Associate Professor Ladylyn Mangada, who served as the faculty reactor, shared reflections drawn from her own experience of researching local politics in the regions. She noted that familiarity with the local context gives locally based researchers an advantage. However, she also pointed out that obtaining data from government offices can be challenging, as access may be politically mediated. In some instances, such data may be more accessible to researchers from outside the locality. “Proximity gives us contextual access, but institutional access is another matter,” she said.
Assoc. Prof. Mangada also emphasized the importance of developing researchers’ skills and distinguished training from mentoring. According to her, research capacity cannot be built through workshops alone but develops through practice, mentoring, collaboration, and repeated opportunities to conduct research. She concluded her reaction with a call to produce more research on local communities and strengthen the capacity to generate knowledge from the local context, contributing to a richer understanding of Philippine politics and governance.
Meanwhile, UP Tacloban Chancellor John Paul T. Yusiong, in his welcome address, highlighted the significance of the PPSA Presidents’ Lecture Series on Philippine Democracy in the context of UP Tacloban’s growing responsibility to the communities it serves. He emphasized that, as a Constituent University of the UP System, UP Tacloban must listen carefully, study problems rigorously, and use knowledge to respond meaningfully to the needs of communities in Eastern Visayas.
Following Prof. Atienza’s lecture, participants raised questions and shared reflections and experiences during the open forum. Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, who was among those in attendance, also shared his perspectives and experiences as a local chief executive and current Chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council in Eastern Visayas.
The PPSA Presidents’ Lecture Series on Philippine Democracy was also attended by Asst. Prof. Rejen T. Lakibul, PPSA Visayas Representative; Ms. Angela Uclaray-Latosa, Program Manager of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Philippines; and Asst. Prof. Anida Bernadette Lorenzo, OIC of the College of Social Sciences and Management, UP Tacloban.
