MUSUAN, Maramag, Bukidnon (MindaNews/08 April) — Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez wants the Central Mindanao University (CMU) converted into the “Agriculture University of the Philippines,” with the same stature as that of the University of the Philippines Los Bańos in Laguna, Ma. Luisa Soliven, CMU president, said.
Soliven quoted Rodriguez, the guest of honor at CMU’s 57th Commencement Exercises, as saying the conversion would pave the way for more funds to flow into the university.
She said Rodriguez wants CMU converted into the AUP because of its resources, including 3,000 hectares of land, portions of which are contested by Lumads as their ancestral domain.
Soliven said Rodriguez pointed out that a vast area is what UPLB and Central Luzon State University, the top two agricultural schools in the country, do not have.
Earlier, Rodriguez co-authored House Bill 2654 with his brother, Abante Mindanao Rep. Maximo Rodriguez, seeking to appropriate P50 million for the construction of additional classrooms, laboratories, and dormitories in CMU to sustain its academic performance and further improve the quality of education it provides.
CMU, Soliven earlier said, is one of the top-performing schools in the country in the fields of veterinary medicine, engineering, forestry education and agriculture, among others.
Its College of Agriculture and College of Forestry were considered by the Commission on Higher Education as “Centers of Excellence.” (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)