A push to reopen the accreditation process for a contested campus has surfaced in Cebu City as a councilor moves to fast-track pending requirements tied to a scholarship partnership.
Councilor Winston Pepito is seeking to expedite the accreditation of the Asian College of Technology International Educational Foundation (ACTIEF) Pit-os campus by pushing for the immediate completion of a required site inspection.
In a letter dated April 17, Pepito, chair of the City Council’s scholarship committee, asked the Cebu City Scholarship Office to fast-track the remaining requirement, citing urgency for student beneficiaries.
“The immediate completion of this requirement is crucial… as the accreditation directly affects and benefits the scholars of the said school,” Pepito said in his request addressed to Executive Director Shirly G. Otadoy.
Pepito said the site inspection, raised during the April 14 council session, remains pending and is required before a memorandum of agreement (MOA) can be finalized between the Cebu City Government and ACTIEF.
The move comes after the City Council voted 8–7 to reject the proposed MOA, effectively blocking ACTIEF Pit-os from being accredited as a partner institution under the city’s scholarship program.
The decision left more than 1,000 students from upland barangays in uncertainty, as many had hoped to study in a nearer campus due to limited access to schools in the city proper.
Councilor Alvin Arcilla earlier supported the proposal, saying it could have benefited at least 1,629 senior high school graduates from mountain barangays.
However, the majority of councilors raised concerns over legal, administrative, and student welfare issues.
Councilor Harold Kendrick Go stressed that partner institutions must meet standards aligned with the city’s scholarship program, while also flagging provisions that could allow withholding of student records over unpaid balances.
“We did not vote NO to education. We voted YES to protect our scholars,” Councilor Mikel Rama said, citing gaps in ACTIEF’s submitted documents, including compliance requirements and credentials.
Council reviews also pointed to missing Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) certification and other administrative deficiencies in ACTIEF’s application.
Despite the earlier rejection of the MOA, Pepito’s request indicates that the accreditation process itself remains open if requirements are completed and verified.
Pepito said his office is ready to help coordinate the site inspection to complete the process “at the soonest possible time.”
The outcome of the accreditation process remains significant for upland students, where access to higher education is limited by distance and cost.
The proposed inclusion of ACTIEF Pit-os was previously seen as a way to bring scholarship-supported education closer to mountain communities.(LLP)
Sangguniang Panglungsod Cebu City - Secretariat
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