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Central Luzon State University

Science City of Muñoz, 3120 Nueva Ecija, Philippines

CLSU Recognizes Outstanding Employees and Service Awardees

Apr. 16, 2024

StratCom | SCO

Staying true to its commitment of nurturing a culture of excellence, Central Luzon State University (CLSU) recognized the dedicated service and outstanding performance of its employees during the 2024 Service Recognition and PRAISE (Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence) Ceremony as a culmination of the 117th Founding Anniversary Celebration held on April 12, 2024 at the Multipurpose Gym. Dr. Ariel G. Mactal, VP for Administration and Chair of the PRAISE Committee formally opened the program highlighting that regardless of position, every employee is the heart and soul of the university. “Each of you plays an indispensable role in our university. The awards that we will be presenting today are more than just symbols of achievement, they are tokens of the university's gratitude for all the many work hours, sacrifices, and passion that every one of you has given to CLSU,” said Dr. Mactal. Meanwhile, Dr. Evaristo A. Abella, University President, delivered his keynote speech where he expressed his gratitude to everyone who assisted the university in attaining its quality policy statements and encouraged the younger employees to recognize and respect the contributions of those who served the university for more than a decade. “I hope the younger members of our community would be inspired by those who had established this university, let us not forget the magnitude of their contributions. I thank all of you for executing our ideas with precision and excellence, indeed, we have shown how we can conquer great things together. I must tell you that the task of being your leader is definitely hard, but to do it for all of you, it is worth it. CLSU is definitely worth it,” Dr. Abella added. The awarding then proceeded for the employees who have been in the service for at least 10 years up to those who have served for more than 40 years, as well as the retirees from 2023 to 2024 who all received certificates, pins, and plaques of recognition. Meanwhile, the PRAISE and Presidential Awards were accorded by the member of the Executive Committee to the following outstanding faculty, staff and group who showed exemplary performance in their respective fields: Outstanding Official – Dr. Jay C. Santos Outstanding Faculty (Level II) – Assoc. Prof. Geraldine Gantioque-Tayag Outstanding Faculty (Level I) – Mr. Darwin G. Dela Cruz Outstanding Administrative Staff (Level II) – General Administration and Support Services – Mr. Jonathan T. Gurion Outstanding Administrative Staff – Research and Extension Program (Level II) – Ms. Janet N. Padilla Outstanding Administrative Staff – Research and Extension Program (Level I) – Mr. Aquilino V. Romero, Jr. Outstanding Administrative Staff – Academic Affairs Program – (Level I) – Mr. Aurelio R. Agulto Jr. Outstanding Group - Special Purpose Rice Presidential Awardee – Mr. Ryan B. Esteban Presidential Awardee – Armando S. Santos Furthermore, in behalf of the service awardees for both academic and non-academic staff, Dr. Emmanuel M. Vera Cruz and Ms. Rowena R. Pineda delivered their response while Prof. Eufemio R. Calang, Jr. and Ms. Teodora A. Polo, delivered their messages in behalf of the academic and non-academic retirees, respectively.

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CLSU Continually Demonstrates Commitment to Quality Education through Accreditation

With CLSU’s continuous pursuit of excellence, six of its academic programs underwent accreditation evaluation by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP) from October 20 to 22, 2025. The following programs - BS Development Communication, BS Statistics, and MS Biology aimed for level IV accreditation. At the same time, the BS Psychology, BS Hospitality Management, and PhD Aquaculture, were evaluated for Level III status. Dr. Elsie M. Pacho, the Coordinator for Level IV Accreditation, lauded CLSU’s performance where she stated that as a state institution, the University’s role in shaping the region's intellectual and socioeconomic landscape is evident and commendable. "Your programs demonstrated a robust academic foundation complemented by innovative teaching methods and a sustained culture of research, community engagements, as well as international networking and linkages,” she stressed. On the other hand, Dr. Ronald M. Ramirez, represented by Dr. Eva Marie C. Avila, assured the task force that as external partners of the university, they are also committed to fostering excellence for the university to achieve its goal. “We will make a very objective assessment and make recommendations for the benefit of your programs, your colleagues, and your institution. To achieve world-class service and excellence,” Dr. Avila said. University President Dr. Evaristo A. Abella acknowledged the value of the external review, stating, "With your guidance from an outside perspective, we now know our strength and the areas that we need to improve." He also affirmed the institution's unwavering commitment to implementing the recommendations where he expressed the University’s commitment to abide by the observations of accreditors, uphold quality and integrity in the curricular offerings, strengthen systems, and maintain the standards that define CLSU. CLSU's proactive engagement with the AACCUP process underscores its dedication to maintaining high standards and evolving into a globally competitive educational institution. #SievingForExcellence

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CLSU, CLAARRDEC Lead Nat’l Tilapia FIESTA

The Central Luzon State University (CLSU), as the seat of the Central Luzon Agriculture, Aquatic, Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (CLAARRDEC), successfully led and hosted the National Cluster Tilapia Farms and Industry Encounters through S&T Agenda (FIESTA) from October 21-23, 2025, at San Fernando City, Pampanga. The Tilapia FIESTA unfolded under the theme “From Pond to Plate: Celebrating a Sustainable Tilapia Industry,” which highlighted the collaborative efforts of scientists, researchers, farmers, aquapreneurs, and stakeholders in sustaining and strengthening the country’s tilapia sector. The keynote speaker, Mr. Florendo ‘Jon’ G. Juico, Jr., PhilTilapia National President, shared that the theme beautifully captured the heart of what they do as tilapia growers. “It reminds us that sustainability is not a one-time act but a way of life – it begins in the pond in the hands of our hardworking farmers, and it ends on the plate where families share the fruits of our labor,” he said. Tilapia FIESTA serves as a convergence of great minds, institutions, and partners with one shared goal — to strengthen and sustain the tilapia industry in the Philippines. According to Assoc. Prof. Maria Adrielle S. Estigoy, Tilapia FIESTA project leader and CLAARRDEC Science Communication Cluster Coordinator, “Tilapia FIESTA is more than just a showcase of technologies. It’s a celebration of collaboration and community. Each innovation presented here represents the hard work of our researchers and the resilience of our fisherfolk who bring tilapia from ponds to every Filipino plate.” CLSU President and CLAARRDEC RRDCC Chair Dr. Evaristo A. Abella highlighted that the event reinforces the united efforts to build a more competitive and inclusive aquaculture industry. “This historic gathering solidifies the collaboration of seven regional consortia creating a venue for researchers, aquaculture practitioners, fisherfolk, government agencies, higher education institutions, and other stakeholders who share a common goal to strengthen and sustain the tilapia industry in our country,” he said. Bringing together farmers, experts, investors, students, and industry stakeholders, the three-day celebration provided a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, business matching, and technology promotion, fostering partnerships that drive innovation and inclusivity in the tilapia value chain. Dr. Rafael Guerrero III, Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology and an aquaculture scientist known for his pioneering work on the development of sex reversal and hatchery techniques on tilapia, served as a plenary speaker where he shared that technologies are already there, however, to be successful in the tilapia venture, he encouraged the farmers and growers to embrace the Filipino core values – pagkakaisa, pagtutulungan, pagbibigayan, pagpupursige, at pagtitiwala. One of the event’s major highlights was the Tilapia Cook Festival, which showcased tilapia as the star ingredient in a friendly cook-off. Participants from Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bohol, and Cebu proudly presented their regional delicacies, each reflecting their unique culinary flair. The festival also featured an exciting Cooking Show led by renowned chefs — Chef Jr Royol of GMA 7’s Farm to Table and Chef Hazel Anonuevo, popularly known as Hazel Cheffy, a celebrated content creator and influencer with over 3 million followers. On the final day, experts presented various tilapia technologies to the participants, showcasing innovations that advance sustainable aquaculture practices. To conclude the event, a recognition ceremony was held in honor of selected farmers and cooperatives from the seven participating regions. These awardees were acknowledged for their exemplary efforts in adopting and applying technologies developed and promoted by the different consortium member institutions, truly embodying the spirit of tilapia growers who feed the nation. Tilapia FIESTA was organized by seven regional consortia, led by CLAARRDEC with Vice President for Research and Extension Dr. Emmanuel M. Vera Cruz as Director. Partner consortia include the Visayas Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Program (ViCARP), MIMAROPA Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (MAARRDEC), Central Visayas Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Consortium (CVAARRDEC), Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVAARDEC), Cagayan Valley Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (CVAARRD), and the Northern Mindanao Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (NOMCAARRD). It was also assisted by the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) Region 3 and fully supported by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD). 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