Sunday, December 21, 2008 LGUs can't just create colleges By Ian Ocampo Flora
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Starting January next year, provinces, cities, and municipalities can no longer establish universities and colleges on their own.
The Commission on Higher Education (Ched) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) entered into an agreement barring Local Government Units (LGUs) from establishing Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) by mere board or council ordinances or resolutions.
The DILG is set to issue a letter "reminding LGUs to refrain from setting up LUCs."
Ched Chairman Emmanuel Angeles urged LGUs to devout their time and money instead on strengthening LGU scholarships for poor students by sending them to reputable schools and universities.
Even existing LUCs, which have mushroomed virtually overnight, will soon find themselves scampering to meet Ched standards as it is set to review the capability of LUCs to provide quality education at the onset of the first quarter this year.
Angeles announced on Saturday that Ched will look into existing LUCs and find out if these are within the prescribed and accepted standards of the commission.
She has expressed concern over the "wide autonomy" enjoyed by LUCs, which have been brought to existence by mere local government ordinances. There are currently around 70 LUCs in the country to date.
"These LUCs should be checked into, otherwise they (LUCs) would just be producing graduates who will be frustrated for the rest of their lives," Angeles said.
She added that the commission has seen the problem of how LGUs could streamline their programs and facilities imposed by Ched Memorandum Order 32 series of 2006 governing the "Policies, Standards and Guidelines on the Establishment and Operations of Local Colleges and Universities."
The establishment of LUCs, according to her, should be under the supervision and coordination of Ched.
LGUs who plan to set up LUCs meantime are required to coordinate with Ched, said Angeles.
She added that while it is ideal to set up community colleges and universities, the mere cost in providing quality education in terms of facilities and qualified manpower is too overwhelming to subsidize by the LGU.
The province has one existing community college in Mabalacat. Another one would be set up in the City of San Fernando.
