AFTER COUNTLESS DEFERMENTS, the Office of the Prefect of Student Activities (OPSA) released an announcement last April 15 to finally cancel the Bedan Integration Week for the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)—ultimately marking its fourth consecutive year of absence.
In a statement released by OPSA, the decision was made after taking into consideration the current events, particularly the El Niño phenomenon, which would pose an alarming area of concern toward the event’s supposed participants. A reschedule, the OPSA said, would no longer be feasible as “we could no longer afford suspension of classes as we are on the remaining six weeks of the semester.”
Moreover, the cancellation of the annual event was decided in accordance with the recently publicized memorandum from the Dean, instructing the CAS community to suspend “all outdoor activities from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. until the end of the second semester of the academic year (A.Y.),” following the extreme heating conditions.
Student Council (SC) President Eunice Bermudez disclosed that both the SC and the SC Executive Committee (SCEC) participated in the persistent seeking of the Integration’s approval from the administration—by which preparations of such have begun since September 2023, despite its postponements.
Furthermore, the SC President shared the various adjustments they committed to implement during the supposed event. The same included the compliance to the memorandum and restrictions on pouring of liquids in respect with Laudato Si’. “Despite these restrictions, we still tried to revise the plans, proposing that the physical activities be held from 4 p.m. onwards, but to no avail,” she shared.
Prof. Marvin Reyes, Ph.D., the Prefect of Student Activities, expressed that despite these efforts to realize the activity, the administration was resolute at looking into “the welfare of the students, ensure their safety, and avoid the risks of being compromised by the extreme heat conditions.” But amid its cancellation, Dr. Reyes assured the CAS community of the likelihood of a Bedan Integration happening in the succeeding A.Y.
“Integration is just a little chunk of the entire formation of being a Bedan. Sa mga matitirang Bedista, ‘tsaka sa mga darating na Bedista, hintayin natin, sa mas planado at mas kakaibang Integration in the future, especially this coming, following year,” he added.
While expressing her apparent disappointment of the fact that the Class of 2024 had a “lacking experience” of the event, having it absent during their four-year stay in the University, Bermudez, nonetheless, gave her “best hopes” for the relaunch of the Bedan Integration by the succeeding SC, offering her and the SC 2023-2024’s assistance if needed.