GazetteVol. 9 No. 35 August 2015

Christine F. Godinez-OrtegaEditor-in-Chief

Rex G. OrtegaAssociate Editor

Maria Theresa B. PanzoManaging Editor

Ian S. EmbraduraMichelle Jeanne C. Caracut

Staff Writers

John Daniel O. EnriquezLay-Out Artist

Mark Jezreel T. OrbePhotographer

Leoneva G. CawalingFinance Manager

Cherly S. AdlawanConsultant

Fatimah Joy S. AlmarezSarah Elizabeth N. AllenJun Karren V. CaparosoHoneylet E. Dumoran

Steven Patrick C. Fernandez Amado C. Guinto, Jr.Rohanimah B. Guro

Datu Esma Mikee P. MaruhomEphrime B. Metillo

Louis Mark N. Plaza Contributors

Distribution by the AB English Organization (ABEO)

Editorial Board

Vol. 9 No. 35August 2015

Gazette The Gazette is the official newsletter of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT)

Published by the Office of Publication and Information (OPI) with an office on the second floor, above the Office of the Chancellor’s office, Tibanga, Iligan City. Tel: + 63 (63) 222 8769;Email: http://www.msuiit.edu.ph/offices/opi/publications.php

Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors or the Institute Administration.

Contributions are welcome. Send articles written in simple, correct English; photos with captions to: opi@g.msuiit.edu.ph

Photos and captions must be separated from the text. The Editors reserve the right to choose the articles and photos that appear in Gazette.

Our presence here shows the importance of this project,” said Dr. Filemon A. Uriarte, Jr., President of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), after he signed the

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with MSU-IIT for the conduct of the first of three initial projects under an historic research program on Lake Lanao.

Uriarte, along with NRCP Executive Director Carina G. Lao and the entire Governing Board of the highest research body of the Philippines, were at the Mini-Theater of MSU-IIT on August 1, 2015 for the MOA signing and for the launching of the program “Comprehensive Studies on Lake Lanao for Sustainable Development”.

“If we are going to support these projects, we might as well support them not just in token but in a very strong way,” Uriarte was quoted as saying in late June when he and the NRCP approved for funding the proposal to conduct the flagship program on the Philippines’ deepest and second largest lake.

During the launching ceremonies at the Mini-Theater, the NRCP gave recognition to Dr. Franco G. Teves, MSU-IIT’s Director for Research, for conceptualizing the Lake Lanao Project.

Teves is an immediate past chair of the NRCP Mindanao Cluster, and the one who submitted the initial proposal for the project.

Speaking at the Mini-Theater, Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol of MSU-IIT expressed his thanks to the NRCP for trusting the Institute in leading such a significant pursuit.

Tanggol, as Chancellor, is the head of the first project under the historic program.

This first project, which will take two years to complete, is a study on the “Socio-economic and Political Dimensions of Lake Lanao”.

The project aims to emphasize on the dynamics of the activities and attitudes of upland, lowland, and lakeshore community settlers in their use of the lake as a source of water.

Tanggol described the entire program as “a landmark program for the sustainability

NRCP launches lake Lanao flagship research program in Iligan;

signs MOA with IITby Rex Godinez Ortega, OC and Ian S. Embradura, OPI

“

Dear Readers,

Moments of experience romancing the lake came to mind when the MSU-IIT embarked on a project with the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) to study the ecological, socio-economic and other aspects of lake Lanao.

We laud the efforts of the Director for Research Dr. Franco G. Teves, with the support of the current MSU-IIT administration, for this project proposal -- a welcome development for social and natural scientists to study the lake to ensure its existence, and for the sustenance of a peoples’ way of life, as the postmodern age evolves.

Another significant story is about the ICONPO V, or the 5th International Conference on Public Organizations held in Davao City. It brought together academics and other sectors of government to discuss ways of coping with the present global challenges and with the ASEAN integration happening this year.

Another big news story is about Lynrose Jane D. Genon, the first MSU-IIT alumna to be chosen as one of the 2015 Ten Outstanding Young Students of the Philippines (TOSP). It is her civic mindedness and her concern for the environment that makes her a role model to all IIT’ans.

In this issue, more news stories revolve around the awards of paper presenters; the visits of international scholars to our campus; and, the evaluation of the two departments of the College of Engineering by the prestigious accrediting body, the Washington Accord.

The Institute has grown since its beginnings in 1968. The Gazette hopes to be around some more to record its growth.

- Christine

Cover photo by: Bobby D. TimoneraCover text from a series of poems entitled “Journeys through Landscapes” by Christine Godinez Ortega

of Lake Lanao, not only to its environs but to the whole of Mindanao.”

“Who is not a stakeholder?” Tanggol asked referring to the pervading influence of Lake Lanao not only in the two lanao provinces but in the entire island of Mindanao.

Lake Lanao lies at the core of Mindanao’s power needs, supplying 75% of the electricity through the seven Agus hydroelectric power plants that start from the mouth of the lake down to Iligan City where MSU-IIT is located.

The MOA signing and launching ceremonies was then followed by a forum that was participated in by various local government units from both Lanao provinces, acting Iligan Mayor Ruderic Marzo, non-government organizations, academic institutions, and researchers. During the forum, Pip Naga of the Save Lake Lanao Movement (SALLAM), gave an overview of the present condition of the lake and the actions being undertaken to preserve it.

Naga also expressed his full support, in behalf of SALLAM, in the realization and actualization of the flagship research program.

The second and third projects under the program, “Comprehensive Studies on Lake Lanao for Sustainable Development,” will be conducted by aquatic biologist, Dr. Carmelita G. Hansel, and fisheries expert, Dr. Sherwin Nacua. Both are from MSU-Marawi.

Hansel’s one-year study is called, “Physical and Chemical Characterization of Lake Lanao”. It aims to provide important data in view of the current physical and chemical factors of the Lake in an effort to assess the lake’s present ecological integrity and health.

Nacua, on the other hand, will try to determine the present population status of the indigenous, endemic and introduced

species in Lake Lanao in an effort to protect and conserve the lake’s threatened species.

This study by Nacua, which also has a one year term, is called, “Lake Lanao Fishery Resource Assessment: Population Survey, Reproductive and Morphometric Characterization of Endemic and Introduced Fishes of Lake Lanao and Immediate Aquatic Environs.”

Emphasizing the “comprehensiveness” of the research program, Uriarte said, “it cannot be sustainable unless we attend to the social, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects of the area.”

“When one element is absent, no matter how long we do it, there will be no improvement and it’s the same thing with sustainable development,” Uriarte explained.

After the launching and MOA signing in MSU-IIT, the members of the NRCP Governing Board visited the MSU main campus in Marawi City. They were treated to lunch hosted by the MSU Office of the President at the VIP Lounge where the guests had their first glimpse of Lake Lanao.

Later in the afternoon, Chancellor Tanggol escorted the members of the Governing Board to get an up-close view of the lake from the shore.

From Lake Lanao, the group headed back to Iligan where they ended their tour with a visit to Maria Cristina Falls, which is the last stop of the Agus river before it drains to the sea.

The NRCP Governing Board had arrived in Iligan a day earlier and held its board meeting at the Cheradel Suites. This was then followed by a brief tour at Mimbalot Falls and the Iligan City Hall.

On the evening of July 31, the Institute hosted a Pagana Maranao for the members of the Governing Board to formally welcome them to MSU-IIT.

Against the backdrop of a fabled lake: (left to right) Dr. Christina A. Binag, Dr. Mildred A. Padilla, Dr. Filemon G. Uriarte Jr., Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol, and Dr. Rogelio A. Panlasigui

4 | Gazette

ICONPO V : Addressing the challenges of the times for ‘Operational Excellence’

by Maria Theresa B. Panzo, OPI

Setting the tone for the 5th International Conference on Public Organizations (ICONPO V) in Davao City, keynote

speaker Dr. Janet M. Lopoz, Undersecretary of the Mindanao Development Authority (MINDA), told the participants that it was actually in their power to guide how the country would benefit from the ASEAN 2015 Community. “The answer is in your hands,” she told participants to the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology-hosted conference that was held in a city 400 kilometers away from the campus. The ICONPO V had the theme, “ASEAN Integration: Opportunities and Challenges,” and was held inside the Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) last August 27-28. Lopoz said that amid the changing landscape, she saw the need for higher education institutions to be united and to work in providing more innovative researches and business models to power industries and increase competitiveness and prepare the economy for a larger ASEAN integration. She said that the ASEAN economic community provides a platform for promising opportunities. “However, the desire to take advantage of these opportunities still remains

with member countries,” she pointed out. The ICONPO V, which is a brainchild of the Asia Pacific Society of Public Affairs (APSA), aims to provide an avenue for academicians, practitioners, and researchers to discuss issues that concern public affairs, which would hopefully contribute to the enhancement of the performance of public organizations in the ASEAN region. Co-sponsors of the conference include ADDU, MINDA, and University of Southeastern Philippines. In his message during the Opening Program, Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol expressed his gratitude to the other host institutions, which had worked in tandem with MSU-IIT in the realization of such event. “As academic institutions we all aspire for academic excellence. But that is not possible unless we also work for operational excellence. It is in that regard that public organizations, including universities, should really learn how to efficiently, effectively, and responsibly organize and address the challenges of the times,” Tanggol said. Four 15-minute case study presentations from each member country followed the keynote speech and were done by Dr. Ahmad Martadha (Malaysia), Dr. Eko

Priyopoernomo (Indonesia), Dr. Amporn Tamronglak (Thailand), and Dr. David N. Almarez (Philippines), the Institute Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance. Dr. Achmad Nurmandi of the Universitas Muhammadiyah, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Dr. Abdullah Sumrahadi Murti of the Universiti Utara Malaysia; Dr. Sataporn Roengtam of Khon Kaen Universiti, Thailand; and Dr. Mario J. Aguja, member of the International Decommissioning Body (IDB) to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in the Philippines, were this year’s ICONPO plenary speakers. Each presented an issue of concern in their country and in the ASEAN region. The conference also featured 88 paper presentations, which highlighted various issues such as Climate Change, Environment and Adaptation, Politics and Empowerment, Community Resilience, Administrative Transformations, Budget and Finance, Conflict and Resolution, Innovation and Sustainability, Culture and Integration, Eco-Governance, Social Enterprise, Education, Transnational Issues, Innovation Policy, and Poverty Alleviation. Of these, about 30 came from the Institute. The next ICONPO will be held in Thailand in August 2016.

Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol delivers his message before ICONPO V delegates

Gazette | 5

Two departments of the Institute’s College of Engineering (COE) submitted to international accreditation through the Washington Accord to provide its graduates opportunities to work as engineers abroad. COE Assistant Dean Dr. Maria Shiela K. Ramos said that the results of the Washington Accord accreditation would recognize the MSU-IIT engineering graduates not as “technicians working abroad” but as “engineers in Washington Accord signatory countries.” The Washington Accord visited MSU-IIT on August 24 -26 to verify and evaluate the Self-Study Reports (SSR) submitted by the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Engineering Technology (ChE) and the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering (ECE). A Washington Accord accreditation would mean a substantial equivalency of IIT’s engineering degree programs to the same engineering degree programs of the signatory countries of Washington Accord. The three-day visit comprised of a series of meetings between the accrediting body’s Program Evaluation Team (PET) and the key informants – from the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellors, COE’s Dean and Assistant Dean, to the laboratory coordinators and technicians, faculty members of the two departments, students, and even external stakeholders or the industry advisory board.

In between these meetings were private sessions within the PET, a review of exhibits and documents, and a tour of the facilities. There are nine criteria that the Washington Accord uses to evaluate programs, these are: program educational objectives; student outcomes; students; faculty and support staff; curriculum; facilities and learning environment; leadership and institute support; extension, community-oriented programs, industry-academe linkage; and continuous quality improvement. Unlike the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) that determines accreditation as either Center of Development (COD) or Center of Excellence (COE), ECE Chair Prof. Jefferson Hora explained that the Washington Accord determines the number of years it gives its accreditation depending on the deficiency, weakness, or concern from the given criteria. Hora explained what these evaluations signify: weakness means that “there is a plan, procedure, or policy, but it is not fully implemented or executed”; concern is a matter of minimal improvements required; while deficiency indicates no plan, procedure, or policy at all. Having at least no deficiency, despite a few weaknesses or concerns, gives an institution two years of being Washington Accord Accredited; four

years if the weaknesses are fewer than the concerns; and, the maximum six years of full accreditation if there are no concerns at all, Ramos said. Both the CheE andECE Programs were found to be deficient by Washington Accord only in the criterion of continuous quality improvement, which requires a cycle of five years of an Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) program. Ramos explained that OBE was only implemented in the engineering programs in 2013 and was still on its second year. “We will invoke our seven-day response to correct any error of facts and we have another 30 days to respond to correct everything,” Ramos added. In other words, COE hopes to change the deficiency into a weakness or concern in order to be given the minimum two years of accreditation.“All engineering programs in IIT are committed for the accreditation,” Hora said. As the recognized body in the Philippines to conduct the Washington Accord Accreditation, the Philippine Technological Council (PTC) recommended to have two engineering programs to be evaluated for verification as of now because the job “requires a lot of man power and there is a constraint in the number of accreditors”.

Washington Accord accreditors evaluate 2 degree programs of COE

by Ian S. Embradura, OPI

Washington Accord accreditors at the College of Engineering

6 | Gazette

Goateed and built like a tank, the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance can look very intimidating even to those

already familiar with him.

As his former student in Political Science, I couldn’t help but feel like a bungling student again when I walked into his office to do this piece on him.

I must confess, it was hard not to be intimidated as the big man put down his bag (I believe he was on his way home) and intimated to me – in a gentle albeit resigned tone – how he felt about my showing up an hour late for the hastily scheduled interview. Like the pasaway student he accosted at the CASS lobby years ago, I mumbled an excuse that included the Chancellor (who was not even in the country at that time), and promptly shot questions at my friend Fatimah Joy’s beloved Papeng.

Immediately, Vice Chancellor David Nadnaden

Almarez, switched into declamation mode (as he is wont to do) and answered the questions like there were several other people in the room with us.

Me, myself, and I listened intently as the political science professor with a master’s in public administration from MSU-Marawi (1993) and a management doctorate from Capitol University (2010) launched into short-burst monologues. He detailed the bumps on the road to progress from his experience as head of the Institute’s administration and finance cluster. “Biggest challenges? Attitude, lack of initiative, inability to innovate,” Almarez rattled off the ills afflicting not a few of the Institute’s human resource.

To him, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance (OVCAF) was, by far, his most challenging assignment.

Prior to Almarez’s present administrative assignment,

Dr. David N. AlmarezVice Chancellor for Administration and Financeby Rex Godinez Ortega, OC

In Focus:

he served as Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development from 2012 to 2014 and as Human Resource Management Division boss from 2011-2012.

“We are working to transform this cluster into a learning cluster,” he told me, “One that learns from mistakes, and able to innovate in solving problems and in the delivery of services.”

This passion to improve and the resoluteness to continue until the job was done struck me as deeply ingrained into Almarez’s character that these may have been developed early in his life.

A look-see of the two-paged, font 14 CV he handed me offered up the evidences that supported my theory: As a boy growing up in Kidapawan City in Central Mindanao, Almarez worked hard to graduate as valedictorian in both the elementary and secondary schools he went to there.

As a full scholar of MSU-Marawi, he graduated cum laude with an AB Political Science degree in 1977. A year later, he graduated cum laude again from the same university with an AB Philosophy degree.

The qualities he displayed as an outstanding student won him scholarship grants from the International Committee of the Red Cross for a post graduate diploma in international law at the NALSAR University of Law in India and from the US-RP Faculty Development Grant for a Certificate in Public Management course at the Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

Almarez’s excellent academic record comes as a surprise to this average political science student of his as the man does not fit the description of an academic stereotype. A body builder would be more like it.

It also comes as a surprise to this writer that Almarez, who is entitled to the use of one Institute vehicle, whizzes past him on the highway on board motorcycles-for-hire that are locally called habal-habal. This has occurred several times now.

Pressed to comment on this observation, Almarez said that he hardly says no to requests by personnel going on official trips to use the vehicle assigned to him.

“They prefer to be driven by the driver assigned to me,” he explained. “Besides, it is an opportunity for him [the driver] to get extra income through per diems.” Mr. Brains and Brawn just proved himself a self-less and caring man right there. However, his concern does not end with that example only.

To a larger extent, he looks out for the general populace through his various environmental advocacies. Almarez, in fact, is a familiar figure at the head of countless mangrove and tree-planting campaigns.

The onslaught of Sendong in 2011 where his daughter, Fatimah Joy, nearly drowned only served to strengthen his resolve to help educate his fellows on disaster risk reduction and management and on caring for the environment. These campaigns lie close to his heart, and they drive him to even go around the campus planting fruit trees.

“You’d be surprised to know how many people do not recognize what a guyabano tree looks like, Rex,” he said. It was at this point in our conversation that I realized he was addressing me by my first name. And I couldn’t help but notice how relaxed and friendly he had become, especially when I asked him why he liked greening the Earth.

“I am a farmer’s son,” he said to me. “I grew up on a farm in Kidapawan.”

“If you can visit the house in Lambaguhon, you will see I have grown a mini-farm around it,” he told me with a wide grin.

Almarez, who was born in 1953, is set to retire in a few years. After he finishes with his work in MSU-IIT, it would not be too hard to guess what his fall back activity would be during retirement. Already, he is experimenting with grapes.

8 | Gazette

The Philippine’s shallow and deep marine waters are home to many large and small jellyfish species. Interest in these organisms has recently increased because marine biologists from many parts of the world have reported that several species have increased in their numbers in response to a warming ocean. Other scientists, however, claim that global warming in combination with other factors, such as coastal pollution and development, may have caused the population increase. With the general goal of understanding the responses of Philippine jellyfish species to climate change, MSU-IIT, the Western Philippines University (WPU), and the Hiroshima University forged a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement to conduct a joint research study. The research project, which will run from 2014 to 2019, is funded by Hiroshima University, with MSU-IIT and WPU providing official time and logistical assistance as counterpart. The project is specifically aimed at (1) knowing the composition of stinging and edible jellyfish species fished in selected study areas in the Visayas and Mindanao; (2) estimating the abundance of the fishery catch of each edible jellyfish species in the study areas; and (3) analyzing the life history strategies and reproductive biology of selected species exposed to different global warming oceanic parameters, including temperature, salinity, pH and partial pressure of dissolved carbon dioxide. Three ISI publications have already resulted from the project. The first paper appeared on Plankton and Benthos Research journal of Japan, and was on the Panther Jellyfish and its symbiotic organisms from Malampaya Sound. This was followed by the publication in the Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology of the distribution and symbionts of a possibly new species of edible jellyfish Catostylus sp. from Panguil Bay in Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte. The most recent came out in the journal, Zoological Science, and was on the pioneering discovery of a symbiotic shrimp-like copepod in Chironex sp., one of the world’s lethal stinging box jellyfish (locally known as Salabay). The research teams of the project are led by Dr. Ephrime B. Metillo of MSU-IIT, Prof. Honorio Pagliawan of WPU, and Dr. Susumo Ohtsuka of Hiroshima University. Dr. Hiroshi Miyake of Kitasato University, a jellyfish life cycle expert, is also a member of the Japanese team.

MSU-IIT, WPU, and Hiroshima U in joint research on Philippine Jellyfish

by Ephrime B. Metillo, CSM

Bottom: Photo taken by Prof. Honorio Pagliawan at jellyfish sampling site in Taytay, Palawan on 30 May 2014. Researchers from left to right: Mr. Yusuke Kondo, Dr. Ephrime Metillo, Dr. Hiroshi Miyake, Dr. Susumu Ohtsuka, Dr. Sho Toshino, Mr. Shuichiro Hashimoto, Ms. Shiho Honda.

Middle: Philippine box jellyfish Chironex sp. captured in Malampaya Sound, Palawan

Photos: Top: A. Stained canal system of Lobonemoides robustus (No.3) abbreviations: iac, inta-circular anastomosing canal; irc interrhopalar canal; rc , rhopalar canal. B. Acromitus maculosus (No.2), exumbrellar view, part umbrella cut off (No.2); C. Carangoides equula associated with A. maculsos (No. 5 in Table 2); D. Alepes djedaba associated with A. maculosus (No. 1 in table 2). Scale bars = 1cm (A); 2cm (B); 0.5 cm (C,D). Panther jellyfish (Acromitus maculosus) in B and its fish symbionts (in C and D). Source: Kondo et al. 2014, Plankton and Benthos Research, volume 9(issue 1): pages 51-56.

Gazette | 9

Reputation is the most important asset of any institution declared Ma. Carminia M. Borja, one of the speakers during the seminar-workshop on Graphics Design, Branding and

Reputation and Power Point Presentation for the staff of the Office of Publication and Information (OPI) , selected participants from the various administrative offices of the Institute, and from the Publications Office of MSU-Marawi City. The seminar-workshop was held on August 7 at the Institute Boardroom. As someone whose line of work is “selling it”, Borja shares her expertise on the importance of cultivating a good image, whether that be in a Power Point slide or the reputation of a brand. Borja, currently the supervisor of customer service and community relations of the Iligan Light & Power Inc. (ILPI), has worked with Aboitiz Philippines as brand team leader, and was in charge of executing design and brand strategy likewise said that if MSU-IIT aspires to be ‘world class’, it must “deal with reality” or, it forges a reality. She gave an example of how hotels make their lobbies impressive because in the pursuit of creating an image and brand, there are tangible and intangible assets. She said, managing a reputation requires understanding the reputational landscape. She enumerated the goals towards building and enhancing a reputation but pointed out that the hardest of these is to recover or restore a reputation. In the end, to earn a reputation of a brand results in making people of the community and all partners of an institution trust such brand. As a former lecturer with the Department of English, Borja talked about the disconnect with IIT’s desires and the lack of better classrooms and physical environment around the classrooms, referring

to the classrooms in the old CASS building where she talked about art in Humanities classes with students getting distracted with the unkempt surroundings and smell from the septic tank. MSU-IIT should have the capability, infrastructures and programs to realize its desired image through a “vehicle of promise” and with it, reputation is built when that “promise is delivered”. Reputation, Borja said, is not a corporate function but it is a capability because “building and maintaining a reputational equity requires people to make the right decisions in day to day responsibilities”. All this, she said, are integrated in the company’s strategy guided by its culture and values, and supported by governance and intelligence processes. And, in all things, Borja emphasized, ‘have a plan’. In power point presentations (PPT), Borja has this advice: keep it brief because that is what makes it effective and appreciated. The lecture on Graphics Design by Maria Christina Newhard focused on content creation and its publication. Newhard dealt with the fundamentals of editorial design: typography, grids or page structure, images, infographics, white space, composition and paper. She said these are to be considered when mulling over what is aesthetically effective and pleasing when it comes to presenting information and ideas visually. Newhard is the principal of a one-woman, Brooklyn-based design studio she started herself. For 15 years, she worked at the In-house Communication Office of Columbia University. Among her other creative involvements in the academe include Fordham Law School, New York University, and the New York Post.

Newhard’s motto: embrace the space.

Building an image of MSU-IIT - towards branding by Christine Godinez Ortega and Ian S. Embradura, OPI

‘How much is the value of IIT's name?’Participants of the seminar-workshop at the Boardroom Ma. Christina Newhard

Ma. Carminia M. Borja

10 | Gazette

Lynrose Jane D. Genon, the 2015 Institute Leadership Awardee and CASS Valedictorian, was chosen as one of this year’s Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP) in ceremonies

held at the Heroes Hall in Malacanang Palace on July 30. She is the first from MSU-IIT to receive this prestigious award. “I am very honored for this great opportunity to bring the banner of my alma mater at the TOSP,” Genon told the Gazette in an exclusive interview. The TOSP is an annual award given to selected students from all over the Philippines who not only excel academically, but also contribute to society and to those in need. Genon managed such a “balanced life” as a student by spending much of her free time teaching out-of-school youths and involving them in her community in Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte where she was chairperson of the Sangguniang Kabataan She was also actively involved in volunteer work to aid people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and to help clean the environment during her time with the Save the Ocean Foundation. For Genon, community service is “an act of love and not of responsibility”. She also believes that a student can live a fulfilling life of study and community service by playing by three rules: “pay attention, believe that you can do it, and know your limits.” Genon finished her Bachelor of Arts in English degree magna cum laude and was one of the recipients of the Best Thesis award. The other academic distinctions she received were: outstanding student officer as an AB English Organization Mayor, 2013-2014, the FEMSUSCO Executive Secretary, 2014-2015, and as a proponent of various student extension activities. Behind the annual search for the Ten Outstanding Student of the Philippines is Jose S. Concepcion, Jr., chairman of the RFM Foundation and TOSP National Executive Committee. The TOSP was launched on the 100th birthday of National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal. Concepcion considers Rizal as the embodiment of a well-rounded student.

Genon is currently a lecturer at the Department of English of the College and Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) and is taking up her Master’s degree in English Language Studies. Other 2015 TOSP awardees are: Khenn Arquiza (Western Mindanao State University) Ma. Nerissa Nicolas (Dr. Yangas Colleges Inc.); Adriel Gamier Sanches (University of San Jose Recoletos); Gregg Louise Tolentino (De La Salle University Manila); Ryan Carl Yu (Ateneo de Manila University); Apolinario Bagano Jr. (Benguet State University); Maria Stephanie Gana (Far Eastern University); Raphael Aaron Letaba (University of the Philippines); and, Fharnieza Mohammad (Western Mindanao State University).

CASS Valedictorian is 2015 TOSP Awardee

by Ian S. Embradura, OPI

Gazette | 11

Since starting its renovation in April, the Institute’s Clinic or Medical and Health Services Division (MHSD) has already effected significant changes to better serve its constituents.

For the past few months, the Clinic renovated its interiors to create a more suitable and conducive environment for its staff and patients. The laboratory now has an enclosed room of its own, a more spacious ward, and an extra doctor’s room. More judicious decisions of the clinic include the expansion and utilization of what used to be a small unoccupied lot at the back. Also, there is now a bigger comfort room for persons with disabilities. Other impressive additions to the clinic are the laboratory equipment for hematology and blood chemistry, six new modern hospital beds, and a dental chair. “We started renovating during the summer because there were fewer students,” explained Dr. Muhammad M. Puting.Dr. Puting is the Chief Administrative Officer of the MHSD and serves as its head doctor for two years now. It was his initiative to revamp the clinic. Although the renovation has been going on for a few months, the Clinic never stopped serving the constituents of IIT. Nurse Iris Kirstin Restauro said the reconstruction was gradual, from one area to another, so that clinic operations would not

be disrupted. The changes and updates in the clinic are only just the beginning, she added. Other additions to the Clinic that Nurse Restauro and Dr. Puting look forward to is the computerization of its records.Also in the clinic’s roadmap is the licensing of their laboratories that would enable them to take out lab results, as well as get PhilHealth accreditation that would enable students to benefit from their parents’ health insurance. Even in the years to come, Dr. Puting has bigger plans ahead for the clinic. “Hopefully we could come up with an IGP (income generating program) with much lesser payment, expand our services, and be on 24-hour duty.” If granted more personnel and a bigger budget, Dr. Putting hopes to acquire X-ray machines and establish a hospital in IIT. “We could provide a venue for our nursing students for their OJT (on the job training),” Dr. Puting said. “Such a plan would minimize expenses for the students,” he added. The renovation of the clinic is expected to be finished by September. by Ian S. Embradura, OPI

A Better Clinic Ahead for IIT

Considered by many faculty and staff members and students as approachable and cheerful, Dr. Muhammad M. Putting, the Chief Administrative Officer of the Institute’s Medical and Health Services Division, has no trouble earning the confidence of those he helps at the clinic. Described by many as jolly, Dr. Puting radiates a cheerful spirit that affects those around him. As it is, the jolly doctor is a firm believer of the saying that laughter is the best medicine; and he likes to see his patients smile. Before going to Southwestern University (SWU) for medical school, Dr. Puting finished his secondary education in the Institute’s Integrated Developmental School (IDS) and his Zoology course at the College of Science and Mathematics. “I was immediately hired in the Institute after my oath-taking as doctor,” he recalled. For the six years he’s been a school doctor, his encounters with IIT’s constituents have made him become an advocate of health awareness. Due to this, he always makes it a point to hold seminars on various health and medical issues. When he is not spreading cheer at the Clinic, the head doctor can be found energizing the dance floor, or basketball court.Dr. Puting recently became a father, and is a loving husband to his wife, Omohanie S. Puting, who works at the Institute’s Cashiering Division. by Ian S. Embradura, OPI and Rex G. Ortega, OC

Meet the Jolly Doctor: Dr. Muhammad M. Puting

Dr. Puting with Clinic staff

12 | Gazette

Dr. Gyo Miyahara, Deputy Director of the Global Collaboration Center (GLOCOL), visited the Institute from August 6 to 9 to discuss future collaborations with MSU-IIT’s Bamboo Technology Resource Center. Miyahara’s visit was related to a GLOCOL project of building elementary schools in Sambulawan, Leyte using bamboo as the primary material for construction, explained Lilian T. Valencia, coordinator of the Institute’s Bamboo Technology Resource Center. Miyahara, who was on his third visit to MSU-IIT, said that the aesthetics of bamboo for a classroom setting is conducive to learning. He said that he was interested that MSU-IIT had a resource center that exploits the dynamics of bamboo. During his visit, Miyahara also held a Focused Group

Discussion at the Institute Coffee Lounge with CASS Department Chairpersons and some of the Institute Deans. He gave an overview of what they did at GLOCOL and talked about their projects on conflict and post-conflict resolution, human and food security, international and global health, human-environment relationship and sustainability, and migration and multicultural co-existence for plans of future collaborative projects and future visiting professorships. GLOCOL is an academic institution established in Osaka University that aims to develop human resources with knowledge and skills for trans-cultural communicability through research, education, and practice. MSUIIT has academic and extension collaborations with Osaka University since 2013. by Ian S. Embradura, OPI

GLOCOL Deputy Director visits Bamboo Techno Resource Center

MSU-IIT formalized its partnership with the Center for Enterprise of the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD) in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on August 19 in Boracay, Aklan for a project that will establish a Technology Business Incubator (TBI) in the Institute. The MOA Signing and launching was followed by a TBI Planning Session where Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Dr. Jinky B. Bornales and College of Business Administration and Accountancy (CBAA) Dean Prof. Julita W. Bokingo reported IIT’s status in Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship programs. Initial plans, goals, and definition of roles were also discussed. A Technology Business Incubator is a program that assists entrepreneurial enterprises in its early stages to focus on developing its technology while running the business without much burden.

According to Dean Bokingo, it was the Institute’s bamboo technology that emerged as a prospect for the pilot implementation of the project. This endeavor aims to “develop an engineered bamboo industry and sustainable livelihood in Iligan City through MSU-IIT,” Bokingo said. The MOA Signing and TBI pre-planning session was scheduled just a day before the 3rd Geeks On A Beach (GOAB) conference where the Institute was introduced to the movers and members of the startup community. The GOAB is a conference on technology and business for tech-driven enterprises, innovators, and investors. by Ian S. Embradura, OPI

UPD center partners with MSU-IIT for tech-biz incubator project

Dr. Gyo Miyahara with hosts from the College of Arts and Social Sciences

Gazette | 13

The Institute’s Bamboo Technology Resource Center (BTRC) was tapped by the local government of Butuan City to give a week-long training on bamboo handicrafts, processing and

production on August 10-16 in Barangay Mahay, Butuan City. The BTRC’s Richard P. Arriesgado, Segundino A. Medalla, Jr., and Renante R. Villaver shared their expertise to 20 Barangay Mahay residents who were beneficiaries of the LGU’s Bottom-up Budgeting: Bamboo-based Livelihood Project. According to BTRC coordinator, Lilian T. Valencia, the participants, who were relocated settlers in need of a source of income, were given such training to provide them with a means of livelihood. The BTRC is a unit attached to the Technology Application and Promotions Unit of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension. It has been extending its expertise and skills to neighboring provinces since its involvement with the Department of Science and Technology – Caraga Regional Office.

IIT’s bamboo craftsmen train Butuan relocated settlers

by Ian S. Embradura, OPI

In recognition of the Institute’s capacity for technology and innovation, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) invited IIT to be one of the exhibitors at the July 24 -28 Science and Technology Fair and Exhibit during the 2015National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. According to Marietta Esperanza P. Cruz, Head of the Technology Application & Promotion Unit (TAPU) of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension (OVCRE), the invitation was an acknowledgment that “we are producing technologies that could contribute to science and technology.” “IIT is the only academic institution from Mindanao in the exhibits,” Cruz pointed out. Seven outputs in the form of posters and two that had actual prototypes were exhibited at the week-long event. IIT faculty and staff members who exhibited their technological and innovative outputs at the MSU-IIT booth were the following – Kenny Cantilla, Kister Genesis M. Jimenez, Ephraim E. Ibarra, Eulalio C. Creencia, Nathaniel C. Tarranza, Evelyn C. Creencia, Marven E. Jabian, Michael Hilarion P. Cabili, and Kristine D. Sanchez. by Ian S. Embradura, OPI

IIT Technology and Innovations exhibited at DOST S&T Fair

Bamboo Technology Resource Center staff nicknamed “The Bamboo Boys” in action

The MSU-IIT Team at the DOST Science Techno-Fair and Exhibit

14 | Gazette

Elizalde Bana of the College of Nursing received the third prize for the Prof. Mustaffa Young Investigators’ Award in the recently concluded ‘Diabetes Asia 2015’ Conference (DAC) held at the Hotel Istana in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on August 6-9. Bana won the award for his study called, Seal and Heal Miracle Ointment: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cryopreserved and Lyophilized Amniotic Membrane to Experimentally Induced Diabetic Wounds. Aside from receiving a cash prize for placing third, Bana also won a sponsorship to DAC 2016 from pharmaceutical Servier Malaysia Sdn Bhd. The prestigious Diabetes Asia Conference is now in its 14th year, and is centered on recent developments and practical aspects of diabetes care to help improve the management of diabetes mellitus, Type 2 in particular. The conference is organized by the National Diabetes Institute of Malaysia.

Bana in Sweet Victory at Diabetes Asia Conference

by Karen R. Veloso, CON

In fostering the linkage between MSU-IIT and Khon Kaen University (KKU) of Thailand, three professors from the Faculty of Education (FOE) of the latter visited the Institute on August 15-18 for a Focused Group Discussion (FGD) with the Executive Committee of the College of Education (CED). The three professors from KKU’s FOE were Dr. Nuchwana Luanganggoon, Ms. Phatchara Phantharakphong, and Dr. Jiradawan Huntula. According to Acting CED Dean Dr. Manuel B. Barquilla, the visit was part of KKU’s efforts to “operationalize” the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) it and MSU-IIT signed in September 2013. During the FGD, it was agreed that FOE and CED will match and combine their research outputs. Aside from research collaboration, the MOU also provides for academic conferences and the exchange of faculty members and students (undergraduate and graduate) between KKU and MSU-IIT, which is set to happen by February 2016. This exchange would see KKU’s FOE send ten of its students and two faculty members to MSU-IIT who will be immersed in classroom engagements and in practice teaching. The visitors from KKU also expressed their desire to see the implementation of the provisions on academic conferences in the MOU reinforced. It can be recalled that CED has already co-hosted the 7th International Conference on Education Research (ICER) with Khon Kaen University in 2014 where Chancellor Sukarno D. Tanggol was one of the keynote speakers. CED students and faculty members have also been presenting papers at the KKU even before the MOU was signed. Barquilla hopes that this partnership with KKU, a university hailed as one of nine National Research Universities of Thailand, would help the College of Education in its programs through benchmarking of curriculums, strengthening faculty profile, and engaging with Thai students to eventually realize IIT’s aspiration towards becoming a research university. KKU is also offering scholarships in graduate and postgraduate programs for CED’s faculty members who are applying for a Ph.D. degree, Barquilla added. by Ian S. Embradura, OPI

Khon Kaen strengthens ties with CED

In light of the efforts by the Philippine Government to prepare volunteer organizations in responding to disasters and other emergency situations, the College of Nursing (CON) did its part by conducting a basic life support training for the Allied Linamon Emergency Response Team (ALERT). CON’s Prof. Charles Bien L. Nebres, Prof. Art Brian S. Escabarte, and Prof. Jiddo Andrei G. Maranda trained around 40 ALERT members composed of fishermen, sikad drivers, businessmen, and ordinary citizens. The 10-day training was given in June at the Municipality of Linamon, Lanao del Norte. A month a later, Nebres, Escabarte, and Maranda gave basic first aid and basic life support training to EdSci 150 (Management in Science Education) students from the Naawan campus at the MSU-Naawan Function Hall. The three are members of the National Alliance for Aquatic Safety and Disaster Preparedness, Inc. They are also certified lifeguards by the Philippine Coastguard and members of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary.

CON Faculty Conduct Basic Life Support Training

by Karen R. Veloso, CON

KKU faculty with Acting CED Dean Dr. Manuel B. Barquilla and former CED Dean Prof. Esmar N. Sedurifa

Two MSU-IIT post-graduate students were among 46 successful graduates under the In-Country Scholarships

Program (ICSP) of the Philippines-Australia Human Resource and Organizational Development Facility (PAHRODF). In ceremonies held at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City, the PAHRODF recognized Ebil Datumanong and Victor Constantine Cinches who finished their degrees in Master in Sustainable Development Studies (MiSDS) major in Economic Development and Environmental Engineering, respectively, from the Institute through the ICSP in summer this year. The Australian Government through the PAHRODF established and funded the ICSP to provide postgraduate scholarship grants “to help strengthen select Philippine institutions or individuals in priority fields relevant to current

development trends” in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao. The ICSP is an initiative to complement the Australia Awards, which supported over 2,000 Filipinos to undertake post-graduate studies in Australia’s leading universities in the last two decades. The ICSP provides professional development opportunities for Filipinos who are unable to study in Australia because of work or family demands. The program was piloted in six partner academic institutions: University of the Philippines, Asian Institute of Management, Asian Social Institute, Ateneo De Davao University, the University of Southeastern Philippines, and the MSU-IIT. Ninety-nine scholarship grants were awarded in 2012 and 2013. The pioneering batch pursued degrees in education, social protection and community development,

urban planning and infrastructure development, public administration and governance while the second batch pursued programs in peace and development, public health, human resource and organizational development, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction and management. MSU-IIT has eleven ICSP grantees, all enrolled in the MiSDS Program. Nine other scholars, as with the other scholars of ICSP partner institutions who are all finishing their special projects/theses, are expected to graduate in the first or second semesters of SY2015-2016. Warren Hoya, Acting Counselor on the Political and Economic Section of the Australian Embassy, announced during the Recognition Ceremonies that a third batch of ICSP intakes will be chosen for 2015. No new intakes were recorded for 2014.

Australian-backed In-Country Scholarship Program grantees earn Master’s

Geoff King, Counselor for Governance of the Australian Embassy in Manila, congratulates Datumanong T. Ebil, ICSP grantee and graduate of the Master in Sustainable Development Studies in MSU-IIT. Looking on are NEDA Deputy Director-General Rolando Tungpalan and PAHRODF Facility Director Milalin Javellana.

Gazette | 15

Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development Dr. Feliciano B. Alagao reads the Gazette

Dr. Ayumi Terada of the Tokyo University Museum and Dr. Luisito Evangelista, Head of the Botany Division of the country’s National Museum in Manila visit OPI with Emerito “Noel” Batara. With them is the OPI Acting Director (seated). The three were featured in Gazette May 2015 (inset)

To boost its strength, Team OPI welcomes new members into its fold. Just who they are, read on!

MICHELLE JEANNE C. CARACUT, Special Assistant An Assistant Professor of the Department of English, Michelle is no stranger to balancing her time between her teaching load and other Institute tasks having been assigned previously as Special Staff Assistant at the OVCAA and as Undergraduate Program Coordinator of her department. Now as OPI’s Special Assistant, she faces yet another exciting job as she monitors the Institute’s official webpage, FB and Twitter accounts. Soon, she shall write for and edit the Institute’s Annual Report. Michelle, who holds an MA in English Language Studies, also helps copyedit papers for the Mindanao Forum and undergraduate

research papers, conducts Sebuano Language Training Course to foreigners, and handles lectures and workshops on grammar and technical writing. Aside from her academic versatility, Michelle is also adept at paper crafts and handiworks. Her pop-up cards are novel items she surprises her friends with on their special days. Her other interests are equally fascinating and varied as her work. She plays billiards and darts, as well as musical instruments like guitar, violin, clarinet, and flute. She also loves cooking, gardening, mountain trekking, and travelling. Michelle finds dogs as her most ardent home companions and has two at home, Rocky and Bouncie. – by Ma. Theresa B. Panzo

LEONEVA G. CAWALING, Financial Analyst A calculator, computer, note pad, pen, and more papers…her desk at the office says it all. As OPI’s financial analyst, Jhing, as she is fondly called, has her hands full ensuring that the office operations run smooth. She monitors and prepares financial requirements for the office’s activities, as well as disbursement vouchers, project procurement management plan, purchase requests, budget utilization requests, and other

financial matters. Until recently, Jhing has worked with the Commission on Audit (COA) for the last 13 years as secretary and financial analyst. She also had a brief stint with the Cashiering Division before her current position at OPI. An athlete since her college days (she was a recipient of the College Athletic Award), Jhing spends her free time playing either lawn tennis, badminton, bowling, or volleyball. – by Ma. Theresa B. Panzo