By: Jeremy M. Gawongna
Nayon, Lamut, Ifugao – Supported by local communities and officials, Ifugao Congressman Solomon R. Chungalao and Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry (ISCAF) President Dr. Serafin L. Ngohayon are now making a big push for the passage of a law supporting the establishment of a state university in Ifugao.
Authored by Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., the said law referred as Senate Bill No. 1224 is otherwise known as an “Act to Accelerate the Socio-cultural and Economic Development of the Cordillera Region by Establishing a State University in the Province of Ifugao to be Known as Ifugao State University (IFSU), Converting for the Purpose the Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry into a University”.
Established in 1982 as a college, ISCAF’s four-fold function of instruction, research, extension, and income generation arrived at development milestones making it ripe for conversion into university.
It must be recalled that ISCAF’s quest to becoming a university drew attention on September 9, 2008 when the House of Representatives have unanimously passed House Bill No. 4409 known as an act converting ISCAF into IFSU sponsored by Congresspersons Chungalao, Villar, Lagman, Javier, and Remulla.
This development gave confidence to the ISCAF family to labour for the next pace, the passage of Senate Bill No. 2658.
The hard work bore fruit when the college was further proven qualified for conversion into university as assessed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on April 4, 2009 at ISCAF.
The said assessment shows that the college complied with set of standards though it has to act on the elevation of its level two accredited courses into level three.
In a joint public hearing held at Senator Laurel Room, Senate of the Philippines on April 24, 2009, ISCAF stood out to be the closest to comply with CHED standards among other proponents for conversion into university
Senate Committee on Education Chairperson Senator Mar Roxas stressed the importance of the set standards to ensure quality education in the country.
“I think very seriously our responsibility to protect the reputation of Philippine education because if we fail to protect it then university versus college won’t make sense,” Sen. Roxas said.
“We provisionally approve the Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry conversion into university subject to the submission of required documents,” Sen. Roxas announced further.**karitoon.com** |
