Thursday, February 01, 2007 Silliman wins Ched nat'l award By Mark Garcia and Dolly Fellicitas
THE program on marine protected areas undertaken by Silliman University in Dumaguete City was adjudged the Best Higher Education Institutions (HEI) Research Program in the country by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) during an awarding ceremony last January 25 at the Philippine International Convention Center, Manila.
Silliman received P1 million after it bested 11 other entries with its entry, "The Marine Laboratory Program on Marine Protected Areas", which details the efforts of the SU Marine Laboratory, now Institute of Environment and Marine Sciences (IEMS), at fishery enhancement and biodiversity conservation in the Visayas and Mindanao.
This program pioneered the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the country.
All 12 entries for the national award were limited to the winners in the regional search in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, Cordillera Administrative Region and the National Capital Region.
The regional winners received plaques and cash awards of P300,000, P200,000 and P100,000 for the first, second and third placers, respectively.
University of the Philippines-Diliman placed second in the national awards for its entry, "Application of Nuclear Techniques to Address Specified Red Tide," while Mariano Marcos State University placed third for its entry, "Integrated Kawayan R&D Program of the Ilocos Region."
The second and third placers received P500,000 and P300,000, respectively.
"This award is a result of consistent, quality research being undertaken by Silliman University focusing on one critical component of our people's development, and this is our coasts and their resources," Silliman president Ben Malayang III said.
He said the award "proves that Silliman University is among the best institutions in the country."
According to Malayang, the driving force behind the research activities at Silliman "is the commitment and creativity of our own faculty." And he said research is what the university is encouraging its teachers to pursue.
In his opening remarks, Ched chairman Dr. Carlito Puno emphasized the value of research.
"Research plays a very crucial role so that young professionals, or even academicians, or even administrators will not become 'prisoners of what it is'", Puno said.
As academic institutions are trusted to generate and disseminate knowledge, Puno encouraged HEIs to contribute also to national development as they pursue their respective research programs and projects.
This was reinforced by the keynote address of Congressman Luis Villafuerte of the second district of Camarines Sur who emphasized the importance of research in technology development and pledged support for R & D programs.
The SU IEMS' program on marine protected areas has the longest record of research, extension and development work on the subject of marine protected areas (MPA) among academic institutions in the country, having been the first to establish an MPA (Sumilon Island) in 1974.
It has established 20 MPAs for fishery enhancement and biodiversity conservation in the Visayas and Mindanao and has extended to 61 others in the form of habitat and resource assessments, biodiversity enhancement, and capacity building.
Dr. Angel Alcala, SU Research Director and former Silliman President and Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Ched Chairman said the winning program on marine protected areas "is the only program in the country that has a long-term involvement of so many people, including local communities, which has an impact on policy and curriculum development."
Supporting Puno's statement, he said: "Research plays a large part in the academe. Teaching should be supplemented, complemented by actual practical data derived from research."
"Your teaching becomes alive when you talk about the local situations, using local examples," Alcala said. "If you do not do research, you will be stagnant, you will be repeating all the things that you have learned in your graduate school years."
MPA Program Leader and SU IEMS Director Dr. Hilconida Calumpong said the award provides an opportunity for the Institute to continue with the research it is doing on MPAs.
"We hope to use the monetary award to look at connectivity among MPAs using genetic markers and oceanographic tools," she said.
Calumpong said that this kind of research will enable Silliman to help further promote the management of coastal resources among communities for food security.
Furthermore, she emphasized that this kind of research is actually the product of collaboration among many faculty and staff of Silliman and other universities here and abroad. She also acknowledged the important role that the communities, LGUs, NGOs, NGAs, Pos, and other stakeholders have played in the data gathering.
Despite Silliman's financial challenges, Calumpong said that the research was possible through the support of funding agencies, both from government and private funding agencies here and abroad.
The national winners were determined by the five-member 2006 National Evaluation Committee headed by Dr. Emil Javier, President of the National Academy of Science and Technology and National Chair, AGHAM. The other members included Dr. Saturnino Ocampo Jr, CHED Commissioner, Dr. Filemon A. Uriarte Jr., Academician, National Academy of Science and Technology, Dr. Furtunato de la Pena, Undersecretary for Science and Technology Services of the Department of Science and Technology, and Dr. Mario Lamberte, Micro Finance Manager, Emerge, Usaid.
