CAYETANO and the WVSU seal.
ILOILO CITY – Ilonggos have criticized West Visayas State University (WVSU) for giving the Presidential Service Award to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano in the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) Awards on Tuesday, June 16.
“Paano naging PRAISE award ‘yung gumagawa ng pelikula sa Senado at naging sentro ng gahamang pamumuno? (How someone be given a PRAISE award for turning the Senate into a movie and became the center of a scandalous leadership),” asked Ferlyn T.
“Recognition is one thing, but accountability is another. With the current issues and controversies surrounding his leadership, it is fair to question whether this award truly reflects the kind of leadership he has and it aims to honor,” expressed Joe G.
“Bukod sa excellence, sana gawin ding tradisyon ng WVSU ang pagtawag ng accountability at pag-uphold ng dangal ng mga lingkod-bayan. Anong uri ng lipunan ang nais tulungang hubugin ng pamantasan? (Aside from excellence, I hope WVSU will also make it a tradition to call for accountability and uphold the dignity of public servants. What kind of society does the university want to help shape?)” expressed teacher Eric.
WVSU said Cayetano was awarded as member of the WVSU Board of Regents from May 27, 2024 to June 30, 2025.
In a July 2025 post, WVSU President Dr. Joselito Villaruz congratulated Cayetano for his reappointment as Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education chairman.
The chairperson of the Committees on Education in the Senate and House are automatically ex-officio members of board of regents of all State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in the country.
Cayetano conceded the position as Senate President prior to the opening of the special session on Wednesday.