By Office of the Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension (OVPRDE)

Central Philippine University officially joins the Visayas Laboratory Network (VLabNet) on January 30, 2026, enhancing regional collaboration, shared laboratory resources, and research capacity under its WEAVE Program.

Central Philippine University (CPU) has been officially approved as a member of the Visayas Laboratory Network (VLabNet) on January 30, 2026, a multi-institutional network established to strengthen collaboration, capacity-building, and shared access to laboratory resources across the Visayas.

This membership is a strategic component of CPU’s WEAVE Program of the Office of the Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension (OVPRDE), which advances Workload Optimization, Expertise Enhancement, Access to Assets, Velocity Amplification, and Ecosystem Engagement as key levers for accelerating research and innovation impact. By joining VLabNet, CPU concretely operationalizes WEAVE—particularly Access to Assets (shared laboratories and equipment) and Ecosystem Engagement (active participation in a regional laboratory consortium), while strengthening Expertise Enhancement through joint trainings and mentoring.

VLabNet, formerly the Western Visayas Laboratory Network (WVLabNet), was established in 2023 through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding among the Department of Science and Technology Region VI, University of the Philippines Visayas, Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region VI, Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau Region VI, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center and Negros Prawn Producers Cooperative. Through this network, member institutions work collectively to enhance human resource development, facilities and resource sharing, collaborative research and development, policy recommendations, and special projects responsive to regional priorities.

As a VLabNet member, CPU commits to actively contribute to and benefit from the network’s core thrusts, including:

• Capacity-building and human resource development through joint trainings, seminars, mentoring, benchmarking, and promotion of good laboratory practices and ISO/IEC 17025:2017 awareness;
• Optimized sharing of laboratory facilities and equipment, subject to institutional policies and approvals, maximizing access to research assets (WEAVE: Access to Assets);
• Collaborative R&D initiatives with partner laboratories, ensuring shared implementation and co-ownership of outputs (WEAVE: Velocity Amplification);
• Knowledge exchange and technical engagement to strengthen laboratory standards, protocols, and operational practices (WEAVE: Expertise Enhancement); and
• Participation in policy formulation and special projects that contribute to regional development and evidence-informed decision-making (WEAVE: Ecosystem Engagement)

CPU will also actively participate in VLabNet governance and network activities, including regular meetings, at least one network activity annually, sharing relevant laboratory data and research outputs as appropriate, and committing to continuous improvement of laboratory operations in line with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).

Through VLabNet membership, CPU gains access to a regional directory of calibration and testing laboratories, priority participation in trainings and proficiency testing programs, technical support, and opportunities for collaborative projects and research grants—accelerating the translation of research into economic and social impact consistent with CPU’s thrust of innovation that resonates.

This milestone reinforces CPU’s commitment to building a collaborative, quality-assured, and impact-oriented research environment, where laboratory capabilities are strengthened not in isolation but through a shared regional platform. Through VLabNet, CPU positions itself as an active partner in advancing science, technology, and innovation in the Visayas—ensuring that research outputs are produced with rigor, shared with purpose, and translated into solutions that address regional and national development needs.