As we celebrate the golden founding anniversary of the Bulacan Polytechnic College, let us thank the men and women whose devotion to our institution made this milestone possible. We would like to acknowledge Governor Daniel R. Fernando, whose tremendous support to and grand plans for the College are most appreciated, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Bulacan, our Board of Trustees, the Committee on Education, the Consultative Committee, and consultants, for their wisdom and guidance in all ways possible.
What started out as a vision of our founders fifty summers ago is now evolving into a premier school largely because of the selfless dedication of the people toiling in big and small ways away from the limelight, just so the future of our students will be secured. We would like to see our personnel rewarded with every opportunity for personal and professional growth and provided with an environment conducive to developing better skills in instruction and administration.
To effect changes in the College, we started with the restructuring of administrative offices, revising job descriptions, and creating new offices to make administration more efficient, with concerned departments having more defined sets of tasks. Several measures have been put in place to promote effective fiscal management and to monitor the resources and assets of the College, ensuring public accountability and transparency.
That education and skills development are the foundations of national progress is beyond question. The ongoing projects in the province are expected to thrust Bulacan into a major player in international trade and tourism. Since world events are shaping the educational landscape everywhere, our College should adapt to remain relevant and competitive. Additional program offerings are indispensable to meet the growing demand in the region and at the same time provide our students with the competencies needed to become active participants in the growing trend towards globalization. Earlier this year, the College sought an audience with Commission on Higher Education Chairperson J. Prospero E. de Vera III and Region III Officer-in-Charge Dr. Ma. Teresita M. Semana for their inputs and at present there are at least three (3) new 4-year programs identified for possible implementation in 2022. Research will be given top priority and will be consistent with our research agenda. Extension services shall have a realistic and direct impact on community development. Our buildings, facilities, laboratories, and equipment must be modernized.
Linkages and partnerships with local and international institutions, such as Globe Telecommunications, are now being actively pursued and we have conducted activities with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and other non-governmental organizations. Philippine Consul General to Spain Adrian Elmer S. Cruz has already sent documents for possible collaborations with European institutions on matters of mutual interest, specifically on education, business, and culture, under the auspices of the Philippine Consulate in Madrid and which will be handled by the new Office of Linkages and External Affairs.
An excellent branding of the College should be an essential part of our identity as it introduces us to the whole world and provides a glimpse into the standards of quality we adhere to as an institution. Thus, we are now redesigning our online platforms and revising our social media contents through the Committee on Multimedia Affairs. We have recently obtained ownership of “bpc.edu.ph” as our official website and this will give us an even stronger online presence and better visibility.
Aside from being a basic human right, education is a social and moral responsibility of those in power to provide it. Towards this end, we will strengthen our ties with the marginalized, such as persons in detention, juvenile offenders, indigenous peoples, orphans and the abandoned, the differently-abled, and the poor, among others----and breathe life to the adage that education is the great leveler.
With all of these plans and achievements by the College, the COVID-19 pandemic has become quite irrelevant. On the contrary, it has only strengthened our resolve to innovate to meet novel challenges in providing quality education while ensuring the safety and protecting the livelihood of our personnel.
The ultimate goal is to equip our personnel and students with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to prepare for the unseen future. And once we have come to that realization that we have done our best, we can only hope for a better tomorrow for all of us. Like a pensive Andy Dufresne said: “Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.” May our beloved College be as eternal.
Maraming Salamat at Mabuhay, BPC!
Atty. Joseph M. Inocencio, College President