Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Her Excellency Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio met with representatives from the Far Eastern University (FEU) on 05 November 2022 to discuss the inaugural start of operations of the JPMC College of Health Sciences (JPMC-CHS), a joint venture between FEU, Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC), and Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd.
The delegation of FEU administrators was composed of the Vice President for Academic Development, Dr. Evangeline Bautista, Dean of the Institute of Health Sciences and Nursing, Dr. John Anthony Yason and Dean for Nursing, Moira Uy. Also present during the meeting were FEU faculty members currently deployed in the Sultanate headed by Dr. Rachelle Garcia.
Ambassador Tirol-Ignacio congratulated FEU on the successful establishment of JPMC-CHS as the number of enrollees in its nursing program far exceeded initial projections. Originally planning to accept 40 students in its initial year of operations, JPMC-CHS received more than two hundred (200) applications. Currently, fifty-four (54) students enrolled in the program as JPMC-CHS was not able to secure timely approval for an additional one hundred (100) slots.
Ambassador Tirol-Ignacio extended the Philippine Embassy’s support for the venture’s growth and expansion. FEU representatives expressed their appreciation for the
proposal to hold a cultural orientation for its JPMC-CHS personnel working and residing in Brunei and accepted the Embassy’s invitation to participate in next year’s Post Arrival Orientation Seminar organized by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO).
FEU entered into a private joint venture establishing the JPMC-CHS. The agreement was signed on 14 July 2022 by FEU President Dr. Michael Alba and Chief Finance Officer Juan Miguel Montinola, Minister of Health Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr. Haji Md Isham Bin Haji Jaafar, and Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr. Awang Haji Mohd. Amin Liew Bin Abdullah.
Offering basic nursing programs since October 2022, JPMC-CHS is the first healthcare learning institution of its kind in Brunei Darussalam and intends to expand into other fields of the health sciences. FEU will be deploying instructors and lecturers regularly each semester to Brunei based on the schedule of courses. The campus is located along Jalan Ong Sum Ping in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan and is expected to become fully operational by January 2023. END.
