Catanduanes State U celebrates this year’s founding and charter anniversary

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Catanduanes State U celebrates this year’s founding and charter anniversary

The Catanduanes State University (CatSU) celebrates its 49^th foundation anniversary this year as a public higher educational institution in Catanduanes. It started its operations  in 1971, while it is on its 8^th year now since it was converted from then Catanduanes State Colleges (CSC) to Catanduanes State University (CatSU) in 2012.

This  year’s theme is, “The CatSU towards its Golden Year: Sustaining Pathways of Excellence in the New Normal.” The activity started October 5, 2020 with a Holy Mass officiated by Most Rev. Manolo A. de los Santos, Bishop of the Diocese of Virac. Later, a motorcade around the poblacion followed with University officials and regular faculty members and non-teaching personnel in attendance. In observance of the current health protocols, students’ physical presence in the mass and the motorcade were spared.

On October 19, starts the week-long celebration to be held at the CatSU main campus grounds with the following slated activities, such as: Raising of the National Flag and the CatSU flag, ceremonial flying of the 49^th CatSU banner and balloons, photo-op of all CatSU workforce, declaration of the official facebook page for the virtual ceremonies intended for employees and students, and the message of the OIC-President, Dr. Freddie T. Bernal. In the virtual contests featuring online entries for singing and dancing, an entry for each college, unit or office will be solicited while on poster making, it should focus on the best practices in the new normal. For students, essay writing, poster making and slogan making will also be conducted with the theme, “Students in the New Normal: Challenges and Coping.”

On October 20 at 1:00 p.m., the annual Paggawad ng Parangal, this time by virtual mode, will be held for those awardees in service, COPC, and research publication, the scholarship and extension benefactors. The following day, October 21 at 8:00 a.m. will be the tree planting in designated sites led by university officials, Deans and chiefs of offices. 

The first day of the web conference on research and creative works on food, health, and environment will also be conducted on October 22, 2020 which will be spearheaded by the University’s Research and Development Services Office led by its Director, Dr. Jimmy T. Masagca under the Research, Extension and Production Affairs Division headed by Vice-President, Dr. Lily P. Custodio.

 
The next day, October 23, 2020 will be the Family Day starting 7:30 a.m. which will be done by unit or office in deference to the strict new normal protocols, while in the afternoon of same day at 4:00 p.m. will be the second day of the web conference of the Research Office. The following day, October 30, 2020 will be the announcement of winners that will be done in the virtual mode through the official facebook page as host of the uploaded online entries in the contests.

The institution as it boasts another milestone year this 2020, recalls with pride that it has evolved from simple beginnings to where it is now when it finally joined the ranks of universities when former Catanduanes Congressman, Hon. Cesar V. Sarmiento authored RA 10229 on October 19, 2012 which made possible the institution’s conversion as it is now the Catanduanes State University (CatSU); with Dr. Minerva Isorena-Morales, serving as its first University President thereafter, having likewise assumed its sixth post of the Presidency in 2011 when it was still a College from her predecessor, the late Dr. Asuncion Vera- Asetre.   

It can be recalled that the CatSU first operated as an institution on June 19, 1971 when then Virac National and Agricultural Trade School (VNATS) was converted as Catanduanes State Colleges (CSC) through RA 6341 authored by the late Catanduanes Congressman, Hon. Jose M. Alberto.  The university has its annex campus in Panganiban since its integration on October 1999 to CSC, the former Catanduanes Agricultural and Industrial College (CAIC) which would become later as CSC-Panganiban Campus by virtue of Board Resolution No. 15 passed in 2003. The institution has become the province’s premier higher educational institution served by six Presidents and two Officers –in-Charge (OIC) since 1971 starting from its first President, the late Mr. Pedro G. Tabuzo. 

The university’s current Officer-in-Charge (OIC) President and Regional Director of Bicol’s Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Regional Office No. 5, Dr. Freddie T. Bernal, took the reign of the university on August 1, 2020 from his predecessor, Dr. Minerva I. Morales, who was its sixth College President in 2011, and first University President as well in 2012 when the CSC was converted as a University. OIC President, Dr. Bernal in his latest Board report message, said that his current leadership of the University affords him a mission and challenging task in this transition when we are met at the crossroads of the global pandemic. “Yet, detrrmined and unperturbed, this Management aims to settle the groundwork of sustained and growth-responsive higher education agenda for the province of Catanduanes,” Dr. Bernal said