ILOILO City — The newly inaugurated College of Law building at West Visayas State University (WVSU) is expected to strengthen legal education in Western Visayas and provide future law students with access to modern training facilities as the state university law program continues to expand.
The state-of-the-art facility, formally inaugurated on June 5 by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., is being positioned as a major investment in the development of future legal professionals and the improvement of access to affordable legal education in the region.
Located at the WVSU campus in La Paz district here, the new College of Law building spans 3,456 square meters and features six theater-style classrooms, two moot courtrooms, arbitration rooms, a legal clinic, conference rooms, and a comprehensive law library designed to support both academic instruction and practical legal training.
The project began on March 5, 2024 and was undertaken through the initiative of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, who also served as a professor for the College of Law’s graduating Class of 2026.
During the inauguration, President Marcos underscored the importance of providing future lawyers with modern learning environments and practical training opportunities.
He emphasized that the building’s facilities would enhance the educational experience of law students and better prepare them for future roles in the justice system, particularly through hands-on learning in the moot courtrooms where students can participate in simulated court proceedings.
The inauguration drew national and local officials, including First Lady Araneta-Marcos, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, WVSU President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz, WVSU College of Law Dean Atty. Thomas M. Besana, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. of Iloilo, and Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu and Vice Mayor Lady Grace Baronda of Iloilo City.
Established in August 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the WVSU College of Law is a pioneering state university law program in Western Visayas. The institution was created to make legal education more accessible to aspiring lawyers who may otherwise be unable to afford law studies in private schools.
The inauguration coincided with the commencement exercises of the College of Law’s Class of 2026, known as “Batch Daguob,” which produced 25 graduates./PN
