loren.staana

The Philippine Community eCenter Network, Inc. (PhilCeCNet), in partnership with the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), supported by key public and private sector partners, invites you to the 21st Knowledge Exchange Conference (KEC21) on 16-17 November 2026 at the Aziza Paradise Hotel, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.  With the theme, “Advancing Digital Transformation Centers for the AI Era,” the KEC21 gathers ICT4D and Public Internet Access advocates, including local chief executives, knowledge managers/workers, and Community eCenters (CeC) stakeholders from across the country, such as FITS Centers, Tech4ED Centers, Digital Transformation Centers, and similar entities. The conference is an essential [...]

Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) exchanged practical tools, processes, and workplace strategies aimed at improving efficiency during the 3rd Quarter MeetUPs, a quarterly professional development event, held on August 26, 2026, at the Sandbox, UPOU Headquarters. Led by University Extension Associate Loren Sta. Ana, the session focused on peer-to-peer knowledge- and skill-sharing opportunities, with staff members discussing practices that can help streamline academic and administrative workflows across the Faculty. Sta. Ana, drawing from her previous experience with the UPOU Quality Assurance Office, introduced several tools designed to enhance the [...]

Students from the University of the Philippines Open University’s Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (UPOU FICS) showcased an augmented reality (AR)-assisted running application and a Roblox-based Filipino language-learning game as the Immersive Spatial Technologies and Realities (ISTaR) Laboratory resumed its bi-weekly hybrid research group meetings. Held at the Immersive Science Communication Open Laboratory (ISCOLab) and through FrameVR, the meeting provided an opportunity for academic advisees of Assoc. Prof. Roberto B. Figueroa Jr., Dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies, from UPOU and UP Cebu to share updates on their immersive technology capstone projects.  The students also exchanged [...]

Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) Dean Dr. Roberto B. Figueroa Jr. and Dr. Reinald Adrian Pugoy conducted a series of academic visits to the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges from 5 to 7 August 2026. The visits are part of FICS' commitment to the LC Lead Project, strengthening opportunities for collaboration in education, workforce development, and internationalization. The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) delegation is headed by Chancellor Dr. Joane V. Serrano. The broader Philippine delegation included Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Michelle Aguilar-Ong, CHED Director Dr. Lora L. Yusi, and presidents and senior administrators [...]

Professor Diego S. Maranan (center, in black), UP Artist II for Visual Arts, during the UP Arts Productivity System (APS) Awarding Ceremony. (Photo courtesy of UP Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs) Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) Professor Diego S. Maranan was officially conferred the title of  University of the Philippines (UP) Artist II for Visual Arts for CY 2023-2025 during the UP Arts Productivity System (APS) Awarding Ceremony held on 14 August 2026 at the Atencio-Libunao Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City.  The recognition honors UP faculty and staff who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in the [...]

University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Chancellor Dr. Joane V. Serrano and Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) Dean Dr. Roberto B. Figueroa Jr. explored opportunities for collaboration on online and immersive learning during their courtesy call to Dr. Peter Arnade, Dean of the College of Arts, Languages & Letters (CALL) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH Mānoa), last August 4, 2026. The meeting, which was also joined by Dr. Pia Arboleda, a faculty member from CALL and Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), served as a prelude to UPOU’s participation in the [...]

Asst. Prof. Mary Kristene D. Clariño joins fellow judges during the JLfest 2026 deliberation meeting. (Photo courtesy of Asst. Prof. Clariño) University of the Philippines Open University's Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) faculty member Asst. Prof. Mary Kristene D. Clariño joined the international panel of judges for the SUGOROKU Language eBoard Game Design competition during the 19th Annual International Japanese Language Festival (JLfest 2026), held virtually on 25 July 2026.  The SUGOROKU Language eBoard Game Design Competition was one of the 17 contests featured at JLfest 2026, inviting participants to develop interactive e-board games that promote Japanese language [...]

Participants and organizers gather for a virtual group photo during the First Installment of the Hiraya Lecture Series. (Photo on the left courtesy of AFSJ). The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS), in partnership with the Association of Filipino Scholars in Japan (AFSJ), launched the Hiraya Lecture Series on 24 July 2026, bringing together over 100 scholars, practitioners, and leaders to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan and strengthen academic and cultural collaboration between the two countries. Held virtually via Zoom, the inaugural installment carried the [...]

The University of the Philippines Open University’s (UPOU) Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) featured internationally renowned organizational communication scholar Dr. François Cooren of the Universitè de Montréal, widely recognized as one of the world's foremost experts on the Communicative Constitution of Organization (CCO), at a hybrid colloquium titled, “Foundations, Ferment, and New Frontiers of CCO: Widening the Conversation,”  held from July 15-17, 2026, held at the UPOU, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines and via Zoom. The three-day event brought together scholars, faculty, researchers, alumni, and students to explore the CCO perspective. Organized by the Decentered Human Communication (DHC) Research [...]