Thank you, President Pascua!

DR. MIRIAM E. PASCUA, sixth president of Mariano Marcos State University, ended her term last May 31, leaving behind a solid legacy.

in her 10-year stint as president, MMSU has emerged as a forward-looking, internationally competitive institution of higher learning. Under her term, the university’s international linkages grew rapidly, as manifested by the influx of world-renown scientists collaborating with homegrown academics and researchers. 

MMSU’s academic programs have also proven to be of topnotch quality, having hurdled most stringent accreditation visits, including the AACCUP institutional accreditation which has been, by far, attained by only two state universities in the Philippines. MMSU is also a top-performing school in professional licensure examinations across disciplines and has churned out a number of board topnotchers. Her efforts to expand MMSU’s program offerings led to the opening of the MMSU College of Law, whose first batch nailed the highest bar passing percentage in Northern Philippines in 2014, and the College of Medicine which opens this semester. The Center for Human Movement Studies has also been organized. In the pipeline are the College of Fine Arts and the Institute of Communication and Technology. Moreover, the university’s research and extension endeavors, all meant for inclusive growth for the Filipino people, have consistently stood out among the best in the country.

But the best achievement of Dr. Pascua, who was rightfully chosen by The Ilocos Times as one of the most outstanding Ilocanos for 2014, is the moral leadership she exemplified at all times. MMSU’s longest-serving president was never embroiled in any irregularity or any act of graft and corruption. For her combined qualities of brilliance and virtue, she gained the respect not only of her constituency, but of other state university presidents and agency heads as well.

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Under Dr. Pascua’s administration Mariano Marcos State University has no doubt emerged as one of the Philippines’ finest universities clearly committed to the highest standards of research, learning and service.

Located on a 300-hectare land in the City of Batac, Ilocos Norte in Northern Philippines, MMSU’s main campus accommodates administrative buildings, training centers, function halls, staff and student residences, recreational facilities, and the Science and Technology Park. Seven colleges are based at the Batac campus while MMSU’s other academic units are strategically set in four locations: Laoag City, Currimao, Paoay, and Dingras. The lush, green environment of MMSU’s campuses creates a soothing and conducive learning atmosphere for self-discovery and enhancement.

Thousands pass through MMSU’s prestigious gates to pursue a wide range of duly accredited degree programs and training opportunities. The university has a growing number of Centers of Excellence and Development identified by the Commission on Higher Education. MMSU is also a National University for Agriculture and Fisheries Education.

Guided by core values of excellence, integrity, and service to God and nation, the university offers a well-rounded education experience, extending from the classroom to every aspect of campus life: sports, arts and culture, spirituality, leadership, and service.

Aside from acquiring knowledge and winning friendships, students gain perspectives that forever change the way they look at the world. They embrace a global mindset while remaining deeply rooted in their rich native cultures.

Dedicated to the development of virtuous human resources, MMSU is home to educators, researchers, and extensionists who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their respective fields. To ensure efficiency in all its activities, MMSU is fully supported by highly qualified staff in various disciplines.

Success breeds success. With their innovative ideas and remarkable work ethic, MMSU graduates are building careers in top organizations. The university takes pride in its alumni who significantly contribute to nation-building.

Steadfast, brave, and strong. Like the stallion, MMSU gallops through the challenges of the modern world. The university’s academic and research endeavors are geared towards generating new knowledge and technologies that result to improved quality of life. Such ventures are ably supported by vast reference resources, a reliable ICT network, and top-of–the-line equipment.

As a consistent recipient of research grants from the Philippine government and national and international organizations, MMSU has earned a name for itself as a research and development hub. The university is home to various industry-based consortia, research centers, and professional organizations thereby making MMSU a strategic center for scholarly collaboration.

Furthermore, the university’s extension programs are distinguished as the best in the Philippines and have been showcased across continents. By helping transform communities, MMSU has set the benchmark for a true university for all, a champion of inclusive growth.

With its growing reputation of excellence, MMSU’s international linkages continue to expand; its faculty, staff, and students participate in international exchange programs, pursue advanced studies abroad, and work with foreign counterparts. MMSU has also become a destination of choice for international scholars, and is steadily becoming a diverse multicultural academic environment.

For these and more, Mariano Marcos State University will forever be grateful to this great leader.

We wish Dr. Pascua and her family all the best.