The Commission on Higher Education granted the Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) to CTU Tuburan Campus’ BS Agriculture program on April 6, 2022 after having successfully complied the minimum requirements set forth by CHED based on CMO No. 14 Series of 2008.
The commission granted the COPC in accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 7722 or the “Higher Education Act of 1994” by virtue of Resolution No. 948- 2017.
The Certificate of Program Compliance (COPC) is a recognition that the specific degree programs being offered by State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)/ Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) are fully compliant with the policies, standards, and guidelines of CHED.
This COPC is the latest acquisition for CTU Tuburan Campus’ program offerings. The campus’ BS Agriculture program was first offered in 2012 with three specializations: Agronomy, Animal Science and Horticulture. Since the offering of the program, graduates are now being employed in different industries both local and overseas.
The program has also posted a 47.06% mark during its first take in the national Licensure Examination for Agriculturists back in 2016. This achievement was on top of the program’s pioneer graduate, Mr. Julian O. Cumad, who placed second in the national Licensure exam in the same year.
Some of the crucial factors in achieving the COPC are the faculty profile of the college; research endeavors which comprise of local, national (Department of Agriculture- Bureau of Agricultural Research) and international (Thailand National Science and Technology Development Agency and University of Quebec and Montreal, Canada) collaborative research projects; community extension projects involving native pigs promotion, hydroponics, use of entomopathogenic nematodes in organic pest control and use of biofertilizers; library resources and facilities and equipment which were augmented through strategic partnerships with government agencies (Tuburan LGU, Department of Agriculture Region 7 and Sugar Regulatory Administration), cooperatives (First Consolidated Cooperatives Along Tañon Seaboards and LAMAC MPC) private institutions (Tuburan Coffee Technical and Marketing Group).
Other factors include internship partners since the program offering, namely, SEAMEO Biotrop in Bogor, Indonesia, Tuburan Coffee, SRA Medellin, DA- LGU Asturias, Asturias Farms Inc., Tompar Farm, Cecilia Integrated Farm, Los Platanos, Genros Farm, San Antonio de Padua Farm Inc., FCCT- Tuburan, SPAAFI Alegria and Argao Breeding Station.
Recent developments in the College of Agriculture include the turnover of its state- funded 4- story 8- classroom building and ongoing establishment of the Tuburan Farm School which is a collaborative undertaking of LGU Tuburan, CTU Tuburan and Tuburan Coffee.
With the recent acquisition of its COPC, the College of Agriculture now looks forward to offering new specializations under the BS Agriculture program. These new specialization offerings will possibly include Agricultural Economics, Crop Protection, Soil Science and Agricultural Extension and Communication within the next three to four years.- Rickie Gonzaga/ICPA Tuburan