Senate President and Vice Presidential candidate Vicente “Tito” Sotto III promised to find the means to aid Cebu Normal University (CNU) and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) for rehabilitation projects in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette.

 

After finding out that the two publicly funded institutions suffered damages, Sotto assured that he will find a budget for the recuperation.

 

“I visited the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center to look kasi may mga upgrades, tapos may mga nasira. The Cebu Normal University umabot ng P49 million ‘yong nasira na properties. So I instructed my political officer to talk to the committee of finance in the Senate so we will be able to give them the necessary budget,” Sotto said.

 

The vice presidential aspirant also expressed his gratification for the opening of Cebu Normal University – Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (CNU-VSMMC) College of Medicine (CM), the first state-funded medical school in Region VII.

 

The principal author of Republic Act (RA) 11509 or the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act of 2020 where deserving students will be able to study medicine for free and serve in government hospitals after graduating, Sotto stated that it is a “milestone” in his political career.

 

“I want more doctors for the country. I want more doctors than we have lawyers. Dapat kahit mahihirap pwede maging doktor,” Sotto shared.

 

During his visit in Cebu, Sotto led a meeting with CNU President Dr. Joselito B. Gutierrez, Dean of CNU-VSMMC CM Dr. Ma. Socorro Manaloto, and VSMMC hospital director Dr. Gerardo Aquino Jr. to talk about the concerns related to the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act.

 

Currently, CNU-VSMMC’s pioneering batch Primacordis is sharpening the skills of 31 medical students. §

Words by Lorille Antoinette Mata