In a serious bid to improve the quality of education in Taguig, Mayor Freddie R. Tinga has partnered with Gawad Kalinga (GK) in the management and operation of the city-run Taguig City University (TCU).

The mayor said the partnership with GK in running TCU seeks to uphold the city’s objectives of providing free high quality college education to Taguig’s underprivileged but equally deserving students.

Tinga, who currently serves as TCU board chair, also announced that he will be relinquishing the university’s chairmanship to Gawad Kalinga founder Antonio P. Meloto.

The mayor believes that bringing in Gawad Kalinga and other members in the TCU’s board will help in molding a new and better breed of graduates through a holistic education program.

“We believe that this partnership with Gawad Kalinga will ensure that our graduates are not just globally competitive and competent.  But more so, they are socially and environmentally aware and equipped to serve the community and contribute to a progressive society,” he said.

A Memorandum of Agreement between the city government and Gawad Kalinga provides that GK shall appoint one representative to the TCU Board and shall introduce and implement values formation programs to the university’s current curriculum.

Moreover, the agreement stipulates that GK shall be responsible in forging partnerships with prominent universities and in bringing into the Board, representatives from the National University of Singapore and the country’s top-notch schools such as the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and De La Salle University.

Having representatives from the country’s top three universities and one from an international educational institution is completely unprecedented once realized, the mayor said.

He stressed that forging partnerships with top universities are consistent with TCU’s belief and commitment to the ideals of quality education. Its main thrust is to ensure an effective preparation of students in achieving academic excellence for the general welfare of the community.

“These strategic partnerships are crucial and are expected to uplift TCU’s academic standards, improve its curriculum and add credence to TCU as it gears toward its goal of becoming the best city-run university in the country,” Tinga said.

Since it started operations in 2006, TCU has gone a long way in providing free quality college education to underprivileged students in Taguig.  It has more than 8,000 students, 95% of which are scholars.

To date, TCU has its own campus at the Taguig Justice Hall Compound in Brgy. Upper Bicutan, and has graduated thousands of students through its ladderized education program. Students get a free meal daily.

TCU was established through Ordinance No. 29, Series of 2004 which created the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Taguig (PLT) and was enacted on September 6, 2004.

Since The University aims to produce especially underprivileged graduates with world class education which is competency based, value based, and technology oriented, giving them higher-paying job opportunities in business and industries. It aims to develop, mold and imbue among young men and women of Taguig.