To address issues the global village faces through research-based solutions, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Circle of Research Enthusiasts (PUP CORE) hosts “UNveiling Growth: Supporting Sustainable Research-Driven Goals,” at Bulwagang Bonifacio on May 22.
The advocacy event is part of the organization’s three-part special, commemorating Communication Research Month and the 120th anniversary of the university, which aims to promote global accountability by aligning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with research.
“Malaking tulong ito sa mga researchers na katulad namin. Sustainable Development Goals kasi ay isang very important na topic na need natin pag-usapan at ma-familiarize,” said Project Event Head Aira Palacio.
“‘Yung mga research namin, mahalaga na i-align ito sa mga goals para maging blueprint ito for a better and more sustainable future for all,” Palacio added.
Vice President for Research, Extension, and Development of the university, Dr. Anna Ruby P. Gapasin advised the students to unite and take “practical and applicable” solutions and actions since they hold the future of society.
“The future is not something that just happens to us. It is something we create. You, students, are the architects of the future. So let us work together, let us innovate, and let us grow,” Gapasin said.
Dr. Henry Leen A. Magahis, Principal of E. Zobel Foundation Inc. opened the first half of the talk, discussing how to enable progress for a sustainable and goal-driven tomorrow.
Magahis said that research was new to the 2016 curriculum, especially in Senior High School (SHS), following the integration of the K-12 program, and he had difficulties introducing research to basic education.
He emphasized that the end goal shall be clear from the beginning and must sustain relevance, where research must spark curiosity among students, promote creativity by tapping into their imagination, and develop critical thinking, communication, and collaboration between different roles toward the same goal.
Magahis gave a refresher on each of the 17 SDGs under the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). He noted that including the 17 goals in research is unrealistic, and guided students on what goals to prioritize.
He shared an illustration mapping the initiatives in the Philippines, where most are concentrated in Mindanao, and data on resource allocation to the 17 goals, suggesting prioritizing well-funded SDG advocacies.
Magahis encouraged everyone to create projects and introduced his project, “KAYA NI JUAN: Integrating SDGs in a Capstone Project,” showing how they anchored the 17 SDGs and integrated them into each SHS strand and subject through the different projects they developed targeted at various communities.
Meanwhile, Professor Joseph Reylan Viray, the event’s second speaker, tackled the ethical foundation for sustainability research.
Viray broke down the understanding of the word “sustainability,” its continuance, and its relationship. He explained various ethical frameworks for their approaches, derived from different theories applicable to sustainability ethics.
He emphasized that the kind of ethics needed should focus on the sustainability relations and the structures that will support it—an integrated approach.
Viray suggested that sustainability ethics should be developed by analyzing the individual as a relational person to understand their role.
Article: Lourence Angelo Marcellana
Graphics: Aldreich Pascual
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