Plans for new college revived; market stall owners relocate for construction

A CITY ordinance creating the new Cebu City College (CCC), providing funds for its operation and maintenance, and other purposes, has resurfaced after it was not enacted in 2019.

On February 7, 2024, Grace Arinaza, officer-in-charge administrator of the Ramos Public Market, said at least 14 stall owners were already relocated to the vacant stalls still within the market’s premises, as the civil works for the city-owned college building started last January.

Arinaza said vendors at the Ramos Public Market will soon be relocated to the T. Padilla Public Market, as the former will be utilized for the Cebu City College building.

In an interview on Friday, February 16, 2024, Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said the Cebu City Government is renting an area for its nursing students, because the City does not have a building yet to house its nursing students.

In 2019, when late Edgardo Labella became mayor, one of his projects was to have a city-owned college, to be located in Ramos, which is the Ramos Public Market.

Garcia said he was tasked by Labella to craft the necessary ordinance, but there was already an existing ordinance created by then councilors Joy Young and Bebot Abellanosa. The existing ordinance was filed a long time ago and passed in 2012.

When they had the deliberations, Garcia said the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) said the city’s ordinance for the creation of a city-owned college was outdated.

Garcia was referring to the ordinance created by Young and Abellanosa.

He said the Council asked if they could amend the ordinance, and the Ched responded to change the whole ordinance.

He said the word of the Ched was to “repeal” the whole ordinance because there were provisions that were in contrast to Ched’s memorandum. This was the reason why Garcia came up with a new ordinance.

Ordinance 2320 falls short of the institutional requirements under Ched Memorandum Order 32.

The present CCC lacks its own dedicated building and exclusive physical facilities for its degree programs. Additionally, the nursing and technical and vocational programs are not directly administered by the Cebu City Government but rather by the Cebu Technological University (CTU).

Garcia said his ordinance was not enacted due also to Covid-19, the reason he is reviving it now. Another reason was the untimely death of Labella who pushed for the passage of the ordinance.

In 2019, SunStar Cebu reported that Garcia’s ordinance was opposed by Young, who authored Ordinance 2320, because he wanted his ordinance to be used as the basis for the creation of the college.

At the public hearing regarding Garcia’s proposed ordinance, both Ched and the City Legal Officer Rey Gealon suggested the repeal of CO 2320, which was enacted in 2012, saying it does not adhere to the guidelines outlined by the commission for the establishment of city colleges.

Garcia is the primary author, but it was co-authored by some councilors. At least 12 councilors already signed the ordinance.

He said the council is still deliberating on the said ordinance, especially regarding provisions pertaining to personnel or manpower for the city-owned college.

They are looking at the number of personnel, positions, and salary, which they need to present to the Civil Service Commission for its approval.

The difference between Young-Abellanosa’s ordinance and Garcia’s ordinance pertaining to the creation of a city-owner college: the latter is more updated as to the composition, employees, courses, budget, and location.

Garcia said these were not included in the ordinance created by Young and Abellanosa.

“Ang ordinance nako, mas han-ay na, mas specific, ug mas detailed pa siya in consonance with the policies set by the Ched,” Garcia said.

When asked about the budget for the construction of the CCC, Garcia said he is not involved in it and suggested directing the inquiry to the executive department.

But he assured that there is an allocation included in the 2024 annual budget for the project. (AML)