PBBM signs new laws on state universities' upgrading, new medical school

President Marcos has signed three bills that will expand the curricular offerings of premiere state universities and establish a medical school in northern Philippines and make quality education more accessible to many Filipinos.

According to separate statements from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the Chief Executive signed into laws an act enhancing the capability of the Bulacan State University (BulSu), as well as two others to establish the Pampanga State Agricultural University-Floridablanca Campus and a College of Medicine at the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University-South La Union Campus (DMMMSU-SLUC).

The 16-page Republic Act 11980, or the “Revised Bulacan State University Charter”, aims “to enhance its capability to provide accessible quality education.”

“Under RA 11980, it underscored the importance of promoting, fostering, nurturing and protecting the rights of all citizens to accessible quality education, and the obligation of the state to establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society,” the statement read.

“It also aims to further strengthen BulSu by expanding its curricular offerings and the composition and powers of its governing board, developing the competencies and encouraging the specialization of its constituent units, engaging in conventional or alternative instructional techniques, among other functions,” it added.

BulSu will be providing advanced education, higher technological, professional courses and training programs for engineering and technology, arts and sciences, education, agriculture and industrial fields, accountancy, business and public administration, and medicine and allied health courses.

It also offers hotel and restaurant management, tourism, aeronautics, artificial intelligence and robotics, law, nontraditional courses and other relevant fields of study.

Meanwhile, Marcos also signed the four-page RA 11977, or the “Pampanga State Agricultural University-Floridablanca Campus Act”, and the six-page RA No. 11978, or the “Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University-South La Union Campus-College of Medicine.”

The PSAU-Floridablanca Campus is set to offer short-term, technical-vocational, undergraduate, and graduate courses “within its areas of competency and specialization.”

“The PSAU-Floridablanca Campus shall be mandated to undertake research and extension services, and production activities in support of the socio-economic development and to provide progressive leadership in these areas,” the law stated.

The medical school that will be established in DMMMSU-SLUC in Agoo, La Union will primarily offer a Doctor of Medicine program, including an Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine Program.

The program will consist of basic science and clinical courses based on a community-oriented approach as it aims “to develop a corps of professional physicians to strengthen the healthcare system of the country.”

It will also address the human resource development needs of La Union and the Ilocos Region because the law will mandate the undertaking of research and extension services and progressive leadership in the provinces. 

The new laws will take effect 15 days after their publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. Copies of the new laws can be found at the Official Gazette.