In line with the university’s capability-building efforts, the MMSU Graduate School invited two professors from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) to facilitate a training-workshop on Qualitative Social Research on Jan.14-16 at the University Training Center.

Dr. Daylinda Cabanilla and Prof. Pamela Custodio were invited to facilitate the activity attended by 32 participants from the different colleges, units, and offices of the university. Seven teachers and officials from the Department of Education-Division of Batac City were also invited to attend the workshop as part of the university’s extension efforts.

\"Having attended the seminar, we should be more confident to write better qualitative social research to complement the already-established research programs of the university in the fields of agriculture and the natural sciences,\" said Dr. Alegria Visaya, university/board secretary and faculty member of the Graduate School who was one of the organizers of the training-workshop.

Even after the activity, the training facilitators and the participants agreed to continue to collaborate through the creation of an internet mailing group where they can discuss about their research efforts.

Dr. Cabanilla is with the Department of Anthropology of UPLB while Prof. Custodio teaches at the Department of Development Communication in the same university.

It was the second time Dr. Cabanilla facilitated qualitative social research training at MMSU. The first was in February 2007 upon the invitation of the CAS Social Sciences Department.