Press Release - Senator Pia Cayetano Champions Medical Education with Visit to WVSU College of of Medicine

ILOILO CITY - Senator Pia S. Cayetano visited the West Visayas State University (WVSU) yesterday, November 27, to see first-hand the ongoing construction of two buildings for its College of Medicine, a project she supported through her initiatives as Senior Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance. One of the buildings will house the state-of-the-art skills and simulation laboratory, while the other building will provide additional learning spaces as more students are encouraged to take up a medical degree, following the passage of the Doktor Para Sa Bayan Act. University President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz and Dr. Victor A. Amantillo Jr., Dean of the College of Medicine, toured the Senator around the said facilities.

Throughout the Senator's tenure overseeing both health and education budgets in the Senate, Cayetano has championed several initiatives to expand WVSU's capacity to admit more students into their medical degree program, including constructing additional buildings, improving facilities, modernizing laboratories, and enhancing student programs. These efforts align with the Senator's broader advocacy of strengthening medical education across the Philippines.

"We've spent over a billion pesos supporting medical education projects through the Seed Fund in just a few years," Cayetano shared, reflecting on the progress since she first handled the budget for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs). Since 2021, this initiative has prioritized funding for both new and existing medical SUCs to increase their carrying capacity and enhance their facilities. The program ensures medical students have access to quality infrastructure and resources necessary for their professional development in healthcare.

"This represents our commitment to building a stronger healthcare system by investing in both facilities and future medical professionals" Senator Cayetano explained, adding that similar support is also being provided to students of allied health courses.

In addition to the Seed Fund and support for increasing the carrying capacity of existing medical SUCs, Cayetano's initiatives also include budgetary support for operations of newly approved medical SUCs.