Sarangani entrepreneur awarded by university

KABACAN, Cotabato (October 11, 2012) – The University of Southern Mindanao (USM) has named an entrepreneur from Sarangani as one of its outstanding alumni for 2012.

Nieda Ramos, a USM graduate of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Home Economics in 1979, was among seven outstanding alumni feted during the university’s Diamond Anniversary recently.

According to the university citation, Ramos was awarded under the Entrepreneurship Category “for her zeal, dedication and pioneering spirit which lead to her significant contributions in the field of Entrepreneurship, having produced a three in one (3 in 1) rice-based and corn-based coffee and other rice-based delicacies which made a name for Sarangani Province, and for assisting other women entrepreneurs in her province, worthy of becoming an inspiration and an exemplar USM alumnus, bringing honor and prestige to the University of Southern Mindanao.”

Ramos runs Cresing’s Food Products of Maitum, Sarangani which produces varieties of rice coffee, corn coffee, turmeric blends, salted eggs, half-dried marinated flying fish and other rice- and fish-based products with raw materials from the locality.

“All those years, it has been my dream to produce and sell rice-based products not out of earning big money but out of passion,” Ramos said in her acceptance speech. “Shall I say, a passion that will give me not only fund but fun as well.”

The other outstanding alumni were Norlito Agduyeng (BSA major in Agronomy 1971) for Extension and Community Development, Lt. Col. Felix Ronnie Babac (ULS 1986) for Administration, Marivic Cabuguas (BSAHE 1980) for Education, Francisco Gil Garcia (BS Agricultural Engineering 1979) for Financial Management, Lourdes Generalao (BSA Plant Pathology 1980) for Research Management, and Ernesto Manuel (BSA Agronomy 1974) for Local Governance.

The USM Outstanding Alumni awardees 2012 received their award from university president Jesus Antonio Derije on September 30, the eve of USM’s Diamond Anniversary. USM celebrated its 60^th foundation anniversary on October 1. For more news and updates, please visit the <a href= http://www.sarangani.gov.ph/> Province of Sarangani </a>. (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)