History
In 2018, under the administration of then Mayor Oscar S. Moreno, the Cagayan de Oro
Technical Vocational Institute (CDO-TVI) was established by virtue of City Ordinance
13473-2018, with Councilor Suzette Magtajas-Daba as the principal author. This
Technical-Vocational Institute is proudly owned and operated by the Local Government
of Cagayan de Oro, focusing on offering TESDA-accredited programs primarily in the
construction and tourism sectors. These qualifications include Carpentry NC II,
Plumbing NC I & NC II, Shielded Metal Arc NC I & NC II, Electrical Installation &
Maintenance NC II, and Housekeeping NC II. These programs were chosen strategically
to cater to Cagayan de Oro's growing metropolization, with a particular emphasis on
construction and tourism sectors. CDO-TVI's mission was to provide free center-based
and community-based technical skills training, prioritizing out-of-school youth and
low-income families. CDO-TVI’s physical location is at Barangay Agusan, District 2,
Cagayan de Oro City.
In 2021, CDO-TVI responded to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic by
offering Barangay Health Services NC II, equipping and empowering Barangay Health
Workers in partnership with the City Health Office.
With a change in leadership in July 2022, former 1st District Congressman Hon. Rolando
“Klarex” Uy assumed the role of Mayor of Cagayan de Oro City. One of his top priorities,
as articulated in his RISE CDO Governance Platform, was to provide access to quality
education, leading to the vision of establishing a City College.
In 2023, City Ordinance 14564-2023 was passed, paving the way for the creation of the
City College of Cagayan de Oro. This ordinance expanded the mandate of CDO-TVI,
transforming it into a higher education institution offering not only tech-voc programs
but also diploma and bachelor's degree programs, to be monitored by the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED). The establishment of the City College was a result of a
comprehensive process, including the formation of Technical Working Groups,
extensive consultations, and focus group discussions.
The City College of Cagayan de Oro will operate as a multi-campus institution, with
campuses in Barangay Agusan (the existing CDO-TVI Campus), Barangay Kauswagan,
Barangay Puerto (El Gaucho), and the main campus in Barangay Dansolihon, which was
made possible through a generous donation of a 60-hectare land by the Higaonon
Indigenous Peoples of Nahilaran. This expansion aims to bring higher education
opportunities closer to the youth residing in upland barangays, addressing the
geographic gap that previously existed.
In the same year, the newly established City College initiated a partnership with MeldCx,
an international Artificial Intelligence company, and piloted a 6-month training
program on Practical Artificial Intelligence for sixteen (16) out-of-school youth.
In addition to the existing tech-voc programs, the City College is set to pilot new
programs in 2024, including Trainers’ Methodology NC II, Emergency Medical Services
NC II, Electrical Installation and Maintenance NC III, Bachelor of Arts in
Communication, Bachelor of Technology and Livelihood Education, Bachelor of
Technical-Vocational Teacher Education, and training programs on Artificial
Intelligence and emerging technologies. These programs reflect the institution's
commitment to providing a diverse and comprehensive educational experience to meet
the needs of its students and the evolving demands of the local and global labor markets.