On July 13-14, 2026, the University of the Philippines Office of International Linkages (OIL) hosted KAPIT-BISIG 2026: United from Within to Beyond at the SMX Convention Center Clark, Pampanga. Organized under the Erasmus+ ANTENA and UNICATION Capacity Building Projects, the program gathered higher education leaders, administrators, and international relations officers and practitioners from across the country to strengthen institutional competencies, foster collaboration among HEIs, and cultivate a community of practice for internationalization (IZN) in Philippine higher education.
UPDEPPO sent its delegation to the two-day event: for the Foundational Training Program, Program Secretary Asst. Prof. Ethelbert Galang attended alongside Student Records Evaluator Ms. Karen Faye Garcia and Administrative Assistant Ms. Emmlyn Supan; in the Capacity-Building Training Workshop, Chief Information Officer and Student Relations Officer Asst. Prof. Arnulf Roan Pita represented the unit on Day 1, while on Day 2 he was joined by UPDEPPO Director Dr. Patrick De Leon, reinforcing the unit’s engagement in advanced sessions.
The program featured distinguished speakers who provided both foundational insights and advanced strategies for internationalization. Among them were CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis, invited to deliver the keynote address; Dr. Gino Angelo M. Velasco of the UP Office of International Linkages, who led discussions on competitiveness and collaboration; Dr. Jasmine Ryu of the University of Tokyo, who introduced internationalization in higher education; Dr. Muthia Pramesti of Universitas Indonesia, who spoke on strategic international engagements; Dr. Romyen Kosaikanont of Mae Fah Luang University, who tackled ASEAN projects and networks; Ms. Natacha Moniz of Instituto Superior Tecnico Lisbon, who facilitated sessions on partnerships and linkages management; Mr. Guillian M. Mecate of the University of the Philippines, who guided modules on policy alignment and institutional action planning; and Mr. Ivan Kurt M. Monasterial of the University of the Philippines, who led discussions on internationalization project development.
UPDEPPO’s participation in KAPIT-BISIG 2026 highlights the unit’s continuing efforts to embed internationalization in its recent academic and administrative initiatives, from its ongoing and planned curriculum revisions, to its recent partnerships on research dissemination and student mobility. UPDEPPO remains committed into transforming itself as a sustainability-forward and globally competitive institution of higher learning.