In a world where knowledge is often treated as a commodity to be acquired and exported, the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) has chosen to look inward. For one day, the University’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) became a crucible for critical thought, hosting the “𝒯𝒾𝓃𝓊𝒷𝒹𝒶𝓃: 𝒩𝒶𝓋𝒾ℊ𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝒮ℴ𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓁 𝒮𝒸𝒾ℯ𝓃𝒸ℯ𝓈 𝒞𝓊𝓇𝓇𝒾𝒸𝓊𝓁𝓊𝓂 𝒶𝓃𝒹 ℐ𝓃𝓉ℯ𝓇𝒸𝓊𝓁𝓉𝓊𝓇𝒶𝓁 ℰ𝓃ℊ𝒶ℊℯ𝓂ℯ𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝓇𝒶𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓃ℊ on March 19, 2026, on campus. The event featured international participation, including a lecture by 𝓓𝓻. 𝓐𝓾𝓻𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓸 𝓢𝓸𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓐𝓰𝓬𝓪𝓸𝓲𝓵𝓲 from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, and served as a clarion call to reimagine the very foundations of education, including the content of the General Education curriculum and the ethics of intercultural engagement, research, and community work.

The Bisaya term Tinubdan, meaning “source” or “origin,” was a deliberate and evocative choice for the 3rd Tigkanayan Conversation Series. As emphasized in the welcome remarks of the 𝓒𝓐𝓢 𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓷 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓯. 𝓓𝓻. 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓮 𝓖𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓘. 𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓲𝓬𝓸, It challenges academics to remember that in the social sciences, the true source of knowledge is not found in textbooks alone, but in the lived experiences, the struggles, and the aspirations of the people we serve.”

The gathering which was part of the broader Tigkanayan Conversation Series brought together faculty, staff, students, and researchers to dissect three vital pillars: ethics, community centeredness, and policy relevance. University President 𝓓𝓻. 𝓑𝓸𝓷𝓲𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓲𝓸 𝓖. 𝓖𝓪𝓫𝓪𝓵𝓮𝓼, 𝓙𝓻., in his inspirational message, framed the discussion within a national and global context. He reminded the participants that in Mindanao, a region defined by its immense diversity, “understanding one another is necessary.” He challenged the educators to see education as a practice of

understanding, respect, and care, ultimately linking their work to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of quality education,

peace, and strong institutions.

Building upon this foundation of care and understanding, Dr. Aurelio Solver Agcaoili, Department Chair of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, delivered an unflinching lecture titled Who We Are, What We Know: Post-Decolonial Intercultural Communication and Community Engagement in the Philippine South and the Indo-Pacific. Dr. Agcaoili’s presentation was a direct challenge to conventional frameworks, which he argued often treated intercultural communication as a neutral “technique” or a set of competencies.

When the framework strips away history, power, and memory — it is not neutral. It is dangerous, Dr. Agcaoili asserted, drawing a clear line in the sand. He introduced the concept of “post-decolonialization” as a critique and a commitment. Critique, he explained, is the courage to name what has survived colonialism, which he considers “operating systems of education, language, and civic life.” He dissected the phenomenon of “endogenous colonialism,” where the formerly colonized replicate colonial hierarchies from within, such as the centralization of power in Manila and the marginalization of regional languages like Ilokano, Maguindanaoan, Bagobo, Manobo, Tausug, and Kapampangan in favor of Filipino/Tagalog.

Dr. Agcaoili’s commitment, the second half of his framework, called for a reconstructive approach to knowledge. He championed “deep listening” as an “epistemological practice” requiring historical reckoning and critical self-awareness. He reframed community engagement entirely, echoing the challenge posed by scholar Linda Tuhiwai Smith: “Whose interests does the research serve?” For Dr. Agcaoili, ethical scholarship is not about researching on communities but with them, in their languages, with accountability. He used the Ilokano case as a paradigm, arguing that marginalizing a community’s language was a form of epistemic injustice that bypasses its knowledge and lived reality.

Following Dr. Agcaoili’s critique was a practical discussion on the General Education (GE) curriculum led by 𝓐𝓼𝓼𝓸𝓬. 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓯. 𝓛𝓾𝓭𝓮𝓷 𝓛. 𝓑𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓪, the Department Head of the Social Sciences. Her presentation, “Advancing the Gen Ed Curriculum: Insights and Direction,” navigated the complex terrain of Philippine higher education policy.

Assoc. Prof. Baterina began by re-establishing the foundational purpose of GE, guided by CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, s. 2013, to develop intellectual competencies and civic capacities, orienting students toward a holistic understanding of the self, Filipino society, and the global community. However, she did not shy away from confronting the pressing issues plaguing the current system. She laid out a stark reality for her fellow faculty members, highlighting key issues such as an “excessive GE load” that leads to redundancy with Senior High School subjects, a resulting lack of practical skills training, and the threat to holistic development as humanities and social sciences courses face potential reduction.

What made the discussion particularly significant was the active participation of the students in the workshop. Recognizing that they are the primary stakeholders of any curriculum, they were invited to critique the existing GenEd objectives and outcomes. In small-group sessions, they shared their perspectives on which skills truly matter for navigating the complexities of the contemporary world, which subjects align with their lived experiences, and where they felt the curriculum fell short in addressing the realities of Mindanao and the broader Philippine society. Their voices served as a vital checkpoint, ensuring that the proposed curricular reforms are not merely top- down impositions but are genuinely responsive to the needs and aspirations of those who experience the curriculum firsthand.

To move forward, Assoc. Prof. Baterina proposed a clear roadmap for USeP. She emphasized the need to deconstruct the curriculum, align content with modern industry trends and digital literacy, and shift from traditional lecturing to interdisciplinary, problem-based learning. Central to her vision was the call to strengthen teacher training and empowerment, ensuring that educators are equipped with the pedagogical tools to handle a modern, diverse classroom and to prepare students for an evolving future. Her message was also a clarion call to embrace change to lead the future, ensuring the curriculum remains a

living, responsive entity.

The final session pivoted to the practicalities of academic output with a lecture from 𝓐𝓼𝓼𝓸𝓬. 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓯. 𝓓𝓻. 𝓡𝓾𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓵 𝓐𝓹𝓸𝓻𝓫𝓸, Research Manager of the Research and Development Center for Arts and Sciences (RDCAS), on “Strengthening Research Excellence: Guidelines for Rigorous, Inclusive, and Transformative Studies.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aporbo’s talk synthesized the day’s philosophical discussions into a concrete methodology for research. He emphasized that true research excellence must be rigorous, inclusive, and ultimately transformative, as secondary to the conversation series overarching theme of knowledge in service of the community.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aporbo went on to explain what transformative research really means. He said that studies should do more than just describe what is happening in society. They should also help makethings better. He shared a set of guidelines based on being ethically responsible, being clear about research methods, and making sure the community is part of the process. He drew from indigenous research practices and global standards of academic integrity, and challenged faculty, researchers, and students to stop simply taking information from communities without giving anything back. Instead, he called for a new way of doing research, one where researchers and communities work together. In this approach, research helps empower communities, respects local knowledge, and brings real benefits to the people involved.

Throughout the conversation event, a powerful, unified message emerged from different presentations. The idea of the tinubdan was deconstructed and rebuilt, where the marginalized languages and indigenous knowledge must be centered in the classroom. Thus, it is the community that must be a partner in research, not just a subject; and it is the critical self-awareness of the educator and researcher that serves as the starting point for

all ethical engagement.

As 𝓜𝓼. 𝓕𝓮 𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓲𝓺𝓾𝓮 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓷𝓲-𝓣𝓪𝓰𝓪𝔂𝓽𝓪𝔂, faculty member of the Social Sciences Department, College of Arts and Sciences, concluded the conversation series, the challenge for the faculty was clear: We are always tasked not just with refining our individual development plans but with embodying a new paradigm. The call was to move beyond being mere educators to becoming transformative leaders and high-impact researchers, and to be committed, as individuals, to the difficult but necessary work of decolonizing our own practices, listening to the communities we serve, and building a curriculum that is not only relevant but also just.

This is the essence of Tinubdan. True knowledge, after all, begins with knowing where we come from and who we are. As captured in a sentiment that became the conversation series’ refrain, “Who we are shapes what we see. What we see shapes what we claim to know.” The series, which started in 2024, was a decisive step in ensuring that what USeP’s faculty claims to know is rooted in the profound and complex realities of the Philippine South, with a vision that is both globally conscious and fiercely local.