Dr. Antonio encourages faculty to continue extension projects

As part of the evaluation process of the accreditation, two extension sites were visited by the AACCUP accreditor to validate the documents presented by the local task force for the programs AB History and MS Food Science on November 27.

Dr. Thelma Antonio, the AACCUP accreditor for Area VI (Extension and Community Involvement), visited two extension projects which were located at Base Camp, Maramag for MS Food Science program and Valencia National High School, Valencia City for AB History Program.

The MS Food Science extension project was about parents’ empowerment and economic development through socio-technology training. Thirty selected mothers were trained in food safety and food processing and nutritious meal preparation.

According to Dr. Antonio, she saw the interest of the recipients to continue with their training and observed that there are already indications that the recipients of the project are sustaining the program.

“At the base camp, I saw that there’s one of them who already engaged in the business. The way I look at it, the others are already contemplating to follow,” Dr. Antonio said.

Mrs. Janisa Loberanis, one of the recipients of the project gladly shared to the accreditor how the project helped her in her small food business.

“Tungod sa gitudlo sa CMU nga mga nutritional meal preparations akong nagamit ang akong natunan ug karun naka sugod nako sa ako pag display ug mga snacks sa gawas sa eskwelahan,” Mrs. Loberanis proudly shared.

This project of the MS Food Science program is anchored from “AmBisyon Natin 2040,” that is a long-term vision for the Philippines by the National Economic Development Authority. This is the collective long-term vision and aspirations of the Filipino people for themselves and the country in the next 22 years.

“It would be a good thing that the program would continue and cascade to other nearby communities… make use of other raw materials to consider in the production of whatever that could alleviate their production,” Dr. Antonio stressed.

According to Prof. Cherry O. Librando, faculty of the College of Human Ecology and project collaborator, the project will continue to phase II and would venture on ice cream and pastillas candy making among others which the recipients showed eager interest.

“It feels so fulfilling to know that we have made significant changes in their lives,” she said. She added: “We are thankful for our beneficiaries because we could really see their willingness to learn and this keeps our extension spirit burning…we are driven to continue giving the best technologies and extension services for the betterment of our beneficiaries and the whole community.”

Moreover, Dr. Antonio said that the plan of the recipients to have packaging material for their products would be a good motivation to continue with the project until such a time that CMU extensionists would let the beneficiaries be on their own.

Meanwhile, Dr. Antonio gave her observations to AB History extension project entitled Strengthening Competence and Mentoring the High School Teachers Teaching Social Studies Based on Interdisciplinary Approach for the K-12 Curriculum in DepEd Division, Valencia City, Bukidnon.

The project aimed to enhance the competence and capability of high school teachers in the teaching of social studies based on interdisciplinary approach and content-based information to facilitate the effective delivery of knowledge applying the theory to social events that affect our lives specifically in the field of History.

“Perhaps it would be good if topics about the seven tribes or any of the seven tribes should also be dealt with because most of the youth now don’t have knowledge already or they forget about their roots. There is a need really for them to look into that,” Dr. Antonio emphasized.

She shared that it affects why students are behaving a certain way because they don’t know anything about their roots. She added: “While they focus on the social issue this should go hand in hand with the things of the past.”

According to Prof. Marjorie T. Sobradil, faculty of the Behavioral Science Department and study leader of the project, they will include topics on seven tribes on the second phase of their project.

Prof. Sobradil shared the recipients’ feedback saying that the knowledge disseminated from the extension activities of the Social Sciences department improve the content and teaching strategy of the teachers.

Further, Dr. Antonio emphasized for both extension projects on the importance of benchmarking so that the project implementer and the counterparts know the mutual resources and able to identify what is needed for them to evaluate the project’s sustainability, accountability, and the project’s impact.

“I can say that these extension projects are sustainable… I hope they would continue [on their project] kasi CMU is very supportive of these programs. That would be a very good mark on the existence of CMU,” she said.

On the other hand, AB Psychology program’s extension project was not visited since it already passed during the 2014 accreditation along with Areas 5 (Research) and 8 (Physical Plant and Facilities). (IADalipe-Neri)