City finally pays scholars’ tuition

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government finally paid P40.8 million of the P166 million it owes Asian College of Technology International Educational Foundation Inc. (ACTIEF) for its scholars.

This, despite the pending “conflict of interest” case that south district Representative Rodrigo Abellanosa, the school’s founder and president is facing.

A certain Philip Banguiran filed a case against Abellanosa due to alleged conflict of interest when he allowed ACTIEF to be accredited by the city’s scholarship program.

“Di man gud ganahan ang mayor nga mahasol ang mga estudyante. We have to bite the bullet, kay para nako importante nato ang ato mga estudyante,” said Local School Board chairperson and former city councilor Joey Daluz III.

“Although some of our legal counsels said there seems to have the conflict of interest because this payment was a payment of the time when there was a conflict of interest,” he added. The P40.85 million was payment for second semester of school year 2012-2013, second semester.

Daluz said the case Abellanosa is facing have not been resolved yet.

“It’s not resolved but (at present) di na siya connected sa (government of the) City of Cebu. The conflict of interest disappears kay di na man siya ma- influence sa policy sa City Hall,” Daluz said.

Stella Irene Galano, ACTIEF Scholarships and External Linkages director, said they continuously accept Cebu City scholars despite the controversy.

Man of the city-sponsored scholars of the school have also graduated and got their transcript of records (TOR) already.

“Nahatagan TOR kay si Ma’am Ida (Yting of the city’s Scholarship Committee) ni-estorya siya nga ma release (TOR) para ang mga bata maka trabaho.  In fact atong mga graduate nipaso. Ni-take gihapon sa finals,” Galano said.

Section 9 of the City Ordinance No. 2333  (Ordinance Establishing the Cebu City Scholarship Program), states that “the amount of the grant per grantee shall not exceed P10,000 per semester for tuition and other related fees, and P1,000 per year(P500 per semester) for school supply expenses. In addition thereto, those who graduated from the mountain barangays of the Cebu City shall receive an additional allowance of P1,000 per month for transportation expenses.”

ACTIEF City scholars also receive P10,000 each from the school itself. Galano guaranteed that they would continuously get this amount from the school.

Aside from concerns on the scholarship, another reason by payment got delayed was the failure to submit all requirements, including the certificate of failing and non failing grades.

ACTIEF had 4,391 city scholars in the first semester of school year 2013-2014. The numbered dwindled to 3,988 during the second semester.

There are 25 universities, colleges, and vocational- technical schools accredited by the Cebu City College Scholarship Program, which accommodated 13, 796 city scholars on the first semester of school year 2013-2014 while on the following semester there were 12, 642 city scholars.

For the first semester of school year 2013-2014, the city has yet to pay the total amount of P13.5 million for five schools whose papers are still at the Accounting Office. (FREEMAN)