TCC offering courses without CHED nod?

CEBU, Philippines - About a week to graduation day, the Commission on Higher Education found out that Talisay City College is offering some degree programs without its authority.

CHED discovered that the school is operating Bachelor of Science in Hospital Management, Master in Public Education and Master of Arts in Education without permit.

The commission learned of the unauthorized offering of degree programs following reports from an undisclosed source.

When CHED came to verify the reports, it found out that based on the records, the only programs the school was authorized to offer were Bachelor of Elementary Education, Bachelor of Secondary Education, Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology and Diploma in Professional Education.

The government authority for the programs was issued to TCC based on two Deeds of Undertaking dated October 16, 2011 and October 20, 2011, which were executed by then mayor Socrates Fernandez as chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees. 

For this school year, TCC records showed around 834 students set to graduate on March 27.

Of the 834 graduating students, some 67, including 25 from the master’s studies, are now facing an uncertain future because of the discovery.

Aside from 25 masteral graduates, 42 students will be graduating from the Hospital Management program. 

Dr. Josefina Ronquillo, CHED-7 supervising education program specialist, said the school is yet to comply with the requirements from CHED.

Ronquillo added that because the school is yet to get approval for the courses, then it operated the courses illegally. 

“We will be calling their attention as they operate without government authority from CHED,” Ronquillo said.

She said CHED will be sending a letter to the school administration seeking for a clarification as to why they are operating without authority. 

Asked on what will happen to the affected graduates, Ronquillo said the school should seek for reconsideration that the students be allowed to graduate.

But the management should promise to comply with the necessary requirements in order for them to operate the courses, she added.

The school, Ronquillo said, will be given 90 days to submit all the necessary requirements; otherwise CHED will be compelled to issue a notice for closure or raise a penalty. 

Ronquillo also said the students will be allowed to walk down the aisle but warned they may face difficulty when they apply for a job or seek for promotion on their status later on.

”Tugotan lang nato sila nga maka-graduate apan posibleng maglisod sila sa ilang pagpanarbaho o ma-promote ilabi na kung ang employer mangutana ngadto sa buhatan sa CHED kalabot sa ilang kurso ug tunghaan,” Ronquillo said. 

Dr. Edgar Martinez, dean and caretaker of TCC, yesterday told reporters that the city-run school is banking on the consortium agreement with the Cebu Technical University, which offers the courses being questioned by CHED.  

“We are on consortium with the CTU and we have that agreement,” said Martinez, who assumed as caretaker last July after on the controversial school presidency. 

To recall, TCC was wrapped with controversies last year after Mayor Johnny De los Reyes ordered former acting president Ritchel Bacaltos to relinquish his post in favor of his appointee Dr. Paulus Marie Canete, who heads the controversial Mandaue City College.

But Bacaltos refused to step down, saying it was only the BOT that could only get him out of his post.

By then, the leadership tug-of-war spawned other problems for the school, until the Commission on Higher Education had to intervene and appointed CHED regional director Freddie Bernal.

Bernal took over the school management for a while but had to step down on orders of his superiors.

The latest appointment was Dr. Gamaliel Vicente Jr. as TCC’s new acting president but he did not assume office after the mayor did not sign his appointment.  (FREEMAN)