Silliman Hosts National Conference on Wetlands

Close to a hundred environmental advocates and experts from around the country gathered at Silliman University for the “National Conference on Wetlands, Climate Change Adaptation and Biodiversity Conservation” from January 12 to 14.

The conference was aimed at setting the stage for the development of a national policy on wetlands, and a national strategy and action plan for the wise use of wetlands and wetlands resources, incorporating concerns of biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation.

In the message of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Jose Atienza Jr., delivered on his behalf of by Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi, he highlighted a collective approach to bringing about the “environmental and economic prosperity of the places in which we live.”

“Our stewardship obligation should not be taken lightly… the decisions we make and the opinions we express as individual stakeholders help shape management and other public policy decisions at the regional, national and even international levels,” the Secretary said.

He said economic activities have resulted to rapid environmental changes, summed up and divided into two categories: the deterioration of the physical environment and the loss of biological diversity or biodiversity.

Minimizing negative environmental implications, he said, requires an “integrated approach to planning and decision making on wetlands, climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation.” On the part of government, this, he added, can be facilitated through continued constructive engagement and collaboration with all sectors of the society.

“We should all believe in sustainability… we must continue to believe in partnerships; that shaping our future is not a government-driven, top-down approach, but a consensus-based, bottom-up proposition,” he said.

The conference was also graced by other representatives of partner and funding agencies: German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), Ramsar Convention’s Communication, Education and Public Awareness Programme, United Nations Development Programme.

Silliman’s delegation was headed by Silliman President Dr. Ben S. Malayang III, himself among the country’s well-respected environmental experts.

The conference was organized by the Society for the Conservation of the Philippine Wetlands. It was sponsored by GTZ and coordinated with DENR’s Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau.

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Extension Program Receives National Award

Silliman University ranked third in the national search of the Commission Higher Education (CHED) for outstanding extension projects in the country. Silliman was the champion in the search in Region 7.

The SU Extension Program's entry was on Silliman’s “Integrated Extension Program,” with focus on Negros and Siquijor as implementation sites. Among its ongoing projects are the Affiliated Non-Conventional Energy Center, HIV AIDS Prevention Project, and the Alternative Lifestyle for Women in Negros.

Director of Extension Dr. Nichol Elman received the award, which came with a prize of P300,000, in December last year in Manila.

The University’s approach to learning puts value on extension work and capability building for communities in the province. Service-learning, a teaching pedagogy that challenges practical application of knowledge shared and generated in the classroom with various communities, complements the thrust of Silliman in extension across disciplines.

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12 Pass Teachers Board

Twelve graduates of the College of Education passed the 2008 Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). Silliman University garnered a passing average of 81 percent, higher than the national passing average of 30.16 percent.

The new teachers are: Joevan Alcala, Rosienne Aquino, Kristinski Bagnol, Laiza Baineg, Sheila May Barroca, Rommel Bohol, Catherine Divino, Ronal Kinilitan, Amalia Sevilla, Carlisa Tindoc, Mary Jane Valente and Rolando Villamero Jr.

Silliman is a Center of Excellence in Teacher Education, a distinction given by the Commission on Higher Education to schools which have demonstrated the highest degree or level of standards along the areas of instruction, research and extension.