Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Tuesday, August 1, that he is looking for ways to increase enrollment at the Bacolod City College.
The mayor said at a BCC Board of Trustees meeting on Monday it was disclosed that out of 5,250 student applicants at the school only 1,310 were accepted for the coming school year.
Benitez said he was told that the rest did not meet the 75 percent passing grade.
He asked the BCC to review the entrance exam standards and requirements.
Benitez said he was informed that the college can accept more students, and that they will review its manpower complement.
He has also directed the City Engineer’s Office to fast track repairs and the energizing of new classrooms so they will be ready for the opening of classes.
Benitez said he wants to double the BCC student population that is currently at 3,200.
Benitez also stressed to the board of trustees the importance of making BCC a relevant institution that equips students with skills relevant to the job market.
BCC should be a hub for producing skilled and job-ready graduates, he said.
Benitez also aims to increase the college’s capacity through distance learning education.
He said other government institutions are faced with the same predicament of only being able to accept a fraction of their student applicants.
Benitez said he has discussed adopting distance learning methods with Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero de Vera III to enable more students to get college educations.*