SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday said that the signing of the Revised Bulacan State University Charter or Republic Act No. 11980 will increase access to high-quality education in the province of Bulacan.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. recently signed the Bulacan State University’s revised charter, which expands the state university’s course offerings and its governing board’s composition and powers.

The revised charter also encourages the specialization of its constituent units.

“Mahalagang hakbang ang paglagda ng Pangulo sa Revised Bulacan State University Charter upang maipaabot sa ating mga kababayan sa Bulacan ang abot-kaya at dekalidad na edukasyon sa kolehiyo. Dahil palalawigin ng bagong batas na ito ang mga programa ng BulSU, mas maraming oportunidad ang magbubukas para sa mas marami nating mga kababayan sa Bulacan,” said Gatchalian, a co-author of the law.

Under the revised BulSU charter, the state university shall primarily provide advanced education, higher technology, professional courses, and training programs in engineering and technology, arts and sciences, education, agriculture and industrial fields, aeronautics, and artificial intelligence and robotics, among others.

BulSU will also be mandated to undertake research and extension services and production activities to support the socio-economic development of Bulacan and Central Luzon.

The revised charter also provides that BulSU shall have the general powers of a corporation outlined in the Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines.

The exercise of the state university’s corporate powers shall be vested exclusively in the Board of Regents, which shall serve as the BulSU’s governing board. The Board of Regents shall be chaired and co-chaired, respectively, by the Commission on Higher Education Chairperson and the BulSU President.

Gatchalian thanked Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, chairperson of the Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, for pushing the law’s passage.

He also thanked Majority Leader Senator Joel Villanueva who also co-authored the law.