Benchmarking Advances Research Practices Across R.V.M. Sister Schools

Photo via Jig Boncillo and Jhemaica Espiritu

In a display of institutional camaraderie aimed at advancing scholarly inquiry, St. Mary’s College of Baliuag, (S.M.C.B.) Inc. initiated a “Research Benchmarking and Best Practices Sharing” session with its sister school, St. Mary’s College Inc., Quezon City (S.M.C.I.Q.C.) — which hosted the joint delegation of administrators, faculty, and student researchers during a half-day collaborative session on Friday, July 10.

Held at the Main Audio Visual Room (A.V.R.) Basic Education (BEd) Multipurpose Hall, the gathering embodied a shared commitment to knowledge exchange and academic excellence grounded in solidarity. 

Echoing the true depth that set the tone of the day, Ms. Marilen M. De Castro, Vice President for Administration, Educational Organization Management System (E.O.M.S.) Leader, and Research Council Member of S.M.C.I.Q.C., framed “Research is a ministry of service,” in her welcome remarks. 

She underscored that research, when grounded in the institution’s Ignacian Marian charism, must transcend the confines of academic requirements and respond meaningfully to the needs of the broader community.

The program commenced at 9:30 a.m. with an opening prayer led by Ms. Marites Tena, Registrar and Research Council member, followed by Ms. De Castro’s address. Ms. Charisa Dumlao, Dean and C.R.P.D. Coordinator, introduced the S.M.C.I.Q.C. representatives, while Ms. Cecilia Alcantara, E.O.M.R./H.A.S.S. Department Head, reciprocated by introducing Baliuag delegation. 

The visiting institution, S.M.C.B. was headed by Mr. Perfecto Austria, IBEd Principal, and included key administrative and academic figures such as Mr. Jhonny Lajom, subject area coordinators Mr. Christian Jem Ramos and Ms. Edilyn Bucar, and Mr. Jig Boncillo, Research Head, who served a pivotal role in planning the event.

Overview of S.M.C.I.Q.C.’s Research Culture

Providing a comprehensive view of the benchmarked school, Ms. Dumlao detailed the work of the Center for Research and Professional Development (C.R.P.D.). She outlined a vision for a “dynamic and excellent center” that primarily addresses the research needs of the institution while simultaneously contributing to the body of knowledge across diverse disciplines.

Among the center’s key initiatives is the establishment of a Research Council composed of representatives from various departments, ensuring a multidisciplinary approach to each paper. 

Ms. Dumlao also emphasized the institution’s commitment to nurturing student researchers by encouraging active participation in annual Multidisciplinary Research Festivals, an endeavor in which S.M.C.B. had already taken part the previous year, both through the local F.L.A.R.E. initiative and an international fest. 

Furthermore, the discussion touched upon their growing network of research partner organizations. These strategic partnerships, Ms. Dumlao noted, also open doors for cross-institutional projects and shared resources, strengthening the impact of research outputs across the St. Mary’s educational community.

BEd Research Landscape

The spotlight then shifted to the basic education unit, with a presentation prepared by Mr. Rommel Quiming and delivered by faculty representatives Mr. Jayson Sicorsicor and Ms. Shirley Sablayan.

Mr. Sicorsicor highlighted their latest research achievements, discussing the department’s winning papers from the previous year, along with the rigorous requirements and qualifications for research publication, and the Research Skills Instruction Evaluation that began in the school year 2025-2026, noting the goal of developing a more dynamic and student-focused teaching approach.

Ms. Sablayan followed with an overview of the faculty’s research accomplishments, highlighting ongoing subject-area research projects. This segment provided concrete examples of research integration in improving the institution’s pedagogical framework, similar to S.M.C.B.’s practices.

Fostering Targeted Collaboration 

Seeking to maximize engagement, the attendees were divided into Parallel Breakout Sessions. Faculty and administrators remained in the A.V.R. to discuss policy adaptation, specifically regarding the Department of Education (DepEd) memorandums and how research can be utilized to refine and provide improvement suggestions to educational policies.

Concurrently, the student researchers group convened in the library. The discussions focused on collaboration, the exploration of compelling research topics, group management, the critical necessity of thorough defense preparations, and responsible utilization of assistive artificial intelligence (A.I.).

A 12th-grade student researcher, Josh Xavier, from the Quezon City delegation, shared his reflections on the benchmarking, “I had fun sharing our experiences and gaining new knowledge from our guest, from our sister school, St. Mary’s College of Baliuag, Inc. I’m really happy to have been given this opportunity with the invited delegation.”

Closing and Acknowledgements

The day’s proceedings concluded with closing remarks from Ms. Tena on behalf of S.M.C.I.Q.C. and Mr. Austria on behalf of S.M.C.B., Inc. delegation. The event was formally closed with a prayer led by S. Jessel Mae Lungay, R.V.M.

In an exclusive interview, Mr. Boncillo, who initiated and spearheaded the event plan, said the session’s goal was to exchange best practices in research management, drawing from the host institution’s established approaches while sharing S.M.C.B.’s own experiences to further strengthen both institutions. 

Asked about upcoming initiatives from the Research Office, Mr. Boncillo replied, “Yes. The Research Office has several external initiatives planned to further strengthen the research competencies of both student and staff researchers. These include additional benchmarking activities, invitational research trainings hosted by our sister schools, and collaborative programs with our partner institutions in research and publication.”

“In addition to these external initiatives, the Research Office will continue to conduct internal research capability-building programs, workshops, research formation activities, and mentoring sessions to further cultivate a strong and sustainable research culture within the institution.” He added.

Notably, the representatives from S.M.C.B., Inc. included the following grade 12 student researchers representatives, namely Janine Kimberly Saez, Chryseis Leila Sempio, Ma. Flordanisa Torres, Chloe Kumi Cruz, and Zydore Matthew Talabong, alongside Ignacian Marian Marketing and Promotions delegates Jhemaica Ericel Espiritu and Joana May Legaspi.