ISABELA province-based university's new research and development (R&D) center on Smart Water Infrastructure and Management (SWIM) gets into the list of newly approved Department of Science and Technology (DoST) Niche Centers in the Regions (Nicer) for industry energy and emerging technology sector for Region 2 (Cagayan Valley).

With this, the executive committee of the DoST last month awarded a budget allocation of close to P78 million to establish the university's SWIM R&D center to boost management of water hazards such as floods, droughts, erosions and landslides, among others.