THE SENATE has approved nine bills seeking to convert and establish regular schools in seven provinces.

Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, thanked his colleagues for the passage of the bills that seek to convert and establish regular campuses in Eastern Samar, Pampanga, Cebu, Nueva Ecija, Davao del Norte, Cagayan de Oro and Bulacan.

“This is just to thank our dear colleagues for supporting these nine measures that we passed on third and final reading. If it is okay, I would just put on record my sincerest thanks and gratitude to all the members,” Villanueva said.

Among the measures approved on 3rd and final reading are four bills that aim to convert satellite and extension campuses into regular campuses and five bills for the establishment of additional campuses.

The bills include the conversion of the Dulag Satellite Campus of the Eastern Visayas State University into a regular campus in Leyte; conversion of the extension campuses of the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Pampanga; conversion of the Bulacan Agricultural State College and Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College into state universities.

The senators also approved measures establishing campuses of the Cebu Technological University; regular campuses of the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology; campuses of the Davao del Norte State College; and a campus of the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy in Cagayan de Oro City.