CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) tapped Cebu Technological University (CTU) as the host college for the establishment of the Integrated Coastal Resources Management Center (ICRM) in Region-7.
The ICRM Center serves as the hub for biodiversity conservation, monitoring and information under the Integrated Coastal Resources Management Project (ICRMP) in Regions 5, 7 and 11.
It is one of the vital projects being implemented by the DENR in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the local government units in the provinces of Cagayan, Zambales, Romblon, Masbate, Cebu, Siquijor and Davao Oriental.
One of the ICRM project components, Component B, is focused on integrated CRM and biodiversity.
Under Component B, five ICRM centers will be established at or attached to existing marine science institutions.
The selection was done in coordination with the DENR by the two potential institutions of internal repute, the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute for Luzon and Silliman University for Visayas and Mindanao.
The universities developed specific criteria in the selection, screening and validation in order to come up with the shortlist of local colleges and universities that would host the ICRM Centers in Masbate, Cebu and Davao.
The criteria includes the institutional integrity with regards to handling government funds, academic programs related to CRM, physical spaces and facilities related to CRM, strategic location and reach relative to other academic institutions and government agencies, CRM-related personnel and staff with appropriate qualification and background, CRM-related research, extension and advocacy programs and commitment to develop and sustain the capacity to host the center.
Among all the universities in the Visayas, Silliman and DENR team came up with the shortlisting and the choices was between CTU and the University of the Philippines (UP)-Cebu College.
On site visit was conducted to validate and select the host institution using the expanded indicators and based on the result of the site validation, Silliman University recommended CTU for the Visayas.
Aside from CTU, Masbate School of Fisheries and Davao Oriental College of Science and Technology were also chosen for Regions 5 and 11, respectively. — (FREEMAN)