THE Iloilo City Government is planning to expand the Iloilo City Community College (ICCC) by constructing a new campus at the Fort San Pedro site in the City Proper.
This initiative was first outlined by Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas in her First 100 Days Report in October.
The project aims to provide accessible, free, and inclusive education to the growing population of Ilonggo youth.
According to Treñas’ spokesperson Joy Fantilaga-Gorzal, ICCC currently serves more than 1,300 students enrolled in four degree programs: Bachelor of Science in Office Administration, Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management, Bachelor of Science in Criminology, and Bachelor of Special Needs Education major in Early Childhood Education.
She said ICCC receives more than 1,000 applicants every school year, but only 300 students are accommodated due to limited classrooms at the M.H. Del Pilar campus in Molo District.
ICCC operates as a local government college, where tuition and miscellaneous fees are free for indigent but qualified students through Commission on Higher Education subsidies.
Salaries of faculty members, program directors, non-teaching staff, job hires, contractual personnel, and part-time teachers are funded through the General Fund and the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses of the Iloilo City Government.
The planned Fort San Pedro campus will include six school buildings with 45 classrooms, along with an administrative building, library, computer laboratory, school clinic, virtual office, and covered gymnasium.
Once completed, the expansion will allow ICCC to accept more students each year and offer additional industry-aligned programs such as Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management, and other in-demand courses.
The City Government said the expansion will open wider opportunities for Ilonggo learners and improve the overall learning environment within Iloilo City. (Leo Solinap)