UPV hosts Fulbright scholarship information session

At the request of the Philippine-American Educational Foundation, or PAEF, the University of the Philippines Visayas, or UPV, hosted a Fulbright Scholarship Information Session on Feb. 26, 2026, at the Miagao Interactive Learning Center on the UPV Miagao campus.

PAEF, the Fulbright Commission in the Philippines, partnered with the UPV Committee on External Linkages and representatives from the university’s constituent colleges and schools to organize the in-person session on U.S. scholarship opportunities.

Students, faculty members, research, extension, and professional staff, or REPS, and administrative personnel attended the afternoon program.

UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano opened the session and expressed support for global academic excellence across the university.

A delegation from PAEF and EducationUSA led the orientation and explained how the Fulbright Program supports graduate study, research, and teaching opportunities in the United States.

The speakers were Rochelle Miguel, PAEF program officer; Katrina Marie R. Florece, EducationUSA graduate adviser; and Jan Derrick Pertez, PAEF program assistant.

They said the Fulbright Program is a binational initiative designed to promote mutual understanding and strengthen relations between the people of the United States and the Philippines.

The session also included a discussion and question-and-answer segment featuring UPV Fulbright alumni Rommel A. Espinosa, who earned a Master of Science in physics from Pittsburg State University, and Farisal U. Bagsit, who earned a doctorate in coastal resources management from East Carolina University.

Also sharing their experiences were Rhoda Mae Simora, who earned a doctorate in fisheries and allied aquacultures from Auburn University; Mae Grace G. Nillos, who earned a doctorate in environmental toxicology from the University of California, Riverside; and Mary Barby Badayos-Jover, who earned a doctorate in rural sociology and women’s studies from Pennsylvania State University.

Vice Chancellor for Administration Farisal U. Bagsit delivered the closing remarks and described the scholarship as a transformative experience that broadens a scholar’s worldview and allows them to bring valuable knowledge back to the university.

Echoing the event’s promotional tagline, “Your dream of studying in the U.S. starts here!” Bagsit urged attendees to move past self-doubt, take a bold leap, and share their perspectives and brilliance with the world.

The program ended with the awarding of certificates, followed by a networking and consultation segment where participants asked PAEF representatives and UPV Fulbright scholars specific questions about their application plans.

The PAEF delegation also toured several UPV facilities, including the College of Arts and Sciences, the Regional Research Center, the Philippine Genome Center–Visayas, the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, and the International Dormitory. (Mary Grace Sedanza)