Central Mindanao University

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Central Mindanao University

Motto: "The Academic Paradise of the Sounth"
Established: 1965
Type: Semi-Public School Run by Government
President: Dr. Mardonio M. Lao
Faculty: 500
Staff: 800
Students: 5000
Location: Dologon, Maramag, Bukidnon, Philippines
Campus: 1 Campus
Colors: Green
Nickname: CMU. - The Academic Paradise of the Sounth
Affiliations: Public School and Semi-Public. Run by the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges and a member of Mindanao Association State Colleges and Universities Foundation, Inc.
Website: www.cmu.edu.ph

Central Mindanao University is one of the two universities in the province of Bukidnon, Mindanao Island in the Philippines.

Contents

[edit] History

Central Mindanao University was transformed from a settlement of farm schools organized by the Americans. It started as the Mailag Industrial School in 1910 and offered only the first four grades of the elementary agriculture curriculum.[1] Situated in Mailag, Malaybalay, Bukidnon, this school was opened to address the necessity of training Bukidnons to teach in their own province as it was difficult to recruit non-Bukidnon teachers to serve in newly-opened public schools.[1]

In 1918, the school was renamed the Bukidnon Agricultural School and now offered the last three grades of the elementary agriculture curriculum. This was later relocated to Managok, Malaybalay, Bukidnon. After a few years it offered the secondary agriculture curriculum. By 1923, the Governor General renamed the school to the Bukidnon Rural High School and allocated 724 hectares for the school’s reservation by virtue of Proclamation No. 30. In 1928, the Philippine Legislature changed the named of the school to Bukidnon Agricultural High School, which was then a secondary agricultural school for male students. In 1938, it was renamed the Bukidnon National Agricultural School which implemented the secondary homemaking curriculum for female students.[2] After the war, Superintendent Zosimo Montemayor reopened the school but due to its terrible condition ccaused by World War II, the school was transferred to Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon.

Congressman Cesar Fortich of Bukidnon sponsored House Bill 3041, which elevated BNAS into an agricultural state college. On June 21, 1952, President Elpidio Quirino signed Republic Act 807, otherwise known as the Mindanao Agricultural College (MAC) Charter which also installed Zosimo Montemayor as President. This law also paved the way for funding from national, as well as foreign sources. In 1957-1960, three Stanford consultants, namely James Wall, Donald Green and John McCleland, lived in the locality and provided technical assistance in agricultural technology.[2]

In 1958, President Carlos Garcia, on recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, issued Proclamation No. 476 granting CMU 3,401 hactares of land. The titling of land began as early as 1961 before the Court of First Instance of Bukidnon to determine the rights of adverse claimants, if there were any.[2] By June 19, 1965, R.A. 4498 catapulted MAC to the Central Mindanao University with Montemayor as the first President.

In 1974, the 1971 Cadastral Court decision for the segregation of several hectares was amended for humanitarian reason and the government’s agrarian program. The 321.9 hectares were properly segregated and given to legitimate claimants and CMU was granted title for 3,080 hectares.

This institution has withstood the crises in leadership. Dr. Mardonio M. Lao, on his second term, is CMU’s seventh president. He succeeded Dr. Montano Salvador acting as officer-in-charge. The former presidents are as follow: Dr. Amado Campos, Dr. Isabelo S. Alcordo, Dr. Rodolfo Nayga, Dr. Leonardo Chua and Dr. Jaime Gellor.

CMU enjoyed for some decades the distinction of being the only state university in Region 10. Today, it is one of the top performing schools nationwide in the fields of veterinary medicine, engineering, forestry education, agriculture education, nutrition and dietetics and teacher education. The commission on Higher Education recognizes the College of Agriculture and College of Forestry as Centers of Excellence for agriculture and forestry education, respectively, while the Department of Biology of the Department of Biology o the College of Arts and Sciences as the Center of Development in Biology Education. The commitment for excellence not only in instruction but also in research, extension and production has earned laurels for this institution, enhanced by its collaboration with government and no-government agencies. Her graduates have brought honors and fame to CMU in local, regional, national and international competitions, be it quiz bowls, science fairs or leadership awards.

Despite her meager budget from the national government, CMU continues to provide quality education at affordable tuition deserving students in the “depressed, deprived and disadvantaged sectors” in the region. Presently, CMU implements three categories of tuition fees: P60 for new students, P40 for sophomores and P10 for the old students. These have been the tuition rate instituted to serve the poor because 80 percent of CMU students are children of farmers. The best University education that is not offered in neighboring schools and elsewhere in Mindanao is now available to these people at CMU. Increasing school fees would only drive the poor away from the University and become dissident elements of society who would add up to the number of people wallowing in poverty.

With the joint efforts of the administration and the constituents, the shared vision of making CMU an “academic paradise” can be reached.

[edit] Present Times

Graduates of this institution have brought fame and honor to their Alma Mater. Most recently, a BSCE graduate, Theonette Maribijoc, placed fifth in the Licensure Exam for Civil Engineers. A mechanical engineering graduate from the College of Engineering, Engr. Angel Alagos also topped the 2004 Licensure Examination for Mechanical Engineers where CMU obtained an 88.89 percent passing rate as against the national passing rate of 45.21 percent.

An agriculture graduate Roel Roy Cagmat also placed eighth in the first Board of Agriculture Licensure Examination given last 2003 One more feather has been added to the cap of CMU when her alumni made it to the top five in the Board Examination for Agricultural Engineers given last July 2004 in Manila. Engrs. Michael Manla and Elsa Egot were third and fifth placer, respectively. CMU’s passing rate then was 76.47 percent while the national passing rate was only 37.12 percent. Some BSEE students won two championship wards during the 18th IIEE Regional Quiz Show and the 6th Regional Math Wizard. Another batch of CMU graduates also registered as a 100 percent passing rate for the Board Examination for Electrical Engineers; 71 percent for the Licensure Exam for Chemists, which was way beyond the 46 percent national passing rate, and the College of Education as third best school in Teacher Education in the country. In the Licensure Examination for Foresters, on the other hand, CMU got a 38 percent passing rate as against the 35 percent national passing rate. PRC records showed that for he last five years, the CMU-College of Veterinary Medicine is the second top performing school nationwide and number one in Mindanao.

The average performance of CMU graduates in the different professional board examinations in Engineering, Forestry, Veterinary Medicine, Home Economics and Education is 67.80 percent as against the 40 percent national passing percentage, last year.

CMU students continuously brought laurels to this university as three youngest scientist from the Central Mindanao Laboratory High School (CMULHS) who represented the Philippines in the International Science and Engineering Fair held inn Detroit, Michigan, USA in 2000 won fourth place among more than 1,000 entries worldwide.

In October of the same year, another two young scientists, still from the CMULHS, competed in Germany in a scientist research contest sponsored by te World Young Researchers on Environment (WYRE) and emerged among the top 23 entries out of 73 entries worldwide.

Among CMU alumnus, Dr. Glenn Gregorio, a plant breeder/geneticist of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) received one of the 2004 Ten Outstanding Toung Men (TOYM) award for his exemplary contribution in the field of plant breeding and genetics from the Junior Chamber International-Philippines. Other CMU alumni, Giselle Lou Cabahug and Oliver Abrinella, also received awards for the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines and at the same time, they are both José Rizal Model Students.

CMU consistently boasts of its three faculty members, who were accredited by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as “scientist". They are Dr. Herminio Pava, Dr. Nonito Franje and Dr. Victor Amoroso. The latter was a recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Scientist (TOYS) award of the Philippines. Another faculty member, Dr. Andrea Azuelo, received an award as Outstanding Teacher of the Philippines (Secondary Level) given by the Metrobank Foundation, adding more recognition and awards received by some recognition and awards received by some faculty members who excelled in their fields.

These are just some of the achievements that made CMU ranked second among the state colleges and universities, in institutional performance nationwide.

[edit] Academic Programs

  • College of Agriculture
  • College of Arts And Sciences
  • College of Education
  • College of Engineering
  • College of Forestry
  • College of Home Economics
  • College of Veterinary Medicine

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Lao, Mardonio M. (1985), Bukidnon in Historical Perspective, Vol. 1, Publications Office, Central Mindanao University, OCLC 15243254 
  2. ^ a b c Quisumbing, Jose R., History of Central Mindanao University 

[edit] External links