CEBU Normal University (CNU) is currently seeking the approval of the school’s Board of Regents and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) for extended full online classes until the end of this semester.
In a press conference held via Zoom on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, CNU president Daniel Ariaso cited difficulties in holding face-to-face classes after the university was ordered by Cebu City’s Office of the Building Official (OBO) to vacate its eight-storey Academic Center for the Arts and Sciences (Acas).
OBO inspectors had found visible structural damage on the building following the Cebu earthquake last Sept. 30, 2025. The OBO recommended banning access to the library buildings until qualified professionals declare them safe.
The OBO also urged the state university to obtain necessary permits and ensure compliance with the National Building Code of the Philippines prior to reoccupation.
The CNU reportedly did not obtain a certificate of occupancy and violated regulations by making unauthorized changes to the building which was originally designed as a six-story structure.
“We want people to respond to our questions, there should be accountability when it comes to these things, the least they could do is answer these questions,” said Mariae Krishna Arreza, Dean of CNU’s College of Public Governance and Safety.
She said the previous CNU administration should address lingering questions on why the buildings lacked the necessary occupancy permits.
Arreza emphasized her demand for answers, especially with the ongoing crisis in northern Cebu following Cebu’s deadly quake last month.
Considering the numerous aftershocks, accidents could happen to many individuals, particularly students, she said.
The Acas building was constructed by EG&I Construction Corporation and was completed only three years ago in September 2022. Representatives of the firm were not present during the Zoom press conference.
Ariaso said he also invited the previous school administration to join the press conference, but they preferred to postpone it.
Ariaso is hopeful that CNU’s request to the Ched and the Board of Regents for full online classes until the end of the 2025-2026 school year will be approved.
“This is a long term and better positioning for our students of what’s going to happen, because parents and students will have a hard time, when conducting weekly online classes and they will not know what will happen (next),” said Ariaso.
He said they will also conduct thorough assessments of the Balamban and Medellin campuses to evaluate their buildings’ structural integrity.
Ariaso said the application for full online classes will include all affected CNU campuses and not just the main campus.
Meanwhile, the upcoming CNU graduation scheduled on Oct. 20 will be moved to a different venue. A request for venue change has been sent to the Office of the Mayor. The university is still awaiting a response.
CNU has also requested an increase in its supplemental budget for the fiscal year 2026 to support the development of its campuses, seeking a total of about P1.4 billion.
The request was submitted to the Office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, Oct. 9. / Bryce Ken Abellon, USJ-R Intern.