Boac, Marinduque – The Graduate Diploma in Cultural Education (GDCE) Mimaropa Batch 3 is slated to start by September 17 amidst some changes in schedule for fine tuning and adjustments to the program of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The Marinduque State College (MSC) has started the process of accreditation, liquidation and the approval of the next batch of the regional GDCE since June. The qualifying exam was undertaken last July 22 and results were already ascertained by August 3. There are at least 40 qualified teacher-applicants from Mimaropa and other nearby  divisions in the National Capital region, Calabarzon and Bicol.

An orientation program is set by September 12 (Monday) and the online enrollment is from 14-16 this month to give way to the annual commemoration of the Battle of Pulang Lupa on September 13 in Torrijos, Marinduque. The first CulEd 200- Foundation and Pedagogy of Cultural Education course was set to start last Sept 3 but would continue by Sept 17. The other GDCE level 1 courses would proceed as scheduled: CulEd 201- Review of Philippine History and Heritage by October 1 to 23; CulEd 202 – Cultural Diversity and Languages of the Philippines is going to take place in October 29 to November 28;  and CulEd 203 – Philippine Arts on November 26 to December 18.

Taking the helm of CulEd 200 is Mam Ruby Ann Lantita, the MSC Culture and Arts head and batch 1 teacher-scholar. While the public historian Prof. Xiao Chua of Dela Salle University Manila would be coming back for CulEd 201 along with Dr. Mary Bulaong for CulEd 202, the dean of College of Arts and Letters of the Bulacan State University. Meanwhile, Sir Melandro Pascual, the artistic director of the Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation Inc. would be handling Philippine Arts.

GDCE is a post-baccalaureate course, 24 unit  with 8 subjects two-semester long with the endowment from NCCA to the MSC as conduit institution in Mimaropa. MSC is celebrating its platinum anniversary this year. This year marks the third iteration of the cultural education program in the region.