Central Philippine University

By Sharlene G. Gotico

Ambassador Annika Thunborg and party with CPU administrators and faculty representatives at the Henry Luce III Library Conference Room
Ambassador Annika Thunborg and party with CPU administrators and faculty representatives at the Henry Luce III Library Conference Room.

Her Excellency Annika Thunborg, Ambassador of Sweden to the Philippines, visited CPU on February 27, 2023 to discuss with CPU administrators and faculty representatives the university’s environmental management and sustainability initiatives.

Ambassador Thunborg emphasized the value of maintaining sustainability and underscored the importance of avoiding the utilization of single use plastics, further giving as examples the environmentally-sound practices of Swedish-owned big brands such as Ikea and H&M.

The sustainability efforts of CPU were also discussed. Dr. Mary O’ Penetrante of the College of Business and Accountancy shared the university’s participation in externally-funded projects such as the recently concluded Rethinking Plastics project of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit or GIZ and the Clean Cities, Blue Ocean project of the USAID – Tetra Tech. Engr. Jeriel Militar of the College of Engineering also presented his proposed renewable energy project submitted to the USAID. Engr. Militar shared that as early as the 1990s, CPU has already begun its renewable energy initiatives through the establishment of the CPU-AREC (Affiliated Renewable Energy Center) with funding from the Department of Energy.

Dr. Aries Roda Romallosa, Chair of the Agricultural Engineering and Environmental Management Department of the College of Agriculture, Resources, and Environmental Sciences (CARES) and Engr. Bernie Cangrejo, Chair of the Packaging Engineering Department of the College of Engineering talked about the inclusion of environmental management and sustainability courses in the degree programs offered by their respective departments – BS in Environmental Management; Diploma in Environmental Resource Management and Technologies major in Solid Waste Management; and BS in Packaging Engineering.

Moreover, on CPU’s institutional efforts to uphold sustainability, Dr. Anna May Zerrudo, Director of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Center, shared that the university has recently applied for the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings. She added that CPU’s submission focused on four Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations – SDG 1 (no poverty); SDG 2 (zero hunger); SDG 4 (quality education); and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals).

CPU President Dr. Teodoro Robles, VP for Academic Affairs Dr. Irving Domingo Rio, and VP for Finance and Administration Dr. Florence Bogacia affirmed the university’s commitment to upholding the importance of education in ensuring environmentally-sound practices among students and the general population.

Ambassador Thunborg expressed appreciation for CPU’s environmental initiatives and sustainability efforts. The dialogue affirmed both parties’ commitment as stewards of environmental protection through raising awareness and actual practice.

Ambassador Thunborg was accompanied by her husband, Mr. Aaron Tovish and staff from the Embassy of Sweden to the Philippines, Ms. Athena Cartagena and Ms. Giselle Yap.