SENATOR Joel Villanueva on Saturday lauded the Commission on Higher Education for approving Bulacan State University’s Doctor of Medicine program.

“Sa wakas! Tagumpay po ito hindi lamang ng mga Bulakenyo kundi ng lahat ng mga kababayan natin sa mga karatig lalawigan sa Central Luzon na nagnanais mag-aral ng kursong medisina,” Villanueva said.

BulSU is the first state university and college in Region III that has been authorized by CHED to offer a Doctor of Medicine program starting in the Academic Year 2024-2025.

Aside from BulSU, CHED announced that it has given the green light for the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in La Union to offer a Doctor of Medicine program next academic year.

“We started with eight SUCs in seven regions and now we have 22 SUCs offering the Doctor of Medicine program in 15 regions in the country,” Villanueva said.

The senator also reported that since the passage of the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act, the country’s doctor-to-population ratio has increased to 3.7 doctors per 10,000 Filipinos from 2.64 doctors per 10,000 Filipinos.

“Malayo pa pero malapit na. We are on the right track in achieving the World Health Organization’s prescribed ratio of 10 doctors per 10,000 population,” Villanueva said.

“Our vision of making medical education accessible to aspiring doctors is becoming the country’s reality day by day,” he added.

Republic Act No. 11509 establishes a medical scholarship and return service program that covers academic expenses such as tuition, book allowances, uniform, transportation, and accommodation, internship costs, medical board review, and licensure examination fees.

Scholars are required to render a return service equivalent to the years they received the scholarship.

The law also provides that after passing the physician licensure examination, the medical scholar shall be integrated into the public health and medical service system, through the Department of Health, and shall receive the appropriate civil service rank, salary, and related benefits.