Ordinance needed to create public city college—Treñas
City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the Sangguniang Panlungsod needs to pass an ordinance for the creation of the public city college. The ordinance would be used as basis for the allocation of the funds and implementation of the project.
Treñas said the funding allocation for the proposed establishment of a public city college also needs the approval of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The chief executive said he is willing to help in the materialization of the proposed public city college if the requirements for such project is properly observed by Councilor Jeffrey Ganzon, the project proponent.
Treñas said he is willing to source out funds for the project contrary to the belief of Ganzon on the refusal of the mayor to allocate funds for his project.
The mayor said, the plan to allocate funds from the Special Education Fund (SEF) for the city college was rejected by the city government as it does not conform with the law.
The Local School Board could only allocate funds for the elementary and secondary education. Tertiary education is not included as one of the concerns of the board. It is the school board that allocates funds upon the endorsement of the Department of Education (DepEd). For 2008 until 2009, the city government has no available fund to finance the education project even in its General Fund. The city has already programmed several projects.
In one interview, Ganzon lamented that education and health are not included in the priorities of the Treñas administration.
He said education will lessen the level of ignorance of the people and same time reduce the poverty level. People who are academically equipped will not go abroad and employ as helpers. The proponent sought the assistance of a group to conduct a feasibility study on the proposed public city college.
According to the mayor, he has not seen or received a copy of the feasibility study conducted on the importance of the program for the education program of the city government.
Initially, Ganzon asked the mayor to allocate P6 million under the General Fund for the plan to establish a public city college. No details was released on where the P6 million fund will go, whether as initial fund for the operation or the construction of the edifice for the city public city college.