Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
by Miriam G.Desacada
Tacloban City–The House committee on higher and technical education, comprising 70 members, has approved two priority bills to establish full-fledged Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) campuses in Balangiga and Arteche municipalities.
House Bill No. 3135 (authored by Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales) proposes establishing 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 Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan. Rep. Gonzales noted that the approval of these measures marks a critical step toward expanding access to higher education across Eastern Samar.
These campuses will bring quality tertiary education within reach for thousands of families. No student should be forced to leave home just to obtain a college degree,” he said.
He emphasized that education is the most lasting engine of development, saying, “By bringing ESSU closer to the communities of Balangiga and Arteche, we strengthen the province’s human capital and prepare our youth to drive Eastern Samar’s long‑term progress.”
The approved proposals authorize the new campuses to offer technical‑vocational, undergraduate, and graduate programs in line with ESSU’s mandate, and to undertake research, extension services, and community‑development initiatives aimed at spurring growth in Eastern Samar and the rest of Region VIII.
Gonzales noted that the new campuses will reduce financial burdens on families who cannot afford to send their children to schools outside the province, while building a local pool of skilled professionals to meet regional development needs.
ESSU, Eastern Samar’s lone state university, currently serves nearly 25,000 students supported by 721 faculty members. Aside from its main campus in Borongan City, ESSU operates campuses in Can-avid, Guiuan, Maydolong, and Salcedo, as well as extension units in Balangiga and Arteche.
