IRMATA

The official publication of Mariano Marcos State University college students

EDITORIAL BOARD AND STAFF A.Y. 2022-2023

NEIL BRYANT BALIAO Editor-in-chief | EDMAR DELOS SANTOS Associate Editor (Print) | DANA MERYLL GAPAS Associate Editor (Online) | RYAND ANGELO UGALDE Managing Editor (External) | ANTHONY

JOSEPH DUYAO Managing Editor (Internal) | IAN PAUL VILLANUEVA Managing Editor (Internal) | JESSA MARIZ CORPUZ, PAUL ANGELO JUAN Circulations Managers | IVY JANE GUANZON,ADDISON PASCUA, ALLIAH

DIMPLE QUITEVIS, QUIAN VENCEL GALUT News Writers | GRAZIEL MAE RAMAT, SHERYL UMALI, KYLE NOJEN ANDRES, JOYCE SHEENA PAJO Feature Writers | AIRRENE RACILES, HYUNGSON MAESTRADO, RODGE CARL VEA, JAYSON SABONG Literary Writers | MARC LOUIE PASION, BENEDICT JAY COLLADO, FEDERICK ABAD Sports Writers | AIRA NADINE PASCUA, BRENT NIKOLAI AGANUS, CARMELA JASMIN RAMIRO, ABIJAH MCGUILLER BARRUGA Visuals | DAVID ACACIO, CHRISTIAN HEAVEN BARRUGA Editorial Cartoonists | CRISDENIELE CLEMENTE, JOHN LLOYD BALANTAC, DANNAH ERIKA ECLARIN Photojournalists | JZYRYL RYCHNYL CARREON, CHRIS JEREMIAH ANTONIO

Layout Artists | CASMIR REMYELL CADIENTE, JOHN BRYAN DELA CRUZ Technical Directors | MOYRAH SHAINA COLOBONG, ANGEL CHRISTIN PED,JIRAH FAILANO, LUJEAN GUIEB, LUCKY CHARM PALTING Digital Reporters | BRYAN ELI SADORRA, BRYAN REALGO Advisers

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READ US ONLINE it was a little over five years ago in 2017 when then newly inducted university President Shirley C. Agrupis first introduced her vision—MMSU as a premiere Philippine university by 2028. Today, half a decade later and halfway through the set deadline, it is high time to do some evaluation: Are we on track to hitting the 2028 target?

Evidently, Agrupis has done many things right these past five years. And it shows. Fittingly outlined and patterned after the seven-point agenda ACHIEVE, the president laid out the university’s recent achievements in her latest State of the University Address (SOUA) held last January 19.

Most noteworthy are the university’s recognitions in the international scene. Last April 2022, MMSU ranked 401st600th worldwide in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact rankings for its contributions to the United Nation’s sustainable development goals. The university was also recognized by the UI Greenmetric World University rankings for its efforts in environmental sustainability, claiming the 365th spot. All this is on top of the many partnerships it has inked with international partners over time. In her speech during the Students’ Day Celebration on January 30, Agrupis declared, “We have found our mark in the international map of international Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).”

This academic year, MMSU also saw a 9.13% increase in enrolment across all year levels, ultimately changing its classification to a “medium university,” according to CHED guidelines. This is due in large part to the expanding array of program offerings. Consistent with the goal of academic relevance, the university this academic year opened the College of Veterinary Medicine, and a new undergraduate program in the form of the Bachelor of Science in Psychology in