Students of two local colleges in MIMAROPA will now be assured of quality education as the Baco Community College and City College of Calapan (CCC) in Mindoro Oriental get the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) institutional recognition and Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) to implement the programs under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017 or Republic Act 10931.
CHED and Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Board Chairman J. Prospero E. De Vera III led the awarding of trophies and certificates of eligibility to the two local universities and colleges (LUCs) in a Gawad Parangal ceremony held within the campus of CCC, which coincides with its 13th Founding Anniversary celebration.
A LUC must have institutional recognition and COPC to be included under RA 10931 and to avail Free Higher Education and Tertiary Education Subsidy programs including the Student Loan Program (SLP) for tertiary education.
Institutional recognition assures that the LUC has complied with systems and procedures (such as selection of President, having permanent faculty, school facilities, etc.) for all HEIs.
The COPC, on the other hand, is a recognition that the specific degree programs being offered by SUCs/LUCs are fully compliant with the policies, standards, and guidelines of CHED. It is the quality assurance system of CHED so that students get quality education.
“Dahil sa pinirmahang batas (RA 10931) ni Pangulong Duterte, libre na ang tuition at miscellaneous fees ng 1.3 milyong kabataang Pilipino na nag aaral sa 112 SUCs at 123 LUCS; 400,000 ang may Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) sa lagpas 1,000 na public at private universities; at 400,000 ang tumatanggap ng Tulong Dunong,” De Vera said.
The first LUC to be established in MIMAROPA is the City College of Calapan. It was established in 2008 and was Institutionally recognized on March 27, 2018 following the College’s compliance with CMO No. 32, s.2006 entitled “Policies, Standards and Guidelines on the Establishment and Operation of Local Colleges and Universities’.
Baco Community College was established in 2014 and was also Institutionally Recognized on March 26, 2019.
UniFAST OIC Executive Director Ryan Estevez and CHED Regional Director Joselito Alisuag assisted Chairman De Vera during the awarding ceremony. Also present were Senior Deputy Speaker and Mindoro 1st District Representative Paulino Salvador “Doy” Leachon and Oriental Mindoro local officials.
CCC Board of Trustees Chairman and Calapan City Mayor Arnan Panaligan received the award for CCC with College Administrator and concurrent president of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ALCU) Dr. Rene Colocar while Baco Mayor Reynaldo Marco and College Administrator Dr. Elizabeth Maravilla accepted the award for BCC.
