Cotabato college studes, faculty hopeful of state U conversion

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Students and faculty members of the Cotabato City Polytechnic College (CCSPC) have pledged to cooperate and work harder to compel President Benigno Aquino III to sign a bill in Congress that proposes to convert the school into a state university.

This, after the House of Representatives recently approved on third and final reading the House Bill 5914, which seeks to convert the CCSPC into Cotabato State University.

Hundreds of CCSPC students and their teachers unanimously pledge during a big gathering at their campus gymnasium here Monday to cooperate in complying with a “condition” in the HB 5914 enjoining the school management to put up community extension projects.

The bill also requires faculty members to acquire masters and doctorate degrees in keeping with standards set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The gathering meant to update students on the status now of HB 5914 was jointly presided over by the author of the bill, Maguindanao 1st District Rep. Sandra Sema, and Dammang Bantala, the president of CCSPC.

Leaders of different student organizations assured Sema and Bantala they will support the compliance of their school with CHED’s requirements.

Sema said the CCSPC have until early 2016 to comply with all the requirements for the conditional conversion of the school into a state university.

Faculty members, meanwhile, expressed appreciation of Sema’s efforts to upgrade the school into a state university. Only Congress can establish or convert schools into state universities.

“We need this state university in Cotabato City to enable children of poor Muslim and Christian parents to have easy, affordable access to quality education,” Bantala said.

Sema said the conditional conversion of the school into a state university is a good chance to show how Muslim and non-Muslim teachers and students can work together.

“We have to cooperate with one another. We have to show to the House of Representatives and President Aquino that we can do it,” Sema told students and teachers during the forum.

Sema said one community project the CCSPC can initiate is how to improve the thriving inland fishery industries in Cotabato City’s  southwestern coasts.

Teachers also suggested special projects meant to bolster the Mindanao peace process and propagate Muslim-Christian solidarity in the city and surrounding towns in the first district of Maguindanao.

Students and teachers who  participated in Monday’s forum on HB 5914 gave Sema and Bantala a standing ovation when they were asked to show their appreciation of the approval of HB 5914 and their commitment to help one another to comply with all the requirements set by CHED.

“All of us also look forward to President Aquino’s signing into law of this bill,” Dammang said.