CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — September 29, 2026 — A five-member delegation from the Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZSCMST) is currently attending the Training–Workshop on Research Methods for Gender and Development (GAD) Studies, organized by the Association of Scholarly Editors (ASE), held September 29–30, 2026 at The VIP Hotel.

Leading the institutional contingent is Ms. Marife R. Villafranca, ZSCMST GAD Director. She is joined by: Atty. Alinasser A. Yusop — Education Program Specialist; Dr. Edwin R. delos Reyes — Head, Instructional Materials Development Office; Dr. Melchor B. Brillantes — Dean, Graduate School; Ms. Nuriza P. Jalani — English / MATESP Program Adviser.

The two-day intensive workshop is designed to strengthen research capabilities specifically in GAD-focused inquiry, equipping participants with rigorous, ethical, and publication-ready methodologies.

Expert-Led Sessions Chart GAD Research Landscape and Practice with a resource person for the activity – Dr. Genaro V. Japos, the President of the Philippine Association of Institutional Researchers (PAIR), who guided participants through a comprehensive sequence of sessions.

In the morning opening session, Dr. Japos presented “The State of Published and Online Accessible GAD Research in the Philippines: Emerging Trends in Content and Methods and Research Gaps.” The session provided a critical overview of current GAD scholarship nationwide—identifying dominant themes, evolving methodologies, and significant gaps that institutions such as ZSCMST are well-positioned to address.

The afternoon proceeded with Session II: “GAD Research in My Organization,” which took the form of a guided workshop. Participants assessed their own institutional contexts, mapping opportunities and priorities for context-relevant GAD studies.

Session III followed with a deep-dive into “Methods of GAD Research: Mixed, Quantitative, and Qualitative Designs,” clarifying the appropriate selection, application, and integration of approaches to ensure rigor, validity, and meaningful impact in GAD investigations.

The Output Requirement or the Return on Investment and Community Commitment of the participants as a core policy and practice of the ZSCMST GAD Office, that all participants attending GAD-related training and activities are expected to produce tangible outputs upon their return. These deliverables will be consolidated and advanced by one of the pillars of GAD which is the ZSCMST GAD Research Area.

According to GAD Director Ms. Villafranca, this requirement is rooted in the principle of accountability and shared responsibility:

“It is my firm resolve that every GAD-related training attended by our personnel must yield concrete outputs as their return of investment to the institution and as corporate social responsibility to the community we serve.”

The outputs will serve as the foundation for future institutional GAD research initiatives—ensuring that knowledge gained translates into evidence-based programs, policy recommendations, and community-responsive development work.

The participation of ZSCMST officials and faculty in this national-level capacity-building event underscores the institution’s commitment to advancing gender-responsive research. Equipped with updated methodologies and a clearer view of the national research landscape, the delegation is poised to lead the development of robust, inclusive GAD studies that reflect the unique maritime, academic, and community contexts of ZSCMST.