CAGAYAN de Oro City — City scholars at PHINMA-Cagayan de Oro College (PHINMA-COC) who were asked to pay additional fees before taking their examinations may get clarification following talks between the city government and school officials.

The City Education and Development Office (CEDO) and the City Scholarships Office are working with PHINMA-COC to address conflicting instructions given to students about payments and examination permits.

Richel Petalcurin-Dahay, CEDO head and acting city education and development officer, said the city government was coordinating with the school to ensure that scholars covered by the city's payment arrangements would not be required to pay tuition-related charges to gain access to examinations.

The issue surfaced after the City Scholars Association in PHINMA-COC (CSAP) raised concerns in a Facebook post on Oct. 15 over assessment fees and the possibility of students being denied examination permits.

Conflicting payment instructions

Dahay said the confusion stemmed partly from delayed billings covering three consecutive semesters.

She said the city government had negotiated with PHINMA-COC's chief operating officer to prioritize payment of an earlier billed amount of ₱20 million. Under the arrangement, scholars should not be required to pay tuition-related fees for examination access while the city makes partial payments, she added.

However, some students were reportedly allowed to take examinations without paying, while others were asked to settle between ₱500 and ₱1,000.

Dahay said the charges could involve unpaid non-tuition items, including books or uniforms, rather than tuition. 

The city is checking individual assessment records to determine why students received different instructions.

The review covers about 3,000 city scholars enrolled at PHINMA-COC.

City seeks clearer rules

To address the concerns, Dahay contacted the head of the school's Center for Student Development and Leadership (CSDL) and called an emergency meeting with school officials and CSAP leaders for 10 a.m. to clarify the payment arrangements and align instructions given to scholars.

The City Scholarships Office also asked the City Finance Department to expedite the processing of pending payment vouchers covering previous school-year balances.

The processing of these vouchers is important because delayed payments have contributed to the billing concerns, according to Dahay.

Scholars await clear guidelines

The city government said scholarship coverage for its PHINMA-COC beneficiaries remains in place and that it is taking steps to prevent students from being unfairly affected by the billing dispute.

However, the immediate concern for students is whether they can take their scheduled examinations without unexpected charges or delays in securing permits.

Scholars were advised to follow official CEDO announcements for verified instructions.

The city government's review of individual assessments and the outcome of its discussions with PHINMA-COC are expected to clarify which charges students must settle themselves and which should be covered by the city's scholarship arrangements.