The Visayas State University (VSU) and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) of the Department of Agriculture jointly undertake the Livestock Waste Management Program (LWMP).

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the implementation of the project was signed on October 4, 2013 by Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, VSU President, and Dr. Rubina O. Cresencio, Acting Director IV of BAI, in the presence of Mr. Hernando F. Avilla of BAI and Dr. Julius V. Abela of VSU.

The Visayas State University (VSU) has been named as the Sustainable and Eco-Friendly School in the Philippines (College Category) during the 2013 National Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools. The plaque was received by VSU President, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, and Dr. Maria Juliet C. Ceniza, former Director of the Institute of Tropical Ecology, on November 20, 2013 during the Awarding Ceremonies held at the 3^rd Floor, Activity Center of SM City-North EDSA, Quezon City. Attached to the award was a cash prize of PhP50,000. Aside from the major award, VSU also bagged the “Meralco Energy Leadership Award” for promoting practices and initiatives in electrical safety, energy efficiency and conservation. It received a plaque of recognition and cash award of PhP20,000.

The varsity athletes of the Visayas State University fared good in this year’s State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA) Meet hosted by the Leyte Normal University (LNU) in Tacloban City held on October 21-26, 2013.

Anchored on the theme “Passion Fast Forward”, the 165 VSU athletes together with the 25 coaches and officials headed by Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, VSU President, and Assoc. Prof. Vicente B. Antipaso, Sports Director, showed their might as they competed in various sporting events.

The athletes who garnered gold medals in their respective events include: Narciso Deterala – Athletics (3,000-meter run, 5,000-meter run, and 10,000-meter run); Romulo Perez – Athletics (triple jump); Gellie Ann Alcuino and Joel Estupa (Darling of the Crowd) – Dance Sports (Modern Standard) who also won special awards as Best in Modern Standard Costume, Best in Slow Walts, Best in Tango, and Best in Quick Step; Angelito Bocal – Swimming (200-meter breaststroke); and Krishna Mae Galenzoga, Unice Babes Maiz, Mary Lilibeth Peligrino, and Billy Jill Sello – Table Tennis women with Miss Christy Desades as coach;

The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) accorded the Visayas State University (VSU) the 2013 Tanglaw Award as the Most Outstanding Research Institution throughout the country during the PCAARRD Awarding Ceremonies on November 8, 2013 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City. The trophy with a cash award of two million pesos (PhP2,000,000) research grant was received by Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, VSU President, from Dr. Patricio S. Faylon, PCAARRD Executive Director.

The Tanglaw Award was conferred to VSU for the fourth time because of its significant contributions to the advancement of agriculture, aquatic and natural resources (AANR) research and development in the Philippines.

Some 200 participants composed of researchers, academicians, local chief executives, representatives and dignitaries from various government and private organizations throughout Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao convened on October 22-24, 2013 at the Visayas State University (VSU) for the National Conference on Development Initiatives in the Philippine Marginal Uplands.

Spearheaded by VSU in collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) under the project Philippine Higher Education Research Network (PHERNet), the three-day national conference sought to document the current state of knowledge of marginal uplands in the Philippines. Moreover, it aimed to synthesize the best management practices in organizing, managing, and sustaining initiatives related to improving farm productivity and environmental quality in climate change vulnerable upland communities; determine the factors that facilitate success and cause failure of upland development initiatives; identify gaps in upland development efforts in the Philippines; and identify strategies for improved cooperation and partnership in upland development initiatives.

The conference focused on the theme “Enhancing farm productivity and environmental quality of Philippine marginal uplands: A scan of the past and a look into the future.”

Super Typhoon “Yolanda” hit the VSU Main Campus and its satellite campuses on November 8, 2013 from 5:30 until 9:30 in the morning that destroyed academic buildings, research facilities, staff cottages, dormitories, experimental sites, forest reserves, and other infrastructures. Even the century old trees in the VSU Main Campus were not spared from the devastating wind of Yolanda.

The estimated cost of the damages caused by the super typhoon to the VSU System properties, as revealed by VSU President, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, amounted to one hundred fifty million pesos (PhP150,000,000) distributed as follows: VSU-Tolosa – PhP64 million, VSU Main Campus – PhP38 million, VSU-Isabel – PhP33 million, VSU-Alangalang – PhP10 million, and VSU-Villaba – PhP5 million.

At about 5:30AM on November 8, 2013, Friday, Leyte and the rest of Eastern Visayas felt the wrath of supertyphoon Yolanda, the strongest ever to hit the Philippines this year.

The damage is massive. Trees have been toppled down. Houses damaged. And residences in the coastal areas have been completely washed away.

The scenic view of the Visayas State University in a few hours has changed. While Yolanda left the buildings intact, she fiercely hewed down most of the trees that make up VSU's sceneries. We estimate the infrastructure damage in VSU at about Php 187 million.

However, Yolanda wrought more damage not on our physical facilities, but on our students' dreams.