MABALACAT CITY – It’s a tough finish for Mabalacat City College (MCC) having been named as one of the Top 8 educational institutions in the recently concluded awarding ceremonies of the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Asia for 2021.
MCC, the Philippines’ lone representative in this prestigious competition on best practices among colleges and universities, was recognized for its outstanding institutional work amid the COVID-19 pandemic under two categories: Outstanding Support for Students Award and Technological/Digital Innovation of the Year.
“Ang mapabilang sa hanay ng mga pinaka-magagaling na kolehiyo at unibersidad sa Asya ay isang malaking pagkilala na para sa MCC at sa atin bilang mga Mabalaqueños. Naging masusi at mahirap ang proseso sa pagpili sa mga mananalo ngunit nagawa ng MCC ang mapabilang sa hanay na ito,” said Mayor Crisostomo Garbo after receiving the good news.
“Iniaabot ko ang aking pagpupugay sa pamunuan ng MCC sa pangunguna ni Dr. Michelle Aguilar-Ong lalo na sa ating mga teaching at non-teaching force. Ang pagkilalang ito ay natamasa ng MCC dahil sa inyong paghihirap na maibigay ang karampatang kalidad ng edukasyon sa mga kabataang Mabalaqueño sa kabila ng kasalukuyang ng pandemya,” the city mayor added.
THE Awards Asia offers a major international platform to recognize outstanding leadership and institutional performance and celebrate the continent’s higher education excellence in all of its diversity. This year, the organization is “particularly looking forward to shining a spotlight on Asian higher education’s brilliant response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In THE’s shortlist published on June 2021, MCC has officially joined University of Oxford, University of London, and Lancaster University in the roster of world-acclaimed learning institutions vying for the said accolade.
Meanwhile, THE’s Chief Knowledge Officer Phil Baty commended all the participating institutions who submitted their entries.
“We at THE and our distinguished group of guest experts found it a genuine privilege to immerse ourselves in these first-hand reports from all corners of the continent, detailing how universities responded speedily and ingeniously, deploying their resources to support students, staff and local communities,” said Baty.
On the other hand, MCC President Michelle Aguilar-Ong said that MCC’s strong Top 8 finish cements the institution’s claim of being one of the best local colleges in the Philippines.
“Ang pagkilalang ito ay patunay lamang na kayang-kaya ng Pilipinas na makipag-sabayan sa iba pang mga bansa sa larangan ng academic best practices. Hindi pa ito ang huli para sa MCC dahil sisikapin nating higit na mapabuti ang ating educational services upang makasungkit tayo ng award sa darating pang mga panahon,” the MCC president said.
“Kami po ay nagpapasalamat kay Mayor Garbo, kay Vice Mayor Gerald Aquino at sa mga bumubuo ng Sangguniang Panlungsod sa kanilang ibinibigay na suporta. Nawa’y huwag na sanang gawing kasangkapan ng ibang mga kandidato at partido ang MCC sa kanilang electioneering activity at political propaganda bilang respeto na rin sa institusyon, sa mga estudyante, at mga guro nito,” Aguilar-Ong added.
