Dr. Arnulfo Malinis, director of the Bicol University Center for Technology Commercialization and Enterprise Development, made impactful contributions to the University's research endeavours both as a researcher with publication and multiple citations and an innovator who has eight patents under his name.
Is he the best fit as the next BU President for you? Know his stances on controversial questions below:
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
UNIBE: There’s a post on Facebook by a Chemical Engineering student that they are deprived of the necessities of learning. Some students experience having to sit on the floor in a hallway while the Professor lectured them just like what other colleges experience, they experience lack of facilities, specifying that only 3 rooms are available to use and one of the three rooms is a laboratory room. What steps will you take to address this problem? We assume that this is a familiar situation for you, especially that you are teaching in Guinobatan.
MALINIS: Immediately after that information was posted, I went around to the chemical engineering [building] and I realized that the concern is valid not only in the College of Engineering but also [in] other programs in the university. I hope that the problems identified [and] the needs of the students will be responded accordingly, and will be afforded with budget. Hoping these infrastructures na nabuilt [ng] present administration could be used already by our students [pero] nga tinitingnan pa rin natin yung tatlong concern kung may pera, and economy towards a service-oriented government.
UNIBE: We went around to satellite campuses yesterday and the condition there is very concerning. Aside from the other editors being in the forum, we saw the real thing about the lack of facilities. Given of your position, did you use your platform to actually raise this concern to the administration or to anyone that can help the students?
MALINIS: There are situations that we raised this particular concern, [however] may mga naka pipeline na projects and it is also the job of the top managers in the college like the deans and those with the implementing managers of the unit to look into this thing, and be included in the work and financial plan of the unit. Nag-iinput din ako sa mga heads pero, I think this process should be revisit again and siguro yung kulang [is] yung validation kung [ang] particular concern ay na-address. So, ngayon, [ang] 2023 priority namin [ay] ang Guinobatan at Tabaco Campus. Kasi doon sa planning process sa pagpapa-approve ay isa iyon sa dapat tignan na sitwasyon para sa'kin.
UNIBE: Included sa agenda niyo yung pag-empower ng technopreneurial aspect ng University,, what other than expanding the University's technological capabilities and developing infrastructure will you carry on the work of the previous BU Presidents?
MALINIS: As we seek global recognition, it means we comply with the various international standards. We would like to put BU in that particular recognition because when we go along with that particular recognition, we will be doing some developmental activities in the University. So, we should, one of the role of the universities to drag University access to students, particular to the poor.
Maganda naman yung ating current connections internationally and the other aspects of internationalization and linkages kasi this will build the capacity for students towards cultural exchange and other scholarly squad and para exposed din yung ating mga estudyante and be able to share with other students kung ano man yung learnings from other country.
UNIBE: What new courses do you want to offer in Bicol University if you are elected as the BU President that can further your technological innovation goals?
MALINIS: As I'm browsing the offerings in University of Singapore and others and looking into and looking into their offerings on technology innovation such as Bachelor of Science in Innovative Technology, they are also offering data analytics [that is] very specific to a particular program. For every program, this will require a lot of, be able to maintain na muna yung mga programs na sinubmit for this year and be able to plan out na lang siguro ang sagot ko diyan. For programs na really ay kailangan i-offer dahil isa siya sa mga priority programs ng ating industry.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
UNIBE: Being an insider at BU, what do you think are the major shortcomings of the current administration that you want to address? Rate his presidency, 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.
MALINIS: I think it's 7. Because there are concerns that we had to address like budget utilization rate. If we have PBB for example, I will be rating it 9. So, its problem [is] in the budget utilization and other performance-based results requirement[s]. So, wala namang masyadong, walang perfect na administration.
UNIBE: Will you encourage or support the students to be involved in student activism as provided in RA 11369 series of 2019? If so, how will you circumvent the threats to the student activists such as red tagging and police interrogations? Or will you just be silent about these red tagging issues just like the previous cases of red tagging in the previous years during Sir Mascarinas' term?
MALINIS: The primordial concern is the safety of the student. engaging in this particular concern sometimes cannot be controlled by the University because of the forces from outside. For me to revisit everything about the policies regarding this red tagging. Ensure that Bicol University has a policy, very clear-cut policy and there's a joint we always respect for our military counterparts.
UNIBE: Given that the residents living within the University have no land title, what are your plans for the residents of Sitio Olag and those living at the BU compound behind the new library? Also, what will you do if you discover that the residents staying at the University are illegally using their land?
MALINIS: The last course is always legal by nature. They should be evicted because of direct, particular legal action and decision. Kasi dapat dumaan din yun sa proseso, kung hindi mahihirapan tayo paalisin sila. Hindi madaling mag-paalis kahit yung top administration nahirapan silang mag-paalis but the point is always legal by nature. Pero we have to assert our property, the University because ito ay para talaga sa Bicol University, sa mga estudyante.
ENDING QUESTION:
UNIBE: Among the four other nominees, who would you pick as the next Bicol University President?
MALINIS: All of us are qualified to be President so I can not endorse anybody from the four because I'm also running for president and I told them whether you like it or not, I'm endorsing myself to be the next president and they smile with regards to my answer.
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