High transportation costs, often reaching P300 daily, remain a major barrier for students in Cebu City's mountain barangays. During a City Council executive session on Monday, May 4, 2026, officials said the current monthly allowance of P1,000 for city scholars is insufficient. They also raised concerns over delays in the release of allowances.
The discussion came after the council rejected a scholarship agreement with the Asian College of Technology International Educational Foundation Pit-os campus due to legal, procedural, and ethical concerns.
Councilor Mikel Rama pushed for concrete interventions to address the needs of students from upland communities, noting that nearly 85 percent of scholarship beneficiaries come from these areas, where access to higher education is more limited than in urban centers.
Scholarship Office Executive Director Shirley Otadoy reported that for School Year 2025–2026, a total of 1,257 senior high school graduates — 659 from the South District and 598 from the North District — are expected to enroll in college between May and June. Many of these graduates come from mountain barangays such as Sapangdaku, Bonbon, Babag, Toong, Sudlon I and II, Buot-Taup, Sinsin, Pamutan, Pung-ol Sibugay, Tabunan, Tagbao, Budlaan, Guba, Adlaon, Sirao, and Malubog.
Otadoy said transportation remains one of the biggest burdens, noting that a one-way trip from Guba to Talamban costs around P150, or about P300 daily for a round trip, excluding food and other school-related expenses. She added that students also struggle with meal allowances and tuition, further increasing financial pressure.
At present, the City provides a transportation allowance of P5,000 per semester, or roughly P1,000 per month — an amount officials acknowledged is insufficient to cover daily commuting costs. Rama said the data reflects a clear case of geographic and economic inequality affecting access to education.
"Equal opportunity cannot exist when the starting line is uneven," said Rama.
Meanwhile, Otadoy backed Councilor Sisinio Andales' proposal to explore establishing higher education institutions closer to mountain communities, saying proximity would significantly reduce transportation costs and ease the burden on students. She said having schools nearer to upland barangays would help reduce both the financial and physical strain on learners.
Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who presided over the session, emphasized that even students living relatively near existing institutions still face unsustainable daily expenses. He cited cases in Barangay Buot-Taup where students spend at least P200 per day on transportation alone, particularly those relying on habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) rides.
"I can't imagine the difficulties being put on our children… it's just very impossible," Osmeña said, noting that when food and other daily expenses are added, the cost becomes overwhelming for many families. He warned that without stronger intervention, many students from upland communities may never complete college, limiting their chances for better economic opportunities.
Council members agreed that the issue goes beyond tuition, pointing to the need for a more comprehensive support system that covers transportation, daily allowances, boarding, and other basic needs required to sustain college education. The council is currently weighing measures, including increasing scholarship support and strengthening partnerships with higher education institutions, to address long-standing access gaps faced by students from mountain barangays.
