The Visayas State University, just like other universities and colleges, is an important player to reset, rebound and recover the Philippine economy in the time of COVID-19 pandemic.

In a keynote speech that culminated the 11th-anniversary celebration of the College of Management and Economics (CME), Undersecretary Mercedita A. Sombilla of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) emphasized the crucial role that VSU plays in turning the pandemic into an opportunity.

“You are a strong partner of the government, primarily in innovating and developing technologies that would really help improve productivity, not only in the agriculture sector but also in the industry and services sector,” Dr. Sombilla said.

The NEDA Undersecretary continued by posing a challenge to the VSU community to generate research that is responsive to the current needs of the government especially in the time of COVID-19.

“Research agenda should be more responsive to what the government and the country need,” USec. Sombilla reiterated, adding that future research and development efforts of state universities and colleges (SUCs) should not only focus on how it served the academe but the people outside of it.

Dr. Sombilla noticed that most SUCs and other higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines are more engaged in producing highfalutin research that will only fly high in academic journals but with less practical value to the country.

“You do that kind of research because that is how you will be looked at by the academic community but at the same time, balance it with more down-to-earth research that will respond to the needs of the government," reveals the NEDA Undersecretary.

Dr. Sombilla pressed on by saying research should maximize and take advantage of the available resources while also adding value not only to the academic community but also to the country as a whole.

In particular, she believes that SUCs and HEIs could help in accelerating the commercialization of research and development investments, laying down the groundwork to achieve the fourth industrial revolution in the Philippines while further strengthening distance learning mechanisms that will promote learning continuity, retooling, and inclusivity.

Other activities lined up for CME’s 11th year

Aside from the anniversary convocation program, three other activities were organized by CME including a practical talk show on entrepreneurship, a webinar on reviving the tourism industry in the time of COVID-19, and an online talk on a regional recovery plan for Eastern Visayas.

The talk show on entrepreneurship was spearheaded by the Department of Business and Management (DBM) and featured the Iron Entrepreneur of the South, Mr. Rey Calooy.

In this event, Mr. Calooy narrated his humble beginnings as a rag supplier to growing his small enterprise into a diversified business that now includes manufacturing, repacking, trading, and distributing an array of goods and services not only in Central Visayas but also in other parts of the country.

Because of his literal rags to riches story, Mr. Calooy has been featured in a lot of magazine shows and has served as a resident mentor in the "Go Negosyo" program that trains budding entrepreneurs.

Mr. Calooy’s talk was a hit to both students and faculty members who watched the event online via the official VSU Facebook page livestreamed on March 2  kicking off the 11th-anniversary celebration of CME.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management (DTHM) spearheaded the webinar on reviving the tourism industry amidst the COVID-19 pandemic held on March 3.

The event featured Regional Director Karina Rosa S. Tiopes of the Department of Tourism Eastern Visayas Regional Office.

In this webinar, RD Tiopes enumerated ways in which the regional tourism industry can recover from the pandemic considering that Eastern Visayas is considered as a low-risk area to COVID-19.

She also highlighted how the regional tourism office is ensuring the safety and welfare of both domestic and international tourists who will be visiting Region 8 with the gradual reopening of hotels, resorts, and other amusement centers located in the six provinces and two independent cities of Eastern Visayas.

Completing the anniversary activities of CME is a webinar organized by the Department of Economics (DOE) on the COVID-19 consumer rapid assessment survey, and the Eastern Visayas regional rehabilitation and recovery plan held on March 4.

Mr. Linnito Pascual, Supervising Economic Development Specialist of NEDA Region-8, served as a resource person for this third webinar that included discussions on the impacts of COVID-19 on socio-economic and academic well-being of students including gender differences in coping mechanisms to the pandemic among working adults in the Philippines.

This webinar provided important research insights and possible research directions that can be explored by the university to contribute in unmasking the COVID-19 pandemic.

Various student activities were also conducted by course-related organizations that belong to the CME family.

Dr. Moises Neil V. Seriño was delighted that despite the pandemic, CME was able to meaningfully celebrate their eleventh anniversary.

“I thank all the Department Heads including all the active faculty members and students of our college for coming up with a great set of webinars and activities that spiced up our simple celebration for our 11th year. We hope that our college continues to be relevant especially that we are all expected to rise above the crisis and lead pathways to a better normal,” Dean Seriño said.

CME was established in March 2010 as a new and vibrant college of the VSU system. It now offers 4 undergraduate programs in economics, agribusiness, hotel and restaurant management, and tourism management. 

CME is also the home to two research units namely Institute for Strategic Research and Development Studies (ISRDS) and the newly created Visayas Socio-Economic Research and Data Analytics Center (ViSERDAC).

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