LEGAZPI CITY, Aug. 28- The Catanduanes State College (CSC) in Virac, Catanduanes was adjudged the Bikol regional winner this year in the Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools in the country, search officials announced Friday.
CSC emerged as winner for the tertiary level based on the assessment conducted by the regional screening committee for its implementation of various institutional initiatives on environmental protection and conservation, according to Gilbert Gonzales, regional director of the regional director of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here, the lead agency of the search.
For this achievement, CSC will compete in the national edition of the Search under the tertiary schools category during the National Environmental Awareness Month in November this year, Gonzales said.
The CSC joined the competition that took off last May and was eventually visited by the regional evaluation team in July.
Gonzales said the team noted CSC's environment-friendly school operations and presence of environment programs such as its recycling of scrap materials which enables the Colleges to convert its scrap materials into cash, the greening program, the implementation of Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), off-season vegetable production, urban agriculture and bio-intensive gardening, among others.
The school's environment-related features in its curriculum as well as presence of vibrant ecological organizations, linkages in environmental programs and projects with other agencies and organizations also bannered its victory in the competition, the EMB chief said.
Dr. Asuncion Asetre, the college president, also attributed CSC's victory in the Search to its being an active frontliner in the coastal clean-up drive and in the conduct of biodiversity and natural resources studies over the years.
CSC is one of the higher education institutions in the country that has tied up with Tanggol Kalikasan in establishing the Institute of Environmental Governance. This has provided training programs, extension activities and consultancy services to local government units, Asetre said.
In June 2008, the CSC also coveted the Saringaya Award, a regional citation conferred by the DENR for its efforts and support for maintaining meritorious and outstanding initiatives in environment protection and conservation, she said. (PNA)