Iloilo City eyes expansion community college

The Iloilo City Government is opening a new site for Iloilo City Community College (ICCC) to accommodate its growing population.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the new site will occupy a portion of the 2.5-hectare city government property just vacated by the Iloilo City District Engineering Office (CDEO) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Barangay Veterans Village in City Proper district.

“At least one hectare of the 2.5 hectares land occupied by the DPWH for over 40 years will be devoted to the new site of the Iloilo Community College Campus. The college is growing very fast and we need additional land for our students. We need additional classrooms since there are now a lot of enrollees,” Treñas said, adding the city architect is now preparing a development plan.

The existing campus stands in an 869-square-meter lot in Barangay San Pedro, catering to 1,041 students for the school year 2023-2024.

It offers two non-board courses – a Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management and a Bachelor of Science in Office Administration; and two board courses – a Bachelor of Special Needs Education Major in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Science in Criminology.

Tuition and miscellaneous fees are free in the community college.

“We prioritize graduates of city schools whose parents are voters/residents of the city with a maximum income of PHP240,000 annually and a general weighted average of 85 and no grade lower than 80 percent,” ICCC administrator Maria Mathilde Treñas said in an interview.

She added they intend to open more courses once they have a bigger space.

At present, the BS Criminology program holds classes on the third floor of the city government’s Diamond Jubilee Hall on Mabini Street, City Proper.

Mayor Treñas, meanwhile, said he will sign an Executive Order declaring the current City District Engineer as persona non grata when he returns to office on June 13.

Last week, the city mayor expressed disappointment with the CDEO for the “tremendous delay” in vacating the space amid several notices.

Treñas also canceled approval of the city of all projects implemented by the CDEO in city government land, including the Mandurriao public market, multi-purpose buildings and the like, which he said “are terribly delayed.” (via PNA)