Saint Louis University (SLU) showcased its leadership in community-centered research at the ASEAN Research Conference on Extension for Sustainable Development Goals (ACES Summit 2026), held on 11 November 2026 at the City Tourism Hall in Cagayan de Oro City.
Hosted by the City College of Cagayan de Oro, led by Dr. Jestoni Babia, and sponsored by the City Government of Cagayan de Oro through the leadership of Mayor Rolando Uy, the summit brought together delegates from 15 institutions across 7 Philippine regions and Brunei Darussalam. The theme was “From Local Action to ASEAN Impact: Transformative Extension Partnership for Sustainable Development.”
The conference aligned with the Cagayan de Oro City Government’s RISE Agenda under “Kanunay Nag-Alagad,” which integrates regional leadership, institutional development, social growth, and economic recovery to position extension as a driver of future-ready communities. Built around four objectives (knowledge exchange, capacity building, partnership, and the celebration of excellence), the event featured poster presentations in an interactive World Café format.
SLU Teams in the ACES Awards
Three SLU teams were named finalists in the ACES Awards, under the Prosperity, People, and Planet categories, among the 30 shortlisted extension projects. Two of them went on to win places.
1st Place, Prosperity Category. The team behind “Knowledge Transfer, Collaboration, Generation of New Ideas Through Product Development and Innovation in Cacao Products in Tublay, Benguet” showed how academic partnerships can spur rural entrepreneurship and economic resilience. The project was authored by Lorraine Ngaosi, Carmelita Amistad, and Leilani de Guzman, with Ms. Lorraine Ngaosi as presenter.
3rd Place, Planet Category. The team behind “Community-Led Integrated Micro-Hazard Building Model (CLIMB): Strengthening Disaster Resilience through GIS-Based Hazard Mapping in Barangay Atok Trail, Baguio City” was authored by Florence Leslie Campolet, Yuriko-Lynn Suba, Jeorge Antonio, Joanna Marie Obfan, Jazel Sano, Beverly Podes, Arjay Cuh-ing, and Erol Ayunon. Engr. Florence Leslie Campolet was the presenter.
Finalist. People Category. The team behind “Enhancing Instruction for Electronics Engineering Programs through SLU ECE-Developed Browser-Based Simulators” was shortlisted as a finalist in the Pople Category. The project was authored by Joe Arthur Agustin, Zenaida Agustin, Elaine Rivera, Raul Mabitazan, Michael Cagaoan, Florence Leslie Campolet, April Miranda, and Edilyn Batad, with Engr. Zenaida Agustin as presenter.
Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals
The recognized projects advance several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The cacao product innovation project supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Target 8.3, which promotes entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growth of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), Target 2.3, which seeks to raise the productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers (Indicator 2.3.2, average income of small-scale food producers). The CLIMB project contributes to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), Target 11.5, which seeks to reduce the number of people affected by disasters (Indicator 11.5.1), and to SDG 13 (Climate Action), Target 13.1, which strengthens resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards (Indicator 13.1.3, local disaster risk reduction strategies). The browser-based simulators support SDG 4 (Quality Education), Target 4.4, which builds relevant technical skills (Indicator 4.4.1, youth and adults with ICT skills). Finally, the partnerships among SLU, local governments, communities, and ASEAN institutions reflect SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), Target 17.17 (Indicator 17.17.1).
These recognitions reinforce SLU’s commitment to transforming local extension research into sustainable solutions across the ASEAN region and to advancing the SDGs through community-centered partnerships.
The extension projects recognized at the ACES Summit 2026 were carried out under the guidance and approval of the Sustainable Research Extension Unit within the Research, Innovation, and Sustainable Extension (RISE) Center of Saint Louis University. (Article by Dr. Leilani I. De Guzman | Photos by SDG Presenters)
