THE planned new Mandaue City College (MCC) will comprise a five-story building with 77 rooms for students and various facilities.
It was what Lilybeth Mayol, the MCC administration head, said Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, as they discussed relocation plans for the MCC with the city’s administration office. The old MCC building has only one level, with only about 20 rooms.
Mayol, however, said this suggestion is tentative because they have not yet reviewed the building’s master plan.
In 2022, Mayor Jonas Cortes announced the plan to relocate MCC to the old Mandaue Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility in Barangay Looc.
Meanwhile, the Mandaue City Jail will occupy the 1.3-hectare land in Sitio Dungguan in Barangay Basak.
BJMP-Mandaue Jail Superintendent Jonathan Baltar said they successfully transferred all the male inmates into the new jail facility last Sept. 24. Female inmates remain in the old jail until their new facility in Dungguan is completed.
Mayol said the City Engineering Office completed the survey of the 1,164.50-square-meter lot last week and has already started developing the master plan for the new MCC.
P150 million
In a press conference last Oct. 5, Cortes announced that the City Government would allocate P150 million to construct the new MCC and refurbish the Mandaue City College Technological and Entrepreneurial Skills Training Center (MCCTEST).
Of this budget, P50 million will be allocated for renovation, especially for MCCTEST. Demolition of the old BJMP facility will commence once the program of works from the City Engineering Office is released.
COPC
Meanwhile, Mayol said they continue to accomplish the requirements specified by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) for the issuance of a Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC).
The COPC is a recognition that specific degree programs offered by the local universities and colleges fully comply with the standards and guidelines set by Ched.
The COPC is essential for the school to continue offering free tuition through Ched’s Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST).
Mayol said they requested an extension from Ched to meet the requirements, which include facilities and staff hiring, particularly for permanent positions.
She said they have faced challenges in hiring due to the election ban, which began on Aug. 28 and will continue until Nov. 29.