Fifty-four researchers received on March 6, 2015 rewards from the Visayas State University (VSU) for their published articles in local and international scientific journals and books from 2011 to 2013.

Dr. Victor B. Asio, Professor VI of Soil Science & Geo-ecology and VP for Planning, Resource Generation and External Affairs of VSU, delivered a SEARCA Professorial Chair Lecture entitled “Biophysical Characteristics and Sustainable Management of Marginal Uplands in the Philippines” on March 27, 2015 at the PhilRootcrops Training Hall.

Dr. Asio mentioned that marginal uplands are widespread in Southeast Asia and other parts of the humid tropics in which most of the resource-poor farmers in the developing world dwell on these risk-prone marginal environments.  Specifically, he revealed that the poorest, most vulnerable and most food insecure households in the Philippines are living and farming on marginal uplands because they [tribal communities] have been forced by more powerful groups to retreat from one site to another which resulted to losing control on their ancestral homelands.  Asio also quoted the Asia Forestry Network findings that poor families continue to migrate to the uplands due to failure of government policies and programs to effectively address unemployment and inequitable land and income distribution in the lowlands.

The SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair also said that, until now, there is no exact and standard definition of what marginal uplands is.  However, Dr. Asio defined uplands as the undulating and steep lands that range in elevation from near sea level to about 1,000m elevation.  It gave him the idea to postulate that marginal uplands are those undulating, hilly or steep mountainous lands having very low crop productivity due to poor soil quality, limited water availability, and unfavorable socio-economic conditions which is synonymous to “degraded uplands”.

Dr. Asio elaborated the biophysical characteristics of marginal uplands which are affected by climate, geology and geomorphology, vegetation, and soil constraints.  He pointed out that aside from being common on the humid tropics, undulating and mountainous topography, marginal uplands are also underlain by various geological materials and with low biodiversity.  “The soils are infertile due to one or more soil constraints to crop production caused by deforestation, shifting cultivation, and destructive land use which enhanced soil erosion,” Dr. Asio averred.  He also mentioned the various physical and chemical constraints which contributed to marginal soil infertility, such as: acid or alkaline pH, low organic matter content and low nutrient status, high electrical conductivity, shallow solum, compaction, low rate of water infiltration, low water holding capacity, and unfavorable slopes.

Finally, in addressing the above problems, Dr. Asio identified some sustainable management strategies that would somehow resolve the issues depending on soil characteristics, cropping systems, and socio-economic factors.  Among these are:  agroforestry, SALT agroforestry, integrated nutrient management for crop production, and rainforestation farming.

Dr. Asio has been conferred the SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair in 2014, together with other four awardees from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (3) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (1), for his outstanding contribution to agricultural research and development as academician in Southeast Asia who has championed inclusive and sustainable agriculture and rural development through his instruction, research, and extension activities in the country and in the region.  JFMBaldos

The papers of some VSU researchers bagged the major awards during the 26^th Joint ViCARP-RRDEN Regional RDE Symposium held on March 17-18, 2015 at the VSU Convention Hall.

In the Search for the Outstanding RDE Project (Research Category), the paper of Dr. Fe M. Gabunada entitled “Supply Chain Improvement of Donkey’s Ear Abalone (Haliotis asinina) in Eastern Visayas” was declared winner among the other eight best papers that were shortlisted for the competition.  The paper of Dr. Gabunada and her colleagues: Alice Prieto-Carolino,Rowena Paz L. Gelvezon,Hanny John P. Mediodia, Ana Liza B. Recto, Fatima Roseli J. Sosmeña, and Cherry Pilapil-Añasco received a cash award of PhP10,000 and a plaque of recognition from the organizers—the Visayas Consortium for Agriculture and Resources Program (ViCARP) and the Regional Research, Development and Extensions Network (RRDEN).  As the regional winner, ViCARP shall endorse the paper to PCAARRD to compete in the National Symposium on Agriculture and Resources Research and Development (NSARRD).

The VSU’s College of Management and Economics (CME), headed by Dr. Antonio P. Abamo, celebrated its 5^th Founding Anniversary from February 28-March 11, 2015 anchored on the theme “CME @ 5: Moving on with Responsiveness, Resilience and Relevance in the Changing Climate and Economy.”

The pre-celebration kicked-off with a conference on Business Conference and Strategy Innovation on February 28 which was handled by the class-related organizations of the Society of Agribusiness Students and BRAVO, and the parade and opening program on March 2, 2015 facilitated by the CME Supreme Student Council.

The week-long activity concluded with the anniversary convocation at the VSU Convention Hall graced by Dr. Cielito F. Habito, Chief of Party, USAID Trade Related Assistance for Development (TRADE) Project in the Philippines. 

Other activities during the anniversary were Trade Fair, Enterprise Resource Planning Workshop, YES Night, HIV Awareness Seminar facilitated by the members of H.O.P.E., and an Entrepreneurship Forum with distinguished guest speaker, Engr. Johnny A. Khong Hun, CEO/President of Salinas Corporation. SMCLemos

The Mighty Pythons Team was declared as the General Champion in the 2015 Faculty and Staff Intramural Games on March 11-13 held in the different venues at the VSU Main Campus.  The Team had accumulated 282 total points and was also proclaimed the Overall Champion in Sports competitions.  It got first places in kickball women, athletics men and women, tennis men and women, chess women, and billiards men.  Moreover, it also won first place in the mountain bike race (36 years old and above).  Furthermore, the Team dominated in the balak contest, a capella, and tango.

The Institute of Human Kinetics (IHK) under the leadership of Dr. Aleli A. Villocino, with former IHK Director Ricarido C. Nanggan Jr., celebrated its month-long 13^th Anniversary with the theme “IHK @ 13: Getting Stronger, Soaring Higher.”

Miss Anna Catherine A. Plata and Miss Mary Jane C. Sumayod, senior BS in Criminology students of VSU-Tolosa who were on their internship at VSU Main, returned a ZHDX cellphone which they found on March 4, 2015 at 6:20 in the morning at the sidewalk near Post Number 2 and the Obelisk structure.  They thought that the cellphone was already destroyed, but when they opened it there was a message requesting the finder to return the cellphone to the IT Building.