THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) has confirmed the appointment of Dr. Joey Rivamonte as College Administrator of Mandaue City College (MCC), marking a major step forward for the city’s bid to secure Institutional Recognition from the Commission on Higher Education (Ched).
According to City Administrator Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on, City Hall took extra care to ensure that the search process followed all legal and procedural requirements.
“We really made sure to do the search process properly and with full due diligence,” said Malig-on adding that Rivamonte was confirmed by the CSC last Monday, Oct. 13, 2025.
Following the confirmation, Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano sent a letter to Ched Regional Director Cristobal, informing the agency of the appointment and submitting the confirmation document, one of the last requirements needed to apply for the UniFAST program.
The Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act, or UniFAST is a government grant-in-aid program that supports the full or partial cost of tertiary education of priority students in Ched-recognized institutions.
“This letter to Ched completes the final requirement for institutional recognition, which the City needs to reapply for the UniFAST program,” Malig-on said.
Malig-on said the City Government prioritized the UniFAST application because it could save the local government around P40 million in education costs, with Ched covering tuition expenses for tertiary students.
Rivamonte, who served as acting MCC administrator before the Ouano administration assumed office, was one of two acting administrators whose appointment lapsed after a year.
“His first appointment was disapproved (by the CSC) because of a publication error and a rule that restricted his appointment within a year,” Malig-on said.
The City then reopened the search process, where Rivamonte again emerged as the most qualified candidate.
“He was already serving as officer-in-charge at MCC, and the previous issues were not his fault. Now that all the defects have been corrected, the Mayor reappointed him based on the recommendation of the Board of Trustees and this time, he was finally confirmed by the CSC,” Malig-on said.
City Hall had until Oct. 17 to complete all requirements for the MCC’s institutional recognition, crucial to the UniFAST grant.
“Remember that MCC was almost ordered to close last year,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rivamonte expressed relief after the long wait for approval.
“I’m so happy that after everything, it’s finally done,” he said.
He said the requirement, submitted to the Ched Regional Office 7 on Oct. 15, was already forwarded to the Ched Central Office for processing.
“They will now review everything again and check if there are still any missing documents. Once they approve it, we can proceed with our UniFAST application,” Rivamonte said.
Scholarships
MCC’s UniFAST application will be based on the number of enrolled students and will likely take effect starting January 2026.
“The National Government will shoulder the tuition fees. Once approved, we’ll process the billing per student, and Ched will pay the corresponding amount,” he explained.
As the newly-confirmed administrator, Rivamonte shared his plans for MCC, focusing on strengthening administrative processes and preparing for future developments.
“We’ll streamline our payroll processes, finalize the institutional recognition, complete the UniFAST application, and coordinate with the LGU for the construction of the new Mandaue City College building,” he said.
The MCC currently has around 2,700 students. New academic programs are set to be introduced once the new college building is completed.
“We’ll continue to work hard to make sure Mandaue City College becomes stronger and more sustainable in the years ahead,” Rivamonte said. / ABC