• UPMin nominated as a Special Non-voting Member of the Regional Development Council-XI.
• Department of Agriculture asks for precision agriculture R&D and offers Marahan land for use.  
• UPMin asked to help the research of small state colleges
• Scholarships offered by DOST, CHED, Davao City; employee trainings requested by most agencies

The University of the Philippines (UPMin) partnered with external agencies in a recent meeting in order to move forward to the forefront of transformative education. For this, UPMin will offer expanded access to higher education for the Mindanao youth and lifelong learning for professionals. In addition, UPMin will further expand its extension services for the communities. These were some of UPMin's responses to feedback given by external stakeholders following UPMin’s three-year strategic plan presentation and call for partnerships in a forum on September 27, 2022. 

In support of UPMin's plans, the Dept. of Science and Technology, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Davao City government reiterated their scholarships available for UPMin’s students and faculty members. As a reaction, UPMin Chancellor Lyre Murao said UPMin will ask other local governments to provide scholarships for their constituents who are admitted to UPMin.

The Commission on Higher Education’s Randy Tudy asked that UPMin help the research efforts of small state colleges, to which UPMin research director Cleto Nanola said UPMin would continue and expand its research mentorship. 

Philippine Women’s College of Davao’s Reynald Japay offered collaboration in research and linkages with the Davao Colleges & Universities Network and asked for professional development for their faculty, to which Chancellor Murao offered micro-credentialing, or the provision of short courses, for faculty and staff development.  The academic heads present also described their degree programs.

Davao City’s Assistant City Administrator, Atty. Janis Louis Esparcia said the city desired research in watershed conservation and offered the city’s security and barangay coordination services for researchers doing fieldwork. She disclosed a new partnership opportunity with the upcoming opening of a National Museum branch in Davao City, in addition to the ongoing partnerships in the Davao City sports complex, the Davao City public hospital, and the recently concluded use of two UPMin buildings as COVID-19 isolation facilities, “for which the city is grateful,” she said. 

The Department of Agriculture’s Andres Alemania appealed for precision agriculture and vertical agriculture studies from UPMin, to continue their collaboration in breeding miniature cattle with its Angus-like beef quality and further collaboration in capacity-building and technology transfer. “We have a facility in Manambulan (in Davao City) and land in Marahan (North Cotabato Province) that we can offer for UPMin’s R&D,” he said.

The Davao City Chamber of Commerce’s Jose Mack, education committee chair, described UPMin’s plan as a “good roadmap” and pledged to discuss it in the chamber. 

Barangay Chairman Rey Amador Bargamento of Barangay Mintal, home of UP Mindanao, suggested partnerships in solid waste management and recovery, local public transport fare negotiations, and local security support for UPMin’s student community.

Obu Manuvu tribal representative Maljun Lambac offered more livestock and agricultural partnerships in the indigenous people’s ancestral domain for UPMin’s research and development in the UP Land Reservation in rural Marilog, Davao City. In addition to the existing poultry, vegetable, cacao, and cultural projects on site. 

The Davao de Oro vice-governor’s representative Allyn Camile asked for R&D in food product development and urban and regional planning services for their part in the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority. He reported that the partnership with UPMin in establishing a COVID-19 lab in the province helped the province earn recognition as one of the best COVID-19 responses nationwide.

The Department of Health-XI representative conveyed Regional Director Annabelle Yumang’s thanks for the UPMin’s isolation facility, the training of medical personnel in COVID-19, and requested professional development courses in public management for their personnel. In addition, UPMin’s Joel Tolentino, head of the Philippine Genome Center Mindanao, thanked the DOH for the COVID-19 bio-surveillance partnership, while May Anne Mata, head of the decision-support system in health research program, disclosed the upcoming launch of the “Diwa” decision-support system in health, a product of the earlier partnership  with the DOH-XI in “flattening the curve.” 

The Dept. of Trade Industry’s Joffreylle Plasabas focused on UPMin’s proposed Knowledge Innovation Science & Technology (KIST) Park and DTI’s commitment to linking this to the Philippine Export Zone Authority and the Batangas State University’s pioneering KIST Park. She thanked the chancellor for signing the recent DTI memorandum for the iSTRIDE initiative and the Regional Inclusive Innovation Center (RIIC) and UPMin’s participation, which earned the Davao iSTRIDE/RIIC the distinction of being the only Penta-helix in the nation. 

The National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Jesuben Bongolan mentioned the newly-signed Creative Industries Act, which opens new collaboration opportunities. In addition, the NCCA has a wealth of grants and resources available for browsing and availing on its websites and social media, an October culture statistics conference, a historical commission, and a museum. The NCCA, he said, will furnish UPMin with an official reply after receipt of a copy of UPMin’s strategic plan.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Economic Development Specialist Laurence Gido reported that UPMin was nominated as a Special Non-voting Member of the Regional Development Council-XI, in addition to already being a member of the Social Development Council-XI. He asked the UPMin team to help create socio-political and economic awareness for investors, align with the upcoming Philippine development plan 2023-2028, the Davao region development plan 2023-2028, and contribute to the Davao region research agenda. 

For his part, the Department of Science and Technology-XI Assistant Regional Director Kenneth Barroga proposed UPMin’s adoption of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Foresight and Strategic Plan, also named “Pagtanaw 2050.” He, likewise, proposed adopting quality standards such as ISO and a risk-management system by UPMin.   

Visiting sports professor Joy Reyes introduced the National Academy of Sports, a secondary education school, with the hope that its graduates will enter UP Mindanao’s sports programs.

In closing, UP Alumni Association Davao chairperson Nap Concepcion asked the body to collaborate closer so that research will better match society’s needs and contribute to a brighter future for Mindanao.

The external stakeholders’ consultation was part of the process by which the UPMin administration under Prof. Lyre Anni Murao crafted the strategic direction of UPMin under her term.