By Elaisha L. Pomida, BA Comm-4, The Centralian Link Intern

 

In implementation of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance collaboration between institutions, Central Philippine University (CPU) welcomed Burapha University (BUU) to its campus on February 5 – 6, 2026, for an International Mobility Program between their nursing schools.

Specifically, the two universities have agreed on the following three areas of cooperation: research collaboration, academic and student exchanges, and internationalization, all of which were furthered through the various engagements undertaken by the institution during the two-day program.

To formally welcome BUU represented by Asst. Prof. Dr. Pornchai Jullamate, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing; Prof. Louela Cordova-Acedera, Vice Dean for International Affairs and CPU College of Nursing (CPUCN) alumna; and several of their faculty and students from Thailand, a courtesy call ceremony was held with the presence of CPU President Rev. Ernest Howard B. Dagohoy in the morning of their first day, February 5.

Key personnel of the administration and CPUCN, namely: Dr. Merle L. Junsay, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Aries Roda D. Romallosa, Acting Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension; Prof. Lesley Joy Dignadice, Director of Local and International Linkages Applications Center; together with Prof. Melba C. Sale, Dean of CON; Prof. Alvin John Gustilo, CPUCN International Linkages Coordinator; Prof. Joy B. Lacson, Level 4 Coordinator; and Prof. Janette E. Yap, Clinical Coordinator and CPU Birthing Center Administrator, were also present to welcome the guests.

The short program gave dignitaries of both universities the opportunity to express their gratitude and excitement for the future of the partnership through messages, preceding the highlight of the ceremony—the private discussions on collaborations participated in by Dr. Jullamate and Prof. Acedera from BUU, and Dr. Romallosa, Prof. Dignadice, Dean Sale, and Prof. Gustilo from CPU.

“I promise that our MOU will not die MOU. We will work on this with the deans, and even if I am in the last year of my deanship, I am sure that the friendship, relation, and collaboration will go on”, vowed Dr. Jullamate in his message, subsequently echoed by Dean Sale who expressed profound gratitude for the milestones achieved by the institutions together, as well as the “strong professional friendships” developed that began through virtual discourses.

Dean Sale further ensured BUU partners that the college is “very sincere with our endeavors” because of the institutions’ shared commitment in “advancing nursing education, advanced nursing practices, and research beyond borders”.

Additionally, Prof. Acedera, BUU official and a proud alumna of CPU Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Class of 1994, was commended and given gratitude by Dr. Jullamate, Rev. Dr. Dagohoy, and Dean Sale during the program, for paving the way for the institutions’ collaborations.

“I am proud to bring CPU into the limelight. It’s actually the first of the few big steps that I am going to have…because right now I am the International Affairs Chairperson of the Faculty of Nursing at Burapha University in Thailand. Although I cannot give directly to the College of Nursing, I can help to connect the two institutions to a bigger picture,” expressed Prof. Acedera in an interview with The Centralian Link, further sharing that CPU’s motto, “Scientia et Fides,” is what guides her in everything she does, and that she is motivated to give back to the university by her gratitude to CPU for training her in “whole Christian education.”

Moreover, a brief workshop on research collaborations was held in the afternoon. According to Dr. Romallosa, both universities were able to strategize their research roadmap for the next two to three years, guided by the goal of serving the society and community of both universities through sustainable collaborations and high-impact research results.

“Together with BUU and aligned to CPU’s RDE agenda on Health and Allied Sciences, the collaboration will concentrate on Health Care Preparedness program specifically under the ‘PAG-ANDAM’ Project. Coming from the Hiligaynon word ‘pag-andam’ which also relates to preparedness, ‘PAG-ANDAM’ also means Program on Applied Global Health and Disaster and Medical Preparedness. In the next years under this project, a phased research initiative will be implemented specifically on the assessment of health care preparedness in Thailand and in the Philippines, starting with the older adults to be followed by other sectors,” Dr. Romallosa shared with The Centralian Link.

On the other hand, simultaneously on the first day from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, CPUCN and BUU gave lectures to their students focused on Disaster Nursing and Emergency Response, held at the Loreto D. Tupaz (LDT) Building Discussion and Debriefing Room 1.

The following topics were taught with the corresponding lecturers:

• Building Community Resilience through the Thai Village Health Volunteer System by Mrs. Wijitra Saleengarm;
• Healthcare for Patients with Chronic Diseases and Patient Evacuation during Floods in Thailand by Asst. Prof. Artittaya Artiwichayanon;
• Disaster Preparedness and Response for Older Adults in Thailand: Protecting the Most Vulnerable Population by Ms. Sawin Hom Van de Liefvoort;
• Presentation of the CPU College of Nursing BSN Curriculum by Prof. Michael M. Tatoy, Academic Coordinator
• Disaster and Emergency Nursing Course (NCM 4225) by Dr. Raymund H. Partisala, Course Team Leader, and;
• Lecture and Demo on Triage, First Aid, Basic Life Support (BLS), and Automated External Defibrillator by CPUCN Disaster and Emergency Nursing Course Team.

On the second day of the program, February 6 at 8:00 AM, faculty and students of CPUCN and BUU gathered at the LDT Audio Visual Room to participate in the Disaster and Emergency Nursing Rescuelympics, where learners, divided into groups, were tasked to demonstrate practical triage, first aid, and BLS skills in several stations across the competition.

Subsequently, messages of appreciation were given by the deans of CPUCN and BUU Faculty of Nursing, together with responses from their faculty and students.

The International Mobility Program formally came to a close, with the awarding of Rescuelympics winners, certificates of participation to members of both institutions, and a photo opportunity to commemorate the two-day global engagement.

In an exclusive interview with The Centralian Link, Dr. Jullamate expressed his appreciation for the friendship between the universities, emphasizing the importance of cultural exchange in the strengthening of both nursing schools.

“I think this is a very good chance for…[these] two institutions, CPU and BUU, that we can make our collaborations, and of course friendships, go on. So, we will strengthen our collaboration in the future because I believe that nurses or nursing students will become the people of this world. So, they have to know each other, and they have to learn the differences between Thailand and the Philippines, and they can apply these to our people, our clients,” expressed Dr. Jullamate.

He also conveyed his excitement for the upcoming joint engagements and his openness to sharing BUU’s Advanced Practice Nursing, considered as their strength in the field, to CPU.

Furthermore, on behalf of CPUCN, Prof. Gustilo shared with The Centralian Link the college’s concrete actions towards the next International Mobility Program with BUU, curriculum assessment, course integration, and research collaboration, among others, as he looks forward to the university’s expansion and cultural exchange.

The two-day global engagement is only the beginning of CPU and BUU’s joint undertakings in honor of strengthening collaboration and linkage in 2026. In April of this year, a CPU-BSN delegation will travel to BUU in Saen Suk, Thailand, for the forthcoming International Mobility Program organized by the Faculty of Nursing.