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Dishonest ABE

How a school?s alleged incompetence and failure to meet government requirements threaten the future of several of its students, many of whom had finished their course but couldn?t graduate.

By Cheryll D. Fiel
davaotoday.com

An advertisement for ABE featuring popular actress Heart EvangelistaDAVAO CITY (June 3, 2006) — Charo Divinagracia dreamed of becoming a career woman someday. Thanks to a sister who works abroad and who agreed to pay for her college education, she had the opportunity to pursue that dream.

She picked ABE International College of Business and Accountancy (ABE), a school that boasts of excellent e-business courses, because of its promise of a degree in three years? time and a diploma that would be recognized not only here but also abroad. ABE, a member of the AMA Educational System, had just opened its branch in Davao City when Divinagracia enrolled in Accountancy in 2001.

When Divinagracia reached third year, however, she and her batchmates were advised by the school to shift to another course. The reason: ABE?s accountancy course had not been recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched).

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Dreaming of College

Grace, Vienna and Joan are poor, hardworking and imbued with the desire for knowledge and a comfortable life. For the moment, however, all they can do is dream about the possibilities.

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By Jeffrey B. Javier
davaotoday.com

Poverty prevented Joan from entering college. (davaotoday.com photo by Barry Ohaylan)DAVAO CITY ? This is the story of three young women and their dream of a college education.

Grace Cloribel, 21, was born in a family of 10 children. Being the eighth, she was lucky enough to graduate from high school and had the chance to enter college. On her freshman year, she enrolled at the University of Mindanao, taking up commerce. She wanted to be a corporate woman.

One year later, she was forced to stop schooling because she had to help provide for her poor family?s needs. Her rather large family depends on the salary of their mother, who works as a clerk at City Hall. The father, a tailor, contributes to the household?s meager income. Grace?s older siblings are busy raising their own families; some don?t have stable jobs, some just bum around.

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Fusion Chips, Anyone?

Photo from Nuts Online (http://www.nutsonline.com)DAVAO CITY (davaotoday.com) — Some may think it was bound to happen: banana chips that taste like durian. The Davao provinces, after all, are known for their bananas and their durian. Wouldn?t it be nice to fuse — fusion chips! — the flavors of the two fruits?

It gets better ? or worse, depending on your taste.

There are 11 other flavors aside from banana chips ?caf? with durian jam?: cheese, barbecue, glazed bits with sesame seeds, chocolate, strawberry, caf? espresso, twin berries, glazed banana fries with sesame seeds, sweet and spicy, chocolate strawberry half dip, and what the trade department calls the ?Davao trail mix? made of banana chips, dried mango, green peas, peanuts, and coconut flakes.

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