ILOILO CITY—Faculty members and administrators of the Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology (ISUFST) figured prominently in the successful staging of the Education Summit 2026 (EDSUM26), assuming leadership responsibilities as organizers, keynote speakers, research presenters, moderators, and academic session leaders during the two-day conference held July 24–25 at the University of the Philippines Visayas Graduate and Continuing Education Building (GCEB).
Organized by the UP Visayas Master of Education Alumni Association (UPVMEAA) in partnership with the UP Visayas Division of Professional Education and the Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP)–Iloilo Chapter, EDSUM26 gathered 120 educators, researchers, graduate students, school leaders, and policymakers from more than 40 institutions under the theme “Reimagining Philippine Education: Equity, Innovation, and Transformative Learning.”
Leading the organizing team was ISUFST PAMMCO Director Dr. Herman M. Lagon, who serves as President of UPVMEAA and Vice Chair of EDSUM26. Beyond steering months of planning, Lagon coordinated institutional partnerships, publicity, participant engagement, and conference implementation. He also helped bring EDCOM II Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark R. Yee to Iloilo, enabling delegates to engage directly with one of the country’s foremost education reform leaders.
Another key member of the organizing committee was former ISUFST VPAA Dr. Joan M. Belga, who now serves as UPVMEAA Treasurer. Throughout months of preparation, Belga supervised the summit’s financial management while coordinating food services, participant welfare, procurement, and numerous logistical requirements that enabled the conference to maintain high-quality professional development at an accessible registration fee.
Also playing a significant role was ISUFST’s Prof. Divine D. Jinon, a member of the UPVMEAA Board of Trustees. Jinon devoted countless hours to publicity, communications, participant coordination, invitation follow-ups, and conference logistics before and during the summit, helping ensure smooth communication among delegates, presenters, and partner institutions.
ISUFST’s contribution also extended through its active participation in the Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP)–Iloilo Chapter, UPVMEAA’s principal partner in organizing EDSUM26.
Dr. Stephen Raymund Jinon, ISUFST Vice President for Academic Affairs and MTAP-Iloilo Board Member, chaired the EDSUM26 parallel session on Culture as Enabler of Transformative Learning, facilitating scholarly discussions on culturally responsive pedagogy, indigenous knowledge systems, and community-based learning innovations.
Dr. Matthew T. Lasap, Administrator of the ISUFST Dumangas Campus and MTAP-Iloilo Board Member, chaired the session on Pre-Service and In-Service Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership, while simultaneously assisting the conference secretariat in coordinating program operations.
Dr. Michelle Penaflor Bales, ISUFST Director for Instruction and President of MTAP-Iloilo Chapter, assumed multiple responsibilities as Session Rapporteur, member of the Secretariat Committee, and Documentation Committee, helping synthesize research discussions while ensuring efficient conference operations.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rene Estomo, ISUFST academic program head and MTAP-Iloilo Board Member, chaired the concurrent session on Didactics and Innovative Teaching and Learning Materials, guiding discussions on artificial intelligence, instructional innovation, mathematics education, and technology-enhanced teaching.
Beyond conference leadership, ISUFST researchers also contributed significantly to the summit’s scholarly program through peer-reviewed research presentations.
Jomel B. Guintivano, together with WVSU researcher John Erwin P. Pedroso, presented “Intersectionality in the Sacred Space of the Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer as a Cultural Contact Zone Towards Culture-based and Place-based Language Teaching,” exploring how sacred and cultural spaces can become dynamic environments for inclusive and contextualized learning.
Dr. Michle M. Celeste showcased “LAWUD: A Research-based Documentary Vignette Series for Transforming Indigenous Knowledge System into Contextualized Learning Resources,” demonstrating how indigenous fishing traditions, environmental knowledge, and local rituals can be transformed into educational resources that preserve cultural heritage while enriching classroom instruction.
Dr. Lagon likewise presented “Drawing Understanding: Pre-service Teachers’ Experiences with Desmos in Analytic Geometry,” examining how dynamic mathematics software enhances conceptual understanding and learner engagement among future mathematics teachers. He also delivered the Day 1 GAMECON keynote, “Gaming Pedagogy in the Age of Education 5.0,” highlighting game-based learning as a means to develop critical thinking, collaboration, and human agency in the AI era. He likewise co-moderated the summit’s couch talk with UPV Chancellor Clement C. Camposano, UP Faculty Regent Early Sol A. Gadong, and Dr. Yee, which underscored the need to strengthen Local Education Coalitions across Western Visayas.
Completing ISUFST’s research delegation was Tedric Dave E. Senosa, whose study, “Route Towards Certification: A Path Analysis on Licensure Performance of New Teacher Education Curriculum Graduates,” investigated factors influencing teacher licensure examination performance and proposed evidence-based strategies for strengthening teacher education programs.
It is worth noting that Dr. Lasap and Dr. Celeste are also UPV alumni and thus are members of the UPVMEAA.
The strong ISUFST presence reflected the University’s growing commitment to educational research, academic leadership, and regional collaboration. Across two days of keynote addresses, research presentations, policy dialogues, and professional conversations, ISUFST educators contributed not only as presenters but also as planners, facilitators, moderators, organizers, and institutional partners working alongside colleagues from basic and higher education institutions.
The ISUFST delegation likewise expressed its gratitude to University President Dr. Nordy D. Siason Jr. for fostering a culture that encourages faculty members and academic leaders to contribute beyond the University’s walls. Clearly, the administration’s trust and support have given faculty the space to share their expertise, assume leadership roles in regional and national academic initiatives, and represent ISUFST in meaningful collaborations that advance the University’s commitment to academic excellence, social justice, and public service. The ISUFST team noted that EDSUM26 exemplified how ISUFST’s engagement with partner institutions extends the University’s mission of serving communities and helping shape educational discourse beyond its own campuses.
For ISUFST, EDSUM26 became more than participation in a conference. It became an opportunity for its educators to help shape conversations on educational reform, transformative learning, research-informed practice, and stronger collaboration among higher education institutions, schools, and local governments—demonstrating once again the University’s growing role in advancing quality education in Western Visayas and beyond.
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