March 29, 2024

Set amidst the background of Mount Pulag and Kabayan’s heritage sites, the Benguet State University soft opened its Kabayan campus in Kamora National High School, Gusaran, Kabayan Benguet on April 19.
The BSU-Kabayan Campus will give opportunities to senior high school graduates and interested students to continue college, especially among students in adjacent municipalities of Bokod, Buguias, Tinoc in Ifugao, and Kayapa in Nueva Vizcaya.
The Kabayan campus will be housed in the two buildings of KNHS while BSU plans to build its own in the next years.
It is among the three new campuses to be established in partnership with the local government unit and the Department of Education. The other two campuses underway for opening are BSU-Kapangan and BSU-Itogon.
BSU President Felipe S. Comila said it is their aim to make BSU a great university in Benguet “so the national level will know it.”
“I also intend to have 13 universities in Benguet, as we tell to our children to stay at home and we bring the services of the education sector to them,” Comila said.
For Gusaran Punong Barangay Joanne Belting, the BSU Kabayan Campus is a dream come true to every yKabayan.
This 20-year-old dream is pioneered by 86-year-old educator Victor Cosalan, a retired English supervisor in Benguet and former three-term mayor.
“It is not easy to put up a college but it was a dream turned into reality because it is an advantageous and hope for the future generations,” said Cosalan.
He expressed “gratitude to BSU as big brother” in heeding the call of Kabayan and its dream.
Atty. Renante B. Basco, BSU legal officer, explained the memorandum of agreement between BSU and the Department of Education-CAR. The agreement is focused on the “use of facilities for extension classes and BSU-Kabayan Campus”.
The parties will be employing usufruct agreement in the implementation and establishment of BSU-Kabayan campus. With the usufruct agreement, BSU will be borrowing the facilities of KNHS while providing instruction services to the students.
BSU-Kabayan Campus will welcome aspiring students for the Bachelor of Science in Tourism as its first degree program.
Other courses in the undergraduate level such as Teacher Education, Public Administration, Agriculture and Forestry, Nursing, and Criminology related degree programs will soon be offered following the Board of Regents’ approval applied at the university level.
Graduate programs will soon be offered in the BSU-Kabayan Campus to include in Public Administration, Education, Home Economics, and Home Economics Technology. Doctor’s degree in Educational Management will also be offered.
These degree programs, however, will undergo further deliberations at the university level on its implementation plan and system of operations.
The BSU-Bokod Campus will facilitate Kabayan Campus’ management and operation for the meantime while designations are underway.
For the upcoming school year 2022-2023, BS Tourism will be offered this August 2022 and admission will start in May.
Applicants from Kabayan can proceed to KNHS for enlistment while applicants coming from municipalities can proceed to the nearest BSU campus’ Office of the Executive Director.
Announcement will also be posted at the BSU Facebook page and Admissions-Benguet State University FB page. – Judea B. Ballagan