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Associate Professor Reinald Adrian Pugoy and Assistant Professor Blancaflor Arada from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), served as resource speakers during the AI Summit organized by the College of Computer and Information Science (CCIS) of Mapua Malayan Colleges Laguna (MMCL) on 11 June 2025. The summit, titled “Redefining Intelligence: What It Means to Be Human in an AI World,” was held as part of the institution’s CCIS Month 2025 celebration, which carried the theme “Celebrating Computational Innovations and Sustainability.” Dr. Pugoy (in blue coat) poses with the MCL [...]

The Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) conducted a two-day hybrid Proposal Revision Workshop last 10-11 June 2025 at the UP Open University Oblation Hall. The workshop was done to refine the proposed curriculum for a new graduate program: the Master of Data Science (Sustainability). Associate Professor Dr. Ria Mae Borromeo, the MIS Program Chair, led the workshop, which was actively participated in by faculty members Associate Professor Diego Maranan, Associate Professor Reinald Adrian Pugoy, Assistant Professor Katrina Joy Abriol-Santos, Assistant Professor Cecille Moldez, Assistant Professor Mary Kristene Clariño, and Assistant Professor Lei Kristoffer Lactuan. The team carefully [...]

Dr. Shari Eunice San Pablo, a faculty member at the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), was selected to participate in the 100 images. mq. mm. exhibition held at Spazio Magma in Rome, Italy, from May 28–29. Her photograph was among 100 selected from global submissions via Instagram and printed and displayed as a single mosaic. Photo of the exhibition space at Spazio Magma courtesy of Fr. Kasmir Nema, SV The project explored how images can circulate and connect people outside traditional art spaces. Inspired by the [...]

Four Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) students from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), participated in a three-week laboratory internship at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. The internship was conducted under the mentorship of Professor Lunchakorn Wuttisittikulkij from the Faculty of Engineering. Held from 13 to 31 May 2025, the internship was part of the international academic collaboration under the Metaverse Academic Nexus for Global Opportunities (MANGOs) initiative. The project aims to expand the use of immersive technologies, particularly within educational and research settings. The participating students were: [...]

Three students of the Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) Program under the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) secure an initial grant of Php 120,000 as one of the first-round recipients of the prestigious Gawad Pangulo sa Natatanging Inobasyon ng Mag-aaral. The team is led by Rajan Joaquin Llaguno, with Anna Porsche Gutierrez, Jordan Rae Costanilla–all from the UPOU BAMS Program, alongside Erickson Llaguno. They are mentored by Dr. Dave Centeno, PhD Program Director at the UP Diliman Virata School of Business.The project, Watch! Tap! Shop! is a [...]

The UP ISC Research Project ISRGA2024-22: Interrogating Higher-Order Impacts of Disruptive Technologies on Quality Education (SDG4): A UP Community-Wide Anticipatory Study in Complexity under the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) held a series of meetings and research workshops on 22 to 24 May 2025 in Cebu. Principal Investigator Dr. Alexander G. Flor leads the Third Project Coordination Meeting. On 23 May 2025, the research team, composed of the eight UP constituent universities, convened for their Third Project Coordination Meeting. Each CU Lead Collaborator shared updates on their ongoing research efforts in their respective campus unit. [...]

Dr. Ria Mae Borromeo, Asst. Prof. Mary Kristene Clariño, and Asst. Prof. Katrina Joy Abriol-Santos from the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) participated in the Technical De-identification and Open Data Publishing Training-Workshop held on 19–20 May 2025, at the UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries, UP Diliman. The intensive two-day workshop gathered around 60 participants from across the UP System and its Constituent Universities (CUs), including research project leaders, data protection officers, open data advocates, and data custodians. The training equipped attendees with vital skills in data anonymization, data transformation, risk assessment, and ethical open data publishing—all essential [...]

A benchmarking meeting between the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) was held on 19 May 2025, at the Sandbox, UPOU Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna. The visit focused on potential collaborations in immersive learning primarily for the expansion of educational opportunities, with the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) leading the discussions.The UPOU delegation was led by Dean Roberto Figueroa Jr., accompanied by Dr. Melinda Bandalaria, who heads the program development of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies’ (FICS) initiatives on massive open online courses (MOOCs) and microcredential programs. Joining them [...]

Baguio City, Philippines – Dr. Benigno Agapito, Jr., Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and current Program Chair of the Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS), was invited by the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to serve as Resource Speaker and Evaluator for a specialized training course aimed at enhancing digital literacy, social media engagement, and policy advocacy in the agriculture sector.The training, conducted under the Capstone Project “Social Media for Sustainable Agriculture: Enhancing Youth Engagement and [...]