ACT scholars to graduate despite non-payment

CEBU, Philippines - The  Asian College of Technology International Educational Foundation Inc. will let Cebu City scholars graduate even though the city has yet to pay the school.

“They will all graduate, of course…  No problem,” said Stella Irene Galano, ACTIEF Scholarships and External Linkages director.

Ida Yting, Cebu City College Scholarship Program chairperson, said the city government is still processing the papers for the release of funds as payment.

“The City Hall will pay the school.  Kahibawo mo, paperworks, accounting, audit-ton pa na. Syempre mobayad man ang city wala may problema (The city would pay),” she said.

Yting said the budget for the second semester of  academic year 2011-2012 is now with the City Treasurer’s  Office, while that for the two semesters  of  academic year 2012-2013 is already with the Accounting Office.

She said that payment for 2013-2014 is now at the City Budget Office.

In a separate interview, City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said she would follow up those payments so they could be immediately given to ACTIEF.

Ester Cubero of the city scholarship committee said that as soon as a certain school submits its billing, they immediately process the required papers.

“Ang nahitabo man gud sa uban dugay kaayo naka submit sa mga requirements mao nga nadugay sab. Unya dugay baya kaayo ang processing (There are schools that takes time submitting the payment requirements, not seeing that it takes long to process),” she said.

Galano, though, said that despite the non-payment the students were not asked to personal money just so they could settle their accounts.

She added that the city scholars even gets P10,000 from the school itself as their counterpart scholarship funding.

Based on records, the city government owes schools around P119 million for the tuition of 4,500 scholars studying in ACTIEF, with 2,500 of them expected to graduate this month.

The 119 million covers the unpaid tuition starting from the second semester of academic year 2011-2012 until academic year 2013-2014.

Galano said the school has already complied with all the requirements.

Yting, though, said that for the second semester of 2013-2014, the school has yet to give the certificates of no failing grades and with failing grades; but this is because academic year has not yet ended.

“Second sem certification of failing grades (and) certification of no failing grades. Mao ra na kulang nila (That is only what the school lacked). So far wala na silay problema,” she said.

The Cebu City College Scholarship Program was established in 2010 for deserving high school graduates through Executive Order No. 10-124 City Mayor Michael Rama signed.

The city has scholars in 24 universities, colleges, and vocational- technical schools, financing 13, 778 scholars.—/RHM (FREEMAN)