TWENTY companies in Cebu City are willing to accept City Government scholars who graduated from the Asian College of Technology International Education Foundation (ACTIEF) even without a transcript of records (TOR), said Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.
The mayor said he met with the companies yesterday.
In his regular news conference, Rama said that of the 20 companies, seven signed a statement of commitment.
“I share with the mayor the genuine need to spare the graduates while the legal proceedings are ongoing. In support of the call of the mayor for help, the establishment commit to accept applicants, graduates of ACTIEF, to the company without TOR provided they qualify for our admission requirement standards,” says the document signed by the establishment, which the mayor read aloud to the media.
Since the graduates’ TORs have not yet been released, the establishments require a certification from any private or government entity that the applicant is a graduate.
The mayor said he will issue the certification. He said the City Government has a record on who among the scholars finished their studies.
Decent future
“We state this commitment of support to the City Government in ensuring decent future for its residents, including the graduates of ACTIEF,” the document said.
Among those who signed the commitment of support are the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Marco Polo Plaza, E-Performax, Cebu Home and Builders Center, Cebu Overseas Hardware and the Department of Labor and Employment 7.
According to the mayor, the other establishments have not yet signed the commitment of support as they will present the matter first to their board and officers.
Other establishments the mayor met with include JY Square, Lexmark, the Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu, Bayfront Hotel Cebu, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., Sykes Asia Inc., Qualfon and Maple Restaurant.
Allowance
Meanwhile, Rama said scholars who will continue to study at ACTIEF will still receive P1,000 allowance per semester from the City since the amount is directly given to the students.
Their tuition, though, will not be paid until the case filed by the City against ACTIEF is resolved.
The City has filed a civil petition for declaratory relief before the Regional Trial Court to determine if it is allowed by law to pay ACTIEF, following, the Office of the Ombudsman resolution finding the school’s owner, Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa (Cebu City, south), liable for conflict of interest.
Abellanosa, who has already divested his shares from the school, has filed a motion for reconsideration.