Asst. Prof. Leo Manuel Estana, Vice-Chancellor for Administration and Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the Chancellor on July 7, 2022, receives a book donation from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). The three-volume donation, composed of "Pagkilala," "Pagtaguyod," and "Paggalang," were transmitted by Dr. Michael Louie Cruz and Ms. Joan Karla Montero, on behalf of NCIP-XI Regional Director Mumar Mamukid.  

The Autonomous Societally Inspired Mission Oriented Vehicles (ASIMOV) Program, through the Harmonized Aerial Watch Knowledge-based Survey (HAWKS) Project, received one FLIR Vue Pro thermal camera from Davao UAS Photography in a turnover ceremony conducted on December 15, 2021. The thermal camera and data recorder with 640 x 480 resolution, 9-hertz refresh rate, and 19-millimeter lens have a market price of 3,649 USD, which translates to around 250,000 PHP or greater if procured through the usual government process. The imaging device would help expand the operational horizon of the ASIMOV Program and will be used by the HAWKS Project towards the development of subsystems for pertinent life-saving applications, such as those for search-and-rescue missions in the aftermath of disasters. 

Mr. Joseph Tjader P. Regis, President of Davao UAS Photography, said “I’m really very excited with where this [direction of the ASIMOV and SkAI-Pinas Programs] is going and I’d like you to know that you have my full support. We are very happy to be a part of this in whatever way. ”

Dr. Karen Joyce G. Cayamanda, Vice-Chancellor for Administration, who represented UP Mindanao Chancellor Dr. Larry N. Digal in the event, expressed the University’s gratitude to the donors. 

“We are very much grateful for this support and the donation is just one way of telling us they will be supportive of this project. Congratulations, Prof. Rubrico and the team, and of course thank you to our donors and to their expression of support for the program,” she said.

Davao UAS Photography received a Plaque of Appreciation under the name of Ms. Maria Cristina Regis, the Proprietor, for supporting the AI & Robotics research endeavors of UP Mindanao through the ASIMOV-HAWKS Project. Mr. Joseph Tjader P. Regis and Mr. Reginald Alfred P. Braceros received Certificates of Appreciation with the same citation.

Prof. Jose Ildefonso U. Rubrico, Ph.D., ASIMOV Program & HAWKS Project Leader, also expressed his thanks and appreciation to the donors for their donation, as well as to the project team and the University for their efforts and support. 

After the ceremony, both parties discussed possible future collaborations and partnerships.

Chancellor Digal signed a memorandum of agreement on behalf of UP Mindanao to receive a scholarship grant offer from a Japanese non-profit company in an online ceremony held on February 2, 2022. The grant came as part of the ongoing collaboration between UP Mindanao and the Consulate-General of Japan in Davao for the creation of a Knowledge Innovation S&T Park on campus. Mr. Toyoaki "Tony" Miwa, the donor, signed on behalf of the Mindanao Japan Science and Technology Platform, witnessed by his brother, Consul-General Yoshiaki Miwa.

“I am glad we are able to squeeze in this memorandum signing before Consul General Miwa leaves Davao next week,” said Chancellor Digal. “This agreement is very significant to us because it is about a partnership for the common goal of contributing to the development of Mindanao through innovation, science and technology, and its most important ingredient, the human resource.”

Mr. Miwa introduced himself as the founder of a company that trains Japanese CPAs to qualify in the US CPA exams. “Knowing that my brother has been working to launch an industry-academic-government collaboration project, my part could be to provide scholarships to faculty members and students in master and doctoral courses from Mindanao which will cover tuition, living expenses, and travel expenses to and from Japan. I believe that education and technological advancement are essential to long-run economic growth. I also believe that there are many fields in which Japanese educational institutions can contribute to the academic part of these projects,” he said.

Consul-General Miwa expressed his hopes for the project despite the end of his assignment in Davao. “When you think of the future of the development of Mindanao, science and technology are among the most important elements in the future,” he said. “The cooperation between the government, academia, and industry is really important in order to create a new industry cluster. I am also coordinating with Cagayan de Oro to establish a science and technology park in their city, I hope that both the CDO and Davao projects will be realized so that those two regions will be the growth center in Mindanao and a spillover effect created in between the areas, and Mindanao will develop as a whole. This is my strong hope.”

In his statement of commitment, Chancellor Digal said, "This scholarship offer aligns with UP Mindanao’s mission to be responsive and relevant to the diverse sectors in Mindanao and to sustain Mindanao heritage and biodiversity through innovative systems and technologies. Thus on behalf of UP Mindanao, I sincerely commit to fulfill the obligations of the university as stated in the memorandum of agreement for the scholarship program offered by the Mindanao Japan Science and Technology Platform.”