SENATOR Francis Escudero on Wednesday thanked his colleagues for supporting the 12 higher education-related bills filed, including the establishment of additional five public medical schools around the country.

The Senate has approved on second reading the dozen bills that emanated from Escudero’s Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education.

No one interpellated the measures and the veteran legislator was able to introduce all the proposed amendments.

The approved bills are now to be scheduled for their third and final reading.

“We are now a step away towards the realization of our goal of offering medical courses in various parts of the country to meet the health needs of Filipinos,” Escudero said, noting that the country was 114,000 short of doctors even before the Covid19 pandemic hit, based on data from the Department of Health.

The challenge today, he said, is not only addressing the shortage but also the future increases in population.

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

Approved on second reading are the bills that would allow the establishment of College of Medicine in Benguet State University; Southern Luzon State University; University of Eastern Philippines in Northern Samar; Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in La Union; and Visayas State University in Southern Leyte.

The Senate likewise passed on second reading yesterday the bills that would allow the creation of veterinary schools at the Bicol University in Ligao, Albay and the Southern Luzon State University-Catanauan Campus in Quezon province.