CONGRESS has earmarked over P1 billion in cumulative seed money to develop new schools of medicine in state universities and colleges (SUCs), Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, vice chairperson of the House committee on higher and technical education, said on Sunday.
“In the 2025 General Appropriations Law, Congress has added P150 million to the seed fund for the development of new colleges of medicine in SUCs,” Rillo said.
Rillo explained that the P150 million is in addition to the P275 million and P250 million allocated for the seed fund in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Congress first established the startup fund in 2021 with an initial allocation of P150 million, followed by another P250 million in 2022, according to Rillo, also a member of the House committee on appropriations.
“The seed money will support the new schools of medicine in our SUCs, helping them develop their capacity to provide instruction, acquire teaching materials, upgrade libraries, and build advanced laboratory facilities,” Rillo said.
Rillo said the 19th Congress has passed five laws creating new colleges of medicine in the following SUCs:
– Benguet State University in La Trinidad, Benguet
– Southern Luzon State University in Lucban, Quezon
– University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman, Northern Samar
– Visayas State University in Baybay City, Leyte
– Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in Agoo, La Union
“Congress is committed to fully developing our new schools of medicine in SUCs to enable the country to train and produce more physicians,” Rillo said.
“We need more physicians to meet the growing demand of Filipinos for improved health outcomes,” Rillo added.
Rillo has long championed greater public access to high-quality healthcare. Last year, he launched an ambulatory care center in his district that provides comprehensive, free health services to the public.
