Month: July 2022

WVSU President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz stood behind the podium like a proud father in front of his children, the Graduating Class of  2022. The commencement ceremony last July 21, 2022, held at the Cultural Center, was the culmination of fulfilled aspirations by the graduates and their families. 

Graduation opens doors of opportunities, and the youthful graduates are determined to take on the world with wide-open eyes, ready to put their mark on society. Aware of the significance of this academic milestone, Dr. Villaruz equaled the fire he saw in the graduates’ eyes with his insightful and inspiring message. 

“Dear graduates, each one of you holds the pen to write the future of your generation,” Dr. Villaruz wrote. “While it is true that there may be difficulties and uncertainties along the way, far more opportunities arise.”

There is no such thing as ‘small’ honesty.

Honesty is honesty, whether a person returns a bagful of cash or a purse with few coins to its rightful owner. The lyrics of an old song say ‘honesty is a lonely word’ – but not at West Visayas State University.

On May 25, 2022, Ms. Kyla Angelli P. Padilla, a second-year BCAEd student, lost her wallet on the school premises and reported the incident to Security Officer Victor Alfaro. While the security officers prepared to initiate a search, a personnel informed them that a wallet had been found and turned over to the President’s Office.

Three personnel from the General Services Office (GSO), namely, Mr. Reynaldo Duma-up, Mr. Jerry Berinio, and Mr. Randy Sustraido, found and turned over Padilla’s lost wallet containing P5,330 with valuable personal papers ducked in it.

The Human Resource and Management Office (HRMO) validated the incident and recommended an award for the honest employees who returned the wallet. WVSU PRAISE committee deliberated and approved the recommendation of the HRMO.

WVSU gives the Gantimpala Agad Award (“On-the-Spot” Award)  to employees commended by clients for their courtesy, promptness, efficiency, honesty, and dedication to duty.

Mr. Reynaldo Duma-up, Mr. Jerry Berinio, and Mr. Randy Sustraido received the Gantimpala Agad Award from Dr. Ricky M. Magno (OIC-Office of the President), Mr. Agustin Cabahug Jr. (Supervising Administrative Officer, Human Resource Management Office), Mr. Romeo Y. Sollano Jr. (Supervising Administrative Officer, General Services Office), and Mrs. Joy Concepcion L. Fullo (President, WVSU Non-Teaching Personnel Organization inc.). The simple awarding ceremony was held at the WVSU Unity Park after the flag raising on July 4, 2022.

In WVSU, honesty excels.

 WVSU launched its COVID-19 vaccination program on November 22, 2021, resulting in the initial inoculation of 400  students and staff, along with 238 healthcare frontliners. The event also marked the university’s commitment to help in the vaccination rollouts of the local government.

Responding to the need of the times, WVSU accommodated medical teams from the Provincial Health Office and the Department of Health at the Cultural Arts Center, where the vaccination took place. WVSU staff and security personnel helped ensure the orderly process as scores of Iloilo residents trooped to the site for several weeks on specific days.

Eventually, the vaccination program gained momentum as other public and commercial establishments became venues for mass inoculation, spurred by the Bayanihan We Heal as One Act, spearheaded by the Duterte Administration.

Last July 22, 2022, the Commission on Higher Education recognized WVSU with the “Outstanding Higher Education Institution for the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Award” during a ceremony held at the Philippine International Convention Center Complex.

At the end of each school year, the grounds of WVSU become more hallowed when graduating students, together with their proud families, attend the commencement ceremony. A long-drawn battle on the academic field had been won and the graduates emerged victorious in their toga.

Graduates of Class 2022 are from the Main and WVSU campuses in Calinog, Himamaylan, Janiuay, Pototan, and Lambunao, including the College of Forestry.

Everybody knows what graduates go through so they can finally walk on the grand stage and receive their hard-earned diplomas. They all had their own hardships and had shown true grit to finish college. Every commencement exercise is a validation not only of the students but also of the entire university’s administrators, faculty, and staff. It takes a whole institution to produce one graduate.

This year, more than 1,300 students graduated from baccalaureate degree programs, and 151 completed their post-graduate studies from the different programs in the Main and College of Forestry. Himamaylan Campus had a total of 299 graduates.

The College of Education tops the list with the most graduates at 273, followed by the College of Arts and Sciences (223), College of Business and Management (182), College of Forestry (141), College of Nursing (135), College of Medicine (123), College of Information and Communication Technology (103), College of Communication (93) and College of PESCAR (61).

The commencement exercise for the Undergraduate Level was held at the WVSU Cultural Center last July 21, while the Graduate School graduation commenced on July 23 at the same venue.

Election lawyer Attorney Emil L. Marañon III (cum laude, Batch 2005) and Dr. Raul C. Alvarez, Jr., Director IV of CHED Regional Office 6, were commencement speakers for the Baccalaureate Degree Programs and Graduate School, respectively.

WVSU had another bountiful harvest of graduates determined to excel in their fields and become transformative agents of change in society.