FOR the third time this school year, the Talisay City College (TCC) has a new president.
The local college’s Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Ester Velasquez as the new college president during a meeting with the Board last Friday.
The meeting was held at the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 7 office in Lahug, Cebu City.
Velasquez is a former president of Cebu Normal University (CNU).
She was appointed as TCC president following the resignation of Dr. Joseph Sol Galleon last week.
The board members who attended the meeting last Friday were Cebu Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas (Cebu, first district), City Councilors Richard Francis Aznar and Edward Alesna, former Talisay City Vice Mayor Alan Bucao, who represents the Talisay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI); Dr. Victor Villaganas, acting president of the Cebu Technological University (CTU); and Dr. Marcelo Lopez, current CNU president.
Absent were Talisay City Mayor Johnny de los Reyes, City Schools Division Supt. Woodrow Denuyo, who acts as board secretariat; Dr. Freddie Bernal, of Ched; and Emma Macuto, Talisay City treasurer.
Absence
Lopez assumed as acting chairman of the board due to De los Reyes’ absence.
Aznar, in an interview, said that aside from Velasquez, the board was considering two other candidates for the position: Dr. Heidi Limosnero, CNU’s first president; and Gregorio Gamboa Jr., acting director of CTU’s San Fernando, Cebu campus.
But the two officials reportedly declined the invitation, Aznar said.
He said that before the meeting, Velasquez expressed her intention to the board to help TCC.
Velasquez is the third acting president of the college since the school year started
this month.
Before Velasquez, the board appointed Bernal as acting president to resolve the rift for the college’s leadership.
But before the school year opened, Bernal was forced to quit after Ched Chair Patricia Licuanan opposed his designation.
With Bernal’s suggestion and the board’s consent, Galleon was appointed as acting college president.
But after a week, Galleon filed his resignation, citing health reasons.
As CNU’s second president from 2000 to 2008, Velasquez initiated several programs that increased the university’s enrollment and improved its reputation.
Among these are the Center for Excellence in Teacher Education (CEFTEX), Language-Intensive Kindergarten Education (Like), Amuma (an institute for caregivers), health–allied professional courses under its Nursing program, and diploma in professional education (DPE) for graduates who wish to teach.
Velasquez is also instrumental in introducing CNU’s ladderized education program known as Gasa sa Kaalam (Gasaka).