BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia has expressed optimism that the Bacolod City College (BCC) can provide free tuition under the Universal Access to Quality Education Act this school year.
Leonardia said he already signed the revised ordinance of the Charter of BCC, which was authored by Councilor Renecito Novero, and it will be endorsed to the Commission on Higher Education (Ched)-Western Visayas and its national office in Manila.
He said the revised ordinance is one of the requirements to get an accreditation from Ched to avail the free tuition program of the National Government.
"We are hopeful that we can get the accreditation so we can provide a free tuition to our students. Since 1997, I promised that as long as I am the mayor, I will not increase the tuition, which is P30 per unit, but if we will be included on the free tuition, the city could also increase its tuition because the national government will pay for it," he added.
Ched-Western Visayas Director Cesar Medina had earlier said they are only waiting for the amendments of BCC ordinance for its accreditation.
It's an ordinance revising the charter of BCC, establishing an organizational office structure, creating a new position, re-defining the functions of the College Board of Trustees and its composition, and establishing such other officers and committees pursuant to the mandate of the local college as higher education institution (HEI).
Ched had already issued a certificate of program compliance of the five-degree programs being offered by BCC.
Novero had earlier said that there is an urgent need to update organization structure of the BCC its personnel component, operational and financial stability, in order to be at par with the standards required by the Ched and to be recognized as one of the HEI in the country. (MAP)