ASCOT - Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs

02/10/2026

𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝗠𝗔’𝗔𝗠 𝗜𝗥𝗠𝗔!

Cheers to our amazing Head of the Cash Unit!

There’s something funny about how your name can easily come to mind whenever we hear, “May sahod na!” Ma’am Irma!

But of course, please don’t think that’s the only reason we remember you.

Beyond the numbers, transactions, and making sure every centavo is accounted for, we appreciate the warmth and good energy you bring. You may be quiet, but once the conversation starts, there’s always that lalim and sincerity that makes talking with you genuinely meaningful. You have a way of making conversations feel warm, thoughtful, and real.

So today, we hope the blessings come in just as promptly as the funds you help keep moving.

Keep shining in your own quiet, happy, and meaningful way, Ma’am Irma. You deserve all the good things coming your way!

With warm birthday wishes from your ASCOT family!

01/10/2026

𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦 | 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼 𝗪𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲?

What can we learn from the world, and what do we already have here at home?

That was one of the questions explored during ELEVATED CONVERSATIONS Episode 01, “NAUNA PERO NAHULI? The Fate of Philippine Higher Education.”

For Dr. Christian E. Supsup, learning from international experiences should also lead us to look more closely at the knowledge, resources, and possibilities already present in our own communities.

Drawing from his experience in the United States, Dr. Supsup reflected on the importance of creating an environment where Filipino researchers can explore ideas, pursue meaningful research, and build expertise grounded in our own realities.

His reflection on Aurora led to a question worth asking:
“𝗦𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶 𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲?”

Aurora is home to rich forests, diverse ecosystems, and natural resources that offer many opportunities for research. For Dr. Supsup, these are not simply resources to study. They can become the starting point for work that benefits our students, our province, and our communities.

The goal, then, is not only to learn from what the world has to offer.

It is also to discover what Aurora and the Philippines can contribute to the world.

And sometimes, the next research idea may already be right here at home.

𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬: Revisit Episode 01 of ELEVATED CONVERSATIONS and hear Dr. Supsup’s full reflection and the rest of the discussion.

𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦.
Conversations that take us higher.

ASCOT Information Unit

Office of CHED Commissioner Michelle Aguilar Ong
ASCOT Research and Development Office
ASCOT School of Forestry and Environmental Sciences
ASCOT Creative Media Corps
ASCOT - Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ascot Information and Communication Technology Center

01/10/2026

01/10/2026

01/10/2026

𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦 | 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼 𝗪𝗲 𝗗𝗼 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱?

In ELEVATED Conversations Episode 01 — “Nauna Pero Nahuli?”, we asked what happens when Filipino scholars learn from the world and bring those experiences home.

For Engr. Oscar C. Barawid Jr., PhD, a Japanese Government Scholar, the answer is not simply to learn from the world—but to turn what we learn into meaningful change at home.

One concept he brought home is Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement.

“𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮 𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗧.”

For Engr. Barawid, transformation does not always begin with grand changes. It can start in our different offices, through small improvements, shared consistently and intentionally.

Because perhaps this is what it means to learn from the world: we do not simply admire what others have built. We adapt, improve, and make it work for our own community.

And when these small improvements come together, they can create a much bigger transformation.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻.

That is one answer to “Nauna Pero Nahuli?”
𝗞𝗮𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲. 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

01/10/2026

𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗶 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘆𝗮? 👀

Hanapin. Pag-usapan. Tuklasin.
Sa Episode 02 ng ELEVATED Conversations.

Coming this October 6, 2026.

ASCOT Information Unit
Office of CHED Commissioner Michelle Aguilar Ong

01/10/2026

30/09/2026

LOOK| 𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗧 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗨𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗿.

September 30, 2026 — Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT) is officially part of the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings as a Reporter institution, following its submission of institutional data for the global rankings process.

𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗧 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝟰𝟵 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 listed under Reporter status for the 2027 rankings cycle.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 is given to institutions that participate in the rankings process but do not yet meet the requirements for a ranked position.

For ASCOT, participation provides an opportunity to benchmark its performance, strengthen research and publication output, improve institutional data systems, and expand international engagement.

As the College moves toward its vision of becoming a university, the milestone offers another way to understand where ASCOT is, where it can grow, and how it can continue aligning with global higher education standards.

The participation reflects ASCOT’s continuing push for internationalization and institutional development under the leadership of President Dr. Renato G. Reyes, with the support of the Internationalization Office and the various offices and units that contributed to the rankings process.

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗲𝘁. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.

Source: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/latest/world-ranking

Lay out and Article: ASCOT Information Unit

30/09/2026

ASCOT NEWS | ₱𝟱𝗠 𝗗𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻


September 29, 2026 — Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT) is set to scale up its mushroom research and innovation initiatives after securing a ₱5 million grant from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through its Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) Program.

The funding will support MUSHROOM+, a technology-based oyster mushroom project focused on strengthening food resiliency, improving local production, and creating livelihood opportunities for communities across Central Luzon.

Through the project, ASCOT will acquire substrate bag production equipment, automated mushroom grow-out tents, and processing facilities for value-added mushroom products.

The initiative builds on ASCOT’s growing work in mushroom research and technology, bringing research closer to practical applications in food production and community livelihood.

The funding was awarded by DOST Central Luzon through PSTO Aurora, headed by Provincial S&T Director Ms. Maricel M. Sicat, during a coordination meeting with ASCOT on September 29.

Representing ASCOT were President Dr. Renato G. Reyes, a mushroom expert; Vice President for Administration, Planning and Finance Dr. Oscar C. Barawid Jr.; Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Mayreen V. Amazona, Budget Officer Sherwin Serrano and ASCOT Research and Development Office team member, Angelica D. Matusalem .

The meeting also opened discussions on future DOST–ASCOT collaborations, including a proposed Natural Textile Fiber Innovation Hub and media-less mushroom cultivation technology. Initial preparations were likewise discussed for the 2027 Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week, which ASCOT will host in Aurora.

With the new support, ASCOT continues to turn science and innovation into opportunities that contribute to food resiliency, sustainable livelihoods, and community empowerment.

Lay out and Article | ASCOT Information Unit