Three-day executive session set to address scholarship concerns

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has placed mountain barangay youth at the center of its scholarship debate, scheduling a three-day executive session next month to hear from students themselves.

The discussions are scheduled for May 4, 6, and 7.

Councilor Mikel Rama, in a privilege speech, stressed that genuine solutions cannot be found without listening to those who walk the upland roads and face the daily hardships of distance, cost, and limited access to quality education.

“We cannot find a genuine solution if we are not listening to the ones who are actually walking those mountain roads and facing these hardships,” he said.

Rama emphasized that while the city has an undeniable obligation to its scholars, this duty must be fulfilled through lawful and transparent means.

“Our obligation to our students does not mean that we must bend the law. A dangerous narrative has emerged, that what is legal is not necessarily what is moral. But in the realm of public service… in the realm of government, and most of all in this legislative chamber—the law is our moral foundation,” he said.

The resolution directs the council to convene sessions with representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Local School Board, the Scholarship Committee, 24 accredited partner schools, and barangay leaders from upland communities, including Guba, Sirao, Lusaran, Agsungot, Paril, and Sudlon.

The sessions will gather data on senior high graduates, match them with national programs such as DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), CHED’s Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST), and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and ensure strict compliance with the Data Privacy Act.

Rama also pointed out that the city already has 24 fully accredited partner schools and national programs to lean on.

This push comes after the rejection of Asian College of Technology (ACT) Pit-os’ accreditation bid, as the council majority, including Rama, voted 8–7 against ACT’s inclusion, citing incomplete documentation and conflict-of-interest concerns tied to its ownership by former congressman Rodrigo Abellanosa, whose son, Jose, is now serving as councilor in Cebu City.

Mayor Nestor Archival later urged a reset, saying ACT should refile once requirements are complete, noting that more accredited schools would mean more choices for upland students. MRM (CEBU NEWS)