The State Universities and Colleges–Association of Colleges of Agriculture in the Philippines (SUC-ACAP), Inc. officially opened its three-day Strategic Planning and Innovation Workshop for Agriculture Higher Education Program on Thursday, July 9, gathering leaders, educators, and agriculture experts from state universities and colleges nationwide to chart the future of agricultural education in the country.
Representing the Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa, Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology (DEBESMSCAT) is SUC President III Dr. Arnel B. Millesca, who also serves as Chairperson of the SUC-ACAP Committee on Curriculum and Instruction. Joining him is Dr. Michael Ogaya, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Agroforestry.
Hosted by Sorsogon State University under the leadership of President Dr. Geraldine F. De Jesus, the three-day workshop serves as a venue for collaborative planning, policy development, and innovation among member institutions, with the goal of strengthening agriculture education to meet emerging national and global challenges.
The workshop features a series of discussions and hands-on planning sessions focused on key priorities in agriculture higher education. Participants will formulate the Five-Year Roadmap for Agriculture Higher Education, explore future-ready agriculture education programs, design and integrate micro-credential programs, develop strategies to improve Agriculture Licensure Examination (ALE) passing rates, and craft commercialization plans for agricultural products to strengthen innovation and industry collaboration.
Leading the technical sessions are distinguished experts from premier institutions. Dr. Virginia R. Cardenas, Technical Coordinator of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), will discuss the strategic roadmap for agriculture higher education. Mr. Emmanuel R. de Guia, Resident Futurist of the Philippine Futures Thinking Society, together with Dr. Jonah L. Salcedo, Director of the Center for Futures Thinking and Strategic Foresight, will share insights on developing future-ready agriculture education programs.
The workshop will also feature Dr. Ria Valerie Cabanes, Director of the Quality Assurance Office of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), who will discuss the integration of micro-credential programs; Dr. Amado A. Angeles, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Food Science of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), who will present strategies to improve Agriculture Licensure Examination performance; and Engr. Aldrex L. Aviso, Intellectual Property Rights Specialist at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), who will discuss the commercialization of agricultural products and intellectual property protection.
Through its active participation in the national workshop, DEBESMSCAT reaffirms its commitment to promoting academic excellence, innovation, and responsive curriculum development while contributing to the advancement of Philippine agriculture higher education.
The outcomes of the workshop are expected to guide member institutions in implementing transformative strategies that will produce globally competitive agriculture graduates and strengthen the country’s agricultural sector.
Ladies and gentlemen,
