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Saribuhay Davao Region Wildlife Quiz Bowl & Forum

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Forums

The Catalunan Pequeno National High School (NHS) team was the Champion in the “Saribuhay Davao Region Wildlife Quiz Bowl” co-organized by the UP Mindanao Biological Society (BioS) student organization and the Philippine Eagle Foundation and held on May 27, 2023, at the Mapua MCM Auditorium in Davao City. The team will represent the Davao Region in the National Wildlife Quiz Bowl to be held in Ormoc City in November 2023. Digos City Senior High School and Bato NHS of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, came in second and third place in the field of twenty-one Davao Region high schools.

On the same day, UP Mindanao students gave talks on 20 unique and threatened Philippine wildlife. The Biology 151 Wildlife Studies students introduced and described the Tamaraw, the Rufous Hornbill, the Philippine Flying Lemur, Guttman’s Stream Frog, the Warty Pig, the Philippine Eagle-Owl, the Mindoro Bleeding Heart (bird), the Visayan Spotted Deer, the Philippine Bulbul (bird), the Palawan Peacock Pheasant (bird), the Philippine Slow Loris (primate), the Philippine Crocodile, the Giant Softshell Turtle, the Philippine Pangolin, the Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat, the Philippine Flying Fox, the Mindanao Flying Dragon, the English Orchid, the Golden Crowned Flying Fox, and the Winghead Shark.

Finally, professionals from the academe, government, and non-government organizations gave educational and inspirational talks on aspects of the biological profession. Davao Oriental State University Professor Ann Cabras spoke on "The Importance and Joy of Studying Beetles." UPMin alumna and San Pedro College Professor Elsa Mae Delima-Baron spoke on "Why Frogs Matter and How We Can Conserve Them." Dept. of the Environment & Natural Resources-Region XI Development Management Officer Jeon Carlo Bendijo gave the "State of Wildlife Conservation in the Davao Region." Entrepreneur and Thinnk Farm founder and CEO Ariestelo Asilo narrated "From Disability to Possibility: The Power of Dreams and Service." Finally, Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Executive Director Lisa Paguntalan discussed "The Power of the Youth in Conservation: The PhilBio Experience."

Event sponsors Cantilan Bank President Gen. William Hotchkiss (Ret.) and Energy Development Corporation Watershed Mgt. Officer Ms. Marisol Pedregosa extended invitations for the students to visit their establishments in their closing messages.

The awarding ceremonies of the “Saribuhay Davao Region Wildlife Quiz Bowl” show (front row, left-right) champions Mariam Bajo, Andrea Olar, and teacher Kamsha Pempina of Catalunan Pequeno National High School, 2nd placers Chaerish Say-a, Alexa Cualquera, and teacher Miraluz Laranjo of Digos City Senior High School, and 3rd placers Paul Felisilda, Aleah Salihudin, and teacher Ronavie Gonzales of Bato (Sta. Cruz) National High School. The event sponsors are (Back row, left-right) Phil. Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Executive Director Lisa Paguntalan, Cantilan Bank President Gen. William Hotchkiss (Ret.), Phil. Eagle Foundation Exec. Dir. Dennis Salvador, Energy Development Corporation Wildlife Biologist & Watershed Mgt. Officer Marisol Pedregosa, UPMin Biological Society President Peter Miles Royeca, and UPMin Instructor Dr. Jayson Ibañez.

UPMin Pahinungod in Basilan

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Forums

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University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) teams were in Basilan on May 1-5, 2023, to orient and prepare Grade 11 students for the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) to be held nationwide on June 3-4, 2023. This followed the UP Office of Admissions’s decision to open UPCAT Test Centers in these underserved regions as requested by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Mindanao, the UP’s volunteer service unit in UPMin. The UPMin Pahinungod’s Affirmative Action Program (AAP) team gave UPCAT Orientations and Simulations to students from different schools who converged in Lamitan National High School (NHS), Maluso NHS, and Basilan NHS.

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The Lamitan City BARMM Ministry of Basic Higher & Technical Education’s (MBHTE) Division Superintendent, Dr. Myra Makabung, Administrative Officer Mr. Efren Lindio, and their team coordinated the UPMin team’s visits in the province, which is composed of one Department of Education and two MBHTE divisions. Basilan MBHTE Schools Superintendent Dr. Tim Undain-Sanchez and counterpart Isabela City DepEd Superintendent Dr. Julieto Fernandez also welcomed the UPMin team’s visit. UPMin School of Management’s Assistant Professor Rodgessa Lopez, Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Mindanao Director Michael Gatela, and Associate Marie Lyn Cayunda constituted the Basilan team.

New UPMin programs to increase student enrollment

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Forums

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The University of the Philippines President Angelo A. Jimenez has urged the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) to increase its carrying capacity to 5,000 students within the next six years.

“We are committed to making UPMin a full spectrum university that offers the relevant skills and professional needs of our island,” said President Jimenez in a recent visit.

To achieve this target, the UPMin administration has conducted a workshop on how to increase its capacity. The workshop involved the various academic units that crafted a proposal on its new academic offerings and various projects. The said proposal will be submitted to President Jimenez.

The UP Board of Regents (BOR) recently approved two new academic degree programs in its April 3, 2023 meeting. These are the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and the Master of Science in Human Movement Science. These bring UPMin’s degree programs to 12 undergraduate and seven graduate programs, with more in the pipeline.

“We have been looking forward to the approval of our new degree programs,” said UPMin Chancellor Lyre Anni Murao. “This is part of UP Mindanao’s commitment to innovate and broaden our academic offerings in response to the emerging demands of the 21st century,” she said.

The proponents earned the approval for the new degree programs from the planning and coordination in recent years, coupled with last-mile efforts through the University Council, the Academic Curriculum Committee, and the President’s Advisory Council. UPMin’s academic units can learn from the program proponents' experiences to expedite their new programs.

The efforts to add more academic offerings are part of Chancellor Murao’s commitment to UPMin’s continuum of strategic plans initiated by her predecessors. This strategy also addresses UPMin’s requirement for additional plantilla items for teaching and non-teaching personnel.

UPMin conducts UPCAT orientation and simulation in Caraga

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Forums

The UP Mindanao team was in Caraga Region on April 27-29, 2023, to conduct the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) Simulation Exam and Manual Application for Grade 11 students. This is because the UP Office of Admissions will open an UPCAT Test Center in Dinagat Islands Province.

On the first day, the team went to Cagdianao National High School, Municipality of Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands. This initiative is headed by the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Mindanao, in partnership with the UPMin Office of Extension and Community Service, the UPMin Office of the University Registrar, and the UP Office of Admissions. For the second day, the UPMin team went to Ruben Edera Ecleo Sr. National High School and Primitivo J. Ebol Memorial National High School. The former is located in the Municipality of Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands, while the latter is located in the Municipality of Dinagat in the same province. On the third day, the UPMin team went to Dinagat School of Fisheries, Municipality of Dinagat, Dinagat Islands.

The UPMin team was composed of assistant professors Dennis Sumaylo and Annaliza Castro and staff members Methus Elisan (OUR), Roeviminda Delos Santos (Pahinungod), Joy Angela Ignacio, and Aladin R. Intoy, Jr., both of the Office of Extension & Community Service. The Youth Formation Unit under the School Governance and Operations Division of the Schools Division Office of Dinagat Islands guided the UPMin team throughout the three-day campaign.

(Source: OECS, UPMin)

UPMin leads UPCAT Orientation and Simulation in Sulu

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Forums

On April 24 to 28, 2023, the Affirmative Action Program (AAP) Team of Ugnayan ng Pahinungod Mindanao traveled to Sulu Province to conduct UP College Admission Test Orientation and Simulation to Grade 11 students in the province. Sulu Province will be provided with an UPCAT Test Center to be located in the Sulu National High School. According to the local schools official, the estimated number of expected UPCAT takers is 3,000 applicants. 

From 25 to 27 April 2023, the team visited eight schools. The Sulu National High School on 25 April, the Jolo School of Fisheries, Jolo Agricultural School, Hadji Butu School of Arts & Trades, and MSU Sulu on 26 April, and Sulu State College, Notre Dame of Jolo HS, and Sulu College of Technology on 27 April 2023.     
Team members School of Management Dean Dr. Aurelia Luzviminda Gomez and Ugnayan ng Pahingod Mindanao Junior Project Associate Marie Lyn Cayunda were first-time Sulu visitors. On the other hand, two other team members were former Gurong Pahinungod Batch 1 volunteers who were deployed to Jolo in their time. UPMin Pahinungod Director Michael Gatela and Land Reservation & Management Office Chief Joel Sagadal were once deployed at Jolo Agricultural School and Jolo School of Fisheries, respectively. 
(Source UPMin Ugnayan ng Pahinungod)

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