30/08/2026
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐? ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
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What if your next clinical rotation isnโt in Pagadian, but in Cebu? That possibility is now on the table after J.H. Cerilles State College (JHCSC) and Cebu Normal University (CNU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on August 28, 2026.
Held at the JHCSC Hostel Conference Room, the signing formalized a partnership centered on nursing education, but the agreement goes beyond a general commitment to โcollaborate.โ Its proposed framework includes student mobility, faculty exchanges, joint research and publication, curriculum benchmarking, training, community extension, and possible sharing of laboratories, libraries, and other academic resources.
For JHCSC, the partnership is also part of a larger effort to raise the standards of its nursing program.
JHCSC President Dr. Edgardo H. Rosales said the nursing program is the first among the collegeโs programs to establish a partnership under the institutionโs plan to connect its academic programs with other higher education institutions.
The choice of CNU is particularly significant to JHCSCโs nursing program. Rosales recalled meeting CNU President Dr. Laurence L. Garcia when Garcia was part of a panel that visited JHCSC in connection with its nursing program. Garciaโs recommendations, Rosales said, contributed to his decision to continue the connection through a formal partnership.
CNUโs nursing program, presented during the ceremony as a Center of Excellence in nursing education, is expected to provide JHCSC with an avenue to study and benchmark its practices against another established nursing program.
โWe need to look up to them, we need to learn from them,โ JHCSC School of Nursing Dean Prof. Marjo S. Malabanan said during his presentation of the MoU, referring to CNUโs nursing program.
That learning is intended to happen through actual activities rather than observation alone.
Under the proposed partnership framework, students from both institutions may participate in mobility or immersion programs, including possible week-long visits to each otherโs campuses. Joint academic and cultural activities, competitions, conferences, and research activities are also among the proposed forms of student engagement.
Faculty members may likewise participate in exchanges, visiting professorships, lectures, seminars, staff training, and capability-building activities. The two institutions may also work together on curriculum benchmarking, co-teaching, credit transfer, and joint courses, with a possible double-degree program to be explored subject to applicable regulations.
Research is another major component of the agreement. JHCSC and CNU intend to pursue collaborative research and publication while promoting the development and dissemination of evidence-based nursing practice.
For Malabanan, the framework gives structure to what happens after the signing. It calls for joint planning, designated focal persons, a technical working committee, annual implementation plans, and measurable targets. Mid-year or annual reviews would then be used to assess accomplishments and determine succeeding activities.
CNU, meanwhile, is positioning the relationship as an exchange rather than a one-way arrangement.
Representing Garcia, CNU Director for Office of Scholarship Services Dr. Gino G. Sumalinog said the university is willing to share its nursing experiences and expertise while remaining open to learning from JHCSC.
โAn MoU should never end with signing. That is where the real work begins,โ Sumalinog said.
Garcia echoed this in his video message, describing the agreement as an opportunity for the institutions to share their strengths, create opportunities, and develop programs that benefit students and communities.
The partnership also fits into JHCSCโs broader push toward higher institutional standards. Rosales linked collaborations with other institutions to the collegeโs continuing efforts toward its transition to a stateuniversity, while Malabanan identified CNUโs experience as a potential guide for JHCSCโs longer-term aspiration of developing a nursing program capable of reaching Center of Excellence status.
But the immediate challenge is implementation.
Rosales instructed the concerned offices to begin working on timelines and budgetary requirements for the activities under the partnership, warning against agreements that remain only on paper.
โThis is just the beginning of our plan to have a strong collaboration, strong partnership with Cebu Normal University,โ Rosales said.
For JHCSC and CNU, the signing was only the first step. The two institutions will next work on the plans, timelines, and activities covered by the agreement, including research, student and faculty exchanges, training, and other academic initiatives. As Malabanan emphasized during the presentation, โWe sign, then we go to work.โ
Pack your bags, future RNs! Your next classroom might just be in Cebu.
โ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง | Paula Aluyen
๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ | Kissel Erin Chan
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