March 29, 2024

The management of Benguet State University is confident that a College of Medicine will be launched this year.
BSU Executive Assistant Andres Lampacan reported during the university’s 36th charter anniversary that the provincial government, the Office of the Congressman, and the various local governments in the province have offered their support to BSU’s plan of offering Medicine course. 
“The intention is there. The support is there. We will just push for it, praying that those support would be translated into something that would be there for the opening of the program and for the program to start very well,” Lampacan said.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Imelda Degay said the College of Medicine was already approved in the university-level and is currently being reviewed by the academic committee of the board of regents, which governs the affairs of BSU.
Degay said the committee has to examine the completeness of the proposal such as the curriculum before presenting it to the board.
Lampacan said the establishment of the college is timely that is why they are confident the board would approve the plan.
He said there are no buildings constructed yet for the program but they will make use of existing facilities.
Gov. Melchor Diclas has committed the Benguet General Hospital as the institution’s partner in launching the college.
Diclas said the provincial government continues to offer scholarship grants for deserving students with one slot per municipality under its “study now, pay later” program.
Once approved, BSU will be the first state university in the Cordillera that will have a College of Medicine.
This is in time with the passage of Republic Act 11509 or the Doktor para sa Bayan Law signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in May 2021, which establishes a medical scholarship and return service program for students in state universities and colleges. – Ofelia C. Empian