The College Library – Phase 3 which was inaugurated on November 18, 2013 was formally open to WVCST Community after the unveiling ceremony which was headed by no other than CHED Chairman Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan on December 6, 2013.

                A tour around the new building by the Chairman together with the WVCST President, Dr. Luis M. Sorolla, Jr. , the College Librarian, Dr. Nida T. Gomez and the key officials of the College followed after the short ceremony. The three-storey building was constructed in March of this year and was completed in June.

The ground floor of the College Library serves as the Instructional Media Center as well as the Cyber Library that features DOST’s STARBOOKS. The second floor is for the Graduate School and General Reference and on the third floor are the Filipiniana and Rizaliana sections.

Aside from the new library building, Dr. Patricia Licuanan also went around the old library building for a short glimpse.

The unveiling ceremony was part of Dr. Licuanan’s visit who at the same time came for the quarterly meeting of the WVCST Board of Trustees which she also chairs.

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               Western Visayas College of Science and Technology in collaboration with the HECKS Act Alliance, a Switzerland based Non- Government Organization and Task Force Mapalad, an organization of farmers in Negros Occidental heed the utmost needs of the victims of typhoon Yolanda in Capiz and other neighboring towns in a relief operation.

                The NGO’s chose WVCST as their partner to do the repacking and at the same time the covered gym is used as the depot of the goods that are repacked and distributed to areas affected by typhoon Yolanda especially in Capiz and the 5^th district of Iloilo Province . The group is helping out residents from the different towns and municipalities in Capiz by giving them packs of goods that include 25 kilos of rice, 2 kilos of monggo, 1 kilo of dried fish, 1 kilo of salt, and 5 cans of sardines. One Thousand families who were already identified will receive the goods. Some volunteer students from the NSTP, ROTC, CWTS, MTS and BSEd students do the repacking facilitated by the faculty like Prof. Andres Ortega, Jr., Prof. George Lopez and Prof. Cherry Pink Barredo. Some of them also join in the delivery of the goods. According to Prof. Ortega, he and his students already went to the 5^th District recently to do the assessment of the damage in terms of livelihood and housing as part of their responsibility in the collaboration wherein WVCST will also provide research or knowledge transfer regarding the relief operation.

                Aside from Task Force Mapalad, another NGO – Task Force Masipag also collaborated with the College with the same purpose in their relief operation. They will also be giving out food like rice, sardines, monggo, dried fish and mineral water to name some. The group also targets 1,000 families as their recipients for the next batch of goods that will be delivered this week. Task Force Masipag is a local non-government organization composed of farmers in the Province of Iloilo.

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            In line with its vision, mission and core values, Western Visayas College of Science and Technology submits 4 programs for accreditation, 1 of which is Doctor of Education – Educational Management for its second survey and another program for the College of Industrial Technology – Bachelor of Fashion and Apparel for its 1^st survey. The two other programs are under the Barotac Nuevo Campus which will have the first survey on Bachelor of Secondary Education and BS Information Technology.

                In his speech during the opening program, Dr. Luis M. Sorolla, Jr. emphasized that the task of the Accreditors is to help us comply with the quality and excellent standard in higher education. He encouraged everyone to always do what is best. Dr. Sorolla also expressed his thanks to the AACUP Accreditors for their presence especially in their responsibility which at the end of the survey, will lead to a productive and improved institution. According to the President, this activity also helps in the goal of the country to become more competitive by providing our students quality and excellent education.

 

                The Accreditation Survey Visit started on December 10, 2013 and will end on Friday, December 13 in which the general assessment and comments will be presented. The team of accreditors is headed by Dr. Hedeliza A. Pineda, CTU – Over-all Coordinator, Dr. Francisco G. Corpin, LNU, Coordinator for the Main Campus and Team Leader for BFAT, Dr. Candido Kinkito, (NOrSU, Team Leader Ed. D.), Dr. Hubert Quiniones- CTU, Dr. Marilou C. Gravador – NOrSU- Dr. Edgar A. Solana – CTU and Prof. Elenita B. Academia (Library)- NOrSU.

                For the survey in Barotac Nuevo Campus, the Coordinator is Dr. Jean F. Puerto and joined by Dr. Rey C. Roxas – CTU (Team Leader- BS InfoTech), Dr. Marilyn P. Macapagal – NorSU, Prof. Monico G. Acas – Siq SC, Prof. Sotera C. Cagang- NOrSU and Prof. Elenita B. Academia (Library) – NorSU.

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            A week after the result of the Licensure Examination for Teachers was released, the College of Education together with the LET Review Center gave a thanksgiving celebration to the new teachers of WVCST as promised.

                Based on the PRC LET Result, there are 107 passers out of 130 examinees from the College of Education who at the same time chose to review at WVCST LET Review Center. With a percentile rate of 82.31%, the College was ranked as #8 in the Top Performing Schools nationwide from the national passing rate of 31.22% for BEED and 39.75% for BSED. Also, the LET Review Center was able to produce one reviewee from the Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College who successfully ranked #10 in the September 2013 licensure exam.  All, first in the history of WVCST.

                This achievement which was described by Dr. John Eric V. Juaneza as once only a desired dream but now it is a dream come true.  For him, the good result of the examination is a contributing factor for the College to become a University. He is also very elated being the Director of the Review Center, that although the 10^th placer of the LET is from NIPSC, the College Review Center was able to extend and share the expertise of its lecturers to him and helped him make it to the top 10.

                Dr. Ma. Asusina Asuncion E. Echaveria, Dean, College of Education expressed how proud the College of Education and the school are for this success and wished the passers good luck in the next endeavor and may they continue to work hard as they face their future.

                Likewise, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and at the same time College Administrator, Dr. Manuel A. Sanchez, Jr., conveyed his happiness especially that this is the first time for WVCST to be in the top 10 performing schools. He reminded the passers that whatever they do or wherever they go they are bringing the name of their Alma Mater. Passing the board exam he said is just the new beginning of the new horizon of their profession. “Continue dreaming, but for your dreams to come true dedicaton, hard work and commitment to your job is a must. Self confidence, motivation and determination are your best weapon in order to be successful in your chosen profession.”

                On her part, the VP for Admin and Finance, Dr. Nehema K. Misola commended the passers especially for uplifting the name of the school in the result of the examinations. She advised them that attaining their goal, they have to go out and multiply. They have to show what they have learned and what they can do as graduates of WVCST. “You will become the living testimony that WVCST exists. Passing the board, makes us parallel as teachers and professionals. However, you have to walk your talk. It is not just enough that you have passed the exam and you know all the theories. You have to show what you’ve got and have that commitment, perseverance, hard work and dedication so that the College can be proud of you. You have to model the truth and what is right and tell the world we are worth to be called a University.”

                Also present in the Thanksgiving celebration was Gerald B. Batarlan, the 10^th placer in the Licensure Exam from NIPSC whose success story touched everyone in the room especially when he said that “I’m not intelligent, I am only diligent . . . and even people looked down on our status in life, I was determined to study hard because I can see how my parents strive just to send us to school.” He inspired the passers by saying that poverty should never be considered an obstacle in attaining one’s dreams.

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            The College of Education, Technology and Livelihood Education Department, had their educational tour in Luzon for 5 days from October 21 to 25, 2013, to get abreast with the current technology of industrial companies and be exposed more to the best practices done by other State Universities that may be helpful for WVCST and its faculty.

The first stop of the group was Ifugao State University where they got impressed with the natural landscape of the campus and also had the chance to check on the different programs offered by the university.

                Before reaching the next destination, the group took a scenic route to Banaue Rice Terraces, The Sagada and the majestic Sierra Madre. They also had the chance to visit the Windmill turbine in Ilocos Norte where they generate electricity thru the movement of the wind, with all the turbines facing the ocean.

                Other universities visited by the group were the University of Northern Philippines, Pangasinan State University and the Mariano Marcos State University which offers Ceramic Engineering that made the university known as the Center of Development which was granted by CHED. Tarlac State University was also included in their destination where the University President toured them around including to the school business enterprise that really helps the university earn their income.

                The TLE faculty was warmly welcomed in Batangas State University by its VP for Academic affairs and its faculty members. Batangas State University showcased their library, where books are accounted thru bar codes, school gates are controlled by bar codes in their students’ IDs and impressive buildings like their 5-storey building, home-tel with elevator and wi-fi facilities all over the campus. They were even more impressed with the hospitality of the Batangueños when tokens were handed to them by the faculty of the state university.

                Meanwhile, there were two industrial companies that the group dropped in – the Tri-R and Choryo Industries, all located at Silang, Cavite. The Company President who happened to be an Ilongga, ushered them around showing the robotics, pneumatic, hydraulic technology and other huge machines. They were also exposed to some of the company’s operations like the cutting of hard and thick metals thru laser technology.

            The BLT or Busog Lusog Talino Health and Nutrition Thrust of WVCST Extension Services Division in cooperation with Jollibee Group Foundation and the Local Government Unit, is making progress with almost 50% of its recipients gained Normal Body Mass Index from being Severely Wasted Body Mass Index during the midyear measure for this school year 2013-2014.

                Based on the study made by ESD on 90 school recipients from the City and Province of Iloilo, from its Baseline implementation with 2,286 pupils (68%) Wasted (Low weight) and 1,077 pupils (32%) Severely Wasted (Malnourished), 48% or 1,586 of these pupils now weigh normal. Meanwhile, there are 1,289 pupils or 39% are still in the wasted Category, and only 429 pupils or 13% are left in the Severely Wasted Category.

                                The WVCST Extension Services Division has become an area implementing partner of Jollibee Group Foundation and the Local Government Unit in combating malnutrition in the country.  This is a school feeding program which is carried out to public school pupils from Grades 1 to 2 which were pointed out to belong to the Wasted and Severely Wasted Body Mass Index. Aside from the feeding program, the group also conducts lectures and seminars to pupils as well as to parents especially in facilitating the feeding program. Though there are feeding program facilitators, the parents are the ones tasked to prepare and cook low cost (Php 11 per meal, per child) but healthy meals for the pupils. The feeding runs for 136 days, from Monday to Friday, but the program continues with activities designed to educate the parents on food safety, meal planning and budgeting while values formation are taught to the pupils. A result assessment is then conducted. The Jollibee Group Foundation sponsored 75% of the program budget for the first year, and 50% for the 2^nd year. In the succeeding years they provided four personnel as facilitators to oversee the activities.  The Local Government also sponsored 25% of the program budget in the first year, 50% for the 2^nd year and later the budget was provided both by the LGU and the DEP-ED. It also provides social and health workers, a nurse and rural health physicians.

                This project started in 2009 with only 7 schools in the City of Iloilo as recipients wherein WVCST was then a local implementing partner of Jollibee Foundation and the LGU.  In school year 2010-2011, there were 12 school recipients coming from the City and Province of Iloilo and Guimaras. In 2011-2012, it increased into 38, then it became 68 in 2012-2013. For this year, there are already 90 school recipients of Busog Lusog Talino Health and Nutrition Program, 22 came from Iloilo City, 2 schools from the 1^st , 24 from the 3^rd District, 9 from the 4^TH District and 34 schools from the 5^th District.

                The BLT Program wishes to minimize if not zero in malnutrition in Region 6 by 2020 based on the millennium development code. This is designed not only to help fight hunger and malnutrition but also help the students focus in school as education is an essential tool to overcome poverty. Unfortunately, in the recent statistics, the City and Province of Iloilo ranks 2^nd in malnutrition while Region 6 is ranked 5^th in the whole country.

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