February 2018

The

BUzzette AN EXECUTIVE NEWSLETTER

Bicol University, Legazpi City Telefax No. (052) 480-0167 www.bicol-u.edu.ph

FEBRUARY 2018 | Vol. X Issue 2

issuu.com/thebuzzette_bicoluniversity

ISSN 2094-3991

facebook.com/BicolUniversity

PRESIDENT’S OUTBOX

February 14 this year – the day for loving and romance, happens to fall on an Ash Wednesday, a sacred holiday of obligation for our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters. This calls for both fasting and abstinence as a form of penance in preparation for the Lenten Season.

However, there are so many things in Bicol University that we cannot abstain from. We cannot abstain from our goal of achieving all the necessary Key Result Areas that will propel us to becoming a SUC Level 5. As educators, we cannot abstain from doing our best for our students. We cannot abstain from being the best version of ourselves, here in Bicol University and in our own world. There are just some things that are nonabstainable.

But we can abstain from apathy and indifference. If we cannot relate to the vision that we have set for the University, then we will become indifferent and apathetic to the thrusts and directions that we are meant to collectively take.

We can abstain from dispassionate treatment of our daily tasks and fast from our sense of entitlement over and above everything else that we think the world owes us; or that we deserve.

Let this Season of Love remind us always to place passion and compassion at the heart of everything we do; that we may become more and more the image of the person we are all meant to become.

Happy Heart’s Day, my Bicol University family!

News | P7

PCARI PRIME grants video conferencing package to BUCS CSIT Dept

(L-R) IRO Director Dimson Rivero, BUGS Dean Antonio Payonga, VPRDE Victor Soliman, VPAA Helen Llenaresas, and BU President Arnulfo Mascariñas represented Bicol University in the 1st UK-Philippines TNE Conference and Education Fair held last February 16-17, 2018 at Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City.

Bicol U among 10 PH univs in 1st UK-Phil confab, education fair

T

o share insights, discuss opportunities for internationalisation and Transnational Education (TNE) in the Philippines, key players in the higher education and industry sector including Bicol University, joined in the First UK-Philippine TNE Conference and Education Fair on February 16-17, 2018 at Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City.

The UK-Philippine Education Fair featured briefing sessions on the postgraduate degrees and short master class sessions around themes. Sessions aimed to provide prospective students to have a glimpse of the kind of topics and discussions that the postgraduate degrees will be covering.

Moreover, booths which showcased the Philippine-UK postgraduate degrees provided prospective students opportunities to further inquire about the programme details and enrolment eligibility requirements.

The other participating schools are the following: Ateneo De Manila University, Central Luzon State University, De La Salle University - Manila, Miriam College, Saint Louis University, Silliman University, University of San Carlos, University of Santo Tomas, and UP - Diliman and Los Baños.

Meanwhile, BU and University of Liverpool will offer a Dual Degree Program dubbed as MSc in Sustainable Food Systems.

BUCM’s ATLAS adjudged as one of 10 outstanding med stude orgs

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he Anatomy Teaching and Learning Academic Society (ATLAS), a student organization of BU College of Medicine was proclaimed as one of the Ten Outstanding Medical Student Organizations of the Vanessa Sta Ana and Carmela Tambuson receive the Philippines for AY 2017-2018.

BUCM ATLAS’ award as one of the Ten Outstanding Medical Student Orgs in the Philippines for AY 2017-2018.

Column | P3

Leadership with Empathy | Depression among the young

News | P6

Sigma Lambda Chi conducts ‘Chiron Gives Back’

ATLAS | P6

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EDITORIAL The BUzzette

EDITORIAL

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Empower People

ower is always with the people.

That is why we have kingdoms with a king or queen. A nation with a president; a province with a Governor; a city or municipality with a Mayor; a barangay with a Captain; a College with a Dean; and, a University with a President.

A Leader is nothing without a people.

Power rests on the people. Otherwise, there would be no “majority” votes.

Kingdoms and governments have been dissolved through the sheer collective might of the people. Despots and dictators have been overthrown because the people finally decided that enough is enough. Revolutions are born from the masses.

Every Filipino should always be reminded that the freedom we are enjoying now and the perks of a free press are gifts handed down to this generation through the First Quarter Storm that culminated in the three heady and glorious days of the Filipinos’ shining moment – the People Power revolution; when the world finally noticed the grit and courage of the Filipinos.

We celebrate 31 years of the People Power Revolution. So much has changed.

So many more needs to be changed. As a State University in the Bicol Region that is home to 16, 974 scholars, it is Bicol University’s primary duty to educate the young minds and budding leaders that enter our pillars to think critically, to view society with the aim of making this world a bit better, to pursue excellence at all cost and in all areas without negating the spark of conscience and humanity that resides in each soul; to work for social

transformation and continue the legacy of those who came before them.

Nothing beats empowering people than educating them.

Transform Lives To educate is to change for the better.

The taste of change may be “bitter,” but if it leads us to making things “better,” then education has worked for us.

Empowering people is freeing them from strategic incompetence – that simple art of avoiding certain tasks by pretending one does not know how to

do it. Alvin Toffler said that “the illiterates of the future are not those that cannot count, read, or write. They are those that cannot learn, unlearn, and re-learn.”

Countless stories abound of how lives have been transformed through knowledge, information, and sound education. When man first learned how to build a fire, and then demonstrated to the other clans how to do it, that simple act, was enough to transform their lives; and with it, the history of the world.

Empower people; transform lives.

That is education. That is Bicol University.

The Buzzette is now on issuu! issuu.com/thebuzzette_bicoluniversity

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AN EXECUTIVE NEWSLETTER EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Dr. Renelyn E. Bautista Associate Editor Gladys Serafica Circulation Manager Mary Ann M. See Writer/Layout Artist/Photojournalist Joshua Caleb P. Pacleta Contributors Mark Banay, Maxinne Raneses CPRO, Rowena F. Zoilo/EMD, Jonalyn Cortezano/TC Editorial Consultants Dr. Helen M. Llenaresas & Dr. Reina O. Habalo Overall Consultant/Publisher Arnulfo M. Mascariñas, Ph.D.

A World-Class University Producing Leaders and Chan

3

COLUMN The BUzzette

Leadership with Empathy The world is fast changing... and everything is changing.

These changes are affecting even the very social fiber of our society, specifically on the well-being and relationships of people in the organization. An organization is made up of people and people are the prime movers in the attainment of an organization’s goals. Therefore, the people is at the heart of everything in any organization. This was affirmed by Henry Ford when he said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

But today’s leaders should understand that changes in the society also change the values and perspectives of people. This has a direct impact among leading organizations today. This is also the cause of unsound relationship that leads to multiple blunders and worse missed expected targets of the organization. Yafang

Vantage Point Gladys S. Serafica The statistics are alarming: The 2016 data from the National Poison Management and Control Center (NPMCC) of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), revealed that forty-six percent of the total suicide cases in the Philippines recorded since 2010 come from the youth sector—with children as young as 10-years-old committing suicide because of depression.

Even more staggering, however, is the fact that in 2012, NPMCC also reported that seven Filipinos commit suicide every day, with one death every three and a half hours.

In a predominantly Christian country, it is hard to fathom why Filipinos, especially the youth, would contemplate and even commit suicide given that the instinct to survive is at the core of human

Voices

Tsai once said that, “When the interaction between the leadership and people in the organizaBB Benjamin Nebres III Dean, Office of the Student Affairs & Services tion is good, the latter will make a greater contribution to team communication and collabora- hind. It is a human nature...it’s a tion, and will also be encouraged social milieu. To thrive in today’s to accomplish the mission and fast paced environment, organization. They have access to critical information and applicants, Today’s leaders should and they are motivated and proud be optimistic and positive to handle their responsibilities in dealing with people in the well if leaders will treat them as organization because they humane as possible. Listening is cannot seem to leave and an essential skill that every leader forget their personal adversities must learn to understand what it and misfortunes behind is all about being humane.

Today, every leader is exobjectives assigned by the orga- pected to understand human dinization, thereby enhancing job mensions and situations as it has an impact in the total delivery and clientele satisfactions.”

Today’s leaders should be of positive organizational outoptimistic and positive in deal- comes. They are also meant to ing with people in the organiza- improve the lives and well-being tion because they cannot seem of their people. Thus, leadership to leave and forget their personal mean leading to positively lead adversities and misfortunes be- themselves.

“ “

Depression among the young nature.

In her book, Anatomy of Suicide, Vimal Chandra Pandey said that “children are...much more likely to come into contact with potential rescuers

“

In a predominantly Christian country, it is hard to fathom why Filipinos, especially the youth, would contemplate and even commit suicide given that the instinct to survive is at the core of human nature.

“

in the school than they are in other community settings.” That is why, it is imperative that schools strengthen suicide prevention programs to reduce the likelihood of occurrence of self-harm and the intentional killing of oneself.

Through proactive strategies such as early identification and intervention among students with suicidal ideation

nge Agents for Social Transformation and Development.

or behavior, schools can play a vital role in addressing this growing public health issue.

At Bicol University, suicide prevention policies are in place as part of a comprehensive approach to ensure the well-being of its students. The College Guidance Office, for example, provides counselling services and even requests faculty members to identify potentially suicidal students.

Suicide is a complex phenomenon.

It is rarely caused by a single event or factor, thus there is a need to heighten public awareness on this oftentimes taboo topic to enable people to recognize the warnings signs that indicate suicide risk. Given that it is the second leading cause of death among the 15-29 age bracket globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2017, consolidated efforts must be made to ensure that no one would end up as just another suicide statistic.

FEAT

The BU

Bicol University qualifie of British Council, CHED o

By Anacito Dematera and April Mier | BUCA

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icol University has qualified from the standards set by the British Council and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as partner higher education institution (HEI) of the Transnational Education (TNE) program to commence this September 2018.

BU is one of the three state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the country that entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for TNE implementation. Seven more private HEIs qualify the program. The other SUC qualifiers are Central Luzon State University (CLSU) and University of the Philippines (UP).

The MOA was signed during the First UKPhilippine TNE Conference and Education Fair held on February 16-17, 2018 at Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Manila.

The program is among the 18 degrees that are not offered in Philippine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) which will be offered by 10 universities in the country and 9 universities in UK, jointly funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Joint Development of Niche Programmes (JDNP) through the Philippine Linkages of the British Council.

The JDNP through the Philippine-UK linkages aims to provide capacity and funding support to selected Philippine HEIs to develop transnational education partnerships with UK universities.

BU will be offering Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems (MSc in SFS) in partnership with the University of Liverpool (UoL) in the United Kingdom. CLSU is the one to offer the Ph. D. in Sustainable Food Systems, also with UoL as the partner school.

Under the program, BU, adopting the CHED criteria for study grants/scholarships, would select at least 10 students for the TNE program.

CHED would provide P5-million grant to each of the TNE qualifying schools for the two-year scholarship program.

BU President Arnulfo M. Mascariñas lauded the program forged by the British Council, CHED and the partner HEIs. "This Transnational Education (TNE) program of CHED and the British Council has brought a lot of impact to Bicol University, especially in terms of quality assurance. Because we have to make sure that program we are offering complies with the quality standards of UoL (University of Liverpool) and at the same time comply with the TNE requirements set by CHED," Mascariñas said.

Mascariñas is known for his vision of "a worldclass University producing leaders and change agents for social transformation and development."

"And in so doing, rest assured that we will be able to produce graduates that comply with world standards, Pres. Mascariñas stated.

He said that BU will offer Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems as a response to climate change and disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts in the Philippines and in the world.

Dr. Victor Soliman, BU Vice President for Research and Extension Development, said that the participation of BU in the TNE program is just the beginning of several international engagements.

"This (TNE) is just a tip of the iceberg.

Expect more engagements by BU to international partnerships," Soliman told The Buzzette.

Soliman is the lead proponent of TNE program in Bicol University.

COURSE OFFERING Students who will participate in this program will receive dual, double, or joint degrees from Philippine HEIs and esteemed partner UK institutions.

The Philippine universities will start to offer the new degrees by September 2018.

Lotus Postrado, head of education of the British Council Philippines said that the programs aim to contribute to the growth of the higher education sector and the economy of the Philippines.

“What made the project a success is the coming

together of the institutions and the people whose passion and strong commitment to the advancement to higher education is truly admirable. We, at the British council are proud to have built the relationship with you, and it is the relationship we tend to keep long term,” Postrado said.

Marianne Joy Vital, program director, K to 12 Transition Program Management Unit of CHED said the universities were chosen through the following criteria set by British council and the commission: autonomous, the level of accreditation; capacity and readiness for international partnerships; organizational strategies that reflect international

“This Transnational Education the British Council has brought a especially in terms of quality assur that program we are offering comp UoL (University of Liverpool) and TNE requirements set by CHED.” outlook and their capacity to attract students who can afford the cost of international degrees; and recognized as centers of excellence or development.

CHED officer-in-charge Prospero “Popoy” De Vera III said the commission is committed to continue the partnership for the next coming years and will also offer it to other public and private institutions.

“I think the government should be really helping the private higher institutions more especially now that we have free higher education law in the Philippines and there’s a fear in the education sector that this is going to distort the market of hiring faculty members, enrolment patterns, and there’s a real fear that they will be in the losing end of this whole thing,” he said.

COMMON INTEREST Martin Mortimer, Professor of Agricultural

A World-Class University Producing Leaders and Chang

TURE

Uzzette

es as partner university on Transnational Education

AL/CPRO Faculty Correspondent

Ecology in UoL said BU has a major commitment to the Philippine Economy especially in helping the government mitigate the effects of climate change.

“We found a lot of commonalities and interests on sustainable food systems, for very similar reason where climate change has bigger impact on global production systems. Philippine farmers are particularly adept in dealing with the variability of the weather, climate change is more extreme,” he said.

Mortimer said major programs on agriculture, crops, fish and food production are needed on a sustainable point of view and improving profitability not in the expense of the environment.

n (TNE) program of CHED and lot of impact to Bicol University, rance. Because we have to make sure plies with the quality standards of d at the same time comply with the - Pres. Arnulfo Mascariñas “Some people eat too much food but we’re not sure of the quality of it. What we need to do is rebalance the food system to provide food of affordable cost, which is highly nutritious and does not cause non-communicable diseases like being overweight that will lead to diabetes, impact on bone structure and your whole life,” he added.

BU president Arnulfo Mascariñas said the course that will be offered is also in response to climate change and disaster risk reduction efforts of the government.

SUSTAINABILITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM Antonio Payonga, dean of BU Graduate School said five of the students in the first batch will come from the university.

“They will be capacitated to later on teach our students, not only in the university but students all over the country,” Payonga said.

He said that BU will coordinate with the different government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Trade and Industry and other science-related agencies to ask for assistance and support for the next years of the implementation of the program.

“We should not stop from that, we should do a pro-active approach,” he added.

Vital said the 10 universities were given P5 million each as seed fund to support the development and implementation of the programs.

“This is to help the higher education institutions to form alliances and long term linkages to UK institutions to enable them to be become globally competitive and better able to respond to an ever changing higher education landscape,” Vital said.

Aside from the initial funding, Vital said students will be given graduate scholarships but after finishing the study, there will be a return service to university.

“They are not just of course investing on themselves, after completing the study, there is a commitment for the scholars for a return service which is included in their proposal,” she added.

She said the partnership with the British Council is one of the programs of CHED in the The K to 12 Transition Program to prevent the massive displacement of higher education faculty and staff in colleges and universities.

“This is an opportunity for them that instead of being displaced, they can instead study on these programs, to retool themselves since the curriculum of HEIs are being revised to be more responsive,” Vital added.

UPSCALING BU SYSTEM In 2016, BU has started its training of faculty and drafting the module for the program that would fit to the standards of the UK curriculum.

Victor Soliman, vice president for Research, Development and Extension of BU said the degree aims to train professional who acquire competencies

ge Agents for Social Transformation and Development.

in diverse knowledge on food system, sustainable intensification, food production, supply chain and decision making, and an understanding of consumer behavior.

Among the subjects in the curriculum are Research Methods and Statistics, Works and Policies, Food Security and the research project.

“This also aims on addressing issues on hunger alleviation, sustainable food production, nutritional related non-communicable disease,” he said.

Graduates of undergraduate degree aligned in agriculture, fisheries, biology, and any other related courses can be admitted in the program.

In the first year of the study, students will attend lectures and hands-on practical activities in the university and will continue for the second year in UoL. Multi-disciplinary lecturers will teach the students in classroom sessions, online and teleconference set up in the Philippines while in UK, there will be taught courses but students will be more exposed to facilities and thesis writing.

BU has 10 competent faculty to teach the said course.

After finishing the 45-unit degree, graduates will be given diploma on Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems from BU and Master of Science in Advanced Biology to be awarded by UoL. Payonga, a graduate of Doctor of Philosophy in Agronomy, is encouraging those who are interested to work on their passion on research to be more efficient, productive and to provide quality food for the world‘s growing population.

“We want production of volume of products just to earn, we need to put a lot in the chain of production, but through time, these fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals that help produce good products will have an impact in the soil environment, in the microorganisms. We should not compromise the future generation,” he added.

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NEWS The BUzzette

BUTC holds soft shelled crab production, fattening workshop for fisher folks

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Dr. Ruben Caragay (Left Photo), BU College of Medicine Dean renders free medical services to the evacuees from Camalig Albay who were affected by the turmoil of Mayon Volcano.

Sigma Lambda Chi conducts ‘Chiron Gives Back’ Evacuees from various town affected by the recent activities of Mayon Volcano availed free medical services and received hygiene kits from the Sigma Lambda Chi Fraternity and Sorority last February 4, 2018 in Barangay Bariw, Camalig, Albay.

Approximately 200 beneficiaries received free medical check-ups and medicine, and participated in the health education and feeding program

conducted by the organization, in cooperation with the local government unit of Camalig and the Philippine Society of Nephrology Bicol Chapter.

The medical mission serves as an avenue that spread wellness to those in need. Along with student volunteers, several doctors and faculty members of the College of Medicine rendered their services that Sunday.

BUCS students receive awards in #iCoRE2018

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he Inter-University Computing Research Colloquium dubbed as #iCoRe2018, held last February 14-15, 2018 in the University of the Cordilleras, Baguio City, is an avenue for undergraduate research outputs to be disseminated in the academic community. Bicol University, among the participating schools, was able to get 3 awards in this event.

The study “Student Registration and Information System (SRIS)” conducted by BSIT students Angelica Cerdeña (presenter, shown in the picture below), Quennie Lynn Conde, Kristine Emerald Llunar, Kristine Jewel Llunar, Prof. Lea Austero (Adviser) and Prof. Christian Sy (Adviser) won the Best Poster Presentation Award.

The Best Oral Presenter Award was given to Joseph Marvin Imperial for their paper entitled “Sentiment Analysis of Typhoon Related Tweets Applying Standard Recurrent Neural Networks”.

The other BSCS student-researchers in this study include Jeyrome A. Orosco and Shiela Mae O. Mazo, with their adviser, Prof. Lany L. Maceda.

Another Best Oral Presenter Award was given to BSCS students Jesvir Zuniega, Joshua Jadie, and Jason

Angelica Cerdeña (center) represented her thesismates during the Inter-University Computing Research Colloquium held on February 14-15, 2018 at University of Cordilleras, Baguio City. Her team won the Best Poster Presentation Award for their study entitled “Student Registration and Information System (SRIS)”.

David Fernandez for their paper “A Web Application for BBESMT: Bi-directional Bikol-English Statistical Machine Translator”. This study also includes Charles Kenneth Lim as co-researchers, with their adviser, Prof. Jennifer Llovido.

This two-day event also showcased the research outputs from other participating schools including National University, University of the Cordilleras, Asia Pacific College, Pamantasan ng Cabuyao, University of San Carlos and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University.

Training Workshop on Soft Shelled Crab Production and Crab Fattening (SSCP-CF) for Municipal Fisherfolk of Lagonoy Gulf for Livelihood was conducted by the Fisheries Department of Bicol University Tabaco Campus in partnership with DA-BFAR last February 7-9, 2018 at Dean Geronimo Lavilla Hall Bicol University Tabaco Campus.

The training workshop was attended by 50 participants. The participants were representatives from different municipalities of Malilipot, Bacacay and Sto. Domingo. Prof. Grace P. Brizuela, Head-Fisheries Department gave the overview of the training-workshop and acknowledgement of participants.

Prof. Grace Brizueala, the project leader discussed about the overview and prospects of the Mangrove Crab Industry.

Her presentation was followed by Mrs. Carmela Eubion, Sr. Aquaculturist BFARNBFTDC, discussed the life history and Biology of Mangrove Crabs.

The lecture on Soft-shelled Mangrove Crab Production and Management was given by Mrs. Florida C. Dieta, supervising Aquaculturist BFAR NBFTDC. She provided a discussion on things to consider in site selection and suitability requirements, pontoon design, construction and instillation. She also discussed about preparation of crab trays, crab selection and stocking. Monitoring, feeding, harvesting and freezing of soft shell crab and crab fattening were also discussed. The lecture on Aquasilviculture with emphasis on Crabs and Polyculture system and Crab Fattening were given

by Mrs. Aida S. Andayog, ACC II/RFRDC Manager BFAR RO5. Jonalyn Cortezano/ BUTC ATLAS | P1

The student org was awarded because of their project dubbed "Bicol Health Convention 2017". The student org received their trophy at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Medicine on February 7, 2018 spearheaded by the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges Student Network.

Meanwhile, the org made a courtesy call to BU President Arnulfo Mascariñas last February 12, 2018. Vanessa Mae Santa Ana and Carmela Tambuson, BUCM students, represented the the ATLAS.

A World-Class University Producing Leaders and Change

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NEWS The BUzzette

PCARI PRIME grants video conferencing package to BUCS CSIT Department

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video conferencing package worth 2.5 million pesos was granted by the PCARI Research and Instructional Infrastructure for Mentoring and Collaboration (PRIME), headed by project leader Dr. Roel M. Ocampo of UP Diliman, to the BUCS CSIT Department on February 16, 2018.

The grant was given as part of the BUCSCSIT department formal collaboration in research with National UniversityPhilippines (NU) formalized through a signed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) last September 2017 on its PCARI project entitled E-Participation 2.0.

Through this collaboration, the department was able to produce three faculty researches and five student researches.

The NU (as mentor) headed by Dr. Rachel Edita Roxas, the project leader of E-Participation and currently VPAA of NU and her administrative/technical contact person Mr. Nathaniel Oco nominated BUCS-CSIT Department (as observer), with Prof. Rodel N. Naz as BU administrative/ technical contact person counterpart and Prof. Lany L. Maceda as the primary research collaborator with the assistance of Prof. Jocelyn E. Serrano, the College Dean.

The following are the joint activities planned for the BU team and how connectivity and collaboration resources will be utilized with NU and other polycom recipients: To conduct online meeting via video conferencing with National University with at least 3 participants from BU; to invite a resource person for an online lecture series on various CSIT (computer science and information technology) professional courses; to organize and conduct an online research colloquium to showcase the students output; to design a repository of student researchers (unpublished) and faculty researches; and to identify courses in Master in Information System (MIS) being offered during the 1st and 2nd semester that can be delivered online by inviting possible resource person.

www.bicol-u.edu.ph Read more news BicolUniversity TheBicolUniversity @BicolUofficial

The Turmeric Ginger is one of the 23 product developments that were exhibited during the #Techno Conex Technology Convention and Exhibit: Techno Tranfer Event held at BU-FICC Amphitheater, East Campus on February 6, 2018. The event was spearheadedf by the BU Center for Technology Commercialization and Enterprise Development and BU Intellectual Property Management Division.

CTCED and IPMD launch #Techno Conex Technology Convention and Exhibit

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he Bicol University Center for Technology Commercialization and Enterprise Development in partnership with the BU Intellectual Property Management Division launched last February 6, 2018 the #Techno Conex Technology Convention and Exhibit: Techno Transfer Event at BU-FICC Amphitheatre, East Campus.

The event highlighted the exhibit walk-through of the 23 product

developments and the ceremonial signing of letter of commitment and Memorandum of Understanding between BU and technology adopter of the product developments.

A Stakeholders Forum between the BU RDW Units and Industry partners was also conducted as well as the pitching and techno presentation proper of the BU techno-generators, faculty researchers, inventors, and students.

The Evacuees at Bariw National High School, Camalig Albay receive free haircut service from the Tsokolate at Pandesal member agencies in partnership with the BU Extension Management Division last February 6, 2018.

The activity is in-line with the psycho-social activities of the said agencies for the affected families of Mt. Mayon’s volcanic eruptions.

Extension Management Division, Tsokolate at Pandesal head event for Mayon Evacuees Bicol University through the Extension Management Division joined the Tsokolate at Pan De Sal member agencies in the conduct of psycho-social activities for Mayon Evacuees dubbed as Operation Kaogmahan on February 6, 2018 at Bariw National High School, Camalig, Albay.

A total of 634 families from Barangay Quirangay in Camalig is housed in the said evacuation center. Various agencies converged to conduct different activities to provide entertainment, information and education campaign for the Mayon evacuees. Among the agencies present in the said acitivity were the Philippine Army (PA), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Air Force (PAF), Philippine

e Agents for Social Transformation and Development.

Navy (PN), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and many more.

Tsokolate at Pan De Sal is an informal organization of government and nongovernment agencies whose primary objective is to generate collaboration and strengthen stakeholders engagement toward gaining support in the effective and efficient delivery of social services to promote peace and development.

BU also featured a million hearts for peace. Rowena F. Zoilo/EMD

EXECUTIVE UPDATES Locally-Funded Projects under Calendar Year 2018 New Appropriations Capital Outlays: P154.093-M MOOE: P5-M Total: P159.093M

BU Library and Knowledge Center Phase 3

BU Student Union Center

P30-M

P30-M BU Electrical

Completion of BUPC Computer Science and Engineering Building

Phase 2

Phase 1

P30-M

P29.093-M

P20-M

BUCENG East Campus Modernization

Engineering Building

Construction/ Repair/ Rehabilitation of Academic Building Phase 3

P5-M

Phase 3

Purchase of Various Equipment Outlay

P5-M

Installation of Retractable Bleacher Seating System at BUCENG Gymnasium

P10-M

Mobile Theater for Peace & Development

P2.5-M

Theater Workshops P2.5-M

Editor’s Note: This column is reserved for information dissemination on policies, directions, targets and other relevant data for general awareness of the BU community following the principle of transparency and accountability in good governance.