Mariano Marcos
State University

Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) recognized the outstanding performance and dedicated service of its faculty members, employees, and academic units during the 2025 Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) Awards held on January 16 at Teatro Ilocandia.

Anchored on Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 1, series of 2001, the university conferred awards on a total of 342 recipients for 2025. The honorees represented various categories, including 11 Outstanding Achievers, 151 Presidential ACHIEVE Awardees, 80 Publication and Intellectual Property Awardees, 26 Retirees, and 74 Loyalty Awardees.

Under the Most Outstanding Awards, MMSU cited exemplary individuals for their exceptional contributions to the university. The awardees were Wilben Christie Pagtaconan as Outstanding Teacher; Sean Vidad as Outstanding Faculty Extension Worker; Cristina Valentin as Outstanding Faculty Researcher; Menisa Antonio as Outstanding Full-Time Researcher; Bryll Atienza as Outstanding Research Support Staff; and Norfel Zarate as Outstanding General Administrative Support Staff. Mark James Julian was recognized as Outstanding Academic Support Staff, while Concepcion Borromeo received the award for Outstanding Business Worker. Each awardee received a plaque of recognition and a cash incentive of ₱10,000.

Several university units were also honored for institutional excellence. The College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development (CAFSD) received the 2025 Timpuyog Award for its strong licensure examination performance, significant accreditation achievements, and full compliance with national quality standards. The Internationalization, Linkages, and Partnership Directorate was conferred the Rimat Award for spearheading the university’s internationalization initiatives, earning MMSU recognition as the most awarded university in the IZN and for its programs recognized as top performers under the Commission on Higher Education’s Internationalization Champions of Nations (ICONS). Meanwhile, the Food Innovation Center was named the 2025 Takuat Awardee for its outstanding efforts in advancing high-impact solutions for the local food industry through modern food-processing technologies that enhance productivity and ensure product quality.

Recipients of regional, national, and international distinctions were likewise recognized through the Presidential SUCCEED Awards. Units, colleges, employees, and alumni were commended for contributions that elevated MMSU’s reputation locally and globally. These included degree programs with exemplary licensure examination results and topnotchers, employees who completed advanced academic degrees, programs that attained Level IV accreditation status, and outstanding gender and development implementers.

The university also acknowledged faculty members and researchers who published, registered, and presented their scholarly works and innovations at the regional, national, and international levels. In addition, Loyalty Awards were presented to employees who rendered 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of dedicated service, while retirees were honored for their invaluable contributions to the institution.

Atty. Brian Corpuz, Director of Administrative Services and Chairperson of the PRAISE Committee, emphasized that the PRAISE Awards “recognizes that a high-performing civil service is not built by rules and systems alone, but by people who consistently go beyond what is required, guided by dedication for the public good.”

“Without your and your dignity of labor, MMSU is just an empty name,” Corpuz added, giving due acknowledgement to the commitment, time, and competence that the employees have devoted to public service.

MMSU President Dr. Virgilio Julius P. Manzano Jr. congratulated the awardees, noting their collective role in attaining the SUCCEED vision of his administration, especially in creating a dynamic and holistic workforce. He also emphasized what the awardees represent, the very best of the culture of giving. “Once you are an MMSU employee, you are already a giver. Excellence is competence with character, performance with purpose, and responsibility to others. Through your hard work, you have strengthened trust in our institution. Through your service, you have uplifted colleagues and communities. This reflects the generosity in spirit of MMSU”, he said.

In his response as Outstanding Teacher, Pagtaconan, speaking on behalf of the awardees, said, “With even greater fervor, we accept these awards as representatives of the collective work of every employee who strives to make this university a premier institution of higher learning.”

Further, as an educator, Pagtaconan reiterated that “true education transcends the results of any student’s success through dedicated coaching, strategic preparation, and personal encouragement.”

Through the 2026 PRAISE Awards, MMSU continues to cultivate a culture of excellence, integrity, and service by honoring each personnel’s “dignity of labor” that collectively propels the university forward. (𝘚𝘊𝘐)