CBGA Faculty Strengthens Research and Extension Agenda with Impact Measurement Framework for Community Transformation

Author: Hanan Ray Orquia, BS Hospitality Management Faculty

KORONADAL CITY — On June 26, 2026, the faculty of the College of Business and Governance and Accountancy (CBGA) convened at the NDMU CBGA Mini Hotel for a Professional Learning Group (PLG) session dedicated to redefining the standards of community engagement.

The session was led by resource speaker Dr. Florenz C. Tugas, CPA with the topic “Measuring Impact: Developing Analysis Framework and Tool”. 

He challenged educators to move beyond administrative compliance. He set the tone for the morning with a pivotal inquiry: "Why do we do what we do, and will our efforts endure after we leave?" This question served as the cornerstone for a transition toward more sustainable and transformational community extension programs.

He introduced a framework to provide faculty with a strategic mechanism for program development. By mapping the journey between a community’s current challenges and its desired future, educators were tasked with deconstructing their existing initiatives into clear inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impact.

The interactive workshop encouraged faculty to reflect critically on their work, ensuring that every project is focused on tangible, long-term impact rather than simple task fulfillment.

A central theme of the session was the reciprocal nature of service learning. Dr.Tugas emphasized that engagement should be a two-way process where the college learns as much as it gives. He encouraged the faculty to treat community engagement as an extension of the classroom, weaving real-world nuances into their lectures to bridge the gap between abstract textbook theories and professional reality.

The discussion culminated in a profound challenge to the attendees: “Do we deliver the fruits of our research to the world?” Faculty were urged to consider the broader impact of their work on the local community, the region, and the greater Mindanao landscape.

As the CBGA faculty continues to refine their research and extension agenda, the session underscored the necessity of balancing the university’s internal Marist Vision, Mission and Goals with external mandates from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

The call to action is clear: CBGA faculty are encouraged to evolve from mere participants into active agents of transformation. “Dr. Tugas reminded the faculty that true systemic change may not be fully realized within a single lifetime, or even three”. Instead, the focus must be on leaving a permanent dent in the society and initiating a slow but unstoppable transformation that will echo for generations to come.

Dr. Florenz C. Tugas, CPA, poses for a faculty portrait during the seminar “Measuring Impact: Developing Analysis Framework and Tool.”

As the session drew to a close, Dr. Michelle F. Capistrano, CPA, Dean of the College of Business and Governance and Accountancy (CBGA), extended her heartfelt gratitude to the faculty for their dedication in attending despite the frantic preparations for the upcoming semester. She also recognized Dr. Florenz C. Tugas, CPA, for imparting his time and expertise in a session that was as brief as it was impactful. She noted that the insights shared serve as a vital framework for the college’s move toward more sustainable and impactful community engagement programs.

Reflecting on the deeper purpose of their work, Dr. Capistrano issued a compelling challenge to the faculty. Echoing the speaker’s profound inquiry, she asked, 'Why are we doing this? What is the heart of the program?' She reminded the faculty that their true fuel is not found in financial metrics, academic accolades, or the bragging rights that come with implementation, but in the lives, they were able to transform. With this vision, she set a new trajectory for the college: to look beyond the four corners of the classroom and show to the region and to Mindanao what it means to be a Marist educator.