BACOLOD City – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) fully recognizes the Bacolod City College (BCC) as a higher education institution.
BCC received a notice last week that the college is now duly accredited and recognized by CHED, said Councilor Renecito Novero.
BCC is a community college operated by the local government of Bacolod City.
It was established by virtue of City Ordinance No. 175, series of 1997, also known as the Charter of Bacolod City College.
Its main campus is in Barangay Taculing. Extension campuses are in barangays Sum-ag, Fortune Town and Estefania.
CHED’s recognition bodes well for graduating BCC students, Novero said.
They may now be given a CHED-issued Special Order (SO), a document that validates their graduation and may be needed in applying for work here or abroad, said the councilor.
Students who already graduated from the BCC before the CHED accreditation may be issued the SO as well, Novero said.
CHED regulates tertiary and graduate education in public and private higher education institutions, or HEIs, in the country.
An agency attached to the Office of the President for administrative purposes, it also covers all degree-granting programs in all post-secondary educational institutions.
Now Novero said BCC is awaiting CHED’s response to its application for a Certificate of Recognition to be included among schools covered by the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.
The law, also known as Republic Act 10931, makes tuition and other school fees free in state universities and colleges, local universities and colleges, and state-run technical-vocational institutions in the Philippines.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod recently passed an ordinance revising the BCC Charter for the city college to avail itself of free tuition coverage.
The ordinance reestablished the organizational structure of BCC, creating new positions.
It also redefined the functions and composition of the college governing board and other offices and committees, pursuant to the mandate of BCC being a higher education institution./PN
