Writer: Beca May P. Palitayan (OIC Dean,CCJE)
The College of Criminal Justice Education of Baguio Central University took part in the Metropolitan BLISTT Development Authority (MBLISTTDA) Coordination Meeting with Higher Education Institutions. The meeting was held at The Plaza Garden & Hotel Residences on Legarda Road, Baguio City, to craft a research agenda that will guide the development of the Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay area through a Research Agenda that will last until 2040.
CCJE was represented by its OIC-Dean, Ms. Beca May Pidlao-Palitayan, who joined fellow BCU delegates Engr. Lorelie S. Malit, Ms. Jenema H. Wacangan, and Ms. Shamany L. Lokines. They sat alongside representatives from UP Baguio, the University of Baguio, the University of the Cordilleras, Saint Louis University, Benguet State University, PIA-CAR, and the DOST offices in Baguio and Benguet. The gathering showed academe, government, and science agencies working at one table.
The authority’s presentations laid out the region’s pressing concerns: fragmented planning, climate and disaster risks, mobility and infrastructure constraints, social inequalities, and weak metropolitan governance. In response, the proposed research agenda calls for science-based, data-driven, and innovation-led development. Its themes cover food production and security, terrestrial and water resources, smart analytics and engineering innovations, and health systems. They also link to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 16 on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions and SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.
For CCJE, the most relevant point is that public safety and order is among the nine essential services MBLISTTDA coordinates across the metropolitan area, alongside disaster readiness and response. This is where the college’s discipline can contribute. CCJE faculty and students can pursue research on community safety, crime prevention, disaster preparedness, and the role of data in public safety and governance. These directions match BCU’s research priorities in Safety, Security, and Justice and in Organizational and Public Governance. CCJE’s participation directly advances SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by contributing evidence-based research to safer communities and stronger public institutions, while its collaboration with MBLISTTDA and other institutions reflects SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
The open forum was also useful in practical terms. MBLISTTDA clarified that it can provide technical assistance from its engineers, foresters, and environment specialists, help with data requests, and endorse requests to LGUs. It can also sit on research panels and serve as adviser. These arrangements will help CCJE’s faculty and students ground their studies in real metropolitan data and needs. MBLISTTDA also announced that a MOA signing and a Research Summit will take place next year.
Looking ahead, the college sees the partnership as a real opportunity. CCJE plans to collaborate with BCU’s research office and fellow colleges, and to encourage its faculty and students to take part in studies that inform policy for the BLISTT area. The goal is research that supports a safer, more resilient, and more inclusive region.
BCU extends its thanks to MBLISTTDA Administrator Asec. Maria Monica C. Costales, PhD, and her team for the invitation and for the certificates awarded to the university’s delegates.