USM, DepEd Cotabato Partner for Training to Transform Key Stage 1 Reading Teachers
September 10, 2026
The University of Southern Mindanao (USM) Community gathered at the USM Fruit Orchard on September 11 to celebrate Panagburas 2026, an annual festival bringing employees, students, and stakeholders to share in the university’s seasonal fruit harvest.
The festival officially opened with a handpicking activity, where participants gathered lanzones, buko, rambutan, and other fruits straight from the trees in the orchard.
During a brief opening program, Vice President for Administration and Finance (VPAF)Quenielyn L. Durendes, acknowledged the dedicated farm workers who tend to the university’s orchards and help keep the fruit trees productive despite changing weather conditions. She emphasized that the festival serves as a unifying force for the campus.
“Isang USM community. Isang layunin. Isang ani,” VPAF Durendes remarked.
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Samsudin S. Panday, Vice President for Resource Generation and Entrepreneurial Services (VPRGES), expressed that Panagburas is an opportunity to recognize the people behind the bountiful produce being enjoyed by USM families and stakeholders.
“Sa bawat prutas na ating pipitasin ay simbolo ng sipag, tiyaga, at pagmamahal nating lahat,” VPRGES Panday said.
USM President Dr. Jonald L. Pimentel, highlighted the most essential message behind each year’s harvest, pointing out that good things can still come despite difficult times with shared perseverance.
“Our harvest today is a harvest of collective efforts,” Dr. Pimentel stated.
He also paid tribute to past university presidents and personnel who originally planted and nurtured the orchards. He noted that their foresight continues to benefit the university community today.
“Some of the greatest contributions we make may not be enjoyed by us but by those who come after us,” he said.
The Panagburas Festival began during the administration of former USM President Dr. Francisco Gil N. Garcia. “Panagburas” is an Ilocano word which means “to harvest” and was coined by Prof. Allan Dalo of the Development Communication Department for the festival. After a brief pause following its launching in 2024, the festival made its return this year as a regular part of USM’s founding anniversary celebrations.
Panagburas 2026 was spearheaded by the Office of the VPRGES, the University Quality Assurance Office (UQAO) and the Office of the Board Secretary under President Pimentel’s leadership.
