By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

A NONPROFIT educational foundation is working with Northern Marianas College to help expand its nursing program by accepting students from the U.S. and the Philippines.
The Loyola Medical College Foundation, Inc. is based in Manila where it operates three colleges.
According to Johnny Y. Fong, M.D., the foundation’s chairman, it is their objective to assist NMC by helping it obtain the funding it needs.
Fong said Fresno City College in California enters into joint venture agreements with hospitals and private groups in the form of a contract education program which is the same type of program Loyola wants to have with NMC.
In this mode of financing, hospitals or nursing registries request the college to train a group of its employees for a fee.
“This results in a win-win situation for both private industry and the college,” Fong said. “The hospitals get their highly trained employees. The college gets extra funding,” he said.
“Loyola will bring in a set number of students for NMC to educate. Like the Fresno program, this contract education agreement will not deprive any local students of their nursing positions. In fact, it will enhance the ability of local students to finish their studies on time. The students will be able to take advantage of new faculty and equipment as a result of the increased funding. In addition to their regular slots, local students will have extra slots created for them in the form of scholarships offered by Loyola,” Fond said, adding that funding will be in the form of cash payments, equipment, library materials, or recruiting and paying the salaries of new faculty.
According to Finance Secretary Eloy Inos, “this administration will do everything it can to get this project moving.”
Upon approval of the contract, Fong said Loyola will start sending students to NMC within 60 days.