ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat (January 25) — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) highlighted the critical role of young people in strengthening climate resilience in SOCCSKSARGEN, as the region continues to experience the on-the-ground impacts of climate change on agriculture, food security, and local livelihoods.
Speaking during the Academic Recognition and 16th University Day of Sultan Kudarat State University (SKSU), CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert Borje said climate change is already a lived reality for many Mindanao communities, making youth engagement and education essential to the country’s climate response.
“Climate change is no longer abstract for communities in Sultan Kudarat and the rest of SOCCSKSARGEN,” Borje said. “Its impacts are being felt in our farms, barangays, and households.”
Borje noted that while Sultan Kudarat is classified as having medium to low climate hazard exposure under the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), the province continues to experience extreme heat, flooding, and drought that disrupt agricultural production and livelihoods.
“When floods hit Lambayong, Lutayan, and Palimbang, it is not statistics that suffer — it is families,” Borje said. “When drought affects Esperanza and Isulan, it is not reports that go hungry — it is the farmers.”
He encouraged students to take an active role in finding practical, community-based solutions, stressing that academic knowledge must translate into service, innovation, and local action.
With more than 15,000 students across seven campuses, SKSU was cited as a strategic hub for developing future professionals who can support LGUs, farmers, fisherfolk, and local industries in adapting to climate risks. Borje also underscored the role of state universities and colleges as frontline partners in implementing the NAP, noting that climate adaptation is built not only in national policies but also in classrooms, laboratories, farms, and communities.
Borje urged SKSU to further strengthen its role as a technical and research partner of local government units, particularly in areas such as climate-smart agriculture, resilient infrastructure, disaster risk reduction, health, and digital solutions.
SKSU offers academic programs aligned with Sultan Kudarat’s development priorities, including agriculture, engineering, information technology, education, and health sciences. The university’s growing academic excellence was highlighted by the recent achievement of three graduates who topped licensure examinations in nursing, education, and engineering—fields considered crucial to local development and resilience-building in SOCCSKSARGEN.
The event marked SKSU’s 16th University Day and recognized students who demonstrated academic excellence, perseverance, and commitment to public service.
Also present during the celebration were Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu, SKSU President Samson Mooa, and Masrullizam Bin Mat Ibrahim, representative of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka.
