Act not included: City pays schools for scholars’ fees

CEBU, Philippines - Except that for the Asian College of Technology, the Cebu City government has already disbursed over P75 million worth of scholarship vouchers to educational institutions accredited under the city’s scholarship program for the previous semester.

Acting City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said the schools were able to submit their billings for the second semester of academic year 2013 to 2014, so payments were made.

She, however, told reporters that the city already released this year a total of P100 million from the city’s general appropriation funds to all schools, still excluding ACT.

For 2015, the city government appropriated P370 million for the continuing implementation of the scholarship program.

Each scholar from public high schools in the city gets P10,000 per semester, as stipulated under City Ordinance 2333 (An Ordinance Establishing the Cebu City Scholarship Program).

Cuevas said the city has been releasing payments for the previous semester since the city government has enough money.

“Though ACT has already submitted its billing, (its scholarship voucher) was still put on hold due to the pending case between the academe and the mayor,” she said.

The ACT - Technology International Education Foundation Inc. had filed a damage suit at the Regional Trial Court against Mayor Michael Rama for the city’s failure to pay some P135 million for the city scholar’s tuition.

Including ACT, there are at least 22 schools accredited in the scholarship program that city scholars can choose from.

On the scholarship voucher dated June 8, an amount of P259,800 was released for the Cebu Mary Immaculate College and P1.78 million for Cebu Normal University.

On the July 7 voucher, it was stipulated that the following schools with its corresponding amount: University of the Philippines Cebu (P1.1 million), Cebu Institute of Technology-University (P527.83 million), University of Cebu - Main and Banilad campuses, (P32.83 million), Cebu Technological University (P19.76 million) and the University of the Visayas (P18.95 million).

Accredited schools also include: Cebu City Medical Center College of Nursing, Cebu Eastern College, Don Bosco College, STI College Cebu, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Other schools are the BMC Training Center for Welding and Fabrication, Banilad Center for Professional Development, Britech College Inc., CBD College, Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise, CRDP Caregiver School Corp., College of Technological Sciences, Rizwoods College, Golden Success College, and Primary Structures Educational Foundation.

This year’s scholars would be the last batch since there will be no high school graduates moving to college in 2016 and 2017 in line with the full implementation of the K to 12 program. — May B. Miasco/RHM (FREEMAN)