Talisay City College not yet a state college – CHEd

The law is in effect, but the Talisay City College’s (TCC) transition into a state college may have to wait, and the local government now wants the law creating it amended.

Signed into law last June by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Republic Act 10954 would promote Talisay City College into the country’s state college and university system.

But the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) has told the Talisay City government to comply with accreditation requirements before the conversion takes effect.

Talisay City Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante told reporters last Friday that among the requirements set by the Ched is for the TCC to have at least one of its undergraduate programs and two graduate programs to have level III accreditation by January 1, 2016.

Schools who pass level III accreditation enjoy full curricular deregulation.

Villarante told reporters that achieving that level of accreditation may take longer than five years.

He said the Technical Working Group (TWG) of Ched has recommended to 1st district Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas to submit a bill to amend the Republic Act 10594, lowering the accreditation requirement to level II, instead of level III.

Villarante said, level III accreditation is for universities, not colleges.

Under Ched rules, level II accredited schools are given “full administrative deregulation, financial deregulation in terms of setting tuition and other fees, partial curricular autonomy, authority to graduate students without prior approval of Ched and without need for Special Orders,” among others.

The vice mayor said he is confident Gullas would prioritize work on the amendment of RA 10594 as the law was one of the pet legislation of his grandfather, former 1st district congressman Eduardo Gullas. /Christine Emily L. Pantaleon, Correspondent