The school officials of the Catanduanes State University (CastSU) composed of its Vice-Presidents for Academic Affairs, Finance and Administrative Affairs, and Research, Extension and Production Affairs, the Campus Administrator in Panganiban, the Deans, Directors, Laboratory School Principal, and the Chief of Offices were met in a conference by the University’s Officer in Charge (OIC), Dr. Freddie T. Bernal on August 7, 202 at the CatSU Gymnasium. Dr. Minerva I. Morales, SUC President III, was likewise present during the general conference. Dr. Bernal is presently the Regional Director of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional No. 5 in Legazpi City. He hails from San Miguel, Catamduanes and likewise an alumnus of the University. He was also recipient of the Outstanding Catandunganon Award in Education. The Board of Regents(BOR) of the Catanduanes State University in its Special Board meeting on July 30, 2020 designated Dr. Bernal who also sits as Resource Person in the BOR, as Officer-in-Charge of the University effective August 1, 2020 through a Referendum Letter No. 4, S. 2020.
The Catanduanes State University (CatSU) conducted its Mid-Year Physical and Financial Performance Review on August 11, 2020 at the University Auditorium, following health safety protocols in light of the current Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Freddie T. Bernal, the CatSU Officer –in-Charge (OIC) and currently Regional Director of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional Office No. 5 based in Legazpi City, presided over the activity. In attendance were the University’s Vice-Presidents, Campus Administrator, Deans of the Colleges, Directors, Principal Laboratory School, Officers of Student Support Services, Chiefs of Offices, Chairperson of the Project Monitoring Committee, BAC Secretariat Head, Federated Faculty Union President, Federated College Student Council President, and the CASUNEA President. The activity laid out the key sectors’ mid-year accomplishment, including their respective catch-up plans while major issues and concerns regarding their targets and performance were threshed-out with Dr. Bernal, the University OIC. Key inputs to the plan, including directives and re-calibrations on presented reports were discussed during the whole day activity. Dr. Bernal emphasized that tracking planned activities or programs must be thoroughly monitored on a monthly basis, while parameters must be based on quality. He stated the value of passion in dedicating their work to accomplish the plans as reported during the review session, and encouraged aligning them with that of the Provincial or Local Development Plans of the province as well. On the other hand, Dr. Bernal said that the University could take advantage of the province’s unique ecology while at the same time, ventured on expanding tie-ups with other local agencies and other international bodies which could support funds and other resources needed to supplement the University’s research agenda.
The Administrative and Financial Affairs (AFA) Division headed by Vice-President, Prof. Ma. Theresa E. Sarmiento, conducted a one-day echo-training workshop on the re-orientation of Accounting Policies, Procedures and Updates on January 22, 2020 at the CSU Audio Visual Room. There were 70 participants from the different Colleges and Offices in the University that were enlisted in said activity. Mr. Rommel S. Torres, Accounting Services Office Chief, discussed details of current accounting rules. Specifically, Torres emphasized the objectives of the training so that participants would be aware of the documentary requirements required in each type of transaction, and how laws and rules are applied in the preparation of disbursement vouchers, and thus, minimize errors and shorten processing time. Torres explained among others, those topics on: Fundamental principles and basic requirements of expenditures and disbursements; Disbursement process and legal provisions; Foreign/ local travel rules and regulations; and Documentary requirements of the Commission on Audit. Meanwhile, Dr. Minerva I. Morales, SUC President III expressed appreciations to the training organizers while she hoped to have a repeat of the same activity to those who were not enlisted to attend the training considering its value in the administrative operations of every College/ office concerned.
In line with the Five –Year Development Plan (FYDP) for 2019-2023 of the Catanduanes State University (CSU), Dr. Minerva I. Morales, CSU President, presided over a stakeholders’ consultative forum held at the CSU Auditorium on February 20, 2020. The activity is one of the series of presentations for the CSU-FYDP to create awareness and generate greater involvement of various sectors, Dr. Morales said.Present to grace the occasion were: Dr. Ma. Teresa G. de Alban (representing Dr. Freddie T. Bernal, CHEDRO V Regional Director), Hon. Shirley A. Abundo, Catanduanes Acting Governor who likewise represented Hon. Hector S. Sanchez, Congressman of the Lone District of Catanduanes, and Ms Alma T. Villanueva (representing Hon. Jose “Bong” J. Teves Jr, Representative-TGP Partylist). CSU partner institutions, members of the local press, NGOs, Peoples’ Organizations (POs), Heads of different National Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Chief Executives, Religious Sector, Farmers’ Sector, Women’s Group, and Legislative body were likewise represented in the affair.Meanwhile, the CSU community was also present with its key officials, chiefs of offices, the Deans of the various Colleges, faculty, and student organizations. Dr. Morales underscored the University’s strengths during the forum in which it has excellent performance of beating higher than the national passing rate in licensure exams in Nursing, Engineering, Accountancy and Teacher Education, while producing Board top placers in Civil Engineering, Nursing and Teacher Education as well aside from its record of high employment rate of graduates. Further in its feat, Dr. Morales said that its undergraduate programs-- AB Political Science, BS in Economics, BS Math, BS in Nursing, BS in Accountancy, BSED, BS in Industrial Technology, BEED, BSND and BS in Business Administration) are Level III accredited. Whereas, the AB in Public Administration, BS Office Administration, BS Agriculture, BS in Information Technology, BS in Biology, BS in Entrepreneurship, BS in Civil Engineering, and BS in Information Systems are Level II re-accredited. In the graduate programs, Dr. Morales revealed that the Master of Arts in Educational Management and Master in Public Administration are Level III re-accredited, while the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Management, MA in English, MA in Teaching Biology, MA in Mathematics Education, and Master in Business Administration are Level II re-accredited, and MA in Filipino, Level I re-accredited. In the Panganiban Campus, BS in Agriculture and BEED are Level II re-accredited. The CSU boasts of 2 Centers of Development in the Teacher Education and the Business Administration. Dr. Morales also said that along these developments, the University has achieved the PRIME-HRM Maturity Level II conferred by the Civil Service Commission (CSC). She said that the Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM) is a distinction given by CSC to empower government agencies by developing their human resource management competencies, systems and practices toward HR excellence.“Maturity level II entails that CSU is able to perform routine task with reliable results and works with minimal supervision,” Dr. Morales added. Aside from its uptrend accomplishment, Dr. Morales bared that the CSU has 75% of its programs issued with Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC), 100% compliant to Public Financial Management (PFM), and surpassed 2019 targets in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Instruction, Research, and Extension. “With the adoption of Performance-Based Budgeting of the Government,” Dr. Morales said, “ the CSU’s budget for Capital Outlay (CO) increased (and) the highest among the 9 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in Bicol in 2019 and 2020, and the 4th highest CO budget among the 114 SUCs in 2020 nationwide.” In its internationalization efforts, the University was accredited by the Bureau of Immigration to accept foreign students in the following programs, namely: BSND, BS Biology, BS Mathematics, BS Accountancy, BS Business Administration, and Secondary and Elementary Teacher Education. At present, the University holds the distinction as ISO 2001:2015 Certified institution.Dr. Morales emphasized further that in the five-year period, that is from 2019 until 2023, the CSU’s niche will revolve around research and innovation, excellence and internationalization. Whereas, the University has 22 proposed programs in the undergraduate level and 6 in the graduate level. Asked of the prospects of opening Bachelor of Laws (Ll. B), Dr. Maria S. Tugano, Vice-President for Academic Affairs replied that it could be in 2022 pending the University’s search of its College’s Dean who must be a Master of Laws degree holder. For AY 2019-2020, the University (both the Main Campus and the Panganiban Campus) has a total of 47 curricular offerings, while it proposes clustering of 72 curricular offerings beginning AY 2023-2024. “This is a rare moment for the Catanduanes State University…” declared Dr. Morales during the forum as she noted the importance of gathering of stakeholders that would make the Plan “designed with its character responsive … in the context of local resources… and being cornerstone for global comparability and excellence.”
