The Vanguard Posted on May 21, 2026 at 11:14 pm
“Abolish SAP! Investigate Corruption!” This was the resounding battle cry of development communication students during yesterday’s World Press Freedom Day celebration at the Northwest Samar State University (NwSSU) campus. The youth’s awakening stems from a scandal that caught fire on social media just as the previous university administration’s term was drawing to a close. The public gained a sharper, more alarming view of the situation through a Facebook post by Jerry Gracio, which exposed the questionable mechanics behind how the university operates its Special Academic Program (SAP) under Graduate Studies.
While the past administration never explicitly admitted whether the program holds the required authorization from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), actions speak louder than words. For years, graduation exercises were repeatedly held outside the university premises without any transparent disclosure regarding the program’s official academic status, a practice that has ignited profound suspicion within the academic community itself.
Serious questions now demand answers: Is SAP even legal? Where do the tuition fees collected from master’s and doctoral students actually go? Why does SAP operate on a tri-semester scheme when other institutional programs do not? And exactly how many insiders are involved in this web? This cloud of uncertainty has cast a dark shadow over NwSSU, dealing a heavy blow to the institution’s hard-earned reputation.
The widespread operation of SAP has become a massive talking point, largely because its clientele consists mostly of elementary and secondary public school teachers, alongside personnel from various government agencies eager for swift career advancement. The reason for the uproar is simple yet devastating to academic integrity: if a professional wants to secure a graduate diploma quickly and effortlessly, they apparently just need to enroll in SAP.
NwSSU’s undergraduate students are acutely aware of this open secret. Now, they are demanding accountability: Why did CHED Region 8 allow this system to persist? Why did the university’s own academic community stand by and do nothing to stop it? How much does a hassle-free graduate degree actually cost under this program?
Are we simply going to sit back and watch this practice compromise the educational system? Ultimately, it begs the most critical question of all: Where is the “quality education” that CHED so fiercely preaches? — Rosa Tiempo
