TWO key higher education measures championed by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano have been signed into law, strengthening the charter and expanding Don Honorio Ventura State University (DHVSU) into what is now Pampanga State University.

The measures were officially enacted through Republic Act No. 12148 and Republic Act No. 12147 after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed them on April 11, 2025.

RA 12148, based on House Bill No. 9989 and Senate Committee Report No. 434, updates the university’s charter and reinforces its capacity to deliver quality higher education throughout Pampanga.

Under the new law, DHVSU will be renamed Pampanga State University and will include existing campuses in Mexico, Porac, Sto. Tomas, Lubao, Candaba, Apalit, San Fernando, and the newly established campus in Floridablanca.

The law also provides for the establishment of additional campuses in the future.

Complementing this, RA 12147 formally designates the San Fernando campus as a regular campus of Pampanga State University.

Cayetano, who chairs the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, sponsored the measures on the Senate floor in December 2024.

According to the senator, the laws will enhance the university’s resources and academic offerings, contributing to the province’s economic development.

“Alam naman po natin that Clark is in Pampanga and Tarlac, and the Bulacan Airport is also a neighbor,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of making education accessible, especially to students from low-income families.

“By strengthening the charter of DHVSU, we are taking a step toward social equality and fostering development across the provinces,” he said.

“These will help provide quality, accessible education to more Kapampangans and students across Central Luzon,” he added.