The Senate on Monday, May 24 adopted on third and final reading seven local measures that seek to rename state universities and colleges (SUCs) as well as convert public colleges into state universities.
Senator Joel Villanueva thanked his colleagues in agreeing with the passage of the bills as these measures would uplift the academic communities in the various SUCs.
“The passage on third reading of these local bills renaming our SUCs and converting colleges into state universities in the middle of the pandemic is timely, relevant and also uplifting to the communities who would stand to benefit from these development,” said Villanueva, who chairs the Senate Committee on Higher and Technical-Vocational Education.
He said the measure would definitely be a good news for people living in Abra Agusan del Sur, Basilan, Camarines Sur, Davao de Oro, Occidental Mindor, and Surigao del Sur.
Adopted by the Senate were House Bill No. 6596, or the renaming of the Compostela Valley state College into the Davao De Oro State College; House Bill No. 6842, taking into consideration Senate Bill No. 1698, renaming the Surigao del Sur State University to North Eastern Mindanao State University; House Bill No. 68858, taking into consideration Senate Bill Nos. 1755 and 1756 converting the Bicol state College of Applied Sciences and Technology into State University to be known as the Southeast Asian University of Technology.
The Senate also approved House Bill No. 7030 taking into consideration Senate Bill No. 1733, converting Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology in Lagangilang and Bangued into a State University to be known as the University of Abra.
The Upper Chamber, likewise, approved House Bill No. 7019 taking consideration Senate Bill No. 1689 converting the Agusan Del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology into a State University to be known as the Agusan del Sur State University; House Bill No. 7566 converting the Occidental Mindoro State College into a State University to be known as the Occidental Mindoro State University; and House Bill No. 7697 which will convert the Basilan State College in Isabela into a state university to be known as Basilan State University.
Villanueva said converting these state colleges into state universities will empower them to expand curricular offerings to include medical and allied courses in line with the implementation of the “Doktor Para sa Bayan Act” as well as programs that would respond to the country’s crisis on the COVID-19 pandemic.