Abra lone district Rep. JB Bernos has expressed his optimism for the youth of his province after the Abra State Institute of Science and Technology officially became the University of Abra.
“Pagkatapos ng ilang taong pagsisikap, napagtagumpayan na natin ang pagkakaroon ng unang state university sa mahal nating lalawigan. I believe this will pave the way for Abra to continue producing highly skilled and well-educated graduates,” Bernos said.
UA is the province’s first and only university, and the fifth state university in the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Bernos spearheaded the legislative push for the institution’s conversion to a university through House Bill No. 2652 in 2019. The measure was eventually signed into law on July 23, 2021.
The lawmaker acknowledged the difficulty that ASIST encountered to meet requirements set by the Commission on Higher Education before it could officially become a university.
Bernos also called on UA’s students to “serve the people.”
“Sagot ng bayan ang inyong edukasyon—ang hinihingi lang natin ay mag-aral kayo nang mabuti at paglingkuran sana ninyo ang inyong mga kailian,” he said.
The UA currently has 38 academic programs — 30 undergraduate, five master’s and three doctoral — and has more than 8,000 students. The Lagangilang-based university also has satellite campuses in Bangued and La Paz, with another planned in Pilar.
