Prof. May Anne E. Mata delivered plenary talks at two conferences in June 2023. The abstracts of her talks are shown below. She delivered a keynote talk at the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE)'s Annual PAASE Meeting and Symposium on 27 June 2023 (top image). She gave a plenary talk at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Mathematics Summit 2023 (middle and bottom image).

Good morning and a warm welcome to each and every one of you to this year’s Jobs Fair!

First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our graduating students who have worked tirelessly over the years to reach this significant milestone. It has been quite a ride, especially with the pandemic, but you made it to the finish line.

This Jobs Fair serves as a bridge between our graduating students and the professional world, providing a platform for meaningful interactions, exploration, and connections.

To our graduating students, I urge you to approach this job fair as an opportunity to showcase your unique abilities and talents. Engage in conversations with your employers, ask insightful questions, and most importantly, be confident in your abilities.

Remember that you are not just seeking employment but rather searching for an environment that will foster your personal and professional growth. This is your opportunity to connect with employers who share your values and vision, as it is these shared principles that will help you thrive in your chosen careers.

In this day and age of technological revolution, competition in the job force will be tough. You are not just competing with others, but also with technologies that force jobs to evolve. How you invent and reinvent yourself in these changing times will define how far you can go. For that, your lifelong learning will be a vital tool. Continue to build on life skills that will enable you to make relevant connections and contributions to your employers, co-workers, clients, and communities.

 The Office of Student Affairs revived the on-campus UPMin Jobs Fair face-to-face in June 2023 for the graduating Class of 2023. The Career Placement Orientation and Pre-Employment Seminar was on June 19, and the Campus Job Recruitment was on June 21, 2023. Chancellor Lyre Murao graced the two-part event to address the graduating students and the participating companies. The OSA invited Mr. Kim Chua of Jobs 180.com as a resource person in the career orientation. Companies from diverse industries set up tables at the Campus Job Recruitment to attract and offer employment opportunities to graduating students.       

Chancellor Murao's Message to Graduating Students at the Career Orientation, June 19, 2023

To the graduating Class of 2023, 

 First of all, I would like to congratulate everyone on your very soon graduation day, which would happen one month from now. Today's Career Placement Orientation and Pre¬Employment Seminar are very timely as it prepares you for the next chapter of your journey. 

 I would like to thank OSA, directed by Dr. Stella Salazar, for spearheading this activity. Of course, on behalf of the constituents of UP Mindanao, I would like to extend my appreciation to our resource person, Mr. Kim L. Chua from Jobs 180.com, Inc., who flew in all the way from Manila. 

 These are exciting times, and I'd like to give you three reasons why you should look forward to the prospect of a career. 

 1. The work landscape is now changing dramatically. According to the World Economic Forum, our children today will ultimately end up in a job that has not yet existed at present times. Hence, the demand for new skills is growing faster than ever. Your generation has an expanding range of employment opportunities to help fill these gaps. 

2. Emerging industries are opening new doors for careers in various fields such as e¬commerce, digital transformation, tech engineering, renewable • or alternative energy, healthcare service, diversity and inclusion, innovation and change management, and so much more. Traditional jobs are now evolving to meet the demands of the technological revolution. This is, therefore, an opportune time to establish your niche in an emerging profession. 

3. If being tied to an employer is not your thing, you may also consider entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur, you can become a force for transformation beyond your organization by delivering economic growth, wealth generation, social change, and community development. In the PH, more individuals are now engaging in early-stage entrepreneurship than in the rest of Asia. We have also seen the rise of the gig economy comprised of independent freelancers or the so-called solopreneurs. 

 Your generation is offered a lot of interesting opportunities. But, for every opportunity comes responsibility. As an Isko, your mandate is to serve your countrymen, your community, and even your family. 

 Nevertheless, we are confident to release you into the world. Your rigorous training at the University has been your cornerstone. In fact, your experience during the pandemic has prepared you to be flexible and agile, ready to face real-world challenges and contribute to nation-building. 

 As you step out of the University, make sure to bring your lifelong learning with you. 

 According to the half-life concept, professional skills nowadays will last only five years, regardless of industry. Therefore, you must cultivate your life skills, especially in creativity and relationships. These are two critical areas of function that AI or other technologies can never replace. 

 And on that note, I'd like to leave you with one piece of advice: nurture your attitude more than your aptitude. Always remember the wise words of the motivational speaker Zig Ziglar: "Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude." 

 Soar high, dear graduating students! I wish you all success. 

The Campus Job Recruitment, June 21, 2023 

Graduating students attended the Campus Job Recruitment on June 21, 2023, at the CHSS Mini-Theater.  

Chancellor Murao's Message to the Graduating Students and the Participating Companies at the Campus Job Recruitment 

Good morning and a warm welcome to each and every one of you to this year’s Jobs Fair!

 First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our graduating students who have worked tirelessly over the years to reach this significant milestone. It has been quite a ride, especially with the pandemic, but you made it to the finish line.

 This Jobs Fair serves as a bridge between our graduating students and the professional world, providing a platform for meaningful interactions, exploration, and connections.

 To our graduating students, I urge you to approach this job fair as an opportunity to showcase your unique abilities and talents. Engage in conversations with your employers, ask insightful questions, and most importantly, be confident in your abilities.

 Remember that you are not just seeking employment but rather searching for an environment that will foster your personal and professional growth. This is your opportunity to connect with employers who share your values and vision, as it is these shared principles that will help you thrive in your chosen careers.

 In this day and age of technological revolution, competition in the job force will be tough. You are not just competing with others, but also with technologies that force jobs to evolve. How you invent and reinvent yourself in these changing times will define how far you can go. For that, your lifelong learning will be a vital tool. Continue to build on life skills that will enable you to make relevant connections and contributions to your employers, co-workers, clients, and communities.

To our participating employers, I extend my deepest gratitude for joining us today. Your presence here reflects your commitment to recognizing and nurturing young talent. As we turn over our students to the workforce, we are honored to have you as partners in our students’ professional development. Thank you for believing in the value that our UP Mindanao graduates bring to your organizations. Please take this opportunity to learn about the diverse skill sets and expertise of our students, and how their personal narratives have shaped their values, aspirations, and vision. We trust that investing your time in this job fair will be worthwhile as you identify future leaders, innovators, and change-makers who will help your organizations maneuver through the dynamic changes in this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, or VUCA, world.

Before I end, I would like to express my sincerest congratulations to our Office of Student Affairs, led by Director Maria Stella R. Salazar, for organizing this Jobs Fair, which is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our university to nurture talent, foster growth, and forge partnerships that transcend boundaries.

Let us all continue to work together in shaping the minds that shape the nation.

Thank you, and let the Jobs Fair commence!

Maayong buntag sa tanan!

The UP Land Reservations in Laak and Marilog had their 25th-anniversary milestone in June 2023. 

President Fidel V. Ramos signed Presidential Proclamations 1252 and 1253, creating the UP Laak Land Reservation and the UP Marilog Land Reservation on June 15, 1998, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources. 

PP 1252 set aside 2,800 hectares in Laak, in present-day Davao de Oro Province, for "research, extension, instruction purposes, forest rehabilitation and protection, biodiversity conservation, crops and livestock production and management, including upland communities training and development center." 

PP 1253, on the other hand, proclaimed 4,100 hectares in Marilog for similar purposes in addition to "watershed and forest rehabilitation and protection." 

UP leads and participates in its socioeconomic development. Both land reservations are presently parts of ancestral domains, as well.

UP Land Reservation Manager Joel Sagadal recalled these milestones in his visit to Special Barangay Talle in Davao del Oro Province on June 15, 2023. 

"UP Los Banos Alumni Association Davao President Luciano 'Sonny' Puyod II suggested the Laak area to then-UP President Emil Javier," he said. 

The local communities welcomed UP's arrival because basic education was their urgent need. Consequently, the newly-created UP Ugnayan ng Pahinungod's Gurong Pahinungod volunteer teachers were deployed to Laak. Today, the pilot schools established in the Laak reservation have grown, and some former pupils have become teachers. 

The communities in both Laak and Marilog are likewise experiencing economic opportunities and sustainable development. The resident Dibabawon and the Obu-Manuvu indigenous and migrant communities in Laak and Marilog are engaged in sustainable agriculture, livestock-growing, food processing, and contract-growing for an international market. 

In 2017, UP Mindanao's efforts were recognized with a Gawad Pangulo Award for Excellence in Public Service for "Economic Upliftment of the Indigenous People's Community through Agricultural Projects" in the UP Marilog Land Reservation.

The issuance of the presidential proclamations is proving to be wise action in the UP Laak and Marilog Land Reservations.