MAKATI City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. is urging the University of the Philippines to establish a college of nursing in its Mindanao campus.

This is to further democratize student admission in state-run universities and colleges.

“Now that UP has decided to launch a Doctor of Medicine program in its Mindanao campus, the university might as well also offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program there,” Campos said.

“We are prepared to support UP with additional funding, if necessary, should it choose to put up a nursing school in Mindanao,” the vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriation added.

The lawmaker said there is a need for UP and other SUCs to invest aggressively in the country’s future nursing workforce amid the looming national and global shortage of practitioners.

The solon has also filed House Resolution No. 1510 seeking for a special education fund to enable SUCs that still do not offer the BSN program to start their own nursing schools.

In his resolution, Campos noted that of the 117 SUCs countrywide, only 44 have nursing schools.