Mandaue permanent campuses to begin construction this April

CEBU, Philippines — The permanent campuses of the Mandaue City College (MCC) and the Cebu Technological University (CTU)–Mandaue Campus will soon rise, as construction is set to begin this April.

This was announced by Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano, who added that these campuses will be built at Norkis Park in Barangay Looc.

Ouano said site development and soil testing are already underway, with actual construction expected to start around April once preliminary requirements are completed.

The plans were discussed during a meeting at the mayor’s office on Wednesday, January 14, attended by CTU officials led by Transitory Officer-in-Charge of the CTU President’s Office Dr. Pet Roey L. Pascual, along with Congresswoman Emmarie “Lollypop” Ouano-Dizon.

Architect Leo Mutia and Engineer Alex Mayor Jr. presented the City Development Plan for the two institutions, which includes a three-storey building for the CTU–Mandaue Campus and an eight-storey structure for the MCC.

In an interview yesterday, January 15, Mayor Ouano said the projects will be constructed simultaneously on the 7,000-square-meter site, with careful planning on the placement of multipurpose buildings to accommodate the growing student population.

“These projects are part of our commitment to provide quality education and modern, comfortable facilities for Mandauehanon students,” Ouano said.

Funding for the MCC has been included in the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), with more than ?450 million allocated for the project.

Ouano said the total cost of the MCC is estimated at around ?700 million, and the city plans to request additional funding next year to complete the entire structure.

He added that CTU–Mandaue has also received a separate ?80-million allocation from the GAA, which is independent of the city’s funding.

Despite the phased funding, Ouano emphasized that the buildings should already be usable even if construction is not yet fully completed.

“We instructed the Department of Public Works and Highways to make sure that even if the building is not finished, the first few floors should already be functional,” he said.

He said that unlike other big-ticket projects that remain unusable until fully completed, the projects under his administration are intended to be operational even before the entire structure is finished.

Ouano said his administration aims to have several floors of both the MCC and the planned Mandaue City Hospital (MCH) functional to allow the city to immediately maximize the benefits of these investments.

The MCC and MCH are among the flagship projects of the Ouano administration, which he said will be developed in phases to ensure early functionality while construction continues.

Under the 2026 GAA, the Mandaue City Hospital secured ?415 million in funding, while more than ?450 million was allocated for the Mandaue City College. — (FREEMAN)