Meeting with Butuan TMC and TMC of Downtown TMC

Key Outcomes

The planned joint meeting was moved from September 5 to September 17–18 to allow more key officers to attend, including TM Crev (Butuan TMC President) and TM Heavy. The revised itinerary combines a courtesy call with the Mayor, demo meetings at two universities (FSUU and CSU), and a joint installation of officers. Weekly online coordination meetings were agreed upon every Thursday at 7 PM. 12

Decisions Made

• Date change: Joint meeting rescheduled from September 5 → September 17–18 13
• September 17 (afternoon): Courtesy call with Mayor Laurel Lawrence Fortune of Butuan 45
• September 18 (morning/afternoon): Demo meetings at FSUU and CSU Caraga 67
• September 18 (evening): Installation of officers for both Butuan TMC and Downtown Butuan clubs, which have not yet held their installation 78
• Demo meeting format confirmed: word of the day, table topics, one prepared speech, evaluator, timer, grammarian — approximately 1.5 hours plus Q&A 910
• Two options to be presented to FSUU prospects: charter a new campus club or join an existing Butuan club 1112
• CSU Caraga also identified as a target for outreach, leveraging existing member connections (TM Rex Roxas, former CSU members) 1314

Outreach & Club Growth Strategy

• FSUU contact: Dean Dr. Belinda Plaza Ato Candelario; letter to be addressed to the University President, cc'd to the Dean 15
• LGU Butuan: Initial courtesy call with the mayor first; formal proposal to follow — not a same-day demo 416
• President Jem (Butuan TMC) has connections in the Sanggunian (City Council) and may help secure a mayoral appointment 1718
• Historical precedent: Butuan once had 13 LGU-supported clubs under a previous administration; sustainability depended on committed leadership and COA-accredited status 192021
• Amara Hotel owner (TM Bobsey's contact) identified as a potential new member/sponsor to invite to the September 18 event 2223
• TM Crev to reach out to former CSU Toastmasters members (e.g., TM Army Montilla, TM Sonia) to re-engage interest 2425

Pending Confirmation

• TM Heavy (Downtown Butuan) and Ma'am Jojo availability on September 17–18 to be confirmed 626
• Mayoral appointment on September 17 to be arranged through President Jem's Sanggunian connection 18
• Core demo team volunteers from both clubs — internal arrangement to be finalized by each club 2728
• FSUU venue availability (function room on campus) to be confirmed 29
• Jan Andrew (Butuan TMC) has afternoon duty on Saturday — availability uncertain 26

Action Items

• AD (Jennifer): Send customized prospect letter to FSUU (addressed to University President, cc Dean Candelario); include two membership options and September 17–18 date 153031
• AD: Create a group chat for all participating clubs and officers for coordination 3233
• AD: Finalize and circulate meeting details/itinerary before next Thursday's online sync 31
• TM Dilbert / Downtown Butuan: Identify and confirm volunteer officers for demo meeting roles internally; also sign up additional members to meet the minimum of 4 for the online officer training 2734
• TM Crev: Contact former CSU Toastmasters members to gauge re-engagement; coordinate with TM Rex Roxas 2535
• President Jem: Explore scheduling a mayoral appointment through Sanggunian connections 18
• Both clubs (Butuan TMC & Downtown Butuan): Submit Club Success Plan (CSP) before August 31 deadline 236
• TM Bobsey: Invite Amara Hotel owner and staff to the September 18 event 23

Next Meeting

• Every Thursday, 7:00 PM (online) — TM Dilbert to send a representative if unavailable 12
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ISO Audit Preparations Meeting

 

Key Outcomes

The university is preparing for a Stage 1 ISO 21001 certification audit scheduled across four campuses over four days. All delivery units were reminded to submit outstanding CQPR forms, remove outdated quality policy posters, correct ROB/SWOT form errors, and ensure facilities and records are audit-ready. The audit will be conducted by a single auditor, Ms. Georgina Manjola, beginning at Mabini Campus.

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Audit Schedule & Logistics

• Auditor: Ms. Georgina Manjola (same auditor as previous mock audit); Stage 1 = solo auditor; Stage 2 will have more. 1
• Sites: Site 1 – Obrero, Site 2 – Mintal, Site 3 – Tagum/Mabini (Tagum Unit), Site 4 – Tagum/Mabini (Mabini Unit). 1
• Day 1 (Mabini): Opening meeting at 8:15 AM → site management → context of organization (9:30–11 AM) → facility tour → canteen/health services → academic/educational services (2 PM onward). 234
• Day 2 (Tagum): Same structure as Day 1; graduate programs likely focal academic unit. 5
• Day 3 (Mintal): Same structure; specific academic units not pre-identified. 6
• Day 4 (Obrero): Top management interview → campus tour → academic unit (random selection) → Stage 2 audit planning → closing meeting at 4:30 PM; audit ends 5 PM. 7
• Auditor arrives Monday afternoon; departs Davao for Mabini at 5 AM Tuesday. 2
• Specific delivery units to be audited are not pre-identified; selection is random — all units must be ready. 8

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Compliance & Documentation Issues

• CQPR (Quarter 2): Only 8 delivery units had not yet submitted as of the meeting; deadline had already passed — immediate submission required. 9
• Outdated posters: All old quality policy and college/office objective posters must be removed and replaced with the EOMS policy only; ESD, Pikwaseguro, and Savipad will conduct walkthroughs to verify. 1011
• EOMS website: Houses OPCR, CPCR, and quarterly performance forms (Q1 and Q2); auditors should be directed here for objective-related queries. 12

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ROB / SWOT Form Corrections

• SWOT entries must be independent statements — weaknesses must not be written as responses or solutions to each other. 13
• Required alignment: Weaknesses/Threats → Risk Assessment & Treatment Registry; Opportunities → Opportunity Action Plan; Interested Party expectations (negated) → Risk Registry as a risk source. 14
• DUs with audit findings from the mock audit must revisit and correct their ROB forms before the certification audit. 15

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Facility & Safety Readiness

• All offices, classrooms, labs, canteens, and common areas must be orderly, safe, accessible, and functional. 16
• Check and replenish: fire extinguishers (verify type is appropriate per space, e.g., labs require different type), first aid kits, emergency lights, exit signs, and evacuation maps. 1617
• Evacuation maps must be correctly oriented ("You Are Here" must be accurate). 17
• Water quality certificates to be obtained from suppliers by ASD and distributed to all offices. 18
• Laboratory equipment requiring calibration (CAS, Engineering, Clinic) must be verified as calibrated. 1819
• Canteen must have safety certificates readily available during audit. 7
• SDMB and ASD to ensure preventive maintenance records and permits to operate are available for generators, UPS, and network infrastructure. 19

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Audit Conduct Reminders

• Do not guess, speculate, or provide unsupported answers; refer auditors to appropriate process owners if uncertain. 20
• All evidence mu
• Quality Assurance Division (QAD) is the overall coordinator; a group chat will serve as the official communication channel. 2122
• Observe prescribed university uniform (per Memo 2025-0107-02) Tuesday through Friday. 20
• Contact: Ms. Lea Sanapio (Deputy Director, JUAD/IACAO), email juad@usep.edu.ph, or Local 390. 22

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Action Items

• All pending DUs: Submit CQPR for Quarter 2 immediately — deadline already passed. 9
• All units: Remove outdated quality policy and office/college objective posters; retain only EOMS policy display. 10
• All DUs: Revisit SWOT and ROB forms; correct entries and ensure traceability alignment. 15
• ASD: Coordinate with water suppliers to obtain and distribute water quality certificates to all offices. 18
• Labs/Clinic heads: Verify calibration status of applicable equipment. 19
• All units: Inspect fire extinguishers, first aid kits, evacuation maps, and emergency equipment for compliance. 17
• SDMB/ASD: Ensure preventive maintenance records and operating permits are available for essential systems. 19

CCF South Korea Sunday Fellowship last August 16, 2026

 

CAEc Graduate School Orientation , 1st Semester, AY 2026-2027

 

Key Outcomes

The College of Applied Economics (CAEC) at the University of Southeastern Philippines held its Graduate School orientation for AY 2026–2027, covering all core requirements for graduation: comprehensive examination, thesis writing, and journal publication. A total of 43 enrolled students (37 MS Economics, 6 MS Econometrics) attended, including 9 new students. 1 Faculty specializations were presented to guide students in selecting thesis advisors. The session concluded with an open forum and closing remarks emphasizing incremental progress through the graduate journey. 23

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Announcements

• Enrollment: 43 total students — 37 MS Economics, 6 MS Econometrics (senior/finishing year); 9 are newly enrolled. 1
• Class schedule: Three Saturdays face-to-face, one Saturday online per month. 4
• Concept paper forums: First forum — first week of September; second forum — first week of November. 5
• Publication policy update: Now governed by CHED Memorandum Order No. 21, Series of 2025, replacing CMO No. 15 (2019); master's students now only required to submit evidence of submission for publication (not full acceptance). 67
• AI/plagiarism threshold: Proposed maximum of 15% similarity and 15% AI-generated content in thesis manuscripts; full approval pending. 89
• Thesis hardbound color: Red (not maroon). 10

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Decisions Made

• Concept paper presentations: To be conducted face-to-face, except special cases. 4
• Publication requirement: Submission must be related to the student's thesis; unrelated publications will not be accepted. 711
• Advisor selection for first-years: Will proceed via a Google Form (similar to undergraduate process) to protect privacy and allow ranked preferences. 1213
• Comprehensive exam grade requirement: Students must maintain a GWA of 2.0 or better every semester to qualify. 1415

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Key Requirements Summary

Comprehensive Examination

• Taken after completing all coursework, before enrolling in Thesis 1. 16
• Covers 4 foundation courses + 2 selected major/specialization courses (6 total); conducted over 2 days, 3 courses/day, 3 hours total. 17
• Failing 4 of 6 → automatic disqualification; failing 3 of 6 → retake all selected courses; failing 1–2 → retake only failed courses. 1819
• Exam fee: ₱1,000; requires letter of intent to Dean and certificate of grades. 14

Thesis Writing

• Eligibility: Passed comprehensive exam with GWA 2.0 or better. 20
• Committee composition: Advisor + Chairman + 2 panel members. 21
• Proposal manuscript must be submitted at least 5 working days before defense. 22
• Final defense deadline: December 16, 2026; grade posting deadline: December 17, 2026; hardbound submission: January 8, 2027. 1023
• Submit 4 hardbound copies + e-copy + publishable/working paper version. 10

Journal Publication

• Evidence of submission must be submitted 10 days before the university deadline. 24
• Acceptable proof: submission receipt, editor acknowledgment, notice of acceptance, DOI, or proof of payment. 24
• Predatory journals must be avoided; red flags include unusually fast processing and unsolicited submission invitations. 1125

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Faculty Thesis Advisor Specializations

• Dr. Deluna — Land fragmentation, behavioral/agricultural economics, impact evaluation, macroeconometrics. 26
• Dr. Ayala — Bayesian econometrics/statistics, time series, health economics modeling. 26
• Dr. Estrada — Spatial econometrics, small area estimation, surveys and sampling design. 26
• Dr. Fuerzas (Ivee) — Environmental/climate economics, agricultural economics, production economics, value chain analysis. 26
• Dr. Hinlo (Jennifer) — Economic development, income inequality and poverty measurement, spatial analysis, financial economics. 26

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Action Items

• Students (thesis-ready): Begin topic conceptualization and notify Gian Cariaga of chosen advisor to meet September and November concept paper forum deadlines. 27
• Ms. Gian Cariaga: Distribute advisory nomination form and proposal/thesis defense forms; manage defense scheduling based on committee availability. 2228
• CAEC GS Office: Prepare and send FAQ document and concept paper format template to all graduate students via email. 29
• Dr. Fuerzas / Dean Hinlo: Release Google Form for first-year students to submit advisor preferences (first and second choice). 1213

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Open Questions

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• Final approval of the Research Ethics Committee (REC) accreditation pending; once approved, all thesis proposals will require an ethics certificate regardless of data type (primary or secondary). 3031