Cebu City Hall scholars can now get TOR from ACT

CEBU, Philippines — At least 2,500 graduates of Asian College of Technology (ACT) and/or Asian College of Technology International Educational Foundation, Inc. (ACTIEF) can now process the release of their transcript of records (TOR).

This, after school officials and the Cebu City government have agreed to release the TORs while the city is processing the payment of the unpaid tuition fees of the city’s scholars.

Yesterday, Councilor Joy Augustus Young met with the officials of ACT/ACTIEF to finalize the terms of the compromise agreement which have been granted by the Regional Trial Court.

“Anytime kuno they will release as long as the students will secure their clearances,” he told reporters.

Young, deputy mayor for education, said the court’s decision is a welcome development for students because TORs are required for them to get a job.

He said the management of ACT/ACTIEF agreed to release the TORs even if the city has not paid all its dues yet.

All city scholars are entitled to get P10,000 per semester for the scholarship program of the city government.

To recall, the city government filed a petition for declaratory relief seeking the court’s intervention if it is allowed to pay the school fees for their scholars enrolled at the ACT after the Office of the Ombudsman found former Cebu City councilor and now Representative Rodrigo Abellanosa guilty of grave misconduct.

The Ombudsman ruled that there was a conflict of interest in signing two memoranda of agreement (MOAs) as Abellanosa was holding “dual positions” as Cebu City councilor and president of ACT.

But the Sandiganbayan has already dismissed the case which paved the way for the negotiation of the compromise agreement.

In the compromise agreement, the ACT accepted the city’s settlement amount of P56,025,730.08 without interest representing tuition fees for the first and second semesters of the Academic Year 2014-2015 as full settlement of the claims.

The school has billed the city government to pay P186.34 million to cover the second semesters of 2014-2015; second semester of 2015-2016; and first semester of academic year 2016-2017.

Young said the city government is now preparing for the release of the money which has been appropriated already.

He said the city will inform the Commission on Audit that it will release the money after the court granted the compromise agreement.

There is no need to secure COA’s approval on the disbursement of the money as earlier reported, Young added.  (FREEMAN)