By Roel Amazona
TACLOBAN CITY – The Northwest Samar State University (NwSSU) has opened two extension campuses in Samar province, bringing higher education closer to students in upland communities.
In a statement issued Wednesday, NwSSU said the opening of extension campuses in the towns of Matuguinao and Paranas is part of the Project S.A.M.A.R. (Smart Access and Mobile Academic Resources), an educational initiative by the provincial government of Samar, in partnership with state universities, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and local government units, which aims to bring tertiary education closer to remote and island communities in Samar.
The first extension campus opened on Oct. 9 in the town center of Matuguinao, while the second class was launched on Oct. 12 in Concepcion village in Paranas town.
Each extension class has 30 pioneering students taking Bachelor of Science in Agriculture course.
“This educational initiative provides students in Matuguinao, Paranas and nearby municipalities with an opportunity to pursue a college degree without having to travel far from their communities,” NwSSU said in a statement.
Matuguinao is an interior town of Samar province, located around 62 kilometers from Catbalogan City, the provincial capital.
The second NwSSU extension campus in Samar is located in Concepcion village, one of the upland communities in Paranas town, which is 24 kilometers away from Catbalogan City.
“By producing graduates skilled in modern horticulture and sustainable farming practices, the program is expected to empower local farmers, boost agricultural productivity, and strengthen the province’s food security and local economy,” the NwSSU added.
In Paranas, the students will hold their class in a building constructed using eco-bricks collected through the local government’s “Exchange Your Eco-brick Program.”
It is also designed to be solar-powered and equipped with a rainwater catchment system, incorporating environmental sustainability into the university’s expansion of educational services.
The extension campuses underwent an inspection by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and NwSSU officials in August, as part of the evaluation of the facility for the proposed agriculture program. (PNA)
