TACLOBAN CITY – The University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) in Northern Samar may yet become the country’s second national university if a bill now pending before the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education is passed into law.

Tingog Party List Rep. Jude Acidre, principal author of House Bill No. 9414, said UEP could become a premier educational institution for sustainability studies, as it has demonstrated institutional leadership in sustainability education, environmental stewardship, green entrepreneurship, climate resilience, and community empowerment.

UEP started as Catarman Farm School in 1918 and underwent several name and status changes before becoming a state university on June 20, 1964, after then President Diosdado Macapagal signed Republic Act No. 4126, making it the first state university in the Visayas.

Acidre said that as the first state university in the Visayas, UEP has consistently demonstrated its commitment to accessible and quality tertiary education while addressing the socio-economic and environmental needs of Eastern Visayas and the nation.

If enacted into law, the measure would elevate UEP’s status from a state university to a national university. While a state university offers courses that meet the needs of a specific region, a national university is driven by national development, research, and top-tier academic standards.

The University of the Philippines remains the country’s sole declared national university, following the signing of Republic Act No. 9500 in 2008 by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Acidre said UEP has already institutionalized sustainability-oriented instruction, research, extension, governance, and community engagement programs.

“The university has also established several sustainability- and innovation-centered research facilities and programs, including the Center for Environmental Studies and Advocacy (CESA), the Research Center for Climate Change and Resiliency, the affiliated Renewable Energy Center, the University Technology Innovation Center, and research and extension initiatives dedicated to environmental protection, sustainable development, and green innovation,” Acidre wrote in his explanatory note to the bill.

He added that the bill aims to strengthen the university’s capacity to advance sustainability-centered higher education, expand research and innovation initiatives, promote environmentally responsible development practices, foster global academic linkages, and produce graduates equipped to address contemporary environmental and developmental challenges.