Sulu State College deserves to become a state university

Republic Act 12296, converting Sulu State College into the Sulu State University, quietly passed into law on Sept. 15, 2025, without the usual signing ceremonies and announcement from the President.

For many who have never been to Sulu, this may be seen as one of the numerous conversion laws passed by Congress to transform state colleges into state universities to generate additional resources for the university, or worse, to allow local politicians to claim that they had accomplished something during their term.

But the conversion of Sulu State College is different.

In the southernmost reaches of the Philippine archipelago, Sulu has long been a land of paradoxes: breathtaking beauty, deep isolation, vibrant cultures and persistent civil strife.

I was in Sulu three times when I was CHED chairman. My first trip involved a six-hour speedboat ride from Zamboanga City to Jolo to join Rep. Samier Tan ride through Jolo, Maimbung and Indanan to talk to students in the Padyak Claiming Victory for Free Higher Education.

I traveled around the island with my former NCPAG student, Colonel Taharudin Ampatuan, and saw the poverty that still affects the province due to decades of civil conflict. The question on our minds was: how can we help Sulu?

I also rode a bicycle with Major General Ignatius Patrimonio to the former rebel camp on Timpook Lake and attended the signing ceremony between SSC and Patikul Mayor Kabir Hayudinto to launch the nursery and demonstration farm project for more than 1,000 Abu Sayyaf members who have returned to their communities.

Sulu is peaceful and beautiful. Through the combined efforts of Gov. Sakur Tan and law enforcement authorities led by General Patrimonio, the peace and order situation has improved and economic activities have picked up.

Sulu State College has always made a difference. It is a public higher education institution that gives hope to the 6,281 enrolled students to get affordable, quality education. A third of its students are the first in their families to go to university. Only 24 percent of applicants can be accommodated by the college. It is difficult to be admitted to SSC, but for the lucky few who make it, the state college is their only hope for a better life.

Many state colleges were converted into state universities even when they were not fully prepared to meet CHED quality assurance requirements.

The case of SSC is different. Much of the groundwork had already been laid before the conversion under the leadership of president Charisma Ututalum and the legislative efforts of Rep. Tan, who filed House Bill No. 9334.

While the bill was still being discussed in Congress, SSC had already achieved a 100 percent Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) across all academic offerings. This milestone, rare even among established state universities, ensures that every degree program meets the CHED standards for curriculum, faculty credentials, facilities and learning outcomes.

RA 11296 will allow SSU to expand its capacity for advanced instruction, research and outreach in agriculture, engineering, education and other fields critical to provincial and regional development.

It is more than a formal change in status – it is a declaration of hope, investment and responsibility for the marginalized, for the students who dream and for a region that has often felt left behind.

SSC has already achieved several ‘firsts’ in the region. It became the first institution in Sulu to be ISO 9001:2015 Certified for its Quality Management System. It is also the first HEI in the BARMM to be recognized under the World Universities with Real Impact (WURI) ranking.

Through careful resource management and planning, the college has established a new Nursing Skills Simulation Laboratory and a state-of-the-art speech laboratory that uses technology to enhance student communication and technical skills.

The college has forged partnerships with Universiti Malaya on halal research, with Pangasinan State University on salt production and with UP on public service and community engagement.

The story of Sulu has long been about students leaving home for universities that offer them professional and scientific opportunities. The transition from SSC to SSU is driven by the hope that more students will study, stay and contribute to their communities.

It also envisions a future where the province and the BASULTA region can rely on public universities to develop expertise in local needs, such as coastal resource management, marine biology and education in conflict-affected zones.

What is happening in Sulu State College gives us reason for optimism. A forward-looking president, committed local politicians and faculty that believe in quality assurance and internationalization are rare ingredients in many public universities.

If all goes well, SSU can become more than just a regional university; it can serve as a model for how higher education in the periphery can be anchored in community, research and equitable opportunity.

In the mosaic of Philippine higher education, the transformation of SSC is one of the most significant emerging stories. It reminds us that change is possible even under difficult circumstances – that the margins can become centers, not by ignoring their challenges, but by facing them head-on. The South is rising, and SSU is proof that with vision, courage and teamwork, education can become a force that reshapes not just individual lives but entire regions.

It is now time to give Sulu its own state university.