Tragic field trip meant to exempt Bulacan students from final exams

The Bulacan State University students that participated in the field trip that turned tragic on Tuesday were told that they would be exempted from their final examinations if things went well during the excursion, one of the survivors has said.

However, no teacher was with the group of students who were washed away by a sudden flash flood when they were crossing Madlum River in San Miguel, Bulacan that fateful day.  Seven students were killed.
 

“Parang project po namin tapos kapag maganda po 'yung gawa niyo exempted kayo sa finals. Kaya kami sumama,” survivor Danielle Cunanan told GMA News' Kara David in a report on "24 Oras" Thursday night.

 

 

The loved ones of the fatalities believe there was negligence on the school's part.

 

“Sana man lang papunta sa bus meron silang teacher na hindi nangyari. Tapos nung tatawid din daw sila wala rin daw silang kasamang teacher,” said Saralou Alcantara, a sister of one of the victims.

 

Survivor Althea Hernandez supported this statement. She said there were only two local tour guides with their group when they hiked and crossed the river. No teacher was with them, she said.

 

According to the report, the tour guides said that the group could cross the river even if it was raining all afternoon.

 

The group had safety ropes but it only extended up to the middle of the river so they got stuck on an elevated rock until the flashflood came in and swept them away. 

 

Two of the survivors have already been released from the Intensive Care Unit. At least 40 students joined the field trip.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Higher Education earlier said the Bulacan State University may have been careless in following procedures when conducting a field trip. It said the school failed to submit the proper paperwork, which includes a risk assessment of the educational trip. —Andrei Medina/NB, GMA News