Baguio-based school requires students to take pregnancy tests

A Baguio-based learning institution is now the subject of criticisms online after its policy of mandatory pregnancy tests on students was posted online.

On Tuesday afternoon, Pines City Colleges in a Facebook  post said it would not scrap its policy of requiring pregnancy tests for its students, adding that the measure was for their protection.

The memo which circulated online on Tuesday said students should prepare for pregnancy tests scheduled at 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., from November 7 to 9.

“Pines City Colleges abides by its policy of pregnancy tests for female students who are enrolling in any subject that would endanger both mother and child. We believe it is a policy protective of our students while they are in our care and are deployed to internship programs in hospitals and to clinical practice,” the school said in a statement.

“It is a policy agreed to by our students upon their enrollment in this institution,” it added.

The October 25 memo from PCC Medical Clinic was sent to all deans and department heads of the Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy and Dentistry.

“In our school's pursuit for education and social responsibility, the PCC Medical Clinic will be conducting the mandatory pregnancy test on students in your colleges,” the memo read.

The same memo said that two registered medical technologists from an accredited laboratory will be stationed at the medical clinic to facilitate specimen collection and perform the test, respectively, and that students should proceed to the clinic on their scheduled dates.

Specimen containers, on the other hand, will be provided by the medical clinic

The fee for the pregnancy test is pegged at P150 per student which will be added to school fees.

The memo was signed by Regina Prats, PCC's Vice President for Administration and Aurelia Navarro who serves as the School Physician. —NB, GMA News