Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU showcases homegrown AI tech at the CHED RAISE 2026

By Jedd Bryant Boado

Three faculty members of the MMSU College of Computing and Information Sciences (CCIS) joined the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Responding through AI for Societal Empowerment (RAISE) conference held from February 25 to 27, at the Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo City.

Led by Dr. Saturnina Nisperos, Prof. Wilben Christie Pagtaconan, and Ms. Mara Angelika Dafun, the university showcased its self-developed AI technologies. These include the Admission to Graduation Analytics System, Abel Pattern Generator, and the Monitoring and Mapping of Philippine Universities’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Initiatives. 

The Admission to Graduation Analytics is a student support system that provides insights to support proactive guidance from admission through graduation. Meanwhile, the Abel Pattern Generator is used to create AI applications that are inspired by culture and technology. Lastly, the Monitoring and Mapping of Philippine Universities’ SDG Initiatives system analyzes data from the Times Higher Education SDG Impact Dashboard, helping Philippine universities track and improve their SDG performance.

Organized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), headed by Chairperson Shirley C. Agrupis, RAISE is an annual program that aims to promote the responsible use of AI, improve digital literacy, and advance technological innovation.

During the media briefing on February 25, Dr. Agrupis stressed that while AI has now become a part of our society, it is important that a clear policy framework be put in place to ensure its ethical use, especially in schools.

“While we push for AI-driven programs and competencies for our people, especially our students, we must not advance these at the expense of academic integrity,” Dr. Agrupis said.

Meanwhile, MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr., also attended the conference as well as the Presidents’ Forum. MMSU's achievements in science and technology, driven by the university’s SUCCEED agenda, emphasize its focus on effective digitalization initiatives.

Hosted by the Northern Iloilo State University and West Visayas State University, CHED’s RAISE 2026 gathered CHED officials, university presidents, partner agencies, students, and other guests nationwide.  Companies that have already adopted AI in their operations, such as Sagility, TTEC, SeeMeSol, and IBM, also presented their newly developed systems and shared their best practices.