated because of the government’s slow motion in providing the funds that would support their so-called quality education.

Decision making requires planning in the first place. Planning determines the level of capability to handle unforeseen circumstances and setbacks because along the process, it analyzes the possible preventive measures to be proactive and the Institute has done something to make up for the government’s shortcomings.