CVM leads 14th Nat’l VetMed Congress

The university hosted the 14^th National Congress of Veterinary Medicine Students (NVCMS) with 134 students and 14 faculty members from various universities across the country on February 7-9 at the College of Veterinary Medicine Hall.

Dr. Judith D. Intong, vice president academic affairs, said in her welcome address that veterinarians play critical roles in environmental protection, research food safety and public health.

“With the ASEAN integration, we form part of a bigger regional community where challenges and various opportunities will come to fore,” she said. “Your organization [NVCMS] will continue to grow and inspire more individuals and entities who enrich the academe, communities and society.”

The congress was spearheaded by Jules Mervin B. Tungco, NVCMS national director for school year 2017-2018.

He said that the NVCMS was founded by the University of the Philippines Los Baños-CVM Student Council of A.Y 2004-2005. He said that the first time the convention was held outside Luzon was during the 8^th NCVMS Convention when CMU’s Grant Amancio was the national director.

He added: “As a second host of the NCVMS, I felt pressured nga among buhaton among best to produce much better nga mahimong successful ang congress.”

Tungco said that the objectives of this congress are to share ideas with fellow veterinarian students, to meet future colleagues, and to unite diverse people and culture through passion which is veterinary medicine.

This year`s event was themed “Power in Courage and in Unity: Strengthening Future Veterinarians Amidst Challenging Tides.”

The topics discussed were the following:

1. Current Setting of the Animal Welfare Sector by Ms. Li An L. Ascalon, Philippine Animal Welfare Sector (PAWS);
2. Environmental Conservation by Mr. Moncini Hinay, project manager of World Wide Fund;
3. The Role of Veterinarians Preventing the Next Pandemic by Dr. Rodel Jonathan S. Vitor, from Biosafety; and
4. Opportunities of Research for Vets in the Southwest Asia by Dr. Alan P. Dargantes, dean of CMU College of the Veterinary Medicine.

Twelve universities in Luzon joined the congress, to wit: Benguet State University (BSU), Cagayan State University (CagSU), Cavite State University (CavSU), Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSU), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), De La Salle Araneta University (DLSAU), Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), Isabela State University (ISU), Nueva Viscaya State University (NVSU), Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation (VMUF).

The Visayas participants were from Aklan State University (ASU), Capiz State University (CapSU), Cebu Technological University (CTU), South Western University-PHINMA (SWU-PHINMA), Visayas State University (VSU), and University of Eastern Philippines (UEP).

Aside from CMU, the other Mindanao-based school that participated is the University of Southern Mindanao (USM).

According to Ernest Duldulao, member of the ways and means committee, the theme song entitled “Beterinaryong Propesyong May Puso” was composed in CMU and sung by Oasia Glenndale E. Aclo, 5^th year Veterinary Medicine student.

Competitions were also held throughout the three days of the activity. The following are the official results:

QUIZ BOWLS

MEDICINE & SURGERY:

Champion                             CENTRAL LUZON STATE UNIVERSITY

1^st Runner-Up                      VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY (TEAM 2)

2^nd Runner-Up                     VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY (TEAM 1)

ZOOTECHNICS:

Champion                             SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

1^st Runner-Up                      UP LOS BAŇOS

2^nd Runner-Up                      DE LA SALLE ARANETA UNIVERSITY

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE:

Champion                 VISAYAS SATE UNIVERSITY

1^st Runner-Up          UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES LOS BANOS

2^nd Runner-Up         CEBU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

CLINICAL CASE PRESENTATION

UPLB: “Scrotal Urethrostomy with Scrotal Ablation and Cryptorchid Castration on a 3-year old male intact Shih tzu with Urolithiasis”

MR. NCVMS 2018: MR. JAYZEL DELA PENA (CMU)

1^st Runner-Up          MR. ALEXIS JOHN CABERTE (VSU)

2^nd Runner-Up         MR. MILTON JOHN GABAS (SWU)

MS. NCVMS 2018:  MS. SHARLENE FERRAREN (CMU)

1^st Runner-Up          MS. ANGELIQUE CAOCTOY (VSU)

2^nd Runner-Up         MS. CASSANDRA VALIDO (UPLB)

MOST OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARDEES:

GLENN ALBERT ALMERA            CLSU

KIARA GARCIA                                CLSU

IAN PRADO                                      UPLB

On the last day of the activity, two schools—Cavite State University (CavSU) and University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB)—vied in hosting the next national congress.

The incoming national officers are only qualified to vote and CavSU won the bidding.

Mr. Anderson Que of CavSU was also elected as national director of 15^th NCVMS Congress in 2019. (JCCandole)