BACOLOD is an emerging digital city that is primed for jobs of the future. Currently, the city is a major destination for call center services and other knowledge process outsourcing firms, and in recent years has been declared by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) as a Center of Excellence for Business Process Management based on local talent, infrastructure, cost and business environment.In addition to building public-private partnerships and investments to boost sustainable growth and unlock more jobs of the future, Bacolod City is also home to several colleges and universities. However, with the evolving needs of students, there is an opportunity to support the local education landscape and provide Bacolodnons and Negrense students access to academic excellence of a top university in the country yet an affordable learning experience that will continue to fuel the region’s economic growth and digitalization. With this goal in mind, Mapúa Malayan Digital College (MMDC) is pioneering its Learning Hub in Bacolod City, the first in the Visayas and Mindanao.Launched in February this year, MMDC is a new digital-first college focused on equipping students for future-ready careers in technology and business. This game-changing learning model from MMDC builds on the excellence and heritage of Mapua University, one of the country’s top and internationally ranked colleges and a leader in IT programs.The Negros Occidental capital city is one of the two localities hosting MMDC’s first learning hubs in the country. The facility will be located at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central.“There is no better place to bring the most affordable and modernized Business and IT education than the Philippines, and we’re honored to be able to do this specifically here in Bacolod,” said Derrick Latreille, Chief Learning Officer of MMDC and co-founder of Ayala Education. “Here we can work with the up-and-coming youth who are keen on digital life and a digital-first education. Here we can contribute to the youth by building the digital future of Bacolod,” he added.Designed for the future-ready studentMMDC is an affordable and flexible college offering that delivers a cutting-edge online curriculum and offline experiences designed for the modern Filipino student, which includes new high school graduates and working students returning to college to advance their careers.MMDC’s model modernizes both learning and student life. Latreille notes that modernizing business and technology education means having a constant dialogue with local industry players so that students can actually learn and apply the business and technology practices of today and tomorrow and maximize their employability.MMDC is starting with specializations in information technology (IT) which include data analytics, software development, and network and cybersecurity, while specializations in the business administration major include marketing management, operations management, and human resource management.These specializations are made relevant for today’s students by instructional design professionals who have experience in academe as well as the workforce. Students will learn through MMDC’s Projects, Problems and Cases (PPC) model, which emphasizes real-world applications for the modern workplace, and evaluates students on their output, and not on traditional testing methods.Banking on flexible learning to meet modern students’ needs, the college requires class meeting times of approximately 7.5 hours a week of synchronous learning to be made available with both early and late day schedules.The MMDC curriculum will include content from international educational providers such as Coursera and prepares students for the “real world” as it underscores not just technical skills but also soft skills such as critical thinking, leadership, creativity, analysis, and collaboration.Opening doors and providing tools for accessible and flexible learningMMDC’s Learning Hubs are unlike traditional college campuses and instead provide modern spaces where students can meet, do focused work, collaborate on group projects, organize clubs, and access Student Services and other connectivity needs (tour the Learning Hubs https://www.mmdc.mcl.edu.ph/tour-360/).In order to power the learning among its students, MMDC provides its students with their own pocket Wi-Fi as part of their tuition. Students can also get a laptop and pay for it in installments so they can learn and succeed in their daily work.Moreover, in its pursuit to cater to more students in this Western Visayas province and provide them the opportunity to avail of the college’s programs and services, MMDC made sure that its fees are affordable.In fact, it introduces a pioneer scholarship program where the first 500 enrolled students will be granted up to P20,000 discount on annual tuition fee or P7,000 discount per term. With this partial discount, enrollment fee per term can be as low as P19,000.Students are also given flexible payment options.They can enroll for as low as P4,000 with MCL-MMDC’s flexible three-month installment option valid every term. Students also have the option to get a 12-month installment plan through MMDC’s financial partner, Bukas.PH, after the enrollment.Being a reputable college program that leverages Mapúan excellence, it is upbeat to unlock exciting new career opportunities and advancements for Bacolodnons and Negrenses in IT and business-related fields.“Industry goes and industry grows where labor is capable. 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,” Latreille added.MMDC is now open to all incoming college students, specifically senior high, and those working, or back-to-school adults aged 17 and above. Interested students may inquire or apply for the 2022-2023 school year starting this August through https://www.mmdc.mcl.edu.ph/. (EPN)