ILIGAN CITY (PIA)--Senator Joel Villanueva is hopeful that Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) can soon join the league of state universities and colleges (SUCs) offering a medical program as part of the implementation of the Doktor Para sa Bayan Law.

Villanueva, who joined the virtual celebration for MSU-IIT's 53rd Charter Day, said they have allocated P803 million budget for the program alone and another P150 million as seed money for developing medical schools and other SUCs for this year.

"This level of funding will continue to grow as more and more SUCs like MSU-IIT take on the challenge of opening their doors to young people who want to pursue medicine," he said.

The Doktor Para sa Bayan seeks to boost the country's medical workforce by encouraging students to take up medicine. 

It sets up a medical scholarship and return service program which grants scholarships to deserving students aspiring to become physicians. 

Under this, the government will shoulder all expenses to send beneficiaries to medical schools provided that they will work in the country for the same number of years they were under the scholarship program. (APB/PIA-ICIC)