HB09523: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COLLEGE OF MEDICINE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO-MAIN CAMPUS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF KABACAN, PROVINCE OF COTABATO, TO BE KNOWN AS THE “UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO-COLLEGE OF MEDICINE”, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
This House Bill establishes the "University of Southern Mindanao-College of Medicine" at the University of Southern Mindanao (USM)-Main Campus in Kabacan, Cotabato. The College is primarily mandated to offer a Doctor of Medicine Program, including an Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine (INTARMED) Program, with the goal of developing professional physicians to bolster the national healthcare system and address human resource development needs in Cotabato Province and Region XII. The College is also tasked with undertaking research and extension services and providing progressive leadership in these areas.
The governance of the College falls under the USM Board of Regents, and its administration is vested in the Dean of the USM Main Campus. The bill details the appointment process for the Dean and faculty, emphasizing non-discrimination in faculty appointments and adherence to established guidelines. It also includes provisions for scholarship programs and admission policies that support disadvantaged students, and grants the College academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Furthermore, the Act ensures duty and tax exemptions for medical books, equipment, and donations to the College, and confirms that necessary appropriations will be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.