Got a tip? Send it to us at manila@coconuts.co.
After the Mechanical Engineering Board Examination held last Sep 29 and 30, Mechanical Engineering graduates of the University of the Philippines Diliman sent two letters to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to complain about the alleged mishandling of, and rampant cheating during the said exam.
“Raymond Velasco, chairman of the Engineering Student Council of UP Diliman, told InterAksyon.com in a telephone interview that there had already been reports of botched board exams in previous years. However, he explained, it was only this year that social media enabled the members of the student council to monitor and document reports from their peers who had taken the exams,” reports Tricia Aquino on InterAksyon.com.
The report noted: “Velasco did not disclose the names of the examinees who took to their social networks to make their grievances known, but confirmed that PRC has acknowledged the receipt of the two letters submitted on October 2 and 7. He added that the complaints were from Mechanical Engineering graduates who took the exams in Metro Manila testing centers.”
Velasco related that “some people he knew personally ranted on social media that necessary information, such as tables, charts, and diagrams were not provided by the PRC, making some of the problems unsolvable.”
Then, when the examinees went to the proctors and watchers to ask about the missing information, they were allegedly only told: “Just guess the answer.”
Thus, Velasco explained, “some examinees reported seeing others cheat, or admitted that they themselves cheated, but tried to justify it by pointing to the flawed exam.”
The Office of PRC Commissioner Yolanda Reyes told InterAksyon.com in an e-mail that the PRC “has carefully read the allegations and looked into said concerns.” She added that the matter has been brought to the attention of Board of Mechanical Engineering and Hon. Angeline T. Chua Chiaco, the Oversight Commissioner of the said Board, “for appropriate action.”
Photo: VivaFilipinas.com
