New Sustainability Master’s Program Aims to Shape Policymakers, Not Just Scholars

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

A new graduate program in sustainability launched by the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) is aiming beyond academic circles, with the express intent of preparing future policymakers and governance leaders to tackle the country’s most pressing environmental and socio-economic challenges.

The Master of Science in Sustainability (MS Sustainability) program, introduced through a public forum attended by top academics, legislators, and sustainability experts, marks a strategic shift in graduate education — one designed to bridge the gap between scientific research and effective public policy.

“We envision graduates not only as academics, but as leaders of policy and practice,” said Dr. Rodelio F. Subade, dean of the UPV Graduate School. “This is not just a degree for the classroom. It’s a program meant to catalyze real-world change through transdisciplinary and solutions-oriented approaches.”

Science-Based Policy for an Interconnected World

The MS Sustainability program is constructed around the understanding that environmental degradation, climate change, and resource inequities are not isolated problems. They are deeply connected to political systems, cultural contexts, and economic institutions. As such, the program will integrate scientific analysis with policy design and community engagement.

“Policies geared toward sustainability ought to be a fruitful outcome of Legislature-academic collaborations,” Subade said. “Legislators who draw research-based insights from institutions like UP Visayas will be well-positioned to craft adaptive, equitable, and informed laws.”

The program covers a broad range of focus areas: fisheries and aquatic sciences, integrated coastal and watershed management, food and agribusiness systems, sustainable enterprise, renewable energy, and indigenous studies. Its interdisciplinary format will enable students to work across multiple domains and navigate complex systems — from local ecosystems to international policy frameworks.

The initiative has received a powerful endorsement from Senator Loren Legarda, one of the Philippines’ most prominent environmental legislators. In her keynote address during the forum, Legarda underscored the urgency of creating science-backed policy leaders to address the Philippines’ vulnerability to climate change.

“We are not just hurting, we are bleeding,” said Legarda, citing alarming projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Philippine government’s own National Adaptation Plan. “We need to invest in our people and in programs like the MS Sustainability that can help them become the agents of transformation.”

Legarda, who authored numerous laws including the Climate Change Act and the Green Jobs Act, emphasized that effective legislation depends not only on technical expertise but also on the ability to translate complex data into practical governance strategies.

“Sustainability is complex and multifaceted,” she said. “Science-based policy is the instrument with which we can create resilient, fair, and inclusive frameworks for development.” 

Fragmented Knowledge, Unified Response

The program’s interdisciplinary nature is also a response to what UPV Chancellor Dr. Clement Camposano described as the “fragmentation of knowledge” in higher education.

“We know more and more about less and less,” said Camposano. “But the sustainability crisis does not respect academic boundaries. It requires a conscious effort to bring together expertise from science, culture, economics, and governance.”

That sentiment was echoed by former UP Diliman Chancellor Dr. Fidel Nemenzo, who argued that real transformation must start with unifying scientific disciplines and reaching out to policymakers.

“We must act not to impress but to make an impact,” Nemenzo said. “The purpose of this work is not to climb university rankings, but to create meaningful change for communities.”

Practical Engagement

Unlike traditional graduate programs, the MS Sustainability degree will include fieldwork, applied research, and community-based projects as central components. Dr. Jennifer Marie Amparo, dean of the College of Human Ecology at UP Los Baños, stressed the value of involving local stakeholders in both the formulation and implementation of sustainability solutions.

“It’s not enough to design policies from the top down,” Amparo said. “We must recognize the agency of communities and co-produce knowledge with them.”

As an example, Amparo cited her team’s work with the Aeta Magbukon community in Bataan, where researchers and indigenous leaders co-developed sustainable livelihood products, not as passive recipients of aid, but as co-creators of change.

“That is the future of sustainability work — collaborative, inclusive, and deeply local,” she said.

Global Imperative, Local Application

The Philippines ranks among the world’s most disaster-prone countries. According to UN data, the nation has suffered over 670 billion pesos in damages from typhoons over the past decade. The economic cost of climate change could reach up to 13 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2040, Legarda warned.

Dr. Kevin Villanueva, inaugural Professorial Fellow in Ethics and International Relations at UP, argued that the MS Sustainability program positions UPV as a key contributor not only to national policy but also to global climate discourse.

“The international system of states has failed to halt the warming of the planet,” Villanueva said. “We need to rethink how local institutions like UP Visayas can articulate new goals for an archipelagic nation, rooted in science and community experience.”

Education as a Catalyst for Policy

Ultimately, the program’s value lies in its potential to produce not just researchers or analysts, but informed policymakers — individuals who understand the science behind sustainability and can legislate accordingly.

Dr. Raymundo Rovillos, interim president of the Pangasinan Polytechnic College and a former UP Baguio chancellor, praised the program’s integration of cultural sustainability and indigenous knowledge systems.

“Sustainability without cultural context is incomplete,” Rovillos said. “We must include the voices and wisdom of indigenous communities in our academic and legislative processes.”