The Ugnayan ng Pahinungód UPOU joined theTri-Conference 2025 and the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the University of the Philippines Open University with the theme, “Constancy, Change and Co-existence”, on 24-28 February 2025.
During the Day 1 of the week-long celebration, Pahinungód UPOU, along with the UPOU officials, faculty, staff and partners, participated in the Opening of the ASEAN Community Gallery and Fair at the UPOU CCDL Auditorium. In the afternoon, the Pahinungód UPOU Director Queenie Roxas-Ridulme and staff also took part in the tree planting ceremony for the Native Arboretum and Restoration Project held at the UPOU-EDC BINHI Arboretum. This initiative is part of the University’s commitment to environmental restoration and sustainability.
Pahiungod UPOU have successfully planted two native Philippine trees. The first tree is the Ipil tree, which is currently listed as “vulnerable species” due to various threats to its habitat and may become endangered in the future (1-2), while the second one is an Antipolo tree which is endemic to the Philippines and is experiencing a decline in its population due to mining operations, logging activities, land conversions, kaingin practices, among others (3).
The office also took part as research presenters in the two conferences involved in the Tri-Conference 2025, the International Symposium on ASEAN Studies (ISAS) and International Conference on Open and Distance eLearning (ICODeL), highlighting the service learning initiatives and research-driven solutions to pressing challenges in health and education of their programs — Online Bridge Program, Online Mother’s Class, and KaYa: Kalinga at Yakap App.
On 25 February, Ms. Jessica Hernandez, Project Staff of Pahinungod UPOU, served as one of the presenters during the ISAS Parallel Session 8: Nutrition, Health and Food Security in ASEAN She has effectively discussed the key findings of the study entitled, “Online Mother’s Class on Newborn and Infant Care: An e-Learning Strategy to Improve Maternal and Infant Health in Marginalized Communities in Laguna.”
Highlighting the significance and valuable impact of the Pahinungod programs in open and distance e-learning, Pahinungód UPOU shared their research under the Service Learning Initiative track in the ICODeL 2025 on 27 February 2025 .
Ms. Jezreel Anne Cometa, the current Senior Office Associate of the office, won the “Best Pecha Presentation Award” for her creative and excellent presentation of our research entitled, “Development of KaYa – A Mental Health and Wellness Application in an Open University Community.”
Likewise, Ms. Iarra Mae de Silva, Project Staff, also participated in the Pecha Kucha Presentation delivering a creative and impactful discussion on “Improving Student Performance through MOOCs: Strengthening Foundational Skills of Senior High School Students in Northern Mindanao.” On the other hand, Ms. Naomi Jean Unlayao, Project Staff, served as one of the oral presenters discussing the implications of the study entitled, “Usability of a Mental Health and Wellness Mobile Application in an Open University in the Philippines.”
On 28 February, Pahinungod UPOU marked this significant milestone by joining the UPOU Family Day. This event allowed each office and faculty to be reconnected, reaffirmed, and recognized with their shared commitment to open and distance learning (ODeL), and service.
Indeed, this entire celebration honors three decades of dedication to empowering society through lifelong learning and service, a commitment that Ugnayan ng Pahinungod UPOU also upholds.
Written by: Jezreel Anne Cometa