‘Lapse of judgment’: Lawmaker to retract bill renaming state university in Zambales

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March 17, 2026 | 9:00am

IBA, Zambales — A bill seeking to rename the President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU) to Zambales State University (ZSU) will be withdrawn by the author today, just one day after its filing, as the proposal drew vehement opposition from Zambales residents.

Zambales 2nd District Rep. Doris “Bing” Maniquiz said in her official Facebook page that she will pull out House Bill 8520 filed on Monday, March 16, and apologized for what she described as “lapse of judgment.”

“Ako po ay humihingi ng paumanhin patungkol sa panukalang batas na aking inihain kanina. Ito po ay aking ire-retract first hour tomorrow morning (I ask for apology regarding the bill I filed earlier. I will retract it first hour tomorrow morning),” she said in her post late Monday night.

“Ang isinubmit ko pong panukalang batas ay isang lapse of judgement. Muli, ako po ay humihingi ng paumanhin (Submitting the bill was a lapse of judgement. Again, I ask for apology),” she added.

She also expressed her high respect for President Ramon Magsaysay, the late Gov. Vic Magsaysay, and the late Congressman Antonio Diaz, who was the late president’s nephew. 

Maniquiz announced the filing of H.B. 8520 on Facebook Monday afternoon, calling it “a step forward for identity, pride, and the future of higher education in Zambales.”

Pointing out that 92 percent of State-funded universities and colleges across the country are named after their location, she said adopting the name Zambales State University “aligns the institution with national standards and provides immediate geographical context, enhancing its brand distinctiveness.” 

“The proposal also restores the institution’s historical roots, as its (main) Iba campus was originally known as the Zambales Trade School. At the same time, the bill recognizes its satellite campuses to strengthen institutional support and ensure proper staffing,” Maniquiz further explained.

Maniquiz said she filed the bill “after extensive discussions and consultations,” with more than 90 percent of survey respondents both agreeing that it was time to rename the university and that the proposal expressed pride in the Zambaleño identity.

The proposal, however, drew serious backlash from residents who saw the move as a dishonor to the legacy of President Ramon Magsaysay, a beloved Zambaleño who was the country’s seventh president.

Within hours after Maniquiz announced her bill on social media, netizens flooded the comment section with criticisms describing the bill as “useless” and “bastos” (disrespectful), and calls for the legislator to focus on proposals to further improve Zambales.

Several commenters also saw the irony in filing the bill when Zambales observes a holiday today, March 17, to commemorate the 69^th death anniversary of President Magsaysay. The former President died in a plane crash in Cebu on March 17, 1957 at the age of 49.

The President Ramon Magsaysay State University traces its beginnings to a vocational school established in 1913. Originally administered by Americans, it was called Iba Farm School before its conversion into a provincial trade school in 1919.

Since then, it took on several names: Zambales Trade School in 1933; Western Luzon School of Arts and Trades in 1953; Zambales School of Arts and Trades in 1957; and Ramon Magsaysay Memorial School of Arts and Trades in 1961 in honor of the provinces’ greatest son.

In 1998, it became the Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (RMTU) under Republic Act No. 8498, and eight years later underwent the latest name change through Republic Act No. 11015, which expanded its course offerings and renamed the RMTU to the present PRMSU.