Researchers from the University of Antique (UA) earned major recognitions at POLARIS 2026: Policy, Action, Research, and Impact Summit, held on October 8–9, 2026, at the Research and Extension Building of West Visayas State University (WVSU) in Iloilo City.

Organized by the Research Managers Council VI Inc. (RMC VI), in cooperation with the Regional Association of State Universities and Colleges VI (RASUC VI) and WVSU, the summit recognized outstanding research outputs for their quality, relevance, and potential to inform policy development and address pressing community concerns.

Danica Marie B. Aposaga, presenting a study co-authored by Jessebel V. Gadot and Jemaica S. Labus, received the Best Oral Policy Presentation award under Track 2 – Environment, Climate Change, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Security. Their study, titled “Utilization of Watermelon Wastes as Natural Preservative and Food Additive,” explored the potential application of watermelon waste as a natural preservative and food additive.

Meanwhile, Roger S. Mission earned the Most Impactful Policy Brief award under Track 3 – Social Development, Tourism, Culture, and Community Resilience for his study, “Spatial Patterns of Violence Against Women and Children Using Geographic Information System and Density-Based Clustering Algorithm.”

The achievements reflect the academe’s continuing efforts to strengthen its research culture through the support and guidance of UA President Dr. Godelyn S. Gallega-Hisole, Vice President for Research, Extension, and Innovation Dr. Jelyn O. Alentajan, and Research Director Dr. Debbie Jean S. Riego.

These recognitions highlight UA’s commitment to producing relevant and impactful research that informs policy, supports innovation, and addresses community needs, further encouraging its faculty researchers to generate knowledge that extends beyond the academe. This is also anchored on Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and SDG17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Congratulations to our researchers! Your achievements bring honor to the university and demonstrate the power of research to inform policy and create positive change.

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑅𝐸𝐼