The University of Northern Philippines (UNP) College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) marked its 60th founding anniversary through a series of outreach and sustainability initiatives across Ilocos Sur on January 30, 2026, highlighting the college’s enduring commitment to community service, environmental care, and family empowerment.
Rooted in the principles of volunteerism and sustainability, these initiatives united students, faculty, and partner communities in responding to urgent social and ecological concerns.
The BS Marine Biology Program, together with the Marine Biology Students Organization, spearheaded “M.A.R.I.N.E. Seatizens: A Coastal Clean-Up and Environmental Action Program” in Sived, Santo Domingo. The project addressed plastic pollution in coastal areas while immersing students in practical conservation work.
The BS Biology Program advanced its “BIO-nihan” extension activities, which included a Herbary Maintenance and Sustainability Workshop at Gawad Kalinga San Sebastian, San Vicente. The activity emphasized the preservation and responsible use of medicinal plants to promote community health. The program also organized a coastal clean-up drive in San Sebastian, reinforcing the importance of marine ecosystem protection and proper waste management.
The Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy hosted a seminar in San Julian Norte, Vigan City. The initiative highlighted the vital role of families in instilling values, fostering gender-sensitive parenting, and nurturing respect and responsibility among children.
Meanwhile, the Departments of Languages and Humanities and Mathematics and Natural Sciences collaborated on a clean-up drive and tree-planting activity, further advancing the college’s environmental advocacy.
Together, these programs embodied CAS’s holistic vision of education—one that extended beyond academic learning to empower communities, safeguard the environment, and strengthen family values—ultimately fostering service that transforms lives.
Article by Eden Beronilla
