by Wilson J Hormeguera
Xavier University, through the Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana – Social Involvement Office (KKP-SIO), organized the 3rd Collaborative Service Learning Summit with the theme, “Education for a Climate-resilient and Sustainable Mindanao” on February 20. It showcased the different service-learning engagements of Xavier students with the partner communities.
Students engaged in service learning presented their researches in line with the five thematic agenda of the university, namely: Food Security, Good Governance, Health and Sanitation, Environment, and Peace during the breakout sessions in the morning session.
Under Food Security, Computer Science students presented the ICT support system, which featured price monitoring, digital area map and the XU-Farm website, they designed for farmers in Claveria and Balingasag. Civil Engineering Students, through the Engineering Resource Center, developed area maps to aid Sumialo farmers in their land use and production planning. The Economics and Sociology students assessed and analyzed the sustainability of current High Value Crops farming in Panampawan, Claveria, which led to the formulation of strategies, policy recommendations and action plan to assist farmers improve their farming practices.
Researches on Good Governance included studies related to Typhoon Sendong done by Psychology students. These were on “Family Resiliency and Community Involvement of Families Directly Affected by Typhoon Sendong,” “Resiliency among the Elderly,” and the “Social Interaction in the Home and School as Way of Coping for Half-orphaned Children in the Indahag Relocation Site.” The studies aimed to contribute to the improvement of government services in these communities.
On Health and Sanitation, Nursing students presented their experience in hygiene promotions in the evacuation sites of Sendong survivors to decrease and prevent the spread of communal illnesses.
Environment studies included the “GIS-aided AutocidalOvitrap Surveillance and Control of Dengue Mosquitoes at Barangays Lumbia and Macasandig” carried out by Biology students and the “Water Analysis of the Deep Well at Barangay Macasandig” of the Chemistry students.
In the promotion of peace, students in the Student Volunteer Formation Program of KKP-SIO shared about their work for peace, interreligious dialogue, and development in forming leaders, especially in Mindanao.
The afternoon session was devoted to the Collaborative Service Learning Program (CSLP) institutionalization and partnerships with other colleges and universities. Engr Ermin Stan B Pimentel, KKP-SIO director and forerunner of XU-CSLP, introduced how the Service-Learning (SL) Model has helped XU enhanced its teaching, research, and social outreach. The model has also reinforced XU’s Development Goal on Greater Societal Engagement. He emphasized that the SL Model has also provided “meaningful interactions and learning experiences for both the students and partner communities.”
Other than the university administrators, faculty, and students, also present in the summit were representatives from partner institutions such as the Catholic Relief Services, People’s Cooperatives of Centro, Palalan, and BaluarteLumbia, Lumbia National High School, Baluarte National High School, Xavier Ecoville, Macasandig Elementary School, LGU-Balingasag, Claveria Parish, DSWD, and Social Action Center of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. For the objective of forging university partnerships, extension directors of Central Mindanao University, Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology – Davao del Norte, Bukidnon State University, and Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology – Claveria, Misamis Oriental were present in the summit.