The groundwork of having a public college in Meycauayan started in the early years of the 90’s when the then Municipal Government of Meycauayan envisioned the establishment of an institution of higher learning that will equip the less privileged youth of the municipality the skills for employment. The desire continued and looked for avenues to establish the college together with some school officials of the province in 1998. Fortunately, that same year, a tracer study was conducted and found – out that most of the high school graduates were not able to pursue higher education because of financial constraints. This further encouraged and strengthened the municipal government’s commitment in establishing a local college.
In 2002, the establishment of the College began its course when Municipal Government sought the assistance of the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP) to conduct a feasibility study on the viability of having a public college in Meycauayan. The study was conducted from March 1 to May 31, 2002. The result of the study was accepted and became the fundamental document upon which the actions of the Municipal Government were based.
By virtue of Ordinance No. 2003-15, then the Municipality of Meycauayan was authorized to establish and operate MARIANO QUINTO ALARILLA POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE (MQAPC). On October 20, 2003, a resolution was passed authorizing the MQAPC to offer three ladderized technical courses namely (1) two-year Associate in Hotel and Restaurant management (2) three-year Electrical Engineering Technology and (3) three-year electronics and Communication Engineering Technology which was initially housed through “borrowing classrooms” at the Meycauayan National High School in Perez, Meycauayan, Bulacan for two years, and eventually on 2005, transferred to the old Municipal Hall Building in Poblacion, Meycauayan. The Polytechnic stayed there for five years (2005-2010) where the degrees on BSE and BSHM were established and added to its offered programs on June 2005.
The Mariano Quinto Alarilla Polytechnic College has moved to its new site occupying the Old Meycauayan College Annex grounds to cater to the ever-growing demand for free-quality education of the student constituents of Meycauayan. It has since been strengthened through revision of its charter (City Ordinance No. 2010-05) and approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Kapasyahan Blg. 040 – 2010.
It is on this same year the College has attained full recognition of its offered degree programs from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) en banc in accordance with the pertinent provisions of R.A. No. 7722 otherwise known as the “Higher Education Act of 1994” and by virtue of CHED Resolution No. 457-2008 series of 2008 hereby granted Government Recognition (GR) to the College to operate, Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management (November 10, 2010) and Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English (December 14, 2010) and eventually, Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics (March 14, 2012) after complying with the requirements set by the Commission for the degree offerings. The College also has initiated additional course offering and completed equipment, tools, and materials, and hired qualified skilled instructors for its Technical and Vocational Courses.
July 30, 2010, pursuant to Ordinance No. 2010-05, the Local College in the City of Meycauayan to be known as MQAPC and granting its Charter, providing for the rules, regulations and pertinent guidelines for its establishment and operations, creating its organizational structure and staffing pattern, and appropriating funds which was further revised by virtue of Ordinance No. 2013-003 and approved on February 15, 2015, otherwise known as “An Ordinance enacting the revised City Ordinance No. 2010-05 dated 30 July 2010.”
On the 18th of July 2016, the Board of Trustees of MQAPC has approved a Board Resolution which served as the basis to the passage of Ordinance No. 2016-003 otherwise known as “An Ordinance Changing the Name of MQAPC to PCCM.” Rationale was that the National Historical Commission of the Philippines has no record of prior registration of MQAPC as a public entity.
Henceforth, on September 7, 2016, during the 9th Regular Session of the 5th Sangguniang Panlungsod approved City Ordinance No. 2016 – 003 titled, “An Ordinance Changing the Name of Mariano Quinto Alarilla Polytechnic College (MQAPC) to Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan (PCCM).”
The administration of the incumbent City Mayor, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Hon. Atty. Henry R. Villarica and later succeeded by his spouse Hon. Linabelle Ruth R. Villarica ensured immediate developments and infrastructure projects in the College to achieve full compliance to CHED requirements and recognition through the initiative of SP Chairperson for the Education Committee, Science and Technology of the Sangguniang Panlungsod headed by Councilor Catherine C. Abacan, authored the City Ordinance No. 2017-024 which was unanimously approved by the council titled, “An Ordinance Enacting the New Charter of a Local College in the City of Meycauayan, Bulacan known as the Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan (PCCM), and Providing The Rules, Regulations and Pertinent Guidelines for its Operations Thereof, Its Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern, Appropriating Funds Therefore and for Other Purposes.”
On May 17, 2018, the Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan (PCCM) was among the eligible LUCs granted with the Free College Education under the R.A. 10931 otherwise known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017 (UAQTEA) by the National Government. Whereby, PCCM successfully complied with all the requirements for recognition by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
And in the same year, the Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan (PCCM) has complied with the requirements for the establishment and operations of a Higher Education Institution in pursuant to the provisions of CMO No. 31, series of 2006 otherwise known as “Policies, Standards, and Guidelines on the Establishment and Operations of Local Colleges and Universities,” as amended. Therefore, by virtue of the Commission en banc Resolution No. 473-2018 dated August 28, 2018, Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan (PCCM) is finally duly authorized and is granted the Certificate of Recognition (COR) dated October 22, 2018 by the National Government through the Commission on Higher Education (CHED); the College is now formally operating as one of the LGOPSEI – LUC Higher Education Institution in the country offering Hospitality Management Program and Teacher Education Program with the following courses: Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in English (BSE English), Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in Mathematics (BSE Mathematics), Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in Social Studies (BSE Social Studies).
The fervor of the College to expand and offer additional degree courses to cater the growing demands of the community, PCCM through Board Resolution No. 2019-06 as approved by the College Boarddated March 29, 2019 do hereby authorize and endorse PCCM to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for the approval to offer and to operate new Degree Course (Bachelor of Science in Office Administration / Office Management – BSOA) for A.Y. 2021 – 2022 and therefore, coordinate with CHED for the application, recognition, and accreditation for eligibility to grants / subsidies, and other relevant programs provided by the Agency.
On September 22, 2020, PCCM submitted its application and prescribed reportorial documents in compliance to the requisites of the CHED-RQAT Review and Evaluation Committee. And on October 29, 2020, the Commission on Higher Education granted the College with the Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) No. 042, series of 2020 for the operations of Bachelor of Science in Office Administration effective A.Y. 2021 – 2022.
On January 22, 2021, the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) was again granted to PCCM to avail of the benefits under R.A. No. 10931 (UAQTEA).
TESDA National and TESDA Provincial (Bulacan) has approved PCCM to offer TESDA – TVET Courses with NC level-II and level-III certifications since 2019 and continuously thereafter. The following short courses namely, Visual Graphic Designs (VGD) and Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) are offered. Future operations already in the pipeline are the TESDA-TVET 3-Year Diploma Courses leading to Degree Courses.
During the onset of the CoVID-19 contagion, the College formulated its intervention and exigency action plans addressing the impact of the pandemic to the Local College. Thus, the College devised the PCCM Flexible Learning Arrangements (FLA) Guidelines for the New Normal Standards. This is compliance with the mandates of CHED CoVID Advisories Nos. 1-10 to address the effects of the pandemic in the academic and socio-emotional aspect of the students, and of the faculty.
This is in accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 7722, otherwise known as the Higher Education Act of 1994, and the Republic Act (RA) No. 11469, otherwise known as the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, and by virtue of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) hereby adopts and promulgates the Flexible Learning Arrange Guidelines to be implemented to all public and private Higher Education institutions (HEIs). HEIs shall develop their learning continuity plan which reflects the framework and system for the transition and integration of flexible learning approaches anchored on the existing tools and resources of the institution, capability of staff and faculty members, and capacity of students, among others.
The College through the Research and Development Office and the Guidance Office conducted a research study dated May 2020, titled: Summary of Data Collection Survey of Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan on Flexible Learning Arrangement. This is in consonance with the directives of CHED to all HEIs pertaining to the capability, accessibility, and readiness of the College in the program implementation of Flexible Learning options come the opening of classes for A.Y. 2020-2021. With this, the study provided conclusive results for the College to redesign, re-establish and modify the conventional teaching-learning approaches to online and remote dais to fit with the new normal paradigm.
As rationale, the College correspondingly aims to meet its vision and mission and to continuously shape individuals in becoming more responsible and resilient citizens in the time of the pandemic. PCCM shifted its teaching-learning process into Flexible Learning Arrangement, the College’s (FLA) adheres to redesign the courses’ instructional strategy and learning delivery options to directly address the students’ needs in terms of available learning modalities, learning pace, and learning assessments. Complementary to this, the College also provides the students with the most flexible class schedules, learning content and assessment using digital and non-digital platforms or any other alternative delivery modes whenever face-to-face or in-campus learning condition is not viable.
Emissaries from the Commission on Higher Education Technical Working Group (CHED-TWG) represented by the CHED Main Office, for HEI Operations, CHEDRO-3 Director, and LGU-DICT visited the College dated July 3, 2020, for their scheduled monitoring and evaluation as regard to the readiness of SUCs / LCUs in the implementation of Flexible Learning Arrangements (FLA) paradigm shifts to the New Normal Standards come A.Y. 2020-2021. Currently, PCCM has managed to remain ready and resilient in the challenges of the new normal in education. The College has done significant changes, adopted protocols, and made recalibration of its institutional policies and guidelines in consonance with the Flexible Learning Arrangement, Learning Continuity Plans and Remote Learning Modalities aligned with the new normal paradigm.