A BILL has been filed in the Senate seeking to rename the Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College (TRAC) into the Tawi-Tawi State College (TTSC) as part of efforts to strengthen higher education in the Bangsamoro region.

Senate Bill No. 2122 was introduced by Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda to expand academic opportunities and improve access to quality education in Tawi-Tawi.

According to the explanatory note attached to the measure, the proposal aims not only to change the institution’s name but also to strengthen its governing board and provide funding support for its operations and long-term development.

The bill underscored the important role of TRAC in providing accessible higher education in Tawi-Tawi and across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, particularly for students in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

The proposed legislation also traced the institution’s history, noting that it started as the Sulu National Regional Agricultural School before it was converted into the Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College under Batas Pambansa Blg. 384.

Legarda said the proposed transition into a state college is intended to enhance the institution’s capacity to deliver quality instruction, research, and extension services while addressing the growing demand for expanded academic programs and research initiatives in Mindanao.

The explanatory note further stated that strengthening higher education institutions in remote areas such as Tawi-Tawi supports broader national goals of inclusive development, stronger local capacities, peace-building efforts, and sustainable growth in Mindanao.