Pursuing this goal, the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies – Data Science for Public Policy Program, in partnership with Rizal Technological University’s Data Science and Smart Analytics Research Unit and Sen. Neptali A. Gonzales Research Center for Development Studies, invite researchers, policymakers, AI practitioners, AI developers, and innovators to submit abstracts of their studies to take part in the growing dialogue on the intersections of public policy and AI, and to provide a guided foundation for the future of governance and policymaking amid the future of AI use.

This two-day online conference in November 2026 will tackle the following research areas:

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This partnership signifies the shared commitment of both institutions to promote sustainable environmental practices and improve public health programs within the Municipality of Malvar. Through the agreement, the parties aim to develop research-based and community-centered approaches that address pressing environmental and health concerns while fostering long-term sustainable development.

Representatives from the LGU Malvar and UP highlighted the importance of strengthening academe-local government collaboration in creating innovative and science-driven solutions for community development. The partnership is expected to pave the way for capacity-building activities, technical assistance, policy recommendations, and future research initiatives benefiting the local communities.

The MOU signing ceremony was attended by officials from the LGU of Malvar, representatives from the University of the Philippines, civil society partner organizations, and stakeholders who expressed their support for the initiative.

This collaboration underscores the continuing role of the University of the Philippines in advancing public service and nation-building through meaningful partnerships with local government units. Likewise, the LGU of Malvar reaffirmed its commitment to environmental stewardship, effective solid waste management, biodiversity protection, and the promotion of public health for its constituents.

The ceremony concluded with a commitment from both parties to sustain cooperation and ensure the successful implementation of the programs and activities outlined in the agreement.

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Tuesday, 26^th of May 2026, was an eventful day held @CIDS by the Data Science for Public Policy Program (DSPPP). In preparation for the June 22-26, 2026 DSPPP Bootcamp on Explainable AI for Public Policy (XAI4PP), DSPPP team started the day with an Internship Orientation  attended by Ateneans, Thomasite, La Sallean, Mapuan, Bedan, and students from FEU, Adamson, TIP, Tytana, Mriam, PUP, and more joined via online. We further invited the applicant interns to attend onsite and online to witness the Ceremonial Signing of Contracts by our 2026 Research Fellows and the presentation of their research briefs on two pivotal themes: (1) AI for Corruption and (2) Designing a Legal Framework for AI Governance or AI Regulatory Frameworks in the Philippines.

Dr. DJ Darwin Bandoy, our two-term Research Fellow, presented his topic on: BahaGPT: AI-Driven Decision Framework for Flood Management Resource Allocation and Anti-Corruption Prioritization. Discussion became a heated topic as Dr. Bandoy pointed out the framework which incorporates exposure-weighted scoring that prevents the common manipulation of prioritizing politically connected but low-risk areas over genuinely vulnerable communities. The framework integrates with existing NOAH infrastructure, PAGASA climate projections, and DPWH road network data, requiring no new data collection systems. Final output from this research endeavor and from the other research fellows will be revealed on the November 10-11, 2026 National Conference on Data Science for Public Policy.

The Pakikipagkapwa Culturomics team from UPDEPP came in full attendance with the presence of Dr. Purisima Panlilio, Engr. Angela Carreon, Prof. Cristabel Tiangco, Prof. Prof. Remi de Leon, and Dr. Margarita Lavides presented their topics on Exploring the Filipino Perspective of Leadership Using Social Data. Joining via online, Mr. Eric Aggarao from UP Manila presnte their research study on Institutionalizing a Right to Explanation in the Algorithmic Targeting of Philippine Social Welfare.

The day culminated with a 4-hour webinar on: “Shaping the Blueprint: A Multi-stakeholder Forum on the Proposed AI Regulation and Development Act attended by 120 delegates from various sectors of the academe, business, civil society, media, and more.

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The high-level workshop is a core component of the ongoing Capacity Development (CapDev) Series implemented for the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Regional Office VI (DEPDev VI). As The project’s specialized research arm, the UP CIDS-UPV team is tasked with translating data into actionable policy, aiming to establish a prioritized list of strategic Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) interventions and strengthen regional development through evidence-based, collaborative planning. The project will help update the SDG Catch Up Plan of Region VI, including how local economic planners align regional budgets and land-use plans with the UN’s 2030 SDGs.

Expert-Led Facilitation and Sectoral Breakouts

The Delphi methodology relies on structured, expert-driven consensus. Dr. Rosalie Arcala Hall, SPACE Project Convener and Executive Director of UP CIDS, served as the overall lead facilitator for the plenary sessions, guiding regional stakeholders through the strategic framework.

To deep-dive into specific regional challenges, participants transitioned into specialized breakout sessions aligned with key sustainable development dimensions. The sessions used regional baseline data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to discuss actual local issues—like climate action targets, varied community needs, and public finance.

These targeted workshop groups were facilitated by the project’s multi-disciplinary research team:

Economic Session: Facilitated by Dr. Mary Rose Rebueno (Project Fellow & Lead for Public Finance) and Asst. Prof. Mary Rose Bañares (Project Fellow), focusing on fiscal mechanisms, budgetary viability, and regional economic development priorities.

Environment Session: Facilitated by Ms. Rosario R. Dizon (Junior Research Associate), focusing on regional environmental sustainability, resource preservation, and climate action targets.

Governance Session: Facilitated by Asst. Prof. Brian Ventura (Project Fellow & Lead for Public Policy), focusing on policy alignment, multi-sectoral governance, and institutional frameworks.

Social Session: Facilitated by Dr. Rosalie Arcala Hall (Project Convener) and Ms. Rowelle Serilo (Project Fellow), focusing on social inclusivity, regional equity, and human development indicators.

Social + Infrastructure Session: Facilitated by Dr. Rhodella A. Ibabao (Project Leader & Lead for Spatial Analysis), focusing on bridging spatial dimensions, geographic community needs, and sustainable planning.

Grounding Policy in Regional Reality

The workshop opened with a welcome address and an overview of upcoming CapDev initiatives from Ms. Ma. Leah L. Letrero, DEPDev VI Chief Economic Development Specialist. To ground the team’s research and the participants’ technical assessments in local realities, Ms. Marlene Alviar, Chief Statistical Specialist of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), presented the Western Visayas SDG Pace of Progress, detailing the region’s current standing across key development indicators.

Using this statistical baseline, the UP CIDS-UPV research team successfully navigated diverse sectoral perspectives across the five breakout rooms to build consensus on high-impact interventions. Through this collaborative exercise, the research arm continues to fulfill its mandate: providing the rigorous, scientific scaffolding necessary to accelerate localized SDG action across Region VI.

About the UP CIDS and UPV SPACE Project Team

Operating as the core research arm of the SPACE Project under DEPDev VI, this collaborative inter-unit initiative provides technical expertise, data analysis, and evaluation to advance localized sustainable development goals across Western Visayas.

Written by: Rosario R. Dizon, Junior Research Associate, UP CIDS-UPV SPACE Project

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The UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies Urban Studies Program (USP) convened a three-day lecture-seminar-workshop in Davao City from 6 to 8 May 2026, hosted by the University of the Philippines Mindanao project team. The engagement brought together researchers and collaborators from University of the Philippines Cebu, University of the Philippines Visayas, and UP Mindanao to consolidate ongoing and completed research initiatives on coastal and metropolitan transformations across the Visayas and Mindanao. Discussions centered on synthesizing three years of scholarship through a forthcoming compendium publication, while also reflecting on the future trajectory of the program’s research and policy agenda.

The lecture series formally opened on 6 May 2026 with welcome remarks from Rosalie Arcala-Hall, Director of UP CIDS. This was followed by the rationale delivered by Weena Gera, convenor of the Urban Studies Program, who framed the gathering as part of a broader effort to deepen interdisciplinary engagements on urban governance, climate vulnerability, and democratic accountability in rapidly transforming coastal regions. She also introduced the keynote lecturer, Ryan Tans, a lecturer under the Special Programmes of NUS College at the National University of Singapore whose work examines the politics of coastal reclamation, urban development, public policy, and climate adaptation in Southeast Asia.

In his keynote lecture, “Coastal Politics and Climate Adaptation in Indonesia,” Dr. Tans examined the political and social dynamics surrounding land reclamation projects in Indonesia and the contested visions of urban futures they produce. Drawing from his research on anti-reclamation movements, he emphasized that the outcomes of resistance campaigns frequently hinge on the capacity of affected communities and advocates to forge coalitions across political, economic, and civic spheres. While reclamation projects are often framed within state narratives of modernization, flood mitigation, and economic growth, Dr. Tans underscored how such interventions may simultaneously intensify socio-environmental inequalities and deepen the precarity of coastal populations already vulnerable to displacement and ecological disruption.

The lecture was followed by an extensive open forum attended by undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members from UP Mindanao, and representatives from professional organizations including the United Architects of the Philippines and the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners. The discussion expanded on questions of urban resilience, governance, participatory planning, and the uneven social consequences of infrastructure-led development.

Subsequently, researchers from the participating campuses presented selected studies from their 2024 and 2025 project cycles. From the UP Cebu project team, John Ryan Jacot presented “Flood War Urbanisms: Intersecting Challenges in Land Use Planning, Housing and Resettlement, and Solid Waste Management in Cebu’s Flood Management, 2022–2025,” while Kobe Loseñada delivered “Rise and Sink? Rethinking Urbanization through Perspectives from Small Urban Islands in Getafe, Bohol.” Both papers interrogated the tensions between urban expansion, environmental governance, and community vulnerability in rapidly changing coastal spaces.

The UP Visayas team—composed of Mr. Alan Moscoso, Mr. Brian Ventura, and Project Leader Rhodella Ibabao—presented the co-authored studies “Revitalizing an Urban River: Stakeholders’ Engagement to Improve the Water Quality of the Iloilo-Batiano River System” and “The Challenges of Environmental Management for Highly Urbanized Cities: The Urban Renewal Regime and the Case of the Iloilo-Batiano River System.” Their presentations examined the complexities of environmental governance, institutional coordination, and stakeholder participation within contexts of accelerated urban renewal.

Representing UP Mindanao, Raymundo Pavo presented “Fishing Along the Davao City Coastal Road: Narratives of Displacement and Resilience,” a study exploring the lived experiences of fisherfolk communities affected by the 2017 coastal road construction in Davao City. The paper foregrounded questions of livelihood disruption, adaptation, and the social costs embedded within large-scale coastal infrastructure projects. A succeeding open forum enabled further exchanges among presenters and participants before the day concluded with closing remarks from Architect Ryan Songcayauon, UP Mindanao CIDS USP Project Leader.

The second day of the engagement shifted toward a collaborative workshop focused on identifying the overarching framework for the program’s planned compendium publication. Guided by Dr. Arcala-Hall and Dr. Tans, the participating teams deliberated on thematic intersections emerging from their collective body of work, particularly on urban governance, environmental justice, coastal vulnerability, and local resilience. Conceived as both a scholarly and policy-oriented initiative, the compendium seeks to consolidate the program’s three years of research into an accessible and analytically grounded handbook for policymakers, local government units, planners, and civil society stakeholders engaged in addressing contemporary urban development challenges.

The final day culminated in a writeshop and roundtable discussion facilitated by Dr. Tans, where participants collaboratively outlined a prospective book proposal organized around identified cross-cutting themes that surfaced throughout the engagement. The session underscored the importance of sustained interdisciplinary dialogue and regionally grounded scholarship in confronting the evolving realities of urban transformation, climate adaptation, and emerging blue economy governance in the Philippines.

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The UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies Program on Data Science for Public Policy (UP CIDS-DSPPP) will conduct an integrated three-level (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced) capacity building bootcamp on the trending issue of AI, entitled: “Basic Bootcamp on eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) for Public Policy: Introduction to Data Analytics and Its Application to AI and Policy Analytics”

Scheduled on June 22-26, 2026at theInstitute of Small Scale Industries (ISSI), UP Diliman Campus, Quezon City, this 5-day hands-on workshop usually caters to UP Faculty and Research Extension Personnel (REPs). DSPPP opened its capacity building activities to cater to other stakeholders, such as government agencies, industries, civil society organizations, and other non-UP institutions who are interested to engage into the complexities of Artificial Intelligence and how to come up with institutional policies to address its proper utilization.

UP participants are expected to produce a policy brief paper to entitle your reserved seat to the next level; while non-UP participants will be highly encouraged to draft their own agency policy brief.

For interested non-UP participants, a registration fee of Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000) to the Land Bank of the Philippines UPD Campus Branch / Account Name: UP Diliman Trust Fund / Account #: 3072-1007-18, will grant your reserved seat to this 5-day Basic Bootcamp.  Kindly send us a copy of your deposit slip indicating that it is billed for the DSPPP Fund Ref. #: 9774615-499-439 so we can issue an official receipt (OR) for your office.

We have limited seats for reservation based on the carrying capacity of the venue. So, click this link or scan the QR code to register your participation: https://bit.ly/BasicBC2026

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Organized through the collaboration of the UP CIDS Strategic Studies Program, Miriam College, and the Ateneo School of Government, and supported by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung – Philippines, the event provides a platform for the exchange of insights across sectors and generations. Topics will range from regional stability and political warfare to supply chains, digital threats, resource security, and public–private coordination in building resilience.

We invite submissions that examine these dynamics and their implications for national security and economic resilience. Abstract submissions are open until June 30, 2026.

Submit here: https://forms.gle/cqE1QNhVwjjXs2s48

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UP CIDS Program on Data Science for Public Policy (DSPPP) is organizing a virtual forum among AI Experts, Advocates, Practitioners, and Multi-Stakeholders from academe, business, civil society organizations, government officials, and legislators on the proposed AI Development and Regulation Act. This forum serves as a venue to facilitate informed dialogue on AI governance, particularly in relation to innovation, accountability, and the “Right to Explanation.” Participation in this forum will contribute to  building a shared foundation for evidence-based and responsible AI policymaking in the Philippines.

Core Discussion Flashpoints

• Innovation incentives vs. precautionary safeguards
• Mandatory vs. voluntary right to explanation for automated decisions
• Centralized vs. sectoral regulatory authority, etc.

If you have what it takes to contribute to AI Governance and policy making, register to this link to obtain your zoom access: https://bit.ly/4nFsEGl

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The event is scheduled for Monday, May 25, 2026, from 09:00 to 17:30 WIB at IPB University, Dramaga Bogor.

Critical Dialogue on Regional Governance

This seminar aims to provide a platform for rigorous academic discussion on the structures of power and wealth in the region. By examining the influence of oligarchy, the workshop seeks to uncover how these dynamics affect development, governance, and social equity across Southeast Asian nations.

Featured Speakers

The program features a diverse panel of experts and activists from across the region:

• Riska Carolina (Indonesia): A human rights activist and legal specialist focusing on law and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
• Antoinette Raquiza, Ph.D. (Philippines): Convenor of the UP CIDS Political Economy Program.
• Andrew Aeria, Ph.D. (Malaysia): Representing PEMANGKIN Research.
• Dr. Ivanovich Agusta (Indonesia): Head of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies (PSP3) at IPB University.

Event Logistics and Registration

The seminar and workshop will take place at Room B1, Faculty of Human Ecology, and the Central Library of IPB University.

Interested participants are encouraged to register through the official link: https://ipb.link/registration-oligarchy-forum.

Stay Updated with UP CIDS For more information on upcoming seminars and research initiatives, visit the official website at https://cids.up.edu.ph/.

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The Center’s participation was led by UP CIDS Executive Director Rosalie Arcala Hall, whose presence underscored the institutional priority of engaging with the broader Philippine political science community. Director Hall participated in key conference activities, emphasizing the Center’s role in fostering collaborative networks and supporting the decentralization of research access across the regions.

A major highlight of the conference was the UP CIDS Publication Booth, which remained a focal point for attendees throughout the event. The booth featured an extensive selection of the Center’s latest scholarship, including:

• • Policy Briefs providing concise analysis on urgent national issues.
  • Discussion Papers exploring complex governance and social challenges.
  • Monographs offering in-depth research from the Center’s diverse programs.

Consistent with the guiding principle of making “Research for the People,” all physical copies at the booth were distributed completely for FREE to conference participants, faculty, and students. This initiative ensured that the Center’s findings were placed directly into the hands of those who can apply them in classrooms, community organizing, and policy development.

In a move to bolster local academic repositories and support specialized scholarship in the Visayas, UP CIDS facilitated the donation of specialized research materials to Associate Professor Jan Anthony Credo of Silliman University. This contribution aims to support the university’s ongoing research initiatives and provide students and faculty with direct access to institutional studies on Philippine governance, labor, and social policy.

By maintaining a high-profile presence at the PPSA Conference, UP CIDS continues to champion a culture of open-access scholarship, ensuring that academic rigor remains a public good available to all.

Access the Digital Collection The entire UP CIDS repository remains available for free download at any time: https://cids.up.edu.ph/publications/.

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