By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr. 

To intensify their initiatives toward community development, the Rotary Club of Laoag Sunshine (RCLS) and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) have agreed to jointly implement human rights education and community service projects in Ilocos Norte. 

This partnership was established with the signing of a memorandum of agreement by RCLS President Jose Santos and MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis at the Office of the University President today, October 21. 

Human rights education is an advocacy of the MMSU College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) - Department of Social Sciences that aims to promote public awareness on the rights of students, women, children and persons with disabilities; human dignity, political, economic and socio-civic rights. 

Service projects of RCLS are focused on promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene, saving mothers and children, supporting education, growing local economies, and protecting the environment.  

RCLS President Santos believes MMSU can greatly help the club in providing data-driven analysis, assessment and evaluation of their service projects so they can better serve their beneficiaries. 

PSCA thanked the Rotary Club for partnering with the state university and affirmed commitment to make the partnership successful. She also expressed confidence that both parties can contribute to the success of their respective advocacies. 

Other signatories in the MOA were CAS dean Marivic Alimbuyuguen and extension director Marilou Lucas, with RCLS president-elect Rex-Belli Alejandro (an associate professor at CAS) and RCLS vice president Emmanuel Ramos serving as witnesses. Also present in the event were social sciences department chair Weena Guiang-Franco, CAS extension coordinator Marlyn Cacatian, social sciences department extension coordinator James Lloyd Guittap, and strategic communication director Herdy Yumul. On the part of RCLS, also in attendance were Freddie Calilao, immediate past president, and Kervin Wong, past president.

The initial collaboration of MMSU and RCLS will begin tomorrow with the conduct a series of seminars dubbed Human Rights Education for Conflict Prevention to be attended by NSTP students in all campuses. (HLY, StratCom)