Thirty-four teacher-scholars from different MIMAROPA provinces have completed their graduate degree classes at the Marinduque State University (MSC) amidst the COVID-19 crisis.
The scholars, who were handpicked by the college and the Department of Education (DepEd), managed to compress one semester’s academic load into one month to comply with the minimum health protocols set by the national government. They completed their first level of studies on June 6.
Their next semester will begin in April 2021, where they will compress one semester into six days of classes.
The MSC awarded completion certificates to its 34-teacher scholars of the Graduate Diploma of Cultural Education (GDCE) on June 21. The scholars were screened in early April and began their studies on May 11, according to a series of press releases made available June 23 and July 3 by the MSC.
The institution is the second to offer the program, Palawan State University (PSU) being the first in 2014, according to MSC associate professor Dr. Randy Nobleza.
“Nauna po ang PSU na mag-offer ng GDCE noong 2014, sunod po kami noong na-launch ang school year 2018-2019” said Nobleza in an interview July 6.
The teacher-scholars hail from Romblon, Marinduque, and Oriental Mindoro. They are the second batch to take the graduate program since its inception. Classes were held through various online platforms, such as Facebook Groups, Zoom, and Google Classroom.
“Natapos po ng Batch 2 ang Level 1 nila through various online means kasi nga ipinagbawal na ang face-to-face classes,” said Nobleza.
The GDCE program is funded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), a national government office that oversees cultural and heritage enrichment.
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