Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
By MGD
Tacloban City–House Assistant Minority Leader and Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales has filed two priority bills seeking to expand access to higher education by establishing regular campuses of the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) in the municipalities of Balangiga and Arteche.
The neophyte Congressman said that House Bill No. 3135 calls the creation of the ESSU–Balangiga Campus, while House Bill No. 3136 seeks to convert the existing ESSU–Arteche extension unit into a full-fledged campus.
Both bills are co-authored by House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan.
“These measures are anchored on our constitutional duty to make quality education accessible to every Filipino. By upgrading the ESSU units in Balangiga and Arteche, we open more doors for our youth to pursue higher learning without leaving their hometowns,” Gonzales said.
“Education is the most sustainable form of development. By bringing ESSU closer to our people, we are investing in human capital that will drive Eastern Samar’s progress for generations,” Gonzales added.
As proposed, the new campuses will be authorized to offer technical-vocational, undergraduate, and graduate programs in line with ESSU’s mandate.
They will also undertake research, extension services, and community development initiatives to help spur growth in Eastern Samar and the wider Region VIII.
“The plan will ease the burden on families who cannot afford to send their children to schools outside the province, while also producing a homegrown pool of skilled professionals who can meet local development needs,” Gonzales said.
The lone state university in Eastern Samar, ESSU currently serves nearly 25,000 students with 721 faculty members.
Aside from its main campus in the provincial capital of Borongan City, ESSU operates campuses in Can-avid, Guiuan, Maydolong, and Salcedo, along with the extension units in Balangiga and Arteche.
