26/08/2026
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๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐-๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
Inside the skills laboratory of Saint Tonis College, Inc. College of Nursing in Tabuk City, the ritual is familiar: the crisp snap of latex gloves, the rhythmic inflations of a blood pressure cuff, the scent of rubbing alcohol, and the meticulous charting of vital signs. For generations of nursing students across the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), this traditional routine formed the bedrock of clinical preparation.
Yet, as hospital wards become increasingly complex and healthcare systems demand specialized competencies, a four-year degree alone no longer guarantees immediate readiness at the bedside.
To bridge this gap between academic theory and clinical practice, STCI has spearheaded a historic shift in higher education. Under CHED Memorandum Order No. 1, Series of 2025, STCI became the first higher education institution in the Cordillera Administrative Region authorized to offer for-credit micro-credentials.
With 22 approved offerings, STCI now stands at the forefront of modern, competency-based education in Northern Luzon.
While the policy shift was formalized nationally, its implementation was driven by institutional vision and local necessity. For the College of Nursing, Dean Constancio K. Balbin, Jr. envisioned a supplementary framework that would equip nursing students with targeted, job-ready competencies before graduation.
This vision was strongly propelled by the strong push, unwavering support, and visionary leadership of School President Dr. Kathleen Rose L. Guimbatan, whose commitment to innovation and lifelong learning created the institutional environment for this transformation to flourish.
Translating this vision into CHED-compliant applications required extensive technical groundwork. The Center for Learning and Innovation (CLI) served as the technical spearhead of the micro-credential initiative, working collaboratively with the Office of Academic Innovation, Lifelong Learning, and Quality Assurance for Tertiary, led by its Director, Zustamita Zhen G. Dumirag.
Under President Guimbatan's leadership through the Center for Learning and Innovation, provided critical coordination, academic innovation, and quality-assurance support, helping align the initiative with institutional and CHED requirements. College deans and designated personnel likewise contributed to the collective effort, with Ronna Mae B. Gavino providing assistance in the preparation, documentation, coordination, and technical requirements of the applications.
Rather than treating these offerings as mere extracurricular workshops, STCI integrates short, competency-based learning opportunities alongside degree studies through face-to-face, online, and blended learning formats.
For nursing students, these include programs addressing emergency care, special-needs caregiving, medical terminology and transcription, as well as communication proficiency for international opportunities.
Through partnerships with organizations such as the Philippine Red Cross โ Kalinga Chapter, TESDA Kalinga, and ASAP Nexus Academy, STCI has expanded opportunities for students to build competencies relevant to both local healthcare needs and global professional pathways.
The significance of STCIโs achievement extends beyond the number of courses approved. As CHED expands flexible learning and lifelong-learning pathways nationwide, STCIโs recognition establishes a new benchmark for higher education in the Cordilleras.
The initiative demonstrates what becomes possible when visionary leadership, academic direction, technical expertise, quality assurance, and institutional collaboration converge.
When an STCI graduate steps beyond the school campus, the goal is no longer simply to send out a degree holder.
It is to send out a competent, adaptable, credentialed, and future-ready professional.
This is how STCI is re-engineering modern healthcare education.
This is how Saint Tonis College, Inc. continues to charge forward through lifelong learning, first in the Cordilleras, and forward into the future.
๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฆ: ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐. ๐ถ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐
๐ฟ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฆ: ๐ป๐๐๐๐โ ๐ธ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐
