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UPMin experts train BARMM-MHSD in CLUP skills

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Forums


UP Mindanao’s Department of Architecture team meet with officials of BARMM Ministry of Human Settlements & Development	Prof. Malaque discusses with Ms. May Quezada, Planning and Development Coordinator of Parang

University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao’s Prof. Isidoro Malaque III led a team of architects and environmental planners to help capacitate planners of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with technical skills for the formulation and updating of Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP).

Mr. Abdulhamid Alawi, Jr., chief of the Policy Development and Coordination Office of the BARMM Ministry of Human Settlements & Development (MHSD), introduced the MHSD Laboratory app, which contains information on the local government units, to the UPMin team upon their arrival.
The team then visited the planning and development coordinators (PDCs) of Cotabato City, Parang, and Sultan Mastura towns in Maguindanao province to discuss practical tasks in formulating and updating their respective CLUPs.
“We are impressed with the MHSD Lab application. It is good that the local government unit profiles and the status of their respective CLUPs are now in your MHSD Lab database,” said Prof. Malaque, the chairperson of the UP Mindanao Department of Architecture (DA) and team leader.
“You already have the knowledge; we have the tools,” said Asst. Prof. Minerva Rosel, the coordinator of UPMin’s Diploma and Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning (DURP/MAURP) programs. Arch. Ryan Songcayauon and Engr. Micah Amor Yares, both assistant professors, completed the UPMin team during the July 12, 2022 visit.
"This is our academic extension offering for the BARMM, which our chancellor, Prof. Lyre Murao, asked of us," said Prof. Malaque, referring to the UP Mindanao chancellor’s plan of reaching out to the BARMM.

"As our chancellor and UP Mindanao aims for a target number in our extension programs in the BARMM, this might count as one," he said.

(Photos courtesy of BARMM-MHSD)

UPMin commits support for BARMM Junior Scientist Program

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Forums

University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao Chancellor Lyre Anni E. Murao committed the support of UPMin and its Ugnayan ng Pahinungod volunteer program to the Bangsamoro Junior Scientist Program (BJSP) to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal at the Consultation Workshop and Launching of the BJSP on July 5, 2022 in Cotabato City.

The establishment of the Bangsamoro Junior Scientist Program and the deployment of Gurong Pahinungod volunteers in BARMM are two of the ten programs agreed upon by UP and the BARMM Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by UP President Danilo Concepcion and Minister Iqbal in May 2022.

Chancellor Murao, a biology professor, and UPMin’s Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Director Michael Gatela, who is also a member of the Technical Working Group on the UP and BARMM-MBHTE Partnership, represented UPMin in the BJSP launch.

Murao said UPMin’s partnership with the BARMM’s education ministry aims to deliver responsive, relevant, and quality education for disadvantaged and marginalized learners in the BARMM.

"We commit to doing our best to help craft and implement the Bangsamoro Junior Scientist Program. We have experts willing to share their talents and expertise to help realize this plan,” she said.

“As a scientist, I believe that enhancing our society's capabilities in science, technology, and innovation is essential to pursuing social and economic progress," she adds.

She said science, technology, and innovation could help uplift poor and marginalized groups by bringing about social and economic opportunities and providing affordable solutions to their basic needs.

"I believe that the planned Bangsamoro Junior Scientist Program can significantly contribute to this end,” she said.

Murao said UPMin’s Ugnayan ng Pahinungod and Center for the Advancement of Research in Mindanao (CARIM) look forward to working with the MBTHE and supporting the Bangsamoro Junior Scientist Program to promote the culture of research in the K-12 and contribute to attaining quality and holistic education for the BARMM.

“Moreover, the BARMM is one of the identified priority areas under UP Mindanao's three-year plan (2022-2025) during my term as chancellor. So we look forward to engaging you more often in the coming months in areas of mutual interests," she added.

Director Gatela said UP Mindanao's Ugnayan ng Pahinungod, the official volunteer program of UP, is presently calling for volunteers among UP’s graduating students and alumni to serve in the BARMM as Gurong Pahinungods.

“Volunteerism is vital to UP’s ideals of honor and excellence. Aside from other UP units, UP Min has supervised the deployment of 33 Gurong Pahinungod volunteers throughout Mindanao of which six alumni have served as volunteers in the BARMM from 2000-2006,” he said.

DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Pena recognizes UPMin's research programs

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Forums

Secretary Fortunato de la Peña of the Department of Science and Technology recognized the importance of the University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao’s Niche Center for the Region (NICER) in Research & Development for being one of the few dedicated to health, in remarks made during his visit to DOST-supported projects in UP Mindanao on June 28, 2022.

“We have approved 43 of these NICER centers all over the country but not many of them are in health and this is one of those. It is the niche center that is focused on modeling to help in making decision support systems related to health. It is one of those that are considered important,” he said.

The secretary was referring to UP Mindanao’s Center for Applied Modeling, Data Analytics, and Bioinformatics for Decision Support Systems in Health (AMDABiDSS-Health), a research program focusing on assessing the risk and vulnerability of communities to infectious diseases using mathematical and biological tools, which was awarded as an “Outstanding NICER for Research & Development” in May for its disease surveillance in the COVID-19 pandemic.

UPMin, DOST kick off second batch of TBI

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Forums

 The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao's UP Growing and Developing Enterprises (UPGRADE) co-organized the nationwide HEI (Higher Education Institution) Readiness for Innovation and Technopreneurship (HEIRIT) 2.0 Kick-off on June 23, 2022, in Davao City, for the second batch of HEIs and their proposed technology business incubators (TBI). 

 UP Mindanao Chancellor Lyre Anni Murao officially opened the Kick-off. “We are forging an agreement to transform our region’s innovation landscape. We are building a promising future for the next generations, a future where innovation flourishes and is supporting local economies…Let us fashion a new breed of resilient entrepreneurs who will champion Filipinnovation,” she said in her message. Ms. Russell Pili, chief of the DOST's Research Information and Technology Transfer Division (RITTD), individually called the HEIs from northern to the southern Philippines, many of which were represented by their heads.

 A highlight of the Kick-off was the signing of a memorandum of understanding (in photo, left) to deliver the capability-building training for the proposed TBIs. Prof. Nestor Nisperos of De La Salle University's Animo Labs, Chancellor Lyre Murao representing UP Min's UPGRADE, Dr. Luis Sison of the University of the Philippines' UPSCALE, and Andrew Wong, founder of E3 Hubs (Malaysia), signed the memorandum for the training series that began the following day.

 The second TBI effort is named "Handholding Starting Incubators from HEIs for Readiness towards Innovation and Technopreneurship -  Preparatory and Skills Acceleration for TBI Managers Optimizing Regional Startup Ecosystem" or HIHEIRIT PA MORE. This aims to create more technology-based businesses or startups in the HEI's communities. It continues the original "Higher Education Institution Readiness for Innovation and Technopreneurship," or HEIRIT program, which was started in the Davao Region by the University of Mindanao, the University of Southeastern Philippines, and UP Mindanao, each of which now has their TBIs and startups, some of which had booths in the exhibit hall. The program is funded by the DOST's Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research & Development (PCIEERD).

 Asst. Prof. Miguel Guillermo (in photo, right), UPGRADE's project lead, said, "The technology business incubator in the universities will be the focal point in building the next generation of entrepreneurs in the regions. If someone with a good idea that solves a problem in the community needs to get some assistance and support for their funding and ideas, they should approach the nearest technology business incubator that is located in a higher education institution."

ASIMOV Program-wide Congress, June 2022

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Forums

UP Mindanao's research program named Autonomous Societally Inspired Mission Oriented Vehicles [ASIMOV] held its ASIMOV Program-wide Congress on 13 June 2022, Davao City. ASIMOV is composed of: Project 1: Harmonized Aerial Watch and Knowledge-based Survey (HAWKS); Project 2: Robot for Optimized and Autonomous Mission Enhancement Responses (ROAMER). The conference featured a demo of a prototype robot vehicle with navigation capabilities and the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the program and the agricultural partners in the banana industry.

Davao City Mayor and now Vice President-elect of the Republic of the Philippines, Sara Duterte-Carpio, in her message, said, "Filipinos are known for gadget uses; hence I am optimistic that with their current engagement with technology, you’ll be able to encourage more Filipinos to be involved in empowering their field of research and development, including related endeavors. These artificial intelligence projects are anticipated to produce technological breakthroughs to address specific gaps and bring beneficial transformation to various industries both in the private and government sectors in the succeeding years. Today’s crucial event may open new opportunities for everyone to generate more effective methods that will help in the goal of bringing the country to a more progressive state. Congratulations and good luck in all your future endeavors!"

Program Leader Prof. Jose Ildefonse "Joe" Rubrico (Dept. of Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science) acknowledged the presence of the Department of Science and Technology through the Philippine Council for Industry Energy & Emerging Technology Research & Development, the DOST Advanced Science & Technology Institute team of Project Roamer, the Philippine Space Agency, the Davao del Norte Provincial Agriculturist’s Office, the Biao Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative, the Diamond Individual Farmers Cooperative, the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Southern Mindanao Campus and the PSHS Zamboanga Peninsula Region Campus, and the University of the Philippines Mindanao, lead implementing agency.

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