VSU’s PhD in Agronomy gets green light for DOST-SEI scholarship program

DOST-SEI Deputy Director, Engr. Albert G. Mariño, SEI Consultant and Former DOST Secretary, Prof. Fortunato T. dela Peña, DOST Region 8 Director, Dr. John Glenn D. Ocaña, along with other experts in science and education, spearheaded the ocular inspection for the PhD in Agronomy program in VSU for its potential inclusion in the Accelerated Science and Technology Human Resource Development Program (ASTHRDP) scholarship.

This visit, conducted on April 15, 2025, by the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) technical working group, aims to evaluate the program standards to determine whether the university has the potential to become a delivering institution under this prestigious scholarship program.

To begin the evaluation, the experts were welcomed by the VSU Graduate Education (GE) and ASTHRDP teams, led by Dr. Victor B. Asio and Head of the Department of Agronomy, Dr. Luz G. Asio, at the GE Conference Room.

A briefing session and an ocular inspection of the Department of Agronomy and other key laboratories and facilities across the campus followed the program.

The DOST-SEI team validated the university’s readiness in offering a quality PhD in Agronomy that is aligned with the national agency’s development goals in science and agriculture.

Among the areas reviewed were the key aspects of the program, including curriculum content, faculty credentials, research outputs, laboratory equipment, and institutional linkages.

PhD in Agronomy at VSU and Its Link to ASTHRDP

Since its inception in the first semester of 2023, the PhD program of the VSU Department of Agronomy currently has two enrollees expected to graduate in the following years.

This inspires the department to apply for the DOST-ASTHRDP scholarship program to encourage doctoral students to proceed to the PhD in Agronomy in VSU to increase the program’s enrollment rate. 

In addition, the program has already received the Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), which means that the program meets the required standards set by the commission.

With the recent visit, the program is expected to welcome an increasing number of enrollees, provided that the students qualify for the criteria of eligibility set by the said scholarship program.

If qualified, the scholars will receive free tuition, a monthly stipend of 38,000 pesos, including a thesis/dissertation outright allowance of 100,000 pesos and many more privileges.

TWG Recommendation and Expert Praise

Following the extensive inspection and evaluation, the DOST-SEI team shared their findings. Based on their assessment, the PhD in Agronomy program of VSU was recommended for inclusion in the DOST-ASTHRDP scholarship program.

Former DOST Secretary dela Peña commended the university for its continued efforts to maintain a strong track record in agricultural research.

“VSU is one of the leading and premier institutions in agriculture and science in the country. We see a lot of potential in this program to produce leaders and innovators in agronomy,” he stated during the exit conference.

Dr. Luz Asio emphasized the importance of this milestone for the program and the university as a whole. 

“With this scholarship program, we can attract more students to enroll for the PhD in Agronomy program in VSU for us to increase the enrollment rate of the department and the university”, the department head noted in an interview.

Further, she expressed her appreciation to the evaluators for their constructive inputs and the extensive evaluation that gave the department ideas on improving the program further. 

Dr. Asio also extended her gratitude to the university administration for their constant support to the department and the program.

“Of course, my heartfelt gratitude goes to the university, especially our very active President, Dr. Prose Ivy G. Yepes, and Dr. Rotacio S. Gravoso, our Vice President for Academic Affairs, because they are there to support whatever programs and projects that we have in our department, most specially in this initiative for the PhD in Agronomy”, she added.

The implementation of the PhD in Agronomy scholarship program by DOST-ASTHRDP is expected to be implemented in the first semester of the academic year 2025-2026.

Also, part of the delegation are experts from other institutions, including Dr. Celia Medina (UPLB-IWEP Director), Dr. Ariel G. Mactal (VPAA, CLSU), Dr. Norman G. De Jesus (Professor, PSAU), and DOST technical staff Ms. Camille Jeanne Huliganga and Ms. Pamela Jane Cano.

This article is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.