Tarlac State University Joins Unveiling of INTACT Base Bulacan Hub

Bulacan, Philippines — Tarlac State University (TSU) Director of the Office of International Affairs and Linkages (OIAL), Dr. Grace N. Rosete attended the unveiling ceremony of the INTACT Base (International Talent Circulation Base) Bulacan Hub held at Bulacan State University (BulSU) last October 13, 2025.

The inauguration of the INTACT Base Bulacan Hub at BulSU marks the establishment of the Taiwan International Talent Education Hub in Region III. The Hub aims to serve as a platform for institutional collaboration between Philippine and Taiwanese higher education institutions (HEIs) and to recruit Filipino students for Taiwan’s INTENSE Program (International Industrial Talents Education Special Program).

The ceremony was also attended by key officials from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), including CHED Commissioner Dr. Desiderio R. Apag III; Dr. Lora L. Yusi, Director of CHED Region III; BulSU President Dr. Teody C. San Andres; and representatives of the INTENSE Program, namely Minister Dustin Teng-Shih Yang, Deputy Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines; Dr. Fuh-Jyh Jan, President of the National Chung Hsing University (NCHU); and Dr. Wen-Yuh Jywe, Principal Investigator of the INTENSE Program and professor at the National Taiwan University (NTU).

Following the inauguration, the 2025 INTENSE Program Education Fair Bulacan was held, where partner Taiwanese universities set up booths to engage with students and representatives from Philippine HEIs, promote networking and collaboration opportunities.

In the afternoon, participating universities from Taiwan and attending local HEIs formalized a consortium through the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

The Philippine HEIs present included Tarlac State University (TSU), Bulacan State University (BulSU), Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT), Bulacan Agricultural State College (BASC), Central Luzon State University (CLSU), Pampanga State University (PSU), Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST), Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU), Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU), National University – Baliwag (NU-Baliwag), Baliuag University, and City College of Angeles.

Participating Taiwanese universities included National Chung Hsing University, Cheng Shiu University, National Cheng Kung University, National Chung Cheng University, National Sun Yat-Sen University, National Formosa University, Chaoyang University of Technology, Dayeh University, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung Medical University, and Providence University.

In a later discussion, Dr. Rosete expressed her interest in bringing the INTENSE Program to Tarlac State University, highlighting its potential benefits for both faculty and students through the newly inaugurated INTACT Base Bulacan Hub in Region III. She personally invited the Taiwanese universities to hold exploratory meetings for possible international collaborations, which were warmly accepted. These meetings are expected to take place in the last quarter of this year, with the formalization of partnerships projected by early 2026.