By Mikee Natinga Norico
Dr. Ananias C. Sabijon, Jr., Director of the CPU Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE), serves as one of the presenters during the National Summit on Faculty Development held at Silliman University, Dumaguete City.
Central Philippine University (CPU), in line with its commitment to provide Exemplary Christian Education for Life (EXCEL), actively participated in the National Summit on Faculty Development held on October 13–14, 2025, at Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Philippines. The summit carried the theme “Stackable Learning, Integrated Scholarship: Future-Proofing Faculty Development.” The event was co-sponsored and organized by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA) and Silliman University, through the Dr. Mariano C. Lao Global Studies Center, headed by its Director, Dr. Dave E. Marcial.
During the two-day summit, which gathered around 80 participants from various colleges and universities across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, Silliman University President Dr. Betty Cernol McCann presented “The State of Faculty Development in the Digital Age.” This was followed by the keynote address of UBCHEA President Dr. Pareena G. Lawrence, who emphasized the importance of faculty development in sustaining quality teaching and learning in higher education institutions across Asia. Dr. Lawrence also introduced other UBCHEA officials — Dr. Hope Antone, Program Director for Faculty Development, and Dr. Anita Christine Tiphagne, Assistant Director for Administration and Partnerships.
The national summit focused on the importance of micro-credentialing and integrated scholarship in equipping faculty members to remain adaptable and “future-proof,” particularly with the knowledge and skills needed to integrate whole-person education across instruction, research, and extension.
Dr. Marcial presented “Micro-credentialing and Its Network,” one of the summit’s highlights. Dr. Ananias C. Sabijon, Jr., Director of the CPU Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE), followed with the presentation of the research paper “Perceived Benefits and Risks Towards Micro-Credentialing,” co-authored with Dr. Dave E. Marcial (project leader) and Dr. Elve Nasvik of Silliman University.
Another highlight of the event was the presentation of studies on Integrated Scholarship by students and faculty mentored by Dr. Enrique G. Oracion, Project Leader of the Integrated Scholarship Project at Silliman University.
The summit concluded with a symbolic Commitment Signing Ceremony for the establishment of a micro-credentialing system partnership among participating institutions. Representing CPU during the ceremony was Dr. Ananias C. Sabijon, Jr., on behalf of CPU President Rev. Dr. Ernest Howard B. Dagohoy, who was attending another seminar abroad during the same dates. Dr. Sabijon, a recipient of the United Board Fellows Program, received mentorship and training at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong (SAR), and Valparaiso University (VU) in Indiana, USA. He joined around 30 other university officials and representatives from various regions of the country during the signing ceremony.
Both CPU and Silliman University are active partners and beneficiaries of UBCHEA programs. Notably, Dr. Marcial, Dr. Sabijon, and Dr. Oracion are all recipients of the United Board Fellows Program, through which they received specialized and experiential training and mentorship at selected universities in Asia and the United States.