Letter to the CHED Central Office

The following letter has been sent to us through email from a group of students of AMA Makati.
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11 August 2008


The Director
Office of Programs and Standards
CHED Central Office
Pasig City


Sir/Madam:

We are currently enrolled students on different degree programs of AMA Computer College - Makati Campus located at 5486 Pres. Sergio Osmena Highway, Cor. Gen. Tinio St., Bangkal, Makati City.

We just want to raise some issues here regarding our course offerings as to whether or not our respective programs are recognized by the CHED.

First, some of us are BSA students and yet we don’t have a CPA instructor, not even one. We have accounting courses but the one who is handling these is not a CPA but a management graduate. He does not have any master’s degree in the related field. And three weeks have passed already, we still don’t have a teacher substitute for our former teacher because he was terminated from his job. For many years, there is no passer of the CPA Board Exam here at AMA Makati. Currently, we only have two teachers who teach in the College of Business Administration and Accountancy. We wonder why the school is operating BSBA and BSA programs in spite of the lack of qualified and competent teachers in the college and with only two teachers.

Second, the school is currently operating Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication. But the reality is this: There is only one instructor for the entire trimester and on the previous trimesters and she doesn’t have any master’s degree in the field; they don’t have equipments such as camera, videocam, etc; for every subject, they only meet once a week although subjects are equivalent to 3 units; the students do not learned much because of this; no activities are being conducted for the enhancement of MASSCOM students, etc.

Third, instructors here are teaching subjects which are not their areas of specialization. We always complain for our teachers who do not know what they are talking about in class. We have instructors who are management graduate and yet they are teaching Turbo C, Foreign Language, Java Programming, computer fundamentals.

Fourth, AMA Makati has a graduate school – but only in name. No classes are being conducted. We pay thousands of pesos for every trimester but to our dismay, no classes are being held. And after the trimester, we received our grades. And that’s all. We do not learn. We just meet our instructors once or twice in a trimester just for the sake of introducing each other’s name. One student asked for a legal advice from her lawyer. The lawyer sent a demand letter to the school asking for the reimbursement of the tuition fees because it was already in the middle of the tri and still there was no classes. This is a perennial problem here. Ask the MSCS graduates of AMA Makati and they will affirm this claim of ours.

Fifth issue is about the NSTP. From what we know, we should meet three (3) hours a week but the reality is, we only meet 1.5 hours per week.

Sixth, the classroom size is beyond what is required. There are classes that have 80 students on it; 70 students; 50 students. In our class, we have 70 students. Examples of these classes are first year students’ classes. During our computer laboratory hours, two or three students share one computer. They told us before that there is one PC for every one student, but it didn’t come into reality.

Seventh, many of our teachers are teaching different subjects beyond what is required. My mother, who is a college professor, told me that a teacher should only have 3 preparations, and at most is only 4, in all cases. But our teachers here have 10 preparations; some have 6, 7, 8, and 9. They always have overload of subjects like 37 hours a week because there is no available teacher. The effect is that they find it difficult to teach us the necessary things. We failed to maximize the learning.

And lastly, the first trimester will end on August 23, 2008 and yet, we still don’t have teachers in several subjects and evening classes such as Trigonometry and many others.

We humbly ask the Office of Programs and Standards to conduct an investigation in AMA Makati as soon as possible to check all these things. We are the ones who are first being affected. We choose to remain anonymous in this letter because we are afraid that the administration will find fault on us.

Thank you so much.


Sincerely yours,


CONCERNED STUDENTS OF AMA MAKATI

Two Weeks of Protest

TWO WEEKS OF PROTEST

We, concerned students of AMA Makati, are very glad and thankful for all the students and employees who worn their black shirts, jackets, and pants last Friday, August 8, 2008. You deserve due respect and acknowledgment because you have shown your concern for us. In this small deed, we were able to air our sentiments to the present administration of AMA Makati.
This endeavor is not yet over. The movement has just started. We then call everyone, every AMA constituent, to wear any black shirt, pants, or jacket for the remaining two successive weeks prior to the end of this trimester. The first trimester ends on August 23, 2008. We boldly declare AUGUST 11 - 23 as the TWO-WEEK PROTEST IN AMA MAKATI.

We are making history in this institution. Let us not be shaken by the intimidation from AMA Makati administration. We are the BREAD AND BUTTER of this college. We are the foundation of this institution. Without us, AMA Makati will not exist. So we deserve quality education; we deserve fair and just treatment; we deserve to be represented in the decision-making process affecting us.

We urge everyone to WEAR ANY BLACK SHIRT, JACKET, OR PANTS ANYDAY from August 11-23.

May the good Lord open the hearts and minds of administration officials for all these things.

A Day of Protest

A DAY OF PROTEST

Sa darating na ika-walo ng Agosto taong kasalukuyan (August 8, 2008, FRIDAY), sama-sama po nating ipahayag ang ating karapatan bilang mga Pilipino. Inaanyayahan ang lahat - mga guro, estudyante at mga empleyado ng AMA MAkati na magsuot ng kulay itim na damit, pants, o jacket tanda ng ating mariing pagtutol sa unti-unting pagkamatay ng hustisya at demokrasya sa institusyong ating kinabibilangan. Tandaan po natin: MAGSUOT NG KAHIT NA ANONG DAMIT NA KULAY ITIM SA AUGUST 8, 2008 (FRIDAY).

The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines says that “Academic freedom shall be enjoyed in all institutions of higher learning.” (Article 14, Section 5, No. 2).

Always remember this: The Constitution is the highest law of the land.

Panawagan sa lahat

PANAWAGAN SA LAHAT

Isang maligayang pagbati sa inyong lahat - kayong kasalukuyang nagbabasa ng dalawang manifesto sa website na ito.

Hindi lingid sa ating kaalaman ang mga pangyayari ngayon sa AMA Makati. Isang guro ng College of Business Administration and Accountancy ang tinanggal ng management na hindi man lang dumaan sa tamang proseso at kung saan ang mga datos ay minanipula ng iilang ganid na mga opisyal ng kolehiyo. Hindi ito ang unang pangyayari sa AMA kung saan, matapos pagtrabahuin ang mga instructors ay kanilang tatanggalin at ni isang kusing ay walang makukuha. Isa itong malaking paglabag sa karapatan ng mga guro na tumanggap ng sahod sa pinagpaguran nila.

Nakalulungkot isipin na ang katulad ni Mr. Alonzo ay hinayaang mawala sa AMA Makati. Hindi ba sila naaawa sa mga estudyante na unang-unang pundasyon ng eskwelahan? Hanggang ngayon ay wala pa din silang teachers sa mga naiwang subjects ni Mr. Alonzo. Patapos na ang finals at tila magiging isang panaginip na lang ang lahat.

Nanawagan kami sa lahat ng mga estudyante, guro at mga empleyado ng AMA Makati na magtulungan para sa ikabubuti ng kolehiyo. Panahon na para gumising tayo sa mahimbing na pagkakatulog. May magagawa pa tayo.

Kay butihing pangulo ng AMA Education System na si Dr. Amable C. Aquiluz, nananawagan po kami na maisaayos ang problemang ito sa AMA Makati. Naniniwala po kami na kayo lamang ang makakatulong para maresolba ang krisis na to. Wala na po kaming tiwala sa School Director dito na si Ms. Marietta Sicat. IT IS TIME FOR HER TO STEP DOWN FROM HER POSITION - RESIGN!

Sa lahat, naniniwala kami na may pag-asa pa. Tulong-tulong po tayo para sa ikabubuti ng AMA Makati. Mabuhay!

Manifesto No. 2

MANIFESTO NO. 2

Time and again the present administration of AMA Computer College-Makati Campus has shown its true color – an administration of injustice, arrogance and inefficiency.

This manifesto has been written out of our cry for the abuses committed by the present administration of this College. This is a collective effort from the constituents of AMA community whose purpose is to awaken the administration from its deep state of slumber – that a particular school official habitually manipulates people and circumstances to serve his/her selfish motives.

So we say…………. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO! to a school official who asked for a laptop and printer from the students;

NO! to a school official who brought a TV set out of the school premises to his/her home;

NO! to a school official who approves candidates for graduation although these students have NFE/failing grades from other subjects;

NO! to a school official who willfully disobeys memorandum from the AMA Corporaten Office;

NO! to a school official who let organizers (teachers and students alike) of activities to spend money from their own pockets although the Head Office provides funds for these activities, e.g., Dean’s Night;

NO! to a school official who received payment of P8,000 from the students for Auditorium use;

NO! to a school official who continuously manipulate people to serve his/her own interests;

NO! to a school official who tolerates subordinates to do corrupt practices.

We have school authorities to guide us, to protect us and to serve us. They are not in the positions to abuse us.

This is not the time to become complacent. This is the right time for us to stand up, get united, and to declare to the world that we are the catalysts of social change – that we are individuals who are enlightened and enjoy the freedom of speech and of expression that our great heroes have fought before. Let us start to become vigilant.

Let us unite ourselves for the betterment of AMA Computer College-Makati Campus.

—Let us put an end to this crisis--

--------AMA Makati Alliance of Concerned Constituents----------

Manifesto of Support for Mr. Anthony Greg F. Alonzo

Manifesto of Support for Mr. Anthony Greg F. Alonzo

Early this Friday morning, July 18, 2008, MR. ANTHONY GREG F. ALONZO, a faculty member of the College of Business Administration and Accountancy of AMA Computer College-Makati Campus was notified by school authorities that he is terminated as a faculty member of the College effective immediately. He was barred from entering the premises of AMA. He was prohibited from attending his classes at the middle of the trimestral period.

These actions are manifestations of an unjust, unfair and inhuman system. He was terminated without due process as required by law. He was not given any written warning or reprimand prior to his dismissal as stipulated in the Faculty Manual of AMA Education System and as required by law. The Human Resource Department of AMACC-Makati issued certification and documents that would prove that he did not violate the company policies on tardiness and absenteeism but some school authorities, because of their inhuman treatment to their faculty members, driven by their selfish motives, ignored these pieces of evidence.

School officials allowed Mr. Alonzo to teach since May 19, 2008. They allowed him to sign the Teacher’s Contract but until now, he has not received his salary. They willfully violated the right of a teacher as provided in Article 103 of the Presidential Decree 442, otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines, which states that: “Wages shall be paid at least once every 2 weeks or twice a month at intervals not exceeding 16 days.”

We are calling the school officials of AMACC-Makati Campus to reconsider their decision. It’s time for them to pay attention to issues such as this. We know how dedicated Mr. Alonzo is to his work. We know how effective he is as an instructor. We know how good he is as a person.

We are not against the entire AMA Education System. We are against some school officials who manipulate people to accommodate their own selfish motives.

It’s time for us to get united in this crisis. We give our full support to Mr. Alonzo.

No to unjust and illegal dismissal of Mr. Anthony Greg F. Alonzo!

Justice shall prevail!