NORTH Cotabato 2nd District Representative Rudy Caoagdan filed a measure that will separate the University of Southern Mindanao-Kidapawan City Campus from the University of Southern Mindanao-Main Campus and convert it into Kidapawan City State College.

In pushing House Bill 10268, Caoagdan said it is necessary to separate USM-KCC from USM-Main Campus in order to equitably allocate funds for the improvement of the public educational institutions.

The lawmaker explained that USM-KCC is located in the City of Kidapawan which is within the 2nd district of North Cotabato while the USM-Main Campus is located in the municipality of Kabacan which is under the 3rd district.

Caoagdan explained that the conversion is necessary to give more flexibility to USM-KCC in terms of decision-making and expansion of academic standards, as well as fiscal autonomy.

“Additionally, the 2020 Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index annually released by the National Competitiveness Council statistically shows that Kidapawan City makes up for 13.8 percent of the population and revenues of the province of Cotabato, much more than that of the Municipality of Kabacan which accounts for 6 percent or the province’s population and revenues,” the lawmaker said in his explanatory note.

Caoagdan said the CMCI’s ranking of Kidapawan City as one of the most competitive component cities in Mindanao reflects the city’s economic strength and dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure development and resiliency.