ASU reaps top awards in WV’s first extension summit

By Salvacion Villasis

RACG Representative

Aklan State University

The Aklan State University (ASU) clinched the top paper awards in the First Regional Extension Symposium (RES) sponsored by the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) VI at the Western Visayas College of Science and Technology, La Paz, Iloilo City on July 29, 2010.

Of the 30 paper presentations and 27 posters in the fields of education and humanities; agriculture, forestry and fisheries; health and environment; and livelihood, the “Palayamanan-Kabuhayan Project: Harnessing People’s Participation and Local Resources for Greater Productivity” authored by Paterno Rebuelta, et. al., clinched the top prize for agriculture, forestry and fisheries category (above photo) while the “Capacity Enhancement for Improved Productivity and Community Participation of Women in Kinalangay Nuevo” by Carolina I. Navarra, et.al, won first place in the poster category (bottom photo). Both papers come from the ASU’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Sciences.

Meanwhile, the project titled “Response against Poverty” by Angeline G. Regalado, et.al., of the ASU-College of Industrial Technology won second runner-up under Livelihood Category. All winning researchers were given cash prizes and certificates of recognition.

Gathering some 180 participants including the vice-presidents for research and extension, directors for extension, extension chairpersons and coordinators, faculty extension workers and staff from 11 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Western Visayas, RES featured Director Asterio P. Saliot of the Agricultural Training Institute as its keynote speaker.

The national president of Philippine Extension Network, Inc., Saliot stressed that SUCs are the potential think tank of the government in order to develop modalities in extension services delivery that generate information for policy considerations.

Organized by the PASUC VI Extension Managers Council, Inc. led by Chairperson Anna Mae C. Relingo, director of Extension and Community Services of ASU, and composed of the Council Members and Board of Directors, the first ever extension summit sought to provide a venue for interactive sharing of experiences and best practices on extension and identify and analyze constraints and opportunities in extension work.

According to Chairperson Anna Mae Relingo, the regional extension symposium aimed to break new ground, even as it sought to create and strengthen collaboration and extension capabilities of PASUC VI extension workers.