As the entire country continues to improve and recover its failing economic state due to the pandemic, the West Visayas State University is also on its way to aid the government’s Philippine Development Plan (PDP) to realize the country’s goals in supporting economic environment and foundations for sustainable development.
In a Virtual Caravan on the Updated PDP held on May 5, 2021, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) provided an update of the current status of this medium-term plan which shows positive changes before the pandemic.
Regional Director of NEDA Region 6, Meylene C. Rosales talked about featured chapters of the PDP and the long-term vision or the AmBisyon Natin 2040 such as the health system improvement, expanding economic opportunities, reaching for the demographic dividend and topics about ecological integrity.
Rosales also shared that despite of the setbacks that this pandemic has brought towards the PDP, it still did not halt the drive of the government to continue build the nation.
“There is no other way but to ride the tide of this pandemic and deal with the complexities that it has brought us. Thus, we have adjusted what has been initially placed in the Philippine Development Plan in order to integrate strategies for us to move on to a better normal,” Rosales said while emphasizing the adjustments in PDP.
WVSU AS A ‘RESEARCH-ORIENTED UNIVERSITY’
Meanwhile, on the University’s developments plans, Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz also assured taga-wests earlier this year that the University will remain globally relevant and competitive by enhancing the game plan of the institution amidst pandemic.
The new strategic direction of the University will provide a roadmap to achieve its goals related to the research linkages and internationalization of WVSU whereas highlighting natural, health and medical sciences disciplines at the forefront will catapult an exponential growth in research production and publications.
Dr. Villaruz also said that all research engagements shall be aligned to regional, national and sustainable development goals and will be translated into action to significantly contribute to community transformation.
TAGA-WESTS AS RESPONSIBLE AND INNOVATIVE INDIVIDUALS
On Chapter 20 of the PDP as discussed by Rosales and Leyte’s 4th District Representative Hon. Lucy-Torres Gomez, the University also has its sustainability policies in ensuring ecological integrity, clean and healthy environment such as the energy conservation program and water conservation policy of 2019.
Students of the WVSU also took part on their roles in this featured chapter where five promising Taga-Wests conceptualized an AI-moderated three-part system that will be able to foresee natural disasters that can help the government and the community for preparedness and disaster relief management.
The Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Response project came to life during the design-thinking contest last 2020 of the Iloilo Provincial Government that won 2nd place that was conceptualized by Bryan Abesamis, Fraye Cedrick Anona, Julie Anne Collado, and Jose Marie Wong of the different colleges.
The University Research and Development Center also produced 30 complete researches in Teaching and Learning Initiatives, Poverty Alleviation/Environmental Sustainability and Health and Disease Management Categories last 2018.
The University, according to Dr. Villaruz will continue to remain loyal to its mandate of producing quality graduates and excellent healthcare delivery in the country with research at the core.
TOWARDS MODERNIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT
This virtual conference initiated by NEDA was conducted in order to engage communities on the ground by holding a series of virtual caravans on the strategies of the updated PDP.
This long-term vision is a whole-of-society approach for economic recovery and getting the country back on track towards achieving a “Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Buhay” for every Filipino.
NEDA also urged the citizen to participate in this virtual caravan to educate themselves and at the same time, to know their respective responsibilities in taking part in achieving the goals of the PDP.
“I always believe that you can never practice what you do not appreciate and you cannot appreciate what you do not understand and you cannot understand what you do not, in the first place, know about,” Rosales highlighted. – Jonar Dorado/CILPI