PSAU: The first state university established based on merit

By Danilo P. Padua, PhD

The only state school at the foot of Mt. Arayat in Pampanga is proud of the tag as the first to become a university based on merit. This is Pampanga State Agricultural University, formerly known as Pampanga Agricultural College.
The Commission on Higher Education granted full university status to PAC on Jan 13, 2015 to become PSAU. It was actually granted its university-hood by Republic Act 10605 earlier on June 11, 2013 when then president PNOY signed the law.
The conversion of PAC to PSAU is not the usual or traditional way where politician/s sponsor a bill in the house of representatives and/or the Senate, then the necessary deliberations take place before everything will be put into a vote. In the case of PSAU, the Commission on Higher Education had a vital role for such conversion. For the first time, CHED applied the following criteria in evaluating the accomplishments of applicant schools wanting to level up into a university: program accreditation, library facilities, Laboratory facilities, Research, Extension and Linkages, and academic policies.
Eight schools were initially evaluated using the criteria. Only two schools passed the evaluation, and it was topped by PAC. The only other school which passed it is one of our own in CAR- the Kalinga-Apayao State College-to become the Kalinga State University.
PSAU started as a livestock school way back in 1891 but was not a degree/certificate granting one. It was only in 1918 when the Americans converted it into Magalang Farm School. In June 19, 1965 it became a tertiary school (PAC) until its conversion into a university two years ago.
The first and present PSAU president, Dr. Honorio M. Soriano Jr. insists “that conversion is not the proper term, it should be transformation”. I think he is right. It is like wearing a pauper’s clothes today, then wearing a glitzy attire the following day. Or, like some showbiz personality that I saw in TV the other day whose look maybe adored only by his mom, but transformed like magic into someone who is now “wow” to most onlookers.
I think I believe in the description of President Soriano as I, myself, have seen how the school looked before, during its struggling days. I was there at least four times starting in the 1990’s, and the last one, less than two weeks ago. It was so rural looking before, but now you can really see its transformation, exuding an aura of looking global. Before, when you enter the campus, there was almost nothing that will make you immediately remember it, as if it is hiding somewhere. Now, you will be loudly welcomed by a very beautiful, large, and recently created sculpture dubbed as “Spring of Knowledge”.
Today, the once-looking shy, rural school already boasts of three centers of development: agriculture, biology and veterinary medicine. It is now offering at least 17 Bachelor’s degrees, 5 Masters, 3 Doctorate degrees and 2 certificate course.
As you move around the school, you will be almost surprised by the transformation inside. Among others, they now have several big buildings (some are still under construction), analytical laboratories, passable athletic ground, some convention facilities for small groups, and many more.
The campus is littered with trees of this delicious fruit. It is no wonder that they are called the sweet tamarind capital of the Philippines
Being at the foot of Mt. Arayat, the school have springs and therefore took advantage of this by establishing a bottling plant for spring water. The school is the only one in the Philippines which has AREC-WRAP, a center for alternative and renewable energy, funded by the Department of Energy. It also has the first school-based Nutraceutical Laboratory and Training facility in the country which was established last year. This year, a smart bamboo propagation facility is also to be put up there, together with a plant disease diagnostic center, both have an initial capital of PhP5.0 million each. By 2018, JICA will finance a processing center for mulberry tea (which has an anti-TB property).
The school is bent on offering a new degree, Bachelor of Science in Agri-Ecotourism Management. Five SUCs, (CBSUA, BSU, PSAU, TAU, AND ASU) are cooperating to develop a suitable curriculum. PSAU and TAU had obtained a PhP50.0M grant each from CHED to develop their agri-ecotourism facilities. CBSUA for its part, got phP20.0M.
Dr. Soriano was just too glad to enumerate those facilities as they were and are to be part of his accomplishments as university president. He also said that in the pipeline are coffee processing center for their Sinukuan blend, experiential tourism facility, animal diagnostic laboratory, and many more to be built within the next three years.
What is interesting is that, they have tied up with the Magalang municipality and the Pampanga provincial government for some of those projects. The LGUs are providing what they can to help the university attain status of global competitiveness. Certainly this is an example of recognition by LGUs that the success of a school within their domain will redound also to their own success in terms of economic success, employment, etc. To make it more plain, it is not the LGU that is asking favor from the school but it is the one dispensing favor to the school. This makes for a better LGU-School partnership a more meaningful one.
It is worth mentioning here that PSAU currently has a demo farm they call ALIAS (Alternative Low-Input Agriculture System) showcasing modern and successful management of poultry, piggery, goatery, duck and goose farming, crop production including lotus production, vermicomposting, etc.-all in one area. This program won for them this year, the CSC PAGASA award. While the concept was the brainchild of the president, Dr. Norman de Jesus, the overall in-charge, headed a team that made the plans, and concretized them. He happens to be a Ph.D graduate from BSU.
Another interesting thing worth mentioning is how Dr. Soriano initially handled their illegal settler problems. He narrated that he personally visited the settlers who had been continuously cutting trees to make charcoal, a source of their livelihood. He did not force them out but persuaded them to stop their practice by making them to commit planting Liberica (Barako) coffee. He trained them ion the proper care and management of growing coffee. Seventy per cent of their income will accrue to them, 30% will be put in a trust fund for the schooling of their children. For this, each of the illegal settlers were given a hectare to manage but they can never claim as their own. They are just stewards.
Dr. Soriano is showing some ways on how to properly run a state school and how to deal with illegal settlers. Of course he is backed up by a very competent faculty and staff, that’s why the university is delivering some of the desired results.
If you visit the school, try to sleep in one of their villas. Don’t be surprised if the beautiful Mariang Sinukuan will keep you accompany. She lives there in Mt. Arayat.**