The School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM) paid tribute to its founding pillars and awarded service recognition to faculty and staff during the 20^th anniversary celebrations last December 4, 2017 conducted at the SESAM Lecture Hall and grounds.

The afternoon activity, under the theme “Tribute to SESAM Founding Pillars: Nurturing the Seeds of an Environmental Idea”, a tribute lecture was delivered by Dr. Mari-Ann Acedera, Director of the Marine Resources Division, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquaculture and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), and former advisee of Dr. Enrique P. Pacardo, Professor Emeritus, SESAM. Dr. Acedera recalled the best lessons she learned from Dr. Pacardo when she was taking her PhD Environmental Science course.

“Dr. Pacardo was perceived as kind but very strict… even in those times when I was having difficulty doing my dissertation while working, Dr. Pacardo was very patient with me”, Dr. Acedera recalled. Dr. Pacardo later thanked Dr. Acedera, the students and his SESAM family for the recognition.

Dr. Asa Sajise, professor of the College of Economics and Management (CEM), delivered the response of  his father aand another SESAM pillar, Dr. Percy E. Sajise, who is currently recovering from a medical procedure. Dr. Asa, said his dad would have been very happy to attend the anniversary celebration and he just sent his regards and congratulations to SESAM. Dr. Sajise was supposedly be given a tribute lecture by Dr. Mailiza V. Ticsay, Head, Knowledge Resources Unit, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), however she did not make it due to a family emergency.

 Words of inspiration. (Top) UPLB Chancellor Sanchez and Former UPLB Chancellor Ruben Villareal; (Bottom) Los Baños Mayor Ceasar P. Perez and Provincial Administrator Dulce Rebanal, during the 20th anniversary of SESAM last December 4, 2017.

Meanwhile, during the evening cocktails and service awards ceremony, SESAM’s partners were also recognized. Local leaders such as Hon. Ceasar P. Perez, Mayor, Municipality of Los Baños and Atty. Dulce Rebanal, Provincial Administrator of Laguna (representing Governor Ramil Hernandez), delivered inspirational messages to SESAM.  These leaders hope that there will be more collaboration with SESAM in the future. SESAM was commissioned by the Provincial Government of Laguna to craft the Laguna Environmental Code (E-code).

Also giving his congratulatory message was former Chancellor Ruben Villareal, who was then the UPLB chancellor in 1997 when SESAM was elevated into a School. “Since the 70s, environmental science was already in my mind… I already thought about the need for the PESAM program to expand” Dr. Villareal stressed. For his part, Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, UPLB Chancellor and also SESAM alumni, said that it high time for SESAM to help develop other State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) their environmental science programs. “I think the next thing SESAM must do in the next 20 years is we must go out, to help other SUCs in their Environmental Science programs”.

Also in the evening, with theme “The SESAM Oikos: Family, Service and Loyalty”, length-of-service awards were given to faculty and staff. There were more than 100 guests, students, UPLB officials and SESAM alumni attended the whole-day 20th anniversary celebration.