Gullas picks TCC over police bldg

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas will prioritize the conversion of the Talisay City College (TCC) into a state university instead, rather than acceding to the requirement of the Philippine National Police that the city gives a 1,000-sq.m. lot for the construction of a new police station.

Gullas earlier said he is willing to donate a parcel of land inside the TCC, which is adjacent to the current police station to meet the PNP’s requirement. The PNP will donate P14 million for the construction.

Gullas said they have donated about 500 sq. meters to the PNP, which is the current location of the city’s police station, but it allegedly is still not enough to the required 1000-sq.m. lot for the new building.

However, in an interview with Gullas yesterday, the city mayor said he has changed his mind.

This was after the national government, through the Commission on Higher Education, allocated an additional of P8.3 billion to cover free tuition fees to state colleges and universities (SUCs) by next year.

Gullas is hoping that TCC will be converted as a state university so that students will no longer be required to pay for their tuition fee.

At present, Rep. Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas filed an amendment to RA 10594 for making TCC a State College.

TCC head Richel Bacaltos said that TCC offers three programs currently.  These are College of Education, Hospitality Management and Industrial Technology.

One of the requirements to convert TCC into a state college is for the school to offer at least five college degree programs.

He added that they are planning to construct a three or four-story building probably next year for TCC, considering that they have a growing population.

The proposed new TCC building is intended to house old students as well as to prepare for their planned expansion to open a College of Commerce and College of Arts and Sciences.

"Ug tukuron man gali (ang police station), that would mean a subtraction from the area for Talisay State University in the future.  And I cannot afford that TCC would not become a state college because of the area," Gullas added.

Furthermore, Gullas thinks that PNP should not go hard on them, adding that there is an incoming building intended for the police.

He said that a combo building that the Aboitiz Foundation will donate will be constructed within the compound of Talisay City Hall this year.

This building will be utilized as the city’s command center. (FREEMAN)