The VSU Office of the Vice President for Research, Extension, and Innovation (OVPREI) commenced the 2026 Center-Based Review on September 10–11, 2026 at OVPREI Breakout Room 1 bringing together directors, technical evaluators, and representatives from the VSU system for a comprehensive assessment of their accomplishments, innovations, and strategic directions.

Organized by OVPREI, the two-day activity forms part of the University’s continuing efforts to strengthen the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of its research, extension, and innovation (REI) initiatives. The review aims to enhance the monitoring and evaluation of VSU’s Research Centers while ensuring that their programs and outputs remain aligned with institutional goals and national development priorities.

The opening program featured welcome messages and orientations from OVPREI officials, followed by presentations on the review mechanics before the official start of the Center-Based Review Proper. Throughout the activity, each research center showcased its mandate, major accomplishments, technologies and innovations developed, partnerships, manpower, and future directions.

During the review, participating centers were allotted dedicated presentation and question-and-answer sessions, allowing technical evaluators and participants to assess the relevance, impact, and strategic contributions of each center while providing recommendations for continuous improvement. The discussions also served as a venue to identify institutional opportunities, operational challenges, and future priorities that will further strengthen VSU’s research ecosystem.

On the first day, presentations were delivered by the Geospatial and GIS Research and Services Center (GRID), Center for Socio-Cultural Research and Heritage Studies (CSCRHS), Livestock and Poultry R&D Center (LPRDC), Regional Climate Change Research and Development Center (RCCRDC), Forest Products Innovation and Training Center (FPITC), Biodiversity Research Center (BRC), and the Eastern Visayas Innovation Center for Health Biotechnology (EV-Biotech).

The second day featured presentations from the Advanced Research and Innovation Center (ARIC), Renewable Energy Research Center (RERC), Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center (PhilRootcrops), National Abaca Research Center (NARC), and the National Coconut Research Center–Visayas (NCRC-V), completing the University’s center-wide review.

The activity concluded with a summary of results, feedback from the Research, Extension, and Innovation Directors, and closing remarks from Dr. Santiago T. Peña, Jr., Vice President for Research, Extension, and Innovation, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based evaluation in advancing institutional excellence and maximizing the societal impact of VSU’s research, extension, and innovation initiatives.

The results of this a will be consolidated into formal reports and recommendations that will guide future planning, monitoring, evaluation, and strategic development of VSU’s Research Centers. These outputs are expected to support continuous improvement while reinforcing the University’s commitment to delivering responsive, innovative, and impactful research for communities and national development.