IT had been a rough 10 years in terms of enrollment for the Cebu City Medical Center’s (CCMC) College of Nursing.
But that didn’t stop the school from ranking in the top 10 performing nursing schools in last month’s Nursing Licensure Exam.
The college ranked ninth out of 479 nursing schools around the country with an overall passing rate of 97.06 percent.
“We are so happy and excited. Wa mi nagtuo nga makasulod mi kay luoy kaayo amo kahimtang, wa miy mahalon nga gamit, gamay ra mig classrooms, init pa gyud kaayo ((We are so happy and excited. We didn’t expect that we’d get in because of our poor conditions, we don’t have expensive facilities, we only have a few classrooms, and it’s very hot),” Vicenta Jaluague, dean of the CCMC-Nursing College told Cebu Daily News.
The school, which is in consortium with the Cebu Technological University, is located on the third floor of the city-owned and managed hospital.
News of the school’s sterling performance in the nursing exams had Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama raising both arms in triumph.
“See, I told you, unya ato i-close (and now we should close it)? If it is bringing pride, claim it. If it’s not, work for it that it will give you pride,” the mayor said.
Rama referred to plans by his predecessor, former congressman Tomas Osmeña to close the CCMC and devolve out patient services to the barangay health centers.
Sixty-six exam takers out of 68 from the city hospital’s nursing college passed.
Aside from the CCMC-CON, two other Cebu nursing schools landed in the top 10.
Cebu Normal University ranked first with a 100 percent passing rate while Velez College landed in eighth spot with a passing rate of 98.01.
Last year, CCMC-CON got a 94.05 percent passed, 97.59 percent in 2011 and 92 percent in 2010.
“We are proud that even with a decreasing enrollment rate, we are still able to get high passing percentages,” Jaluague said.
She said they’re hoping for more students to enroll in the next semester.
Last March, Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias filed a resolution to allow students from neighboring towns and cities to enroll at the CCMC-CON.
In 2005, its nursing student population reached 467.
It went down to 434 in 2006, 418 in 2007, 415 in 2008, 351 in 2009, 307 in 2010 and 243 in 2011.
Last year, the school’s population reached only 191. This year, they only have 156 students.
The school only earned P7 million in 2012, or three million lower than the P10 to P12 million in the previous years.
Jaluague said she was hopeful that Cabarrubiass ’resolution will be approved.