Conversion of West Visayas State College in Iloilo City Into a University, etc.

January 27, 1986

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 2019

CONVERTING THE WEST VISAYAS STATE COLLEGE IN ILOILO CITY INTO A UNIVERSITY TO BE KNOWN AS THE WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY AND INTEGRATING THE ILOILO NATIONAL COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF LAMBUNAO, PROVINCE OF ILOILO INTO THE UNIVERSITY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

WHEREAS, the Philippines is committed to the growth and development of its educational system;

WHEREAS, the West Visayas State College established under RA 4189, as amended, started as the Iloilo Normal School in 1924 has, since then, or for a period of 62 years, dedicated itself to the achievement of the educational goals of an institution of higher learning in the Philippines: instruction, research and extension;

WHEREAS, West Visayas State College has been offering university level courses such as nursing, medicine, agriculture, forestry, liberal arts, education, graduate and post graduate courses in education and, from the time of its founding, has always been the center of academic excellence in the Western Visayas region;

WHEREAS, the Iloilo National College of Agriculture is a premier agricultural school in the Western Visayas with adequate resources for agricultural expansion and research;

WHEREAS, the establishment of a regional state university in Western Visayas will be in response to the current thrust of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of establishing regional state universities in order to provide linkages with other agencies and institutions of learning for the purpose of achieving national and developmental goals;

WHEREAS, the conversion of WVSC into the West Visayas State University will fill the pressing need of Region VI for a university that will provide quality education at reasonable costs;

WHEREAS, the West Visayas State University will also decongest the already over-crowded Metro Manila universities and minimize drop-outs as well;

WHEREAS, in line with existing development plans the West Visayas State University will hasten the socio- economic development of the region.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree to be part of the laws of the land: cd

SECTION 1. The West Visayas State College in the City of Iloilo is hereby converted into a university to be known as the West Visayas State University, hereinafter referred to as the University.

SECTION 2. The Iloilo National College of Agriculture situated in the Municipality of Lambunao, Province of Iloilo, is hereby integrated into the University.

SECTION 3. The University shall be governed by a Board of Regents, hereinafter called the Board, whose composition shall be in accordance with Presidential Decree Numbered Fourteen Hundred and Thirty-Seven. The presidents of the faculty organization and of the alumni association shall likewise be members of the Board.

SECTION 4. The incumbent President of the College shall continue to serve as the President of the University until the expiration of her term of office as provided for in P.D. No. 1437.

SECTION 5. The University shall continue to offer university level courses it is presently offering and such other courses as the Board may subsequently approve.

SECTION 6. The University shall have the same aims, powers, rights and privileges and obligations and responsibilities prescribed in the laws creating the West Visayas State College and the Iloilo National College of Agriculture and those provided for in P.D. No. 1437 and other pertinent laws not otherwise herein repealed and/or amended.

SECTION 7. All funds, records, properties and assets and all obligations of West Visayas State College and of the Iloilo National College of Agriculture are hereby transferred to the University.

SECTION 8. The Board shall, with the approval of the Minister of Budget and Management, adopt a staffing pattern for the University; Provided, however, that no officer or employee of the West Visayas State College and of the Iloilo National College of Agriculture shall be separated from the service except for cause; Provided, finally, that any such officer or employee may be given another position of the same compensation and privileges in the University.

SECTION 9. All laws inconsistent with the provision of this Decree are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

DONE in the City of Iloilo, this 27th day of January, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Six.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 82 No. 6 Page 922 on February 10, 1986.