SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano will lead a Senate hearing on Monday, June 9, to discuss 25 proposed laws aimed at improving access to tertiary education and skills training for Filipinos.

Cayetano, Chair of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, will preside over discussions on 13 bills seeking to upgrade local colleges into full-fledged state universities.

One of the bills also aims to strengthen Mindanao State University.

The hearing will also tackle eight bills proposing the establishment of additional TESDA training and assessment centers in various provinces.

Another three proposals will be reviewed, including a plan to establish a training center for Indigenous Peoples in Nueva Vizcaya.

Earlier this week, Cayetano sponsored several higher education bills in the Senate. These include measures to establish the first state colleges in the provinces of Sarangani and Dinagat Islands, and to convert Baao Community College and Aurora State College of Technology into full-fledged universities. All these bills were approved on Second Reading.

Cayetano also renewed his call for increased government support for state universities and colleges, urging the administration and fellow lawmakers to allocate higher funding to ensure these institutions can effectively fulfill their mandates.

“The more local state universities we have, the more other universities will be decongested. With more state universities, quality education becomes more accessible,” he said.

The hearing will be conducted jointly with the Senate Committees on Local Government, Ways and Means, and Finance.

On the same day, prior to the local bills hearing, a subcommittee will also investigate the alleged unauthorized off-campus activity of Bestlink College, which reportedly exposed students to severe logistical and safety issues.

The probe was prompted by a viral incident that raised public concern and questions about regulatory oversight.