Tag: Philippines

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has approved the Php 9.5-million fund for the third year of the Mariano Marcos State University’s (MMSU) project to develop anti-inflammatory herbal products from five Iluko indigenous plant species (IPs).

In a virtual conference last May 18, 2021, DOST’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) granted the MMSU’s Tuklas Lunas Development Center (MMSU-TLDC) with the said fund to continue embarking in the development of anti-inflammatory herbal products from nontoxic, bioactive extracts from IPs.

The grant includes a carry-over budget of almost PhP 2.2 million unexpended amount from last year.

Based on the results of the first project, extracts from five IPs labelled as MMSU-0001, MMSU-0004, MMSU-0024, MMSU-0031 and MMSU-0034 are potentially good to be developed as herbal drugs, based on their safety profile and anti-inflammatory bioactivity confirmed through in vitro assays.

With this, MMSU now aims to develop standardized, safe, and effective herbal products in prototype oral (tablet or capsule) and topical dosage (cream, ointment or gel) forms from the spray-dried extracts of the five IPs.

The project team further intends to forward these prototypes to preclinical and clinical development to ensure that these products will meet the regulatory requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on herbal medicines.

“We have to aggressively advance the use of plant-based medicine as it offers less lethal side effects if compared to synthetic drugs,” said MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis who serves as the project leader.

She added that since the project involves IPs in Ilocos Norte, a new industry in the province can flourish where local farmers may provide the raw materials and process the manufacturing of herbal products.

Prof. Anabelle B. Alejo, TLDC chief, added that the program “may lead us to market an affordable, quality, safe and efficacious herbal drug or supplement.”

Other members of the team include Ms. Maingelline B. Vivit and Prof. Kristian Gay D. Beltran, project staff, and Ms. Riena Kristen Agustin, research assistant.

Simultaneously, the team is partnering with the experts of Pascual Laboratories, Inc. for the second component project under the program which is the chemical standardization of the raw materials produced and formulated dosage forms.

It could be remembered that DOST also gave a Php 12.3-million-fund last 2018 to start the first project and Php 11.9 million on May 2020 to launch the third project on formulation.

DOST’s Tuklas Lunas program, together with MMSU-TLDC, envisions to produce quality, safe, and effective herbal medicinal products derived from Philippine biodiversity.

While the Mariano Marcos State University, continues to ‘Expand External Linkages and Partnerships’ amid the new normal, its student organizations are also now conducting international virtual activities.

This month, the Young Communicators’ Circle (Y2C) and the English Language Society (ELSoc) of the MMSU College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) held international online webinars that discussed the role of responsible communication and the English language in facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both organizations invited foreign resource speakers and student-participants in their lecture sessions.

The Y2C’s Young Communicative Human in Development (YouComManD) Congress held last May 3-7 were participated in by MMSU’s partner-universities: Duytan University in Vietnam; USCI University in Malaysia; Universitas PGRI Madiun (UNIPMA), University of Muhammadiyah Prof. DR. HAMKA (UHAMKA), and the Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha (UNDIKSHA) in Indonesia.

With the theme “CommIMMUNEication: Safeguarding People and Bridging Distances amid the COVID-19 Pandemic,” the YouComManD congress was graced by Philippine Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan who served as the guest of honour and speaker.

Y2C President Anna Sherina Mariñas said the congress topics include media and health literacies, responsible social media use, the journalism of today and the ASEAN context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speakers include Dr. Sigit Ricahyono from UNIPMA and Dr. Farida Hariyati of UHAMKA. Other lecturers were Mr Mark Cashean Timbal, spokesperson of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC); Dr Alexander G. Flor, dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies of the University of the Philippines Open University; Mr Nestor Corrales, Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter and MMSU communication program alumnus; communication professors from University of Santo Tomas (UST), University of Northern Philippines (UNP) and MMSU; and, local online and broadcast journalists.

Reaching more than 2,000 people with around 3,000 engagements, the webinar sessions were live-streamed on the organization’s official Facebook page .

Meanwhile, the ELSoc’s English Language month last April 20-30 was composed of online lectures and creative competitions in line with the theme, “Empowering Societies for the Next Normal through the English Language.”

Resource speakers were Ms. Annapoorni Anand of the Access Program in Hyderabad, India; Mr. Matthew Gleason, former English Language fellow at MMSU; and, Dr. Kadek Eva Krishna Adnyani of the UNDIKSHA. Mr. Rizaldy Mendoza of the Pio del Pilar Elementary School in Manila, an MMSU English program alumnus, also served as a lecturer.

ELSoc President Maria Izza Viernes said the sessions tackled empowerment through storytelling in the English classroom, English in the 21st century and beyond, English for empowerment: the case of Bali, and language teaching interventions during this pandemic. The sessions were attended by ABEL students via Zoom.

Dr Mee Jay A. Domingo, external linkages and partnerships director, expressed delight on these activities saying, “these events prove that MMSU students have also now imbibed the value of internationalization as a huge part of their holistic development.”

Further, Dr Marivic M. Alimbuyuguen, college dean, commended Y2C and ELSoc, saying “the activities showcase the students’ hearts and commitment for MMSU as we all strive to go international.”

‘Expanded external linkages and partnerships is one of the University’s seven-point agenda, ACHIEVE, which targets intensified internationalization efforts.

The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and the University of Arizona (UA) in the United States have agreed to establish the first micro-campus in the Philippines this year in order to bring global educational opportunities to Filipino students.

MMSU is the first Philippine university that has become a member of the UA’s world campus network, joining the top world universities implementing the American Degree Pathway (ADP) and Global Campus Experience (GCE) programs.

This partnership was formalized through a global direct agreement between MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis and UA Global Operations Chief Executive Officer Brent White through a virtual program held on Monday, February 8.

The ADP program enables incoming students to earn up to two years of direct, undergraduate credits from UA through a mix of in-person and online courses offered through a micro-campus. It includes multiple academic pathways which will enable students to take courses that will satisfy UA’s degree requirements or transfer to other US universities.

On the other hand, GCE program offers over 60-degree programs delivered fully online in English by UA professors, with student access to micro-campus’ facilities and services, providing a unique in-person college experience, with the convenience of online education.

Hillary Vance, Senior Director of Southeast Asia UA Global, represented White in the virtual signing of the agreement. She hopes the new partnership can help MMSU in advancing its academic excellence, research and global engagements, thereby achieving its vision to become a Philippine premier university by 2028.

“It is thrilling that MMSU is now our first Philippine university partner in the world campus network, and we look forward to expanding our partnership with you in the years to come,” Vance said, adding that the collaboration also includes new initiatives in research and educational exchange between the students, faculty, and staff of the two universities.

For his part, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson J. Prospero E. De Vera III congratulated MMSU and UA Global Operations for the new partnership, saying that “the establishment of an international micro-campus in collaboration with an outstanding Philippine public university is a first of its kind.”

De Vera said the pact between the two schools is in line with the Republic Act 11448 or the Transnational Education Act, which is designed to accelerate partnership between Philippine and international universities, thus providing access to quality global education standards, services, and scholarships.

Expressing support to the partnership, De Vera also hopes that through the initiative, MMSU will soon join the Asian Ranking of Universities in the future.

Matt Keener, Cultural Attaché of the US Embassy Manila, said the partnership between MMSU and UA “sets the bar for Philippine universities and leading the way in providing new opportunities for Filipino students,” adding that it is essential for the youth to have international education in the face of the increasingly competitive global economy.

With the new pact, President Agrupis expressed joy and gratitude because “this is the first agreement that MMSU has entered into with one of the US top public universities this year, with the aim of upholding academic excellence and internationalization.”

In the agreement, UA will provide MMSU with the following: special discounted rates; large selection of top-ranked Arizona online courses; professors to teach online courses; academic advising and support; access to its Center for English as a Second Language; and connection to the Arizona main campus through “Arizona live”.

Also, MMSU has agreed to give the following: access to its campus and facilities; inclusion in its students programming and activities; the opening of opportunities for social networking and community building; on-ground tutors and academic support; navigation of regulatory environment and assistance securing all necessary approvals in its host country; marketing, recruitment, and enrollment advising; reporting and payment of taxes for its taxable program revenue; and miscellaneous logistical support.

Established in 1885, UA is widely recognized as a top-ranking university worldwide. As an institution, it aims to advance and introduce interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships and attempts to redefine “global university” in the 21st century with an expanding network of global partners. -with reports from Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has granted the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) with a Php 4 million fund in line with its project WARP (Widening Application of Research within the Pandemic).

Through its Science Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) program, the international agency funds MMSU’s plan to establish another village-scale bioethanol industry using nipa sap.

Engr. Thomas Ubiña, chief of MMSU National Bioenergy Research and Innovation Center (NBERIC), said the project aims to deploy two units of Village-Scale Nipahol Technology (VSNT) in Aparri, Cagayan to enable the community to produce their own 70% ethyl alcohol.

“This will strongly push us toward technology franchising,” Engr. Ubiña added.

MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis, the principal investigator of the project, said the support from USAID-STRIDE brings the University closer to its dream of franchising bioethanol production in the region, and vertically integrating the nipa community and the bioethanol industry.

“This will further help us sustain renewable energy and create resilient communities amid the pandemic,” Dr. Agrupis added.

She received the WARP grant certificate in a virtual ceremony held today, April 27.

In this line, the team will conduct capacity-building activities to equip its partners in the said town with the required technical and entrepreneurial skills for their operations.

Also, they will also apply for registration to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through a side-by-side laboratory analysis with its certified laboratories and in-house researchers to ensure product quality and consumers’ safety. Moreover, market, supply and value chain, SWOT and PEST analyses will be conducted.

The research project is based on the previously-funded MMSU project in 2014 that led to the development of proprietary fermentation and distillation technologies that produced high-grade bioethanol from various feedstocks.

MMSU is among the only five higher education institutions (HEIs) in the country which have been given the WARP grant this year. Other universities include the University of the Philippines – Visayas, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University in La Union, University of San Carlos in Cebu, and Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.

The WARP grant demonstrates how technologies and research capabilities in a university can help address challenges within the new operating environment of the pandemic.