In a solemn and historic ceremony held on February 27, 2026, Dr. Dennis C. de Paz officially rededicated himself as the 4th President of Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU), ushering in a second term defined by ambitious institutional growth and a national vision for environmental leadership. Standing before a prestigious gathering of the university’s Board of Regents, government officials, and the academic community, Dr. de Paz reflected on a four-year journey of “triumphs, trials, and transformations,” characterizing his reappointment as a reaffirmation of collective trust rather than a mere continuation of duty.
The President’s address highlighted a series of landmark achievements that have fortified EVSU’s standing in the Philippine higher education landscape. Under his administration, the university has seen a dramatic rise in global and national rankings, notably jumping from 134th in 2020 to 24th nationwide in the 2025 UniRank standings, making it the top State University and College (SUC) in Region VIII. This academic momentum is supported by a robust surge in research productivity, with EVSU recording its highest-ever annual output of 43 Scopus-indexed publications in 2025 and securing a Platinum award from IPOPHIL for three consecutive years for its achievements in patents and intellectual property.
Dr. de Paz also accentuated the university’s commitment to modernization through substantial infrastructure investments. Recent projects approved by the Board include the upgrading of campus security gates, the completion of key academic buildings in the Main and Burauen campuses, and the ongoing “Smart Campus Enhancement Project” aimed at providing advanced digital systems. These physical developments complement significant policy reforms that have strengthened employee welfare, streamlined administrative processes, and earned the university recognition under the PRIME-HRM Bronze Award.
Looking toward the future, the president unveiled a transformative 15-year roadmap (2025-2040) centered on a “legacy project”: the conversion of EVSU into the National University for Resiliency and Climate Action (NURCA). This vision seeks to position the university at the forefront of global discourse on climate responsibility by integrating climate-focused curricula across all disciplines and establishing specialized research hubs for disaster risk reduction and renewable energy. Dr. de Paz noted that EVSU is uniquely positioned for this role, having already pioneered climate action initiatives such as the deployment of the Mobile Command and Control Vehicle (MoCCoV) in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology.
In his closing remarks, Dr. De Paz called for a “covenant of action” from the faculty, staff, students, and alumni to move forward not cautiously, but courageously. Emphasizing the theme “One University for Humanity,” Dr. de Paz pledged to lead the institution in not just enduring the realities of climate change, but leading the nation in confronting them. With a firm commitment to institutional excellence and societal impact, he concluded by declaring that the best years of Eastern Visayas State University are yet to come.
This article is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action; and SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
via Emarie Macato | UMDC
edited by JS Beleña | UMDC
