Recognized in the Educational Technology, Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities Stream
May 26, 2026, WCC ATC, Binalonan, Pangasinan
For the third consecutive year, Baguio Central University joined a committed partnership of higher education institutions and industry partners in co-hosting the RISE ICREATE 2026, the 4th Research Innovation for Sustainable Education International Conference on Research and Exhibits on Aviation, Aeronautics, Tourism, Engineering, and Education, organized by WCC Aeronautical and Technological College (WCC-ATC) and held on May 25 to 27, 2026 at the WCC-ATC Cabin Hall in Brgy. Canarvacanan, Binalonan, Pangasinan.
Book of Abstracts: 4th Research Innovation for Sustainable Education – 3rd International Conference on Research and Exhibits on Aviation, Aeronautics, Tourism, Engineering, and Education (RISE ICREATE 2026)
Carrying the theme “Advancing Research through AI Integration,” the conference united BCU with ten other co-hosting higher education institutions and partners drawn from Region 1, the Cordillera Administrative Region, and the National Capital Region. These institutions were: Pangasinan State University, Lyceum-Northwestern University, University of Eastern Pangasinan, University of Luzon, Universidad de Dagupan, Philippine College of Science and Technology, Pangasinan Polytechnic College, Urdaneta City University, WCC Aeronautical and Technological College-North Manila, and World Citi Colleges. Three institutional partners completed the consortium: Beyond Books Publication, GO Group of Companies, and Makerspace Innovhub, each contributing expertise, resources, and industry perspectives that enriched the conference’s interdisciplinary character.
Leaders and officials of co-hosting higher education institutions joined the ribbon-cutting ceremony, formally opening the Research Exhibits of the 3rd RISE ICREATE 2026, held on May 25, 2026, at the WCC Aeronautical and Technological College Cabin Hall in Binalonan, Pangasinan. Among those present are, from left: Dr. Roger A. Martinez Jr., LPT, CGSP, Vice President for Academic Affairs, WCC Aeronautical and Technological College; Dr. Cherrie Melanie Ancheta-Diego, CESO III, Director IV, CHED Regional Office 1; Dr. A.K. Mahbubul Hye, Plenary Speaker from Shinawatra University, Thailand; Dr. Genevieve B. Kupang, Dean of the Graduate School and International Relations Officer, Baguio Central University; Dr. Rhowell Dellosa; Engr. Oscar F. Gironella Jr.; Dr. Rosalie Sheryll T. Rosales, Scientific and Innovation Conference Chair, RISE ICREATE 2026; Dr. Jeanica C. Joson; Dr. Marilyn Obod; and Dr. Cynthia P. Lopez, together with representatives of the eleven co-hosting institutions from Regions 1, CAR, and NCR.
The conference pursued five interrelated objectives. First, to advance the integration of artificial intelligence as a research tool and methodological framework across the academic disciplines represented at the conference. Second, to provide a platform for faculty researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, and industry professionals to present and exhibit original research with real-world impact aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Third, to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration across the conference’s seven research program areas: Aviation and Aeronautics; Tourism and Hospitality Management; Engineering and Technology; Educational Technology, Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities; Business, Finance, and Management; Criminal Justice Education and Technology; and Health Education and Technology. Fourth, to build and deepen research partnerships among co-hosting higher education institutions from across Luzon, strengthening the regional ecosystem of innovation and knowledge production. Fifth, to recognize and celebrate excellence in research through the Best Paper, Best Presenter, and Best Research Project Awards, providing emerging researchers with visible affirmation of their scholarly contributions.
They came from 11 institutions across three regions to advance one conversation: how research, innovation, and artificial intelligence can serve sustainable futures. Organizers, plenary speakers, evaluators, session chairs, research presenters, and participants of the 3rd RISE ICREATE 2026 gather at WCC Aeronautical and Technological College, Binalonan, Pangasinan.
BCU participated with a delegation of five faculty members and administrators and five graduating undergraduate students, led by Dr. Genevieve Balance Kupang, Dean of the Graduate School and International Relations Officer, who also served as the Scientific Program Chair, co-organizer, and synthesizer of key discussions and insights on Day 2. The university submitted five research papers spanning AI ethics, healthcare education, and hospitality management, and returned to Baguio City with the Best Paper and Best Presenter Awards in the Educational Technology, Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities stream, affirming that BCU’s scholarly voice continues to carry well beyond the Cordillera.
Carrying BCU’s colors to Pangasinan: The BCU delegation at RISE ICREATE 2026, from left to right: Erlea Mica D. Madarang, Rica K. Basalong, Mr. Hilario Sanglay MN, Ms. Jamaica Luisa Simon, Dr. Gina Casi, Romelyn Dionisio, Dr. Genevieve B. Kupang, Ms. Olea P. Romero RN, Jamaykah Bernal, and Kaycee T. Comising.
Genevieve B. Kupang, PhD, Earns Double Award Honors at RISE ICREATE 2026 in Binalonan, Pangasinan
The Best Paper Award in the Educational Technology, Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities stream at the 3rd RISE ICREATE 2026 went to the BCU Graduate School’s paper, “Creating Ethical Guidelines and a Responsible, Acceptable AI Integration Framework for Baguio Central University.” Dr. Genevieve Balance Kupang, who presented on behalf of the research group, co-authored the paper with Ms. Aiza Bheal Kitani, MAEngl, Dr. Criselda Felix, PhD, Ms. Christina Wallang, and Dr. Avilardo Leon.
Best Paper Award winner in the Educational Technology, Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities stream, RISE ICREATE 2026 — Dr. Genevieve B. Kupang, Dean of the Graduate School and IRO of Baguio Central University, for her paper on ethical AI integration in higher education.
The study carries a distinctive triple alignment. It addresses SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) within the United Nations Sustainable Development framework. It simultaneously advances three of WURI’s 2026 innovation categories: A6 (Ethics and Integrity), B3 (Digital and AI Transformation in Strategy and Management), and C4 (AI-Based Teaching and Learning Transformation). This convergence of global development goals and innovation benchmarks further amplifies BCU’s research footprint on the international stage.
The timing of the recognition carried its own quiet eloquence. The award was conferred on May 26, 2026, the day after Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, signed on May 15, 2026, the 135th anniversary of Rerum Novarum. The encyclical asks what may be the defining question of our age: how do we preserve the magnificence of humanity in the era of artificial intelligence? BCU’s awarded paper, grounded in ethics, responsibility, and institutional accountability, was already answering that question from a Cordilleran highland university long before the world’s attention turned to it.
The RISE ICREATE stage is not unfamiliar to the BCU Graduate School. At the 2nd RISE ICREATE 2024, Kupang’s paper “Weaving Narratives of Integrative Intelligences: Lived Experiences and Impact of Award-Winning Women Peace-Builders” earned both the Best Paper and Best Presenter Awards in the same stream. The 2026 double recognition in AI ethics research marks a notable evolution in the Graduate School’s research trajectory: from documenting women peace-builders to designing the ethical frameworks through which AI serves rather than diminishes human dignity. Both papers, read together, tell the story of a scholar and an institution committed to research that matters.
Commanding the room at RISE ICREATE 2026, Dr. Genevieve B. Kupang, Dean of the Graduate School and IRO of Baguio Central University, takes home the Best Presenter Award in the Educational Technology, Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities stream for her presentation on ethical AI integration in higher education.
The Graduate School marks another milestone with the Best Presenter Award at RISE ICREATE 2026, clinching this distinction for the third consecutive year after previously winning at RISE 2024 and RISE 2025. These recognitions reflect the Graduate School’s sustained commitment to rigorous, relevant, and innovative research.
Under the leadership of Dr. Genevieve B. Kupang, the Graduate School has consistently brought honor to Baguio Central University across multiple fronts: international academic engagements, community extension services, and scholarly research. What makes this achievement meaningful is Dr. Kupang’s practice of opening the door wider, actively mentoring and inviting researchers from other BCU colleges and undergraduate programs to present alongside her, ensuring that the culture of research excellence extends beyond the Graduate School and takes root across the entire university community.
A testament to this culture of mentorship is the Best Paper and Best Presenter Award earned by the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, through Ms. Erlea Madarang and her groupmates, whose award-winning work is featured under the CHTM section of this publication.
The Graduate School was further represented by Ms. Jamaica Luisa D. Simon, Master of Arts in Government and Governance candidate (Human Resources track), whose confident and insightful presentation of “Understanding AI: Challenges, Opportunities, and Consequences” drew thoughtful engagement from the conference audience. The paper, co-authored with Dr. Lourdes M. Trajano, situates artificial intelligence within the broader imperatives of equitable and inclusive development, aligned with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
Baguio Central University extends its sincere gratitude to the dedicated team who made the Educational Technology, Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities parallel session of Day 2 of RISE ICREATE 2026 a well-organized and intellectually productive space. The session was held on May 26, 2026, at WCC Aeronautical and Technological College, Binalonan, Pangasinan.
The session facilitators were Ms. Tamara Jane Ventanilla, Mr. Crisanto Catuiza, and Ms. Levy Wilma Valera, all faculty members of WCC Aeronautical and Technological College. The session was chaired by Dr. Cynthia P. Lopez, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Extension of Lyceum-Northwestern University, Dagupan City. The evaluators were Dr. Marilyn M. Obod, Director of the Research Development and Publication Office, World Citi Colleges, and Mr. Francis Ivan Bolleser, faculty member and Head of the Research, Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Unit of Lyceum-Northwestern University, Dagupan City, Pangasinan. Their professionalism, rigor, and generosity of spirit contributed immeasurably to the quality of the session and to the confidence of every presenter who stood before them.
As BCU continues to advance its research agenda at regional, national, and international venues, the Graduate School remains committed to producing scholarship that is not only award-worthy but world-relevant: research that begins in the Cordillera and reaches toward the horizon of a more just, ethical, and humane world.
BCU Graduate School and the International Relations Office do not simply participate. It leads, mentors, and multiplies excellence.
