LUTAYAN, Sultan Kudarat — Even on a Sunday, Sultan Kudarat State University President Atty. Cyrus E. Torrena, DPA, MNSA continued his campus engagements with a visit to the Wildlife Rescue Center at SKSU Lutayan Campus on September 13, 2026, looking into how the facility can be further developed for instruction, research, extension, and environmental conservation.
Joining President Torrena during the site visit were Dr. Jonathan P. Roque, SKSU Lutayan Campus Director; OIC Regional Executive Director Elvira V. Lumayag; Dr. Ali M. Hadjinasser, Chief of the Conservation and Development Division; and CENRO Officer Elmer Mercado of DENR Tacurong.
The visit went beyond inspecting the condition of the facility. President Torrena and the DENR officials discussed practical areas where the University and the agency can work together, including internship opportunities for Environmental Science students, joint research and extension activities, wildlife conservation initiatives, and the possible development of the area into an eco-tourism and learning site.
President Torrena also shared his direction to expand SKSU’s Environmental Science program to Lutayan Campus, recognizing the campus’s location and existing environmental facilities as opportunities for students to learn beyond the classroom. The proposed offering will undergo the necessary feasibility study, academic review, and regulatory processes before implementation.
For the President, facilities such as the Wildlife Rescue Center should not remain isolated projects. They should become living laboratories where students can learn, faculty can conduct meaningful research, and the University can work alongside government agencies and communities in addressing real environmental concerns.
The initiative supports the administration’s strategic directions on academic excellence, research and innovation, strategic partnerships, and sustainable and resilient campus development. It also reflects President Torrena’s continuing effort to identify the distinct strengths of each SKSU campus and develop programs that respond to their location, resources, and community needs.
The Sunday visit ended with a shared direction between SKSU and DENR: to explore how the Wildlife Rescue Center and the surrounding area can serve a larger purpose, not only for wildlife protection, but also for education, research, community engagement, and responsible eco-tourism.
For SKSU Lutayan Campus, the opportunity is clear: turn its natural environment into a classroom, its conservation work into research, and its partnership with DENR into meaningful learning experiences for students. The initiative also contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 15: Life on Land, by promoting experiential learning, research, wildlife conservation, and environmental protection.
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