Iloilo city: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos led the inauguration of the four-story College of Law (COL) Building I of the West Visayas State University (WVSU) in Iloilo City's La Paz district on Friday. The project is an initiative of First Lady Liza, who also served as one of the professors of 17 of the 25 graduating Batch Daguob (Thunder). They were joined by Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, WVSU President Dr. Joselito Villaruz, and COL Dean lawyer Ian Thomas Besana.
According to Philippines News Agency, during the inauguration, the President and the First Lady inspected the moot court and mini auditorium on the building's fourth floor, the ready-to-use classrooms on the second floor, and the facilities on the ground floor. The project, which started on March 5, 2024, involved the construction of a 3,456-square-meter area that includes six theater-type, air-conditioned classrooms, two moot court rooms, arbitration rooms, a library, a legal clinic, conference rooms, and other essential amenities.
Dizon, in an interview, said he was happy with the quality of the building, adding that it is important for the public to realize that it is the kind of infrastructure and facilities Filipinos deserve, and not substandard. "Our students here in WVSU deserve facilities like this na maganda. Magagawa natin ito pag ang pera natin hindi ninanakaw, kasi kung ninakaw wala kang magagawa. Pagka maayos ang pagkagawa, then people get what they deserve. Kaya naman pala. We just have to do this everywhere, all the time," he said.
The second building, which is situated just behind the newly inaugurated building, is targeted for completion by the end of this year or early next year. Each building costs PHP400 million, but Dizon said they were able to save, bringing the total cost to less than PHP800 million. The President and the First Lady were received by Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr, Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Tre±as and Iloilo Vice Mayor Lady Grace Baronda.
Before the inauguration, President Marcos delivered his keynote address and witnessed the investiture of the academic hood and awarding of the diplomas to the graduating class during the COL 3rd Commencement Exercises. Meanwhile, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the establishment of the new four-story building for law students underscores the Marcos administration's commitment to expanding access to quality legal education and strengthening the country's justice sector.
"The investment builds on WVSU College of Law's growing reputation for excellence, highlighted by its 100 percent passing rate in the 2025 Bar Examinations," the PCO said in a statement. During the third commencement exercises of the WVSU College of Law at the WVSU Cultural Center, Marcos highlighted government support for education and legal infrastructure, noting the administration's continued investments in improving access to quality education and training facilities for future legal professionals.
Marcos cited the completion of the new WVSU College of Law building, which houses classrooms, moot courts, review room and other essential learning spaces intended to enhance academic and practical training for law students. He noted that this year's national budget has the largest allocation for the education sector, amounting to PHP1.345 trillion, equivalent to 4.36 percent of the country's gross domestic product.
"This administration recognizes that the strength of our justice system depends greatly on the quality of those who will serve within it. And that is why we continue to improve the field by investing in education and institutional reform," Marcos said.
