Different student organizations  joined the nation in the campaign to eliminate plastic pollution through a series of activities attuned to the National Environment Month 2018 celebration theme, “Beat Plastic Pollution: If you can’t reuse it, refuse it.”

A campus clean-up drive was organized by the Environmental Club in cooperation with Architecture Department and Science Department on June 27-28. The two-day activity also featured an on-the-spot painting and a song writing competition which highlighted the impact of plastic pollution.

Adding color to the celebration, the Science Department opened a Mini-Eco Exhibit showcasing students’ outputs on the reuse and recycling of plastic wastes and organized a mini concert dubbed Tinig at Himig ng Kabataan Para sa Kalikasan.

One of the highlights was the lecture forum by Dr. Daniel Agan, President, Youth Proyekto Phils., Inc. His talked was pinned on environmental advocacy and environmental degradation and its impact to the lives of men, women and children and the impact of plastic pollution.

Capping the event was the Search for Miss Q & A Kalikasan 2018. The pageant tested the wit of the participants to answer questions on environmental concerns as well as their ingenuity in creating costumes out of recycled materials, mostly plastic.

Earlier, faculty members and students under the NSTP, members of the SAVERS and ROTC officers organized another off-campus clean-up activity at the Iloilo River Esplanade on June 23, 2018.

Aimed at informing the parents and students of the mechanics of the free college education, an orientation on Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act was held on June 7, 2017 at the University Multi-purpose Educational Center.

Dr. Karen Catalina G. Zaldivar, Educational Supervisor II and In-Charge of Scholarship, CHEd Regional Office VI, presented the salient points of the law. Dr. Zaldivar focused on the legal basis of implementation, the qualified beneficiaries, programs and institutions, the admission and retention policies as provided, the authorized fees and the tertiary education subsidy (TES) and other scholarships.

The Return Service System (RSS) Contractual Obligation of Students as one of the components of RA 10931 was also discussed.  Rule II, Section 4 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) mandated SUCs and LUCs to formulate and implement RSS for students-beneficiaries as part of admission and retention policies.

Dr. Raul F. Muyong, ISAT U President,  presented  ISAT U’s proposed guidelines and the drafted RSS Program Options.  Subject for the approval of the Board of Regents, the proposed guidelines state that each student will render fifty (50) hours of return service per semester or one hundred (100) hours per academic year. Included in the RSS program options are the following: campus clean and green, community outreach and extension, risk reduction and disaster mitigation and readiness, campus leadership, sports and cultural, tutorial and learning assistance, student assistantship or combination of any of  the approved option.

The query and suggestion of a parent on the inclusion of the services as Sangguniang Kabataan official as part of the program was noted. Dr. Muyong assured that the committee in-charged will give necessary attention to the matter.

The school’s opt-out mechanism was made clear to the parents and students. Under Section 8, Rule II of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 10931, ISAT U as an implementing agency has an obligation to formulate its mechanism to cater to students with financial capacity to pay for their education and who voluntarily decide to “opt-out” of the tuition and other school fees subsidy.

Dr. Muyong took the opportunity to remind students to be serious in their studies. “Be serious in your studies. You are very lucky to be admitted at ISAT U. There are more than 7, 000 applicants and only 2,500 were admitted and that includes you,” he said.

In the open forum, the parents and students were given chances to ask questions, clarify issues, erase doubts and give comments and suggestions on the implementation of Republic Act 10931.

 

The Gender and Development (GAD) with the Office of the Student Affairs and Services (OSAS) invited boarding house owners to a consultation and gender orientation on May 22, 2018 to establish a smooth and healthy partnership for students’ welfare.

With the help of the boarding house owners, the school identified problems and drafted plans of intervention to student’s activities detrimental to their studies. The issues raised were delay in payments, respect to house rules, cleanliness, manners and conduct, smoking and drinking, few cases of hazing and incidents of premarital sex. It was noted that the school could help in prevention or mitigation of such cases.

Dr. Maria Asusina Asuncion E. Echaverria, OSAS Director, said “problems and obligations should be identified and addressed for the welfare of the students.” She added that “this is the first consultation held to acknowledge the boardinghouse owners as stakeholders of student’s development.”

Mutual benefit for the students’ interests and boarding house business was also discussed. Prof. Pedro Fontanalgo, Legal Office Chief, laid out the plan to draft the guidelines for the issuance of a certificate of accreditation as legitimate partner of ISAT U. Once materialize, the OSAS will make recommendation of licensed and desirable boarding houses to students who are going to stay in the city during school days. In return the boarding house owners will notify the school on occurrence of identified problems. In such case, the GAD, the guidance counselors and the OSAS will make necessary intervention for the benefit of the students and the boarding houses.

It was further discussed that school’s responsibility is not only confined inside the campus but also outside of the school. It was bared that the GAD will be conducting visits to check the condition of the boarding houses.

Values formation in boarding houses was also given attention. Prof. Emily de la Cruz, GAD Focal Person, oriented the participants on the importance of gender and development in values formation, specifically in handling gender differences and the facilities that address their needs.

The Ambassador of the United States to the Philippines Sung Y. Kim and the officials of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) met with partners for implementation of the five-year USAID’s Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) Project at Richmonde Hotel, Iloilo City on April 19, 2018.

Project SURGE aims to foster the development of conditions for broad‐based, inclusive and resilient economic growth in secondary cities.

The partnership and support on research and development activities of higher learning institutions was also recognized as vital component in the program. Among the partner institutions of USAID in Iloilo City are ISAT U, University of the Philippines in the Visayas , University of San Agustin and Central Philippine University.

Ms. Narzalina Z. Lim, former Secretary of the Department of Tourism acknowledged the role of USAID-STRIDE in enabling Iloilo to harness its advantage in the area of research and development through the universities. She also affirmed a strong partnership of the USAID and the local higher education institutions through funded projects. Caffeination, co-organized by ISAT U and Iloilo Business Club with Research Triangle Institute, Inc. was also observed as an incubator of ideas for development. It is a once a month one-hour meeting of industry and academe to discuss research applications in various industries.

The ISAT U’s Research Hub was also mentioned and highlighted the active involvement of the academe in research and development. It will house the agency’s equipment, technology, laboratories and become the center of USAID-funded projects in Iloilo City

As one of the invited guests, Dr. Raul F. Muyong grabbed the opportunity to express his appreciation to the support extended by USAID-STRIDE to ISAT U’s research projects. USAID-STRIDE granted a total of 19 million pesos financial support to four research projects since Dr. Muyong started as university president in May 2015.

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“On this site will rise the one stop shop facility for student services, “ Dr. Raul F. Muyong announced during the groundbreaking ceremony and the laying of capsule for the construction of the Student Service Center (SSC) Building at the new site on April 16, 2018.

The center  will provide convenience and speed up students’ transactions. It  is designed to facilitate a smooth flow of processing of requirements from enrollment to graduation. The SSC will act as convergence area for all offices catering to student’s affairs and services.

To provide accessibility and quick assistance, the front desk of the Office of the University Registrar and Admission (OURA) and the School Clinic will be strategically located at the ground floor of the SSC.  More medical and dental facilities will be added to the clinic to accomodate  patients from the campus and the community. It was also announced that the university will purchase a vehicle to be used in emergency cases.

The Office of the University Registrar, a conference room and a working area for the office staff will be assigned at the second floor alongside with the office of the Technovator (students’ publication). An Archive for the OURA will be provided for safe and orderly keeping of records.

The third floor will accommodate the Office of the Student Affairs and Services (OSAS), a conference room and the office of the OSAS Director. The Office of the Student Government and its session hall, a prayer room and a waiting lounge will also be provided in the area.

The assembly hall for students activities, the audio-visual control room and the National Service Training Program (NSTP) office will be situated at the fourth floor.  Gardens assigned to the different colleges will be an additional feature of the assembly hall to create awareness on environmental concerns.

The 50-million peso facility will be equipped with elevator and two comfort rooms in every floor. A walkway leading to the access route that will connect the main campus and the new site will be constructed to protect the students from the elements of nature and the traffic hazards.

The  SSC’s construction is expected to be completed in 2019.