GLOBAL IT CAMPUS. Vocational school administrator Ma. Cristina Orbecido (in green shirt) welcomes another batch of trainees at the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center Global Campus in Talisay City, Negros Occidental on Aug. 26, 2025. The provincial government opened the new campus on July 1 as a future-ready, industry-responsive and globally-connected innovation hub for Negrenses. (Photo courtesy of NOLITC)
BACOLOD CITY – For almost two decades, the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (NOLITC) has championed local government-led digital education, leaving a lasting impact on thousands of Negrense scholars and trainees since it was established in 2008.
The NOLITC Global Campus, a future-ready, industry-responsive and globally-connected innovation hub, sits on a 2.5-hectare donated land in adjacent Talisay City.
The new site in Barangay Matab-ang is NOLITC's permanent home after staying at the Paglaum Sports Complex here for about 17 years.
"We continue to innovate in the new campus. It is conducive to learning. It's a great place to learn for our students," Ma. Cristina Orbecido, NOLITC vocational school administrator, said in an interview on Sunday.
The three-story main building houses the classrooms or laboratories, administration office, business hub, faculty room, guidance office, library and auditoriums. The dormitory and cafeteria are located near the entrance.
"Added to our training programs, we have formation activities in the dormitory geared towards the character-building and spiritual growth of our students," Orbecido said.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the facility represents the province's vision of making education more inclusive and accessible, particularly for young people outside major urban centers.
Established in 2008 under the late governor Joseph Marañon, NOLITC remains the only government-run language and IT school in Western Visayas and Negros Island Region.
It is accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). It has so far produced 9,065 graduates with an employment rate of 83 percent.
"This new NOLITC campus is proof of our larger and determined vision. It is a legacy of our shared belief that education, to be effective and responsive, must be inclusive, innovative, and accessible, particularly in the countryside," Lacson said.
The Global Campus offers programs in Contact Center Services, English proficiency, animation, visual graphics, CAD (computer-aided design), robotics, esports, micro-credentials and Python programming.
Recently, NOLITC secured TESDA recognition for micro-credential courses in artificial intelligence, cloud systems, financial markets, risk management and digital marketing.
Not just a school
In his message on the opening of the Global Campus on July 1, TESDA Director General Jose Francisco Benitez said that "NOLITC will not just be a school, it will be a center of innovation".
"It will house best practices, deliver industry-calibrated, demand-driven training and support, not only for the IT and business process management sector, but also for other emerging industries. In short, we are future-proofing Negros," he added.
On July 4, NOLITC celebrated the achievements of 77 graduates across various programs during the 228th culmination ceremony, the first held at the new campus.
Among them were the first batch of completers of the Micro-credential Program in Performing Customer Service Delivery, a training program leading to Contact Center Services National Certificate (NC) II.
They are the pioneering batch of the Near-Hire Training Program partnership between NOLITC and Transcom Worldwide.
Majority of the graduates since 2008 were trained in Contact Center Services NC II, including the latest three batches comprising 57 scholars.
Along with the 10 graduates of Animation NC II and the pioneering batch of 17 graduates of Python Programming Level III, they received certificates of completion during NOLITC's 229th culmination ceremony on Aug. 8.
Inspiring stories
Alumnus Irish John Pasuquin said his training in Contact Center Services opened opportunities for him as a K-12 graduate, leading to his employment as customer service representative.
He was able to provide for his family and invest in properties, and eventually completed a Psychology degree.
Kaye Albino, an alumna of Visual Graphic Design NC III Batch 8, said the quality training at NOLITC helped her pursue a career as a graphic artist and illustrator, having already published and illustrated her own book.
Ainee Sarsosa, a graduate of Contact Center Services, said training with NOLITC changed her personal goals as the institution provided a platform for her continuous development and growth.
"We don't simply train our students in technical skills, we also shape their values and character, which are essential in the workplace. We are commitment to produce graduates who are work-ready, globally competent, and values-driven," Orbecido said.
In November last year, NOLITC was recognized by the Department of Information and Communications Technology-Western Visayas as an Outstanding Tech4ED Center and Digital Transformation Center during the Regional Technology for Education, Employment, Entrepreneurs and Economic Development (Tech4ED) Awards.
The awards recognized NOLITC's outstanding contributions to advancing digital inclusion and creating meaningful opportunities for the community, and through its innovative programs, it has become a model for empowering individuals and bridging the digital divide in Negros Occidental.
Robotics, e-sports programs
With its Robotics and Intelligence Machines Program, NOLITC hosts the first robotics training center in the region and is the first local government in the country to support a learning center for robotics for teachers and students.
Next month, NOLITC will stage the fifth Battle of Bots: District Hackathon and Competition 2025 for elementary and high school students.
The students will compete in various challenges, including Line Tracing, Mission Challenge, Sumobot and Project Ideas Pitching.
NOLITC also promotes esports education through a program that aims to develop important skills needed around the growing esports and gaming industry across the globe.
Since 2023, it has organized the Governor's Cup Mobile Legends: Bang Bang e-sports tournaments around the province participated in by public high school students.(PNA)
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