WVSU

Tag: 16

PROMOTE PEACEFUL AND  JUSTICE  INSTITUTIONS.

Compassion and a strong moral compass is essential to every democratic society.Yet, persecution, injustice and abuse still runs rampant and is tearing at the very fabric of civilization. We must ensure that we have strong institutions, global standards of justice, and a commitment to peace everywhere.

  • WVSU Co-Hosts Regional Futures Consortium Workshop

    WVSU co-hosted the Regional Futures Consortium Workshop: A High-Level Anticipatory Leadership and Governance Executive Course at the moment at JR HALL Diversion 21, Iloilo City. The Regional Futures is an Initiative of the Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Innovation, and Future Thinking, chaired by Senator Pia Cayetano.

    The regional workshop aims to train and guide SUCs in future-proofing their programs in instruction, research, and linkages through capacity-building, scenario planning, and Futures Thinking strategies.

     Speakers and facilitators of the Regional Futures Consortium Workshop include Dr. Lizan E. Perante-Calina, Dr. Reginald G. Ugaddan, Dr. Ruperto S. Sangalang, Mr. Emmanuel de Guia, Dr. Olivia Z. Domingo, Ms. Jalaine Joyce Malabanan, Mr. Ramces M. Dili, and Professor Michville A. Rivera.

    After the virtual workshop from October 4 to 6, the series culminated with face-to-face facilitation of modules at Diversion 21 Hotel last October 7, 2022.

    WVSU President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz gave the opening remarks while VP of Academic Affairs Dr. Ma. Asuncion Christine V. Dequilla recapitulated the learning from the previous sessions.

    “As academic leaders, we must be able to face future challenges head-on, but we need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills as well as full understanding of what has been, what currently is, and what is yet to come, “ said Dr. Villaruz. “Only then can we prepare and brace ourselves for the impact of the changes and challenges of the future.”

    Representatives from the Aklan State University, Capiz State University, Carlos Hilado Memorial State University, Central Philippines State University, Guimaras State University, Iloilo Science and Technology University, Iloilo State College of Fisheries, Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology, University of Antique, and West Visayas State University are participating in the ongoing regional consortium workshop.

  • WVSU Inks IZN Partnership with Mohawk College

    by Joseph Henry Nebres

    West Visayas State University (WVSU) and Mohawk College (MC) – Canada signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize partnerships for internationalization,  research, and program development last September 22, 2022, at the WVSU Teleconference Room.

    President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz and Dr. Greta G. Gabinete (VP for Research, Innovation and Extension) represented  WVSU, while Mohawk College Philippine representative Mr. Jelson Sales stood in for the Canada-based college.  Mohawk University’s Dr. Anuraj Bajwa (Dean for International and Partnerships) and Mr. Nathan Tran (Marketing and Development Manager) joined the event via Zoom.

    Dr. Ma. Asuncion Christine Dequilla (VP for Academic Affairs) and  Dr. Wilhelm P. Cerbo (Director for University Planning and Development Office), together with the college deans, witnessed the MOU signing.

     WVSU President Dr. Joselito Villaruz expressed his gratitude to Mohawk College for the fruition of the partnership that would open doors of opportunities for the university.

    “The programs offered by Mohawk College in the business, communication arts, community service, health, technology, graduate studies, and nursing are the best fit for West Visayas State University and its program priorities,” Dr. Villaruz said.

      The terms of collaboration include the participation of both institutions in exploring opportunities to share teaching resources and materials, training pathways, collaboration, faculty development, and exchange programs.

    “We also saw how Mohawk values diversity and supports inclusion in all aspects of academic and non-academic cooperations; therefore, Mohawk and West Visayas State University’s future together is as bright as the sun,” he added.

     

    This partnership was made possible through the leadership and initiative of Prof. Edel Carmela S. Subong-Csoka, Director of WVSU International and Local Linkages Office, and Mr. Nathan Tran Marketing and Development Manager Mohawk College (MC), Canada.

  • WVSU President, COM Faculty Receive Outstanding Alumni Award from UPAA Iloilo Chapter

    Photo Caption: The awardees at the Iloilo Convention Center during the Alumni and Faculty Homecoming Dinner and Awards night. Photo source from UPV Office of Alumni Relations FB post.

    by Abegail Lapating, Elyn Joy Estimada, Mary Angel Lou Tribiano

    The University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) Iloilo Chapter recognized its outstanding alumni during the homecoming dinner last August 21, 2022 at the Iloilo Convention Centre. Among the seven awardees were the West Visayas State University (WVSU) President, Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz and College of Medicine (COM) faculty, Dr. Ma. Pilar S. Malata.

    WVSU President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz (BS Biology 1987, MA in Public Management 2004) was honoured for his work in the field of Governance, Public Administration, and Public Service.

    With 25 years of public service, Dr. Villaruz was recognized as a 2022 UPV Jubilarian by the UP Alumni Association, an acknowledgment of his dedication and hard work.  The WVSU President established the Juris Doctor program, Doctor of Dental Medicine program, and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Dr. Villaruz is also dedicated to making WVSU a premier research institution.

    In an interview with the Forum Dimensions, the UPV Jubilarian Awardee said that “the recent award given by the UPV Alumni [Association] as an outstanding professional in the field of governance and public service is an affirmation and is proof of the acknowledgment of the efforts and services that I have given in the public sector.”

    Another pride of WVSU and a mental health advocate, Dr. Ma. Pilar Servigon-Malata (UPHSI 1982) from WVSU College of Medicine, spoke on behalf of the awardees during the event.   UPAA Iloilo Chapter recognized her with an award for achievements and contributions in the field of education.

    The recipients had to comply with the necessary documents to be validated by the association and were selected through a strict screening process.

  • Journal for Law Advocacy – Clinical Legal Education Program and Revised Model Law Curriculum

    The WVSU Journal for Law Advocacy (JLA) is an academic journal committed to the development of legal scholarship for and from the Visayas Region and Southern Philippines. The student-run editorial board adheres to a double-blind peer review process as its editorial policy to determine the quality of submission both from law students and legal practitioners. JLA’s inaugural issue carries the theme “Electoral Laws and the 2022 Philippine Election” and contains seven carefully selected chapters that provide important legal analyses of electoral issues that limit, if not hostage, the conduct of free and fair elections in the Philippines. In preparation of the journal’s official launch by October 1st of 2022, online versions of the seven stand-alone chapters will be shared to the reading public. For this week, JLA is featuring its maiden commentary contributed by Judge Enrique Trespeces of the WVSU College of Law.
    (Click the image to access the full article)
    The inaugural issue concludes with a commentary on the Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP) and its relation to ethical-driven lawyering – an important pedagogical improvement in law school curricula that can help bridge the gap between the study of law and practice of law that can help address some of the systemic electoral issues discussed in earlier chapters of the first issue of the Journal. Entitled “Clinical Legal Education Program and Revised Model Law Curriculum: Championing Law Advocacy and Ethical-driven Lawyering”, Judge Trespeces notes that Revised Model Law Curriculum launched in the last quarter of 2021 now zeroes in on the pressing need for lawyers not only to be practice-ready but ethically-driven as well. He cites his own survey that from 2017 to 2021, 430 bar discipline cases docketed at the Supreme Court, which reflected the “dark side” of lawyering, spread throughout the legal profession. The author argues that the integration of a clinical component of legal and judicial ethics in procedural subjects like criminal procedure, civil procedure in dispute resolution, and evidence rules is a significant enhancement of achieving ethical-driven lawyering. To illustrate, the editors take note that WVSU College of Law recently integrated its CLEP learning activities into the teaching of the course Administrative Law, Law on Public Officers, and Election Law. This timely integration of CLEP activities to relevant subjects, such as Election Law, coincided with the recently concluded 2022 National Elections. Without a doubt, strategies like this are in accord with CLEP’s goal to inculcate in students’ values of ethical lawyering and public service. Judge Trespeces in his conclusion notes that these initiatives require the concerted efforts of all stakeholders to set the CLEP in motion in order for its objectives to come to fruition.

    The student editors, as well as contributing authors of this inaugural issue, hope that readers arrive at a more complete picture of the interplay of law, jurisprudence, and electoral reform in the Philippines. The different chapters of this volume earnestly put together provide at the very least, a diagnosis of each of the key areas of reform in the Philippine electoral system. The official date of the Inaugural Launching of the Journal for Law Advocacy is on October 1st of 2022, 3:30pm onward at the Moot Court, Quezon Hall Building. If you wish to attend the said event and if you have inquiries on how to submit your original legal manuscripts or on how to subscribe to our Journal, please email the Journal’s Executive Editor – Clyde Gacayan at col_journal@wvsu.edu.ph

  • Journal for Law Advocacy – The Rules on Substitution of Candidates in the Philippine Electoral System

    WVSU Journal for Law Advocacy’s featured article for this week is written by Philipp Centenni Ruel, a student of WVSU College of Law. As with the first five papers we have released over the last four weeks which discussed about the interplay of electoral laws and jurisprudence, Ruel provides a sharp analysis as to how some politicians have exploited the rules on the substitution of candidates within our electoral laws.

    (Click the image to access the full article)

    In the sixth chapter entitled “Exploiting Electoral Exchanges: The Rules on Substitution of Candidates in the Philippine Electoral System”, Ruel examines the recent trend of politicians using and abusing the legal option allowing candidates to give up his/her candidacy to other candidates as a mechanism for emergency circumstances where a candidate is incapacitated or for some other serious reasons, compelled to withdraw his/her candidacy. Ruel, however, observes that there are numerous instances where substitution has been put in the national spotlight which he calls an electoral fiasco. Citing the 2016 substitution of then presidential candidate and now former President Rodrigo Duterte replacing Martin Diño, and Sarah Duterte as a substitute Vice-Presidential candidate replacing Lyle Fernando Uy, the author notes that the substitution card has been mainly a game plan not only for national politicians but has been replicated in congressional and party-list seats, as well.

    Ruel cites COMELEC’s leniency towards the matter at hand as one of the reasons that explain why the substitution mechanism has been abused and utilized by politicians. The author argues that the exploitation of the rules on substitution empowers, rather than limit political dynasties. He calls the apparent abuse of substitution mechanisms not only a political gimmick but warns that it has become an electoral norm that coincides with the flawed system of Philippine elections. Ruel provides that the apparent abuse of the rules on substitution is a sham and mockery of the election process, and if taken for granted, would pave the way for the erosion of the spirit of democratic selection processes.

    The WVSU Journal for Law Advocacy (JLA) is an academic journal committed to the development of legal scholarship for and from the Visayas Region and Southern Philippines. In preparation of the journal’s official launch by September 23rd 2022, online versions of the seven stand-alone chapters will be shared to the reading public every week. For inquiries and to submit your original manuscript for publication, please email the Journal’s Executive Editor – Clyde Gacayan at col_journal@wvsu.edu.ph.

  • Journal for Law Advocacy – Election related offenses and disinformation

    The WVSU Journal for Law Advocacy (JLA) is an academic journal committed to the development of legal scholarship for and from the Visayas Region and Southern Philippines.  The student-run editorial board adheres to a double-blind peer review process as its editorial policy to determine the quality of submission both from law students and legal practitioners.

    JLA’s inaugural issue carries the theme “Electoral Laws and the 2022 Philippine Election” and contains seven carefully selected chapters that provide important legal analyses of electoral issues that limit, if not hostage, the conduct of free and fair elections in the Philippines.  In preparation of the journal’s official launch by September 23rd 2022, online versions of the seven stand-alone chapters will be shared to the reading public. For this week, JLA is featuring the co-authored chapter of Prosecutor Victoria Heler and Theda Grace Gumban, faculty and student respectively of WVSU College of Law.

    (Click the image to access the full article)

    Entitled “Towards a Clean and Honest Election: Jurisprudence on Election-related offenses”, the authors revisit important provisions of the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines and provide a discussion on frequent election violations and related jurisprudence. This includes vote-buying and vote-selling, conspiracy to bribe voters, wagering upon the result of the election, and coercion of subordinates among others. The authors provide a thematic discussion of offenses during voter registration, campaign, voting day, and canvassing. 

    Heler and Gumban also provide a rundown of special laws that govern the conduct of elections in the country and argue that while these laws are designed to ensure a peaceful and effective method of selecting political leaders, these laws have to face challenges arising from COVID-19 and disinformation networks in social media.

    The student editors, as well as contributing authors of this inaugural issue, hope that readers arrive at a more complete picture of the interplay of law, jurisprudence, and electoral reform in the Philippines. The different chapters of this volume earnestly put together provide at the very least, a diagnosis of each of the key areas of reform in the Philippine electoral system. For inquiries, please email the Journal’s Executive Editor – Clyde Gacayan at col_journal@wvsu.edu.ph

  • WVSU Participates in the First Iloilo Transport Summit

    By Abegail G. Lapating and Ciarra Mae G. Imbang

    Student Regent Hershey Geline represented West Visayas State University (WVSU) during Iloilo City’s transport summit held at University of the Philippines Visayas Little Theater, Iloilo City Campus, last  August 30, 2022, at 7:30 A.M

    Organized by the Office of Iloilo City Councilor and Committee Chairman of Transportation, Atty. Sedfrey L. Cabaluna, the event aims to solicit concrete solutions and recommendations to resolve the issue surrounding the modification of jeepney routes implemented by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

    The whole-day activity includes a series of presentations on the concept of the Public Vehicle Modernization Program, Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP), amendments and modifications, other sectoral presentations, team workshops, and discussions in line with the Transport System in Iloilo City.

    Student Regent Hershey Geline Sumpay and WVSU USC Councilor Arlie Bosque were among the participants, and other representatives from the University of the Philippines (UPV), John B Lacson, Iloilo Science, and Technology University (ISAT U).

    At the event, Sumpay raised the issue of the lack of units of public jeepney vehicles and congestion. She also urged strengthening information dissemination to all commuters and implementing a 20% discount for students. 

    After the discussion, Bosque presented the collated recommendations of the student sector to the officers of LTFRB Region VI, Public Safety and Transportation Iloilo, Councilor Cabaluna, and all transport group representatives. One of the suggestions is implementing a coding system for private vehicles. 

    On Facebook, Arlie Bosque expressed his gratitude towards Atty. Cabaluna. “We would like to extend our gratitude to the office of Atty. Sedfrey Cabaluna for giving the students an avenue to voice our concerns on the effects of the LPTRP implementation in the city.”

    In an interview of Bombo Radyo with Councilor Atty. Cabuluna, he shared that there were over 100 attendees at the summit. Among the stakeholders are transport groups, academic institutions, commuters, and barangay officials. 

    The port Summit is led by the LPTRP Technical Working Team of Iloilo City and headed by Mr. Jeck Conlu and officials. Also present at the event are partnering agencies, namely PSTMO, Transport Cooperatives/Corporations, LTO, PNP, Provincial LGU, Media Partners, Business Sectors, Academe Sectors, Private Sectors, and participants from Bacolod City. 

  • WVSU Shares Best Practices in Quality Management System with MBHTE -BARMM

    By Mary Angel Lou S. Tribiano and Elyn Joy B. Estimada

    West Visayas State University shared its best practices in Quality Management System (QMS) with the delegation from the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). WVSU hosted the QMS Executive Session last August 11, 2022, at the university campus.

    After the opening remarks of University President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz, the vice presidents, unit heads, directors, and college deans participated as resource speakers. Dr. Villaruz defined quality management and how it impacts the university. He attributed the accomplishments of the institution to sound and effective quality management.

    Among the topics discussed by the resource speakers were the University Program Development, Teacher Education Program, Senior High School Implementation, Quality Assurance, Assessment, Customer Feedback Mechanism, Internal Quality Audit, Management Review, and Continuous Improvements. After the open forum moderated by Dr. Noemi B. Silva, a campus tour followed where the guests visited the College of Education, Basic Education School Laboratory, and QMS Room.

  • Journal for Law Advocacy – Philippine Party-list System and Representation of Marginalized Population

    WVSU Journal for Law Advocacy’s featured article for this week is written by Justin Bionat of the College of Law of the University of San Agustin. As with the first three papers we have released over the last two weeks which discussed about the interplay of electoral laws and jurisprudence, Bionat provides an in-depth analysis of the party-list system which has been increasingly used by political dynasties as a “back door entry” to secure congressional seats after exhausting their term limits.

    (Click the image to access the full article)
    In the fourth chapter entitled “The Philippine Party-list System and Representation of Marginalized Populations,” Bionat revisits the legislative intent behind the party-list system as illustrated in 2003 and 2009 party-list elections and notes that its true purpose is for sectoral representation, meant to promote social justice and to represent the marginalized and underprivileged sectors remain unfulfilled. Bionat proceeds with a careful examination of party-lists representatives occupying congressional seats in the 18th Congress and have principally sponsored bills in the areas of education, women, and gender, and senior citizens.
    Bionat argues for the necessity of revamping the party-list system to accommodate marginalized groups. A key strategy he suggests is to improve the process of accreditation of party-lists by the COMELEC. He a observes in the recently concluded 2022 national elections some interesting party lists groups declared eligible to run such as WOW Pilipinas Partylist, MOCHA Partylist, UMA Ilonggo Partylist, Barkadahan Partylist, and SMILE Partylist. From this, he emphasizes the need to improve the party-list system which is part and parcel of our flourishing democracy of, for, and by the people.

    The WVSU Journal for Law Advocacy (JLA) is an academic journal committed to the development of legal scholarship for and from the Visayas Region and Southern Philippines. In preparation of the journal’s official launch by September 23rd 2022, online versions of the seven standalone chapters will be shared to the reading public every week. For inquiries and to submit your original manuscript for publication, please email the Journal’s Executive Editor – Clyde Gacayan at col_journal@wvsu.edu.ph . 

  • Journal for Law Advocacy – Gains and Losses in Regulating Political Dynasties

    (Click the image to access the full article)

    WVSU Journal for Law Advocacy is featuring its third chapter written by Clyde Gacayan entitled “No Time Runs Against Families?: Gains and losses in regulating political dynasties in the Philippines”. In this chapter, Gacayan reviews previous bills that have attempted to define political dynasties passed from the 13th to the 18th Congress of the Philippines, and notes that from at least forty-five (45) bills passed in the last seventeen (17) years, not one have passed third reading. Moreso, majority of these bills are left pending in appropriate committees where they were assigned to.

    Gacayan argues that while there is sustained interest on the part of the House of Representatives and the Senate to fulfill their constitutional mandate to define and prohibit political dynasties, there is strong indication that both houses are seemingly adamant and tentative in their legislative position to pass the bill into law. Gacayan illustrates that the victory of the Marcos-Duterte tandem in the recent polls is an epitome of the continuing dominance of political dynasties – where dynasties are not only deeply entrenched but also capable of self-perpetuation admist good goverance reforms.

     

    He echoes what other political scientists claim that political dynasties themselves are not only electoral concerns but are wicked problems that has undermined the quality of democracy linked to deeper poverry and underdevelopment. Gacayan concludes that while it seems that no time runs against families in the last thiry-five (35) years, there is a silver lining if one is able to look at the progress made in progressive legislation, judicial activism, and by further educating the electorate.

    JLA is an academic journal  committed to development of legal scholarship for and from the Visayas Region and Southern Philippines.  The chapter is included in the Journal’s Inaugural Issue which carries the theme “Electoral Laws and the 2022 Philippine Election” containing seven carefully selected chapters that provide important legal analyses of electoral issues that limit, if not hostage, the conduct of free and fair elections in the Philippines.  In preparation of the Journal’s official launch by September 23rd 2022, advanced online copies of stand alone chapters will be shared to the reading public every Monday of the week.

    A total of four more papers tackling the party-list system, election-related offenses and rules on substitution will be released online in the next 4 weeks. Thereafter, a print copy of the Journal will be made available for distribution. For inquiries, please email the Journal’s Executive Editor Clyde Gacayan at col_journal@wvsu.edu.ph .