Pili, Camarines Sur. --- All four participant-presenters from Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) won in various categories during the International Conference on Higher Education Researches (ICHER) 2010 held in Vigan City, the UNESCO World Heritage City, last 28th of April to 1st of May 2010. Such faculty member-researchers, who were the lone awardees from Bicol Region, were: Dr. Judith Balares-Salamat, who won a plaque for "International Online Research Journal Publication 2010 Award" and a Certificate of Recognition as the 3rd placer in "Best Oral Presentation of Education Researches"; Dr. Maria Dulce Jovillano-Mostoles, who won a plaque and a certificate for the Copper Prize in the "Agnes C. Sequiño International Video Research Award 2010 " for her video on "Cultural Management of the Stingless Bees, Trigona biroi Freise in Bicol"; and Dr. Myra Luz Mino-Homillano & Prof. Ma. Teresa Bombais-Lirag, who bagged the Finalist Award in the same category for their video documentary, "The CBSUA Research Division 1985-2009: An Assessment."
The organizing body, through its national and international levels of judges, gave worthy recognition to Dr. Balares-Salamat's "online" award for her refereed journals and other articles published online. Dr. Genaro Japos, the PAIR (Philippine Association of Institutions for Researches) president, remarked that, such award gave recognition to Dr. Salamat's "online articles and publications [which] are necessary to research... and only a few [researchers] have those." Also, Dr. Salamat's winning oral presentation on Education Category was entitled, "Blogs, FB in Teaching: A Boon or a Bane?" Meanwhile, Dr. Mostoles' copper prize for her video, which she produced with co-authors, Prof. Raul B. Ruiz and Mr. Rodolfo Palconitin, was one of the awards she received on behalf of the Regional Apiculture Center based in CBSUA. The Video produced by Dr. Homillano and Prof. Lirag clinched the Finalist Award out of more than 20 entries in such category which was named after the first winner in an earlier conference's video competition organized by PAIR.
The said Conference, which was jointly sponsored by PAIR and the University of Northern Philippines (UNP), had recognized these faculty members and other researchers in acknowledgment of their accomplishments in their respective research undertakings either in the institutional or individual levels. The PAIR recognized them through major awards such as, "Outstanding International Researchers," "International Environmental Research Award," "International Journal Publication Website Award," "International Peer Reviewer Award," and "International Research Leadership Award,' among others.
Upon their return to the CBSUA, the said winners presented their plaques and Certificates of Recognition to the Vice President for Research, Extension, Production and Entrepreneurial Development (REPED), Prof. Joel L. Batanes; the Research Division Director, Dr. Fe B. Perlas; the Institute Deans, Dr. Lourdes N. Batanes and Dr. Leonardo D. Sureta (of Arts and Sciences and Agricultural Sciences and Environmental Management, respectively); the Executive Assistant to the President, Dr. Roman N. Bucad; and the University President, Atty. Marito T. Bernales. All of them, especially the President, acknowledged these worthy recognitions as a boost to the seven-month-old University's research capabilities and institutional thrusts and expressed their joy regarding these accomplishments. Atty. Bernales verbalized his eagerness to host such Conference in the next two years. ---Research Division, CBSUA