Senator Sonny Angara is pushing for legislation that would officially designate the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the country’s largest state university by student population, as the “National Polytechnic University.”
In filing Senate Bill 2037, Angara seeks to strengthen the PUP as an institution and solidify its position as one of the country’s premier state universities.
“It is high time that we strengthen the PUP and officially designate it as the ‘National Polytechnic University,’ which will cater to educating and developing the country’s future industry leaders,” the seasoned lawmaker said.
“It is high time that we strengthen the PUP and officially designate it as the ‘National Polytechnic University,’ which will cater to educating and developing the country’s future industry leaders.”
Founded in 1904, the PUP has more than 20 campuses serving more than 70,000 students, making it the largest state university in the Philippines in terms of student population. Its main campus is located in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
Prior to the enactment of law providing free higher education in public colleges and universities, PUP is considered the state university that offers low tuition but still provides quality education.
Through his proposed measure, the veteran lawmaker said the government will strengthen the PUP as an institution and equip it to better fulfill its mandate of providing technical and professional instruction, training students in the applied arts and sciences.
“In doing so, the PUP will be able to propagate more widely the ideals for which its core values are based–social justice, peace, freedom, academic excellence, ethical and moral standards, cultural identity, and respect for diversity, civil society engagement, and passion for learning,” the senator pointed out.
“The PUP has stood out, being among the first in the country to emphasize hands-on, skills-based education that respond to market demands and societal needs,” he added.
Aside from pioneering two-year associate’s degrees that bring students faster and closer to gainful employment, Angara said PUP piloted ladderized technical courses, which the national government is currently working to ramp up across the country with the recent passage of the Philippine Qualifications Framework.
Moreover, Angara said PUP has performed consistently well, producing topnotchers in the various licensure exams such as in engineering, architecture, and information technology.
“On top of this, the results of annual surveys conducted by Jobstreet.com show that employers in the Philippines consider graduates of PUP as their top choice for employment–underscoring that a PUP education is competitive and relevant to society’s needs,” Angara added.
“Results of annual surveys conducted by Jobstreet.com show that employers in the Philippines consider graduates of PUP as their top choice for employment.”
Angara’s bill, to be known as the Revised PUP Charter, provides that as the National Polytechnic University, the PUP shall enjoy fiscal and institutional autonomy.
Taking into account national goals and priorities, PUP shall exclusively determine its teaching research and extension thrusts, plans, policies, programs and standards. On the basis of such determination, the university shall recommend its annual budget to the President and Congress.
