Mandaue City tells public: There is only one MCC

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City Government yesterday reminded the public that there is only one Mandaue City College (MCC), which has been established by the local government unit and is the only one accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The announcement came after Dr. Paulus Cañete reportedly continued to operate the so-called Mandaue City College-Cañete despite the Supreme Court’s February 2023 decision upholding CHED's closure order and affirming that his institution has no authority to operate.

“Wherefore, the petition is denied. The decision dated March 11, 2019 and Resolution dated January 28, 2020 of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CV NO. 108771 are hereby affirmed,” wrote a portion of the decision obtained by the members of the media yesterday.

In a decision promulgated last Feb. 22, 2023, the Supreme Court Third Division denied the petition of Cañete against CHED for lack of merit.

The highest court was not convinced that the Court of Appeals (CA) erred in upholding the validity of CHED’s Closure and Notice to the Public.

The ruling signed by Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting further added that the MCC-Cañete did not present sufficient proof that it had complied with the requirements set forth by CHED.

Because of this, the Mandaue City Government held a press conference yesterday to put an end to the confusion caused by the operations of MCC-Cañete, as the City continues to receive reports that the alleged 'fraudulent' institution is still operating despite the Supreme Court ruling.

Mandaue City Councilor Malcolm Sanchez, chairman of the committee on education, said that in 2024 the legitimate MCC received 34 verification requests from employers and schools questioning credentials linked to MCC-Cañete.

Sanchez said that the verification request sought to ask MCC about the students’ educational attainment.

However, upon verification, it was found out that the students were not enrolled in the legitimate MCC but instead in MCC-Cañete.

Since MCC-Cañete is not accredited, the educational credentials of its "graduates" were declared invalid.

Sanchez said that MCC-Cañete not only ignored the legal closure orders issued by CHED but also caused confusion and harm to students, employers, and other stakeholders.

“The Supreme Court in its February 2023 ruling it affirmed that Mandaue City College-Cañete is not a legitimate institution. It has no legal personality, no accreditation, no authority to conform degrees,” said Sanchez.

Despite all the court rulings, Sanchez said that MCC-Cañete continued to operate, issuing spurious diplomas that tarnished the reputation of Mandaue City and the MCC, as well as creating challenges for the legitimate MCC.

During the press conference, CHED Executive Director Cinderella Filipina S. Benitez-Jaro explained that MCC-Cañete was found to be operating higher education programs without a legal basis and in non-compliance with the policies and standards set by the commission.

Jaro confirmed that even if students have completed their studies, their transcripts of records will not be recognized by CHED, rendering all proof of educational attainment invalid.

She added that if the degree requires a license, graduates of MCC-Cañete will also not be eligible to take the licensure board examinations.

Meanwhile, the legitimate MCC will, likewise, not recognize the educational records or verify their authenticity for companies seeking to confirm whether these students attended their school, since they studied at MCC-Cañete.

“Nasayang ang efforts ng mga students,” said Jaro.

Aside from the 2024 verification, the LGU-recognized MCC Administrator, Dr. Joey Rivamonte, said that their most recent issue arose when they received a forwarded letter addressed to the Human Resorce Section of the DepEd Cebu Province Division, supposedly written by the MCC-Cañete Registrar.

He said the letter was written on behalf of two graduates whose applications were disqualified and denied by DepEd.

“Each of these requests not only wastes our resources but also exposes the long-term damage caused by MCC Cañete's unlawful actions of illegal educational institutions,” said Rivamonte.

The MCC administrator urged the public to verify educational credentials and ensure that they engage only with legitimate institutions.

Rivamonte said that the MCC, under the governance of the Mandaue LGU, is the only CHED-accredited institution bearing that name.

“Let us not allow rogue schools to continue exploiting the dreams of our youth,” Rivamonte added.

This issue dates back to when the college was established in 2005 through Ordinance 10-2005-324A, with the mission of providing quality education to the people of Mandaue.

In 2007, the college's governance underwent changes. The Board of Trustees issued resolutions removing Dr. Paulus Cañete from his position and appointing a new administration.

Despite this, Dr. Cañete continued to operate a separate institution under the MCC name at the Eversely Childs Sanitarium campus.

In 2009, CHED conducted an investigation and issued a closure order against MCC-Cañete.

The findings showed that MCC-Cañete was not compliant with CHED's standards and had no legal authority to offer higher education programs.

The legitimate MCC, on the other hand, complied with CHED's requirements and received authorization to offer degree programs.

However, MCC-Cañete defied CHED's closure order, prompting CHED to issue public warnings in 2011, declaring all degrees issued by MCC-Cañete as “spurious and unrecognized.”

Due to Cañete's insistence and continued defiance of CHED's closure order, the situation reached the courts, and in February 2023, the Supreme Court upheld CHED's closure order and affirmed MCC-Cañete's status as an institution without any authority to operate, as per CHED.

City’s action

City Legal Officer Atty. Giovanni Tianero said that since the efforts of the students were in vain and caused definite harm on their part, the City legal council will assist in filing actions against Cañete.

“If indeed there are students who are damaged or fell victim to these kinds of activities, these students can file a case,” said Tianero.

If the students agree to take legal action, he said the City Legal Office will assist them.

He said that since the City has been receiving reports of MCC-Cañete's continued operations, the City Legal Office will investigate and gather more evidence to gain a better perspective on the facts and build possible criminal cases against Cañete for using the MCC name.

Tianero said that the possible case is usurpation of authority, considering that MCC was created through an ordinance, yet someone else is using its name and representing the government entity.

The lawyer added that a possible case for estafa could be filed, considering that the institution is misrepresenting itself as a valid college and collecting tuition fees from students.

Tianero emphasized that the legitimate MCC has only one address, which is located within the vicinity of the Mandaue City Sports Complex.

However, for students who have already graduated from MCC-Cañete, Tianero said that the legitimate MCC can allow them to retake the course, just as they did when the issue arose in 2014.

He said they will take into consideration what other assistance the city can offer to the victims.

Meanwhile, Sanchez also stated that through legislation, his office will send an invitation to Dr. Paulus Cañete to hear his side of the story.

“Because there are always two sides of the story, we will send an invitation to answer questions pertaining to the legality of Dr. Paulos Canete’s MCC,” said Sanchez.