SENATE Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on Tuesday stressed that the recent passage of four laws strengthening the charter and expanding the course offerings in four state universities will usher in a new era of quality education in the institutions.

“We are optimistic that with the revised charter of the state universities, we can improve outcomes and advance educational opportunities for our learners,” said Villanueva.

“We thank President Bongbong Marcos for signing these measures that will uplift the quality of education in the country and bring it in line with global standards,” he added.

The four newly signed laws were Republic Act 11980 or the Revised Bulacan State University or BulSU Charter; RA 11978 or the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University-South La Union Campus-College of Medicine; RA 11977 or the Establishment of the Pampanga State Agricultural University – Floridablanca Campus; and RA 11979 that converts the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Parañaque City into a regular campus.

According to the law, BulSU will expand its curricular offerings, develop more competencies, and encourage the specialization of its constituent units.

The new BulSU charter will also expand the composition and powers of the school governing board to make it more responsive to the changing needs of the academic landscape.

The BulSU shall primarily offer undergraduate and graduate courses, advanced professional and technical instruction, and training within its areas of specialization in the fields of environment and natural sciences, accountancy, commerce, business and public administration, agriculture, education, fisheries, forestry, engineering and technology, arts and sciences, law, medicine, and allied medicine.

Other courses include architecture, archeology, hotel and tourism, aeronautics, artificial intelligence, and robotics, public administration, and other relevant fields of study that the Board may deem necessary for the accomplishment of its objectives and those that respond to the human resource development needs of the Bulacan Province and the Central Luzon Region.

Under BulSU’s new charter, the university may open new branches or extension campuses in consortium with other schools to make quality education more accessible.

It may also enter into joint ventures with businesses and industries for the development of economic assets. The proceeds of these partnerships will be used for the development and strengthening of BulSU.

As Principal Sponsor and Author of the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act, Villanueva lauded the signing of RA 11978 which will establish an additional school of medicine in the Ilocos Region.

It will consist of basic science and clinical courses, and will be based on a learner-centered, competency-based, and community-oriented approach, with the goal “to develop a corps of professional physicians to strengthen the healthcare system of the country.”

RA 11977, which establishes the Pampanga State Agricultural University-Floridablanca Campus, will offer short-term, technical-vocational, undergraduate, and graduate courses within its areas of competency and specialization which respond to the human resource development needs in Pampanga and Central Luzon.

RA 11979, meanwhile, mandates PUP-Parañaque to offer short-term, technical-vocational, undergraduate, and graduate courses within its areas of competency and specialization to respond to human resource development needs in the National Capital Region.

“We hope that by strengthening these state universities, we can equip our graduates with the right tools and build their confidence to face the world of work, secure employment, and prepare them for lifelong learning,” Villanueva said.