Regulations needed for city dormitory

CEBU, Philippines - With the recent approval by the Cebu City Council of an ordinance converting the city condominium into a dormitory for mountain barangay students, an implementing rules and regulation (IRR) on the matter will also have to be made.

Last Wednesday, Councilor Nestor Archival asked the proponent of the ordinance on how to prioritize students in upland barangays who would want to rent a space at the dormitory.

Councilor Augustus Pe, who sponsored the ordinance, said the students must be residents of mountain barangays. He said they will be admitted regardless of their family’s financial status.

“The dormitory is open for those who can and who cannot afford,” Pe said.

But Archival said there may be numerous applicants wanting to avail themselves of a space at the dormitory if there is no guidelines on how to prioritize the mountain students.

The matter was already raised during the public hearing but was so far not taken into consideration in the final draft of the ordinance.

Councilor Edgardo Labella said that considering that a caretaker or a manager will be hired to oversee the dormitory, there is a need for an IRR for the ordinance.

The ordinance was then approved with an addendum that an IRR will have to be crafted by the Office of the City Mayor prior to the opening of the next school year.

The condominium was once built to cater to the nursing students from the mountain barangays, but the city government opted to accept those taking up other courses.

The dormitory has only opened two floors with 17 rooms each. Each room will house six students.

For the opening of the next school year, Pe said they may open the third to the 5th floor.

With two floors opened, the city government is earning around P61,000 from the rentals of the dormitory. — Ferliza C. Contratista/LPM (THE FREEMAN)