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Japan to partner with WVSU for better science education

By Shenette T. Lape and May Joy S. Olmido, SILAK Media

With an aim to introduce science experiments in a way that children would understand, Japan Outreach Team, in collaboration with Philippine Science High School – Western Visayas Campus (PSHS-WVC), extended its scope of alliance to West Visayas State University (WVSU) in developing better science educators.

In partnership with the Federation of World Youth (FoWY) and Japan’s Educate and Develop (EDULOP), an initial meeting was held on Feb. 27, 2023, 2 p.m. at the WVSU Conference Room discussing the initial plans of pushing through  “Project Re: TaNarau 3.0”, a collaborative science outreach activity headed by students from PSHS-WVC and students from universities in Japan — aiming to yield better scientists and entice children to get into the field of science.

“I’d like you to continue to interview schools that are open for collaboration and we continue with the project. You will enhance the students and the entire university – you educate people,” said Mr. Kouichi Hasegawa, head of International of EDULOP Japan.

Moreover, the team plans to conduct science experiments through the University’s pre-service teachers in the College of Education with the Japanese educators exposing them to science education strategies that are used in Japan.

“It is all about promoting science education. It is the best channel in the College of Education for their practice teachers — not only for the community but also for students who are aspiring to be teachers,” said Prof. Edel Carmela Subong-Csoka, director of the WVSU International and Local Linkages Office.

Furthermore, Dr. Aris Larroder, research unit head of the PSHS-WVC, highlighted that Project TaNarau 1.0 enabled students to conduct home-based science experiments despite the absence of a school laboratory during the pandemic, while Project TaNarau 2.0 enabled them to design supplementary materials to show animated science concepts with the aid of paper only and not electricity.

“Science education is inclusive to the learners and here in Project Re: TaNarau, learning materials are designed by the learners for other learners. We simply integrate pedagogy, as we have to make sure that at a very young age, the students can already contribute to the learning gaps,” Dr. Larroder added.

A follow-up meeting is said to be held soon, hoping to make WVSU a part of the third installment of this project./END

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UN rapporteur pushes for teaching of mother tongue in the face of House’s suspension of Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education

By Gizelle Amour Tagabi

UNDERLINING the value of languages and their diversity in the Philippines’s education system, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Fernand de Varennes, emphasized the teaching of children in their native tongue because this will guarantee their right to education without discrimination.

He emphasized that Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) should be in the long term because quality education in the mother languages take time and investment and not only three years.

De Varennes’s statement made on Feb 22, 2023 at the West Visayas State University (WVSU) comes on the heels of the House of Representatives approving the suspension of the Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) on Feb. 6, 2023.

Varennes, speaking in a conference with officials of WVSU and SILAK Media, the official college publication of the WVSU College of Education — urged that quality education in the mother languages requires more time to give the children the best results possible in exercising their language rights within the classroom.

“There should be at least a 10-year program or 20-year program to develop the materials to make sure that you start and you progressively build stronger and stronger programs,” he said, on top of stressing the importance of committing to the MTB-MLE.

He called upon education and government authorities to “take this program seriously” by investing in training, resources, and materials for teachers to effectively teach in mother languages.

“You have to look at this long-term as an investment, which will take time before you see really good results,” he said, adding that the lack of materials shouldn’t be a reason for suspending the MTB-MLE program.

Prior to the conference, Varennes spoke from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to about 1,500 students and faculty of the said university in a Symposium on Language Rights and Education in observance of the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032) along with multilingual education and MTB-MLE advocate, Firth McEachern, who raised awareness on human rights through language rights in education.

“You all have the right to learn and use your language in the classroom at any level. So don’t let other people tell you, ‘No, hindi pwedeng gumamit ng Hiligaynon kasi we have to be English-speaking’ — that is against your rights,” said McEachern, a Canadian national who can fluently speak Philippine languages including Filipino and Hiligaynon.

Photos by Pretty Pearl Kate Serilo, Shane Salao, and Mark Lawrence Articuna

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Tukib Kinaadman, a 2-day arts and research workshop

Let’s celebrate the arts! Join Tukib Kinaadman, a 2-day arts and research workshop for teachers and students brought to you by the College of PESCAR and the University Cultural Affairs Office.

For pre-registration, please click the link: https://forms.gle/SMKBnvV3SDEuhKBy7

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CONGRATULATIONS WVSU COLLEGE OF LAW DEBATING TEAM!!!

By: WVSU Law Student Council

WVSU-COL Debate Team qualified for the quarter finals and ranked 2nd in the elimination rounds out of 26 participating Law Schools in the 1st Justice Hilarion Aquino National Memorial Debate Competition.

1st Elimination Round

Best Speaker – Stephene Barredo

Best Debater – Vanessa Silla

2nd Elimination Round

Best Speaker – Edson Chase Yap

Member

Agripino John Patrick Ga-an

Coach

Atty. Federic Loise Regencia

College of Law Dean

Atty. Pauline Grace Alfuente, CPA

College of Law Associate Dean

Atty. Ian Thomas Besana, LLM

The team will advance to the quarter finals which will take place tomorrow. The entire college wishes you the best of luck!

 

Basta taga-West, the Best!

#WVSUCOLDebateTeam

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𝙒𝙑𝙎𝙐𝘾𝙊𝙈 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙒𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙩 11𝙩𝙝 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙋𝙈𝘾-𝙎𝙉 𝙑𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙨 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

By: Stephen Ranie Belascuain and Everild Dominique Camique

Photos by:  Everild Dominique Camique

 Medical students from Roxas Hall showcased their unrivaled academic prowess and cemented their status as one the leading medical school in the region by bagging four out of five categories in academic competitions in this year’s Regional APMC Convention, held at the Diversion 21 Hotel and Iloilo Convention Center last February 9-11, 2023.

 This year’s theme was “LARGA” with a paraw sail that centers on the ebbs and flows of our medical journey. This convention was spearheaded by Paolo P. Guisado of Central Philippine University along with other representatives and student leaders from various medical schools in the region including our very own Medical Student Council and APMC representatives Andrea Philline Barros and Wendellyn Bragat, with Academic Competition Head, Marc Christian Sausa and Mr. and Ms. APMC head, Kenneth Ynchausti.

 “𝘚𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳… 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 ‘𝘬𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘺’ 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴” Ms. Barros said in an interview.

𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒐-𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆

         Despite being the last to present, the WVSU-CPC team, comprised of Shaun Andre Tan as Team Captain, Rogelio RR Tariman as their speaker, along with Joshua Tomas and Lee Iverson Buelis, was crowned Champions and awarded with Best Presentation, and Mr. Tariman as Best Presenter.

       “𝐿𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠, 𝐼 𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑏𝑖𝑔 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙. 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦, 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝐷𝑟. 𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑝𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐷𝑟. 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑎 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠-𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐷𝑟. 𝐽𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐷𝑟. 𝐴𝑚𝑠𝑢𝑎 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒. 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠, 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑢𝑛, 𝐽𝑜𝑠ℎ, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐿𝑒𝑒, 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝐽𝑒𝑡, 𝐴𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎, 𝐺𝑒𝑎, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑧𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚’𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠” Mr. Tariman said in an interview with the VS staff.

        After the presentation, the team was praised by the panel of judges for exceptional demonstration, well-crafted slides, and an on-point breakdown of the case. They were also able to answer with ease the questions and inquiries of the panel due to the excellent mentoring of their coaches, Dr. Ansarie Salpin and Dr. Noe Bataga.

       Since this is his last CPC along with his teammate Joshua Tomas, Shaun Andre Tan, the Team Captain says that he is very happy that they were able to successfully defend the title and for the chance to compete in the National Conference.

       “𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑗𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝐶𝑃𝐶 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑘𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 – 𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑦, 𝐿𝑖𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐿𝑒𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑎 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑢𝑠 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑘𝑠. 𝑊𝑒’𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛’𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠, 𝐷𝑟. 𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑝𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐷𝑟. 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑎. 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡. 𝑀𝑦 𝑗𝑜𝑏 𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟; 𝐿𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑎 𝑝𝑎 𝑡𝑜 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑠!” Tan further said.

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

      With a resounding win, the WVSU-HCI team was hailed champions against three other excellent entries with their auspicious “Project: Ready, Prep, Go!”. The team includes Mark Arnel Gacho, Anavie Clarise Sia, Christine Joy Susana, and Parvane Mae Lagon, all of whom are third-year medical students.

     “𝑊𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒. 𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑤𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑤 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑢𝑝 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.” Ms. Susana said

      The project takes inspiration from patients suffering from HIV and AIDs and those who succumb to the disease. Its main objective is the education of the masses, especially those in far-flung areas about the disease and its prevention strategies with an emphasis on Pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP.

      “𝐷𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡, 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡. 𝑊𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑝𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑠.” Ms. Lagon said

      This project has three phases namely: Ready, PrEP, and Go! (1) The READY phase aims to increase knowledge regarding HIV and AIDS in grassroots communities. (2) The PREP phase corresponds to the project’s main objective, which is to increase the use of PreP among high-risk individuals in the community. (3) The GO phase, or “re-echoing” phase, aims to encourage the newly-registered PrEP user to encourage other members of the community to do the same.

      “𝑊𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 3-𝑃𝑒𝑎𝑡. 𝑊𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒. 𝐵𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑑’𝑠 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒, 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑜 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑢𝑡𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐻𝐶𝐼 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑝.” Ms. Sia said

𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉: 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒚

 Further displaying the prowess of the college in the academic field, the WVSU-COM Research team, composed of Alyssa Feb Sanchez, Raychel Arriesgado, Justine Dela Riarte, and Ely Roy Melizo Jr.,  also gained the title of Champion in the Research Presentation for the Clinical and Community Category and Best Poster Award for their study, “Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Toward COVID-19 of Residents Aged 18-59 in Iloilo City and Iloilo Province.”

 With its conceptualization last 2021, The study focused on the finding out the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Ilonggos regarding COVID during the introduction of vaccines and the gradual decrease of restrictions. It took almost two years to complete, and it got delayed by the pandemic, along with conducting the research itself, and gathering participants for the survey, was a challenge for the researchers.

       “𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑃𝑀𝐶, 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦, 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑑𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠. 𝐴𝑚𝑜 𝑛𝑎 𝑛𝑔𝑎 𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑔 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑘𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑔 𝑗𝑜𝑖𝑛,” said Alyssa Feb Sanchez, the leader of the research team,  “𝐿𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝐼 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠. 𝑊𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝐼 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑑 33-ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑑𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠.” Ms. Sanchez said

      Sanchez further stated that the difficulty of balancing their clerkship rotation and completing the submissions for the research competition took a toll on the whole research team; but what kept her going was the thought of the study’s results would go to waste, if it wasn’t shared with the academic community.

      “𝘐’𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.” said Sanchez.

𝑴𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒔

Facing against teams from the Cebu Institute of Medicine (CIM), Matias H. Aznar Memorial College of Medicine Inc. (MHAM), and the University of Cebu School of Medicine (UCSM), the WVSU-COM Debate team emerged victorious, garnering the title of Champions in the Interscholastic Medical Debate, with CIM as the 1st Runner-up, and coming in with a tie for 2nd Runner Up was MHAM and UCSM.

 “𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 (𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯). 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦,” said Cyril Jay Villanueva, one of the debate team participants.

 Along with Villanueva from Batch ASP, the team was composed of Josh Oliver Branal and Maio Vendell Sabidong from Batch Dagitab, Swing Member Hannan Andrea Sagsagat, and their coach Atty. Roberto Villanueva, MD, with Cyril Villanueva and Josh Oliver Branal awarded as the Third Best Speakers of the competition.

       “𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑜 𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑘. 𝐼𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑎 𝑓𝑒𝑤 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟-𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐷𝑒𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑆𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑦, 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑒𝑥ℎ𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑢𝑛. 𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒. 𝐼𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑. 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒, 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔.” said Villanueva.

       These teams from each category will represent the Visayas Region in the upcoming APMC National Convention in Cebu this March.

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WVSU President Attends 3rd International Symposium on Clinical Research Trials & Joint Arise-Africa Symposium 

by Leo G. Almonte, MDC

WVSU President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz attended the 3rd International Symposium on Clinical Research Trials & Joint Arise-Africa Symposium in Japan from February 7 to 8, 2023.  

The National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGHM) and Center for Clinical Sciences (CCS) – Department of International Trials (DTI) organized the symposium with the theme “Addressing the Shortage of Physician-Scientists and Clinical Trial Professionals.”

Presenters explored solutions to increase the number of professionals in the clinical research setting and discussed strategies to get more people involved in the clinical trial industry.

According to the organizers, the symposium aims ”to bring together not only heads of universities/medical faculties but also clinical research players to discuss how to address the critical issue of clinical research professional shortage in their respective countries and the world.”

Dr. Villaruz’s presentation entitled “Raising Clinical Research Awareness Early in Medical School: A Strategy to Increase the Number of Physician-Scientists”, delved into the ‘dearth of physician-scientists’, a problem arising from the declining number of physicians conducting research and fewer doctors pursuing scientific careers.

He mentioned the barriers and challenges in addressing the shortage of physician-scientists and clinical trial professionals. Dr. Villaruz shared the Philippine experience and the solutions his university and the government implemented to address the said problem. He provided an overview of the mechanisms that WVSU put in place to nurture a ”physician-scientist” culture in the university.

According to Dr. Villaruz, curriculum tinkering, access to government research programs, involvement in agency science-driven initiatives, and international funding for research are among the solutions implemented in the Philippines.

There were 31 presenters from Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Kenya, DR Congo, Vietnam, and the United States. Speakers came from the academic, health, and government sectors.  

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CON bags this year’s Mr and Ms WVSU crown

by: Joseph Henry Nebres
Photo by: Noelle Marie Pagunsan/The Mediator and Joseph Henry Nebres/PAMCO

College of Nursing representatives Ms. Charisse Gabrielle Agraviador and Mr. Rasheed Jared Royo was crowned as this year’s Mr. and Ms. WVSU during the pageant night last Friday, January 28, 2023, at the WVSU Cultural Center.

Thirteen aspiring pairs from different colleges and campuses of West Visayas State University battled out fiercely for the crown. During the first round of the competition the candidates turned up in their glamorous best parading the culture and colors in their Barong Tagalog and Filipiniana attire. This was followed by the playsuit round where the candidates made waves, wearing their floral playsuit attire as they walk through runway with both elegance and pride.

The intense battle of the candidates can be felt throughout the jammed pack WVSU cultural center as the audience cheered their lungs out to show support for their representatives.

Aside from beauty and glamour, the candidates also displayed their brilliance and wits as they answer both personal and fun questions during the preliminary interview round. The formal attire/evening gown segment followed shortly after. The candidates exhibited a wide array of visually striking performance as they traverse the runway with beauty and grace.

Despite the close competition between the candidates only five pairs were chosen into the final round, and only one pair has emerged victorious and crowned as the 2023 Mr. and Ms. WVSU.

The lucky contestants to enter the final round for the male category were Mr. John Daxen Occeño (CICT), Mr. Rasheed Jared Royo (CON), Mr. Jendou Jezreel Sale (CBM), Mr. Brent Alexander Gilo (COP), and Mr. Mark Lexon Operio (Lambunao campus).

While for the female category the five lucky hopefuls were Ms. Thea Tabares (COC), Ms. Millen Jan Arillo (CAS), Ms. Charisse Gabrielle Agraviador (CON), Ms. Arielle Justin Panistante (COP), Ms. Kate Bayogos (Pototan Campus).

The final interview immediately followed where all candidates answered one question provided by the committee, after the intense showdown of beauty and brains the judges made their final decision an

Out of the ten remaining candidates the College of Nursing brought home the crown for both Mr. and Ms. WVSU 2023.

The Mr. and Ms. WVSU is one of the main highlights in U-week. It didn’t only bring out the beauty and wits of the candidates but also camaraderie and the creativity of the students. Furthermore, it is a platform where students can express themselves in a healthy competition outside their academic lives.

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WVSU Honors 2023 Praise Awardees

by Leo G. Almonte, MDC

West Visayas State University set aside a special night to recognize the services, loyalty, and achievements of outstanding stakeholders. The guests and awardees attended the affair in their formal Filipino-inspired attires at Sam’s Ballroom in District 21 Hotel last January 26.

VP for Administration and Finance Dr. Porferio Barlas Jr. welcomed the distinguished guests and awardees. In his welcome remarks, he said that the administration deemed it appropriate to conduct the Praise Awards grandly, a far cry from the virtual ceremonies during the height of the pandemic. He also thanked the people who helped make the 2023 Praise Awards a reality.

WVSU President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz gave an inspiring message and emphasized the relevance of recognizing the achievements, contributions, and loyalty of deserving individuals who have served the university.

The WVSU Administration addressed the awardees with an exhortation in the program, “The WVSU Community is grateful to have you and wishes you the best as you continue to excel and inspire others. Together, we take pride in your accomplishments and your commitment to excellence.”

In total, there were 50 Retirement Awardees,15 University Awardees, 6 University Administrative Awardees, 26 Bronze Pin Loyalty Incentive Awardees, 54 Silver Pin Incentive Loyalty Awardees, 12 Gold Pin Loyalty Incentive Awardees, 3 Outstanding Researchers, and 4 Presidential Awardees.

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WVSU National Anthem in the Works

By Leo G. Almonte, MDC

West Visayas State University administrators and heads of units took time off from their busy schedules to participate in the post-production of the university’s version of the Philippine National Anthem. WVSU President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz was the brainchild of the project that aims to upgrade the quality of institutional collateral.

“What we show to the world mirrors who we are as an institution,” said Dr. Villaruz. “WVSU’s version of the national version must embody not only our nationalism but Iloilo City’s culture as well as the brand of our university.”

Upon Dr. Villaruz’s bidding, the Public Affairs and Marketing Communications Office laid the groundwork for the ambitious project that required the participation of more than 200 university stakeholders. The ‘actors’ were grouped into six and assigned a venue each for the post-production shooting.

The hallowed facade of the Quezon Hall, Nelly’s Garden, General Delgado Monument, St. Anne’s Church, Esplanade, Villa Paraw, Dinagyang Monument, and city murals were the selected backdrops for the rendition of the national anthem.

The university president, vice presidents, campus administrators, directors, heads of units, and selected students patiently went through the video shooting regiments – blocking, positioning, singing, facial expressions, and multiple takes in their respective shooting venues.

WVSU contracted Alvin Paver, Mayad co-founder and Strat Valley CEO, to produce the national anthem video. He is a proud WVSU alumnus and has made waves as a world-class director and video producer. The expected launching of the much-awaited WVSU national anthem is in late February or early March 2023.

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U-Week 3rd Day: Art, Photography & Music

by Krisa Marisse Provido and Jim Carrell De Los Reyes

WVSU continued its U-week celebration on the third day last January 26. The contests were held in various venues simultaneously inside the campus. Artists from different colleges and campuses expressed their creative vision on canvas during the painting competition at the CICT Building.
Student artists competing in the charcoal rendering and on-the-spot poster-making contests also brought their art to life with the theme: ” A look into the Vision, Mission, and Core Values of WVSU.”
Various participants in the photojournalism contest captured moments with this year’s theme, “Padayon: Taga-West in Action .”The photographers wandered inside the university for their subjects and submitted their best photos as their entries. Student musicians from different colleges and campuses competed in the Musical Contest Category at the New Academic Building.