Central Luzon State University (CLSU) clinched the 3rd place in the "Policy Hackathon – the Polisiya Pasya Siyensa," hosted by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) through the Center for Strategic Planning and Policy Studies (CSPPS) at the College of Public Affairs and Development (CPAf) held on December 13-14, 2023.
The winning team, comprised of Asst. Prof. Zorille D.C. Villaflores from the Department of Communication and Development Studies (DCDS), Engr. Juderick Poblete from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) /Department of Environmental Science and Asst. Prof. Justine Trey Cubos from the Department of Social Sciences (DSS).
The CLSU team produced a three-page policy brief titled "Ripple Effect: Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement towards Sustainable Management of the Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed.” With the guidance from Dr. Gella Patria Abella, Dr. Shirly Serrano, and Dr. Daryl Juaganas of CLSU's Institute for Climate Change and Environmental Management (ICCEM), their technical advice significantly contributed to the completion of the policy brief.
Focusing on the watersheds of the Philippines, this year's competition was facilitated by the Development Innovations and Policy Laboratory (DIPLab), a collaborative effort between CSPPS and CPAf at UPLB. The pre-events, held on November 24, 28, and December 6, featured seminars on the Philippine watershed, and policy brief writing. The objectives of the DIP Lab Policy Hackathon include promoting collaboration among stakeholders, generating new ideas for holistic policymaking, and advocating policy outputs to relevant decision-makers.
Originating from the hackathon code fests of the STEM field, policy hackathons, including the Polisiya Pasya Siyensa, the event brings together participants from diverse fields and backgrounds to dissect problems, view them from different angles, and explore potential solutions. Specifically focused on addressing challenges in the AANR sector, this hackathon is a learning and co-creation platform open to students, researchers, and local government units.
