CEBU, Philippines - Enrolment in Mandaue City College this year has increased by at least 60 percent from the same period of last year.
A significant factor of this unprecedented hike is the influx of transferees from known universities and colleges in Cebu, said OIC administrator Dr. Susana Cabahug.
Cabahug said last year the enrolment was 422 but as of June 6 this year the number of enrollees has already reached 500 and this will continue to increase until the deadline on June 18.
Of the total enrolment, majority or 93 as of last week are enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT).
Transferees come from the University of San Carlos, University of San Jose Recoletos, University of Cebu, AMA Computer, Royal Christian College, among others with courses such as BSBA, BSHRM (Hotel, Restaurant Management), BSTM (Tourism Management), and BSIT, among others.
"The main reason is economic," Cabahug said, adding the school offers an affordable rate of P100 per unit and yet quality education is assured, with 17 regular faculty and administrative personnel and 20 part time of whom six are holders of doctorate degrees at its disposal.
Dr. Leo Acibar, Assistant College Administrator for Academic Affairs said that based on his interviews with the incoming students, two who came from the University of San Carlos were taking nursing and enrolled instead in BSEd major in Special Education in Mandaue City College.
From the interview, the two said the income of their parents are not enough to send them to the private school and so they settle for the city college.
The Commission on Higher Education last September 14, 2010 has accredited the offering of Mandaue City College for the following courses, BEEd, BSEd, and BSIT.
Cabahug also announced that entrepreneurial skills training offered by the city government are now integrated in the school under the vocational technology department.
This includes the six weeks to three months of skills training during the day and ten months training during the night.
Among the three-month courses are culinary arts, cake decorating, meat processing, industrial sewing machine operating, draperies and curtain, automative, cosmetology, dress making, refrigeration and air-conditioning, computer literary and cosmetology.
The ten-month skills training include welding, autocad, drafting, among others.
The training is free, but each student has to spend P500 for the two sets of uniform, one year insurance, identification card and certificate.