CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The city government is not opposed to the proposal to convert its City College of San Fernando into a state college but expressed vehemence against the school’s integration with the Don Honorio Ventura State University.
This was the consensus arrived at during a consultative meeting among stakeholders called by Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales, Jr. at the DHVSU gymnasium in Bacolor town on Monday.
“The proposal to integrate CCSFP to DHVSU is a no-no for us. But, the conversion of the college into a state college or state university, eventually, is another thing. It is something that we can agree upon. Besides, that was, to me, our ultimate dream, to have a state college for Fernandinos,” said Mayor Vilma B. Caluag.
Stakeholders comprising the board of trustees, supreme student council, the faculty and employees’ association, and the alumni association of the CCSFP earlier came out with position papers expressing their opposition to House Bill 4079 that seeks the conversion of the CCSFP into a state college and its integration as a campus of DHVSU.
The position papers were transmitted to Baguio Rep. Mark Go, chair of the House committee on higher and technical education on Sept. 27.
Variably calling the proposed legislation as “absurd, insulting, and unacceptable” the stakeholders cited that “the CCSFP’s identity must remain as it always has been committed to the Fernandino’s best interest – accessible to those who deserve it…its quality education top-notch, as evidenced by its LET and civil service passing rates.”
The faculty and employees’ association pointedly declared that “Integration to another institution is similar to eradicating CCSFP’s history, brand, culture and achievements.”
The board of trustees noted that HB4079 “will not only divest the city a platform to offer free quality education (which seeks to alleviate the poor condition of Fernandinos through formal education) but will also veer away from the spirit of devolution which empowers local governments and ensures that decisions are made closer to the constituents, thereby improving the delivery of services.”
The stakeholders lamented that “no public consultations, or at the very least, consultations with the stakeholders (i.e. students, faculty, alumni, etc.) were held.”
While HB4079 was filed in August 2022, Gonzales filed a second bill on Sept. 19 – HB4985 seeking the conversion of the CCSFP into a state college to be known as the State College of the City of San Fernando. The school’s integration with DHVSU dropped altogether.
On Nov. 11, Gonzales invited city officials led by Mayor Caluag and CCSFP president Gloria Bañas to a meeting to discuss both bills in the wake of their opposition to HB4079.
The congressman also requested the House committee on higher and technical education to defer committee-level schedules for the proposed bills pending the meeting with the concerned LGU.
Short of addressing all the concerns raised by the stakeholders on HB4079 in the Nov. 11 meeting, Monday’s meeting was scheduled.
The stakeholders expressed “surprise and cluelessness” over HB 4985.
Mayor Caluag said that they were not made aware that there was another proposal that did not require the CCSFP to be under the administrative umbrella of DHVSU.
It was here that she clarified that “we can agree upon” the conversion of the CCSFP into a state college.
Caluag, though, asked Gonzales for more time as she vowed to immediately call a meeting with the schools’ trustees to further discuss the proposal.
The mayor said that a final decision will be made after her meeting with the trustees and vowed that her administration will continue programs to improve the quality of education being offered by the CCSFP.
In just the third month of her administration, Caluag increased the number of the college’s enrollees from 700 to 1,500 students. CCSFP is also batting to add more courses to offer next school year.
Gonzales said that while Congress has the power to initiate the conversion of CCSFP to a state college with or without the approval of the LGU, he will accord respect to city officials by waiting for their decisions before making any further legislative actions.
“At the end of the day, this [bill] will not be about me or the mayor but the Fernandinos who will benefit from the funding and other national government assistance,” Gonzales said. Punto News Team/PR
