Month: March 2023

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Linkages News

Philippine-European collaboration concludes at WVSU today

By Hazel P. Villa and Antoniette D. Cortez

ILOILO City — The Final Dissemination and Send-off of Project FORTH, a collaboration between Philippine and European universities that aims to empower teachers in challenged areas in the Philippines, concludes today, March 27, 2023, at the Cultural Center and Teleconference Room of the West Visayas State University (WVSU). This event is the second to the last leg of the project.

Project FORTH was launched in WVSU in February 2019 and Iloilo was one of the pilot areas. It succeeded in obtaining the approval of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in 2020 for the offering of the degree Master of Teaching in Challenged Areas (MAEd TCA) which is now available at WVSU, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Manila, and the University of St. La Salle (USLS) in Bacolod City.

Today’s activities, which start at 8:30 a.m., will involve the WVSU College of Education students as the audience. The program will include a Walkthrough of Project FORTH, a presentation of the impact of Project FORTH in Philippine Higher Education, and speeches by two principals and a student who have taken up MAEd Teaching in Challenged Areas. They will talk about the Imprints of Project FORTH in

Philippine Higher Education. WVSU President Joselito Villaruz will also deliver a speech entitled “Ways Forward for WVSU.”

The European partner institutions will share their experiences with their Philippine counterparts, and Project FORTH Designer Julia Gonzales will speak on “Changing the Narrative: Project FORTH Vision and Beyond.”

The second part of the Final Dissemination and Send-off will take place at the Teleconference Room of the WVSU, where the participants will share their experiences of DepEd and University Partners. They will also discuss the outputs of FORTH, such as infusion in the Bachelor of Arts Program, majoring in Teaching in Challenged Areas, and materials developed and publications.

The afternoon session will feature European and WVSU partners speaking on Project FORTH and Beyond,

FORTH’s impact, and “Visioning the Association for Teacher Educators and Teachers in Challenged Areas.” The program will end at 3 p.m., after which the Project FORTH Team will proceed to Davao City for the last leg of the Final Dissemination and Send-off.

On March 23, 2023, implementers, representatives of partner schools, officials of the Department of Education and CHED gathered for the formal send-off at the Savoy Hotel in Pasay City. A series of activities followed, including visits on March 24 to Centro Escolar University and PUP and their Manila partner schools and communities, March 25 in USLS Bacolod, March 26 at an Aeta community in Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental, March 27 in WVSU, and March 28 and 29 in USeP Davao and its partner community for a project called “Education behind bars.”

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Linkages News

PH-EU collab helping teachers in challenged areas close to good reviews

By Hazel P. Villa, Rosemarie Felimon, Anne Cortez

PASAY City – A major collaboration between Philippine and European universities ended on a positive note with good reviews given its various successes on March 23, 2023 at the Savoy Hotel here.

The 4-year collaboration is Project FORTH (Formation of Teachers in Challenged Areas) which seeks to empower teachers who are working in challenging areas and contexts that are out of the ordinary.

A major achievement of the said Project is the approval of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in 2020 for the offering of the degree Master of Teaching in Challenged Areas (MAEd TCA) in the following universities: In Manila – the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP); and in Western Visayas – University of St. La Salle (USLS) and West Visayas State University (WVSU).

In his speech, WVSU President Joselito Villaruz said, “Project Forth has widened the horizon of what higher institutions stand for and that is to give impetus to the sector that has been left behind so that the gains of development shall be shared to the marginalized sector of this society.”

Also present at the Send Off were representatives of the three European universities leading in educational reform and international organizations in Europe. They are the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain, and the University of Bologna in Bologna, Italy together with the following institutions: Education for an Interdependent World in Brussels, Belgium which is the project co-coordinator and Fundacion Intered in Madrid, Spain that coordinates NGOs’ development work in different parts of the world.

The Final Dissemination and Send Off lasts until March 29, 2023 with key implementers and module coordinators visiting partner schools and communities on the following dates: March 24 in CEU and PUP and their Manila partner schools and communities highlighting their outputs as program in-charge, March 25 in USLS Bacolod, March 26 at an Aeta community in Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental, March 27 in WVSU, March 28 and 29 in USeP Davao and its partner community for a project called “Education behind bars.”

Discussed in the March 23 Send Off were the project’s outputs, the impact of the FORTH partnership with Europe, the envisioning of the project’s future, the Department of Education’s experiences with the participating universities, outreach to the other universities, and “visioning” the Association for Teacher Educators and Teachers in Challenged Areas.

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News

WVSU COP joins Sinamba sa Regatta 2023

By Joseph Nebres

Grupo del Oeste of West Visayas State University College of Physical Education Sports Culture Arts and Recreation (PESCAR) showcased their lively dance performance during the Sinamba sa Regatta last Saturday, March 18, 2023.

Dressed in their vibrant attires of the Grupo del Oeste put the spectators in awe during the street dance competition as they elegantly dance with the rhythm and the beats of the “Saot kag Amba” the official dance fest theme song the along the streets of Iznart and Calle Real.

During the main dance competition, the group displayed wide array of exceptional talent and skills in performing arts as they galvanize the stage with their radiant costumes, well-executed dance moves, and electrifying originally composed music showcasing the University’s dedication and commitment in promoting excellence in culture and arts.

The Grupo del Oeste won 2nd place along with two special awards namely best in Street Dance and best in Original Composition Award.

This success was a result of the students’ hard-work and perseverance with the exceptional guidance of Prof. Liberty R. Porras as the group’s choreographer and overall director together with Prof. Ruswil Ledesma and Prof. Ronie Libutaque as Musical Directors.

In an interview Prof. Porras extends the College of PESCAR gratitude to the University Cultural Affairs Office for making this showcase of talents possible and to all those who showed their undying support during their journey from the preparation until the event.  

Grupo el Oeste performed again the following day on Villa Beach Iloilo during the Paraw Regatta 2023 highlight activity.

The Sinamba sa Regatta is an annual samba dance competition held during the celebration of Paraw Regatta Festival.

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News

WVSU CAT: SANA ALL

by Leo Almonte, MDC

It’s this time of the year when WVSU conducts its College Admission Test (CAT). As early as seven in the morning, droves of examinees started to converge at the entrances of WVSU along Luna Street, causing medium-to-heavy traffic in the vicinity.

Walking inside the campus, the examinees exuded a silent and determined aura, like gladiators stepping into an arena. For most of them, enrolling at WVSU is their first giant step toward their life-long goals. The students know: they are going through the proverbial eye of the needle. WVSU (Main Campus) will only accept 1,500+ from the 10,300+ applicants.

The examinees came from the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, and other regions, including Mindanao. Walking through the corridor of Quezon Hall, the students are dead quiet, and nothing seems to exist but their test papers. Taking the test while in their zone, I could almost hear their heartbeats during that never-wracking moment.

I observed a late student running through the campus toward the New Academic Building. He stopped for a while, took deep breaths, looked up at the sky, and made several signs of the cross before proceeding to the testing room.

So much is at stake, especially for those parents who cannot afford to send their children to college. Such an awareness adds to the pressure of taking the CAT since making it to WVSU is a life-changing milestone. Outside the university, relatives wait patiently under the sun amidst the smoke and noise of passing vehicles.

I saw mothers standing on the sidewalks, looking at the university buildings from a distance as if whispering prayers for their children while they took the examination. Fathers were ready to hand over their “baon” to their kids as soon as they exited the gate.

We say “sana all” with a mixed tinge of hope, regret, and even envy when we experience social and economic disparities or personal shortcomings.

If only the university could accept more applicants but limited resources hold it back. Yet, WVSU is never stagnant. It continues to pave a road map towards expansion so more students can benefit from its academic services.

We can all work to create a future where fewer Filipinos are saying “sana all” because more of us are accomplishing our goals and achieving what we want in life. So, when the result of the WVSU CAT is out, I still say (not with regret) but with hope -: SANA ALL.