P1-B seed fund earmarked for new medical schools in SUCs--Rillo
At A Glance
- A total of P1 billion will be poured by the government into the development of new schools of medicine in state universities and colleges (SUCs), Quezon City 4th district Rep. Marvin Rillo said.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
A total of P1 billion will be poured by the government into the development of new schools of medicine in state universities and colleges (SUCs), Quezon City 4th district Rep. Marvin Rillo said.
“In the 2025 General Appropriations [Act] (GAA), Congress has added P150 million to the seed fund for the development of new colleges of medicine in SUCs,” Rillo, vice chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, said on Sunday, Feb. 2
Rillo explained that the P150 million was in addition to the P275 million and P250 million allocated for the seed fund in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Congress first established the start-up fund in 2021 with an initial allocation of P150 million, followed by another P250 million in 2022, according to Rillo, also a member of the House Committee on Appropriations.
“The seed money will support the new schools of medicine in our SUCs, helping them develop their capacity to provide instruction, acquire teaching materials, upgrade libraries, and build advanced laboratory facilities,” said the neophyte solon.
Rillo said the 19th Congress has passed five laws creating new colleges of medicine in the following SUCs:
- Benguet State University in La Trinidad, Benguet
- Southern Luzon State University in Lucban, Quezon
- University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman, Northern Samar
- Visayas State University in Baybay City, Leyte
- Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in Agoo, La Union
“Congress is committed to fully developing our new schools of medicine in SUCs to enable the country to train and produce more physicians,” Rillo said.
“We need more physicians to meet the growing demand of Filipinos for improved health outcomes,” added the Quezon City congressman.
Rillo has long championed greater public access to high-quality healthcare. Last year, he launched an ambulatory care center in his district that provides comprehensive, free health services to the public.