UP Baguio students flag alleged internship contract termination by local media outlet

Failing grades reported despite students completing most required internship hours under disputed arrangement.

The University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB) is facing scrutiny for its handling of an alleged illegal termination of student internship contracts by local media outlet North Luzon Monitor (NLM).

UPB Outcrop, the regional unit’s official student publication, reported on May 31 that seven graduating students from the College of Arts and Communication had their internship contracts with NLM allegedly illegally terminated.

The students rendered over 90 hours worth of work out of their required 100 hours with the company. However, NLM supposedly ended the contract because their output “[did] not align with the operational requirements of the publication,” the students told UPB Outcrop.

NLM allegedly told the students in a May 7 meeting that they were expected to be available 24/7, and reportedly reprimanded the students for not skipping class in order to work with the media outlet. The students said they were enrolled in other classes during the semester of their internship.

The students opted to complete their internship with a different company and fulfill the required number of hours. However, the UPB student council said the students received failing grades for their internship subject—putting their ability to graduate at risk.

Seeking legal action, the students filed a complaint against NLM citing a violation of the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 104, Series of 2017.

The CHED memo outlines guidelines for student internship programs, requiring companies to provide at least 30 working days’ written notice to the higher education institution about a student intern’s breach of contract before termination.

The college’s Department of Communication initially declined to comment on the matter, but a professor said the silence was due to the issue being escalated.

“Since the parties concerned decided to go the legal way, despite forum shopping in various offices and everyone who would lend them a sympathetic ear, we say let us respect the legal process din. Our silence does not mean inaction,” said Asst. Prof. Leia Castro-Margate in a June 2 Facebook post.

Netizens have expressed sympathy for the students, with other students expressing similar concerns of alleged mistreatment during internships. Some UPB students also came to the group’s defense to vouch for their work ethics.

Public response to the supposed events highlights potential areas for greater labor protection, particularly clearer processes and documentation surrounding student internships.

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