LIBACAO, Aklan — The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has ordered the closure of the three degree programs being offered by the Libacao College of Science and Technology (LCST), prompting the municipal government to seek immediate interventions to protect the welfare of hundreds of affected students.
Libacao Mayor Tim Bryan Teodosio clarified that contrary to reports circulating on social media, the college itself has not been ordered closed. Instead, CHED Region VI prohibited the school from accepting new students in its three academic programs due to regulatory deficiencies.
The affected programs are the Bachelor in Industrial Technology (BIT) major in Automotive Technology, Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management (BSHM), and Bachelor of Science in Special Needs Education (BSSNE).
Teodosio, who also chairs the college’s Board of Trustees, said the programs failed to secure the required Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) from CHED, primarily because the local government was unable to create and sustain the required plantilla positions for faculty members.
“The local government’s financial resources are insufficient to establish and maintain the plantilla positions required by CHED for these programs to continue operating,” the mayor explained in a statement.
The suspension has affected approximately 645 students, mostly those in their second to fourth year, whose academic future now depends on the outcome of the local government’s appeal before CHED.
According to Teodosio, CHED initially ordered the closure of the programs as early as January 14, 2025. However, he said the municipal government officially received the commission’s final directive only on April 22, 2026, months after he assumed office as mayor and chairman of the Board of Trustees in November 2025.
The mayor said local officials and college administrators have repeatedly met with CHED Region VI officials in Iloilo City to seek reconsideration, most recently on June 25 and 26, but the commission has maintained its decision.
LGU proposes alternatives
To ensure the college’s continued operation, the municipal government has applied for the opening of a new Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management program, which Teodosio said has a strong chance of securing CHED approval based on the institution’s existing facilities.
The college is also shifting part of its focus toward Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) by applying for accreditation with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The initial offering will be Housekeeping NC II, with additional skills training programs expected to follow.
Meanwhile, the LGU has formally requested CHED to grant three forms of relief for the affected students: the recognition of academic units already earned, assistance in transferring students to other higher education institutions without requiring them to repeat completed subjects, and the issuance of a teach-out permit that would allow current second-, third-, and fourth-year students to complete their studies at LCST.|
