UP to honor two UPLB projects for excellence in public service
UP will recognize two UPLB projects with the Award for Excellence in Public Service at the 4th Gawad Pangulo on Dec. 16.
One of these projects is the “Establishment of the UPLB COVID-19 Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (CMDL) under Task Force Laban ng Bayan Kontra COVID-19 (LB Kontra COVID-19) with Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., as project leader.
After COVID-19 cases started to increase in the early months of the pandemic, Dr. Sanchez, as the then UPLB chancellor, saw to the conversion of one of the BSL-2 laboratories of UPLB into the CMDL, a subnational testing center for Laguna and neighboring provinces.
Dr. Sanchez tasked the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension to undertake the conversion of the laboratory, coordinate the aspects of certification, and organize and train the staff of the CMDL.
This was when there was a dearth of COVID-19 diagnostic laboratories in the country. Since then, CMDL has tested around 50,000 individuals.
The second honoree is a project of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and is led by Dr. Janette H. Malata-Silva and Jickerson P. Lado as current vice chancellor and assistant to the vice chancellor for student affairs, respectively; and Atty. Eleno O. Peralta, and Rocky T. Marcelino as the ones who held the respective positions until Oct. 31, 2020.
The project, “UPLB OVCSA COVID-19 Initiatives or Lingap, Hatid, Kawingan, Kumustahan, Wellbeing Registry),” was cobbled together by the newly created OVCSA with the help of various offices in UPLB such as the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development and the offices under them.
Lingap, Hatid, Kawingan, Kumustahan is roughly translated in the context of the UPLB COVID-19 response, as caring, ferrying students to safe destinations, interlocking of arms symbolizing unified COVID-19 effort, and providing care and help with the mental health concerns of students and staff amid the pandemic.
The awarding ceremony for the 4th Gawad Pangulo will be held through virtual conferencing at 10am-12pm on Dec. 16 via the TVUP YouTube Channel. (Josephine M. Bo and Kyle Ramiel F. Dalangin)
