Duterte’s ‘gift’ to MIMAROPA

Awoman lawmaker has cheered President Duterte’s signing of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Sablayan Campus Act, branding it as a “gift” to the youth of the MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) region.

Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine “Nene” Ramirez-Sato, who principally authored the bill, expressed hope that the Republic Act 11056 or the PUP Sablayan Campus Act, which was signed into law by President Duterte on August 9, 2018, would help improve the access of youth of Occidental Mindoro and the MIMAROPA region “to free, and quality tertiary education.”

The law officially establishes the satellite campus of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in the town of Sablayan.

Sato, a former governor, noted that the six-year operation of a PUP Campus in the town of Sablayan was funded by the local government.

Because of its limited resources, the PUP Sablayan Campus is unable to reach its full potential as a satellite campus, she laments.

“With the establishment of PUP Sablayan Campus, we expect its operation to be fully funded by the national government through the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA),” she said.

Republic Act 11056 mandates the PUP-Sablayan Campus to offer graduate, undergraduate and shortterm technical-vocational courses within its areas of specialization and according to its capabilities, to meet the needs of the province and the MIMAROPA Region.