BPSU's Benchmarking Journey: A Week of Technological Innovation and Community Building in Iloilo and Guimaras

Last October 13 to 19, 2024, the BPSU Technology Transfer Unit embarked on an insightful week-long benchmarking visit to Iloilo and Guiramas, visiting prestigious universities known for their technological innovations and projects such as the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Miagao Campus, UPV Iloilo City Campus, Iloilo Science and Technology University, and Guimaras State University. This journey was undertaken to explore the transformative approaches in research, technology, and community outreach, collaborating with other academic institutions to deepen the University’s engagement towards progressiveness, making use of the innovative strategies learned during this visitation to benefit our Peninsulares.

Prof. Monica B. Tanchiatco-Hipolito, the Vice President for Research, Extension, and Technology Transfer, served as the vanguard in this enlightening journey, engaging in discussions and tours of various campus facilities with key officials such as UP Visayas Chancellor Dr. Clement Camposano, with whom the delegation engaged in discourses about the specialization of BPSU and the diversity of programs with UPV as well as tackling current research initiatives in the marine sciences, which UPV is well-known for. At the UPV Iloilo City Campus, Asst. Prof. Frediezel G. de Leon, the Director for the Office of Continuing Education and Pahinungod (OCEP) also engaged with the BPSU delegation, being introduced to the objectives and services that their extension services and training provided.

In visiting the Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISATU), well-known for their technology business incubator ‘KWADRA,’ the Director for the Intellectual Property Management Office (IPMO) Engr. Naci John Trance and the BPSU delegation exchanged information and stories on how ISATU was able to advance their technology transfer and technology business incubator by making use of a developmental approach and empowering their researchers to become patent drafters, bringing forward the importance of student collaboration with the university for higher learning.

At Guimaras State University (GSU), the delegation was welcome by University President Dr. Lilian Diana B. Parreño and opened up a discussion with regards to their system of Research and Extension. Prof. Hipolito engaged in a discourse with the President with regards to BPSU’s monumental ‘Health Behind Bars’ program, a project headed by BPSU President Dr. Ruby B. Santos-Matibag, to which Dr. Parreño explained GSU’s similar project in providing welfare programs for students in far-flung areas. This discussion was followed up by Prof. Arnold I. Suyo, Director of GSU’s Industrial Technology Research and Development Center (ITRDC) and Affiliated Renewable Energy Center (AREC), who presented GSU’s focus areas involving industrial technology, food processing, renewable energy, and organic farming.

The delegation also met with the GSU Vice President for Research, Extension, Training, and Innovation center Prof. Julius T. Vergara, who introduced the wealth of research that the office provides and their current active technologies as well as their preparations to establish their own university journal. Following the Vice President was Dr. Methusela C. Perrocha, the Director for the Quality Assurance Office and Head of the Food Innovation Center, who presented their partnerships with local MSMEs and food innovations, highlighting the university’s well-connectedness to the local community while also driving forward the local products that GSU has crafted.

The visit itself served as a window of opportunity for BPSU to learn further about the various innovations and creative strategies that other universities outside of Bataan and Luzon makes use of in order to further not only technological advancements, but also focusing upon the surrounding factors that aid greatly on this mission, such as student researchers and the local community. It can be stated that development is a learning process that involves building bridges between the universities and their communities as well as empowering students and creating a culture of creativity and research. In aiming for this path of development, BPSU’s Office for Research, Extension, and Training is eager to make use of these enlightening ideas and undertake similar creative strategies to fulfill the University’s mandate of providing utmost excellence and driving change for our nation.