15/09/2026
𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 | 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐃𝐞𝐯-𝐂𝐀𝐑 𝐜𝐨-𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐈𝐃𝐒 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞
LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET – “Strong institutions must do more than build people’s skills. They must also create the conditions for those skills to translate into decent work, responsive policies, sustainable livelihoods, and better lives for Cordillerans,” experts and stakeholders expressed during the 2026 Cordillera Policy Research Forum on September 9 at the Benguet State University (BSU), La Trinidad, Benguet.
As part of the 24th Development Policy Research Month (DPRM) with the theme “Building Strong Institutions, Unlocking Human Capital,” the forum brought together the members of the Cordillera Regional Development Council, representatives from other government agencies, local governments, academe, research institutions, the private sector, development partners, and students.
The forum aimed to bring research and local perspectives together to examine how institutions can strengthen coordination, create an enabling environment for investment, and provide sustained service that develops the region’s human capital. It also highlighted the importance of translating research findings into evidence-based policies and programs responsive to the Cordillera’s development needs.
This marked the first time that policymakers and academe came together to advance collaboration on policy research, development, and innovation, with Benguet and Benguet State University (BSU) serving as the pilot initiative.
In his welcome remarks, BSU President Dr. Kenneth A. Laruan emphasized that development goes beyond physical infrastructure and depends on people, policies, and institutions that create opportunities for communities. “People need strong institutions, good policies, and opportunities to turn knowledge into actions,” Dr. Laruan said, stressing the need to translate research into policies and programs that improve people’s lives.
RDC-CAR Vice-Chairperson and DEPDev-CAR Regional Director Apollo Edwin S. Pagano emphasized the role of research and evidence in shaping regional priorities, programs, and investments.
Representing Benguet Governor Melchor D. Diclas, Executive Assistant David Cabuten expressed the provincial government’s support for the forum, emphasizing that policy research helps transform information into knowledge, better decisions, and meaningful action for communities.
Dr. Philip Arnold Tuaño, President of PIDS delivered a message highlighting that policy research should be a bedrock of policymaking. “It gives policymakers evidence to understand problems, assess options, and design interventions that respond to actual conditions on the ground,” he said. Meanwhile, Dr. Michael Ralph Abrigo, Senior Fellow of PIDS, provided an overview of the forum, underscoring the purpose of the DPRM and outlining the calendar of activities lined up for this year’s celebration.
The forum’s research presentations examined various concerns affecting human capital and institutional development, including workforce preparedness, employee health and behavior, skills alignment, women’s livelihoods, agricultural extension, entrepreneurship, local governance, anti-poverty programs, and labor market governance. The discussions underscored that having skilled and capable people is only part of the development process. Strong institutions, accessible opportunities, responsive policies, and effective services are also needed to help people use their capabilities productively.
The discussion also emphasized the importance of responsive institutions that listen to the people they serve. The presenters highlighted the need for meaningful participation, stronger coordination, and improved institutional processes in developing policies and programs that respond to community needs.
Dr. Philip Arnold P. Tuaño tied the forum’s concerns together by examining what happens after people acquire skills and capabilities. He explained that local conditions, including connectivity, infrastructure, education and training, health services, business opportunities, and local government capacity, shape whether people can use their capabilities productively.
RDC-CAR Co-Chairperson and Private Sector Representative for Social Development Arnel M. Cabanisas, in his closing message, underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among government, academe, and other stakeholders in turning research and knowledge into meaningful action. “Academe provides the threads, the knowledge, research, and innovation and together we weave the future of our region,” PSR Cabanisas said.
The forum ended with ways forward from collaboration to institutionalized partnership, and from research production to research utilization, ensuring that the knowledge, expertise, and innovation generated by the academe contribute directly to regional planning, policymaking, program implementation, and better development outcomes for a progressive and autonomous Cordillera.
𝐵𝑦 𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑎 𝐵𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒 𝑀𝑎𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑑, 𝑆𝐿𝑈 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒 𝑅. 𝐵𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑘𝑖, 𝐷𝑅𝐷
