THE new San Rafael Campus of Bulacan State University (BulSU) located along Plaridel Arterial Bypass Road in barangay San Roque, San Rafael, Bulacan was formally inaugurated on December 14, 2022.
Dr. Cecilia N. Gascon, president of BulSU said that it is the only external campus of BulSU that was established by virtue of a statutory law as Republic Act 11329 which fully became law on April 22, 2019.
The allotted P200M budget for the construction of BulSU-San Rafael Campus facilities came from the 2021 National Budget. Additionally, another P100 million was funded for the auditorium being built within the said campus.
Third District Congressman Lorna Silverio, the proponent of said project together with San Rafael Mayor Cholo Violago graced the event and led the ribbon cutting ceremony during the inaugural activity.
Among the initially completed facilities that were inaugurated were the Campus Main Gate, Academic Buildings 1 and 2, Dedication Markers and the Campus Label.
The fully airconditioned identical Academic Buildings 1 and 2, both four-storeys have 20 classrooms each are expected to house 3,000-4,000 students while the Campus Auditorium is on the way to completion.
“San Rafael Campus will have its own students, separate and distinct from our Main Campus in Malolos. Actually, we have already admitted students, ngayon lang nasa Main Campus pa sila, pero by second semester, which will start by January or February, we will be bringing the students here, we will be holding classes dito na sa San Rafael”, Dr. Gascon shared.
“Right now, mayroon lang kaming tig-iisang section per program pero beginning next school year, we will be admitting two more sections per program”, she added.
Meanwhile, Congw. Silverio expressed her excitement and hopes of additional land donations so that the Campus may be further developed.
“Kasi we still need to put up other buildings to house the laboratories. Kasi magpapatayo pa kami ng ospital dito. Iyon ang dream ko, magkaroon kami ng isang ospital dito para ‘yon ang training hospital”, Congw. Lorna concluded.
As for the teaching force of the Campus, Prof. Gerald Hilario brought clarity to the issue. “Creative loading of the teachers, in the meantime na wala pa yung mga bagong faculty na iha-hire, ‘yong faculty sa Main Campus, we will be sort of exporting them, we will be delivering the expertise of our faculty from the Main Campus to San Rafael,” Hilario said.
Hilario added that transportation will be provided so that distance will not be a problem as they are reviewing the plan to have a free rides for the faculty members, non-academic personnel and even for the students as the campus is at the middle of a farmland but near the Plaridel Bypass Road with fast vehicles passing by.
It was learned that tricycles are prohibited on Plaridel Bypass Road and currently no passenger jeepneys traveling.
On the other hand, Mayor Violago will also provide “libreng sakay” for the students for them to be safer in going to and from the BulSU-San Rafael Campus in preparation for the opening of the 2023-2024 School Year.
The student population of San Rafael Campus is expected to triple; from 189 to around 600 starting next school year.
BulSU’s target is to open the medical course in this campus in the next three years for the future scholars of Doctor for the People Act or Republic Act 11509.
The San Rafael Campus is the sixth campus of the BulSU in the province. The first was the Malolos main campus built in 1904, Bustos Campus in 1976, Sarmiento Campus in San Jose Del Monte City in 1998, Meneses Campus in Bulakan in 2000 and Hagonoy Campus in 2011.
