The Senate adopted on third and final reading seven local bills that seek to rename State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) as well as convert state colleges into state universities.
Senator Joel Villanueva, chair of the Committee on Higher and Technical-Vocational Education, expressed his gratitude to the body for the swift passage of the seven bills, saying these measures would uplift the academic communities in the various SUCs.
“This is definitely good news for our people in Abra, Agusan del Sur, Basilan, Camarines Sur, Davao de Oro, Occidental Mindoro, and Surigao del Sur.”
“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 will stand to benefit from these developments. This is definitely good news for our people in Abra, Agusan del Sur, Basilan, Camarines Sur, Davao de Oro, Occidental Mindoro, and Surigao del Sur,” Villanueva said.
“Last May 18, we celebrated the first National Higher Education Day as mandated by Republic Act No. 11522, a law that we passed last August 2020. There were, of course, virtual celebrations led by CHED but the emphasis was placed on really trying to understand the effects of this pandemic on higher education, finding inspirations to move forward and discovering new ways to increase the value proposition of higher education in the post-COVID Filipino society,” the veteran legislator added.
Adopted were House Bill No. 6596, renaming 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. 6858, taking into consideration Senate Bill Nos. 1755 and 1756, converting the Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Technology into a State University to be known as the Southeast Asian University of Technology; House Bill No. 7030 taking into consideration Senate Bill No. 1733, converting the Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology in Lagangilang and Bangued into a State University to be known as the University of Abra; House Bill No. 7019, taking into 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; House Bill No. 7697, taking into consideration Senate Bill No. 1936, converting the Basilan State College in Isabela into a State University to be known as the Basilan State University.
“All 112 SUCs presidents expressed their gratitude to the Senate for the support it has been giving to alleviate the impact of COVID-19.”
The seasoned lawmaker said all 112 SUCs presidents expressed their gratitude to the Senate for the support it has been giving to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 to the higher education sector and for the passage of the seven bills on third reading.
“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 in response to the present public health emergencies, as well as many other essential economic and national growth and development areas of concern,” the senator stressed.