The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), through its Graduate School (GS), held “A Public Forum on Sustainability and Policy” at the UPV Little Theater, Iloilo City campus on May 5, 2025, to gear up for the Master of Science in Sustainability (MScS) program offering in the next academic year.
Sen. Loren Legarda, in her video keynote lecture, said “the interdisciplinary approach of the Master of Science in Sustainability program is particularly noteworthy. Sustainability challenges are multi-faceted and cannot be addressed by a single discipline alone.”
“As we launch the [MScS] program, we must remember that sustainability is a shared responsibility. It requires a collective effort, from [the] government, the private sector, civil society, the academe, [and] the grassroots,” Sen. Legarda added.
Members of the academe served as the discussants during the public forum and discussed a variety of topics, including collaboration across sectors, human ecological relationships, cultural sustainability, and the roles of the actors in sustainability.
Those who served as the discussants were Dr. Fidel Nemenzo, a professor at the UP Diliman - Institute of Mathematics; Dr. Jennifer Marie Amparo, Dean of the UP Los Baños - College of Human Ecology; Dr. Raymundo Rovillos, Interim President of the Pangasinan Polytechnic College and professor at the UP Baguio - College of Social Sciences; and Dr. Kevin Henry Villanueva, a UP Associate Professorial Fellow in Global Politics and Philosophy.
UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano, GS Dean Dr. Rodelio Subade, and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Prof. Pepito Fernandez, Jr. were also part of the public forum. They gave their messages on the launching of the MScS program of the University.
Chancellor Camposano, in his message said the problem on sustainability “involves many aspects of life and I think that only way for this to be properly addressed is with programs that bring together expertise from different directions and disciplines.”
The UP Board of Regents approved the MScS program of UPV during its 1395th meeting held on Nov. 28, 2024. The program aims to provide graduates with a comprehensive academic understanding of sustainability and the ability to effectively collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to conduct research and develop adaptable solutions to specific sustainability issues.
