FOR CLOSURE. The main building of Colegio de Iligan that once housed the defunct National Steel Corporation. Iligan City Mayor Frederick Siao asked the City Council Tuesday (July 19, 2022) to pass an ordinance that would close the school after not meeting the minimum requirements by the Commission on Higher Education. (Photo courtesy of Iligan LGU)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Iligan City government on Tuesday moved to close its community college almost four years after it was opened.
In a letter, Mayor Frederick Siao asked the City Council to pass an ordinance that will close Colegio de Iligan (CDI) for failure to comply with the minimum accreditation requirements set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Siao said the CDI’s closure was based on the letter issued by the CHED on July 13, which noted the city-run college's difficulties complying with the requirements “in due time.”
Opened to the public on August 13, 2019 under the administration of then-mayor and now Rep. Celso Regencia, the CDI established a temporary campus at the building complex formerly operated by the defunct National Steel Corporation.
The CDI offered courses in criminology, midwifery, agriculture, and social work.
Siao said his decision was also based on the recommendation of a task force he created earlier this month to probe the school's compliance with CHED requirements.
“The task force found that CDI has been operating even without the required Institutional Recognition (IR) and Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) by CHED,” Siao said.
In April, CHED issued an advisory that CDI was not yet recognized as an institution because of the pending compliance with the deficiencies required from the school.
Despite the move, the city government vowed to support students who will be displaced by providing scholarships and payment of their board and lodging should they transfer to other schools within Northern Mindanao. (PNA)
