Minority bloc vows to pursue rejected scholarship program

Local

THE minority bloc at the Cebu City Council will continue pushing for the accreditation of the Asian College of Technology International Education Foundation (ACTIEF) Pit-os Campus despite its narrow rejection.

Councilor Alvin Arcilla has vowed not to abandon students from upland barangays who stand to benefit from the program.

In an interview on Thursday, April 16, Arcilla acknowledged the disappointment felt by affected students and parents but assured them that efforts to secure the school’s inclusion in the city’s scholarship program are far from over.

“Sa mga ginikanan ug estudyante nga naguol, naguol pud ko. Kabalo ko unsa kalisod ang kinabuhi didto sa kabukiran,” Arcilla said.

“Dili ko mohunong. Kami nga pito ka konsehal nga mibotar pabor sa accreditation dili mohunong pagpangita og paagi nga makahatag gihapon og maayong kaugmaon sa kabukiran,” he added, referring to the minority bloc that supported the measure.

The statement comes days after the City Council, in a close 8–7 vote, rejected a proposed resolution that would have allowed ACTIEF’s Pit-os Campus to join the city’s scholarship program.

The measure, authored by Arcilla, sought authority for Mayor Nestor Archival to enter into a memorandum of agreement with ACTIEF, with the goal of expanding access to tertiary education for students in northern mountain barangays.

Supporters argued that the campus would provide a more accessible option for upland students who otherwise face long travel times and high transportation costs when attending schools in the city proper.

However, the majority bloc voted down the proposal, citing legal and procedural concerns.

Opposing councilors flagged a potential conflict of interest, noting that ACTIEF is owned by the family of Councilor Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa. Under the Local Government Code, local governments are restricted from entering into contracts with entities linked to sitting officials within certain degrees of consanguinity.

The Committee on Laws, Ordinances, and Styling, chaired by Councilor Mikel Rama, also cited the absence of formal certification from the Cebu City College Scholarship Program Committee confirming ACTIEF’s accreditation prior to the resolution’s endorsement.

The committee further raised concerns over past scholarship-related transactions and a previously dismissed criminal case, emphasizing that dismissal does not automatically remove ethical questions.

“The dismissal of a criminal case does not automatically sanitize a transaction from ethical defects,” the committee report stated.

Despite clarifications and documents presented by ACTIEF representatives during executive sessions, the majority remained unconvinced, opting to reject the measure.

The outcome drew an emotional response from students who attended the session, with several seen in tears after the vote.

Arcilla, however, maintained that the fight is not over, and that the minority bloc will explore alternative measures to revisit or refile the proposal.(TGP)