23rd Annual In-house Review of R&D Projects affirms MSU-IIT鈥檚 commitment to research excellence

by Kassandra A. Buenafe, OfCom | Oct 21 2025

Hosted by MSU-IIT's Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, through the Office of Research Management, the 23rd Annual In-house Review (AIHR) of Research and Development (R&D) Projects gathered the university’s faculty, researchers, staff, and students at the University Gymnasium on October 20, 2025, to recognize and highlight their research contributions, discuss meaningful research initiatives, and sustain the culture of inquiry within the institute.

Researchers from all colleges of the University were welcomed to present and join this year’s AIHR, along with external partners in collaborative projects, with its lead researchers coming from MSU-IIT. With the theme "Influencing the Future through Innovation and Research,” this intellectual gathering was more than just an opportunity for research presentations, but also served as a place for researchers to enrich their ideas and innovations.

According to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, Prof. Ephrime B. Metillo, PhD, in his opening remarks during the opening program, the AIHR is “an academic venue for us to review, reimagine, and reaffirm our shared goal to shape the future through the power of inquiry, the boldness of innovation, and the spirit of collaboration.”

This year’s Keynote Speaker was Acad. Fernando P. Siringan, PhD, from the UP Marine Science Institute and the National Academy of Science and Technology, DOST. He delivered a lecture on “Research opportunities and strategies,” and at the heart of his talk, he encouraged the audience to explore the rich biodiversity of the country, particularly in Mindanao, and to collaborate with other researchers. Following the Keynote Speech, a plenary talk by DOST Balik Scientist and a professor from 猫咪AVat Naawan, Dr. Benjoe Rey B. Visayas, gave a talk on “Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence for Scientific Breakthroughs.”

The resolute commitment to research and innovation can be seen in the standing and elevated statistics of MSU-IIT in world rankings. Chancellor Alizedney M. Ditucalan, who gave an inspirational message in the opening program, highlighted MSU-IIT’s recent achievement–its continued inclusion in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, where a significant improvement was observed in the following areas in the Research Metrics: research productivity; research excellence; research strength; and research influence (Read the news: /news/news-detail.php?id=2247).

However, Chancellor Ditucalan emphasized that there is a deeper purpose that lies behind these numbers, signifying achievement. “But as proud as we are as a global institution, let’s remember this: the ranking is not our final goal. It’s just a reflection of something far deeper– the impact of research, the spirit of collaboration, and the difference we make in the lives of our people. Our ranking is an outcome of what happens when research serves the community,” he said.

The morning session was concluded with a reading of the Guidelines and House Rules of the AIHR. In the afternoon, oral and poster presentations took place, which were awarded and recognized at the succeeding Fellowship Night.

The following were the awarded research for the Oral Presentation: For the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Category, 1st Place was awarded to the study entitled “AgriCerPSi- Synthesis of Agricultural Waste-Derived Ceramic Prous Silicate Particle” by Raymond V. Rivera-Virtudazo, and 2nd Place to the study “Development of drone-based computer vision-assisted pavement distress detection (Phase 2)” by Shiela Mae P. Barro. In the Business, Education, Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Category, the paper “#Canceled: Predictors of Consumers’ Intention to Cancel in the Philippines” by Safa D. Manala-o was given 1st Place, while Niel Martin’s “Culturally Tailored Maternal Health Care: Examining the Needs of Young Higaonon Mothers” placed 2nd.

On the other hand, the Poster Presentation Group had the following winners: The study “Spatio-temporal modelling of Dengue Cases in Caraga Region, Philippines” placed 1st under the Natural Sciences and Mathematics Category, while “Gender Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System of Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City” by Antonio M. Merca was awarded 1st Place for the Education, Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Category. Furthermore, the studies “Development of drone-based computer vision-assisted pavement distress detection (Phase 3)” by Melody Mae O. Maluya and “Phase 2: Predicting River Water Levels and Barangay-Level Weather for Enhanced Local Resilience of Iligan City” by Mac Jiem C. Maghanoy tied for 1st Place under the Business, Engineering, and Technology Category.

Topics :