Opening the doors once again for academics to pique anticipators’ appetites in learning future-relevant ideas, the San Pedro College unveiled its fifth installment of the Madayaw International Multidisciplinary Research Conference yesterday, December 1, 2022.

Since its inception, this is the first among all conferences done before that utilized a HyFlex format, broadcasting via Zoom whatever has transpired at Grand Regal Hotel, Lanang, Davao City, the onsite venue.

The event was officially welcomed by two highly-respected individuals—Dr. Ana Julia P. Enero, the Dean of Academics of San Pedro College, and Dr. Maricar R. Casquejo, CESO III, the director of the Commission on Higher Education’s Regional Office XI. Dr. Enero addressed her speech live at the Grand Regal Hotel, while Dr. Casquejo presented her remarks through a recorded video shown on the screen.

Midway through the morning session, Dr. Rec A. Eguia, the former Dean of the University of Southeastern Philippines’ College of Development Management, had a lecture on Institutionalizing Foresight and Futures Thinking Initiatives.

His lecture zeroed in on future thinking-relevant topics such as “Global Challenges and Sustainable Development Goals”, “Overview of Futures Thinking and Strategic Foresight”, and “Implications and Imperatives of Institutionalizing Futures Thinking and Strategic Foresight”.

Following Dr. Eguia’s presentation, Dr. Anabelle P. Villalobos, a research fellow at Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, then gave her keynote address. Revolving around the theme of Developing Futures Thinking in Research and Innovation, the esteemed chemist and Balik Scientist narrated how her role models in the academe shaped her disposition and ability as a scientist.

In addition, using her story of how she strived amidst challenges in developing the known chemotherapy medication Taxol, Dr. Villalobos stressed that doing research necessitates the willingness to go the extra mile.

San Pedro College’s Kultura Theater Dance and Ensemble entertained the audience with an intermission performance following Eguia’s and Villalobos’ keynote addresses, exhibiting Dabawenyo pride in their traditional dance. It was then proceeded by an open forum proactively engaged by the audience and the presentation of certificates of appreciation to the two speakers.

Later on, SPC’s senior high school faculty Rhine Gildore took over for the afternoon agenda, the E-poster Competition, where students and faculty members from varying schools presented key information about their research on a single-page poster within three minutes.

Eight participating teams and individual researchers exhibited their studies, but only three reigned in this year’s competition, and these are the: “Public Health Interventions against COVID-19 in Davao City,” which ranked first, “Cyclooxygenase Enzyme Inhibition and LC-MS/MS Profiling of Philippine Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Sm. (Zingiberaceae)”, the second placer, and trailing behind in the third place is the “Health Literacy Level and HIV/AIDS Knowledge Among Medical Laboratory Science Students in a Higher Education Institution in Davao City”.

Formally calling the day off, Professor Remark Z. Mortalla, the Director of the Community Engagement and Extension Services (CEES) of San Pedro College expressed his gratitude to the committees and people behind the smooth completion of the conference’s first day.

For the fifth year, the Madayaw International Multidisciplinary Research Conference allowed minds of scholarly intellect to assemble and engineer sustainable solutions that can better respond to the needs of the people. With participants from all across the globe attending on its first day, hopes for futures to be transformed, communities to be connected, and quality of life to be elevated, are now possibly actualizable.

The Petroglyphs – The Official Campus Media of SPC Senior High School