ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 28 March) – Sulu State College in Patikul its now Sulu State University.
Dr. Charisma Samparani-Ututalum, its first president, told MindaNews that Dr. Shirley Agrupis, chair of the Commission on Higher Education, announced during its 44th founding anniversary on Friday that SSC has complied with the requirements to be renamed Sulu State University (SSU).
“This transformation is more than a change in name. It is a commitment to broaden access to quality education and to nurture leaders who will contribute to the progress of Sulu and the entire Mindanao region,” Ututalum said.
“We are not only marking an institutional milestone, we are opening a gateway–a gateway for Sulu to be seen, heard, and understood beyond its shores,” Agrupis posted on her social media account.
The newly established SSU is mandated to provide higher technological, professional, and vocational instruction in science, agriculture, and industrial fields, alongside short-term technical and vocational courses. It will also promote research, advanced studies, and progressive leadership to strengthen regional development and empower local communities.
SSC was converted into a full-fledged state university by virtue of Republic Act 12296, which lapsed into law on September 15, 2025.
With SSC’s conversion into a university, Sulu now hosts two state-run universities: Sulu State University, the province’s first state university, and Mindanao State University which has a branch in Sulu.
“I am very happy that we have now two universities in the province of Sulu. This will serve our constituents to the best and will contribute not only to educational development but also to the socio-economic and sustainable peace in the province,” Chancellor Abdurahman Nagder of the Mindanao State University-Sulu told MindaNews.
Transforming SSC to SSU, he said, signifies that the province of Sulu “continues to move forward towards a more progressive community in the southern Philippines.”
Nagdate is a graduate of SSC. (Frencie L. Carreon / MindaNews)
