UP Diliman (UPD), the Provincial Government of Batanes (PGB), and the Batanes State College (BSC) inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Jan. 30 at the BSC Amphitheater.
This was another milestone in UPDs’ partnership with the island province since Batanes was chosen as a member of the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on 16 June 2023 (See https://upd.edu.ph/upds-batanes-tourism-and-hospitality-monitoring-center for related story).
According to the MOU, the three parties shall engage in “research collaboration, extension projects, and similar undertakings related to the sustainability of the Batanes Islands and its membership in UNWTO-INSTO,” and shall cover the areas of “governance, resident satisfaction, destination economic benefits, employment and human resources, tourism seasonality and visitor satisfaction, energy management, solid waste management, wastewater management, climate change, accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusivity.”
The MOU, which will be effective until 30 Oct. 2026, details the obligations and responsibilities of the parties (UPD, PGB, and BSC) and concerns on intellectual property right and publications, as well as on confidentiality.
UPD Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II remarked that this partnership with the Batanes local government and the BSC is an avenue for the University to offer its expertise and practice its public service in one of the country’s farthest regions.
Signatories of the MOU were Vistan for UPD, Batanes Provincial Governor Marilou H. Cayco (represented by Batanes Vice Governor Ignacio C. Villa) for PGB, and BSC President Djovi Regala Durante for the BSC.
University officials that witnessed the MOU signing were Augustus C. Resurreccion, PhD, UP vice president for administration; Mary Anne Ramos Tumanan, PhD, project director of the Batanes Tourism and Hospitality Monitoring Center; and Edieser DL. Dela Santa, PhD, former dean of the UPD Asian Institute of Tourism.
