VIRAC, Catanduanes, June 28, (PIA)- Dr. Patrick Alain T. Azanza, the newly elected State University and Colleges (SUC)President III of Catanduanes State University (CatSU) took his oath of office before the chairman of the Board of Regents (BOR) CHED Commissioner Aldrin A. Darilag on June 24, 2021.
Dr. Azanza who was elected during a special zoom meeting in a majority vote cast through secret balloting by BOR members, will serve a four-year term starting June 25, 2021 and will end on June 24, 2025, or unless reappointed for another term as the University’s charter provides under Sec. 9.
His election this June 2021 coincides with the institution’s 50th year making him its seventh President since its establishment as a College on June 19, 1971 and second University President since its conversion through RA 10229 authored by then Catanduanes Congressman Cesar V. Sarmiento and signed into law by President Benigno S. Aquino III on October 19, 2012.
An alumnus of CatSU, Azanza has gained experience in the academe for more than 25 years also serving as Chief Academic Officer and later, Chief Operations Officer of the AMA University where he also served as Chairman of the University Conversion Committee, and the ISO-Quality Management System Compliance Committee.
Dr. Azanza was also an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman and was the Human Resources Director of the entire UP System. He was a recipient of the 1996 Lingkod Bayan Award, the highest award given by the Office of the President to outstanding civil servants, and the Distinguished UPLB Alumnus Award.
Prior to his stint for CatSU presidency, he was the President of the Eclaro Academy and Eclaro Business Solutions Inc., a New York-based IT/ Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company with operations in Asia, Europe and North America.
He finished his Bachelor of Arts (AB), Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education under a straight UP Presidential Scholarship Grant and holds a Juris Doctor from the UP College of Law. He completed his post-doctoral program at Harvard University; Diploma in Human Resource Management at the University of California, and Human Capital Management at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).
Dr. Azanza also served as former National Secretary General and Executive Director of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines, and member of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines, as well as the Fraternal Order of Eagles and is also an elected Board Member of the Red Cross Quezon City Chapter.
As the new CatSU president, he envisions CatSU “to become a globally-recognized research university committed to excellent service to the nation.” He also puts emphasis on the need to assess and build academic future based on the University’s potentials and strengths, and harness its available resources in order for it to become a world-class academic institution.
CatSU’s BOR is composed of the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) who serves as the Board’s Chairperson, with the University President as its Vice-Chairperson. Members include the respective Chairpersons of Committees in Education, Arts and Culture (Senate), and the Higher and Technical Education (House of Representatives), Regional Directors of NEDA and DOST, Presidents of federation of faculty association, student councils, and alumni associations in the University, and two prominent citizens from the private sectors who have distinguished themselves in their profession or fields of specialization of the University. (EAB-PIA5/Catanduanes)
