The high cost of transportation and other school expenses remain a major challenge for students from upland barangays in Cebu City, based on data and accounts presented during an executive session of the City Council.
Distance as a burden
The discussion revealed that the distance from home places a heavy burden on students pursuing college, especially those traveling from upland communities to schools in the city center.
This issue came to light after the council deferred the accreditation of the Asian College of Technology International Educational Foundation (Actief) Pit-os campus. This followed an 8-7 vote rejecting the memorandum of agreement (MOA) that would have allowed Actief to participate in the city's scholarship program.
High fare costs
According to Shirley Otadoy, representative of the Scholarship Office, the cost of transportation alone greatly affects the capacity of students to continue their studies.
She cited students traveling from Gutban to Talamban, where a one-way trip costs P150. Two trips amount to P300 per day, not including food and other school supplies.
Although the city provides a transportation allowance of P5,000 per semester, or roughly P1,000 per month, it does not include assistance for boarding houses.
Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who presided over the session, noted that even short distances from the mountain to a nearby school still incur significant costs.
