MAGALANG, Pampanga—Gov. Lilia G. Pineda on Tuesday said she wants more infrastructure support for state universities and colleges (SUCs) as she led the inauguration of a P20-million building at the Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU) campus here.
In her speech, Pineda said there is now a need to support the government’s initiative for free college education for all by giving more infrastructure projects that can accommodate more classrooms and students.
Pineda issued the remark as she addressed Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Prospero E. de Vera III who represented Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the event.
“Commissioner, I laud the recent approval into law of the free tuition bill, which should also go hand in hand with the construction of more classrooms on a nationwide scale. We should anticipate a rise in student population count with the implementation of the new tuition law,” Pineda said
The governor also said she was assured by Speaker Arroyo that funds for the building of more infrastructure for SUCs will be included in next year’s budget.
De Vera announced that under RA 10931, the CHED has added 78 local universities and colleges that are now ready to provide free tuition and miscellaneous fees, including local universities in Mabalacat and Angeles cities starting June of this year.
For his part, Dr. Honorio M. Soriano Jr., PSAU president, said the new building is part of the university’s effort to achieve entrepreneurial agriculture as a driver for exclusive economic growth in the communities.
“We have to make agriculture as an enterprise…and that is why we are making agriculture as an active economic driver to achieve inclusive growth in our rural communities,” he said. “So this will serve as legacy of our beloved governor because she is passionate in agriculture,” Soriano added.
He also thanked Pineda for authorizing PSAU to prepare an agricultural modernization program for the province of Pampanga, which was already approved by the provincial board and now ready for implementation.
Soriano said that under the Pampanga Agricultural Modernization Program, “we were able to come up with this platform of modernization because we realize Pampanga is one of the leading provinces because of its strategic location.”
“This is the reason why we celebrate this thanksgiving day we have a lot of things to thank for,” he said.
Also present during the event were Mayor Malu P. Lacson and Vice Mayor Norman Lacson, Mabalacat City Mayor Cris Garbo, and members of the provincial board.
The two-storey, 16-room infrastructure was funded by the provincial government.