The Ilocos Times

City of Batac —The Ilocos Region’s leading educational institution, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), celebrated its 47 th founding anniversary in a month-long celebration in January 2025 with the theme “Cultivating Minds, Transforming Futures.” To kick off the celebration, MMSU held a motorcade at dawn on January 6, the university's founding day, parading through the Batac to Paoay route. This was followed by the opening of the Trade Fair and Garden Show at the InnoTech Grounds. “The 47 th year of MMSU reflects our commitment and dedication to shaping minds and transforming lives,” the university officer-in-charge President Dr. Prima Fe R. Franco told the university community during the opening ceremony. During the month-long celebration, bloodletting, a national research and development call with the Department of Science and Technology, a motorcade of topnotchers and passers of licensure and bar examinations, and business pitching were among the activities. With ...

City of Batac —The Mariano Marcos State University and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) unveiled this year’s rice paddy art featuring Senator Imee R. Marcos and her flagship program, "IMEEsolusyon!" on Sept. 11, 2024 at the MMSU Extension Demonstration Area. As a former Ilocos Norte governor Norte and a champion of agricultural development, Marcos continues to lead initiatives supporting local farmers, promoting food security, and improving rural infrastructure. Her “IMEEsolusyon!” platform underscores her commitment to these crucial issues, vital to the country’s agricultural progress. “I am deeply honored to be featured in this project. It not only celebrates my work but also pays tribute to the dedication of Filipino farmers and the future of agriculture,” Marcos remarked during the unveiling. She urged Ilocano farmers, particularly the youth, to join her in advocating for enhanced food security in the Philippines. “I would also like to commend MMSU fo...

City of Batac —Mariano Marcos State University’s research and development initiatives is now acknowledged international after it bagged the Gold Award under the Pharma Category for its Black Garlic product. Spearheaded by MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis, before she became university president, and commercialized by BauerTek Farmaceutical Technologies Corp, Black Garlic secured the said award during the E-NNOVATE International Invention & Innovation Summit, held May 16-18, 2024 at Krakow, Poland. MMSU’s industry partner, BauerTek, and inventors Richard and Rigel Gomez, assisted in the black garlic’s conversion from a research experiment into a full-blown commercial product. The packaged black garlic is aimed at helping patients with nerve disorders and certain forms of cancer. E-NNOVATE is an annual event supported by the Polish government in partnership with the International Federation of Inventors Associations. This year’s summit featured more than 200 entries from 25 cou...

City of Batac —To keep Ilocanos informed and empowered, a PTV transmitter station will soon rise at the MMSU campus in this city. People's Television Network, Inc. (PTNI) and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at Brgy. Quiling Sur, this city on June 14, 2022. , PTNI General Manager Ms. Katherine Chloe S. De Castro and MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis led the program, at the 500 square-meter lot where they plan to build the PTV tower. Joining them were Ilocos Norte government officials led by Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia A. Marcos. De Castro said the PTV Ilocos Norte station, which they expect to be operational by December this year, will soon cater to over 400,000 residents in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and Apayao. It will broadcast relevant information and updates about national and regional development projects, especially highlighting that of Ilocos Norte. “With this station, we will be bringing government informa...

MMSU President Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis delivers her state of the university address at the Batac campus’ Teatro Ilocandia. (Photo by Marc Kevin Bituen & Roi Domingo) By Matthew C. Esmino & Jonie C. Luis  (Correspondents) City of Batac —As the leading university in the Ilocos Region, the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) has started taking bold steps to become a “University of the Future.” In her state of the university address (SOUA) during MMSU’s Convocation Program on Jan. 20, 2022, MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis bared the university’s goal of being “crisis-proof” by fully embracing the “Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe) or Industry 4.0”. “FIRe shall be the new norm in all university operations in order to stay relevant and responsive amid various crises,” Agrupis said. Agrupis added that the “MMSU 4.0 Framework and Road Map” has already gained the approval of the MMSU Board of Regents—ready to create policies, programs and funds for said purpose. It is a...

Laoag City —The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and the city government of Laoag will soon establish a nipa plantation in the city of Laoag. In a resolution, certified as urgent by Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon, and unanimously approved by the city council sponsored by the committee of the whole led by Laoag councilor Juan Conrado Respicio as movant, MMSU and Laoag City will enter a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the said purpose. Respicio, who chairs the committee on ethics, rules and regulations, said the nipa resource establishment supports the “Expanded National Greening Program” and the production of bio-ethanol, a climate change mitigation and a source of livelihood. The nipa, which is a mangrove species, has been shown by MMSU as a promising source of bioethanol to augment the shortage of locally produced bioethanol as required by RA 9367 known as Biofuels Act of 2006 and reduce the country’s dependency on imported fossil fuels. “The valuable economic and ecologi...

  Chinese consul and head of post Zhou Youbin, and MMSU President Shirley Agrupis lead the unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the Chinese corner at the ground floor of the MMSU main library. Said corner features various book titles, a television set, DVD player, teaching materials, and photo exhibits to be used by university faculty and students. ( Lei Adriano)   By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter CITY of Batac —A Chinese corner, measuring around 7 by 13 meters is now open at the first floor of the main library building of the state-run Mariano Marcos State University in this city. The corner features various book titles, a television set, DVD player, teaching materials, and photo exhibits for use by university faculty and students. Leading the unveiling ceremony on Sept. 3, 2020 are Chinese consul and head of post Zhou Youbin and MMSU President Shirley Agrupis. In her speech, Dr. Agrupis said the reopening of the Chinese corner is anot...

Laoag City —The Sangguniang Panlalawigan is now finalizing the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the new provincial scholarship program for medical students. On June 25, 2020, the provincial board’s Committee on Education, chaired by Atty. Saul Paulo A. Lazo, invited resource speakers and major stakeholders to revise the draft IRR for the Doctor of Medicine scholarship program at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac City. “ Madaming katanungan ang Sangguniang Panlalawigan sa pagkagawa ng IRR. Kaya ang Committee on Education ay nag-imbita ng resource speakers kasama ang mga kapwa bokal natin upang ayusin ang IRR,” Mr. Lazo noted. He guaranteed that the “tripartite agreement” for the first year to third-year scholars will be finalized before the opening of MMSU College of Medicine in August, while the Clinical Clerkship and Internship programs will have a separate agreement. Moreover, the final number of scholarship slots will still need further discussi...

  By Reynaldo E. Andres Contributor   CITY OF Batac—The president of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in this city declared on February 21, 2020 that the University “shall be an English-speaking university to strengthen the use of English as a medium of instruction and official communication in the University system”.   Mmsu President Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, an academician loaded with expertise in instruction and research, said this academic stand will attain its ultimate goal of developing the proficiency of the faculty, staff, and students in the English language.   “This is the university’s response to results of recent surveys and studies which show a decline in the English proficiency of Filipino students,” Dr. Agrupis said, adding that her main purpose is to “enhance the English competencies of our students, which is also one of the primary concerns of the Department of Education (DepEd).   “We encourage the MMSU community to...

  MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis (seated, right) and Ilocos Norte BFAR chief Arthur Valente (seated in red shirt) inspect the tilapia fingerlings as initial stocks for the newly-established Biodiversity Park Pond. (Photo by Perry B. Dafun Jr) By Reynaldo E. Andres Contributor CITY OF Batac—The Mariano Marcos State University-College of Arts and Sciences (MMSU-CAS) in this city launched on January 8, 2020 the Biodiversity Park Pond as one of the components of the MMSU’s Coordinated Agribusiness, Research, and Extension Strategies (CARES) program. CARES is a newly established program of the University that involves technology promotions, utilization, and transfer of modern farm technologies to farmers and various stakeholders for increased productivity. The launching began with the stocking of 1,000 GET-EXCEL tilapia fingerlings provided by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG). ...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter CITY of batac —Micro, small and medium enterprises in the province are excited to explore the services of a sophisticated one-stop techno hub now made available closer to their homes. A former overseas Filipino worker-turned-entrepreneur Agnes Asuncion from Currimao, Ilocos Norte said “you do not need to travel by far or go out of the country to find a better fortune when there are opportunities waiting for you back home.” As a member of the Philippine Export Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Ms. Asuncion is just one among the hundreds and thousands of beneficiaries of various government programs and initiatives to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to grow and maximize their potential. “We thank MMSU and DTI for being behind us —from skills training, product development and marketing of our products. Through them, we are more confident now to export our products,” said Asuncion who is into dragon fruit soap-ma...

Staff of the College of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, and the University Infirmary conduct free medical services as part of the farm festivity held at MMSU on January 31, 2020. (Reynaldo E. Andres) By Reynaldo E. Andres Contributor City of BATAC—More than 500 farmers and their families, including representatives of various stakeholders have received free medical and other social services on January 31, 2020 during a lively farm festivity held in the main campus of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in this city. Dubbed “Parambak Iti MMSU 2020” [Festivity in MMSU 2020], the activity provided free medical consultations, technology promotions, and served as a venue where everyone can buy cheap organically-grown agricultural commodities produced by the University. “This festivity has several components where various colleges of MMSU delivered their mandates to the community through the expert services of their staff,” said Dr. Aris Reynold Cajigal, ...