MORE FOCUSED on process and methodology, Dr. Angelo O. Tubac, Research Manager of Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao, impulsed to over five thousand PSUnians to wield concepts of Gender and Development (GAD) in research and use it as a ‘lens’ on academic exploration.

“Approaching change, especially on gender issues, requires a multifaceted and complex response.” Dr. Tubac shared in his discussion on ‘Using GAD Data to Influence Policy and Design Intervention Programs: Moving from Research on to Research with People’ last February 22 (Monday) via Zoom and FB Live.

He urged the participants to understand how academic research, especially GAD-related, can contribute to changes while working with society and people.

“This webinar is about rigorous academic research and how that can contribute to and change policy and practices at different levels: at the community, at the university level, in instruction and community extension, local government unit and possibly on a wider scope,” the researcher added.

Dr. Tubac, a development worker who is currently managing several baselines and formative studies, cited researchers’ essential role in generating empirical data that can shed understanding on the existing gender problems.

“At this point, I am calling out the research and community extension offices to do their share to make a change in the community,” he said as a challenge to the university.

In response, Dr. Dexter R. Buted emphasized in his opening speech that ‘gender is an essential consideration in development.’

President Buted added, “It is a way of looking at how social norms and power structure impact in the lives and opportunities available to different groups of women and men.”

Signifying GAD’s role in research panorama, Dr. Presley de Vera, Coordinator of GAD Lingayen Unit, said that staging webinar about GAD research helps broaden the understanding of the interwoven relationships between the downstream and upstream levels on the cross-cutting issue of GAD. Besides that, webinar like this “strengthen the application of research with people,” she added.

The challenge is clear for the participants, especially that they took part in a vital discussion on Strategic Planning; Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Partnerships; Strategic Communication; Capacity Development and Influencing.

Dr. Tubac is an alumnus of Holy Name University, University of San Carlos, and University of the Philippines Open University. As a researcher, he works with government, civil society organizations, education stakeholders, and research institutions like the University of the Philippines Foundation of Integrative Development Studies, Philippine Normal University- Research Center for Teacher Quality, University of England, and the Australian Council for Education Research. /mmpd