DOST-SEI TWG VISITS SWIM R&D CENTER FOR THEIR OCULAR VISIT AND EVALUATION FOR THE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING (MSABE) GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Isabela State University’s College of Engineering is one of the long-standing colleges in the ISU System, and in the Cagayan Valley Region. It is the most decorated college in the University System, producing a wealth of board topnotchers and high-caliber alumni to which many were able to hold focal positions not only in the Region but also in the national level.

Adhering to its vision to provide quality and exceptional education through world class instruction, the Isabela State University’s Master of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Program under the College of Engineering (COE) has been evaluated for the DOST- Science Education Institute (SEI) Graduate Scholarship program together with some of the graduate program offerings from the College of Agriculture (CA), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS),  the College of Computing Sciences, Information and Communication Technology (CCSICT), and College of Education (CoEd).

The ocular visit and evaluation were spearheaded by the former DOST Secretary, Prof. Fortunato T. Dela Peña, who is also an engineer himself. The team has been assisted by the top University officials headed by ISU President Dr. Ricmar P. Aquino. Prof. “Boy” and his TWG team went to visit the regional research centers residing in the University such as the Cagayan Valley Freshwater Fisheries Center (NICER), Cagayan Valley Cacao Development Center, Cagayan Valley Small Ruminants Research Center, and the Smart Water Infrastructure and Management (SWIM) R&D Center that temporarily resides at the Cagayan Valley Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development (CVAARRD) while the center’s main building and laboratory facilities are planned to be constructed next year. These centers are supporting the S&T graduate programs for hands-on and immersion activities. And to address the concerns of the evaluation team regarding the status of the MSABE program, Dr. Lanie Alejo, MSABE Chair and WReDC and SWIM Centers Director, successfully responded to their respective queries. She also briefly introduced the SWIM Center and its major goals and objectives, together with the endeavors being undertaken.

The SWIM R&D Center plays a vital role in the MSABE program as it serves as one of the main laboratory for hydrology, water resources, hydraulics, GIS and other related water science and bioenvironmental systems engineering fields. The Center will house world class facilities that will enable future MSABE Students to perform and validate theoretical claims into actual engineering experiments. Furthermore, the SWIM R&D program, a DOST-NICER program, is led by Prof. Orlando F. Balderama, a world-renowned expert in water resources engineering, and an alumnus of the Agricultural Engineering undergraduate program in the University. The connection between the SWIM center and the MSABE program is so special that most of the staff are proud product of the university which coherently work towards attaining water and food security through R&D. The MSABE Program is expected to mold and capacitate Engineers and Professionals through advance studies in order to remarkably contribute in the agro-industrialization and eco-environmental protection of the region, subsequently our nation.

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