The Ateneo de Zamboanga University-Geo-informatics for a Systematic Assessment of Flood Effects and Risks in Mindanao (Geo-SAFER) ZAMBASULTA Project Office based inside AdZU’s Salvador campus in La Purisima, was visited today, March 13 by the Department of Science and Technology Secretary (DOST) Fortunato Dela Peña and his team. The GeoSAFER project is funded by DOST.
The DOST team was welcomed by AdZU President, Fr Karel San Juan, SJ, together with the Vice President for Higher Education, Fr. Louie Catalan, SJ, and the Vice President for Administration, Fr. Richard Ella, SJ; and Project Leader of AdZU Geo-SAFER ZAMBASULTA Mario Rodriguez, and University officials.
Secretary dela Pena was joined by his team composed of the following: Undersecretary for Research and Development, Rowena Guevara, Undersecretary for Regional Operations Brenda Nazareth-Manzano (who used to be the director for DOST Region IX and a former member of the AdZU Board of Trustees); Director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARD), Reynaldo Ebora, and the current DOST IX Regional Director, Martin Wee, along with other DOST officials.
During the visit, AdZU Engineering Department also took the chance to showcase to the DOST Secretary and his team its latest course offering, the BioMedical Engineering, which was presented by Program proponent and Engineering faculty member, Engr Eugene S. Kanindot.
AdZU-Geo-SAFER ZAMBASULTA is one of the projects under the Geo-SAFER Mindanao Program, with the mandate to generate Flood Hazard Maps of river basins in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (ZAMBASULTA), as well as to develop Siltation Maps of selected urban river systems and Resource Maps for the Provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
AdZU took on the challenge of flood resiliency in Mindanao last year with the launch of the Geo-SAFER Mindanao Program. Through the Geo-SAFER program, the University helps in carrying out the mission of creating “One Resilient ZAMBASULTA,” the GeoSAFER project motto.
