The VSU-Tolosa Campus under the OICship of Dr. Lourdes B. Cano, VSU’s Director for Administration and Human Resource Development (ODA-HRD), was able to acquire new musical instruments in addition to the existing musical instruments for its marching band. The musical instruments consisting of 5 pieces bass drums (Fernando brand), 4 pieces parade drums with harness (Fernando brand), 4 pieces snare metal drums with harness (Fernando brand), 3 pieces bugle (gold), 4 pieces king lyre, 1 set chimes with stand, and 1 set jam block with stand were bought with a total cost of PhP98,700 taken from its cultural and athletic fees.

In an interview with Mr. Danilo Lerios, instructor and head of Socio-Cultural Affairs Section of VSU-Tolosa Campus, the new musical instruments would be an addition to some wind and percussion instruments donated by KOICA and the Leyte Provincial Government, respectively. “With the acquisition of new musical instruments, we can now upgrade our parade band in terms of its musical quality, and hopefully come up with an orchestra,” Mr. Lerios happily mused. JFMBaldos

The Integrated Chemists of the Philippines (ICP), in coordination with ICP Leyte Cluster, recently conducted a Seminar–Training on Water Quality Testing and Analysis at the Visayas State University. Ms. Edna C. Mijares, External Vice President of ICP and CEO of Jefcor Laboratories, Inc., supervised the World Health Organization (WHO) funded activity as part of the Water Quality Monitoring (WQM) project entitled “Assessment and Strengthening of Water Laboratories in Yolanda–Affected Areas of Region 8”. It was participated in by 29 personnel from various laboratories in the region both in the government and private sectors who are involved in water analyses. Regional Department of Health, Provincial Health Offices in Eastern and Western Samar, Local Water Districts, Regional Department of Science and Technology, Ormoc City Health Office and Leyte Provincial Hospital with their sanitary inspectors and laboratory analysts/microbiologists joined with participants from the academe and industry.

Dr. Lily M. Varca, ICP Officer, assisted Ms. Mijares in giving lectures while Ms. Cynthia Dolores V. Godoy and Prof. Jesusito L. Lim facilitated the hands-on training on physico-chemical analyses and microbiological testing of selected water samples, respectively. Prof. Jacob Glenn F. Jansalin, ICP Leyte President; Dr. Candelario L. Calibo, ICP Leyte Internal VP; and Dr. Ma. Theresa P. Loreto, ICP Leyte Member, composed the local organizing committee.

The Visayas State University, through the Office of the Vice President for Planning, Resource Generation and External Affairs (OVPPRGEA) headed by Dr. Victor B. Asio with the members of the Performance Management Team, conducted a University-wide Workshop on the Preparation and Submission of Semi-Annual OPCR and IPCR for 2015 on July 2 at the VSU Center for Continuing Education. The workshop was held in response to the directive issued by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to the Office of the VSU President to strictly implement the provision of CSC Memorandum Circular No. 6, Series of 2012 requiring the submission of IPCR in semi-annual rating period (January to June and July to December).

In his message on behalf of VSU President Jose L. Bacusmo who was on official travel, Dr. Edgardo E. Tulin, VP for Instruction, emphasized that the activity sought not only to comply with the submission of the OPCR and IPCR for two rating periods within the year but also to submit the University Commitment for the Year 2015.

Dr. Tulin also discussed the highlights and review on the guidelines of PBB 2014, while Dr. Lourders B. Cano, director of the Office of the Director for Administration and Human Resource Development, did the orientation and provisions of CSC Memo Circular No. 6.

After some questions raised by the participants, the organizer proceeded with the workshop and required them to submit their OPCRs and IPCRs for critiquing by the members of the PMT. JFMBaldos

A total of 102 campus ministers, guidance facilitators, dormitory advisers and organization advisers of the University took their oath of office before the VSU President, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, on July 20, 2015 at the VSU Hilltop Amphitheatre. The ceremony formally installed them to their respective functions for the welfare of the whole VSU studentry.

They promised before VSU President Bacusmo, in the presence of Dr. Edgardo E. Tulin, VP for Instruction, with the student leaders of the University that they will faithfully and conscientiously carry out their responsibilities with wisdom, maturity, diligence and impartiality, to promote the welfare of the dormitory/cottage and its residents, and uphold the rules and policies of the University.

After Dr. Bacusmo delivered his message to the newly installed advisers, campus ministers and guidance facilitators, Ramon Salvador of the College of Agriculture and Food Science Supreme Student Council who represented the student leaders, together with Dr. Nilda T. Amestoso, on behalf of the advisers, and Prof. Manolo B. Loreto Jr., the Dean of Students, shared their expectations.

Spearheaded by the University Student Services Office, the 2015 Oath Taking Ceremony was closed with a message from Dr. Tulin. JFMBaldos

Dr. Beatriz C. Jadina, Associate Professor IV of VSU’s Department of Soil Science (DSS), was invited by Dr. Mukand S. Bael, Chair of the Organizing Committee of the Regional Forum on Climate Change 2015 (RFCC 2015) of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the RFCC 2015 – Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Societies: Bridging Science, Practice and Policy held at the AIT Conference Center, Pathumthani, Thailand on July 1-3, 2015. Dr. Jadina’s scientific paper on “Assessment and Monitoring of Climate and Land Use Changes in Relation to Landslide Occurrences in Southern Leyte, Philippines: Its Implication to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management” was selected for poster presentation in the said forum.

Her poster was displayed at the lobby of the AIT Conference Center where more than 400 participants all around the globe had the chance to view her poster and listen to her presentation.

While at AIT, Dr. Jadina was warmly welcomed by Ms. Izel Ann “Monyeen” Mojado-Dante, AIT Head of Administration and a VSU alumna. Aside from Dr. Jadina, more than 20 participants from the different state universities and colleges and other agencies from the Philippines also joined in the RFCC 2015.

Dr. Jadina’s participation, including the registration, international airfare, and subsistence allowance, was shouldered by the RFCC 2015 Organizing Committee.

RFCC 2015 is regarded as an outstanding Forum that will cope with the topics on Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Protection and a lot more. It strove to enhance this channel of communication among the gamut of stakeholders, primarily among ASEAN countries. The Forum also sought to propose interventions that would influence climate policy in the region, and inspire ASEAN position for climate change negotiations at the global scale in preparation for the Climate Change Forum in Paris sometime in December this year.

The RFCC 2015 was organized by the Asian Institute of Technology in collaboration with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, ASEAN, and the European Union. JFMBaldos

The Mighty Pythons Team with Engr. Florentino Morales, Jr. as the General Athletic Manager (GAM) and Dr. Roberto C. Guarte, VP for Administration and Finance, as the Team Coordinator; and the VSU-Isabel Cyber Warriors with Mr. Jobane P. Delantar as the GAM and Dr. Edwin A. Balbarino, College Dean, as the Team Coordinator, victoriously defended their titles as champions in the Faculty and Staff Intramurals and the College Student Intramurals, respectively, during the University-wide Paugnat 2015 held on July 22-24 with a hashtag “#BeTheBestYouEver”. The Mighty Pythons garnered the championship in the Faculty and Staff Intramural Games 2015 held last March 11-13, while the VSU-Isabel Cyber Warriors was proclaimed champion in the 2013 University-wide Student Intramural Games.

Facilitated by the Institute of Human Kinetics (IHK) under the leadership of Dr. Aleli A. Villocino, IHK Director, the games successfully reeled-off despite very minor glitches considering that it was the first time in VSU to hold such kind of sports competitions wherein the faculty and staff, and the students in the high school and in the college of the VSU System played the games at the same time.

In his message during the opening ceremonies, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, VSU President, stressed that the Paugnat 2015 is a sort of an experimentation of a new modality of holding intramural games simultaneously between the faculty and staff, college students, and high school students in a given period of time. “We used to cancel holding classes for three to four days when we hold the student intramurals and another three to four days when we hold the faculty and staff sportsfest. In this new modality, we could somehow eliminate cutting down the number of days of cancelled classes by holding the two events simultaneously,” Dr. Bacusmo emphasized.

The VSU President also pointed out the importance of holding sports competitions. “Intramurals is important for your physical and emotional development,” Dr. Bacusmo quipped. He added that by playing sports, we can develop sportsmanship as we would be tested with our dedication to practice while at the same time honing our skills and competitiveness with humility and willingness to accept defeat.

In the Paugnat 2015 for the Faculty and Staff, the Mighty Pythons was proclaimed as the Overall Champion as it outsmarted the other three teams. The Team was also named as the champion in sports for garnering 307 total points as well as in the song festival with 25 points for a total of 338 points. It got first places in volleyball women, softball men, track relays men/women, walkathon men/women, Korean bike women, lawn tennis mixed, table tennis mixed, badminton mixed, chess women, and dart women.

The Eagles came in as First Runner Up for accumulating 247 points. The Team championed in basketball women, kayak men/women, dart men, and dama women. The Leopards got the Second Runner Up spot for garnering a total of 229 points. The Team won in basketball men, dama men, and billiards men and women. The Tigers tailed as Third Runner Up with a total points of 227. It dominated in the volleyball men, kickball women, chess men, and the overall champion in the dance festival.

In the Paugnat 2015 for the College Students, on the other hand, the VSU-Isabel Cyber Warriors bagged the Overall Championship among the ten competing teams of the VSU System. The Team accumulated 255 points and got the overall championship in both song and dance festivals. The Warriors grabbed first places in athletics women, mural, sepak takraw men and women, dart women, and arnis men/women.

The Aggies Supersonics of the College of Agriculture and Food Science came as the First Runner Up with a score of 225 points. The Team was the champion in the basketball men and women, softball women, and swimming men. It was also the overall champion in sports.   The CME Red Dragons was declared the Second Runner Up with 215 points. The Team bested in soccer men, lawn tennis men, and dart men.

The Third Runner Up spot went to the VSU-Tolosa Blue Sharks with 209 points. It dominated in the volleyball men, athletics men, and badminton women; while the Bravehearts of the College of Engineering snatched the Fourth Runner Up slot for accumulating 200 points. The Team outshined the other teams in table tennis men, badminton men, chess men, and billiards men. And the Fifth Runner Up slot was captured by the CE Tigers with 179 points. The Tigers lambasted the other teams in the volleyball women, dama women, billiards women, and swimming women.

The other teams who joined in the competition and the points they earned included the CVM Cowboys – 103, the CAS/CN/CFES Titans – 73, VSU-Alangalang Blue Eagles – 55, and VSU-Villaba Griffins – 54. JFMBaldos

Dr. Roel Leezer, a small and large animal practitioner, visited the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) on July 6-7, 2015. He conducted a lecture about Veterinary Cardiology among the 5^th and 6^th year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students.

Dr. Leezer also donated surgical instruments and materials, stethoscope, electro cautery device, urinary catheters, skin punch biopsy and several others to the college. Present during the turnover ceremony were Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, VSU President; Dr. Eugene B. Lanada, college dean; and some CVM faculty—Dr. Harvie Portugaliza, Dr. Naomi Torregoza, Dr. Analyn Blanza, Dr. Froiland Sanchez, and Dr. Sheila Romero.

Dr. Roel Leezer owns a veterinary clinic in the Netherlands called “Dierenkliniek”. SMCLemos