Author: Nassef Manabilang Adiong

Nassef is the founder of Co-IRIS (International Relations and Islamic Studies Research Cohort), PHISO (Philippine International Studies Organization), DSRN (Decolonial Studies Research Network), and BRLN (Bangsamoro Research and Legal Network). He works on interdisciplinary research between Islam and International Relations and explores the Bangsamoro society as he heads the Policy Research and Legal Services (PRLS) of the Bangsamoro Parliament. Visit https://nassef.info/ for more details.

IAMS Asia Conference: “Islamic approach to sustainable and protected environment and the Bangsamoro Parliament plans to mitigate climate change impact in the region”

Decolonizing policymaking and legal studies roundtable discussions

The UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies Decolonial Studies Program is hosting two roundtable discussions on decolonizing policymaking and legal studies in the Philippines!

Decolonizing Policymaking
2 December 2023
08:00 AM – 11:30 AM PHST
Register: https://tinyurl.com/UPDSPPolicy

From national legislations up to village-level ordinances, policymaking in the Philippines is primarily modeled from blueprints of Western democratic republics. While the Philippines is already an independent nation-state, its political system is still working within the logics and projects imposed by its colonizers in history.

In this upcoming roundtable discussion, the UP CIDS Decolonial Studies Program brings two policy experts from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao who will share the policymaking challenges and issues faced by the region located within a modified political, legal, and institutional framework of autonomous governance adopted from a mixture of self-determination governance abroad.

Decolonizing Legal Studies
2 December 2023
01:00 PM – 03:00 PM PHST
Register: https://tinyurl.com/UPDSPLegal

In this upcoming roundtable discussion, the Decolonial Studies Program of the UP Center for Integrative Development Studies aims to explore various ways how to decolonize the knowledge production and practice of law in the Philippines that is attuned to Filipino norms, mores, customs, and culture and to sketch specific ways for the ontology of lawmaking and legal studies to address the contemporary societal needs of Filipinos and counter persisting social cancers and issues.

The roundtable discussions are open and free to the public. Interested participants must have access to Zoom to join the online webinar. Please note that registration for the two roundtables are separate.

DOST-NRCP awards research grant to PRLS

The Department of Science and Technology – National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST-NRCP) has awarded the Policy Research and Legal Services (PRLS) a research grant to assess sufficiency of foreign aid and development partners in the Bangsamoro region. 

Led by Director Nassef Manabilang Adiong, with staff researchers Kebart Licayan, Aisah Solaiman, and Shahid Calalagan, the PRLS launched the research project “Needs Assessment and Foreign Aid in BARMM.”

The said project will be implemented under the DOST-NRCP’s program, “Support to the Promotion of a Science-Culture on Basic Research in the Regions for Global Competitiveness.”

Today, the research team attended a pre-implementation meeting via Zoom teleconferencing. It was spearheaded by NRCP Executive Director Marieta Banez Sumagaysay. 

Research grantees are oriented  about research undertakings, guidelines and procedures. Allocation mechanism and ground monitoring of the NSTEP focal region were also discussed in the meeting. 

The PRLS is the only BARMM-based and non-academic institution to receive the grant. Other recipients include various universities in Mindanao.