SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union Feb. 29 (PIA)—The Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) is poised to offer the first College of Medicine program in La Union province, following the signing of Republic Act (RA) 11978 by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
The law paves the way for the establishment of the new college at the DMMMSU-South La Union Campus in Agoo town.
DMMMSU President Jaime Manuel Jr. expressed his gratitude to the President and several lawmakers who championed the initiative, particularly Senator Francis Escudero (principal sponsor in the Senate) and Representative Mark Go (principal sponsor in the House of Representatives).
He also recognized the significant contributions of La Union Second District Representative Dante Garcia, the principal author of then-House Bill No. 7090, and La Union First District Francisco Paolo Ortega, the co-sponsor.
"Their persistent advocacy, consistent support, and inexhaustible passion herald a culture of healing and humanism reverberating beyond La Union's confines,” Manuel said in an official statement obtained by the Philippine Information Agency.
The program aligns with the "Doktor para sa Bayan Act," which aims to provide scholarships for future doctors who will serve in underserved communities.
This "ensures the availability of doctors who will provide basic, promotive, preventive, and curative healthcare services to underserved, remote, economically underprivileged, distressed, conflict-afflicted, and in geographically disadvantaged areas."
He further highlighted that the establishment of the college will offer accessible, high-quality medical education to aspiring doctors in La Union and neighboring provinces, leveraging the region's existing expertise in healthcare.
“Being the home to the best medical centers in Region I, the time is now for the trove of superior experiences in La Union to be taught to future doctors,” he added.
DMMMSU, the sole state university in La Union, awaits approval from the Commission on Higher Education to welcome its first cohort of medical students in the upcoming academic year.
The university has already secured partnerships, signing a memorandum of agreement with the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center as its base hospital in November 2023.
Additionally, Senator Imee Marcos led the groundbreaking ceremony for the College of Medicine Building in December 2022. (JCR/AMB/REB/PIA Region 1)
