CEBU, Philippines — Three additional campuses of Cebu Normal University (CNU) will be established soon following the approval of three House bills by the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education. The new campuses will be located in the towns of Argao and Poro, as well as in Central Cebu City.
House Bill No. 11143, which establishes an external campus of CNU in the Municipality of Poro, Camotes Island, was authored by Fifth District Rep. Duke Frasco. House Bill No. 11256, establishing CNU in Central Cebu City, was authored by Rep. Rachel Marguerite Del Mar, while House Bill No. 11258, creating a regular CNU campus in Argao, Southern Cebu, was proposed by Congressman Edsel Galeos. The bills were sponsored by Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla on behalf of the main authors during the committee hearing on January 27.
CNU President Dr. Daniel Ariaso Sr. emphasized that the addition of three regular campuses is a crucial step in addressing Cebu’s “educational gaps,” aligning with the constitutional and statutory mandate to make education accessible to all.
“While these initiatives enjoy strong community backing, challenges such as resource constraints, delayed authorization, and infrastructure must be addressed promptly,” Ariaso said.
He also stressed that collaboration among local and national government agencies is essential to ensuring these campuses become catalysts for educational equity and socio-economic development.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) expressed no opposition to the proposed measures but emphasized the need to comply with specific requirements for establishing state universities and colleges (SUCs) to ensure the sustainability of the campuses. Among these conditions is the confirmation of the site location, which must be identified and secured before establishment. CHED’s operational standards and program offerings must also be adhered to.
Recently, a deed of donation was signed between CNU officials and a private donor for a five-hectare property in Taloot, Argao, where the CNU-Argao campus will be built. Argao Mayor Allan Sesaldo stated that efforts are underway to fence the area for security.
“We promise that we will develop the road leading to CNU-Argao, and this will proceed smoothly because Governor Gwen Garcia will act on it immediately,” Sesaldo said, as per a statement from the Argao Local Government Unit. He also assured that water supply would not be an issue, as the site is near the town’s water source.
As for the CNU-Poro campus, CHED noted several challenges, including securing qualified faculty such as guidance counselors and librarians, as well as meeting requirements for laboratories, equipment, learning resources, facilities, and support structures. Given Poro’s location on Camotes Island, over 50 kilometers from mainland Cebu, logistical concerns must also be addressed.
CHED further advised that the programs to be offered at CNU-Poro should complement those available at the Cebu Technological University (CTU) in San Francisco town, which currently provides courses in education, technology, engineering, and business. CTU San Francisco is approximately 12.6 kilometers from the proposed CNU-Poro campus in Barangay Cagcagan.
Baguio City Rep. Mark Go, chairperson of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, emphasized the importance of complementarity among SUCs within the same area.
“Hindi dapat nga you have to open CNU there to accommodate those who have not been accepted by CTU,” Go said during the hearing.
Go noted that Congressman Frasco suggested specific programs for CNU-Poro, such as maritime education, real estate management, food technology, marine sciences, fisheries, renewable energy, and petroleum engineering—courses that may not be offered by CTU in San Francisco.
Ariaso assured lawmakers that there would be no duplication of courses among SUCs in the region.
“What we are gonna do now is to adopt programs that CTU has no program yet,” Ariaso said.
Meanwhile, Go also proposed consolidating the three bills, along with other previous measures establishing CNU campuses in Cebu, into a single substitute bill subject to amendments before transmittal to the House Committee on Appropriations. The proposed legislation will proceed through the House of Representatives and Senate before final approval and enactment into law upon the President’s signature. — /FPL (FREEMAN)