Saturday, August 27, 2011
ILOILO province may soon have its own state university if a bill filed by Senator Franklin Drilon is passed into law.
Drilon seeks to put the five campuses of the state-run Western Visayas College of Science and Technology (WVCST) under a proposed Iloilo State University.
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The WVCST, established in 1905 and converted into a state college in 1983, has campuses in Barotac Nuevo, Dumangas, Leon, and Miag-ao. Its main campus is in La Paz, Iloilo City.
"At present, it continues to fulfill its mission by providing quality and relevant yet affordable education to the people of Western Visayas and the country in general," he said.
He said, however, that converting WVCST into a state university would be "timely recognition" of the province's need for highly-skilled manpower "in the field of science and technology."
"Its conversion shall provide more opportunities for the college in its quest to be on the frontline in bringing progress and development to the region that it serves, as well as the whole nation," the Iloilo City-born senator said.
To qualify as a university under Commission on Higher Education rules, the proposed ISU must offer at least eight degree programs. Of those programs, six must be undergraduate programs including Liberal Arts, Basic Science, Mathematics, and Social Sciences. It must also offer at least three courses for professions regulated by government licensing and at least two graduate courses leading to doctoral degrees.
State colleges are only required to offer at least five undergraduate courses and two graduate programs.
The House of Representatives passed a counterpart bill to create the Iloilo State University in May. That bill was filed by Iloilo City Representative Jerry Trenas, with Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara as co-author. (Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex)
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