DLAM is one of the three graduate programs that the University started to offer in June 2010. The other two programs are the Master in Land Administration and Management (MLAM) and the Master of Science in Land Administration and Management (MSLAM).

It should be recalled that these three graduate programs came about as one of the outputs of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Land Administration and Management Program Round 2 (LAMP2), funded by the World Bank (WB) for the program operation and the Australian Assistance for International Development (AusAID), for the research and human resource development components.

VSU is one of the active members of the LAMP-Academe Consortium in Region 8, where the province of Leyte is the first pilot site of LAMP. With the financial and technical support from DENR-LAMP and AusAID, VSU developed the Bachelor of Science in Geodetic and Geomatic Engineering (BSGGE) curriculum in 2004. The first batch of BSGGE graduates, in 2008, had produced two topnotchers; the second batch in 2009, three topnotchers; and the third batch, in 2010, one topnotcher.

Inspired by the results of the BSGGE program, the VSU administrators took the challenge of coming up with the first graduate programs in land administration and management in the country, the DLAM, MLAM and MSLAM. Because of this, the seven professors assigned to teach the core courses were sent on an immersion visit to Europe for one month—with support from AusAID–to develop their respective course outlines and course contents. They were assisted by their mentors from the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) in Enschede, The Netherlands and from the Technological University of Munchen (TUM) in Munich, Germany.

After one year of course work, the following students graduated from DLAM: Fidel R. Adal (OIC, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer of Catarman, Northern Samar), Joselito E. Agullo Engineer III, DENR-8), Roel G. Atienza (Data Encoder, DENR-Land Management Services), Myrna E. Delovino (Legal Officer III, DAR-8), Lillian D. Estorninos (Campus Director, EVSU-Ormoc City), Evangeline M. Lopez (Special Investigator, DENR-Land Management Services), Dennis Lumagbas (Engineer I, DENR-Land Management Services), Rolando R. Palca (Cartographer II, DENR-Land Management Services), and Winston N. Solite (Land Management Officer III, DENR-LMS and Deputy Manager, LAMP-PIO).

In an interview, during their graduation bash at the VSU-Hostel kiosk, it was learned that the new DLAM graduates are interested to continue with their MSLAM. The Institute of Strategic Research and Development Studies (ISRDS) of the College of Management and Economics (CMD) has been assigned to coordinate the land administration and management graduate programs. (WTAlesna/VSU-DDC)

Mr. Joseph N. Morales, 9th Placer, Geodetic Engineering Board Exam

One week after the impressive performance of VSU Agricultural Engineering graduates in the licensure examination conducted by the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC), another graduate emerged as topnotcher maintaining VSU’s reputation as one of the strongest geodetic engineering schools in the Philippines.

Mr. Joseph N. Morales, a native of Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental, ranked ninth place in the geodetic engineering board examination conducted from September 1-2, 2010 at the Review Innovations Center based in Quezon City, Metro Manila.

Mr. Morales successfully passed the exam along with two other VSU graduates namely Ms. Maria Corazon P. Pama and Mr. Marion Peter Clemence N. Sumabat which gave VSU an institutional passing mark of 75.00% for this year scoring way higher than the national passing percentage of 38.50%. Only 154 out of 400 takers passed the said exam.

Mr. Rene Indab, the only taker from VSU who was not included in the list of passers released by PRC, was given a conditional status which means that he either lacks an important exam requirement or has missed to pass only one component of the licensure exam. Mr. Indab could only be granted with a license if he could comply with his deficiency on time.

It can be recalled that VSU’s pioneer graduates who took the same examination two years ago landed third, fourth and seventh places respectively while last year’s batch of geodetic engineering graduates produced one first placer, two third placers and one eight placer with an average institutional passing percentage for two years of 91.11% (Ulderico B. Alviola, Administrative Officer IV, VSU Information Office).

Mr. Andrew Egan, Counselor of AusAID, assisted by Dr. Patricio S. Faylon, PCARRD Executive Director, led in the ribbon cutting ceremony marking the official inauguration of the LAM Learning Center.

Mr. Andrew Egan, Counselor of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), was the guest of honor during the inauguration program of the Land Administration and Management (LAM) Learning Center held in the afternoon of August 11, 2010 at the Agricultural Development Education Building.

AusAID is among the international funding agencies that supported the two-phased Land Administration and Management Project (LAMP) initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). AusAID appropriated a total of 48 million dollars worth of grants for LAMP aimed at alleviating poverty and enhancing economic growth by improving land tenure security and developing an efficient system of land titling and administration in the Philippines.

The LAM Learning Center is the primary facility of the first and only land administration and management graduate degree programs in the Philippines which officially started in June 2010. The Center includes an administrative office, mini-library, conference room and a classroom for the pioneer students of the LAM education program.

Another state-of-the-art classroom for the LAM graduate program has just been finished and is now ready for use at the engineering complex of the University. This new classroom is equipped with high-end computers to be used for geo-data collection, analysis and interpretation.

Aside from Mr. Egan, other attendees to the inauguration of the LAM Learning Center include Dr. Patricio S. Faylon, Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development, President Jose L. Bacusmo and other key staff of the University, the seven core faculty of the LAM graduate program headed by Prof. Efren B. Saz, and some staff of DENR Regional Office in Tacloban City.

Prior to the inauguration, a ceremonial blessing the of LAM Learning Center was done with Rev. Fr. Regin L. Flores of the Holy Spirit Parish as the main celebrant (Ulderico B. Alviola, Administrative Officer IV, VSU Information Office).

RTD Ramon Unay of the DENR Eastern Visayas receives the SANDIGAN Award from President Jose Bacusmo during the 86th Founding Anniversary Convocation.

This year, the Visayas State University (VSU) accorded the Sandigan Award to its two formidable partners, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ initiated Land Administration and Management Project (DENR-LAMP), and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), during the 86th VSU Anniversary Convocation held on August 11, 2010 at the VSU Gymnatorium.

Engr. Ramon Unay, Regional Technical Director of the Land Sector of DENR Eastern Visayas, received the award on behalf of DENR-LAMP, while Mr. Andrew Egan, Counselor of AusAID, accepted the award on behalf of the Ambassador of the Government of Australia to the Philippines, Hon. Rod Smith.

The Sandigan Award is given annually by VSU to agencies and people who have extended valuable support to the University’s institutional development efforts. Through this award, VSU has already acknowledged a number of local, national and international institutions that contributed to the enormous growth of the University from being a mere community high school in 1924 to becoming one of the top-performing schools in the Philippines today.

VSU is a valuable partner of DENR-LAMP in implementing a two-phased project aimed primarily at alleviating poverty through an improvement of land tenure security and land titling system and administration in the Philippines. With this project, VSU benefited in terms of the strong involvement of its faculty and staff in the Small Research Grants facility and in the capability building components of the program.

DENR-LAMP also assisted VSU in the development of its undergraduate program in Geodetic and Geomatics Engineering that already produced seven top-notchers in two licensure examinations as well as in the development of the first and only graduate program in land administration and management (LAM) in the Philippines, if not in Southeast Asia

. LAMP2 has also built VSU’s capability to offer both the BSGGE and the Diploma, Master of Arts, and Master of Science in Land Administration and Management through the establishment of the LAM Learning Center at VSU, renovating classrooms and equipped them with facilities, book donations, and staff development.

Counselor Andrew Egan of AusAID receives the SANDIGAN Award from President Jose Bacusmo representing the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines, the Hon. Rod Smith.

AusAID, on the other hand, has also been a staunch partner of VSU through the years. Aside from provision of external funding for the DENR-initiated Land Administration and Management Project to which VSU has also been a beneficiary being an active member of the LAMP-Academe Consortium, AusAID through the Land Equity International (LEI) was also very generous to shoulder the expenses for capability building component of seven VSU faculty who went for an immersion visit to Europe to work with two foremost geo-science and land administration schools in Germany and the Netherlands and develop the course contents of the undergraduate program in Geodetic and Geomatics Engineering and the LAM Graduate Program (Ulderico B. Alviola, Administrative Officer IV, VSU Information Office).

In his speech, the President elaborated on the specific instances where VSU and the Australian Government through its overseas assistance arms namely the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) have worked together in generating research breakthroughs to promote countryside development in the Philippines. This partnership which started in the 1980s has strengthened VSU’s academic and research capability, initiated a number of meaningful extension projects and augmented the university’s limited resources.

Following the speech of Dr. Bacusmo was a video presentation entitled “Working Together Works” which was jointly produced by the Information Office and the Department of Development Communication as VSU’s way of saying thank you to the Australian Government being the third largest bilateral grant aid donor to the Philippines and a strong partner of VSU through the years.

Dr. Nick Austin, Chief Executive Officer of ACIAR, delivering his response message during the cocktail dinner tendered by the University for its friends and benefactors.

Dr. Nick Austin, Chief Executive Officer of ACIAR, gladly responded to the remarks of President Bacusmo after the video presentation. He recognized VSU as one of the most competent research collaborators of ACIAR in the Philippines. He further stressed that ACIAR has been very confident of tying up with VSU since the first research project was approved in 1988. Since then, according to Dr. Austin, VSU has proven to be a worthy partner of ACIAR in implementing various R&D projects.

ACIAR operates as part of the Australian Government’s development cooperation programs. The Center encourages Australia’s international scientists to use their skills and work with local agricultural scientists from developing countries to promote sustainable agricultural production. ACIAR approved an array of research projects for VSU with topics ranging from livestock improvement, redevelopment of the Philippine timber industry, vegetables and fruit production, soil conservation, integrated soil and crop nutrient management, development of interactive plant diagnostic tools, to application of seasonal climate forecasting on farm decisions and policy formulation, and forestry and natural resources management.

The cocktail-dinner, which started last year as a brainchild of President Bacusmo, was among the highlights of VSU’s 86th Founding Anniversary. It aimed to convene all the sponsors, donors and benefactors of the University who, in one way or another, have extended valuable assistance and support to VSU.

Baybay City Mayor Carmen L. Cari and Vice Mayor Michael L. Cari, Leyte Provincial Board Member Carlo P. Loreto, and international scientists from Australia, among others, were just some of the dignitaries who graced the event (Ulderico B. Alviola, Administrative Officer IV, VSU Information Office).

Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo (center), VSU President poses with Ms. Marlyn B. Siapno (right), LAMP2 Education and Training Adviser, and Mr. Efren B. Saz (left), ISRDS Director, at one of the booth exhibits during the Land Sector Summit 2010.

The Land Sector Summit successfully concluded this year with the official launching of the country’s first and only graduate degree and non-degree courses on Land Administration and Management (LAM) presented by no less than the President of the Visayas State University (VSU) System, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, held on May 28, 2010 at the Ballroom Hall of the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City.

With the theme, “Challenges for a Sector in Transition: Innovation and Opportunities”, the summit aims to formulate land administration reforms that would make the land administration system simple and easy to grasp, transparent and accountable, fair and equitable, and efficient and sustainable. It was attended by key government officials like Secretary Horacio Ramos of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Assistant Secretary Gil Beltran of the Department of Finance (DOF), Director Allan Barcena of the Land Management Bureau, civil society groups, private sectors, local government units (LGUs), various agencies engaged in particular aspects of land administration, academe and other professional organizations, and representatives from the international funding agencies such as the World Bank (WB) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID).

A day before the summit, the seven core faculty of the LAM graduate program engaged in an executive short course on land administration and management as part of the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) program of the Land Administration and Management Project Phase 2 (LAMP2). Each of the faculty presented an introductory lecture about their respective subjects to wit, Dr. Antonio P. Abamo talked on land administration and management in general, Dr. Wolfreda T. Alesna on land conflict management, Dr. Salome B. Bulayog on land economics and valuation, Dr. Pastor P. Garcia on technologies for geodata collection and analysis, Prof. Manolo B. Loreto on rural and urban land use planning, Atty. Rommel Peñaranda on land tenure law and policy, and Prof. Efren B. Saz on land resources management—access and benefit sharing.

Also, Dr. Wolfreda T. Alesna, Assistant to the President for Information and Communications, presented the results of her case study featuring the best practice and first-hand management experience of the city government of Bayawan in Negros Occidental in implementing land reforms through the Innovations Support Fund (ISF) initiated by LAMP2. Bayawan City local government invested some of their resources and initiated local policy support to launch massive systematic surveys, titling and tax mapping program which resulted to positive impacts in securing land tenure. This was realized through the active leadership of Hon. German P. Saraña, the City Mayor of Bayawan, who was also among the guests of honor during the land sector summit.

Dr. Wolfreda T. Alesna, Assistant to the President for Information and Communications, presents the results of her case study conducted in Bayawan City, Negros Occidental as a sample of best practice in land administration and Management.

Aside from forums and lectures, the summit also included an exhibit mounted at the second floor of the Heritage Hotel featuring the five components of the LAMP2 project which include (1) policy development, (2) institutional development and capacity building, (3) tenure security, (4) property valuation and (5) project management. The VSU promotions team alongside with the University of the Philippine (UP) Open University and UP School of Urban and Rural Planning were included in the second component where information, education and communication (IEC) materials like leaflet, brochure, poster and promotional videos where showcased to entice prospect enrollees for the LAM graduate program of VSU.

Out of the request of some regional technical directors (RTDs), VSU is now studying the possibility of opening up an online program on LAM to accommodate professional who wish to get a degree on land administration and management (By Ulderico B. Alviola; VSU Obelisk Vol. 9, No. 22; May 30 – June 5, 2010 ).

Those who choose to take the Graduate Diploma in Land Administration and Management (DLAM) will have one year of courses leading to the development of the skills mentioned above.

Ms. Marlyn M. Siapno (3rd from left) unveils the poster which announces the opening of the LAM education program at VSU.

One week after the final observance of the College of Engineering (CE) Week was the inauguration on March 5, 2010 of the newest college in the Visayas State University (VSU)– the College of Management and Economics (CME).

The CME family is composed of three departments and one institute as its research arm namely: the Department of Business Management (DBM), the Department of Economics (DOE), the newly revitalized Department of Consumer Science and Hospitality Management (DCSHM), and the Institute for Strategic Research and Development Studies (ISRDS).

To recall, the VSU Board of Regents (BOR) approved Resolution No. 75 on October 29, 2009 at the Center for Continuing Education (CCE) making way for the establishment of CME at the Main Campus. The approved resolution is expected to optimize the coordination and delivery of VSU’s core functions and provide a positive development in the management and economics professions in the Visayas region.

Prior to the launching was a ceremonial blessing of the faculty offices of DBM and DOE led by Rev. Fr. Regin L. Flores, Assistant Parish Priest of the Holy Spirit Parish. Right after the blessing was s short lecture-seminar on house and car financing packages offered by the Metrobank Corporation held at ISRDS Conference Room. Ms. Rose Rubi, Branch Manager of Metrobank Baybay, presented to VSU faculty and staff the advantages of Metro Home and Metro Car Loan packages including the low-interest rates, flexible payment terms of up to 20 years, high loan amount and a worry-free loan repayment program, as compared to the financing packages offered by other credit companies.

During the launching proper, Mr. Daniel M. Tudtud Jr., the University/ Board Secretary narrated the humble beginnings of the agribusiness program of the University. He said that the creation of CME is a dream come true and a sign of an affirmative growth of the business management curriculum at VSU. Meanwhile, Dr. Antonio P. Abamo, CME Dean and the current Head of DBM, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the VSU Administration ably headed by President Jose L. Bacusmo for catalyzing the establishment of CME and for providing the needed support of the new college.

Another highlight of the program was the soft launching of the Land Administration and Management (LAM) gradute program which will be pilot-tested at VSU in June 2010. Ms. Marlyn M. Siapno, Education and Training Adviser of the Land Administration Management Project Phase 2 (LAMP-2), led the unveiling of the poster that announces the offering of the country’s first and only formal and non-formal education programs on LAM. She was assisted by Mr. Ramon Unay, Regional Technical Director for the Eastern Visayas of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the VSU President, and the CME dean.

The degree and non-degree courses in LAM seek to address the LAM-related problems in the country which have been identified by DENR as stumbling blocks in propelling economic growth of the Philippines.

The LAM curricular of VSU follows a ladderized scheme in which the first year will lead to a Diploma in Land Administration and Management (DLAM) while the succeeding year will lead to either a Master in Land Administration and Management (MLAM) or Master of Science in Land Administration and Management (MSLAM).

The result of this pilot offering at VSU will be used as benchmark for the regular inclusion of LAM courses in other Academic institutions in the country. The LAM education program will be officially launched on May 24, 2010 in Tacloban City.

Aside from the new graduate program on LAM, CME is currently drafting the proposal to offer a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) which is expected to contribute a significant chunk of enrolment rate for the University and will eventually make CME the biggest college in terms of student population (By Ulderico B. Alviola; VSU Obelisk Vol. 9, No. 10; March 7-13, 2010).