The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance rationalizing and formalizing Baguio City’s title as the Education Center of the North.
Under the proposed ordinance, the declaration of the city as the Education Center of the North signals the city government’s strong commitment in continuously providing quality education, of finding potent ways to further improve and attain progress through a more responsive education agenda, of addressing gaps in fighting illiteracy and other forms of capability deprivation.
The city’s average number of enrollees per school year ranges from 155,000 to 165,000. The data is drawn from enrollees in child development centers up to tertiary education institutions in the city.
The city hosts more than 300 private and public colleges, universities, schools and technical-vocational institutions and training centers with an estimated total workforce reaching 7,210 based on the 2021 Community-based Monitoring System (CBMS) covering household members employed under the education sector.
The city is a home for English as a Second Language (ESL) schools where pre-pandemic records showed that there were more than 60 ESL schools in the city with an average of 18,000 enrollees annually and estimated annual gross receipts of PhP2.7 billion.
The city is also a home for century-old or heritage schools and learning institutions that have stood and passed the test of times. The city is where the Asia’s premier military training institution is located, the home of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
Baguio is a consistent top performer in the field of sports with students and local young talents serving as athletes. The city molds highly talented youth and students who have been consistent winners and champions of regional, national and even international competitions in academic and non-academic tournaments.
The ordinance underscored that Baguio has proven its commitment to quality and inclusive education through its pro-youth welfare programs like educational assistance, job placement and employment assistance, mental health initiatives, special education programs, alternative learning programs, sports programs for the youth, reading camps, academic festivals, career coaching, cultural empowerment programs, peace education, innovative-based endeavors, partnership between academe and civil society organizations among others.
The ordinance asserted that there is a cogent need to rationalize and formalize the title of Baguio as the Education Center of the North and doing so will further strengthen the city’s hold as the citadel of quality and responsive education, having a city that is highly committed in empowering the youth while consistently addressing social concerns on illiteracy, behavioral issues and skills or competency gaps. By Dexter A. See
