The Negros Occidental provincial government unveiled the new Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (NOLITC) Global Campus on Tuesday, establishing an innovation hub that is future-ready, industry-responsive, and globally connected.
The PHP135-million facility is situated on a 2.5-hectare donated land in Barangay Matab-ang, marking NOLITC’s permanent home after nearly 17 years at the Paglaum Sports Complex in Bacolod City.
The NOLITC Global Campus features a three-story building equipped with classrooms and laboratories for courses in Contact Center Services, Animation and 2D Animation, Visual Graphics Design, Computer-Aided Design, Robotics, and e-sports. The main building also includes the administration office, business hub, faculty room, guidance office, library, and auditoriums. Additionally, a dormitory and cafeteria for students are located near the entrance.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jose Benito Alonso led the unveiling of the campus marker, joined by Mayor Rowena Lizares, other provincial government officials, and representatives from government agencies and industry partners.
In his address, Lacson emphasized that the event signifies a new chapter in the history of education in Negros Occidental, transforming the lives of Negrenses through knowledge, skills, and opportunities.
“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,” he stated.
NOLITC, accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), is the first and only government-run language and IT school in Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region. Since its establishment in 2008, NOLITC has produced 8,888 graduates with an employment rate of 83 percent.
“Today’s blessing solidifies NOLITC’s transformation into a provincial innovation hub. Here, we will expand our focus to include artificial intelligence training, micro-credential courses, and international certification programs,” Lacson added.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II referred to the new campus as “NOLITC 5.0,” highlighting the provincial government’s commitment to ensuring that the infrastructure and hardware match the capabilities of NOLITC staff and its partners.
TESDA Director General Jose Francisco Benitez, represented by Jason Tupas, Focal for Local Government Unit Linkages, remarked that the inauguration of the NOLITC Global Campus is “a major step forward.”
“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 information technology and business process management sector but also for other emerging industries. In short, we are future-proofing Negros,” he stated.