On April 30, 2024, the Visayas State University (VSU) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) formally entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Executive Conference Room of the UPLB Chancellor’s Office. Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. and President Prose Ivy G. Yepes signed on behalf of UPLB and VSU, respectively, with witnesses from both UPLB and VSU.
Among the distinguished witnesses was Dr. Ronel S. Pangan, the Director of the UPLB Center for Agri-Fisheries and Biosystems Mechanization (BIOMECH) of the College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology. Dr. Pangan has been a key contributor to this collaboration through his involvement in a project with DOST PCAARRD, specifically the “Compendium of Agricultural and Fisheries Technologies in the Philippines.” This initiative involves his team traversing the Philippines to collect data on agricultural technologies from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) while simultaneously establishing Memoranda of Understanding with these institutions. Present also as witnesses were Dr. Jenielyn T. Padrones, Director, UPLB Office for Institutional Development in Higher Education (OIDHE), Dr. Jannet C. Bencure, Dean, College of Engineering and Technology, and Engr. Eldon P. De Padua, Head, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering of VSU.
BIOMECH (formerly the Agricultural Mechanization Development Program or AMDP) being tasked by AFMech Law (RA 10601) to lead and coordinate the agricultural and fishery mechanization RDE program of all academic institutions in the country is in constant contact with VSU, a member of the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Research, Development and Extension (AFMechRDE) Network. Through the Network’s recently concluded Consultative Meeting and efforts from the Compendium Project, the UPLB OIDHE was able to set an exploratory meeting between selected VSU and UPLB personnel last February 5, 2024 via Zoom. This exploratory meeting set in motion the ceremonial MOU signing between VSU and UPLB.
(Marck Ferdie V. Eusebio)