Talisay school soon a state college

A HOUSE bill that will convert the Talisay City College (TCC) into a state college will soon be passed into a law after it was finally approved by the Senate and Lower House earlier this month.

With House Bill (HB) 6125 transmitted to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III for his signature, TCC may soon enjoy the benefits of becoming a government-funded institution, said Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas (first district, Cebu).

Gullas, who authored the bill, made the announcement in front of a crowd of over 5,000 who were witnessing the Halad Inasal Festival yesterday afternoon.

Gullas revealed that HB 6125 was approved and transmitted to Malacañang after it was deliberated on by the Senate committee on education chaired by Sen. Francis Escudero.

He said that with the bill enrolled for the President’s approval, the only task he has left is to tackle the future state college’s appropriations for next year. Gullas is slated to attend a weeklong deliberation on the country’s annual budget starting Monday.

Freed from spending

Gullas said that with the bill’s approval, the Talisay City Government will soon be freed from spending for TCC, which includes its capital outlay expenditures and other similar expenditures, as the school will soon depend on funds from the National Government.

Gullas, who will be ending his term as first district congressman next year, said he promises to push for the bill’s passage into law before the 15th Congress ends.

He also hopes that his grandson, Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas, will continue his job by further providing more legislation that could assist the city-founded college, such as providing funds for the construction of additional school buildings.

The veteran legislator said the approval of his bill was a “blessing” from the city’s patron saint, St. Theresa de Avila, whose feast day is being celebrated today.

He also added that the numerous accolades that the city-run college has received earned its place as “one of Cebu’s prestigious institutions.”

Earlier this year, TCC was ranked first in the Licensure Examination for Teachers, with 71 out of 81 takers passing the exams. It was the third in three consecutive years that the school ranked at the top of the teacher’s board exams.