ILOILO City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the proposed Iloilo City Public College has still no fixed proposal to initialize its realization.

He said the City College proposed by Councilor Jeffrey Ganzon is only up to press releases and do not reach the legislative branch for proper action.

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Councilor Nielex Tupas, one of the proponents of the project, asserted that they have already presented to the body the proposed ordinance but the City Council referred it back to the proponents "for further study."

Tupas added that should the said proposed ordinance passes on the first reading, three other committees in the council will be consulted: the Committee on Appropriations under Councilor Joe Espinosa III, Committee on Legal Matters under Eduardo Peñaredondo and on Education under Julienne Baronda.

Treñas said his office did not receive an approved ordinance yet and could not make any move unless it is already in place. He added that his office will not resist any opinion from the city council regarding the said project.

As of Monday, the project remains a dream unless the draft ordinance passes the long process of readings in the session, which depends on the acceptance of the majority of the councilors.

In a previous interview, Treñas claimed that the city has to look for funds to support the said project as the city has no budget for the same undertaking.

Ganzon and his group, however, claimed that the savings of the City School Board amounting to nearly hundreds of millions is sufficient enough for the project.

But City Treasurer Katherine Tingson asserted that the remaining budget-the special education fund (SEF), though supplemental, could not be utilized for tertiary education. (JDB)

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(October 7, 2008 issue)
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