ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat (PIA) -- The Sultan Kudarat State University (SKSU) College of Medicine will open in the province before the year ends, according to Gov. Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu, who informed his constituents recently of the status of the proposed medical school. 

The official noted that once the SKSU College of Medicine opens, it will expand educational opportunities for students and help strengthen the healthcare system not only in the province but also in the country. 

"We are really hoping that by this year, we will have the College of Medicine. Ito po ay magbubukas din ng iba't-ibang [This will also open to various] opportunities for us to have our very own medical practitioners," Mangudadatu said.  

He explained that House Bill (HB) 6771, or An Act Establishing a College of Medicine in Sultan Kudarat State University in Tacurong City, authored by First District Rep. Bai Rihan Sakaluran, already passed the second reading at the 19th Congress. 

Mangudadatu also highlighted the provincial government’s efforts to equip the youth with much-needed support and enable them to be part of nation-building. 

"We also have other scholarship programs to ensure [that SKSU] is upgraded at lalong [and more so] competitive ang SKSU and having eight campuses, kinakailangan ma-empower ang ating mga [there’s a need to empower our] students," Mangudadatu added. 

The move also earned the backing of Senator Imee Marcos in her recent visit to the province, who said there is a need to address the scarcity of medical field workers to serve communities, especially in far-flung areas.

"Investing in Sultan Kudarat State University and the youth is a true investment in the future," Senator Marcos pointed out.

On Feb. 27, the House Committee on Ways and Means approved tax provisions for HB 6771. 

Rep. JC Abalos of the 4Ps Party List, who is the principal sponsor of the HB, emphasized to the committee that the initiative is aligned with legislators’ commitment to enhance access to health services, particularly in rural and remote areas. 

Under Section 11 of the bill, the importation by the college of medical books or publications, medical equipment, or instruments that are for medical, laboratory, or scientific purposes shall, upon certification by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), be exempt from customs duties in accordance with the provisions of RA No. 10863, otherwise known as the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.” 

Also, the bill states that all grants, bequests, endowments, donations, and contributions made to and used directly and exclusively for educational purposes by the college shall be exempt from the donor’s tax, and the same shall be considered allowable deductions from gross income for purposes of computing the taxable income of the donor in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997. 

Following the approval of the tax provisions, Sakaluran expressed confidence that they are one step closer to realizing the dream of having a learning institution tasked with honing future medical professionals in this part of Mindanao. 

“Ito ay naglalayong mabigyang oportunidad ang mga estudyanteng gustong maging doktor o sa mamamayan natin sa karatig probinsya o rehiyon na gustong pasukin ang larangan ng medisina,” Sakaluran stated. 

[This aims to provide opportunities to our students who wish to become doctors or any of those in the neighboring province or region who would like to take up medicine.] 

According to her, the establishment of the SKSU College of Medicine is not only an investment in education and advancing good nutrition but also gives priority to the health and well-being of the people of Sultan Kudarat and the Soccsksargen region. 

Cagayan de Oro Second District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez also sought his fellow lawmakers’ support for the bill, adding that it is due for aspiring medical professionals in Sultan Kudarat to receive quality medical education and training in the comfort of their own province. 

Mangudadatu, Sakaluran, and Abalos, along with SKSU officials, recently visited the University of the Philippines-Manila (UPM) for a benchmarking activity. 

The visit aimed to identify best practices, explore innovative teaching methods of UPM in the field of medical education, and discuss future collaborations and partnerships with the university.

UPM Chancellor Michael Tee led the tour in and around the Department of Anatomy of the College of Medicine, the Clinical Simulation Laboratory, and the Department of Physiology. 

Once approved, the SKSU College of Medicine will be the first in the province and the third in the Soccsksargen region. (ORVR - PIA Region 12)