The university, through the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) honored employees who made outstanding inventions, superior accomplishments, and other personal efforts in 2013 during the Convocation and Awarding Ceremony on the occasion of the 36th University Foundation Anniversary on Jan. 6 at the Teatro Ilocandia.

The PRAISE is a system that adheres to the principle of providing incentives and awards based on employee performance, innovative ideas, and exemplary behavior.

Six individual employees and one group of workers were conferred institutional awards while six others were given presidential awards.
Outstanding Researcher Award

The Outstanding Researcher Award went to Thomas D. Ubiña, assistant professor of COE, for inventing the “Programmable Toggle Switch (PTS)”, system for controlling electrical loads, and for having been able to acquire patent from the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, thus giving him the exclusive right throughout the country to make, use, sell, or import it. His invention offers convenience for automatic on/off switching of lights and household appliances. It is a low-cost alternative to the manual multi-location or three-way switch system and allows remote and programmable switching which can significantly contribute to energy conservation.

Outstanding Extension Worker Award

On the other hand, the Outstanding Extension Worker Award was given to Prof. Maura Luisa S. Gabriel, associate professor of CAFSD, for unselfishly sharing her expertise in dragon fruit, ginger, and onion production among farmers, students, teachers, and rural women in Ilocos Norte, thereby enhancing their sources of livelihood and ultimately improving the production of these crops which have become flagship commodities of the region.

Outstanding Support Staff for General Administration

Ms. Elanie Odilla F. Madrid, administrative aide of the Cash Management Section, was awarded Outstanding Support Staff for General Administration for her dedication and faithful service as disbursing officer of the University. Her commitment to serve the University extends even beyond office hours, thus pushing herself further to the standards of excellence in government service. She always demonstrates energy and pleasure in performing her multiple tasks, and constantly manifests willingness in helping every client who transacts business with the Cashier’s Office.

Outstanding Support Staff for Research

Ms. Rosalinda Q. Santiago, science aide at the Research Directorate, was recognized Outstanding Support Staff for Research for efficiently performing her duties and responsibilities which greatly contributed not only to the smooth operations of the Research Directorate but also to the outstanding and award-winning performance of university researchers.

Ulidan Award

For her contributions in building a strong culture of research in the university, Dr. Zenaida M. Agngarayngay, supervising education program specialist at the Research Directorate, was bestowed the Ulidan (Model) Award. In her 30 years as a researcher, she has lived up to the highest technical and ethical standards of the profession, gaining for her and the university a multitude of awards recognizing her extensive body of work in marine macro-algal research and development which contributed to the knowledge of utilizing seaweeds in the formulation of nutraceutical products.

Takuat Awardee

For his outstanding contribution to the development and promotion of technologies that enhanced the utilization of bamboo not only in the region but also in the entire country, engineer Jose A. Zafaralla, in-charge of the E-Kawayan Processing Center, was conferred the Takuat (Innovation) Award. He has developed various bamboo machineries and technologies for the production of engineered kawayan products and charcoal briquettes which have been recognized nationwide and adopted by private individuals and Local Government Units.

Timpuyog Award

For its commitment to perform and excel in its undertakings, despite meager human and financial resources, in order to achieve its goal of helping people help themselves, the Extension Directorate was presented the Timpuyog (Unity) Award. With the members’ spirit of oneness, it has shown consistent and outstanding performance in strategic R&D results utilization ensuing valuable and tangible impacts on the livelihood of MMSU clientele in the province. It has forged dynamic linkages/partnerships with LGUs, entrepreneurs, and cooperatives that hastened the successful implementation of MMSU S&T programs geared towards the attainment of the university’s goals and objectives and the socio-economic development of the province.

All the awardees, except for the recipient of the Timpuyog Award which took P20,000, received P10,000 and plaque of recognition.

Presidential Awardees

Meanwhile, other individuals, colleges, and units were recognized for their excellence, productivity, and dynamism that consequently brought honor to the university.

The colleges of engineering, teacher education, and business, economics, and accountancy were given Presidential Awards for garnering at least 70 percent in the licensure examinations taken by their respective graduates.

A Research Directorate team was also given the same award for having consistently provided the university with outputs and accomplishments that are indispensable in the Performance-Based Bonus System, SUC levelling, and program accreditation activities.
Mr. Reynaldo E. Andres, information officer at the Communication and Media Relations Office, was further acknowledged for winning the 2013 PCAARRD Professional Media Award (first place, print category). His fluid and easy-to-understand writing style has far-reaching effects not only in terms of coverage, but more so in increasing public awareness on the varied technologies generated by MMSU as well as by the member-agencies of the ILAARRDEC to the great advantage of their intended beneficiaries.

Andres received P5,000 and a plaque of recognition; the rest, P20,000 and also a plaque.

Special Awardees

Special awards were also given to full-time and faculty-researchers for winning in national scientific competitions for their respective project studies.

Ms. Cherie B. Orpia, instructor of CBEA, was recognized for winning the Best Paper Award for her study “Time Series Analysis Using Vector Auto Regressive Model of Wind Speeds in Bangui Bay and Selected Weather Variables in Laoag City” given by the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area during its International Conference in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan in December 2013.

Engineers Thomas D. Ubiña, Willen Mark D. Manzanas, Romaric D. Ascaño, and Samuel S. Franco, COE faculty-researchers, were acknowledged for garnering second place, Best Research Paper, for their study “Design and Development of an Automated Hot Water Treatment for Mango” given by PCAARRD during the National Symposium on Agriculture and Aquatic Resources Research and Development in October 2013.

Lastly, Dr. Nathaniel R. Alibuyog of COE and Dr. Dionisio S. Bucao of the Research Directorate were recognized for garnering third place, Best AFMA Paper, for their study “Predicting Rice Yield from Multi-Temporal Satellite Data Using Artificial Neural Network” given by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research during its 25th National Research Symposium in October 2013.

Hall of Fame Award

In recognition of its being a powerhouse for sports and cultural development in Region I, PESSDO received the Hall of Fame Award. Through the years, it has grown into an institution of excellence in training and coaching young athletes and artists, as well as in professionalizing trainers and coaches in the different sports and cultural disciplines. It’s leadership has built a strong foundation for sports and cultural supremacy in the region as manifested in the University’s 10-year supremacy in the annual State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association Meet in Region I.

The PRAISE System

The PRAISE was designed to encourage creativity, innovativeness, efficiency, integrity, and productivity in the public service by recognizing and rewarding officials and employees, individually or in groups, for their suggestions, inventions, superior accomplishments, and other personal efforts which contribute to the efficiency, economy, or other improvement in government operations; or for other extra-ordinary acts or services in the public interest.

At MMSU, the system was created on May 17, 2002 in compliance with CSC Memorandum Circular No. 48, s. 1992. Presently, the committee is chaired by Atty. Ramon A. Leaño, VPAB.