By Maria Kathrina  Ysabel A. Antonio, StratCom Correspondent

Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, president of Mariano Marcos State University, has been honored with the Philippine Resilience Awards for Women. This prestigious recognition, presented today at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, highlights her impactful contributions and transformative leadership, particularly in the realms of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and resilience building.

Out of numerous nominees across the nation, Dr. Agrupis stood out as one of the top ten recipients, chosen after a comprehensive screening and awards process by the Philippine Resilience Awards (PRA) committee. This year, the PRA has applauded women leaders across various sectors who have pioneered groundbreaking initiatives amid systemic challenges, thereby advancing disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation efforts in the Philippines.

Under her leadership as University President, Dr. Agrupis has passionately championed PRA-aligned causes. One notable initiative is the National Bioenergy Research and Extension Program for Sustainable Development (NBioREPSD), which actively involves women in creating innovative technologies for bioethanol production using climate-resilient nipa feedstock. Currently, 36 women researchers participate in NBioREPSD projects. Furthermore, Dr. Agrupis has facilitated partnerships with women’s organizations to bolster training and capacity development related to nipa-based ethanol product development. One of her crowning achievements is the inception of the MMSU-based National Bioenergy Research and Innovation Center (NBERIC) in 2020, which materialized after over a decade of dedicated research.

Moreover, she has played a pivotal role in the establishment of academic programs such as the Professional Science Masters in Geoinformatics for Sustainability, a collaborative program with the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand. Dr. Agrupis has spearheaded the creation of the Center for Climate Change Studies, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the Coastal Engineering Research Center. She has also championed educational initiatives such as Agriculture (RE) 101 and Renewable Energy (RE 101) that aim to empower farmers and local governments in the pursuits of food security and sustainable green technologies.

The PRA has also recognized several other distinguished women leaders, including Ms. Maria Josefina Belmonte, Mayor of Quezon City; Dr. Urdujah Alvarado, President of Cagayan State University; and Dr. Maria Victoria Espaldon, an environmental science professor at UP Los Baños, to name a few.

Dr. Agrupis's dedication has been consistently recognized. Some of her past accolades include the William D. Dar Research Leadership Award in 2019, the Outstanding Science Administrator Award in 2021, the Most Outstanding Ilocano Award in 2020 by The Ilocos Times, and the Lingkod Bayan Award in 2020 by the Civil Service Commission. (HLY/JVBT, StratCom)