CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) -- Mabalacat City College (MCC) partnered with Shijiazhuang Institute of Railway Technology for the provision of railway maintenance and repair certificates. 

Mayor Crisostomo Garbo welcomed the institutional agreement, citing that it will open new employment opportunities to their constituents. 

“This is a high priority project because it aligns with our commitment to provide thousands of job openings that shall decrease the unemployment rate and boost the economic growth of our city,” Garbo said. 

For her part, MCC President Michelle Aguilar-Ong said this collaboration greatly contributes to the national government's North-South Commuter Railway project, which is set to commence operations in 2028. 

“This project of a 40-hectare railway repair and maintenance hub in the Clark Freeport Zone expands the progress of technology and engineering in Mabalacat,” she said. 

The agreement also aims to attain Luban workshop grants for Filipino students— the first ever in the country. 

Luban workshop is a comprehensive educational training in Chinese technology including top-notch equipment and cutting-edge facilities. 

To date, there are 30 Luban workshops successfully operating across different countries. 

These are part of the initiatives of the Commission on Higher Education to partner with Chinese higher education institutions to strengthen cooperation through people exchanges and resource mobilization.

Other Philippine HEIs chosen across the country include University of the Philippines; University of Perpetual Help System Dalta; University of Antique; Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas; World Citi Colleges; University of Cordillera; Isabela State University; José Rizal University; and Mariano Marcos State University. (CLJD/MJSC-PIA 3)