SENATOR Francis Escudero has thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for signing seven laws meant to boost the education sector, including the establishment of more medical schools around the country.

Escudero’s office has received the report that these pieces of legislation were enacted into laws after the Chief Executive signed the bills on December 20, 2023 in Malacañang.

“I thank President Marcos for his expeditious action. Malaking bagay sa sektor ng edukasyon ang mga bagong batas na naipasa, lalo na ang pagbibigay pahintulot sa ilang unibersidad na makapagtatag ng mga bagong kolehiyo para sa kursong medisina,” Escudero said.

Among the measures signed into laws are Republic Act 11970, which will create the Benguet State University College of Medicine; RA 11971, Southern Luzon State University College of Medicine; RA 11972, University of Eastern Philippines College of Medicine; and RA 11974, the Visayas State University College of Medicine.

Meanwhile, RA 11973 allows Bicol University to have its own College of Veterinary Medicine.

“We are now closer to our goal of offering medical courses in various parts of the country to meet the health needs of the Filipino people,” Escudero stressed, noting that the country is already 114,000 short of doctors even before the Covid19 pandemic hit, based on data from the Department of Health.

Aside from addressing the current shortage, the government also must anticipate the future increase in population.

“Even if our population increase decelerates and stabilizes at 1.5 million a year, this would still have to be matched with new entrants to the medical profession,” he said.

The remaining two bills signed by the President are RA 11968, which converted the San Isidro Satellite campus of the Leyte Normal University into a regular campus; and RA 11969, which made the Bataan Peninsula State University-Bagac Extension Campus in Bagac, Bataan a regular campus.