THREE lawmakers filed a bill that seeks to establish a College of Veterinary Medicine in the Southern Luzon State Univeristy Campus in Catanauan, Quezon.

Representatives David Suarez, Anna Marie Villaraza-Suarez and Aleta Suarez filed House Bill 9805 that will establish the Southern Luzon State University Catanauan-College of Veterinary Medicine.

Under the measure, the College shall become effective only upon the determination and declaration by the Commission on Higher Education.

The lawmakers stressed that during a health crisis, veterinarians play an important role in investigating animal and human disease outbreaks such as food-borne illnesses, influenza, and rabies.

Veterinarians are also essential in protecting public health by investigating zoonotic diseases and other diseases affecting the health of animals and people, they added.

“By instituting the proposed College in the Municipality of Catanauan, we democratize access to higher education. Similarly, with Quezon Province being geographically adjacent to animal agriculture regions, it will primarily benefit from this piece of legislation,” the lawmakers said in their explanatory note.

The measure also mandates the importation of scientific and technical books or publications which are for scientific and technical purposes of the College be exempt from customs duties.