The Catanduanes State University (CatSU)- Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (JPIA) Chapter in the College of Business Administration (CBA) under Dean, Prof. Esperanza P. San Juan, garnered majority of the winning spots in the Year-end Awards (YEA) conducted by the National Federation of Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants (NFJPIA), Region 5 Council on August 5, 2020 in Naga City. Prof. Ian V. Aranel, JPIA Adviser, bared that this year’s awards had the University’s full in hugging the limelight, besting the rest of local chapters from other State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in Bicol. Dr. Minerva I. Morales, CatSU President, expressed once more her appreciations to the College and to the local JPIA Chapter for this current feat which has added laurels to the University’s strings of distinctions in student and institutional achievements. The NFJPIA regional year-end awards covering federation year 2019-2020 through Danielle dL. Quitangon, Regional Vice-President for Audit, revealed the following majority wins for CatSU: · Most Outstanding Local Chapter Officer (Joriza Kate Zafe)· Most Outstanding Local Chapter President (Joriza Kate Zafe) · Most Supportive Local Chapter Adviser (Ian V. Aranel)· Most Outstanding JPIAN in Leadership (Joal Cocjin)· Best Local Chapter Activity in Academics (Catanduanes State University for Review Class for Incoming First Years Around the Province)· Best Local Chapter Activity in Leadership (Catanduanes State University for Financial Statement Workshop and Reconstruction or FS WAR)· Most Outstanding Local Chapter (Catanduanes State University)· Most Active Local Chapter (Catanduanes State University)· Most Productive Local Chapter (Catanduanes State University) The YEA is an annual event of NFJPIA-Region V Council which primarily aims to give recognitions and merits to JPIANs who have excelled the most in every aspect of being a student leader and/or member of the NFJPIA community. The event likewise recognizes local chapters and individuals that made contribution with biggest impact to the council and showed exemplary performance during the academic year. The selection covered those events or activities that started February 15, 2019 until March 15, 2020.
The “new normal” has taken the doorsteps of schools. So with the Catanduanes State University (CatSU), an ISO-certified public higher educational institution in Catanduanes as it prepares for the coming academic year, 2020-2021. Insofar as enrolment and holding of classes face-to-face as would the usual way lessons were provided prior to the Covid-19 scare, measures to sustain the learning system in the University led by Dr. Minerva I. Morales, CatSU President, were drawn as early as the Luzon-wide quarantine declaration began on March 17, 2020. The initiative was a prior step while the trend obtaining developments of the virus spread continuously pose alarm to the health and safety of all. Dr. Maria S. Tugano, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, said that based from the present scenario, the University looks at providing alternative mode of learning based from validation conducted in the eleven towns by the Management Information System (MIS) Office concerning internet capability in the province where there has been “unstable to no connectivity” at all in many areas. Hence, full online delivery of lessons would not be that feasible, although she added as an option, that faculty members are encouraged to adapt flexible learning approaches noting further that the University could deliver the lessons on the ground through modules. Meanwhile, to prepare for the online platform, Dr. Tugano announced that the University staged its training in the implementation of Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) which started June 22, 2020 on per batch basis across the eight Colleges until July 28, 2020. Participants were 326 regular, temporary, contract of service, contractual and part-time faculty members from the Main Campus and its Panganiban Campus, including the Laboratory Schools. The training designed by the University’s College of Information and Communications Technology (CICT) led by its Dean, Prof. Maria Concepcion S. Vera, was held at the CICT Computer Laboratory Rooms, the College of Engineering and the College of Industrial Technology. Resource persons were select faculty members from CICT and the College of Education. Dean Vera explained that the LMS can be used as a vast repository where information can be stored and tracked where anyone with a user account and password can access these online learning resources, whenever, wherever. “For self-hosted LMS, users are required to install the LMS software on their hard drive or access to the University server. Whatever is the installation option, the LMS users fall into two categories: first, online learners who use the LMS to participate in online training courses; and, second, the e-Learning faculty team who relies on the LMS platform to distribute information and update the online training content,” Dean Vera said. As students nowadays are becoming more adept with information technology, Dean Vera added that once students are online, they can access and download on the web the course materials and other learning resources which they could read at any time and take examinations depending on their learning progress, and so long as they are connected online. On the other hand, soon that the LMS becomes operational, the University’s Management Information System (MIS) office is expected to support the network being its site administrator that will take charge of its maintenance.
The Catanduanes Bayanihan Movement (CBM) led by the Catanduanes State University (CatSU) conducted one of the series of its relief operations through its Take or Share Booth on May 7, 2020 at barangay F. Tacorda with 224 beneficiaries served. Barangays covered were F. Tacorda and Calampong in Virac. The CatSU has sustained its CBM activities in the height of the CoViD-19 pandemic to help those in dire need of food necessities during the community quarantine especially the underprivileged sectors.
The onslaught of Corona Virus Disease-2019 (CoViD-19) worldwide which has claimed thousands of lives deeply affected the daily livelihood and people’s mobility which affected even more the poorest sectors of societies. In the Philippines, its effect has been widely felt in the many distressed families and barangays particularly in the provinces where daily sustenance is dependent upon everyday’s toil. At the onset of the Luzonwide quarantine imposed by the government as early as March 17, 2020 which was extended for more than a month, families needed so much of the ‘bayanihan’ care that Filipinos are known of. As the quarantine progressed, the Catanduanes State University (CatSU) under the leadership of its SUC President III, Dr. Minerva I. Morales, took the challenge in direst times in seeking refuge for these communities in most need of assistance brought about by the pandemic. Hence, the Catanduanes Bayanihan Movement was conceived to respond to this need. The said initiative followed the spirit of sharing, the Filipino way (bayanihan). The University pooled efforts and donations, some of them in the form of cash or in kind, which in turn were provided as relief package where a recipient could take from a designated booth of the University. In the Bayanihan booth are food items that the recipients could take with them as relief for their families during home quarantine period. The first batch of the Bayanihan was launched on April 12, 2020 at the CatSU compound during Easter Sunday when 147 beneficiaries from barangays of Calatagan and Cavinitan were served. That was followed on April 15, 2020 at the Virac Sports Center in Rawis where 384 were benefitted from barangays Rawis and Francia. On April 17, 2020, it was the turn of barangay San Juan, Salvacion and Concepcion with 296 families served at the San Juan barangay plaza. The fourth batch of CBM sharing initiative was in barangay Buyo with 277 beneficiaries, until it was briefly interrupted by a local alarm of suspected CoViD-19 case which practically suspended the mobility for a while. Soon after the CoViD-19 scare in the locality passed the clearance testing which gained negative results, the CBM went through with its fifth batch at barangay Pajo in Virac as venue. Recipients from barangays Pajo Baguio and Pajo San Isidro flocked to the CatSU CBM Booth with 215 of them as recipients. The Pajo Bayanihan experience however, left a meaningful niche among the Bayanihan rounds in the locality. While the CatSU bayanihan booth provided for their daily relief, the barangay residents, to the surprise of the CBM organizers, had with them their own version of “Bayanihan in Return” gesture where each of them came in the venue with one or two homegrown vegetable, most of them were freshly picked from their own backyards. Thus, the booth were teemed with mixed presents and vegetable too from the residents themselves who gave in return. This provided a beautiful twist in the bayanihan cycle of events in its fifth round. The latest in its series was done on May 7, 2020 at barangay F. Tacord as the venue with 224 beneficiaries served from barangays F. Tacorda and Calampong. Overall, the CBM received total cash donation of P153, 503.00 while it had P69,184 worth of in-kind donations as well. In sum, the CBM as of its latest sixth round had a total of 222, 687.00 total donations.
The Catanduanes Bayanihan Movement launched on April 12, 2020 (Easter Sunday), 7:30am at the Catanduanes State University (CatSU) headed by SUC President III, Dr. Minerva I. Morales, a “share and take booth” for those economically deprived as a result of the current Corona Virus Disease-19 (CoViD) pandemic. The project has its “Take or Share Booth” set up infront of the CatSU from 7:30am until 9:30am, three times in a week starting at the launching date. During said serving time, recipients are free to get one packed rice and another one or two provision of choice available for the taking at the booth. Future dates and venues of the Bayanihan will be announced later as revealed by the Bayanihan movement. Target of the said initiative are the less fortunate families or individuals that are hard-hit during the period of quarantine due to the CoViD-19 pandemic, now sweeping across the globe. The Catanduanes Bayanihan Movement at CatSU benefitted more than 150 families in its first wave of assistance on Easter Sunday, as reported. Other CatSU officials, faculty members and non-teaching employees were likewise on hand during the launching, said to be the first wave of said initiative. The Movement knocks spiritedly to more generous hearts in the locality (or even outside the province) to pledge or share either in cash donations or in kind for sustaining the succeeding provisions that can be availed for free by needy individuals or families in the province who have been caught haplessly in the middle of the CoviD-19 crisis. The appeal for everyone’s support, especially alumni of the CatSU, is shown in the Movement’s set-up FACEBOOK PAGE, “CATANDUANES BAYANIHAN MOVEMENT.” Please feel free to visit the page and/or contact key officers thereof. On the other hand, the CatSU Bayanihan Movement (Take or Share Project) EXTENDS ITS SINCEREST APPRECIATIONS AND GRATITUDE TO THE DONORS OF ITS FIRST WAVE OF SUPPORT to the various recipients in the locality. It continuously counts on your generosity to keep the flame of love and compassion for the needy ablaze and heal everyone’s deep longing for care and a lending hand to feed both body and soul in these trying times. We ask for your unceasing support, as we BIND AS ONE in Bayanihan spirit. Maraming Salamat po. (Thanks to FB accounts, CatSU President, Dr. Minerva I. Morales, Dr. Maria S. Tugano, VP-AA, Ms Alecza E. Araojo, and Catanduanes Bayanihan Movement FB Page for the details and photos)
In its response to the current CoViD-19 pandemic, the Catanduanes State University (CatSU) in partnership with the University of the Philippines (UP)-Catandungan Chapter this time aims to produce 70 sets of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontliners. Dr. Minerva I. Morales, CatSU SUC- President III, revealed that this initiative is also in cooperation with the different Deans of the Colleges, Department Heads, and faculty members. Dr. Maria S. Tugano, Vice-President for Academic Affairs said that the University’s partnership with UP-Catandungan for the production of PPE’s has been a shared effort of the CatSU academic community where they helped raise funds for the project. The UP-Catandungan group is also set to shoulder part of the labor cost, together with the CatSU. As of this writing, the University now awaits the arrival of the materials that will be used for producing PPE’s at CatSU, the design of which was already firmed-up with the University’s College of Industrial Technology (CIT). (Thanks to the sources, Dr. Maria S. Tugano, VP-AA and CAS Dean, Moreno Tabios Jr.)
The College of Information and Communication Technology (CICT) faculty and non-teaching staff of the Catanduanes State University (CatSU) led by its Dean, Ma. Concepcion S. Vera, distributed food packs to more than 20 students in their respective boarding houses. The CICT responded in their urgent need for food provisions as they were caught in the crosslines during the declaration of Luzonwide quarantine brought about by the Corona Virus Disease pandemic.Dean Vera said that this is a CICT Bayanihan initiative in the time of CoVid-19. She also disclosed that the College raised funds for IT students who were stranded in Manila while in their internship. Said students were not able to go back home to Catanduanes when the Luzon-wide quarantine started. The funds raised by the College were intended to augment and support for their basic necessities while in their temporary stay in Manila. (Thanks to the sources, CICT Official FB Page and CICT Dean, Ma. Concepcion S. Vera)
Dr. Minerva I. Morales, Catanduanes State University (CatSU) SUC President III, on April 7, 2020 met key University officials composed of the Deans from the different colleges, Student Services Director, and the Vice-Presidents, Dr. Maria S. Tugano (Academic Affairs) and Prof. Maria Theresa E. Sarmiento (Administrative and Financial Afffairs) to discuss urgent matters arising from the on-going Luzonwide quarantine period. The meeting likewise drew up scenarios and catch-up plan, among others to cushion the impact of the present and post CoViD-19 pandemic insofar as the University is concerned. Dr. Morales also led discussions concerning the University’s stepping-up of more security and health measures including policies that should be undertaken. Specific details on academic matters taken during the meeting were likewise disseminated by the Deans to their respective colleges as well. The CatSU aims on laying contingencies in support to the different sectors in the province in a collective fight against the CoViD-19 scare. (Thanks to the sources, Dr. Maria S. Tugano, VP-AA, and CAS Dean, Moreno Tabios Jr.)
The Catanduanes State University (CatSU) through SUC President III, Minerva I. Morales, turned-over on March 7, 2020 at the CatSU Main Admin. Building, 100 sets of Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) made by the University’s College of Industrial Technology (CIT) to the Catanduanes Medical Society (CMS). The initiative, still part of the CatSU’s on-going share in fighting against CoViD-19, was made possible in partnership with the University of the Philippines (UP)- Catandungan represented by Dr. Annabel J. Mata, Dr. Aliza De Leon- Valeza, Dr. Jenevy Lizaso and Mr. Mark Rojas during the turn-over. Present to receive the PPE’s was Dr. Armand Jefferson Espinola, President of the Catanduanes Medical Society. It can be recalled that the Catanduanes State University had made immediate response during the last few weeks when the Corona Virus Disease-19 pandemic hit the ground as early as March 2019. Prior to that, the University coordinated with the UP-Catandungan Chapter where some of its members are themselves CatSU alumni and medical doctors who are in the frontlines of fighting the dreaded disease. The College of Industrial Technology under its Dean, Architect Jose G. Ong took charge in producing the PPE sets, whereas, materials were provided by the UP-Catandungan Chapter. Prior to that, the University likewise produced facemasks and face shields that were provided to local frontliners in the province.
We are one in this fight together. This is the norm that the Catanduanes State University (CatSU), under its SUC President III, Dr. Minerva I. Morales, shares with the rest of the different sectors of society in the current fight against the Corona Virus Disease -19 pandemic as she led in personally distributing facemasks produced by the University’s College of Industrial Technology (CIT) to the different frontliners in the province, including the men in uniform of the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office / Virac MPS. PCOL Paul F Abay is the current PNP Provincial Director, while PMAJ Bon Billy D Timuat is Virac’s Acting Police Chief. Earlier, Dr. Morales likewise personally turned over to Acting Governor Shirley A. Abundo the University’s Hand Sanitizer Enhanced with Abaca Extract determined to have anti-microbial properties. The product was based from the CatSU’s research and made possible through the University’s Abaca Technology Innovation Center (ATIC). It was also reported that aside from facemasks and hand sanitizers, rice, cash donations and food packs were likewise dispensed by the University to other recipients in the province who remain on the frontlines in the fight against CoViD-19. (Details taken from FB accounts, Dr. Minerva I. Morales, CatSU President; Dr. Maria S. Tugano, VP-AA)
The faculty members of the College of Industrial Technology (CIT) of the Catanduanes State University (CSU) attended a one-day seminarf-workshop on Rubrics Making on February 26, 2020. The activity was held at the CSU Library Building, with Dr. Ma. Edna R. Iñigo, Professor of the College of Education, as their Resource Speaker. The one-day event honed the faculty’s know –how in rubrics making as it will be essential in their day-to-day instruction. As part of sustaining quality learning environment, the seminar gave opportunity to as well for faculty enhancement program in the College under its newly designated Dean, Arch. Jose G. Ong.
