Garcia wants CNU, CTU campuses in 3rd district

Deputy Speaker for the Visayas and Third District Representative Gwendolyn Garcia is recommending to the Board of Regents of Cebu Normal University and Cebu Technological University to establish a campus in Toledo City and in Balamban town, respectively.

Garcia has filed House Resolution No. 911 for the establishment of CNU campus in Toledo City while House Resolution No. 1006 is for the establishment of CTU campus in Balamban.

Garcia cited Section I, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution which provides that “the state shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.”

Section 17, Article II of the Constitution also provides the state's policy “of giving priority to education to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development.”

Garcia said the establishment of CNU campus in Toledo City and CTU in Balamban is a step toward that direction.

“Among Filipinos, education is regarded as an investment that would set them free from the bondage of ignorance and poverty and that a good education is key towards a better life. Thus, every Filipino family dreams of seeing their children complete college education,” read Garcia's resolution.

Toledo City is a third class industrial city in western Cebu with more than 170,000 residents in 38 barangays while Balamban, a first class municipality of more than 90,000 residents in 26 barangays, is also an industrial center that hosts a thriving shipbuilding industry.

Garcia said establishing these state universities in Toledo City and Balamban will save families' considerable amount of money that they will be constrained to spend in sending their children to private and public colleges and universities in Cebu City in terms of school and tuition fees as well as transportation and accommodation expenses.

She said it will also certainly provide access to quality tertiary education to the youth of the locality and its neighboring communities that will prepare them to become productive members of society in the future.

Establishing these campuses will surely encourage poor students to pursue tertiary education which they cannot afford in private colleges and universities.