Manila, Philippines — The City College of Cagayan de Oro (CCCDO) marked a historic milestone after being awarded the Institutional Sustainability Award during the CHED ICONS Awards 2025 held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) last December 10, 2025. As one of the youngest local colleges in the country, CCCDO’s victory underscores its rapid transformation into a nationally recognized institution for sustainability, internationalization, and impactful higher education leadership.
The institution’s winning video entry, crafted by Prof. Herna Tano together with the ICONS Technical Working Group (TWG), who likewise serve as CCCDO’s Times Higher Education (THE) and WURI Ranking TWG, presented a compelling narrative of how Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are fully embedded into the institution’s academic systems, leadership directions, and student development programs. The video’s strong message of resilience, global alignment, and community-centered innovation earned exceptional praise from CHED evaluators, securing CCCDO’s national win.
The award was formally presented to CCCDO President Dr. Jestoni P. Babia by CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, together with CHED Commissioners and invited ambassadors representing selected partner countries to the Philippines. Their presence highlighted the growing international recognition of CCCDO’s initiatives and affirmed the college’s vision of contributing meaningfully to global higher education.
This achievement coincides with CCCDO’s recent recognition in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, where the institution was placed in the 1001–1500 global bracket. This ranking evaluates universities worldwide based on their commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). CCCDO’s inclusion in this category further validates its sustained progress in sustainability, innovation, and global engagement.
CCCDO President Dr. Babia attributed this success to the collective dedication of the CCCDO community and the strong alignment of the college’s strategic directions with the RISE Agenda of City Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy. Under this vision, CCCDO has rapidly positioned itself as a forward-looking institution with a clear commitment to elevating public education and empowering communities.
The CHED ICONS Awards serve as the national platform recognizing Higher Education Institutions that demonstrate excellence in sustainability, ASEAN engagement, internationalization, and transformative leadership. CCCDO’s victory, coupled with its THE Impact Ranking achievement, affirms that young institutions can rise to national prominence through purpose-driven leadership, strong institutional culture, and an unwavering commitment to global standards.
City College of Cagayan de Oro stands today not only as an award recipient but as an emerging national model for SDG-centered, internationally engaged, and future-ready higher education, demonstrating that meaningful impact is possible even for a very young public local institution.