There is a reason for the Visayas Consortium for  Agriculture and Resources Program  (ViCARP) and its lead institution, the Visayas  State University (VSU), to celebrate. This is because for the first time in the history Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), one of the 13 councils of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), that an R & D consortium has won  three major awards—the Tanglaw Award, the PANTAS for Research Administrator and the P A N T A S for Researcher/Scientist categories.

ViCARP had endorsed this year for  the Tanglaw Award Philippine Root  Crops Research  and Training Center  (PhilRootcrops), VSU President, and ViCARP - Regional R and D Coordinating  Council Chair, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, PANTAS ( Research  Administrator  Category) and  VSU  Vice President for Administration and  Finance and College of Engineering Dean and  Professor /Scientist, Dr. Roberto C. Guarte, for  the PANTAS (Researcher/Scientist category). All three endorsees had won the awards. What is the significance of winning the Tanglaw and the PANTAS Awards and why should every consortium has to work so hard to win these awards? The Tanglaw Award was first granted by PCARRD in 1974. The Tanglaw is a Filipino word that means light. It is granted to an outstanding institution that has contributed significantly to the national research system particularly in the advancement of Philippine agriculture, forestry and natural resources research and development. PhilRootcrops of VSU is this year’s Tanglaw awardee and will get a Php 1-million grant for station development, capability building and upgrading of facilities plus a trophy. PhilRootcrops will be represented by its current Director, Dr. Julieta R. Roa. The second time that PhilRootcrops had won the Tanglaw Award. The first time was during the administration of Dr. Marianito R. Villanueva, the first Director of PRCRTC (now PhilRootcrops). ViSCA (now VSU) had also won the Tanglaw Award during the administration of former President Fernando A. Bernardo. The PANTAS Award, on the other hand, was first granted by PCARRD in 1976. PANTAS means sage, a wise man, or an intellectual. For PCARRD, this award “is a fitting description for one whose management of science and pursuit of research undertakings does not only manifest intelligence and knowledge but also perseverance, creativity, and resourcefulness.” PANTAS has two categories-Research Administrator and Researcher/Scientist. Former VSU administrators like Dr. Fernando A. Bernardo (ViSCA) and Dr. Paciencia P. Milan (LSU) had won this award. This year’s PANTAS (Research Administrator Category) awardee is VSU President, Dr. Jose L. bacusmo. He will get a cash prize of Php 100-thousand pesos plus a trophy. VSU’s Vice President for Administration and Finance, Dr. Roberto C. Guarte, the PANTAS (Researcher/Scientist category) awardee will bag a cash prize of Php 100-thousand, a Php 1-million research grant and a trophy. The awards will be given at the Dusit Hotel in Makati City on November 10, 2010 in time for the PCARRD’s 38th anniversary celebration.