CHED: No Closure of College of St. John Roxas Maritime Program

by BENNY P. CORTES

Roxas City – Dr. Gloria S. Chavez, president – Chancellor of the College of St. John Roxas in this city disclosed at a press conference held recently that the nursing program of the said college have no order from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Region VI for its closure.

Chavez reacted to a news item in Panay News, dated October 25, 2009 written by Montesa Griño-Cadyonan stating among others, "For having a zero passing rate in the board exam since 2007, the College of St. John in Roxas City has been ordered to do way with its Nursing program, said CHED Regional Director Rex Casiple."

Chavez said that the same writer (Griño-Cadyonan) stated in the same paper dated October 27, 2009 that, "The College of St. John in Roxas City has zero passing rate in the nursing board exam in 2007, said Casiple."

Chavez was dis-heartened on the negative and unsubstantiated story that appeared in two issues of Panay News. In a press statement distributed to members of the local media she said "the College of Nursing itself has rightly contributed to the school’s mission of excellent education when its pioneer graduates obtained a 68 percent passing rate in the 2007 Nursing Licensure Examinations, the highest in the province of Capiz.

The press statement of the College of St. John Roxas is being issued to dispel the erroneous information published in the Panay News on October 25, 2009, "stating that for having a zero passing rate in the board exam since 2007, the College of St. John in Roxas City has been ordered to do away with its Nursing program," said CHED Regional Director Rex Casiple.
Director Casiple has since asked the manage-ment of Panay News to rectify their previous report and issue another article. "The Commission has not released any order pertaining to this effect and the Nursing program of the College of St. John Roxas has no order for closure from this Commission."

The same press statement points out that the College of St. John–Roxas shall continue to commit itself to "forming responsible citizens of faith and learning in accordance with the Lasallian tradition of academic excellence, values education and services." /MP