2nd ONE LETRAN Research Conference held

Franz Jude Abelgas, Employee Research Coordinator October 9, 2018

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Prof. Emmanuel Luna, PhD gave the keynote address during the 2nd One Letran Research Conference last Sept. 28. PHOTO | Leo Miraran

The ONELETRAN Research Cluster held the 2nd ONELETRAN Research Conference last Sept. 28 at the St. Thomas Hall.

With the theme, Making Research Diversity Thrive towards Sustainable Community Development, representatives from the four Letran campuses—Bataan, Calamba, Manaoag, and Manila—presented papers belonging to the fields of Education, Business, Social Sciences, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

Rev. Fr. Clarence Victor C. Marquez, O.P., the rector and president, gave his opening remarks, underlining the importance of rigorous research in the development of a ONELETRAN identity. He identified research as an important facet of relevance in the Colegio and thus must be responsive to a diversity of concerns, interests, and realities. Furthermore, research, as the backbone of an imagined community of ONELETRAN, must be inclined towards the truth—the same truth that saves humanity.

The ONELETRAN Research Cluster Chair for AY 2018 - 2019 and the Research Director of Letran Manila, Asst. Prof. Louie Ian B. Mariano, RChE, MEN, gave the bird’s eye-view of the conference. He reiterated the words of Assoc. Prof. Cristina Castro-Cabral, PhD, in one of her speeches—that researchers are both wanderers and wonderers. Researchers are wanderers and wonderers who want to improve society through research.

The Keynote Address was given by Prof. Emmanuel Luna, PhD, a full professor of the College of Social Work and Community Development at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He reiterated the fact that research is a fundamental prerequisite in forging any initiative in all fields of academic disciplines and practice. Through research and innovation, our present society and communities shall develop without leaving anybody behind, regardless of social status and wealth. Further, he commented that research, in whatever field, should be a tool for empowerment and societal transformation in the grassroots.

The presentation of papers followed until the culmination of the conference in the afternoon.