STUDENTS, faculty, and officials of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) gathered together in celebration of their school's charter to merge Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) with Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology (Moscat), March 28.
Compliant to the Republic Act (RA) 10919, which was authored by former Cagayan de Oro City second district representative Rufus Rodriguez, the two institutions MUST and Moscat will be joined together to become the new USTP. This is the fourth time that the institution changed its name since its school name in 1927 as the Misamis Oriental Trade School (MOTS).
After some years, RA 762 was passed in 1952 to change the school name to the Mindanao School or Arts and Trade (MSAT). This was followed by the RA 3969 in 1964 which paved the way for it to become Don Mariano Marcos Memorial Polytechnic State College (DMMMPSC).
"This institution has indeed come a long way from being the MOTS. In 2007, I filed House Bill 242 to convert the then Mindanao Polytechnic State College (MPSC) to be Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) and achieve the 'university status'. Now in the sixteenth congress, together with my co-authors for this charter, MUST and MOSCAT will together become USTP," Rodriguez said.
Alongside this amalgamation and change in their school name, Rodriguez aims to pass more statutes that will provide better facilities for the institution and opportunities for its products. Among the highlights of this school charter is to assign the main campus to be in the Municipality of Alubijid once the construction of the school facilities is completed.
The main campus and a satellite campus in Claveria will both have 300 hectares of school area with Science and Technology parks which will be equipped with training facilities that are partnered with outside industries. Rodriguez explained that one of the main thrusts of the university is to focus more on training their students to become ready for the demands of the world outside the school walls.
"Industries nowadays are always complaining that the schools are not developing the skills that they need. With the innovative learning that USTP will have, we will partner closely with these industries and train our students to be what they need and therefore contribute to our economy here in this part of Mindanao. In addition, these industries will now come and put their businesses, their factories and research facilities here in Misamis Oriental, "Rodriguez explained.
Dr. Ricardo Rotoras, university president, said that this is finally a substantial effort to achieve the academe-industry partnership.
"Since I was young I have been hearing about these kinds of partnerships but so far, nothing significant has been done. Meanwhile the rate of unemployment and skills mismatch is becoming higher averaging to more than 20 percent in Mindanao. This is a matter that the academe should be worried about," Rotoras said.
Aside from facilities, USTP will also have a few changes in their Board of Members composition. USTP will have two committee chairpersons form the legislative body, two government officials form cabinet level agencies such as Neda and DOST, four chief executive officers from national or multinational corporations and two distinguished academicians or scientists to be appointed by the Philippine president.
"Actually, our charter originally wanted the school to be named as the University of Science and Technology of the Philippines. It did not originally contain the word 'Southern'. But then CHED said, hinay-hinay lang, let us put first 'Southern'. Well it's okay, because we have to prove so much first so that next time we will become the University of Science and Technology of the Philippines. Are you ready for the challenge?" Rodriguez told the student population of USTP.