Conversion of Ifugao college to univ pushed

By Jeremy M. Gawongna

NAYON, Lamut, Ifugao – Provincial officials and constituents are now pushing passage of a proposed law converting the ISCAF here into a state university.

Supporting the conversion are Ifugao Rep. Solomon R. Chungalao and Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry president Dr. Serafin L. Ngohayon.

Authored by Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., the said law referred as Senate Bill No. 1224 is known as “Act to accelerate socio-cultural and economic development of the Cordillera Region by establishing a State university in the province of Ifugao to be known as Ifugao State University (IFSU) converting for the purpose the Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry into a University”.

Established in 1982 as a college, ISCAF’s four-fold function of instruction, research, extension, and income generation arrived at development milestones making it ripe for conversion into university.

ISCAF’s quest to become a university drew attention on Sept. 9, 2008 when the House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill No. 4409 known as an act converting ISCAF into IFSU sponsored by congresspersons Chungalao, Villar, Lagman, Javier, and Remulla.

This development gave confidence to the ISCAF family to labour for the next pace, the passage of Senate Bill No. 2658.

The hard work bore fruit when the college was further proven qualified for conversion into university as assessed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on April 4, 2009 at ISCAF.

The assessment showed the college complied with standards though it has to act on the elevation of its level two accredited courses into level three.

In a joint public hearing in Senate on April 24, ISCAF stood out as closest incomplying with CHED standards among other proponents for univesity conversion. Senate committee on education chairperson Sen. Mar Roxas stressed the importance of the set standards to ensure quality education in the country.

“I think very seriously our responsibility to protect the reputation of Philippine education because if we fail to protect it then university versus college won’t make sense,” Sen. Roxas said.

“We provisionally approve the Ifugao State College of Agriculture and Forestry conversion into university subject to the submission of required documents,” he added.