"Which one does the fountain bless?"

At long last, the irritating confusion as to which Mandaue City College is it, has lately been definitely resolved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Passed en masse as Resolution No. 12-393-2010 dated August 13, 2010, the SP declared in essence, "Resolved, to recognize the Board of Trustees, headed by the City Mayor as Chairman, as it is hereby recognized, as the governing body of the Mandaue City College as provided for under Ordinance No. 10-2005-324A".

One significance is that the Resolution has perhaps, after quite sometime, expressed unanimity of the local legislators - despite few having varied political persuasions - in one voice of the electorate. Theoretically speaking, the official recognition of the BOT chaired by the City Mayor, carries the people's united imperium.

It also signifies that the final imprimatur of accreditation from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall follow after the CHED Regional Office 7 (CHEDRO) shall have passed the additional undertakings; and, shall have reviewed the BOT's proposed revision of the flawed original Ordinance as the revised Charter of the Mandaue City College.

In random hindsight… Pursuant to Republic Act 7722 creating the CHED as the authority over higher education institutions (HEI), both public and private, the previous Mandaue City SP enacted Ordinance No. 10-2005-324A on November 5, 2005 creating the Mandaue City College . It was approved by then City Mayor Thadeo Ouano on November 7, 2005, fixing its effectivity 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation but, more than 2 years lapsed when the belated posting took place on December 14, 2007.

Per CHED's Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) and issuances in memo-circulars, the MCC's governing body is the BOT chaired by the City Mayor. Among the BOT's vast functions and powers, is the appointment of the MCC's President or Chairman and Vice-Chiarman and all members of the BOT, among others, not by the City Mayor per se.

During the interim regime of Acting Mayor Amadeo Seno, Jr. who took over suspended City Mayor Thadeo Ouano, Minutes of the BOT revealed that for repeated failure of Dr. Paulus Cañete to submit vital papers/reports, Mayor Seno as chairman, issued a "stop and desist" order (BOT Res. 10-2007) on Dr. Cañete from his MCC position; and, instead appointed Dr. Susana Cabahug as "caretaker" of the college. Incidentally, Dr. Cañete's contract of service had already terminated, i.e., from early January, 2006 to December 31, 2006. What ensued was the long-delayed court action as Dr. Cañete questioned the "cease and desist" order. While the RTC of Mandaue City dismissed the case, it is now on appeal, if one recalls right.

Dr. Susana Cabahug was designated OIC by succeeding City Mayor Jonas C. Cortes, of the reorganized BOT. Since the early BOT, CHEDRO 7 director Dr. Enrique Grecia regularly attended BOT meetings and, upon his death CHEDRO 7 officials continued to attend through Dr. Dominador Aytona, or Dr. Constantina Barbas, or Dr. Josefino Ronquillo. This only ceased when Dr. Emmanuel Angeles took over the chairmanship of CHED.

Recently, however, after the SP Resolution officially recognized the BOT chaired by Mayor Jonas C. Cortes, CHEDRO-7 Director, Dr. Amelia A. Biglete, arranged a meeting with the BOT and other officialdom of Mandaue City on August 20, 2010. Threshing out the pestering confusion on two claiming MCCs - though only one is compliant to CHED - she suggested some developmental undertakings vis-à-vis the proposed revision of the original ordinance, so that CHED may eventually issue the accreditation.

What is of moment now concerns the Mandauehanons, as well as those in places where the other HEI has been branching out with no CHED prior approval, is clearing the air of any doubt or confusion that the HEI whose BOT is chaired by the City Mayor is the legitimate MCC. And, definitely, the latter is not, as yet, offering any nursing, masteral, doctorate, and other curricular programs without CHED prior approval in line with its "policies, standards, and guidelines".

After all, shorn of any pretense or malice, the ultimate vision and mission of education is the honest and competent molding of the minds of the youth, rather than breeding molds in their minds, or to mislead them.

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