Councilor Sangil confers with fellow councilor Maricel Morales in this file photo.
ANGELES CITY – Councilor Jay Sangil has filed a resolution requesting Senator Edgardo Angara to conduct a senate inquiry on the alleged collection of “exorbitant” practicum fees by some universities in the country.
This after Sangil denounced in a privilege speech the questionable practicum or on-the-job training (OJT) fees ranging from P5,000 to P15,000 being imposed by some schools here on graduating college students.
“We are formally requesting Senator Angara to look into the matter and asked the Commission of Higher Education and the Department of Education to explain why ‘exorbitant’ practicum fees are being imposed by several colleges and universities,” he said.
Copies of the resolutions were attached to formal letters sent to Angara and CHED.
Sangil also disclosed that collecting of exorbitant fees does not only happen in Angeles City, Pampanga and Central Luzon, but also being imposed by other education institutions and schools nationwide.
“Practicum activities undertaken by students are done outside school premises, either in private or public entities or offices,” noted the resolution authored by Sangil.
He noted that since local universities and colleges have no formal tie ups with government and private offices where their students hold OJT’s, their charging any fees for such activities is baseless.
“The students have to undergo another practicum and pay another fee should their schools find their OJT’s unsatisfactory,” he added.
Sangil said the city council has asked CHED to clarify whether such OJT fees are legal.
The council also asked Angara, who is chairman of the Senate committee on education, to intervene and possibly sponsor a legislation barring colleges and universities from imposing unnecessary financial requirements on their students.
By Joey Aguilar and Ding Cervantes