The School of Management (SOM) proudly announces that Associate Professor Ligaya Leal, Researcher Marilou Montiflor, and Research Associate Dave Laurence dela Cruz have been awarded the Award of Sustainability Promotion at the 17th International Conference on Environmental and Rural Development (17th ICERD) at the Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on March 28, 2026.
The award, given by the International Society of Environmental and Rural Development, recognizes their outstanding contributions to advancing sustainable practices in management, development, and research through the paper “Sustainability Pathways for Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Sultan Kudarat: An Assessment of Economic, Social, and Environmental Dimensions.“
This honor highlights the SOM’s commitment to fostering innovation, leadership, and impactful scholarship that addresses global sustainability challenges.
Dr. Leal presented this study, which highlights sustainability challenges and opportunities for coffee farmers in Sultan Kudarat. While farmers practice diversified farming, reliance on the traders would limit income and value addition. Communities benefit from support programs but face weak cooperative governance, low youth and women’s participation, and environmental risks, such as water scarcity and deforestation. Priority interventions include post-harvest infrastructure, market consolidation, climate-resilient environmental management, and inclusive capacity building through stronger partnerships with government and private stakeholders.
In the same conference, Dr. Montiflor presented on Participatory Action Learning and Research in the Coffee Case Study. She expounded how collaboration and shared learning can reshape how knowledge is created and applied in the coffee sector — showing that research is most powerful when communities and practitioners learn together.
Aside from paper presenters, Dr. Montiflor served as Chair during the Oral Scientific Session, while Dr. Leal was co-Chair during the Poster presentation. The event was held from March 26-29, 2026, including the pre-event seminars, welcome banquet, and excursion.
Both Dr. Leal and Dr. Montiflor’s participation in the 17th ICERD was made possible by support from the UP Mindanao Research Dissemination Fund, Research Dissemination Grant – Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Inclusive Value Chains Philippines Project (https://upmin-ivcphil.up.edu.ph/).
(Text/photos courtesy of MO Montiflor/SOM)
