Osmeña questions council’s rejection

CEBU, Philippines — Amid heated exchange and polarized opinion among the Cebu City Council on the proposed accreditation of Asian College of Technology (ACT) Pit-os scholarship, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña questions the body’s continued scrutiny, arguing that the issue has gone “beyond governance,” thus “harming the students.”

“The ones who suffer are the kids. I can’t stand that. I’m disgusted. ACT is not being given special privileges, they are just trying to enjoy privileges that other schools are also doing”, Osmeña said in a press conference on April 16, 2026.

The majority bloc of the legislative body stood by its decision, hence defending the rejection and citing that 24 accredited schools, excluding ACT, remain accessible.

Osmeña, who is the chairman of the council’s Committee on Education, emphasized that the consequences of the dispute are being felt most by students, not officials.

He cited ACT’s role in extending higher education to areas considered underserved, including mountain barangays, and its efforts to establish a campus in Pit-os to bring college education closer to those communities.

“Why make the kids suffer?” he asked, expressing frustration over delays and uncertainty affecting scholars who are already struggling to make ends meet.

Due to the council’s split decision, Councilor Alvin Arcilla, who authored the resolution, is seeking assistance from the national government for financial intervention to cover the tuition fees of affected students.

COUNCIL’S DEFERMENT, EVENTUAL DISAPPROVAL

Around 1,600 senior high school students were deemed stripped of scholarships following the disapproval of the resolution, which had been under deliberation since October 2025.

However, it failed to pass after being repeatedly referred and returned to the Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Styling, the Committee on Scholarship, and the City Legal Office.

Arcilla admitted he was emotional over the council’s rejection by eight councilors, citing “irregularities and inadequacies,” though no specific deficiencies were clearly identified.

He questioned the vague findings during deliberations, but officials, including the Scholarship Committee chaired by Councilor Winston Pepito, whom he said were unable to provide clear answers.

Legalities

The proposal was also referred to the City Legal Office (CLO) by Councilor Mikel Rama over a supposed “conflict of interest,” since the school is owned by the father of Councilor Jose Abellanosa, an active member of the legislature.

However, the CLO later said there was no legal basis for the claim, noting that similar issues had already been dismissed by the Supreme Court, Sandiganbayan, and the Ombudsman in February 2017.

Osmeña, for his part, raised concerns over what he described as a “conflict of interest” in the council’s actions, pointing out that ACT had already been cleared by the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

Despite this, he said the school is still being made to “prove its innocence,” a situation he said is “unfair and politically driven”, noting that the controversy has disrupted the release of scholars’ allowances.

Despite this, Arcilla believes the school was unfairly singled out, pointing out that 24 other institutions with similar objectives were approved for accreditation.

He clarified that even if all ACT campuses were not approved, he had hoped at least the Pit-os campus would be granted accreditation to help students from remote mountain areas.

Arcilla emphasized that many students in these areas struggle financially, with some even finding it difficult to afford basic necessities like rice, making access to a nearby college crucial to reducing transportation and education costs.

He added that the proposal aimed to address limited access to education in geographically isolated communities and that several education stakeholders had recommended revisiting the accreditation process to benefit more students.

If the process is reopened, Arcilla said more qualified students could receive financial assistance, including possible support from the national government, tapping senators, party-list groups, and even the Office of the President, benefiting the estimated 1,600 graduates.

Arcilla expressed deep disappointment over the council’s decision but vowed to continue working with Mayor Nestor Archival, Osmeña, and other supportive councilors to find ways to provide better opportunities for students in upland communities.

Osmeña also urged opposing councilors to clearly outline their reasons for rejecting the proposal so solutions can be identified, stressing that students need a future and access to college education.

The vice mayor also stressed his broader stance on governance, rejecting what he called “status quo” leadership focused on ceremonial activities and short-term aid.

Instead, he said policies should prioritize long-term development, particularly investments in education that shape the future of the city’s youth.

Majority bloc defends decisions

Even without ACT-Pit-os, students from Cebu City’s mountain barangays remain assured of access to higher education.

Accordingly, the city’s scholarship program continues to support thousands of scholars through accredited institutions, and upland students have been granted expanded allowances, though some disbursements have faced delays.

The council emphasized that the rejection of ACT-Pit-os’ accreditation was not a denial of education but a necessary safeguard to protect scholars from institutions with unresolved compliance and legal issues.

The measure would have allowed the school to rejoin the city’s scholarship program after years of exclusion.

ACT’s accreditation had lapsed in 2019 following conflict-of-interest concerns involving its ownership, and its latest application was scrutinized for compliance gaps.

Rama, for his part, clarified that the vote was not against education but against what he described as “compromised standards.”

He stressed that the council’s duty is to protect scholars from institutions with unresolved compliance issues.

“We emphatically say yes to education. A true commitment to learning demands rigor, not blind compliance. We do not gamble with the future of our scholars,” Rama said, adding that ACT’s application lacked mandatory PRC certification and raised unresolved legal questions now pending review by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Councilor Harold Kendrick Go echoed this concern, pointing to provisions in ACT’s draft memorandum of agreement that allowed transcripts to be withheld for unpaid balances.

“Education must prioritize student welfare ahead of institutional income. Until issues are resolved, I choose to object,” Go explained.

Councilor Jun Alcover, in a blunt fashion, accused ACT of politicizing and commercializing education.

He reminded the public that ACT’s accreditation had not been renewed since 2019 due to conflict-of-interest issues involving its ownership.

“Grabe pangilad! Kay wa kuno ma accredited ang ACT, looy kono mga estudyante? Hoy! Naa pay 24 ka schools nga ma-enroll ka,” Alcover said, stressing that scholars are not deprived of opportunities and upland students already benefit from expanded allowances.

Alcover also highlighted that the scholarship program has grown from 14,000 scholars during the Michael Rama and Raymond Garcia administration to more than 34,000 today under Mayor Nestor Archival and Osmeña, with an annual budget exceeding ?500 million.

This expansion, they argued, demonstrates the city’s commitment to education while ensuring scholars are enrolled in institutions with clear compliance records.

For now, ACT-Pit-os remains outside the program, but the majority of the councilors insist that students from mountain barangays are not left behind.

The city’s accredited schools include Banilad Center for Professional Development, Benedicto College, Cebu City Medical Center College of Nursing, Cebu Eastern College, Cebu Institute of Technology–University, Cebu Mary Immaculate College, Cebu Normal University, Cebu Technological University, CITE Technical Institute, College of Technological Sciences–Cebu, Don Bosco Technical College Cebu, Golden Success College, Lyceum of Cebu, Rizwoods Colleges, Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology, Southwestern University, University of Cebu–Banilad, University of Cebu–Main Campus, University of Cebu–METC, University of Cebu at Pardo & Talisay, University of the Philippines Cebu, University of San Jose–Recoletos, University of Southern Philippines, and University of the Visayas.- Jose Luis Flores (CEBU NEWS)