MAHIWAGANG KATAS NG MALAMPAYA: PRESERVING IT FOR LONG-TERM BENEFICIAL USE INSTEAD of the Malampaya’s financial gains going down the drain through similar Napoles schemes and corrupt politicians (national and local), why can’t we mandate its most productive use by creating a world-class university that would work for the country’s sustainable industrial development and ensure ecological balance and preservation under the condition of climate change? Such university, specially created by merging the existing Palawan National University (in Puerto Princesa City) and its neighboring Western Philippines University (in Aborlan Municipality) can be re-engineered to be a center of excellence outside Imperial Metro Manila for the teaching of and research on all related fields of petroleum-based and non-conventional energy systems as well as earth and environmental sciences and technology. Oil and its derivative products remain to be the driver of energy-fed industries and industrialization, Hence, they will continue to be the backbone of economic development in many more years to come. For this industrial reasons and environment reasons, other countries created specialized research universities. When combined, the unified or amalgamated institution can provide efficient and cost-effective, complementary and focused instructional, research and extension programs built on these strategic resources. Countries that have established highly specialized petroleum-gas and energy-based HEIs have generated many useful and strategic fields/programs of teaching and research that immediately supply the big need of the oil and related/allied industries for high-level professional manpower. In the present stage of development of the Philippines and given the direct pressures of climate change, advances in oil and oil-based products and their corresponding services and technology should not be stand-alone efforts. They should be backed up and balanced by total ecosystem approach directly involving agricultural, marine and forestry development as forward-backward linkages, thus, giving rise to dynamic and diversified fields of multi-disciplinary studies. Sitting over that rich gas energy field in Palawan, this proposed National Petroleum and Environment University will both be financially sustained by part of Malampaya’s revenues and it will also perform developmental role of providing students and research faculties an excellent natural practicum venue and R&D base for critical specific academic/research areas. In the interrelated areas of instruction and R&D, dedicated research-teaching centers can be created to deeply engage in exploring, discovering and understanding various aspects of core sectors of petroleum, energy and environment in their chosen domains. The exciting possibilities include among others, advanced oil and gas exploration, direct petroleum-based studies (petroleum chemistry, petroleum engineering, synthetic products/materials engineering, etc), earth sciences (geology, mining technology, geodesy, geological engineering, environmental chemistry, etc), support engineering fields (civil engineering, electrical engineering, energy systems, mechanical engineering, information and communications technology), energy/oil allied study programs (MBA in petrol products distribution and dealership, MS/MA in energy economics, management of technology), and integrated environmental management, etc. Palawan, especially its capital city of Puerto Princesa, is one of the most environment-conscious and environment-concerned area/LGUs in the country that ardently seeks to keep ecological balance and preservation. Thus, the University can also specialize for its social and environment sciences programs in such areas or issues as indigenous peoples studies, agri-aquacultural studies, and diversified agribusiness. The imperative work on the ecological systems can build on the good academic foundations that are now present in the Western Philippine University in Aborlan and its external campuses. In sum, the University will produce graduates and prepare professionals equipped with cutting-edge technical competencies and confidence to take a leadership role in the development of the country in the fields of science, engineering, environmental design, business and support disciplines to oil, minerals and energy. It shall, therefore, undertake research and studies that contribute to new and updated knowledge and sustainable development of the Philippines and its home region by providing innovative solutions to identified economic and technical problems and maximizing opportunities. Moreover, the future University which is built around an internationally strategic commodity and by-products can have its core academic business linked with other disciplines like international relations, tourism, hotel and restaurant management and international business and economics. Should it continue its teacher education program, the faculty can support the above-enumerated mainstream academic mission with good science and mathematics education. If it can get its proper share of the Katas ng Malampaya and substantial incentivized inputs from all petroleum firms like PNOC, Petron, Shell, Caltex, etc, this specialized university can be in the position to learn much from and improve on what the leading petroleum/oil/energy –based special universities in other countries have already achieved. These are the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Dehradun, India; the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and the China University of Petroleum (amalgamated Beijing and Shandong campuses). The Malampaya gas deposit may last for 30 years or less. So the envisioned University’’s R&D work should pave the way for the country’s transitioning into “a world without oil” and double its efforts to help heal and preserve the Philippines ecosystems from the onslaught of petroleum-generated pollution. By all means, our present Congress should redeem itself from the Napoles’ shame by a quicker action to legislate the University’s extraordinary, dynamic future-oriented Charter that will ensure its automatic share of Malampaya’s income. May the Lord of Creation who ordered mankind to subdue the earth bless and guide the creation of the Philippines’ National Petroleum and Environment University. nbi: 16 Sept. 2013, 5:15pm
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 09:13:21 +0000