2022 highlights of events in education

By Dr. Rex Casiple  

In calendar year 2022 various reforms in higher education have been made. Included in these reforms were the new graduate programs.

The graduate programs to be implemented were Master’s Programs in the Sciences and in the Arts, Master’s Programs by Tracks, Other Types of Master’s Programs, Doctoral Programs and Other Types of Doctoral Degrees. The Other Types of Master’s Programs are Straight Bachelor’s-Master’s (SBM) Program, Dual Doctor of Medicine-Master’s Degree (MDMD) Program, and Dual Master’s Degree (DMD) Program.

In the SBM program, both the Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree (thesis track) can be earned together. In the MDMD program students may be awarded both the Doctor of Medicine and a Master’s degree. The DMD program gives opportunity for students to pursue graduate work in two fields of study by complying with the requirements of the two degrees simultaneously.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program focuses on research. The PhD program has two (2) sub-tracks, namely, the Academic Track and the Research Track. Other Types of Doctoral Degrees are Straight Master’s-Doctoral (SMD) Program and the Dual Doctoral Degrees (DDD) program. In the SMD program both the Master’s and Doctoral degrees can be earned together.

Students are required to have a complete dissertation publicly defended and have at least one (1) publication in internationally or nationally refereed journals. The DDD program provides opportunity for students to pursue doctoral degrees in two fields of study.

In May 2022, the PRC Board of Accountancy announced that a total of 990 out of 4,442 examinees nationwide, or 22.29%, passed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Examination given in fifteen (15) testing centers nationwide.

In June 2022, the PRC Board of Architecture announced that a total of 3,037 out of 4,766 examinees nationwide, or 63.74%, passed the Architect Licensure Examination given in fifteen (11) testing centers nationwide.

Marianne Kaye Ledesma Ofianga of Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U) ranked number 1 in the said examination for Architects.

On the other hand, the PRC released the results of June 2022 Philippine Nurse Licensure Examinations (NLE) given in 15 testing centers all over the Philippines. Six thousand six hundred sixteen (6,616) out of 9,713 or 68.11% passed.

Merry Mae Dapilo Cabale of University of San Agustin (USA) ranked number 10 in the said examination for Nurses. Western Visayas Region performed high, or with passing percentage higher than that of the national average.

High performing HEIs in the Region, with 10 or more examinees and at least 80% passing percentage are University of San Agustin (93.1%), Central Philippine University (87.10%) and Iloilo Doctors College (85.71%).

The opening of face-to-face classes in basic education for School Year (SY) 2022-2023 was approved by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos, Jr. and was implemented by the Department of Education through DepEd Order No. 34, series of 2022.

The opening of classes in basic education for SY 2022-2023 was on August 22, 2022. Private schools and state universities and colleges (SUCs) that offer basic education may also follow the DepEd’s new school calendar.

In this SY 2022-2023, students gradually went back to school on face-to-face mode. Face to face classes officially opened on November 2, 2022. All public and private schools in basic education held a 5-day per week in-person classes.

During the transition period, schools implemented a combined face-to-face classes and distance learning until October 31, 2022. Since schools were expected to hold classes within the school year for at least 203 days classes for SY 2022-2023 are expected to end on July 7, 2023.

(To be continued)