News / Obelisk

Details: Written by Visayas State University; Published: 23 December 2015

The ViSCA Foundation Elementary School (VFES) celebrated its 40th Founding Anniversary on October 6-8, 2015 with the theme “Developing young individuals by reinforcing that values are as precious as gems.”

The celebration kicked-off with a thanksgiving mass at the VSU Convention Hall and was immediately followed with a parade and opening program with playground demonstration and band exhibition at the VSU Lower Campus Oval Grounds.

Hitting two birds with one stone, the activities lined up on the second day were attuned to the Scouting Month celebration wherein the pupils enjoyed playing in the Larong Pinoy, Treasure Hunting, and other Parlor Games facilitated by the VFES teachers.

The major highlight of this year’s anniversary celebration was the search for Little Miss VFES in which the beauty-and-brains tilt comes once in every five years. It was participated in by eight cute young children from the Kindergarten to Grade Three.

Proclaimed winners in the pageant including the special awards were: Marian Grace C. Panonce – Little Miss VFES 2015 and Best in Talent; Bryssa Maye Nicole L. Makabenta – 1^st Runner Up, Best in Gown, and Little Miss Avon; Loriene Grace B. Britos – 2^nd Runner Up, Little Miss Photogenic, Best in Production Number, Best in Beach Wear, and Little Miss Popularity; Antoinette Josephine M. Siarez – 3^rd Runner Up; and Ashanti Louise Caindoc – 4^th Runner Up. The other candidates included: Mikelyn Gift Soriano, Nicole T. Roa, and Kira Munick P. Rapi.

Atty. Gwen Manuel P. Santiago, a VFES alumnus, served as the convocation speaker. Atty. Santiago had a recollection of his elementary days spent at VFES for the children to pick up and get inspiration. The speaker lauded the teachers for inculcating in the young minds of VFES pupils the correct values they should live when they grow up including their active participation in the curricular and extra-curricular activities, and teaching them to be independent. “VFES is a strong institution that could help them achieve their goals and ambition. VFES has a very big contribution of what I am today,” Atty. Santiago said.

VFES also recognized the sincerity and dedication of its faculty and staff as evident in the number of years they served the school. The Loyalty Award with certificate and monetary value attached to it were given to Rogelio A. Tabudlong – 30 years, Zenaida S. Mercurio – 29 years, and Corina M. Sacro – 15 years.

The activity was concluded with a Family Day among the parents, pupils and the teachers. Jesus Freddy M. Baldos

Details: Written by JFMBaldos; Published: 23 December 2015

A number of students from the Visayas State University won top places in the Regional PASUC Culture and the Arts Festival held on October 19, 2015 at the Leyte Normal University and the Eastern Visayas State University in Tacloban City. The competition was part of the regional selection of PASUC-8 to the 7^th National PASUC Culture and the Arts Festival in Bicol University, Legazpi City, Albay on November 30 – December 2, 2015.

The following are the categories won by the VSU students and they will represent PASUC-8 in the national competition with their coaches: Pop Solo – Melanie P. Cinco with Mr. Jesus Freddy M. Baldos as coach; On-the-Spot Painting – Larry A. Salvatera with Mr. Jude Nonie A. Sales as coach; and Radio Drama – Marelie D. Dacera, Dhea Maureen Millana, Joshua Levi S. Montero, Mariane B. Ubay, and Tomas A. Yamada with Dr. Christina A. Gabrillo as coach.

The other places won by the VSU students were: (Second Place) Instrumental Guitar Solo – Lejhen Rey Villacorte, Story Telling – Edelle Marie Tulin, Short and Sweet Play; and (Third Place) Choral Singing, Vocal Duet – Ryan L. Panto and Marianne D. Balladares, Hip Hop Dance, Extemporaneous Speech – Jamaica C. Mueda, and Essay Writing – Irish Jane Calungsod. Jesus Freddy M. Baldos

Details: Written by JFMBaldos; Published: 10 December 2015

His Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino III personally bestowed the 2015 Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award to Dr. Roberto C. Guarte, Professor VI and VP for Administration and Finance of the Visayas State University (VSU), together with the rest of the 11 awardees throughout the country, in the morning of November 9, 2015 during the 2015 Honor Awards Rites at the Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace, Manila. The Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award is the highest award accorded to a public official.

Details: Written by JFMBaldos; Published: 23 December 2015

The results of the October 2015 Geodetic Engineer Licensure Examination added another feather on VSU’s cap as four of its graduates landed in the top ten and all of them, the eleven VSU graduates, passed in the said exam giving VSU an institutional passing percentage of 100% as compared to the national passing percentage of 35.10%.

Details: Written by Jed Cortes; Published: 29 October 2015

"I humbly accept this responsibility. Tomorrow is a start of a new adventure, a start of a new journey towards where VSU will be going."

Details: Written by JFMBaldos; Published: 11 December 2015

A total of nine (9) college students of the Visayas State University will be representing PASUC-8 during the 7^th PASUC National Culture and the Arts Festival on November 29-December 2, 2015 at Bicol University in Legazpi City. The student-performers were shortlisted after winning in their respective categories in the PASUC-8 Regional Culture and the Arts Festival held on October 19, 2015 in Eastern Visayas State University and in Leyte Normal University, Tacloban City.

The regional winners and their coaches are as follows: Vocal Solo Pop – Melanie P. Cinco with Mr. Jesus Freddy M. Baldos, as coach; On-the-Spot Painting – Larry A. Salvatera with Mr. Jude Nonie A. Sales, as coach; and Radio Drama – Marelie D. Dacera, Dhea Maureen Millana, Mariane B. Ubay, Tomas A. Yamada, and Joshua Levi S. Montero with Dr. Christina A. Gabrillo, as coach.

For winning in the Mr. and Miss PASUC-8 during the Search for Mr. and Miss SUC VIII on October 27, 2015 in time of the Regional SCUAA Meet 2015, Orland James Estologa and Aura Shaznay Tumulak shall be competing in the National Search for Mr. and Miss PASUC 2015. Miss Sheena Eunice Tabudlong and Miss Anna Beth Varron shall serve as their coach and assistant coach, respectively.

The VSU Delegation bound for Bicol shall be headed by Prof. Jesusito L. Lim, Head of the VSU Culture and the Arts Center. JFMBaldos

Details: Written by Jesus Freddy M. Baldos; Published: 10 October 2015

Various kinds of booths built by the different student organizations, departments, colleges, and research centers of VSU, including those from the local government units, government agencies and private entities, spiced up this year’s celebration of the Visayas State University as an institution. The different booths depicted the theme of the celebration, which is “Reinvigorating Agriculture for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.”

The booth of the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS) under the deanship of Dr. Antonia Cecilia Y. Sandoval, was declared as the “Booth of the Year.” This is the first time that CAFS was able to garner the highest award in VSU anniversary booth competition. The College received a cash reward of PhP4,000.

Usually, the “Booth of the Year” award is won by the PhilRootcrops in which the Booth Contest Committee declared it as the “Hall of Famer”, thus disqualifying them from joining in the competition.

There was a quadruple tie for the 1^st Runner Up and it was shared by the booths of the National Abaca Research Center, College of Forestry and Environmental
Science, The Builders, and the OPA-Leyte. Each of them received a cash reward of PhP1,500.

On the other hand, the “Best Booth” award was given to the following booths by category: Research Centers Category – PhilRootcrops; Colleges Category – College of Engineering; Student Organizations Category – VSU Agricultural Extension Society; and LGU/Other Agencies Category – Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The “Best Booth” awardees received PhP2,500 each in cash. JFMBaldos

Details: Written by JFMBaldos; Published: 11 December 2015

After passing the Preliminary Survey Visit (PSV) and being awarded the Candidate Status Accreditation by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP), Inc. effective November 1, 2014 – October 31, 2016 among the seven programs of the VSU Main Campus—BS in Geodetic Engineering, BS in Environmental Management, BS in Economics, BS in Nursing, MS in Food Science and Technology, MS in Forestry, and MS in Tropical Ecology; the Bachelor of Elementary Education, Bachelor of Secondary Education, and the BS in Fishery in VSU-Tolosa Campus with validity period from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2014, these programs shall undergo an evaluation for Level I Accreditation simultaneously on November 23-28, 2015.

Details: Written by SMCLemos; Published: 10 October 2015

The Visayas State University (VSU), through the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center (PhiRootcrops), celebrated the Rootcrops Festival as one of the highlights of the 91^st VSU Founding Anniversary. The festival is a project funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources, Research and Development (PCAARRD), and the Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center 8 (ATI-RTC 8). The festival showcased Rootcrops Rock, Rootcrops Dance Festival, Rootcrops Technology Forum, Rootcrops Treat, Rootcrops Artwork Contest, and Rootcrops Cookfest.

The Rootcrops Rock, an interactive learning activity joined by elementary pupils, focused on the different uses of sweet potato, cassava, gabi and ubi in the food, feed and industry and nutraceuticals. Rootcrops Treat was an evening treat with dinner composed of rootcrop-based food.

The Rootcrops Artwork Contest was participated in by elementary, high school, college students, and professionals with the theme “Reinvigorating Agriculture for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development.” The Rootcrops Cookfest was open to HRTM and Food Technology students with rootcrops as the main ingredient.

Moreover, the Rootcrops Technology Forum focused on “Rootcrop Innovations for Health and Growth” which aims to promote rootcrop processing system and food products from rootcrop science and technology for adoption by interested stakeholders. The Rootcrops Technology Forum exhibited products made out of rootcrops, like: tarroz wine–fermented pure extract of Taro, developed food products from cassava grates and flour like cassava cookies, cassava espasol, cassava macaroons, yucca sticks, jolly rolls and pitsi pitsi, sweetpotato pickles, and taro yogurt.

On the other hand, the Rootcrops Dance Festival featured a mass showdown of different contingents from VSU-Alangalang, VSU-Tolosa, and the VSU Main Campus represented by the College of Education. It featured the different activities of rootcrops farming such as planting and harvesting and triumphs against calamities and/or natural disasters. The VSU-Alangalang Campus emerged first and received PhP20,000. The College of Education won the second prize and received PhP15,000, while VSU-Tolosa won the third prize and received PhP10,000. SMCLemos