ISUFST, DLSU present research at ISSHCON 2025

By Herman Lagon/PAMMCO

Eleven faculty researchers from the Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology (ISUFST), in partnership with De La Salle University (DLSU), will present policy-focused papers at the 2nd International Social Sciences and Humanities Conference (ISSHCON 2025) on Aug. 13–16 in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

The presentations, drawn from the Project on the Localization of Women and Children’s Policy with DLSU’s Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance, spearheaded by Dr. Francisco Magno, will tackle gender equality, governance, sustainable development, and higher education transformation in the Global South.

ISUFST President Dr. Nordy Siason Jr. confirmed that the university’s delegation will join scholars from the Philippines and abroad to share research findings that address local and global policy gaps.

“This is an opportunity to amplify our work on gender-responsive and sustainable governance while fostering stronger academic linkages,” Siason said.

The ISUFST contingent includes Dr. Joan Belga, Dr. Edmer Bernardo, Dr. Joana Paula Biñas, Dr. Johnny Dolor, Dr. Herman Lagon, Dr. Lenirose Mondero, Dr. Jeanette Bayona, Dr. Jescel Bito-onon, Dr. Rex Paulino, Mr. Reil Jan Patosa, and Dr. Siason.

Each will present a paper co-authored with DLSU researchers under various panel topics.

In Panel Topic 1: Academe and the Sustainability Agenda, Dr. Siason will present Emerging Universities and Sustainable Development: Knowledge Partnerships for SDG Localization, while Dr. Bernardo will discuss Expanding Access, Ensuring Equity: Making Education Work for First-Generation Students.

Dr. Bito-onon will present From Conversion to Connection: Stakeholder Engagement in Newly Chartered State Universities, and Dr. Bayona will speak on SDG-Driven Internationalization in Emerging Universities.

Panel Topic 2: Localization of Gender and Development Policies will feature Dr. Mondero’s Institutional Collective Action and Fragmentation: Localization and Diffusion of National Policies on Women’s Rights, Mr. Patosa’s Gendered Pathways to Participation: Women’s Engagement in Governance through the Local People’s Council, Dr. Bayona’s Weaving Empowerment: Women, Culture, and Sustainable Tourism, and Dr. Dolor’s Gender and Governance in Solid Waste Management.

Panel Topic 3: Women’s Health and Social Protection will include Dr. Belga’s Reproductive Health Education: Advancing Women’s Health Promotion in the Global South, Dr. Lagon’s Empowering Community Health Workers: Advancing Gender-Responsive Mental Health Care, Dr. Biñas’s Fighting Violence Against Women: Local Protection for Victims, and Dr. Bito-onon’s Inclusive Climate Governance in the Global South: Women’s Roles in Environmental Adaptation in Coastal Communities.

According to Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Belga, the research collaboration is part of a broader initiative to strengthen evidence-based policy advocacy.

“Our partnership with DLSU enhances our capacity to engage with national and global policy conversations while ensuring that local voices and contexts are represented,” she said.

ISSHCON 2025 will gather academics, policymakers, and practitioners to exchange insights on how social sciences and humanities research can address pressing societal issues.

The ISUFST delegation’s expenses will be funded through the training budget of the Project on the Localization of Women and Children’s Policy.

Since 1957, ISUFST has grown from a fisheries school into a research-driven university shaping change from shorelines to global stages.

Its studies—from marine science to gender and governance—translate local realities into policies and innovations.

At ISSHCON 2025, it continues this mission, championing research that serves communities and advances the UN Sustainable Development Goals. (Herman Lagon/PAMMCO)