Establishment of VSU Hilongos Campus gets initial approval from Congress

The House Committee on Higher and Technical Education approved House Bill 4292 which seeks to establish a satellite campus of the Visayas State University in Hilongos, Leyte on March 19, 2024, in a deliberation meeting held at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

Mainly introduced by Leyte Fifth District Congressman Carl Nicolas L. Cari, this House Bill is intended to serve students who are unable to travel far for a college education due to family obligations, financial constraints, or other factors paving a path towards an accessible and quality education for western and southern parts of the Leyte island.

This is also the first congressional appearance of newly appointed VSU President Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes exactly one week after being sworn in as the 7th Chief Steward of the university.

In a Facebook post by Congressman Cari, the young legislator expressed his excitement about the approval of his proposed bill.

“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Congressman Mark O. Go, Chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes, the newly appointed VSU President, and Mayor Manuel R. Villahermosa of the Municipality of Hilongos for their staunch support during the committee deliberation,” Congressman Cari wrote.

In response, President Yepes welcomed the addition of a brand new campus for the VSU system because of the growing national and global prominence of the institution. 

In an interview, the new VSU President responded that having a new campus at the university will mean a greater number of students that can be absorbed and admitted by the university making it a very inclusive move, especially for those students who have financial difficulties in traveling from far-flung communities for a quality tertiary education.

Dr. Yepes also thanked Congressman Cari for initiating many local legislations that will push for greater productivity and influence for the VSU system. 

The young solon is also credited for the approval of the establishment of a College of Medicine in VSU that has been approved into law by no less than Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. late last year.

Currently, the VSU system is composed of five campuses with the flagship campus located in Baybay City and component campuses in the towns of Alangalang, Isabel, Tolosa, and Villaba.

If realized, the Hilongos satellite campus of VSU will be strategically located to cater to the education needs of Area VB composed of the 5 towns of Inopacan, Hindang, Hilongos, Bato, and Matalom.

Hilongos, the gateway of the South to Cebu City, can also provide access to VSU to the greater parts of the province of Southern Leyte.

Hilongos Municipal Mayor Manuel R. Villahermosa is one of the staunchest supporters of this congressional bill so that a prominent state university can be situated in his town to push for greater progress through the provision of quality higher education.

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