Lacking papers, schools remain unpaid

CEBU, Philippines - The alleged “lack” of submitted document is preventing the Cebu City Hall from processing payment for P13.5 million it owed five schools under the City College Scholarship Program for the second semester of the last academic year.

Ester Cubero of the city scholarship committee said these schools still failed to submit all requirements, including the certificate of failing grades.

She identified the schools as the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise to which the city owned P1.64 million; University of the Philippines, P747,579.50; Cebu Technological University, P11.06 million; BMC Training Center for Welding and Fabrication, P10,000; and the  College of Technological Sciences CTS, P100,000.

Cubero said the schools should submit the complete requirement so that the city government could continue processing the papers.

She is encouraging the schools to provide the city their respective billings as early as possible so that the city could pay them and also for the students to get their allowances.

Aside from the P10,000 tuition the city gives, scholars under the students also receive P500 for the school supply allowance every semester and to those from the mountain barangays could also receive P1000 transportation allowance every month.

“Akong gihangyo ang mga schools nga mo-report aron dili na reimbursement ang madawat sa mga bata, aron ila gyud magamit ang kwarta (I’m requesting the schools to already comply with all requirements so the scholars would enjoy by getting their allowance,” Cubero added.

Last May, the city government paid P40.8 million from a total of P166 million in payables to the Asian College of Technology International Educational Foundation Inc. (ACTIEF) for its city scholars.

This was after the city initially declined to pay the scholars of ACTIEF due to incomplete requirements and pending the resolution of the “conflict of interest” case filed against City Councilor Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa.

Earlier, Cubero said that ACTIEF has already complied with all the requirements and their papers are being processed. —/RHM (FREEMAN)