GMV colleges to open in remote areas

By Jan Marie Ramos PILI, Camarines Sur --- The Provincial Government of Camarines Sur is now opening Governor Mariano E. Villafuerte Community Colleges (GMVCC), complete with learning facilities and modern equipment, this 4 and 13 June 2018 in the municipalities of Garchitorena, Siruma, Libmanan, and Baao. Over 1,100 students are already enrolled, and enrolment is still ongoing in some courses. GMVCC is a priority project of Governor Miguel Luis Villafuerte to provide free education in remote areas in the province. “For people here in Siruma, finishing college education means heavy expenses and leaving home. But when I heard about the GMVCC Siruma, I know that my sister, Senior High School (SHS) students, and many locals in our municipality can now achieve their dream without those burdens,” said Agnes Boraleja, SHS teacher in Brgy. Pamintan, Siruma. “My husband and I are also planning to enrol here for a computer course. We are both professionals already, but computer skills will be very helpful in our job as teachers,” Agnes added. All GMV colleges have libraries, computer laboratories, and automotive laboratories. Other laboratories are also available in each school depending on the courses offered. These colleges are now recognized as Higher Education Institutions (HEI) by the Commission on Higher Education. To date, students are already enrolled in GMV College Garchitorena which opened last June 4 and will be inaugurated on June 15, 2018. In addition to the mentioned laboratories, it also has agricultural, chemistry, and biology laboratories. A student farm field was also built to develop skills needed in the field of agriculture. Its library will also be the first library that can offer huge varieties of learning materials in the municipality. GMV College Garchitorena offers courses in Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness and Bachelor of Technical Vocation for Teacher Education major in Automotive and Information Communications Technology. The GMV College Siruma, located in Barangay Poblacion, also opened last 4 June 2018 and will celebrate its inauguration on 17 June 2018. The college offers courses in Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Bachelor of Technical Vocation for Teacher Education major in Automotive, Heating and Ventilating, Computer Hardware Servicing, and Computer Programming. A total of 47 students are already enrolled in this college. GMV College Libmanan will open on 13 June and will be inaugurated on 11 July 2018. A total of 140 students are already enrolled in GMV College Libmanan built in Barangay Potot, exceeding the provincial government’s target to enrol 120 students. Here, students can enjoy air-conditioned classrooms, air-conditioned computer laboratory, electrical laboratory, and electronics laboratory. The college offers the course in Bachelor of Technical Vocation for Teacher Education major in Automotive and Electrical Technology. Among the four colleges, GMV College Baao has been continuously operating since 5 June 2000. It will also open on 13 June and celebrate its inauguration on 12 July 2018. Electronics laboratory, speech laboratory, and science laboratory have already been built in this college. GMV College Baao offers courses in Bachelor of Secondary Education, Bachelor of Elementary Education, Associate in Computer Technology, Bachelor of Science in Information System, and Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology major in Engineering Technology and Automotive Technology. Within the last five years, students from GMV College Baao achieved a 100% passing rate in the National Competency Examinations for Electronics. A GMV College in Tinambac was also built in Brgy. Sta. Cruz and will undergo CHED inspection on June 27 to 29, 2018. The provincial government continues to prioritize the construction of more learning facilities in far-flung areas and distribute school supplies to underprivileged students in different parts of the province.