20/08/2026
UP-Bangsa caravan held at UP Tacloban
Sixty UP Tacloban faculty members, students, and research, extension, professional, and administrative staff attended the UP-Bangsa Development Initiative (UP-BDI) Caravan held at the Leyte-Samar Heritage Center on 19 August 2026.
UP-BDI Coordinator Asst. Prof. Maynard U. Usares of UP Mindanao presented an overview of the initiative, a flagship program of the University of the Philippines established under Administrative Order No. PAJ 23-74 and hosted by UP Mindanao. UP-BDI works closely with local government units, ministries, and communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the Sulu Archipelago to foster sustainable peace and inclusive development through research, extension, and institutional partnerships. It is spearheaded by a Technical Working Group (TWG), which coordinates and strengthens collaboration between the UP System and BARMM to ensure inclusive, responsive, and sustained partnerships. As part of this effort, the TWG conducts UP-BDI caravans in constituent universities of the UP System to introduce the initiative, showcase its ongoing engagements, and identify opportunities to align and expand existing university projects in support of BARMM's development priorities.
Acting Chancellor Dr. Patricia B. Arinto of UP Tacloban welcomed the TWG members and caravan attendees. Engr. Leo Neil T. Viado discussed the Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines (SARAi) project collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR-BARMM), and TWG member Mr. Martin Hilario I. Mapolon presented the Telemedicine Project in Tawi-Tawi. TWG member Architect Minerva C. Rosel discussed the thematic areas of collaboration under the initiative, and project assistant Mr. John Carlo S. Evardo presented the protocols for engagement in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Hon. Gracita R. Jacinto-Ali, Mindanao State University Regent and UP-BDI TWG member, gave the closing message.