Senator Joel Villanueva on Saturday lauded the upcoming launch of five new medical schools in state universities and colleges (SUCs), calling it a milestone for nationwide medical accessibility and healthcare development.
The development follows the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHEd) greenlighting of Doctor of Medicine programs across five state-funded institutions, scheduled to begin operations for the 2026-2027 academic year.
“This is a win for our youth aspiring to become doctors, for local communities, and for every Filipino who deserves quality healthcare,” Villanueva remarked.
The senator emphasized that the new schools successfully fulfill a vital national target, bringing medical education opportunities closer to distant provinces.
“With these five new approvals, the number of SUC medical schools has grown from 25 to 30, completing our goal of establishing a medical program in every region of the country,” he stated.
The institutions authorized by CHEd to provide the new medical curriculum are Visayas State University, Eastern Samar State University, the University of Eastern Philippines, Benguet State University, and the Cotabato State University-Cotabato Regional Medical Center School of Medicine.
Villanueva explained that this expansion strengthens the “Doktor Para sa Bayan Act,” a legislative measure designed to address the country’s severe shortage and uneven distribution of doctors through localized education.
He further noted that the program received a historic allocation of nearly ₱1.1 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, its highest funding level since the policy was implemented in 2021.
“This is not merely an investment in education- it is an investment in lives,” Villanueva said. “Every doctor we train means countless patients who will receive timely and quality medical care.”