First medical school in La Union to be established in Agoo

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — The first medical school in La Union province will soon be established at the state-run Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) in Agoo town after the Commission on Higher Education gave its approval, La Union second district Representative Dante Garcia said on Sunday, Oct. 23.

The medical school in DMMMSU will start accepting enrollees this December for school year 2023 to 2024, said Garcia.

Last August, Garcia authored House Bill 2807 which provided for the building of a medical school in the province. It was subsequently approved by the House committee on higher and technical education last September.

When he was pushing for the bill, Garcia cited the lack of a medical school in La Union despite it being “considered the capital” and “home to the best medical centers” in the Ilocos region.

“The existence of a medical school in La Union will allow prospective doctors to get their training at the best medical centers in the region,” added Garcia.

He also noted that the lack of a medical school in the center of Region I “unduly deprives the residents of La Union easy access to medical education.”

The representative hoped that the rise of a medical school in the province would also address the shortage of doctors in the country.

Garcia’s proposed act also aims to provide scholarships to “poor but deserving students” who qualify for admission to the medical school.

He added that a budget of P180 million was allocated for the construction of the medical school’s building while P120 million was set aside for its operations.

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