(AGRIPRENEURSHIP BUILDING. Gov. Lilia G. Pineda beams after turning over P20-M building the Capitol donated to the Pampanga State Agricultural University during the unveiling of the marker by PSAU president Honorio Soriano, along with CHEd commissioner Prospero de Vera, Mayor Malu Lacson, VM Norman Lacson and board members Fritzie David-Dizon, Cherry Manalo and Gabriel Moshe Lacson, SK federation president. Photo by Bong Lacson)
MAGALANG, Pampanga – Gov. Lilia G. Pineda on Tuesday vowed to give more infrastructure support to state universities and colleges (SUCs) as she led the inauguration of a P20-million building at the Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU) here.
In her speech, Pineda said there is now a need to support the government’s initiative of free college education for all by giving more infrastructure projects that can accommodate more classrooms and students.
Pineda made the remark as she addressed Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Commissioner Prospero De Vera who represented Speaker Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo in the event.
“Commissioner, maganda yung ginawa niyong batas na free tuition fee at miscellaneous, dapat po ngayon isabay natin ang maraming building at maraming classrooms nationwide dahil all over po yung ating mag aaral ngayon kase libre na,” Pineda said.
Pineda also said she was assured by Speaker Arroyo that funds for the building of more infrastructure for SUCs will be included in next year’s budget.
De Vera announced that under RA 10931, CHED has added 78 local universities and colleges that are now ready to provide free tuition fees and miscellaneous fees including local universities in Mabalacat and Angeles cities starting June of this year.
For his part, Dr. Honorio M. Soriano, Jr., PSAU president, said the new building is part of the university’s effort to achieve entrepreneurial agriculture as a driver for exclusive economic growth in the communities.
“We have to make agriculture as an enterprise and not only as a funding but soon be a business and that is why we are making agriculture as an active economic driver to achieve inclusive growth in our rural communities,” he said.
“So, this will serve as legacy of our beloved governor because she has a passion for agriculture.”
Soriano also thanked Pineda for authorizing PSAU to prepare an agricultural modernization program for the province of Pampanga which was already approved by the provincial board and now ready for implementation.
Soriano said under the Pampanga Agricultural Modernization Program, “we were able to come up with this platform of modernization because we realize Pampanga is one of the leading provinces because of its strategic location.”
“This is the reason why we celebrate this thanksgiving day we have a lot of things to thank for,” he said.
Also present during the event were Magalang Mayor Malu P. Lacson and Vice Mayor Norman Lacson, Mabalacat City Mayor Cris Garbo, and members of the provincial board.
The two-storey, 16- room infrastructure was funded by the provincial government.
