July 2018

The

JULY 2018 | Vol. X Issue 7

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BUzzette AN EXECUTIVE NEWSLETTER

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

ISSN 2094-3991

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PRESIDENT’S OUTBOX

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e have just celebrated our 49th Charter Day as one Bicol University family.

Next year, we have an even bigger reason to celebrate. Bicol University is turning 50!

From its inception on September 22, 1969 to its growth and development as the leading state university in the Bicol Region and one of the top performing universities in the country, it has indeed, come a long way.

We continue to dream big for Bicol University. The various holistic changes and transformations that are highly evident now in Bicol University are the tangible testament to our continuing commitment for responsive academic governance. With Bicol University approaching its golden year, we express our gratitude to the men and women who through the years have contributed to building the cornerstone for a strong and sturdy state university in the Region. What we are now, we owe to the collective hard work and sacrifices of those before us. We likewise acknowledge the great contributions of our partners and stakeholders who have helped us sustain the gains and build milestones as we continue our journey to becoming a world-class University. We thank the Bicolano scholars for continuously entrusting their future to Bicol University and allowing us to mold them into the replicas of Scholarship, Leadership, Character, and Service.

The ball is now in our hands. It is then crucial that we do not lose sight of our direction and vision for Bicol University.

Where Bicol University will be in the next decades will determine the future of our scholars, the Bicol Region, and the nation as we continue to shape their minds and lead them to becoming change agents for social transformation and development.

Let us persevere in our good intentions and turn these into genuine development for when we move as one, we sustain the gains, and build more milestones and ensure that the best is definitely, yet to come!

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Legazpi City Mayor Hon. Noel E. Rosal (left) and Bicol University President Dr. Arnulfo M. Mascariñas cut the ceremonial ribbon during the inauguration of the new BU Men’s Dormitory last July 02.

Two new infrastructures in BU inaugurated

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wo new Bicol University facilities were officially inaugurated this July 02: the Geodetic Engineering Building at the BU East Campus, and the university’s second dormitory building at BU Main Campus in Legazpi City.

Though taking place in two separate locations, the inauguration ceremonies for the two new buildings were done consecutively on the same day. The event was attended by officials, faculty members and BU students, along with distinguished guests from partner government institutions and offices.

“Every building we have envisioned is essential to our vision of a world-class university,” declared BU President Dr. Arnulfo Mascariñas in his remarks during the

inauguration ceremony. “The two structures to be inaugurated today hold significant uses, meanings and milestones for our students and the university in general,” he further stressed.

The first to be inaugurated was the new BU Men’s Dormitory, located near the Institute of Physical Education, Sports and Recreation (IPESR) within the main campus.

The participants and attendees of the dorm’s inauguration were welcomed by BU’s Vice President for Planning and Development (VPPD) Prof. Jerry Bigornia, who delivered an opening message.

To explain the reason and essence of the said building, Dr. Viola Amano, the Director of BU’s Business Affairs Infras | P8

57 examinees from BUIA pass June 2018 ALE

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ith the release of the June 2018 Architecture Licensure Examination (ALE) last July 5, 57 examinees from Bicol University Institute of Architecture (BUIA) passed the test which earns BU a 61.29 percent overall passing against the 55 percent National Passing Average.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,778 out of 3,177 passed the Architect Licensure Examination (ALE), given by the Board of Architecture headed by its Chairman, Arch. Robert S.

Sac and board member, Arch. Robert M. Mirafuente. The examination was held in Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Davao and Legazpi City last June 28 and 30, 2018. The results were released in four working days after the last day of examination.

During the examination, BU scored 61.29 percent overall passing rate along with 78.33 percent passing for first-takers, with 57 out of 93 examinees passing the examination. BU now ranks as the 12th top school in terms of passing rate of the ALE.

n this issue, we focus on the University’s Research Division as one of the prime movers in our quest for SUC Levelling. As July is Nutrition Month, we looked into food security alongside current developments in the University. The plight of our farmers, who bear the brunt of food security, is examined in the Opinion Page. - EIC

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The BUzzette

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL Bringing Food where it Matters

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esults of the second quarter Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on self-rated poverty released this month, revealed a disturbing picture: Forty-eight percent, or at least 11. 1 million Filipino families, considered themselves “poor.”

Further, at least 34 percent of 7.8 million families rated their food as “poor.”

While economists might quote numbers and statistics to describe the present economic realities, to the ordinary Filipino, the capacity to put a decent meal on the table is the most telling indicator of the country’s economic state. One only needs to feel the gnawing pangs of hunger to know that poverty is not an abstract term. It is felt. It is endured.

Threats to food security in the Philippines, however, is not merely due to the shortage of food supply, but the scarcity of the means to acquire it.

As defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization, food security is a condition where “all people have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy lifestyle at all times.”

Thus, ensuring food security goes beyond food as it exists in four dimensions: food availability, economic and physical access to food, food utilization and stability over time.

Given this reality, the government must put in place food security policies that not only strengthen the farmers’ capacity to produce and sell their products, but also the purchasing power of the people to be able to buy nutritious food. Adopting this two-pronged approach addresses the need to bring

food where it really matters.

The responsibility to put an end to the cycle of poverty and hunger in the country, however, does not solely rest on the government’s shoulders. The severity of food insecurity demands consolidated efforts from all sectors of society.

As the region’s premiere university, Bicol University has consistently carried out its mandate to be a catalyst for positive change.

Through its College of Agriculture and Forestry, the university has vigorously embarked on extension undertakings that contribute to food security, poverty alleviation, good environmental governance, and ecological stability of different ecosystems in the region. Its existing partnerships with the Department of

Agriculture, for example, helped establish Community Farming Villages, which aims to capacitate upland farmers.

The university, however, believes that its greatest contribution in ensuring food security is its capacity to build human capital and economic potential.

Cognizant that education remains as an important determinant of personal success, BU endeavors to provide quality education that enables its graduates to contribute to local, national and global economic growth. In its continuing quest to be “a world-class university,” BU remains at the forefront of uplifting the human condition in the region and beyond by striving to produce “leaders and change agents for social transformation and development.”

We love to hear voices from across the University and encourage article contributions. You may send your articles to bu-cpro@bicol-u.edu.ph. Looking forward to hearing your voices!

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AN EXECUTIVE NEWSLETTER EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Dr. Renelyn E. Bautista Associate Editor Gladys S. Serafica Circulation Manager Mary Ann M. See Writer Julius Justino B. Embile Layout Artist Patrick M. Pablo Photographer Elizabeth Jemly M. Baliguat 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

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The BUzzette

OPINIONS Enticing the Youth to Love the Land

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was browsing the net when the title of an article from Rappler.com caught my attention. It said, “What if our farmers give up on us?” It is indeed noteworthy to think of this question deeply as the farmers bear the brunt of food security and production. It is a frightening thought but one bolstered by the reality that our farmers are aging. The average age of farmers is around 59 years old. The youth are far from loving the land that their fathers and ancestors have sustained through the years. You find them in white collar courses that more often give chances towards their becoming citizens of another world or veritable migrants. Courses that, when not properly channeled, could lead them further away from the land.

Here in Bicol University, enrollees in our Agriculture course have declined. From a meager 1, 068 students in 2017 to 908 enrollees this year, it really drives home the concern that the agriculture sector may indeed be, a dying breed. It makes me wonder why we have seemingly neglected nurturing this sector. Perhaps it is the bad reputation that agriculture, particularly farming, got from the historical situations of the encomienda system that could be the subliminal culprit.

But then again, it could be that we have continuously undermined the contributions of our farmers to food security and economic growth by neglecting their needs. Likewise,

Vantage Point Luis O. Amano, PhD

Director, Research and Development Management Division

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s entities tasked to generate, transmit, disseminate and apply knowledge, higher education institutions are a major component of the nation’s research and innovation system (NHERA-2, 2009-2018). No wonder why Research and Development has become one of the most important undertakings of any HEI in the country; the same is true for the Bicol University. And with the government’s objective of producing high quality research that will advance learning and national development, we should now be even more engaged on generating and producing quality R&D outputs. However, after going through several organizational and structural changes since the creation of the now dissolved Research and Development Center, we’ve only begun in making sweeping changes in R&D management.

Much has been said about the pace of the life-cycle of a research proposal in the Research and Development Management Division of the University. More than just wanting to meet our targets for the SUC levelling, we often ask ourselves: “How can we make things easier and better for our clients?”

making the course, Agriculture, unattractive to the younger generation.

If we are to project population growth in the next 10 years, chances are it would have doubled from its current fix of 7.6 Billion. At present, our country’s current population is 106,760,179 based on the latest United Nations estimates, placing us at No. 13 in the list of countries. The Philippines population

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When we are able to entice the young to invest their future in an agriculture course, then we would have significantly helped our aging farmers.

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is equivalent to 1.4% of the total world population. This in itself is a lot of mouths to feed. Double that figure and we have a very hungry planet. Extend your imagination further and think of a hungry planet without the benefit of agriculture. What, indeed, if our farmers give up on us? What if getting tired of farming, they sell their lands? Or, lease their land for commercial use? What if because of aging, they simply die out on us and their tried and tested technology dies with them?

That would be most tragic.

But I think there’s hope yet; if we do our

Editor’s Desk Renelyn E. Bautista

Director, Communication & Public Relations Office part. Basic to doing our part is avoiding food wastage. When we do not eat every morsel of rice on our plates, for one reason or another, we are depriving those who worked hard to put food on our tables. You don’t have to repeat this classic line that most of us heard from our parents: “Maraming walang pagkain sa Africa.” (A lot of people in Africa have nothing to eat.) You only have to look at our farmers. Ironically, they who provide food, have none to feed themselves and their families. So wasting food is an insult to them.

Bicol University is doing its part to capacitate farmers and encourage others to farm, especially those in the upland areas.

With its existing partnerships with the Department of Agriculture, it has helped in building Community Farming Villages for upland farmers. But a lot of work still has to be done especially for those of us in the education sector to make Agriculture more attractive to the youth. When we are able to entice the young to invest their future in an agriculture course, then we would have significantly helped our aging farmers.

NEW STEPS FOR R&D MANAGEMENT By asking this, we mean of R&D engagement to not be seen as just another burden for our faculty-researchers.

Recently, the OVPRDE was able to receive the approval of the Board of Regents to implement its new policies in processing research proposals. Certain innovations will be implemented for a trial period of one year.

Instead of proposals being endorsed directly to RDMD, the faculty members will first submit

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As the Division, and the whole of the OVPRDE is undergoing changes, we have no choice but to move forward and tackle the demands and pressures that come with change.

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their proposals to their College Research Evaluation Committee or to the disciplinebased centers for preliminary technical evaluation of experts in the discipline. In the past, the researchers had to undergo a series of evaluations from the Technical In-House Review and the University Review Committee.

This previous structure, of course had its problems and cracks, as the RDMD could not access all the experts it needed to sit as panelists; experts that colleges had. Comprehensive technical and financial evaluation of proposals

nge Agents for Social Transformation and Development.

will be done by the Technical Working Group (TWG) for commodity/discipline created by the Office of the President based on prescribed criteria before they are endorse to the President for approval.

Other changes in the division include the reorganizing and modernizing its functions trough the newly organized Technical and Ethics Review Section, and the Monitoring and Data Banking Section. To make sure that the new system would work, the mechanisms that receive and process the proposals themselves must perform like a well-oiled machine. The challenge now for the division is to implement the new policy and be able to capture all of its weaknesses and gaps. Research and Development shouldn’t be too difficult for the proponents, and the RDMD must be able to address just that.

As the Division, and the whole of the OVPRDE is undergoing changes, we have no choice but to move forward and tackle the demands and pressures that come with change. We can only ask for the support of the University community, the faculty in particular, to be our active partners in the improvement of research management and in attaining Bicol University’s objectives. And isn’t being able to drive change and transformation in our society one of the University’s raison d’etre?

FEAT

The BU

The Research Factor By: Julius Justino B. Embile

Luis O. Amano, PhD Director, BU-RDMD

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icol University’s research arm –the Research Development and Management Division- has gone through many transformations throughout the years to adapt to the challenges of its time. Now, in BU’s drive for global excellence, RDMD may have to adapt to face its biggest challenge yet.

During the past years, the current administration of Bicol University, led by University President Dr. Arnulfo M. Mascariñas, has repeatedly shared their vision of a globally recognized BU. Today, the clear path to the acclaim the university is aiming for is through the attainment of the State University and Colleges (SUC) Level 5 status.

“In line with BU’s goal in becoming a SUC Level 5 university, efforts to step up the generation of world-class research outputs have been made,” said Dr. Luis Amano, the Director of the Research and Development Management Division (RDMD) –the research generation arm of BU.

The Birth and Evolution

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ooking back into its four-decade history, it can be noted that BU’s research outfit has undergone through many transformations to keep up with the needs of the time.

As the premier state university in the Bicol Region, BU is

mandated to perform the fourfold functions of instruction, research, extension, and production, which is also in accordance with the university’s basis of excellence.

Research, in particular, is one of the primary functions of the BU when it was established in 1969 through Republic Act 5521.

As stipulated in its enabling law, university shall primarily give professional and technical training and provide advanced and specialized instruction in literature, philosophy, the science and arts, besides providing for the promotion of scientific and technological services. Thus, Research and Statistics Center (RSC) was created in 1974 under the administration and supervision of the Dean of the Graduate School.

With research being one of the main functions of the university, the RSC was granted administrative and supervisory autonomy on January 1, 1977 through Office Order No. 10, series of 1976. Its mandates are to initiate, undertake, coordinate, and integrate the research efforts of BU, in relation to the national and regional development goals.

However, as the years went by, the demands of the everevolving modern world only made functions of research even more necessary. Thus, the BU research arm also went through its own evolution to meet these demands. In May 3, 2000, BURSC was renamed BU Research and Development Center (BURDC).

The BURDC served as the clearinghouse for all research projects developed in the colleges, including coordinative function in developing an integrated/multi/ trans-disciplinary research projects across colleges. It took leadership in developing the university’s research and

development (R&D) prog integrate the development The government’s poli HEIs and levelling of SUC pressing regional develo Region, made it imperativ its R&D undertakings.

BU’s restructuring university’s research outfit With the creation of the Research, Development divided into four divisions the Research and Devel (RDMD), the Intellectual (IPMD), the Publication Office (PKMO), and the E “We (the RDMD) research proposals. We w handles concerns like co works on the publication,”

Research Targ

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n order to pass the mark (KRAs) of Research C must have two active resea of plantilla faculty membe externally funded research It also requires 12 or published in an Intern publication, 12 or more re in a Commission on Highe refereed program, with 2 research outputs getting pu There must also be 11 presented in internation

A World-Class University Producing Leaders and Chang

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Uzzette

gram, which for efficiency shall t directions of the colleges. icy on normative funding for state Cs, as well as the need to address opment concerns of the Bicol ve for BU to be more aggressive in

in 2016 again subjected the t through another transformation.

Office of the Vice President for and Extension, the RDC was s with distinct functions; namely, lopment Management Division Property Management Division n and Knowledge Management Extension Management Division. are in-charge of handling the work closely with the IPMD, who opyrights, and the PKMO, who ” said Dr. Amano.

gets

k for SUC Level 5’s key result areas Capability and Output, the SUC arch centers, more than 40 percent ers involved in research, and one h program. r more researched-based papers national Refereed Journal or esearched-based papers published er Education (CHED) recognized 20 percent or more of the total ublished in refereed journal.

1 or more research-based papers nal fora or conferences, 15 or

more research-based papers presented in national fora or conferences, and 15 or more research-based papers presented in regional fora or conferences, with half of the total number of research-based papers produced presented in international, national, or regional fora or conferences.

All these requirements must be within the past three years for the HEI to pass the SUC Level 5 mark.

Plans for Efficiency

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n order to achieve the required points for the SUC Levelling, we must have more researchers, more published researches, and more citations,” he added.

According to the RDMD Director, at least 45 percent of all faculty members (275 of 612) needs to be involved in research in order to attain the said goal. Having more faculty members doing researches is one of the division’s goal before 2018.

As for externally funded researches, Dr. Amano happily reported a total of 39 researches, which exceeds the 37 required researches.

However, based on the report presented during the Administrative Council Meeting last August 29, Bicol University currently has 213 faculty–researchers (62 researchers less than the given target), 15 index publications, 285 research presentations, and five patent applications from 2016 to 2018.

To address the need for more researches, Vice-President for Research, Development, and Extension (VPRDE) Prof.

Ronnel Dioneda Sr., Dr. Amano and the officials of the RDMD created a new guidelines for submission, evaluation and monitoring of research projects. This new system was designed to be the new protocol for research development in the university, in order to ensure faster approval of research proposals.

The proposed guidelines will provide a smooth flow

ge Agents for Social Transformation and Development.

of transactions within the OVP-RDE through proper coordination mechanisms between the divisions of research development and extension (RDE) and centers, as well as in relation to the colleges and units.

Furthermore, it will also shorten the process of approving research and extension proposals submitted by reducing the stages of evaluation without sacrificing the quality of the proposals. Adherence to the ethical, biosafety, and animal welfare concerns is the added feature of the guidelines.

“The first step in every research proposal is to undergo evaluation through the CREC (College Review and Evaluation Committee) and, if necessary, the university’s discipline-based centers (DBC),” explained Dr. Amano. Proposal that passed the preliminary technical evaluation of the CREC, which need ethical, biosafety, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) clearance shall be endorsed by the Dean or Center Director to Institutional Ethics Review Board (IERB) or IACUC. If the proposal passed the preliminary technical evaluation, the Dean or Center Director shall endorse it to Intellectual Property Management Division (IPMD) for patent search and IP tagging to support its novelty. IPMD classify and sort the proposals and will be forwarded to RDMD or DBCs for comprehensive technical and financial evaluation.

“Once every technical and ethical evaluation, along with the IP verification, has been done, the RDMD would then endorse the research to the Office of the University President,” concluded the RDMD Director.

“With this new system, we could be more confident that more researches will be implemented, more publications and citations, as required by the SUC levelling,” said Dr. Amano.

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The BUzzette

NEWS 48th Scientific Conference: Agri-Entrepreneurs’ Forum hosted in BUCENG

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Dr. Darryl Macer, from the American University of Sovereign Nations (AUSN of Arizona, USA), explains the concepts of peace, conflict, and violence, during the 14 Youth Peace Ambassadors’ Training-Workshop.

Peace educators from PH and abroad gather for the YPA14

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ith the theme “Building a Culture of Peace Across Borders”, peace process institutes from the United States, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines partnered with Bicol University for the conduct of the 14th Youth Peace Ambassadors (YPA14) TrainingWorkshop in Legazpi City this July 27 and 28, 2018.

The realization of the said training was made possible with the cooperation of the American University of Sovereign Nations (AUSN of Arizona, USA), the Charles Sturt University (Sydney, Australia), Youth Peace Ambassadors International, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Eublos Ethics Institute (Bangkok, Thailand), BU’s College of Social Science and Philosophy (BUCSSP). The training-workshop was organized by the Extension Management Division (BU-EMD), headed by Dr. Lester

Narvaez, in partnership with the International Relations Office (BU-IRO), led by Dr. Dimson Rivero.

In this two-day training workshop, participants are to be engrossed in lectures and discussions involving peace education and strategies in achieving and sustaining peace. The objective of the said event is to spread knowledge on the concept of peace and provide guidance in building peaceful societies around the world.

The YPA14, which took place at the Bicol Food Delights Restaurant and Events Hall in Legazpi City, began with Prof. Ronnel Dioneda Sr., BU’s Vice President for Research, Development and Extension (VPRDE), and Dr. Lester Narvaez, the Director of BU’s Extension Management Division, welcoming and recognizing the guest and participants of the training workshop.

16 BU delegates return from 2-week int’l summer camp in Taipei

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ifteen students and one faculty member completed the two-week international Summer Camp program of ‘Learning Chinese Language and Experiencing Chinese Culture’ at Shih Chien University Taipei Campus in Taiwan.

The summer camp is a partnership program that was arranged and organized

by Shih Chien University’s (USC) Office of International Affairs, headed by Dr. Tony Kuo, and Bicol University’s International Relations Office (BU-IRO), headed by Dr. Dimson Rivero.

Chinese language and cultural classes including cultural immersion were delivered to the participants by their teachers Bella Chang, Bunny Hong, Jenny Hsu, Arielle Ma and Quinn and their assigned counselors, Elena Lee and Eric Chuang.

On July 9, Shih Chien University warmly welcomed the delegates for the BU-USC International Summer Camp. Dr. Michael J.K Chen, the President of the host university

BU’s participants for the two-week international summer camp in Taipei, Taiwan headed the welcome ceremonies together with the administration and staff of the USC’s Office of International Affairs and Chinese Language Center.

In the program’s two-week duration, the participants attended Chinese class in the morning, where they were Taipei| P8

s part of the 48th Scientific Conference, Bicol University hosted this year’s Agri-Entrepreneurs Forum, which took place last July 5 at BU’s College of Engineering (BUCENG) Gymnasium at the university’s East Campus in Legazpi City.

With the theme: “Crop Science Innovations: Express Path Toward Countryside Development,” the 2018 Scientific Conference in Legazpi City features technical paper and poster presentations on the developments and advances in crop science, along with best paper competition, agri-entrepreneurs’ forum, and awards ceremony to honor deserving people and institutions in the field of crop sciences.

The conference was organized by the Crop Science Society of the Philippines (CSSP) with the goal of highlighting the recent developments in crop science, research, extension, and education needed to propel agriculture sustainability and development.

The activities were designed to serve as an effective venue for knowledge exchange, specifically on scientific ideas and strategies that will address pressing isssues facing the long-standing goal of countryside development amidst changing political and natural environments.

For the Agri-Entrepreneurs’ Forum in BUCENG, strategies for livelihood sustainability in crop farming were discussed. Guest lecturer Dr. Chito Sace, an assistant professor from Central Luzon State University, talked about hydroponics as an alternative method of growing crops.

With Albay being a province constantly under threat of volcanic eruption, methods of restoring crops after a volcanic eruption was also lectured by Dr. Glen Gregorio, and adjunct professor of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños (UPLB). In addition, invited speakers from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management also discussed soils and ash.

“I hope we remember that everything starts from the basic. The basic truth is, development in the countryside is a much more desired form of development that can be generated when we turn to innovative practices in crop science,” said BU President Arnulfo Mascariñas, expressing his support to CSSP’s efforts in his message.

A World-Class University Producing Leaders and Change

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The BUzzette

NEWS 22 academic programs go through AACCUP accreditation

PH’s HEIs attends THE Masterclass for World University Rankings

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n Bicol University’s continued pursuit for being a globally recognized learning institution, BU’s President Dr. Arnulfo Mascariñas travelled to Manila last July 13, 2018 to participate in the British Council’s Times Higher Education (THE) Data and Branding Masterclass.

The said activity in Manila gathered the heads and representatives from the many higher education institutions (HEI) across the Philippines in order for them to learn the parameters of the World University Rankings. This is an important learning experience in connection to BU’s goals, as the THE’s World University Rankings lists the top 1000 universities in the world which makes it the largest league table to date.

The THE’s ranking is the only annually-updated global university performance table to judge researchintensive universities across all of their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. It uses carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments.

In the gathering in Manila, the Philippines’ senior university officials were given insights on the THE’s World University Rankings, particularly the criteria, the indicators and methodology behind it. It also shared the universities’ participation and performance od South East Asian and Global Universities in the World University Rankings.

The session was also aimed at imparting knowledge and serve as a platform for dialogue with the universities on the topic of internationalization as a way for HEI’s to build a global brand.

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BicolUniversity

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he 38 accreditors from the Accredited Agency of Chartered Colleges and University of the Philippines (AACCUP) visited Bicol University from July 10 to 13 to conduct their accreditation survey for the 22 academic programs at BU’s Main, Polangui, and Tabaco Campuses.

On July 10, the accreditors were welcomed by the BU family during an opening program. The accreditors, headed by their Overall Director Dr. Marcela Caluscosin, met up with BU’s top brass, headed

by University President Dr. Arnulfo Mascariñas.

The opening program became a platform for the AACCUP accreditors to be formally introduced to their counterparts in BU, particularly those who were part of the university’s accreditation task force. The introduction of the BU officials and task force was led by the university’s Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Helen Llenaresas, while the introduction of the AACCUP accreditation team was done by Dr. Caluscosin.

Deans and directors of BU colleges, whose programs are subject for accreditation, welcome the visitors from AACCUP with the BU VPs.

The accreditors were sub-divided into teams with 16 accreditors who assessed the programs in the Legazpi City campuses, 11 accreditors went to BUPC, while 11 more were assigned to BUTC. During this four-day accreditation visit, the accreditors assessed the quality and efficiency standard being upheld in 22 academic programs across the university’s three campuses in Albay province. Of these academic programs, four are in the College of Engineering (BUCEng), three are in the College of Industrial Technology (BUCIT), one from the College of Arts and Letters (BUCAL), one in the College of Science (BUCS), six from the Polangui Campus (BUPC), and four from the Tabaco Campus (BUTC).

PSM and BU ink MOU for university’s membership in Microbiology Consortium

BU President Dr. Arnulfo Mascariñas signs the MOA that solidifies BU’s membership on PSM’s Microbiology Consortium for Bicol region.

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or the advancement of knowledge in the field of microbiology, the Philippine Society for Microbiology Incorporated (PSM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Bicol University for the university’s membership to the Microbiology Consortium of the Bicol region.

During the PSM Convention last July 19 at the Oriental Hotel in Legazpi City, BU President Dr. Arnulfo Mascariñas, along with other officials of

Bicol University, met up with the representatives

e Agents for Social Transformation and Development.

of PSM for the signing of the said MOU. The National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and the PSM, through their continuing collaborative project on “Expanding the Microbiology Workforce through Education”, have been conducting meetings to establish Microbiology Consortia among HEIs offering a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree in various regions in the Philippines. The creation of consortia is viewed as the best approach to increase the number of universities offering the microbiology track in their BS Biology programs and to produce the much needed microbiologists in the country.

Towards this end, follow-up activities, which included the holding of symposia and write shops on the Outcome?based Education System in Microbiology for the teaching of Microbiology courses, have also been conducted. Furthermore, a Microbiology Consortium PSM&BU | P8

EXECUTIVE

UPDATES

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.

Source: Human Resource Management and Development Office (HRMDO)

Infras | P8

Office discussed the ‘statement of purpose’ of the men’s dormitory. Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Bicol Regional Director Maria Angelita Cells gave inspirational messages to which they expressed their support to Bicol University’s efforts.

Aside from the mayor of Legazpi City and the DBM Director, the event was also attended by the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Bicol Regional Director Benjamin Santiago and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Bicol Regional Office representative Manuel Lucena Jr. For the second part of the ceremony, which is the inauguration of the Geodetic Engineering Building in BU’s College of Engineering (BUCENG), the ‘statement of purpose’ for the infrastructure was given by BUCENG Dean Engr. Amelia Gonzales.

In the inauguration of both infrastructures, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting was done by Dr. Mascariñas, assisted by the vice presidents, deans and guests. BU resident chaplain Rev. Fr. Ronilo Javines SDB resided over the blessings of the new buildings.

Taipei | P8 taught the basic Chinese language, numbers, colors, actions, and basic communication.

Consequently, they attended their Chinese Cultural classes in which they were taught of the culture and arts of Taiwan.

On July 19, the delegates took their final examination which evaluated their reading, writing and listening skills in Chinese. All of the participants achieved remarkable grades on their respective classes, and three of them topped the class.

The summer camp concluded with a closing and awarding ceremony, held last July 19. It was attended by the Dr. Michael Chen, Dr. Tony Kuo, Director Mick Wang, teachers from the Chinese Language Center and the counselors.

Upon return, the delegates of the summer camp were introduced to the Bicol University Administration as Alumni of Shih Chien University.

According to BU’s Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) Dr. Helen Llenaresas and BU-IRO Director Dr. Dimson Rivero, the participants

will be the core group in the planning of the BU International Summer Camp in 2019 during the 50th Founding Celebration of Bicol University.

PSM&BU | P8 Committee, whose membership includes 11 well-known microbiologists in the country, has been created to oversee activities.

After a series of meetings and analysis of pertinent documents, Bicol University has been identified by the PSM as a potential member of a Microbiology Consortium that is being established in the Bicol region.

In the MOU signed by PSM and BU, the university will be joining the consortium with an end goal of collaborating in programs to produce graduates in Microbiology and other related fields with enough background knowledge to qualify for the Registered Microbiologist examination, or to offer Microbiology degree programs in the future.