Aklan, Philippines — Dr. Lizan E. Perante-Calina, Dean of the Development Academy of the Philippines’ Graduate School of Public and Development Management (DAP-GSPDM) led the Academy’s engagement at the Philippine Councilors League End-Term Assembly on 3 and 6 June 2025 at the Mabuhay Convention Center in Boracay, Aklan, empowering local leaders nationwide with strategic foresight tools and championing the importance of Futures Thinking in public governance.
In her presentation, Dean Perante-Calina underscored the importance of Futures Thinking in enabling local governments to navigate the fiscal impacts and emerging challenges of the Mandanas Ruling. She emphasized how Futures Thinking enables community-defining decisions through actionable strategies, urging leaders to take bold steps in response to factors reshaping local governance.
In support of this advocacy, DAP also shared key government best practices through two groundbreaking research studies: “InSALTfficiency: The Specter of Philippine Salt Production Industry Decline and Ways Forward” by Dr. Madlyn Tingco, and “Profiling of Smart City Projects in the Philippines in Support of Sustainable Cities and Communities” by Dr. Enrico L. Basilio and Prof. Rafael April S. Rivera. Both studies, funded through GSPDM research grants, reflect DAP’s commitment to policy-relevant and evidence-based research.
Moreover, the DAP-GSPDM delegation conducted exploratory meetings with various institutions to discuss potential adoption and implementation of their research findings. They also formally turned over knowledge products as part of DAP’s broader efforts to democratize Futures Thinking and localize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the country. These strategic consultations aimed to integrate institutional evidence-based research into local governance frameworks, with emphasis on community-level impact and grassroots relevance.
Inspired by GSPDM’s research on tourism, Marc Maio Judicpa, Senior Tourism Operations Officer of the Department of Tourism-Region VI Boracay Field and Compliance Monitoring Office, expressed interest in submitting a proposal to enhance existing studies on the ongoing reclamation projects in the Municipality of Malay. His interest was echoed by DILG-Aklan Provincial Director Dino Ponsaran, who acknowledged the relevance of DAP’s research to Aklan’s thriving tourism sector. Farah Mae Arboleda, School Librarian of Northwestern Visayan Colleges, and Carmena Quimpo, Executive Committee Member, likewise expressed intent to integrate sustainability and heritage preservation into their tourism curriculum.
Dr. Julie Ann Salido, Vice President for Research at Aklan State University, affirmed the university’s commitment to advancing ongoing innovations. She expressed interest in exploring a collaboration with DAP-GSPDM under its Research Programs on SDGs and Futures Thinking, recognizing the potential to synergize institutional strengths for mutual benefit.
