NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. No. 1949
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23 MAR-1 P3:14
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Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A COLLEGE OF MEDICINE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF 
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES-CAGAYAN DE 
ORO CITY CAMPUS IN THE CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, PROVINCE OF 
MISAMIS ORIENTAL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE "UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES-COLLEGE OF 
MEDICINE", AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article II, Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution provides that "the State shall 
give priority to education." The Constitution further declares that the State shall 
protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and 
shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.
The University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTSP) 
was established by virtue of Republic Act No. 10919. The USTSP is a state university 
established through the amalgamation of the Mindanao University of Science and 
Technology (MUST) in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental and the Misamis 
Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology (MOSCAT) in Claveria, Misamis 
Oriental. Both campuses are located in Northern Mindanao, the Gateway to 
Mindanao, which offers a strategic locational advantage for the institution to train 
and develop students from all the other regions of Mindanao.
The bill seeks to create a USTSP-College of Medicine to address the shortage 
of physicians in the Region X. This will also give potential doctors in Northern 
Mindanao another high-quality medical school, especially those deserving and 
qualified students who do not have the financial resources to go to private medical 
schools.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
R. MARCOS


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
of fl)f jfeff-ftnry
23 MAR "1 P3--14
SENATE
RECEIVED BV.
1949
S.B. No.
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
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AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A COLLEGE OF MEDICINE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE 
AND TECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES-CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY
CAMPUS IN THE CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, PROVINCE OF MISAMIS
ORIENTAL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE "UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND 
TECHNOLOGY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES-COLLEGE OF MEDICINE", AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:
SECTION 1. Establishment - The is hereby established a medical school in the 
University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTSP)- Cagayan de Oro 
City Campus located in Cagayan de Oro City, Province of Misamis Oriental, which shall 
be known as the "University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines-College 
of Medicine!'.
SEC. 2. Genera! Mandate. - The USTSP - College of Medicine, hereinafter 
referred to as the "College", shall primarily offer a Doctor of Medicine Program, including 
Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine (INTARMED) Program, consisting of basic science 
and clinical courses, and using learner-centered and competency-based approach. The 
primary goal of the College shall be to develop a corps of professional physicians to 
strengthen the healthcare system of the country, as well as to respond to the human 
resource development needs of the Province of Misamis Oriental and Region X.
The College is also mandated to undertake research and extension services and 
provide progressive leadership in these areas.
SEC. 3. Governance. - Being an institution within the USTSP System, the 
governance of the College shall be vested in the Board of Regents of the USTSP, 
hereinafter referred to as the Board whose powers are defined under Republic Act No. 
10919, as amended, otherwise known as "An Act Establishing the University of Science


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and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTSP), Providing for the Amalgamation of 
the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Misamis Oriental State 
College of Agriculture and Technology (MOSCAT), and Appropriating Funds Therefor, 
and other applicable laws and regulations, unless otherwise provided or amended 
elsewhere in this Act.
SEC. 4. Administration. - The administration of the College shall be vested in 
the Chancellor of the USTSP-Cagayan De Oro City Campus insofar as authorized by the 
Board and the President of the University.
SEC. 5. The College Dean. - The College faculty shall be headed by a Dean who 
shall be appointed by the Board, subject to its guidelines on qualification and standards, 
and based on the recommendation of the Chancellor, following a process of consultation 
with the constituents of the College. The Dean shall render full-time service, serve a 
term of three (3) years, and may be reappointed to another term.
Within six (6) months of the effectivity of this Act, the Chancellor of USTSP- 
Cagayan De Oro City Campus shall constitute the Search Committee for the Deanship.
The powers and duties of the Dean of the College, in addition to those specifically 
provided for in this Act, shall include those usually pertaining to the Office of the Dean 
of similar state universities and colleges and those delegated by the Chancellor.
The salary of the Dean of the College shall be in accordance with Republic Act 
No. 11466 or the "Salary Standardization Law of 2019", and such other laws amendatory 
thereto, which may hereinafter be enacted, and shall be comparable to that being 
received by the Deans of similar educational institutions.
In case of a vacancy in the Office of the Dean by reason of death, compulsory 
retirement, resignation, removal for cause, or incapacity of the Dean to perform the 
functions of the office, the Board upon the recommendation of the Chancellor, shall 
designate an Office-in-Charge of the College, pending the appointment of a new Dean: 
Provided, That the Officer-in-Charge shall serve only during the unexpired portion of 
the term.
The Dean of the College shall be assisted by a College Secretary, who shall be 
appointed by the Board.
SEC. 6. The Faculty. - The Board shall appoint, upon the recommendation of 
the Chancellor and the nomination by the President of the University, the faculty 
members of the College: Provided, that no political belief, gender preference, cultural 
or community affiliation or ethnic origin, nor religious opinion affiliation shall be a matter 
of faculty members of the College: Provided, father. That said appointment shall be 
subject to guidelines, qualifications, and standards set by the Board: Provided, finally, 
That no member of the faculty shall teach for or against any particular church or
religious sect.


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SEC. 7. Scholarship Programs and Admission. - The College shall provide 
scholarships and other affirmative action programs to assist poor but deserving students 
who qualify for admission to the College.
No student shall be denied admission to the College by reason of gender, religion, 
cultural or community affiliation, physical disability, or ethnic origin.
SEC. 8. Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy. - The College shall 
enjoy academic freedom and institutional autonomy, pursuant to paragraph 2, section 
5 of Article XIV of the Constitution.
SEC. 9. Authority to Loan or Transfer Apparatus, Equipment or Supplies and 
Detail of Personnel. - Upon the recommendation of the chancellor and the request of 
the board, through its president, the heads of the bureaus and offices of the national 
government may loan or transfer to the college such apparatus, equipment or supplies 
as may be needed by it, and detail employees for duty therein when, in the judgement 
of the head of bureau or office, the apparatus, equipment, supplies or services of such 
employees can be spread without serious detriment to public service.
The employees so detailed shall perform such duties as required of them by the 
Dean of the College, and the time so served shall be counted as part of their regular 
service.
SEC. 10. Assets, Liabilities, and Personnel.- AW appropriations, assets, both real 
and personal, personnel, and records of the College, as well as its liabilities or
obligations, shall be titled or named after the USTSP.
All parcels of land belonging to the government to be occupied by the College 
shall be the property of the USTSP, and shall be titled under its name: Provided, that 
should the College cease to exist or be abolished or should such aforementioned parcels 
of land be no longer needed by the USTSP, the same shall revert to the concerned local 
government unit or to the Republic of the Philippines, as the case may be.
SEC. 11. Duty and Tax Exemptions. - The importation by the College of medical 
books or publications, medical equipment or instruments which 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 
Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the "Customs Modernization and Tariff Act
(CMTA)",
All grants, bequests, endowments, donations, and contributions made to and 
used actually, directly and exclusively for educational purposes by the College shall be 
exempt from donor's tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deduction 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, as amended.


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SEC. 12. Suppletory Application. - The provisions of Republic Act No. 8292, 
otherwise known as the "Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997", shall form part 
of this Act.
SEC. 13. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of 
this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SEC. 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the 
approval of this Act, the Board shall, in consultation with the CHED, issue the rules and 
regulations to fully implement the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 15. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any part or provision of this 
Act is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected 
are in full force and effect.
SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and 
regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act 
are deemed amended, repealed, or modified accordingly.
SEC. 17. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following 
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette and in at least two (2) newspapers 
of general circulation.
Approved,