Talisay City College to be state school

CEBU, Philippines - The House of Representatives has approved House Bill No. 5147 integrating Talisay City College into the Talisay City State College.

Deputy Majority Leader and Cebu First District Representative Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. filed House Bill No. 786 but it was substituted by House Bill No. 5147 when it was passed and forwarded to the Senate.

The bill seeks to clarify, by way of amendment, that Republic Act (RA) No. 10594 establishing a state college in the City of Talisay, is a conversion law that was enacted on June 4, 2013.

“This bill seeks to clarify confusion, settle all uncertainties and avoid controversies that may arise in the conversion of the Talisay City College to Talisay City State College,” Gullas said.

The proposed amendment of Section 1 of RA No. 10594 states that there is hereby established a state college in the City of Talisay, Province of Cebu to be known as the Talisay City State college, hereinafter referred to as the College, “and integrating therewith the existing Talisay City College in the City of Talisay, Province of Cebu. Its main campus shall be in the City of Talisay, Province of Cebu.”

Gullas said the true intention of the law is to convert the Talisay City College, an existing local college, into a State College.

Section 24 of RA No. 10594 provides for the compliance with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) requirements.

However, Gullas said the CHED requirements as detailed in Section 24 apply only to the establishment of a state university or conversion of a state college to a state university.

Gullas said this was clarified in a June 20, 2013 press statement by CHED Chairperson Patricia Licuanan.

In the proposed amendment, Section 24 (a) shall be read as “appropriate or equivalent accreditation under CHED policies and guidelines for colleges” as among the operational requirement for a college. —/JBB (FREEMAN)