| Photo from ctu.edu.ph
CEBU CITY, Philippines – COVID-19 vaccination is not a requirement for students, faculty, and the administrative staff of Cebu Technological University (CTU), the largest state university here, the Cebu Provincial Government recently announced.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on Friday, August 19, called a meeting with officials from CTU and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to discuss preparations for the resumption of face-to-face classes in the province’s tertiary schools, a report from the Capitol’s media arm, Sugbo News, stated.
Garcia, in particular, raised before university and CHED executives reports they have received from students that some CTU campuses require vaccination against COVID-19 for enrolment, in-person classes, and on-the-job trainings.
“Kanang education, I will not tinker with that. Whatever the qualifications you need in order for a student to qualify for a particular course, I will not tinker with that. But do not tinker with vaccination, because vaccination, as I have said, is not mandatory, and it is not within your mandate,” said Garcia.
CTU is expected to start academic year 2022 to 2023 this September 5.
The governor also reminded school officials of a memorandum she issued earlier which states that COVID-19 vaccination, in accordance with the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, shall not be considered as an additional mandatory requirement for educational, employment and other similar government transactions.
“I am not tinkering with anything that has to do with higher education, but I am exercising my mandate to look after the general welfare of my constituents within the territorial jurisdiction of this Province,” added Garcia.
CTU’s main campus is located in Cebu City. Its satellite campuses, on the other hand, can be found in the towns of Argao, Barili, Carmen, Daanbantayan, San Francisco, Moalboal and Tuburan, and the cities of Danao and in Barangay Babag in Cebu City.
The university also has extension campuses in the towns of Balamban, Bantayan, Dumanjug, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Oslob, Pinamungahan, Samboan, San Fernando, San Remigio, Tabogon, and Tabuelan and in Naga City.
They are expecting at least 59,000 students to start the school year this September 5.
READ: Cebu 3rd district to have four more regular CTU campuses
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