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Central Luzon State University

Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines 3120

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CLSU Secures DOST funding for PEST D-TECH project under MECO-TECO JRP

Jun. 06, 2023

Ronel Runes, & Lea Caguiat | SCO

The Central Luzon State University (CLSU) secured a new project funded by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) through the Agricultural Resources Management Research Division (ARMRD) under the Manila Economic and Cultural Office – Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (MECO-TECO) Cooperation Scheme launched last May 3, 2023, in a hybrid event.   The project titled "Monitoring and Management of Major Pests and Diseases of Corn and Onion through Robotics and Drone Technology (PEST D-TECH)", will be led by Dr. Gella Patria Abella, Head of the Institute for Climate Change and Environmental Management (ICCEM).   PEST D-TECH has been approved for a total budget of PHP 10,000,000.00 which will run from April 2023 to March 2025.  It is a collaborative project with Dr. Ping-Lang Yen of the National Taiwan University (NTU) to employ sophisticated equipment such as drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) and robotics (unmanned ground vehicles), equipped with powerful multispectral cameras and sensors.   The event was attended by the project leader, project staff, stakeholders from CLSU and DLSU, and project monitoring officials from DOST-PCAARRD, who gathered to discuss the project’s goals, objectives, timelines, and resources required for successful implementation. Also, it was attended by New Hope Precision Agriculture Corporation, PEST D-TECH’s licensed drone service provider, to draft the service level agreement of the two collaborating parties. The attendees from CLSU convened at the Climate Change Center (CCC), ICCEM.   The project aims to collect the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) through remote sensing and hopes to produce crop monitoring systems that will help farmers avoid income losses caused by pests and diseases. The reflected intensities of visible and near-infrared lights will be used to determine crop health and assess crop condition, and photosynthetic activities. Moreover, it will also focus on identifying and addressing pests and diseases in onion and corn crops in selected sites in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac. 

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President Abella Speaks at 11th PAA Nat’l Congress and 2024 PH Agriculturists’ Summit

Dr. Evaristo A. Abella, University President addressed the country’s agriculturists as plenary speaker during the 11th Philippine Association of Agriculturists (PAA) National Congress and 2024 Philippine Agriculturists’ Summit today, July 3, held at Royce Hotel, Clark, Angeles City, Pampanga. Under the session on partnerships with industry for sustainable future-proof transformation of the Philippine higher education agriculture curriculum, Dr. Abella presented the best practices of Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in terms of creating impactful collaborations with the industry. He emphasized that collaboration between academic institutions is vital in preparing the students for the challenges of the modern workforce, hence the initiative of CLSU to have industry partners that will amplify the capacity of the university in providing facilities for experiential learning of the students. “The collaboration between academia and industry is a powerful catalyst for innovation, economic growth, and educational excellence. At CLSU, we are committed to building and strengthening these partnerships to create a brighter future for our students, our community, and our country,” President Abella concluded. Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), Ms. Ruby Samonte, Research Operations Manager at East-West Seed Group, and Dr. Weerapon Thongma, President of Maejo University in Thailand, presented on various topics. These included current and proposed revisions in the Philippine higher education institution curriculum, perspectives from the agriculture industry, and the agri-industry model in higher education in Thailand. Following the plenary session, an open forum was moderated by Dr. Jose DV. Camacho, Jr., Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Los Baños. During the forum, the speakers addressed questions from their peers and the participants. The congress attracted over 1,500 agriculturists from various regions of the country, as well as international guests.

Jul. 03, 2024

CLSU Inks MOU with UPLB to Develop Academic and Educational Cooperation

To develop an academic and educational cooperation, CLSU President, Dr. Evaristo A. Abella, formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) headed by its Chancellor, Dr. Jose V. Camacho, Jr., today, July 2, 2024 at the Office of the Chancellor, UPLB, Laguna. Collaborative activities such as exchange of faculty, researchers and students, conduct of R&D projects, symposia and capacity-building programs and other academic cooperation as mutually agreed will be covered under the MOU. In his message, Dr. Abella underscored the importance of this partnership to further amplify the efforts of CLSU in creating impact to the local and international community. He also added that as the representative of the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in Region 3, this partnership will surely open more opportunities to sustain and improve the stature of Central Luzon for having some of the leading higher education institutions in the country. “The initiative of UPLB to open its gates to us is very much appreciated, because this act of being a “big brother” to other SUCs is also one of our best practices where we assist other institutions to make sure that all of us will grow, improve and so that no SUC will be left behind,” Dr. Abella added. On the other hand, Dr. Camacho recognized the commitment of CLSU to this partnership to co-create knowledge and come up with activities which are mutually beneficial to our institutions and our fellow SUCs. “This ceremony marks the signing of the 99th partnership of UPLB with SUCs in support to our various initiatives like the Higher Education Leadership Mentoring Seminar (HELMS) fellowship to host faculty and staff from other higher education institutions, among other projects and initiatives UPLB has prepared, to respond to the call of the Commissioner of Higher Education to expand the reach of our services and expertise to other SUCs in the country,” said Dr. Camacho. Present as witnesses during the ceremony are Dr. Franz Marielle N. Garcia, Faculty Researcher and International Coordinator for Research of CLSU, along with Dr. Jenielyn T. Padrones, Director, Office for Institutional Development in Higher Education and Dr. Nathaniel C. Bantayan, Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension of UPLB. The following SUC Presidents were also in attendance to sign their respective MOU with UPLB: Dr. Amabel S Liao, Western Philippines University; Dr. Victor C. Cañezo, Jr., Biliran Province State University; and Dr. Patrick Alain T. Azanza, Catanduanes State University. Representatives from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Korea International Cooperation Agency as collaborators of the for the three-year collaboration also graced the event.

Jul. 02, 2024

CLSU Successfully Holds Earthquake Drill

The University Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (UDRRMC) spearheaded the participation of CLSU in the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) today, June 28, 2024, to adequately prepare the faculty, staff and students in handling emergency situations and disaster preparedness. Dr. Ariel G. Mactal, VP for Administration and UDRRMC Chair, supervised the drill as the Incidence Commander, along with Dr. Gella Patria L. Abella, Head, Institute for Climate Change and Environmental Management (ICCEM), who received the reports from various units of the university at the College of Agriculture as the identified Command Center. Meanwhile, University President, Dr. Evaristo A. Abella actively participated in the drill at the administration building before proceeding to the College of Agriculture to assess the situation and the response of the assigned personnel.

Jun. 28, 2024

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