SF City College opens

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Over 600 scholars in this city can now pursue college degrees for free as the city government officially opened night classes at the San Fernando City College, a flagship project of the Rodriguez Administration.

Business entities and individuals also poured in support to adopt more scholars who would take up courses in information technology, hotel and restaurant management, business administration and education at the City College.

Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, whose administration’s main thrust is development in education, said 606 scholars will initially fill in classes to be temporarily held at the Pampanga High School.

The city government earmarked P7.5 million as seed fund to kick-start the city college for this year, he said.

The City College was officially launched last week at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention

Center. In the same event, the Adopt A Scholar Program (ASAP) was also introduced.

Rodriguez said that though the city government initiated the City College project, various sectors and government agencies have pledged support to make the program successful. Barangay Councils have agreed to allocate part of their barangay funds for scholarship programs to support students who would be enrolled in the City College.

Initially, all 35 barangays in the city adopted sent two to 10 students to the city college through the ASAP program.

Councilor Jimmy Lazatin, chairperson of the city’s Committee on Education, explained that the program is also encouraging the private sector to help in the campaign to send more scholars to college.

Pledges and donations of private firms to the program are tax deductible, covered by an official receipt and will go to a trust fund to ensure that these are properly spent.

Rodriguez said the United Lanao Muslim Traders, the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs, various transport operators and drivers associations in the city, parent-teacher associations, and school officials, and the Federation of Homeowners Associations of the City of San Fernando have all expressed support for the program.

Rodriguez explained that though the City College is also hoped to accommodate deserving students from outside San Fernando, the city government has limited the enrolees to bona fide residents of the city.

“Perhaps in time we could accommodate other students who are not from the city,” he said.

City officials, he said, can only refer possible beneficiary of the program but it is the board that selects the final enrolees.

“Each applicant is screened thoroughly to assure that they are really qualified,” Rodriguez said.

By Albert B. Lacanlale