ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/21 June) – Iligan City Rep. Vicente Belmonte will push for a bill that will separate Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) from the MSU system.
Belmonte said, however, that he wanted to hold consultations first with the stakeholders.
A number of professors believe separating the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology from the MSU system will result in “more effective and efficient” administration.
On his part, Belmonte said an urbanized city like Iligan must have a university of its own.
Iligan has four private colleges.
The move to separate IIT from the MSU system surfaced more than ten years ago and was recently revived by some professors.
In the past, students and members of the board of regents opposed the proposal, citing laws governing its existence and its historic relevance as a campus for multi-ethnic and multi-culture integration.
The MSU system was established under Republic Act 1387 and the first campus was constructed in Marawi City on September 1, 1961.
Aside from Marawi and Iligan, MSU has campuses in General Santos City, Sulu, Maguindanao, Naawan (Misamis Oriental) and Bongao (Tawi-Tawi).
All the campuses offer scholarships. Non-scholars at the Marawi campus pay P100 per subject while those in IIT pay P4,000 per semester. These rates are comparatively cheaper than those in private schools. (Violeta M. Gloria/MindaNews)