Students anxious over fate of upland campus

At 36 years old. Raquel Amancio isn’t giving up on her dream to become a teacher.

“I want to be a teacher. I want to teach here in the Bonbon public school just like my husband,” she told Cebu Daily News.

She was happy to hear reports that an extension campus of the Cebu Technological University (CTU) will be set up in the mountain barangay of Bonbon because it means she won’t have to leave her home to study in the city proper.

But the ongoing dispute between Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa of Cebu City’s south district, CTU school officials and the Cebu City government threatens to dash the dreams of Amancio and the others who took the admission test.

Cebu Daily News visited the barangay sports complex where the classrooms were set up.

Requirements

Amancio was there with other applicants waiting for updates on the situation.

Marjon Guillera, 23, said they were told by personnel from Abellanosa’s office that they were scheduled to undergo free  medical examinations at  the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) either yesterday afternoon or today.

“Right now, we’re still complying with our requirements. We were assured by Cong. Bebot that classes will push through so we just have to work on our requirements,” Guillera said.

Guillera said they took the admission test last May 28 and had been interviewed. Last week they met with Abellanosa.

“He told us that he will lobby hard for the campus to be realized,” he said.

Scholarships

“My staff is arranging for a schedule with Vicente Sotto hospital so that the students can have their medical exams on CBC, X-ray together. We really want to help them,” Abellanosa said.

More than 60 students are reportedly qualified to study in the extension campus.

Classes were initially announced to start last Monday, June 22.

But Abellanosa said they had to push back the opening since the students are still complying with the requirements. He said the classes will push through.

CTU chief administrative officer Jerlito Letrondo said the extension campus still needs approval from the school’s Board of Regents which is scheduled to convene in July.

Abellanosa said qualified applicants can secure scholarships from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) which allocates P6,000  per semester.

But students still have to secure a certificate of indigency from the barangay hall stating that their families earn less than P300,000 annually.

Barangay Bonbon chairman Alexander Ibarrita is an ally of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama who is questioning the extension campus project.

One of the applicants, 21-year-old Diumixio Nacario of sitio Gilagila, barangay Bonbon recalled having to drop out of the Asian College of Technology (ACT) since his family cannot afford to spend P1,500 for transportation costs.

“I’m requesting the barangay that instead of rejecting the school, they should just cooperate because this is for our own future,” he said.