By Crisdeniele Clemente

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet —  A delegation of 170 employees from Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) are joining the Association of State Colleges and Universities – Solid North (ASCU-SN) Midyear Sports and Socio-Cultural Festival 2025 from July 15 to 18 at Benguet State University.

The MMSU delegates will join 24 other state universities and colleges (SUCs) from Regions I, II, III, and the Cordillera Administrative Region in various events on culture and sports, such as basketball, volleyball, athletics, indigenous games, folk and modern dance, visual arts, and musical performances. 

With this year’s theme: "SIGED ASCU-SN: Celebrating Athleticism, Culture, and Unity,” the midyear festival aims to spark a spirit of solidarity and mutual respect among SUCs in North Luzon, as “siged” in Ibaloy and Kankanaey languages means "goodness" or "good." 

MMSU President Dr. Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr. expressed pride in the university’s participation, emphasizing the value of establishing connections with other SUCs in North Luzon. “Through sports and arts, we network ourselves with other academic institutions and establish connections that would strengthen our solidarity in the higher education sector.”

Dr. Marlowe Aquino, planning director, is leading the MMSU delegation representing Dr. Manzano.

Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis, who served as the guest speaker and is a former president of the consortium, delivered a video message to the participants, emphasizing how ASCU-SN has served as a platform for universities to collaborate on academic growth and regional unity.

“This serves as an avenue to strengthen our common aspirations and the values of Ilokanos. May this celebration inspire you all to compete with integrity and build connections among employees from other institutions,” Dr. Agrupis told the participants.

Participating institutions in this year’s ASCU-SN festival include: Abra State Institute of Science and Technology, Apayao State College, Batanes State College, Bataan Peninsula State University, Bulacan State University,

Bulacan Agricultural State College, Cagayan State University, Central Luzon State University, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Ifugao State University, Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College, Isabela State University, Kalinga State University, Mountain Province State University, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Nueva Vizcaya State University, Pampanga State Agricultural University, Pangasinan State University, Philippine Normal University – North Luzon, Quirino State University, Tarlac Agricultural University, Tarlac State University, University of Northern Philippines, and host Benguet State University.

ASCU-SN is a regional consortium of state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Northern Luzon committed to fostering collaboration in various fields of higher education. It serves as a platform for its member institutions to engage in joint academic initiatives, research projects, policy development, extension programs, and cultural and athletic exchanges.