ILOILO City – The city government is pushing a P300-million expansion of the Iloilo City Community College (ICCC) to prevent possible accreditation setbacks and safeguard students’ access to free tuition, as the campus struggles to meet Commission on Higher Education (CHED) standards amid rising enrollment.
ICCC officer-in-charge College President Dr. Arnold Rago said the college now serves nearly 1,300 students with only 16 classrooms — a strain that has forced classes to extend late into the evening and even on Saturdays.
“With the number of students that we have, tuman ka gamay gid sang aton carrying capacity,” Rago said, admitting that limited space has affected both academic and extracurricular activities.
The urgency intensified after CHED’s national and regional officials visited the campus in October 2025 and flagged deficiencies in facilities required under updated standards.
“During the visit of CHED national and regional last October 2025, may mga nakita sila kag gin-recommend nga dapat una may ara kami mga facility nga maka-accommodate sang number of students,” Rago said. “But at present, sa existing naton nga campus wala gid kita sang place kon diin matipon ang mga kabataan during activities. Nagakadto kami sa mga kabarangayan nga covered gym para lang maka-conduct sang activity, halin sa La Paz Plaza asta sa Bo. Obrero kalab-ot kami.”
Rago stressed that the proposed expansion directly responds to accreditation findings and is crucial to maintaining the institution’s compliance with CHED requirements.
“The expansion nga plano sang Iloilo City government isa ini ka sabat sa nagligad nga accreditation, para mapabilin sa gihapon ang free tuition sang aton nga mga estudyante,” he said. “Ang aton nga existing campus wala nagasabat sa bag-o nga matrix sang CHED, especially sa open space, auditorium, kag sports facilities nga ginapangita nila.”
The planned new campus in Barangay Concepcion will include additional classrooms, student lounges, parking areas, and a covered gym that will double as a multipurpose hall for major school events.
“Kun sa new campus na, may ara na kita sang gina-intend nga space para sa parking, para sa students’ lounge, kag sang covered gym nga mahimo mangin multi-purpose hall,” Rago said. “Didto na kami maka-hold sang big events nga indi na kami kinahanglan magkadto pa sa mga kabarangayan ukon mag-rent sang lain nga venue.”
City officials are set to secure a P300-million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines to fund land development, construction, and other infrastructure works for the expansion.
Rago said easing congestion in the current campus will improve scheduling, reduce fatigue among students and faculty, and create a more conducive learning environment.
“This is not just about buildings,” he said. “This is about giving our students a learning environment that is safe, decent, and compliant with national standards, so that they can truly succeed inside and outside the classroom.”/PN
