Rama wants to establish a college for Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is pushing for the establishment of a city college to allow under privilege students in the city to pursue college education.

“It’s about time that we must be pursuing it with aggressiveness,” Rama said.

The mayor wants to monitor the performance of the city scholars to ensure that they will finish school and have a better future.

The students of the city college will receive P10,000 under the City Scholarship Program. Rama said he is planning to include the budget for its construction in the 2015 annual budget.

 Councilor Gerardo Carillo will be designated to oversee the project.

“Before pa he was very active for Alternative Learning System and it does not make him to be something new in promoting education. I would be supporting.  Kung saan siya masaya susuportahan ko siya,” Rama said in jest.

 He did not mention any specific location where the city college will be constructed. However, he is considering to build it somewhere in the mountain barangays.

 “Og naa tay mga colleges in the mountain barangay, di na manaog ang taga bukid and if we have development in the mountain barangay we will see the future that there will be a city within the city,” he said.

 In the year 2012, the City Council passed the Ordinance No. 2320 known as “An Ordinance Establishing the Cebu City College, an Institution of Higher Learning for the Poor but Deserving Constituents of Cebu City, and Authorizing the Appropriation of Funds thereof.”

 The ordinance states that, “the Cebu City College shall offer courses dully recognized by TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority). Training regulations and competency requirements of trainers have to undergo the accreditation process of the said office.”

 The college shall derive its funds from Cebu City government, national government and/or its agencies, foreign governments, private persons, private organizations and institutions, among others.

 It will also absorb the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program presently offered by the Cebu City Medical Center College of Nursing in consortium with the Cebu Technological University.  (FREEMAN)