2016 Development Policy Research Month to kick off on September 1 in Butuan City
The second Mindanao Policy Research Forum will be the first of many activities slated for September’s Development Policy Research Month (DPRM) celebration. Partners Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), and Father Saturnino Urios University are co-hosting a policy forum which is focused on the theme “Nurturing Resilient Communities in Mindanao towards Sustainable Development”. A lunchtime press conference will formally open and discuss this year’s DPRM theme of “Investing in Risk Reduction for a Resilient Philippines”. These back-to-back events will be held on September 1 at FSUU in Butuan City.
Undersecretary Janet Lopez, executive director of MinDA, will present on “Fostering Partnerships with Academic and Research Groups for Mindanao’s Sustainable Development”. Echoing the DPRM commitment to promoting the role of sound research evidence in policymaking, Lopez’s presentation will focus on harnessing the talent and input of Mindanao’s research community in shaping the development and sustainable growth of Mindanao.
Other presenters include Dr. Celia Reyes and Dr. Danilo Israel, senior research fellows at PIDS. Reyes’s presentation will discuss the massive study evaluating the design, implementation, and impact of the crop insurance programs being delivered by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation. The study investigated the experience of farmers in various regions with the program, and, in turn, offers recommendations to address the challenge of improving access and awareness among target-beneficiaries.
Israel will discuss the results of the impact evaluation of the National Greening Program and will reveal whether or not it has effectively achieved its objectives. He will also discuss the challenges and shortcomings that must be addressed to improve the program.
FSUU and Caraga State University will be delivering presentations in the afternoon. In line with the DPRM theme, FSUU will discuss its disaster reduction and risk management initiatives. Resource persons from Caraga Sate University will present their study on the Comprehensive Land Administration and Information Management System.
The presentations will be followed by a broad line-up of discussants that includes people from different sectors—private, government, and civil society. The panel consists of Dr. Mohammad Yacob from the Bangsamoro Development Authority and representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Senate.
The PIDS’ Socioeconomic Research Portal for the Philippines (SERP-P) team will also be in attendance to discuss the open access agenda. SERP-P is an online repository of socioeconomic research materials amassed from the contributions of PIDS and 52 other research and academic institutions. SERP-P Coordinator Mark Vincent Aranas will speak about the portal’s role in promoting free access to critical knowledge and relevant research studies and information, and how to use the knowledge resources in SERP-P.
The lunch-time press conference on the 2016 DPRM will be headed by Usec Lopoz of MinDA; Dr. Danilo Israel and Dr. Sheila Siar, PIDS director for research information; Dr. Maricar Casquejo, regional director of CHED Caraga, and Rev. John Christian Young, FSUU president. Key regional officials from the Office of Civil Defense, Department of Science and Technology, and Department of Health will complete the line-up of panelists.
The DPRM is celebrated across the country every September since 2003 in view of Malacañang Proclamation No. 247. This information and advocacy event aims to promote and draw nationwide awareness on the importance of policy research in the formulation of sound development plans, programs, and policies. The proclamation designated state think tank PIDS as the lead government agency in the yearly observance of the DPRM.
Photo credits: 350.org
Photo credits: 350.org
