The University of the Immaculate Conception (UIC) continues to demonstrate its commitment to innovation with the launch of the Philippines’ first natural language processing laboratory that is funded by the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD).
MinNa LProc, the Mindanao Natural Language Processing Research and Development Laboratory, held its inauguration program on February 17, 2025, at the ITRC, Fr. Selga Campus, Davao City, Philippines. The event included a media conference, ribbon-cutting ceremony, unveiling of a marker, and a laboratory tour showcasing featured projects.
University President, S. Ma. Marissa R. Viri, RVM, welcomed the guests and audience with a heartwarming opening message. She described this milestone as “a testament to the University’s unwavering commitment to advancing language technology, particularly for our local and indigenous languages.” She also thanked the university’s partners, colleagues, and advocates who supported the project.
In his opening message, Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, Executive Director of DOST-PCIEERD, applauded Ms. Kristine Mae M. Adlaon, MinNa LProc Project Leader, for her vision and courage in proposing the initiative while still completing her doctorate. He stated that this innovation exemplifies the integration of culture and technology and addressed the issue of endangered native languages, saying, “Loss of language is a loss of our cultural treasure.” He also acknowledged the importance of representing indigenous languages in the digital space as we advance toward a more technology-driven society.
The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) XI Regional Director, Hon. Geroncio R. Aguio, CESO III, represented by Ms. Jennifer Marshall, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) XI Regional Director, Dr. Anthony C. Sales, CESO III, represented by Dr. Nathan Ray A. Alim, expressed their gratitude to the university for undertaking this project to preserve native languages.
Dr. Alim, who has Bagobo-Klata roots, recounted meeting fellow indigenous people unable to speak their own languages—a gap he hopes MinNa LProc will bridge. Ms. Marshall offered NCIP’s assistance with research efforts and welcomed UIC students interested in on-the-job training to learn more about Indigenous Peoples.
The program then featured a performance by the Ignacian Cultural Dance Troupe, under the guidance of Mr. Rene M. Babiera II, Culture and Arts Coordinator, as they performed various Mindanao cultural dances.
Other notable guests, including Datu Edris M. Mamukid, Overall Datu of the Kagan Banaybanay Indigenous Cultural Communities of Kagan Banay-Banay, Davao Oriental; Ms. Yolynne N. Medina, Director of the Educational Technology Centre, Universidad de Zamboanga, and Founding Member of WikiClub Zamboanga were also in attendance and offered their support. Vanj D. Padilla, CDPO, JD, Founding Director of Shared Knowledge Asia Pacific (SKAP) also offered her encouragement through a recorded video message.
Ms. Adlaon continued the program with a presentation on the laboratory’s rationale and project accomplishments. She cited an Ethnologue article detailing how 55 Philippine languages are endangered, six of which are from Mindanao—three of the six are MinNa LProc’s initial focus. At the media conference, she described the laboratory’s equipment: apps, chatbots, and translation systems that process languages, converting from Filipino to Cebuano and then to the target native language.
DOST–PCIEERD funded the Mindanao Natural (MinNa) Language Processing (LProc) Research and Development Laboratory in 2021 and established it through the DOST–PCIEERD’s Institution Development Program (IDP). The project aims to use Natural Language Processing for language preservation and protection, focusing on three Mindanaoan languages: Manobo, Mansaka, and Kalagan.
