MANILA – A student on Tuesday recalled his “traumatizing” experience after attending his college’s foundation day in Bataan, demanding accountability from Bestlink College of the Philippines for the inconvenience that he and his fellow students experienced over the weekend.

Ramon (not his real name) said he and some students walked for around 3 hours just to reach the buses supposed to bring them home in Quezon City, after these were positioned at the national road in Hermosa, Bataan.

These buses cannot travel to the area nearby the resort where the foundation day was held, as the roads were supposedly narrow and bumpy.

The event itself was supposedly conducted in an open area with some students suffering from the heat of the sun.

“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. Sobrang nagpapasalamat kami sa mga nagmagandang loob,” said Ramon, a graduating student in the Novaliches-based college.

“Pagdating namin sa national highway, nakipag-agawan kami sa ibang courses. Sumakay kami sa bus na hindi namin ka-department... May mga kaklase kaming naiwan, umabot na ng madaling araw, hinaharang na sa highway. Nagpalipas ng gabi sa Bataan, hindi sila masyado ina-accommodate ng resort kasi hindi na kaya. So nakitulog ang iba kung saan-saan,” he added.

The event – which drew criticisms from different students on social media – happened on Sunday.

Buses were assigned per department and college, but this was not followed since many students already wanted to go home.

Students paid P500 for the bus fare, as coordinated by the college.

“Masikip na yung daan sa resort, matarik din, so hindi na makapasok lahat... '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,” he said.

Some of his friends were still reeling from the impact of the long-hours of walk in their mental and physical health – with some supposedly still experiencing physical pain and loss of appetite.

“We are hoping na sana mapanagot 'yung nasa administrasyon. The students never deserve this kind of treatment... Sana mapanagot ang mga dapat mapanagot. We need answers right now,” he said.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Tuesday said it would issue a show-cause order against Bestlink Colleges of the Philippines “for conducting off-campus activity without submitting the required documents with CHEDRO NCR.”

The Quezon City local government, for its part, called on schools to be responsible and to prioritize student welfare.

“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.

“Adherence to established safety protocols is non-negotiable and must be strictly observed to safeguard students and prevent undue inconvenience to the public,” it added.

ABS-CBN News reached out to Bestlink but it has yet to respond as of this story’s posting. Our news team also went to its headquarters in Novaliches but the guards said officials would not conduct any interviews for now.

According to CHED's statement, another off-campus activity organized by Bestlink College was conducted back in February 2017 which led to 15 deaths and 40 students suffering injuries.