In accordance with Section 6 of Republic Act No. 8292, otherwise known as the “Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997,” including Sections 21, 25, and 27 of its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations, and by virtue of Resolution No. 45, Series of 2019, passed on August 30, 2019 by the Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT) Board of Trustees, DR. EUTIQUIO L. ROTAQUIO JR. who is currently working as a professor of ASCOT Department of Forestry and Environmental Sciences (DFES) was appointed as the 5th College President of ASCOT for a term of four years commencing on August 30, 2019 and expiring on August 29, 2023. He was named as the youngest College President of ASCOT.
Dr. Rotaquio, who is fondly called by his family, friends, and colleagues as “Tikz “was born on April 15, 1977, in Baler, Aurora. He is happily married to former Bb. Ditawini, Dinalungan, Aurora, 2011, Mrs. Emelyn B. Tagin-Rotaquio, a member of the Igorot Tribe and they are blessed with two (2) sons; Tyrone James, James Kyle and one (1) daughter; Elliana Kelly.
He dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but due to poverty, her mother was not able to send him to a law school. Fortunately, when ASCOT opened its first year of operations in June 1994, he passed the entrance examination and was also granted an LGU scholarship.
He continued to persevere and explored his potentials thereby becoming an active student leader and a writer. He was elected as the first President of the Supreme College Student Council (SCSC) and held the position for two consecutive terms and became Editor-in-Chief of the Voice of the Sierra, the student publication of the Aurora State College of Technology. He was also a recipient of an Award of Excellence in News Writing, Leadership Award upon finishing his bachelor’s degree in Forestry in 1998, and the following year, he passed the Foresters Licensure Examination.
“Tikz” worked as an enumerator of the ASCOT Coconut Research and Development Project; as Science Research Specialist 1 of the ASCOT’s Aurora Biodiversity Conservation and Management Research and Development Program. In May 2000, he was elected as the President of the ASCOT Alumni Association serving as an Alumni Trustee for two consecutive terms. He also served as Science Research Assistant 1 of ASCOT’s Wetland and Marine Biodiversity Program, a Forest Ranger with permanent status at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-CENRO Casiguran, Aurora wherein he was designated as Chief of the Watershed Management Unit and as the Protected Area Superintendent of the Talaytay Watershed. On June 16, 2003, he returned to ASCOT as Instructor 1 of the Department of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, and, as an affiliate Instructor of the ASCOT Graduate School Program in Casiguran Campus until September 2005.
In April 2005, Doc. Tikz obtained his Master in Management Major in Educational Management at the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology-ASCOT Graduate Collaboration. His strong research background, particularly in the field of forestry – ecology and biogeography of mangroves, served as his passport in acquiring a competitive Japanese Government Scholarship-MONBUKAGAKUSHO.
After completing his doctorate degree, Dr. Rotaquio immediately returned to ASCOT and was designated Director for Research on January 05, 2009, the designation that made him famous among government funding institutions in generating income for research and development for ASCOT. In the same year, he was awarded Outstanding Citizen of San Luis, Aurora.
As the Director of Research, he was very instrumental in implementing Extraction of Beach and Mangrove Plants for medicinal purposes having secured complete set of facilities. This was made possible through his strong research collaboration with UP-Marine Science Institute particularly in implementing the Aurora Marine Research and Development Institute (AMRDI). He also initiated the establishment of the Charcoal Briquetting Research Center that serves as training and laboratory that utilizes abandoned biomass for charcoal instead of wood.
He has secured additional funding for the improvement of Banana Tissue Culture Research Center for the procurement of ELISA Reader, an instrument used to detect virus from banana. The center is now producing virus-free banana plantlets for farmers and is now an income-generating project of the college.
Likewise, he made possible for the ASCOT Research Journal to be peer-reviewed through international referees and revived the Annual Agency In-House Review of On-Going and Completed Research Projects. He initiated the involvement of students in research presentations believing that it is a good training ground for them to excel in research, and in recognizing and giving monetary incentive for faculty, staff and students who perform well in research.
In his almost seven years of serving as Director for Research, he has conducted and supervised 22 research projects generating millions of pesos to the College, thereby, significantly improving the research capability of the faculty, staff and students. Aside from being a Registered Forester, Doc Tikz is also a Certified SCUBA Diver, enabling him to expand his research horizon in exploring marine biodiversity.
Through his commitment, dedication to work and good performance, he has risen from the ranks from Instructor I to Assistant Professor II, Assistant Professor III and then advanced to Associate Professor III. In 2014, he was awarded Outstanding ASCOT Alumni.
In 2017, he was again promoted to Associate Professor V; and in the latest NBC 7th Cycle Faculty Evaluation, he has landed to Professor VI and has subjected to Full-Fledged Professorial Accreditation on April 12, 2019 at Bulacan State University, NBC Region III Zonal Center which was confirmed by the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC). He is probably one of the youngest full-fledged Professor VI in the field of Forestry in the Philippines.
In his journey for ASCOT Presidency, he is aiming that all programs be accredited to Level III and to establish three research centers as Center of Excellence and Development: 1) Forest Biodiversity Research Center; 2) Agricultural Research Center specializing in Coconut Research; and 3) Marine Research Center. He believes that the mission, vision of ASCOT President should be anchored on what natural resources we have in Aurora. Therefore, his ambitious dream is to “Transform ASCOT into a globally-recognized forest, agricultural and marine research University in Eastern Luzon for the people of Aurora and the neighboring provinces”
Indeed, his proven dedication to optimizing success and organizational performance, along with his excellent, analytical, and communication skills, will be truly valuable in ASCOT’s continuous quest in providing excellent and quality education and services to its students, clients, and stakeholders.