Access to quality tertiary education in the provinces has been expanded after five measures sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano were recently enacted into law.
The measures, which lapsed into law this September, paved the way for new or upgraded state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Zamboanga del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, Cebu, and Guimaras.
The new laws are the following:
- RA 12282 – Converts Zamboanga del Sur School of Arts and Trades into Zamboanga del Sur Polytechnic State College (September 7)
- RA 12283 – Establishes the Sultan Kudarat State University College of Medicine (September 7)
- RA 12284 – Converts Cebu Normal University (CNU) Medellin Campus from extension to regular campus (September 7)
- RA 12285 – Converts Cebu Normal University (CNU) Balamban Campus from extension to regular campus (September 7)
- RA 12286 – Converts Guimaras State University Mosqueda and Baterna Campuses from extension to regular campuses (September 8)
Cayetano steered the measures to Senate approval last June while serving as chairperson of the Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education in the 19th Congress.
He said these measures will help ease overcrowding in existing SUCs, and allow students to pursue courses closer to home.
“Most of our state universities, ang problema ay overcrowded. The net effect of having more local state universities ay y’ung iba made-decongest, and not having to leave your province,” he said during the interpellation period.
“[And] if you have more state universities with different courses, [there will be] better matching for students,” he added.
The minority leader, however, stressed that establishing or converting SUCs is just the first step.
“Yes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. And if the first step is establishing these state universities or in the cases of conversions ay lalong pagandahin, [then] the major step really is providing the right resources,” he said.
Cayetano pointed to his proposed Makakapagtapos Ako Act of 2025, which seeks to allocate P25 billion annually for a decade to fund SUC infrastructure, upgrade facilities, and build student dormitories.
“By investing in the physical capacity of our public institutions, we complete the support system,” he said.
