FINAL DRAFT

FATHER SATURNINO URIOS UNIVERSITY: Relevant Formation; Brighter Future Butuan City, the political administrative center of Region 13 CARAGA, is the home not only of the famous balanghais, but also of one of the oldest schools in the country. At present, a century and 10 years hence, at the very heart of this historic Timber City of the South, thrives and throbs a premier university: the Father Saturnino Urios University or FSUU. Established as the Butuan Parochial School in 1901 by the Spanish Jesuit priest Father Saturnino Urios, it was later renamed as Father Urios High School in 1939, then as Father Urios College in 1950, just Urios College in 1970, and finally, in 2006, when it became the Caraga regions first university, as Father Saturnino Urios University. The schools 110 years of existence conveys a consistent commitment to the core mission of its visionary founder of building in the northeastern part of Mindanao, Philippines, a catholic system of education where the Filipino youth, who need the religion they can get, may have their moral and religious faculties developed along with the intellectual ---a difficult mission minted in the crucible of American colonial conquest whereby a non-religious public educational system was imposed. Indeed, the fundamental tenet of forming the youth of our Fatherland through a catholic, liberal and democratic education strengthened by a steadfast Christian belief had undergone apparent alterations in accord with the transforming times and changing social conditions; however, the guiding concept of the URIAN mission remains essentially the same. RECOGNITION FSUU evolved through the years. Time tempered the inherent basis for its inevitable giant strides. When the critical elements within the institution matured in 2003, the school surged forward like a powerful swell securing a beachhead in its striving to become a university. The successful scaling up to a university status, presented new vistas broadening the horizon of each member of the Urian community, re-instilling in them a sense of awe that vivified the veterans who had seem to rest on their academic laurels, motivated middle level personnel, and challenged rank and file neophytes to come up with innovative approaches. The renewed drive to think big ideas and make bold actions while focusing on potential and outcomes had already paid dividends as early as 2005 when the school was nationally recognized, in a study by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), as ranked number 14 among the

Top 20 Colleges and Universities in the country based on the average passing rates (including topnotchers) of graduates of colleges and universities in the board examinations of all courses that require it for the practice of a profession. In 2007, the FSUU College of Law was recognized by the Former Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban as one of the new schools who made significant inroads in beating the national passing percentage. And just very recently, last June 23, 2011, Former Mister Justice Isagani Cruz, wrote that several Philippine universities have made it to the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking of Asian universitiesWhat is newis the entrance into the list of ten more of our schools. Here are the recently recognized world rank universities: Father Saturnino Urios College (sic). The abovementioned string of recognitions of the schools sterling academic achievements, especially this accolade of being among the 200+ universities in Asia, enlists FSUU to the league of the best universities, not only in the country, but also in Asia. CORE STRENGTHS FSUUs Basic Education Program provides complete elementary and high school education, while its existing High Education Programs of Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Accountancy, Business Administration, Arts and Sciences, Law Enforcement, Nursing, Computer Studies, Teacher Education and Graduate Studies Program, as well as the Technical Program, offer accessible quality education complemented by caliber faculty resources, curriculum, laboratories, library, information technology capacity, student support system, performance in licensure exam, graduate profile, graduate tracer study, research and publication, extension and linkages, and institutional qualifications. The programs and activities conducted by the Office of Religious Affairs involved capacity building for program delivery enhancement especially in terms of processing students community service experiences, the integration of values in the curriculum and the concern for bioethics, revision of the Theology syllabi, Zuppa Gonzaga program, and many spiritual formation enhancing activities. The Basic Education successfully implemented the Unified Elementary and Secondary Curriculum, computerization of grades, computer literacy and fluency programs for teachers, the summer training of lumad teachers, the Capability Advancement through Remediation and Enhancement (CARE) program, curriculum review clubs/organizational spiritual formation, and Faith Life Sharing (Basic Ecclesial Community) sessions. The Higher Education of FSUU re-affirmed its leadership in pursuing academic excellence and responsiveness through the offering of new programs and in the

continuous curriculum review and syllabi revision to meet the challenges of the regions and the nations development directions. The academic community of Caraga region looks up to FSUU to initiate and take the lead in the hosting of various regional events. The deans serve as officers of various professional organizations and as members in the Regional Quality Assessment Team (RQAT). They were also involved in the conduct of voters education, in monitoring legal counseling, and in the advocacy Save the Taguibo Watershed Initiative. In FSUU, research matters for faculty, administrators, staff, students and society at large. There were a total of four (4) externally-funded studies and eight (8) institutionally funded researches. In addition, one research proposal submitted to the Asian University Digital Resource Network (AUDRN) through Miriam College had been approved for funding and recently started. Two science researches conducted by the Arts and Sciences faculty members were presented in the Sixth International Conference on Biological Sciences at Tanta University, Egypt. Also, a faculty proposal had been accepted under the small grants facility of the Durrell Wild Life Conservation Trust in the United Kingdom. The Peace and Development Studies conducted by the University had been submitted to the 2010 Search for Best Higher Education Institution Research Program. FSUUs Peace and Development Studies is the lone nominee of the region to the national search. The evident concern of the school in the importance of the laboratory experience to students is seen through the provision of sufficient laboratory apparatus, equipment and supplies, amidst the minimal laboratory fees charged from students. The library of the school is the only library in Caraga using the Follet Software. Moreover, FSUU is the first university in the region with online journals accessed through www.accessscience.com, www.ejournals.ph and www.search.proquest.com. RESULTS FSUU was named as the Regional and Mindanao winner in the CHEDs Nationwide Search for Best Higher Education Institution (HEI) Implementing the Drug Education, Prevention and Control Program. The Teacher Education Program was also awarded the Center of Excellence by CHED. The Licensure Examinations results showed performance of FSUU graduates reflective of the effectiveness of the programs. The passing percentages of FSUU in

these examinations had been at par, if not higher, than the national passing percentages. The Licensure Examination for Teachers showed a 55.6% rate for FSUU first takers in the BEE and 60% for the BSE against a national passing percentage of 19.58% and 25.68% respectively. The College of Law had three (3) Bar Passers for AY 2009-2010 The November 2010 Licensure Examination for Civil Engineers had one of the FSUU Civil Engineering Graduates landing in the Top Ten. Engr. Angelie S. Plaza got the 10th place. With her are six (6) other new licensed civil engineers. The first takers for the May 2010 Civil Engineering Board Exam recorded a 100% passing percentage. Adding the number of first time takers and the re-takers, the over-all passing percentage for FSUU is 40% compared to the national passing percentage of 36%. There is a 100% passing in the competency assessment for the Sheilded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW).

COMMUNITY OF BUILDER-BELIEVERS As manifestation of this leadership and promoting service and excellence, FSUU successfully hosted the 1st Schools in Nation Building Conference during the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Expo 2010. The Conference aimed to gather all GK partner schools, GK management groups, the GK volunteers to share their experiences as they live the hopes and dream of their communities for a poverty free Philippines. Seven (7) administrators also attended the GK Global Summit in Singapore, where the FSUU President Father John Christian U. Young, presented a paper that shared the milestones of the Universitys partnership with GK and how this partnership helped transform FSUUs education processes and community services. BLESSED, the acronym for Bridging Leaders for Excellence, Service, Servant Leadership, Empowerment and Development, speaks of the framework and processes operating in the various community services of Father Saturnino Urios University. As a framework and in its processes, BLESSED is anchored on Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Team Energy Centers Bridging Leadership, a leadership for Societal Transformation and the GK Way as model of development against poverty. BLESSED operates in the Universitys Extension Program and is implemented through the Offices of the Community Extension Services, Alumni and Placement Office, FSUU Policy Center, and the Development Centers such as the Development Centers for Local Governance-Integrative Studies (DCLG-IS), Center Professional Development (CPD) and Center for Enterprise Development (CED). The

services/programs on Livelihood Development, Environmental Protection and Sustainability, Literacy and Continuing Education, Health Care, Values Formation, Shelter and Facilities Improvement, Sound Local Governance, Professional Development are implemented in the Urios Legacy Village (ULV), the Universitys other adopted communities and the other clients/partners of various projects. FSUU, after it had been awarded as the Regional Winner in the CHED Outstanding Extension Award in 2008, is once again one of the two regional nominees in the CHED Outstanding Integrated Extension Services Award. FSUUs Lumad Graded Literacy Program is a hall mark of the schools efforts towards conscientization, community service, and in community development. The efficient financial management and reporting also earned for FSUU the 2010 Regional Award as Outstanding Employer by the Social Security System (SSS) indicative of its concern for its teaching and non-teaching personnel. RESPONSE A brighter future is a prepared future. It is not contingent upon chance, but is rooted in conscious, responsible, self-fulfilling human labor unceasingly guided by Gods grace. Thus, it could be conclusively said that a brighter future of the youth of the Fatherland is brought about by a relevant formation that provides a teaching-learning experience anchored on faith, relevance and responsiveness to the development of the communities it serves; that builds minds and dreamsthrough the schools programs that tap the potentials of its students, inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity and respect for human rights; that teaches rights and duties of citizenship, and strengthen ethical and spiritual values ---in other words, by the Filipino youths active witnessing of the URIAN values of Unity, Religiosity and Responsibility, Integrity, Altruism, and Nationalism and democracy. A century and 21 years ago, our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, who upheld the primacy of education over violent revolution, in his famous essay "Filipinas de cien aos", rhetorically asked: What will become of the Philippines within a century? Of course, the general answer to Rizals question is already in our nations book of the past, so to speak; however, if we would hazard a particular response to the aforesaid query from our point-of-view as Filipinos from Butuan City, we will, as a matter-of-fact, proudly say: a century hence, the balanghais had heroically set sail againand Father Saturnino Urios University thrives as a seat of wisdom and of knowledge in this southern timberland as it throbs in unison with the CARAGA peoples hearts and minds