True to its commitment of leading the development of agriculture professionals through scholarships and graduate study programs, an agreement intended to collaborate on areas of education, research and development, the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Graduate Study in Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology (DEBESMSCAT) in a virtual ceremony held via Zoom on 2 February 2021.
Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio (seated, left), SEARCA Director, and Dr. Renee A. Lamella (seated, right), DEBESMSCAT President, each holds a copy of the MOU between SEARCA and DEBESMSCAT that they signed in a virtual ceremony on 2 February 2021. Also in the photo are Mr. Joselito G. Florendo (standing, left), SEARCA Deputy Director for Administration, and Dr. Cynthia L. Dimayuga (standing, right), DEBESMSCAT Vice President for Academic Affairs, who signed as witnesses.
Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, and Dr. Renee A. Lamella, DEBESMSCAT President, signed the MOU with Mr. Joselito G. Florendo, SEARCA Deputy Director for Administration, and Dr. Cynthia L. Dimayuga, DEBESMSCAT Vice President for Academic Affairs, as witnesses.
DEBESMSCAT has three campuses, all in Masbate Province, with its main campus in Mandaon. The state college envisions to be the center for social transformation in Masbate by producing quality graduates with competent knowledge and practice in agriculture, environmental sciences, educational leadership, and engineering.
Dr. Lamella shared the plight of DEBESMSCAT as a higher education institution honing its faculty and course offerings and expressed the desire to partner with SEARCA in scholarship and training initiatives.
“On the eve of our conversion into a university, we need the assistance of a prestigious, scientific organization, that is, SEARCA to further capacitate our manpower for the greater challenges ahead,” Dr. Lamella said.
In addition, DEBESMSCAT also asked assistance in finding part-time lecturers to handle the courses in Crop Science and Animal Sciences under their MS in Agriculture program to augment their limited faculty resources.
Dr. Maria Cristeta N. Cuaresma, SEARCA Program Head for Education and Collective Learning (ECL), responded that their institution can benefit from the trainings for the State Universities and Colleges-Association of Colleges of Agriculture in the Philippines (SUC-ACAP), of which DEBESMSCAT is a member, under the “Levelling-Up Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources (LevelUPHEI AFAR)” Project funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Philippines and implemented by SEARCA.
Dr. Lamella expressed her appreciation to SEARCA for opening its arms to DEBESMSCAT. “We hope that this initial collaboration will bring forth a lot of productive endeavors to support our reforms and projects,” said the SUC President.
The DEBESMSCAT officials together with the SEARCA delegation led by Dir. Glenn B. Gregorio
Witnesses to the ceremonial signing from SEARCA included Dr. Cuaresma; Dr. Pedcris M. Orencio, Program Head for Research and Thought Leadership; Dr. Romeo V. Labios, Operations Consultant for Partnerships; Dr. Nova A. Ramos, Unit Head for Training and Development; Ms. Beatrisa L. Martinez, Executive Coordinator; and key staff. On the other hand, the DEBESMSCAT delegation included Mrs. Eugene L. Jazul, Vice-President for Administration and Finance; Dr. Erwin H. Malto, Vice-President for Research, Extension and Business Affairs; Ms. Novy R. Clores, Director of DEBESMSCAT-Cawayan Campus; and other support staff.