USM Founders Legacy Association Inc. Grants ₱10,000 Cash Assistance to Qualified Students
April 14, 2026
SOXAARRDEC Joins SCC Student Research Presentation 2026
April 14, 2026
Team GADGaling, made up of members from University of Southern Mindanao (USM) and the Philippine Rubber Research Institute (PRRI), won with their policy brief titled “Standardizing Barangay-Level Time Use Data to Make Rubber Programs Work for Women on April 8, 2026, at the Mindanao Development Authority.
The team was composed of Dr. Jhon Dave Llanto, Dr. Rowell P. Nitafan, Prof. Sarrah Jane C. Guerrero of USM, and Ariel O. Villar of PRRI. The team’s policy brief looked at the lack of data on how women spend their time in rubber-producing communities. It showed that women’s work, both paid and unpaid, is often not seen or counted. To address this, the team suggested collecting data at the barangay level. This can help create programs that better support women and make decisions based on real information.
This year, the hackathon was held in Mindanao, focusing on family labor and gender gaps in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) sector. The event was organized by Development Innovations and Policy Laboratory – DIP Lab, in partnership with the University of the Philippines Mindanao, the Gender and Development Laboratory in the AANR Sector (GAD Lab in AANR), and the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).
With the theme “Invisible Hands: Family Labor and Gender Gaps in the AANR Sector,” the activity aimed to come up with practical and inclusive policy ideas. It brought together students, researchers, local government units, and development partners to share insights and work on solutions that support fair and sustainable growth in Mindanao.
