Prof Popoy De Vera

The “Return Service Program” is the heart of the Act, but it demands surgical precision in ex*****on. Success depends on strategic matching – pairing graduates with the specific needs of their home provinces or underserved GIDAs.

It is not enough to “send a doctor;” we must ensure that the doctor’s specialty and language skills align with the community’s health profile to prevent burnout and maximize impact.

Sustaining the gains to provide doctors in GIDAS There were eight SUCs with medical schools when the Doktor Para sa Bayan law was passed in 2020.

Before the Doktor Para sa Bayan law, there were only eight public medical schools nationwide. Five were in Luzon (MMSU in Ilocos Norte, UNP in Ilocos Sur, CSU in Cagayan, UP Manila and BSU in Albay) and two were in the Visayas (West Visayas State University and UP Palo School of Health Sciences).

There was only one public medical school in all of Mindanao (MSU Marawi).

I told then president Duterte that CHED will correct this historical injustice against Mindanao during his term.

‘Doctor Para sa Bayan’ One of the most significant accomplishments of the Duterte and Marcos administrations is the enactment and implementation of RA 11509, the Doctor Para sa Bayan law, which expands access to medical education and provides scholarships and grants to medical students and schools.

What was once exclusive to big universities in Metro Manila is now gradually being made available to students, faculty and staff at the MarSU.

MarSU’s journey sends a strong message: building a smart campus is possible when university leaders and the academic community collaborate to think big, develop feasible proposals and implement projects effectively.

From the shores of Marinduque, MarSU is building a smart future, one student at a time.

Building smart campuses in public universities At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Congress passed the Bayanihan 2 law that allocated P3 billion for the Smart Campus Project to be implemented in state universities and colleges through the Commission on Higher Education.

The greatest achievement that will outlive all Presidents!

Free Higher Education!

Dahil sa iyo Mahal na Pangulo!

Happy Birthday!

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2026/03/14/2514101/safeguarding-our-native-pigs

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2026/02/21/2509347/when-and-how-do-we-improve-higher-education-curriculum

When and how do we improve higher education curriculum? EDCOM II executive director Karol Mark Yee has been making the rounds of media interviews, castigating the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for its slow updating of the curriculum of degree programs in higher education institutions (HEIs).

My column for this week. Please share...

Our failing high school education The recent EDCOM 2 Report, which screams, “Student proficiency rates plunge from 30 percent in Grade 3 to 0.47 percent in Grade 12,” has set politicians and education planners into a new round of finger-pointing.

My column for this week. Please share...

Dark clouds for Filipinos who want to study abroad The internationalization of Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) has been a major achievement of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) over the past decade.

My column for this week. Please share...

2026: Year of Chess in Education The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF) have officially declared 2026 as the Year of Chess in Education.

My column for this week. Pls share...

Education and justice that transforms Last week, I highlighted an excellent initiative happening in the Davao area – the College Education Behind Bars (CEBB). Dr. Aland Mizell and Atty. Susan Cariaga from the Social Entrepreneurship Technology and Business Institute worked with public universities and government agencies to create...

Super proud of how UPLB CAFS Dean D**g Angeles has implemented UP's public service mandate throught this project.

This started with a simple phone call I made to Chancy D**g De Vera Camacho Jr. to assist low performing SUCs in the agriculture licensure examination.

It has gotten better every year!

Kailangan madagdagan and mga D**g Angeles at D**g Camacho sa buong UP system! Mabuhay Kayo!