The University of the Immaculate Conception ( UIC) Graduate School co-sponsored an international conference organized by the Global Illuminators chaired by Dr. Farooq Ahmed Jam, Executive Director of Global Illuminators. The dean of UIC graduate school, Dr. Sylvia J. Pidor and three full-time faculty representatives in the persons of Dr. Thelma O. Alderite, Dr. Edna T. Salva, and Dr. Teresita Q. Adriano with seven doctoral graduates flew to Thailand on April 4, 2018 for a two -day research conference held at Holiday Hotel from April 5-6, 2018.

At 9:00 in the morning of the first day, April 5, was the opening ceremony with Dr. Sylvia J. Pidor as the keynote speaker. In her speech, Dr. Pidor, encouraged the participants to engage more on research endeavors and to present the results in the local, national and international arena. She further said that research conferences are among the windows of the world where solutions to some global problems in education, business and other fields may be discovered.

At 10:30 after the opening ceremony, concurrent sessions were held in three adjacent rooms in the ground floor of the hotel. The participants were clustered into three, dubbed as Track A which was composed of the Social Sciences and Humanities Studies; Track B, comprising of Business Management and Economic Studies; and Track C, which bracketed the Engineering and Technology Studies. Among the presenters under Humanities Studies was Dr. Gloria P. Gempes,  a pioneer and champion of qualitative research in Davao City presented her study on Invaluable Narratives on Long Life: A Multiple Case Study; a full-time professor of UIC graduate school Dr. Thelma O. Alderite talked about Unravelling the Challenges of Non-Special Education –Trained Teachers In Handling Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Behavior Problems; Dr. Sylvia S. Pidor, the singing dean of UIC graduate school shared the study on School-Based Management Practices and Teachers Productivity in Public Elementary Schools in Davao City; Dr. Edna T. Salva another full-time faculty articulated on Students’ Constructed Knowledge in General Inorganic Chemistry: Dr. Teresita Q. Adriano discussed the Pupil Control Ideology, Academic Optimism and Teacher Professionalism in Public Elementary Schools.

Other presenters under Track A. were Dr. Glorivic D. Stefaniak who presented the Mediating Effect of Self- Awareness on the Relationship Between Burnout and Psychological Well- Being of Tertiary School Teachers in Region XI: Basis for Intervention; Dr.Gina O. Oracion, who tackled on Pragmalinguistic Analysis of Grave Threats in Philippine Decided Cases;  and Dr. Socorro L. Neri who shared her study on Women Representation In Philippine Advertising: A Semiotic Analysis. The three presenters had just graduated in Doctor of Philosophy in Education major in Educational Leadership and Doctor of Philosophy in Education Major in Applied Linguistics, respectively.

Three other graduates in PhD major in educational Leadership also performed among the other presenters. The three: Dr. Kymwell R. Hinlayagan, Dr. Princess Hazel M. Rebollo, and Dr. Margie R. Nunez confidently and successfully presented their studies on A Path Analysis of Customer Loyalty of Home Grown Coffee Shops in Davao Region; A structural Model of Millenials’ Tourist Behavior towards Tourism in Davao Region; and Organizational Values, Interpersonal Skills, and Community Image: Basis for An Enhanced School Improvement Plan, in the same order..

UIC’s partnership with Global Illuminators was made possible through the dynamism  and cordiality of the University’s Director of Research Publication and Innovation Center ( RPIC), Dr. Renan P. Limjuco.