MABALACAT CITY — Two top officials of the country have commended the Mabalacat City College for its impressive facilities and efficient administration, during the first leg of the “Padyak para sa Flexible Learning: Sama-samang Vaccination Program” held at the MCC on October 13, 2021.
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Prospero De Vera III and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture both praised the MCC, expressing delight and excitement over the local government’s and the college administration’s thrust to propel MCC to greater heights.
During the event, Senator Gatchalian and De Vera toured the campus grounds together with Mabalacat City Mayor Crisostomo Garbo and College President Michelle Aguilar-Ong.
“Pagpasok ko akala ko pribadong kolehiyo ito [MCC] dahil napakaganda at organized. I can see the sense of organization sa loob ng eskwelahan,” Senator Gatchalian said.
“Malaking bagay talaga ang partnership between the mayor and also the [college] president dahil this is a local [college] funded by the local government. It should be run as professionally and as efficiently as possible,” Gatchalian added.
Signifying his pleasure, CHED Chairman De Vera has committed to include MCC — which strives to be one of the best local colleges in the Philippines — in the next batch of local colleges to receive an i-Laboratory Grant.
CHED’s “i-Lab” Project supports the use of technology to not only improve the students’ technological skills but also cross-cultural communication and international capacities. The idea of integrating technology in pedagogy and instruction, research, and extension which leads to internationalization is the aim of this project.
For his part, Mayor Garbo reiterated that his administration has been working tirelessly to improve the quality of instruction in the local college and to upgrade its facilities to further promote MCC as an institution conducive for learning.
As his administration’s commitment in prioritizing education and alternative learning, Garbo disclosed pipeline projects intended for Mabalaqueño students.
“With the approval of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, we are planning to put up another four-story building inside the campus- that will be an additional 40 classrooms to house the college’s administrative offices and cater more Mabalaqueño students in the future,” the city mayor said.
Furthermore, the old city hall located at the Xevera Complex will be renovated as an administrative annex building for MCC where the proposed public library will also be situated, according to Mayor Garbo.
“Once the construction of the new city hall in Barangay Mabiga is completed, the old city hall will house the Mabalacat City Public Library, a learning facility that will make use of conventional and e-library features,” Garbo added.
The Garbo administration has been subsidizing MCC with a P100-million allocation annually to support its operations. The MCC currently serves a total of 3,850 poor but deserving students in the city, and has bagged numerous accolades within the country and abroad including two nominations to the Times Higher Education Awards this 2021.
