THE 13 councilors of Caloocan City have expressed strong support to the proposal of Rep. Dale R. Malapitan to establish a campus of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in the northern part of Metro Manila.
They approved “Resolution Expressing Full Support and Calling for Immediate Passage of House Bill [HB] 6931 Introduced by Caloocan first District Representative Dale R. Malapitan Entitled ‘An Act Establishing a Branch of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Caloocan City-North to be known as Polytechnic University of the Philippines [PUP] Caloocan City North Branch and Appropriating Funds Therefor.’”
The city legislators noted that they believe in Malapitan’s HB 6931 since “it is a move to make education accessible by way of addressing the disenchantment or burden of student that have to travel outside of their cities and confront worsening traffic condition which make them incur additional expenses and waste of time.”
The principal authors of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Caloocan City Resolution 2846, series of 2018, Councilors Edgardo N. Aruelo and Ma. Milagros S. Mercado, further stressed that Malapitan’s proposed law “is an act that would bring to the fore the aspirations of not only the youth and out-of-school youth of Caloocan City but the whole of the Northern Metro Manila area, hence deserves the support” of the city council headed by Vice Mayor Macario Assistio III.
Aurelio and Mercado’s resolution was passed on January 31.
Aside from Aurelio and Mercado, the coauthors of the resolution were Councilors Carmelo F. Africa III, Dean Asistio, Christopher E. Malonzo, Aurora A. Henson Jr., Marilou Nubla, Ana Karina Teh, Luis O. Asistio III, Tolentino J. Bagus, Carolyn C. Cunanan, Roberto R. Samson and Marc Merville T. Orozco.
In filing HB 6931, Malapitan used the 1987 Constitution as his principal basis for the creation of PUP in the northern part of the National Capital Region, which, according to the neophyte lawmaker, “set the stage for our country to fully embrace [of] so-called a culture of education.”
The creation of the PUP in Caloocan City is fully supported Mayor Oscar G. Malapitan, as accessible quality education is one of his priority programs, Mark M. Dario, political officer of local chief executive, told the BusinessMirror in a telephone interview.
In fact, Dario said, Mayor Malapitan already ordered the construction of modern buildings and campuses of the University of the Caloocan City (UCC) just a few months after he assumed the top post of the city in 2013.
While both Mayor Malapitan and Rep. Malapitan offered Caloocan City as host of the future PUP campus in the north, the congressman pointed out in his explanatory note in HB 6931 that the out-of-school youth in Malabon City, Navotas City and Valenzuela City will also benefit from the state-run university, aside from those living in Caloocan City.
All the cities in the north have their respective universities and polytechnic colleges that offer free education.
But while this is true, Malapitan argued in his bill’s explanatory note that “while it is true that the government religiously toed the line by allocating the biggest budget for our education in our annual national expenditure program, yet there are still certain issues and imperatives that need to be addressed and instituted in order that public educational institutions are within easy reach by students, most especially those coming from areas with large catchment of populations and where incidents of poverty is high.”
He noted that the northern part of Metro Manila, collectively known as Camanava (Caloocan City, Malabon City, Navotas City and Valenzuela City), has no state university.
The absence of a state university in Camanava “puts the [poor] families to incur an extra expense, rob students their productive time and/or promote disenchantment or disinterest among the youth to pursue or complete their college or technical education,” Malapitan asserted, as he convinced his fellow lawmakers to approve his propose measure.
Rep. Malapitan cited the 2016 data of the Annual Poverty Indicators Survey, which showed that there are about 3.8 million out-of-school children and youth (OSCY).
According to the lawmaker, the establishment of the PUP for Camanava area does not only address the problem of the OSCY in the area, but it also “fulfills a constitutional mandate.”
Malapitan filed HB 6931 in January and was referred to the House Committee on Higher Education chaired by Rep. Ann K. Hofer of the Second District of Zamboanga Sibugay.
Dario said the Caloocan City government will not shoulder the expenses for the construction of PUP, but the national government.
The national government will likewise fund its operation and salary of the officials, professors, instructors and the non-teaching work force, he told the Business Mirror.
Dario said “Rep. Malapitan is fully confident that the House of Representatives will pass HB 6931 within the year since it is for the interest and future of the OSCY in Camanava area.”
1 comment
Mas maganda kung Rizal Technological University, considered to be Metro Manila’s State University, na lang ang ininvite nyo na magtayo ng Campus sa Novaliches North Caloocan. Baka maging puro aktibista lang ang mga estudyante dyan.