AS GOVERNOR Imee Marcos, in her 5th State-of-the-Province Address on Aug. 26 at the Plaza del Norte Hotel, laid out “IN2020” – her medium-term plan aimed at making Ilocos Norte as the Philippines’ “best little province” by the year 2020, she identified MMSU as one of the key institutions that can contribute towards this end.

“Palagay ko panahon na ring pag-usapan ang MMSU,” she said. The governor noted that “our premier educational institution has begun to rethink its role in a quickly-diversifying economy.” While MMSU was originally focused on agriculture and forestry, she observed that bigger enrollments are now found in business, engineering, tourism and computer sciences.

The governor also proudly reported that the first conservation school in the country has been launched at the MMSU CIT-Paoay campus “to revive the classic trades of carpentry and wood-carving, handloom weaving, bricks and stone masonry.” The National Commission on Culture and the Arts, Spain’s Escuela Talleres, and the Betis, Pampanga workshops are behind the project.

Stressing the importance of safeguarding native culture, she enthused, “Karamihan ng mga turista, pumupunta sa Ilocos Norte para makita ang Paoay Church, mapuntahan ang Marcos Trail, matikman ang genuine bagnet ken empanada... kaya’t dito sa atin, hindi luho o hilig lang ng mayayaman ang kultura, kundi ang kultura ay hanapbuhay at industriya ng buong probinsya.”

The governor observed that because every Ilocano was born with an immense cultural heritage, it is often taken for granted. She emphasized the necessity of urgently putting in place “a cultural strategy not merely to protect heritage sites and museums, but to promote art galleries and spaces; endow the schools of architecture, design, literature, gastronomy; and renew vanishing indigenous cultures. Culture sells in Ilocos Norte, the governor said, and that heritage affords many a fine living. “Kayamanan natin ito... napakalakas bumenta ng kulturang Ilocano!”

Moreover, the governor posed a challenge to MMSU on garlic production. “Our farmers also await from MMSU research and innovation that will impact their lives – when can indigenous Ilocano white garlic be developed into weightier, sturdier, new, and more productive varieties?” she asked. The PowerPoint presentation flashed in the course of the speech showed a number of photos of the university’s diverse academic and research endeavors.

President Miriam E. Pascua led the MMSU delegation to the SOPA together with academic affairs vice president Wilma C. Natividad, administration and business vice president Ramon A. Leaño, and ILAARRDEC interim director Leonardo Pascua. Around a hundred MMSU students composed of provincial scholars, organization leaders, and campus journalists were also present.

Glad and humbled that the governor took notice of MMSU’s development efforts, President Pascua, in an interview with the MMSU Newsletter, reaffirmed the university’s commitment and support to the aspirations of the province. “With God’s help, we will continue to work for the attainment of our vision,” she said.

Towards the end of the speech, the governor stressed the importance of volunteerism in attaining “IN2020”. Realizing that six years is a very short time, the governor acknowledged that government cannot do it alone. “We need you to volunteer and assure help in continuing change and transformation,” she said, explaining further that a virtuous circle of generosity can spark volunteerism, awareness, and participation. “Your volunteer work will generate savings for government, which will in turn fund more student jobs and more loans for women, work for tribesmen, fishermen, and the handicapped,” she elaborated.

The wave of volunteerism, in fact, has started among the youth with the formation of Sirib Youth led mainly by students from MMSU. “Ang mga kabataan ng probinsya ay nagbuo ng Sirib upang marinig ang kanilang boses, at mayroon na tayong dalawang libo’t limang daang volunteers na ibinubunyag ang mga programa ng probinsiya sa  kasulok-sulukan ng ating lugar.”

The governor said she wants to see Ilocos Norte become a learning province “so that every field and beach is a science lab, a Heroes Walk is a library in the park, and Sirib buses become learning movie houses.”

The governor’s speech, which lasted 50 minutes, was delivered in a mix of English, Tagalog, and Ilokano. Unlike in previous years where the governor used Ilokano only in a few paragraphs in the beginning and towards the end of the speech, around one-fourth of the 2014 SOPA was in Ilokano. The speech was interrupted 33 times by the generous applause of an upbeat crowd.