Jamayka Rhose Pascual

The Bestlink College of the Philippines in Novaliches, Quezon City received backlash after students were forced to walk for almost 4 hours, and navigated kilometers of road in the dark due to logistical failures during a school-organized trip in Bataan.

Photo Courtesy of Facebook.

The trip, meant to celebrate the college’s founding anniversary, took place at a resort in Hermosa, Bataan, took a drastic turn due to alleged poor planning and lack of proper transportation arrangements.

Students reportedly walked for approximately three hours through unlit roads after their buses were stationed in other Barangays too far from the event venue.

The roads to the venue were reportedly narrow and bumpy, making it difficult for their buses to travel and caused traffic around the area.

With around 30,000 participants from senior high school to college, students allegedly suffered from hunger and lack of proper accomodation in the resort. 

Students recall ‘traumatizing’ experiences
According to Ramon (not his real name), the experience was “traumatizing,” as he recalled how the other students broke down in tears as they struggled to keep moving forward in the darkness.

“Naglakad kami ng three kilometers, then napansin namin 'yung mga kapwa students namin doon, pagod 'yung iba nagbe-breakdown na sa daan. Sobrang dilim noon at napakaalikabok ng daan. Hindi nga namin alam saan pupunta pero diniretso na lang namin,” he said in a conversation with another student’s family who compiled their complaints.

Several students suffered from dehydration, exhaustion, and anxiety attacks, with some reporting persistent physical pain and mental distress even days after the incident.

“'Yung trauma is an understatement, sobrang devastated kami sa nangyari. We are hoping, in behalf of my classmates and schoolmates na sobrang naagrabyado, may mga friends ako na na-trigger ang mga sakit nila,” Ramon added.

Other students were also left stranded at the resort overnight due to the shortage of buses, with reports indicating that the venue lacked adequate accommodations, forcing students to sleep wherever they could find space.

Despite paying for 500 pesos each for the transportation, many were left due to limited spaces, as assigned buses were either full or unreachable during the trip.

Bestlink’s past field trip crash resurfaces
The incident immediately drew concerns over the college’s history of negligience, especially after it was revealed that another school-organized trip in 2017 led to a deadly bus crash.

The bus were also on a field trip when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into an electricity post in Tanay, Rizal, leading to 15 deaths.

CHED orders investigation into Bestlink’s unauthorized trip
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has since announced that it will issue a show-cause order against Bestlink College for conducting an unauthorized off-campus activity without securing the necessary permits.

"The CHED Commission en banc has discussed the matter and a show cause order will be issued against Bestlink College for conducting off-campus activity without submitting the required documents with CHEDRO NCR," CHED Chairperson Popoy de Vera stated.

The Quezon City Government has also condemned the school’s handling of the event, urging educational institutions to prioritize student safety and ensure proper coordination with local authorities for large-scale events.

“Schools are reminded of their responsibility to exercise due diligence by ensuring meticulous planning and closely coordinating with local government units (LGUs) and other relevant authorities,” the local government said.

Bestlink College has yet to release an official statement addressing the outrage, while CHED and local officials continue their probe into the incident.