In a strategic move to extend its search for academic brilliance beyond the borders of Laguna and Metro Manila, UPLB has taken a bold step in reaching out to aspiring Isko’t Iska in Nueva Vizcaya. Under the banner of the Recruitment Program for the Best and the Brightest (RPBB), UPLB’s Learning Resource Center (LRC) set out on a mission to identify and bring in promising talents from distant regions to UPLB, thereby promoting inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities to communities outside Los Baños and CALABARZON.

After traveling west to Dinagat Islands, Mindanao last April, LRC returned to the north to conduct its face-to-face RPBB at St. Louis School in Solano and the Philippine Science High School Cagayan Valley Campus in Bayombong in the province of Nueva Vizcaya on October 26, 2023.

In the initial session titled ‘WazzUP: Why Choose UPLB,’ Sheryl Edd Hermosa-Ebron, university extension associate and RPBB coordinator, highlighted key reasons for prospective college students to consider UPLB. She delved into the diverse array of degree programs available at the university, elaborated on the scenic beauty of the campus, and provided insight into some of its notable alumni.

During the second session titled “Light UP: Discover a course that fuels your passion and purpose,” delegates from UPLB showcased seven degree programs and emphasized the various career opportunities associated with each program. This year’s RPBB had special emphasis on the degree programs under the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS), College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR), and the College of Human Ecology (CHE).

Hermosa-Ebron highlighted that the programs under these colleges are particularly relevant in addressing the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country.

Vicmar Jugado, an instructor at CFNR, gave a brief course overview of BS Forestry. He also discussed opportunities and scholarships for BS Forestry students and highlighted potential employment prospects in the field.

Roselle Madayag, an assistant professor at CAFS, shared a personal narrative about her experience of leaving her hometown and studying agriculture at UPLB. Madayag is a native of Cagayan.

John Ceffrey Eligue, an assistant professor at CHE, introduced the Human Ecology program and its subjects. He also discussed available scholarships and financial aid for BS Ecology students, including the Palawan Pawnshop Scholarship, DCERP Cares, and Adopt-a-Student Program.

In the third session, titled “UP Cutie: Know more about UP College Admission Process,” Prof. Francisco Delos Reyes, the director of the UP Office of Admission, provided comprehensive insights into the entire UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) process. Prof. Francisco also outlined alternative pathways for gaining admission to UP, including the Iskolar ng Bayan Law, appealing through DiWA, taking up associate programs, applying through the Varsity Athlete Admission System, or transferring from other universities. Additionally, he detailed the eligibility conditions and application requirements for aspiring Iskolars planning to take the UPCAT.

In the fourth session, ‘Better Together: UPLB Scholarships, Financial Assistance, and Other Services,’ Mark Kevin Movillon, scholarship affairs officer at the Office of Scholarships and Grants (OSG), discussed the available financial assistance programs that UPLB offers to its students. These include grants-in-aid programs, student assistantships, private and government scholarships, and student loans and claims.

Meanwhile, Jonel Biscocho, junior office assistant at LRC, explained the mandates of the LRC and presented the student support services that it offers to assist students in their academic journey at UPLB. These services include the RPBB and Bridge Program for incoming college students, ARDS for deserving students from rural poor families, and EXCELL and SOAR for exchange students. He also introduced the UPLB dormitories managed by the Office of Student Housing.

In a post-pandemic return to on-site recruitment, LRC, in collaboration with UPLB units, engaged 575 Senior High Students at St. Louis and 175 Senior High School students at Pisay.

Prior to the RPBB in Nueva Vizcaya, Asst. Prof. John Mervin Embate, former LRC director, joined the community site visit of the Ugnayan ng Pahinungod System Office in Calauit Island, Busuanga, Palawan on October 11, 2023. 

Embate introduced the activities and programs of LRC. He introduced to them the RPBB, which seeks to attract the brightest students across the country to UPLB, and the Agricultural and Rural Development Scholarship (ARDS), which aims to support high-performing students from economically disadvantaged rural families in pursuing development-oriented courses at UPLB.

Parents, teachers, youth members, and community elders of Nurunutan yang Tagbanua Calamian tung Calawit may Quezon (NTCQ) attended the orientation. 

Through this initiative, LRC hopes to encourage the youth of Calauit Island to enroll in UPLB. 

The pandemic has presented a significant challenge in conducting physical recruitment under RPBB. However, in adapting to the new normal, LRC successfully navigated the limitations of online methods and reinstated face-to-face recruitment. Earlier this year, LRC and the RPBB team took a proactive step by visiting Dinagat Islands in Mindanao and Ballesteros in Cagayan. This on-the-ground initiative gathered 2430 participants, marking a notable 153% increase compared to the last on-site RPBB held in 2019.

This achievement reflects the team’s resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges, emphasizing their commitment to the recruitment process despite the obstacles presented by the ongoing global situation.

A few days after the event in Nueva Vizcaya, Lance Hendrich, a Grade 12 student at St. Louis School, reached out to Madayag who had shared her story as an agriculture student who is now teaching soil science. As a fellow Novo Vizcayano, Lance expressed to Madayag that he was inspired by her story and her career and that it has encouraged him to consider taking up BS Agriculture. 

“Nagkaroon tuloy ako ng knowledge about sa agriculture na ang alam ko lang ‘pag narinig ko [ito] is ‘nag tatanim’ lang, pero hindi po pala ganoon, nalaman ko kung ano talaga ang Agriculture at anong nagagawa [nito]. Since then po I’m planning and looking forward to choose also Agriculture as my college degree,” he added. 

Ian Angelo Saludez, a Grade 11 student at Pisay, shared, “Thanks to the recruitment program held by UPLB, I now have a newfound perspective on both the scholarships and courses that I can apply [to] should I plan on starting college.”

“It has given me further drive and ambition to pursue my goals in STEM thanks to what the school can offer,” Saludez concluded. (Jonel S. Biscocho)