THE OFFICE of Sen. Pia Cayetano gave the Visayas State University P5 million for joining its ‘Futures Thinking’  initiative.

‘Futures Thinking’ is a collaborative research about the major changes  the country may face for the next decades in all areas of life and how it can be brought to the public eye.

VSU said that the money will be used for capacity building and field implementation of the project.

It will partner with PhilFutures and PhilRootcrops to conduct research on food security and the improvement of the local crop industry.

“VSU chose root crops as the commodity of focus for this ‘Futures Thinking’ initiative, because this undervalued crop can be optimized to empower poor and underserved communities in Eastern Visayas and beyond,” it said.

“Aside from that, VSU also houses the country’s foremost experts in root crops technology, processing and by-product development being the home of the Philippine Root Crops Research and Training Center,” it added.

VSU President Edgardo E. Tulin met with core partners of the project on January 12.

“I am thankful to Senator Pia Cayetano for approving our proposal and for allowing us to contribute in the ‘Futures Thinking’ project. I see this as a wonderful opportunity for our university to stay relevant in an unstable and unpredictable future. The knowledge that will be acquired by our select key officials in this project will surely be important in crafting a more secure future not just for VSU but also for Eastern Visayas in general,” Tulin said.