Dormitory owners in Cebu City are not yet keen on increasing their rates.
The Honey Ladies Dorm in Talamban maintains the same rate to keep up with competition. “Tungod sa kadaghan sa dorm, basin mu-balhin ang uban kung mu-increase mi,” said security guard Teonilo Paderog. (Our boarders might transfer if we increase our rates.)
Honey Ladies’ rates are P2,000 per head for a non-air-conditioned room and P3,000 per head for an air conditioned room.
The summer heat has caused dormitories to consider offering air-conditioned rooms to boarders. JTH Dorm, also in Talamban, offers air-conditioned spaces to boarders at a rate of P5,000.
Assistant dorm manager Lalyn Ale said that their dormitories offer boarders their own bathrooms as well, but will charge them accordingly for water and electricity use.
“Wala (mi’y) plano mu-increase kay para man gud ni sa estudyante,” said Ale.(We don’t have any plan of increasing our rates for students.)
Mikai’s Dorm, also in Talamban, is considering offering air-conditioned spaces to boarders.
Assistant dorm manager Evangeline Lindio said that Mikai’s Dorm currently provides boarders with a ceiling fan and their own private bathrooms. They also charge boarders for electricity and water.
Lindio said the owner of the dormitory does plan to increase the dormitory rates, currently at P6,600 per room, once they install air-conditioning units, said Villafranca.
Villafranca also shared that the first week of classes at USC-TC is an adjustment period wherein changes in schedules and dissolved classes are common./UP Cebu interns Gerriane Rizon and Angeli Sarmiento