The Committee on Higher and Technical Education at the House of Representatives on Monday approved in the first reading the proposed establishment of a College of Medicine at the North Eastern Mindanao State University (NEMSU) in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur.

In a statement on Tuesday, Surigao del Sur First District Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. welcomed the approval of the measure, saying that the proposed law will expand more opportunities in medical education and services to communities in the province.

Momo is the main author of the proposed measure, House Bill No. 2888, filed in Congress on August 4.

“To fully realize the potential of NEMSU, it needs to have a College of Medicine that will give the students in the Caraga Region another high-quality medical school, especially those deserving and qualified students who do not have the financial resources to go to private medical schools,” Momo said in the explanatory note of the proposed bill.

He added that establishing a medical school in NEMSU will offer excellent medical education and training to prospective doctors in the region and will address the shortage of physicians in the area.

In a separate statement, NEMSU President Nemesio Loayon said Momo’s measure has already passed three readings during the 19th Congress and was refiled by the solon in the 20th Congress.

“The establishment of the NEMSU College of Medicine aims to expand medical education opportunities in Caraga and address the region’s pressing need for more healthcare professionals, particularly in underserved and far-flung communities,” Loayon said. (PNA)