Availability and scalability of quality talent with digital and business skills which aligned with the requirements of 21st century jobs and enterprises is one of the most important factors that will sustain Bacolod’s gains the information and communications technology (ICT) industry.
This is one of the primary goals of the Bacolod-Negros Occidental Federation for Information and Communications Technology (BNEFIT), the multi-stakeholder ICT organization composed on public and private sector founded in 2008 as it recently welcomed a new player in the area of talent development to the city.
Set to open its pioneer center in Bacolod this May is the Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC), a new college focused on technology and business, the latest collaboration between Mapúa University and Malayan Colleges Laguna, A Mapua School, which leaders in digital learning.
In a meeting with members of BNEFIT last April 22, Derrick Latreille, Chief Learning Officer of MMDC and Co-founder of Ayala Education shares “For the upcoming school year 2022-2023, MMDC is pioneering one of its Learning Hubs at Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City, a first in the Visayas, along with the MMDC Sidlak Scholarship Program for the best and brightest applicants from the Bacolod area.”
“There is no better place to bring affordable and modernized Business and IT education than right here in Bacolod, where we can work with Bacolodnon and Negrense students who are keen on digital life and a digital-first education. We appreciate the opportunity to bring the heritage of the Philippines’ premier Engineering college to Bacolod to help serve local SMEs and attract more large enterprises to the region,” says Latreille.
BNEFIT Chair lawyer Jocelle Batapa-Sigue thanked MMDC for choosing Bacolod and shared how stakeholders in the city in collaboration with those of the province, accross all sectors joined hands to push Bacolod as a Center of Excellence for IT Business Process Management. BNEFIT members affirmed how important talent is in growing the ICT sector and attracting investors to the countryside.
Batapa-Sigue also cited the synergy among national government agencies – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). This open cooperation made it easy for BNEFIT to catalyze between the public and the private sector.
MMDC is an affordable digital-first offering that delivers a cutting-edge online curriculum and offline experiences designed for the modern Filipino student. It also harnesses the academic excellence and heritage of Mapúa University and Malayan Colleges Laguna, A Mapua School, of which it is a subsidiary.
“Mapúa Malayan Digital College was created with today’s students’ needs in mind,” said Latreille. “Through a series of in-depth interviews, we’ve determined critical factors for students and parents when deciding to choose a college: the reputation of the school, close proximity to their homes, affordability, and an experience that will help them get the career they want. Mapúa Malayan Digital College will be fulfilling all these through its unique student experience.”
Interviews, as well as recent surveys conducted by MMDC through Acumen, Insight Asia, and Nerve, showed available courses, tuition fees, and school reputation rank highest in terms of students’ priorities in choosing a college. In addition, while students are becoming more open to the combination of online and face-to-face learning, they still continue to value community and opportunities for socialization.
Digital Learning and Offline Spaces for Modern Needs
MMDC has created a learning model that directly answers students’ needs and wants. Its unique offering prioritizes the following aspects of learning and student life:
Courses for Employability: MMDC focuses on areas that are in-demand by both students and industry: technology and business. Specializations in Information Technology include Data Analytics, Software Development, and Network and Cybersecurity. Meanwhile, specializations in Business Administration major include Marketing Management, Operations Management, and Human Resource Management. These degrees are designed by instructional design professionals who have experience in academe as well as the workforce. The Business Administration degree is offered by MMDC through CHED’s memorandum on the implementation of flexible learning. MMDC students and graduates will be highly considered for internships and employment with MMDC’s Corporate Employer Partners, including Globe, Ayala Land, Ayala Corp., Ayala Malls Capitol Central, Yondu and Asticom.
- Curriculum for the Real World: MMDC helps students develop not just technical skills but also soft skills (such as critical thinking, leadership, creativity, analysis, and collaboration). Students will learn through MMDC’s Projects, Problems and Cases (PPC) model, which emphasizes real-world applications and evaluates students on their output, and not on traditional testing methods. In addition, the MMDC curriculum will also include content from international educational providers, such as Coursera.
- Learning Hubs, At Convenient Locations, for Student Collaboration: MMDC will provide modern collaboration spaces where students can meet, do focused work, collaborate on group projects, organize clubs, and more. MMDC’s first two Learning Hubs will be located at Ayala Malls Capitol Central (Bacolod City) and Ayala Malls Cloverleaf (Quezon City).
- Tech Tools to Power Learning: MMDC can provide each student their own laptop and pocket Wi-Fi, as well as access to the Learning Hub and Student Services to assist with all their connectivity needs.
- Flexible Learning For Modern Students’ Needs: MMDC’s required class meeting times clock in at approximately 7.5 hours a week of synchronous learning, made available with both early and late day schedules. This gives students more control of their time and allows them to balance academics, hobbies, family life, and social life. This set-up also allows flexibility for the working adult who wants to complete their college degree.
- Affordable Fees: MMDC introduces a Pioneer Scholarship where the first 500 enrolled students will be granted up to PHP20,000 discount on tuition fee. With this partial discount, enrollment fee can be as low as P19,000/term (trimestral term) considering a full load of 15 units.
Exclusive to the Bacolod area: The Sidlak Scholarship Program will be awarded to the top student applicants who meet the qualifications for ‘SIDLAK 100% scholarship discount’ or ‘SIDLAK 50% scholarship discount’ on tuition fee for one (1) school year with 3 terms. This opportunity is open to all graduating Grade 12 students or high school graduates from a CHED-recognized public or private school in the Bacolod area. Students must be pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology or Business Administration at MMDC, and the scholarship application period will run from May 1 to June 15, 2022.
Future-Proof Education for the Future of Bacolod
With the introduction of MMDC, the Mapúa Malayan legacy of quality education continues for more students, now in the Visayas region. “Mapúa University has always been at the forefront of innovation, and Mapúa Malayan Digital College is our latest proof of this. MMDC is also one of our efforts to address the need to provide affordable quality education to more students nationwide through a new approach that directly addresses the challenges faced by Filipino students,” said Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea, President and CEO of the Mapúa University.
“By creating a college that prepares them for the real world; develops soft skills like critical thinking, leadership, and empathy; uses digital learning in a more meaningful way; and provides students with the technology that they need, we ultimately produce graduates who are citizens that can contribute to a better country,” said Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo, President of Malayan Colleges Laguna and Mindanao, Mapua Schools.
Now, students right in the heart of Bacolod can start contributing to the future of their city. “Industry goes and industry grows where labor is capable. With MMDC’s reputable college program that takes on a new, digital-first approach, we look forward to unlocking exciting new career opportunities and advancements for Bacolodnons and Negrenses in IT and business-related fields,” added Latreille.
Mapúa Malayan Digital College is now accepting BS Information Technology students, and BS Business Administration freshmen students, for the 2022-2023 school year. Students may inquire or enroll by visiting www.mmdc.mcl.edu.ph.
About Mapúa Malayan Digital College
Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC) is a digital-first college that is part of Malayan Colleges Laguna, A Mapua School, that is dedicated to nurturing nation-building students who will thrive in a business and technology-driven world. Mapúa University and Malayan Colleges Laguna, A Mapua School, are wholly owned subsidiaries of iPeople, inc., a Yuchengco – Ayala education partnership.
To learn more about MMDC, visit www.mmdc.mcl.edu.ph or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Mapúa Malayan Excellence
The Mapúa Malayan legacy began in 1925 with the establishment of the Mapúa Institute of Technology. The brand expanded with the opening of Malayan Colleges Laguna, A Mapua School (MCL) in 2007, as well as the opening of Malayan Colleges Mindanao, A Mapua School (MCM) in 2018. MCL has garnered a number of accolades: an overall rating of 3 QS stars, with 5 stars for employability, 4 stars for facilities, and 3 stars for social responsibility and inclusiveness. The college is also ISO 9001:2015 certified and has been granted autonomous status by the Commission on Higher Education, enabling the institution to create programs as needed by students.
About the Yuchengco Group
The Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) is a premiere Philippine conglomerate with interests ranging from banking to international business partnerships, from financial services to construction, and from education to information technology.
Jocelle Batapa Sigue 