Mayor Crisostomo Garbo expressed elation over the acknowledgement of the Mabalacat City College by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The President cited MCC for bagging the prestigious award for Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year by the Times Higher Education “in the face of top global competition.”
“I am delighted and honored by President Bongbong Marcos’s recognition of our city’s achievements during his recent SONA and for highlighting Mabalacat’s success on a national platform,” Garbo reacted.
According to Garbo, this just shows the sincerity and hard work we put to the city’s local educational institution.
After MCC’s recognition, Garbo vowed to further strengthen local education system in this city.
Recently, the city mayor, through the MCC, formalized a partnership with the Mabalacat City Youth Development Office (CYDO) to launch the Return to Education Assistance Program (REAP).
The program specifically intends to reach out to out-of-school youth and drop-out students within the community and offer them support and assistance to pursue their tertiary education.
“With this program, we ensure that college dropouts can be integrated back to the education ecosystem under the Flexible Learning Program which is the MCC Pro Plus. Ang nais kong mangyari, ang bawat Mabalaqueño sa pamilya ay may hawak na diploma,” Garbo added.
Earlier, Garbo’s administration already distributed laptops to every teacher in this city as part of his thrust to strengthen the education system in the city.
“I also want to express my gratitude to MCC President Michelle Aguilar-Ong and the men and women of Mabalacat City College for continuing to make MCC a hub for innovation and progress in the field of technology and digitalization, helping to ensure that our students receive the best education possible and are well-equipped for the challenges of the future,” Mayor Garbo ended.
Last April 29, 𝗠𝗖𝗖 was awarded at the Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2024, clinching the prestigious Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year award among top contenders held at Sunway City, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
MCC bested Chiang Mai University, Christ University, James Cook University, Singapore, Lovely Professional University, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Marmara University and National University of Singapore.
MCC has secured the award because of its Smart Huawei classrooms, enabling working students under its Pro Plus Program to participate in their classes wherever they are, without compromising their engagement.
The setup not only facilitates active participation in real-time but also offers the flexibility to access classes at a more convenient time, accommodating any changes in their work schedules.
Times Higher Education Awards is the Oscars for tertiary education
