PRESS RELEASES

Iloilo City Community College learns US practices

The Iloilo City Community College (ICCC) learned best practices of local colleges in the United States of America (USA) through the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) of the U.S. Department of State April 1 to 9.

Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog said ICCC's inclusion among the best local government unit-managed colleges in the country is a manifestation of successful efforts to help poor but deserving Ilonggo youth.

ICCC Administrator Mathilde Octavio was one of the 10 select delegates including two other local colleges and three private schools chosen by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to join the study tour.

"We learned the best practices of various community colleges in the United States especially in terms of their operations, management, curriculum development, teaching initiatives as well as private sector participation," noted Octavio.

They visited University of the District of Columbia Community College; Northern Virginia Community College; American Association of Community College; Austin City College District in Austin, Texas; and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Octavio said among the best practices that can be implemented in ICCC is creation of Associate and Certificate Programs.

"We offer four-year courses but in the US they have short programs. So maybe we can suggest if we could also offer Associate or Certificate Programs. It can even benefit both the City Government and future enrollees since it will only last for a couple of years. It will be less expensive considering that our clienteles are poorest of the poor," she proposed.

"They are also partnering with the private sectors and introducing college units to Junior and Senior High School students and afterwards crediting the units to the community college where they prefer to study," Octavio stated.

Following the visit, the CHED and US Embassy required the delegates to pass a concept paper which also contained the things they have learned during the study tour.

"The concept paper will be passed to CHED as they will collate all these so that they will know if there is a need to revise some of their policies," added Octavio. (Iloilo City PIO)

 

TIIC-Molo extension offers 2 new courses

The Technical Institute of Iloilo City (TIIC)-Molo extension campus at Diamond Jubilee Hall in Mabini Street, City Proper is set to offer two new courses for free, this year.

These are the in-demand one-year Housekeeping NC II and Emergency Medical Services NC II, said TIIC- Molo Administrator Mathilde Octavio.

"We are already done with the final briefing and critic with Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA). We are now in the process of canvassing the tools and equipment to be used, but these courses were already approved," Octavio explained.

The funds will come from the General Fund and Special Education Fund (SEF).

"Since we are manpower provider, we have to offer courses based on the demand since there are jobs waiting for our graduates," Octavio said.

"They will be given completion certificate, but they need to pass the assessment test before they will be given with NCII certification," she added.

Interested applicants must be a high school graduate, resident of Iloilo City, must secure recommendation letter from the barangay and must fill-up an application form at TIIC-Molo campus.

Meanwhile, Octavio said TIIC- Molo main campus received additional P2-million scholarships from TESDA.

She added there are available 75 slots each for Carpentry NC II, Masonry NCII, Electrical Installation and Maintenance NCII and Construction Painting NCII.

The other courses are Plumbing NCII and Automotive NCII. (Iloilo City PIO)

City Youth Dev’t Division created

City Youth Dev't Division created

To promote the positive development of social and emotional environment of the youth and encouraging them to get involve in public and civic affairs of the Iloilo City government, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) created the City Youth Development Division (CYDD).

The SP approved Tuesday the ordinance creating the CYDD and providing its staffing pattern and allocating funds. It will be under the Office of the City Mayor.

Among its function is to register and verify youth organizations and youth-serving organizations in accordance with registration program guidelines, ordinances and other existing laws; provide technical assistance to the City Youth Development Council of Iloilo City in formulation of the Local Youth Development Plan; provide technical, logistical and other support in the conduct of mandatory and continuing training programs, and such other programs of the National Youth Commission (NYC) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and perform such other functions as may be prescribed law, ordinance, or as required by the City Mayor, DILG and NYC.

The CYDD is also mandated to conduct the mandatory and continuing training of Sangguniang Kabataan officials and City Youth Development Council members, in accordance with NYC and DILG.

The CYDD will be headed by the City Youth Development Officer (CYDO) and will be composed of three units - Policy and Planning, Administration and Finance, and Programs and Operations.

The City Mayor, upon the recommendation of CYDO, may provide additional staffing requirements in the CYDD and shall be appointed by the city chief executive.

City Hall will incorporate in its annual budget the fund allocation for CYDD. (Iloilo City PIO)

City Hall Sports Dev’t Division institutionalized

 City Hall Sports Dev't Division institutionalized

In a move to create a single, unified and integrated sports policy-making body, the Sangguniang Panlunsgod (SP) passed an ordinance institutionalizing the City's Sports Development Division.

It will replace the existing Youth and Sports Development Office of the city government and will be under the Office of the City Mayor.

"The existing Youth and Sports Development Office needs to be institutionalized as the Sports Development Division and its function should be reorganized," said Councilor Julie Grace Baronda, ordinance proponent.

The Youth and Sports Development Officer II will be abolished with the creation of new position as Sports Development Officer IV with Salary Grade 22.

Its functions are to plan, implement and oversee upon the approval of the mayor an integrated physical fitness and amateur sports development program for the city; supervise the implementation of the annual Palarong Panlungsod; supervise the creation of Barangay Sports Club in all barangays here; implement National Sports Program of the Philippine Sports Commission to local government units (LGUs); establish, develop needed sports facilities and centers for the implementation of the sports program, and regulate and maintain the use of existing sports facilities owned by the city government for more effective and productive use of sports facilities, among others. (Iloilo City PIO)

Iloilo Ferry Terminal now in full swing

Iloilo Ferry Terminal now in full swing

Following the two-day dry run, the Iloilo Ferry Terminal located at Parola in City Proper is now fully operational, said City Administrator Atty. Hernando Galvez.

"It is now in its full swing. The stakeholders have extended their appreciation of ferry terminal. At the same time, they have raised suggestions such as putting up ramp to the pump boats. They also want to put tires so that when a pump boat docks, it will not bump into the cemented area," said Galvez.

"The officials also suggested to put canopy in going to the docketed pump boats, and to provide uniform and identification card for ferry terminal porters for security measures," he added.

Developer Double Dragon Properties also promised to dredge some stones at docking area.

Galvez said hand carry baggage must pass through the scanner located at the entrance of passengers' lounge.

He noted the opening of facility is timely since officials of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will visit Guimaras province on April 19.

Galvez, together with officials from Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Iloilo, province of Guimaras, pump boat operators of Buenavista wharf and Double Dragon executives met to tackle the assessment of dry run.(Iloilo City PIO)

Online payment up for taxpayers

Online payment up for taxpayers

To provide convenience to its taxpayers, the Iloilo City Government through Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the E-Merchant Internet Payment Gateway, April 5.

Iloilo City is the first Local Government Unit (LGU) in Western Visayas that will implement the online payment.

Mabilog stressed the technological improvement will make life easy for taxpayers who opt to pay online at their most convenient time.

"The participation of DBP here is that, we are the ones who will facilitate and enable that taxpayers' dashboard service to have online payment capability," said Josef Bandal II, vice president and head of transaction banking and payments department of DBP.

Bandal assured that online payment is secured.

"As far as security is concerned, the portal of City Government ensures adequate security firewalls and once they move to payment getaway which is hosted by DBP, we also have additional security," said Bandal.

Business and real property owners can avail of online payment.

Business owners need first to have an account with the Iloilo City's Taxpayer's Dashboard Service (ICTDS) while the facility for real property owners is being developed and expected to be available this year.

The dashboard will also serve both business and real property owners with their tax related transactions.

The ICTDS is an information system that would supplement the city's automated taxation. It will also serve as an online point of reference for taxpayers' tax-related information and eventually be a portal of other services. (Iloilo City PIO)