Biliran Province State University President, Dr. Victor C. Cañezo, Jr., has officially received the International Leadership Award at the 2024 Internationalization Champions of National Building and Sustainability (ICONS) Awards held on December 16 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Pasay City.

Dr. Cañezo  was honored as the 1st runner- up in the prestigious Internationalization Leadership Award category, the biggest recognition of the event. Notably,  he was the only Higher Education Institution (HEI) president in the whole Visayas to receive the said award.

The ICONS Awards, organized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), is a prestigious event in the field of higher education that recognizes leaders who have made significant contributions to internationalization, sustainability, and global competitiveness within their institutions. 

Under Dr. Cañezo’s visionary leadership, BiPSU has elevated its global standing, achieving recognition in several esteemed international rankings, including Quacquarelli-Symonds (QS), Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI), and most recently, the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2024.

Dr. Cañezo described the recognition as an acknowledgment of the shared dedication and hard work of the entire BiPSU community.

“This award is not only for me but for everyone at Biliran Province State University who has worked tirelessly to make our vision of a globally competitive institution a reality,” Dr. Cañezo said. “Our success in international rankings and sustainability initiatives reflects our strong drive to academic excellence, research innovation, and environmental stewardship,” he added.

Meanwhile, aside from Dr. Cañezo’s individual recognition, BiPSU was also honored at the ICONS Awards for the third consecutive year, acknowledging its sustained excellence in internationalization initiatives since 2022. The university’s innovative programs and strategic partnerships have set benchmarks in strengthening its global engagement and sustainability.

Accompanying Dr. Cañezo in receiving the award were Atty. Dick Guiller Delfin, the director of the Internationalization Office, and Mr. Joedel Peñaranda, executive assistant to the University President.