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Alumni Grant Scheme
The Australia Alumni Grants Scheme supports projects and initiatives that raise awareness on social issues, implement innovative ideas, promote gender equality, disability, and social inclusion, contribute to Sustainable Development Goals, and showcase Australia's excellence as provider of quality education.
Initiatives with focus on gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) and climate change action are highly encouraged.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS
KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS
Implementation of proposed projects and initiatives should be completed by 31 May 2025.
Alumni Grants Scheme Projects
Development Projects
Cherrie Atilano
Regenerative Innovation Farm Hub
This project will establish a Regenerative Innovation Farm Hub, which will support select coconut farmers in Marinduque in conserving water sources and protect the remaining forest.
Naprey Almario, Dr Rex Bernardo, Maria Criselda Bisda, Ma. Lourdes Eudela, Ma. Giselle Montero
Equalising Our Universal Access, Taking Down the Barriers
The project will develop an online Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) course with a focus on disability inclusion. The course will then be utilised to conduct a training program for educators and employers on designing their digital content to be inclusive and accessible.
Emy Ruth Gianan
Sigla: Education on Wheels Advocacy
The project will develop a program assessment tool for the Education on Wheels (EOW) initiative of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. The results of this assessment will support the EOW’s advocacy campaign to help it expand, support its sustainability, promote its activities, and build a coalition of partners and sponsors.
Janeth Morata-Fuentes
Project Science and Technology Idea Lab for Teachers and Students (STILTS)
Project STILTS will develop teaching and learning materials (videos and book) aimed at developing students and teachers who are functionally literate in science, technology, and the environment; and who exhibit the right inquiry skills and scientific attitudes.
Prof. Abelardo Apollo I. David, Jr
Institutionalisation of Remote Intervention Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy Services in Community-based Programs
The project will provide existing community-based programs such as Therafree and Project TEACH (Therapy, Education, and Assimilation of Children with Handicap) with appropriate and evidence-based instructional materials needed for the remote delivery of therapy services in community settings. This will help poor children with disabilities receive occupational, physical, and speech therapy.
Research Projects
Dr. Caroline Piñon
Engaging the Rural Youth in Sustainable Land Use and Forest Management
The study will investigate the livelihood aspirations of the rural youth in the Philippine uplands and analyze their willingness to farm if more opportunities are made available.
Dr. Jaime Manalo IV
Inventory of Knowledge, Adoption of, Communication Sources on, and Policy Imperatives on Climate-Adaptive Technologies and Strategies on Rice in Central Luzon as Inputs to Climate Change Adaptation Plans
The study will identify existing climate-adaptive mechanisms on rice that are being practiced by farmers in Central Luzon and how these mechanisms can be mainstreamed into local climate change adaptation plans.
Dr. Allen Espinosa
A Review of Basic Education Delivery in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in Relation to Peace, Conflict, and the Pandemic
The study will identify disruption-proof, inclusive, and safe teaching and learning practices in the BARMM that were undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic, which, in turn, can be replicated across the region/country.
Development Projects
Diane Faith Figueroa, Jose Decolongon and Reynaldo Ace Bonita Jr
New Normal Agricultural Product Marketing Model for Improved Income of Small-Scale Farmers
In collaboration with the Province of Negros Occidental, this project aims to develop and implement a new normal agricultural product marketing model to help at least 300 small-scale farmers achieve a steady income stream amidst COVID 19-induced disruptions in consumer demand.
Isidoro Malaque III, April Valle and Harold Delima
Placemaking Davao - Collaborating with Communities through Placemaking for a more Inclusive Post-Pandemic Recovery
The project will build on the capacity of built environment students and professionals (designers, architects, urban planners, engineers) and community representatives to promote and practice Placemaking. This will enable them to plan, design, collaborate on, and advocate for good quality public spaces, which in turn contribute positively to health, well-being and social relationships in society.
Joy Anya Lim
ANTHILL Markets Crowdfunding Crafts and Artisan Business Care (ABC) Toolkit: weaving tradition and technology
The project aims to provide online market platforms to artisans catering to a niche market that supports sustainably made and hand-crafted products; build the entrepreneurial capacity and technical know-how of artisans on digital marketing, business management and product design; and ensure artisan resilience and entrepreneurial success in the transition to digitalisation. Within 6 months, the project aims to be able to launch a pilot run of the crowdfunding crafts platform under www.anthillmarkets.com and test it out among the first batch of pioneer artisans- a seamstress, weaver, and a crafter.
Dr Jayson Ibañez
Building Indigenous Peoples coalition and stakeholder partnerships for human and biodiversity wellbeing within the Mt Apo and Pantaron Key Biodiversity Areas
The goal of the project is to strengthen population, health, and environmental well-being among remote indigenous communities of Mt Apo and the MaKaCanHana corridor of the Pantaron KBA.
Dr Roy Ponce, Dr. Asterio Olandria, Dr. Ma. Cecilia Catubig, Dr. Roselyn Regino, Prof Juvy Lyn Torreno, Dr. Eleanor Vilela
Online post-COVID intervention program for students (OPIPS): Ensuring effective reintegration in the physical space
The project aims to develop an online post-COVID intervention program to support students for effective reintegration into the physical learning space.
Research Projects
James Russel de Vera
The Impacts of the Tourism Industry on the Survival and Development of the Women-Led Micro-Enterprises in the Province of Bohol, Philippines Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The research focuses on the status of the tourism industry in the Province of Bohol before and during the pandemic particularly its effects on Women-Led Micro-Enterprises (WMEs). It will also look into the effectiveness of policy and recovery initiatives including the adaptive strategies to sustain WMEs in Bohol.
Armida Elaine Umali-Trinos, Elvin Ivan Uy and Lou Sabrina Ongkiko
Parent Education Pillars
The research will investigate the realistic view of how education takes place at home in the lower income segment from the perspective of parents. In particular, the role of parents, parents’ strategies, gaps and opportunities to support parents, and learning factors such as internet access, educational attainment, employment profile of parents.
Dr Glory Dee Romo and John Marx Sarmiento
The impact of COVID-19 pandemic to the community's management of resource in Maguindanao, Philippines
The research will examine the resiliency of the communities (108th Moro-Islamic Liberation Front or MILF-base command) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of the pandemic in their resource management performance and practices.
Jay Allen Villon
Perceived Roles, Facilitators, and Barriers to Mental Health Promotion in Primary Schools in the Philippines
The research will investigate perceptions towards mental health promotion in primary schools, particularly the perceived roles of the stakeholders under investigation (i.e., occupational therapists, teachers, parents), and the facilitators and barriers that affect their enactment of roles in promoting mental health in the school setting.
Development Projects
Thermina Ann Lontoc Akram, Jhanette Lorenzo and Edna Patricia Mendoza
Lokal PH: Empowering MSMEs to thrive in the new normal
The project will equip MSMEs on the use of digital tools and e-commerce to professionally migrate their businesses to online platforms. It will also encourage Filipinos to support locally-sourced and locally-crafted products.
Maria Christina Brion-Ramos
PWCares+: COVID-19 Response Advocacy and Fair Trade Livelihood Enterprise-Support Program
The project aims to address the economic welfare of PWC community – employees, working college students and their families, and communities (IPs and PWDs) – whose access to additional income through other means have been limited by the community quarantine.
Ma Noralisa Bite
Planning for Retooling BHWs for the New Normal
The project will develop a data-driven plan for strengthening competencies among Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) who are front-liners in managing COVID-19 initiatives of Local Government Units (LGU).
Ann Marie Cunanan
Strengthening Rural Entrepreneurship through Capacity Building and Expansion of Supply Chain Reach Distribution
The social enterprise project aims to jumpstart small and micro businesses in rural areas – those ran by farming women’s groups and individuals – to reach a broader market base for their products through online selling platforms and partnership with ethical and eco-friendly stores.
Sabrina Laya Gacad
Lunas Collective Chat Service and Survivor-Centered Community Care Package
The Lunas Collective Chat Service is a feminist volunteer-powered chat service. It offers a safe and inclusive space to support women and people of diverse gender identities with common reproductive health concerns or experiences of gender-based violence during the various stages of community quarantines, and the recovery period from the COVID-19 public health and socioeconomic crisis.
Jayson Ibanez
Building social-ecological resiliency among eight Indigenous communities on Mindanao Island against the COVID-19 and climate change crises
This project will assist eight indigenous communities in Mindanao to re-organise, re-strategise and implement pragmatic solutions as a response to the pandemic. The project aims to help build community resiliency by strengthening local governance and rural livelihood capitals.
Research Projects
Dr Peter Julian Cayton, Robert Neil Leong and Dr Jason Alacapa
Nowcasting and Forecasting the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Epidemic in the Philippines at the National and Local Levels
The project seeks to provide insights into the state of COVID-19 in the Philippines and its LGUs in terms of providing the estimated level of transmission and forecasted number of cases to facilitate policy-making and risk mitigation efforts.
Dr Nicamil Sanchez
The journey of Filipino Older Persons Towards the New Normal in times of COVID-19: A Mixed-Method Study
The study will explore the level of well-being, depression and experiences of older Filipinos during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Glory Dee Romo
SAVE Food Systems: Strengthening Against Vulnerabilities and Externalities of Food Systems
This project will provide an understanding of the local conditions and impact of COVID-19 pandemic to the business opportunities of Philippine enterprises involved in the production of goods and services. It also aims to provide an entry point for Australian companies to participate in this new normal for Philippine food enterprises.
Diane Faith Figueroa
COVID-19 and resilient local seafood economy for Philippine coastal municipalities
The research aims to improve efficiency in the management of the fisheries supply chain to create an enabling environment for small-scale fisheries for a more resilient and inclusive local seafood economy even during a pandemic.
Ms Leny Castillo
Davao City | Local Economic Development – Indigenous Peoples
GGSI Sustainable Product and Packaging Design Development
The project aims to develop new alternative products and packaging solutions which are sustainable and essentially eco-friendly. It contributes to addressing the environmental challenge in post-consumption reduction of waste. By partnering with the Matigsalug community, the project creates and contributes to livelihood opportunities for the community.
Atty Raymond Baguilat
Ifugao | Social Inclusion – Indigenous Peoples
Intellectual Property Protection Program in Kiangan, Ifugao
The project aims to inform the traditional knowledge-holders about intellectual property rights by providing materials and workshops on Philippine Intellectual Property Laws with the assistance of the IPOPHL. The project also aims to share the conditions faced by traditional knowledge-holders of Kiangan by providing reports to relevant government agencies and private institutions in the Philippines and Australia and ultimately assist the Municipality of Kiangan, Ifugao, in drafting the legal framework (Resolution and/or Ordinance) for intellectual property registrations of its constituents.
Mr Gabriel Sebastian Lizada
Davao City | Mental Health / Disaster Risk Reduction
Capacitating Barangay Workers on Disaster Preparedness Through Psychological and Mental Health First Aid Training
The main goal of the project is to develop two 7-man teams of psychosocial support responders for each of the five communities in Davao City that have been most affected by recurring disasters. It also aims to help barangay officials to develop mental health awareness and skills to respond for psychological first aid and psychosocial support in times of emergency and disaster situations.
Mr Joseph De Guia
Occidental Mindoro | Local Economic Development – Women / Innovation
Project CAWAN
“CAWAN” means herd or flock. The project will create a data labeling tool that will be used to train capable women in the coastal community of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro on AI data labelling skills, which allow them to work remotely and generate income while nurturing their households. The project will be in partnership with the local government and is aligned to the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s “Tech for Ed” program.
Rene Abesamis & group
Southern Negros | Environmental Sustainability
Enhancing local technical capacity to sustain monitoring of marine protected areas on coral reefs
The project aims to strengthen the technical capacity of local community members to monitor Marine Protected Areas (MPA) by employing an innovative capacity-building tactic of combining traditional approaches (workshop/training) with a noivel technology-based tool. It will benefit the local communities in at least 3 coastal municipalities in Southern Negros.
Joel Dannug
Shepherding Millennial Leaders (SMiLe)
SMILe provided leadership training and mentoring program to the officers of the RANG-AY, KABATAAN TI STO NIÑO! – an independent youth-serving organisation that provides outreach activities – cleanup drives and disaster preparedness campaigns – at the Municipality of Sto. Niño,Cagayan. The training included a structured learning experience on self-management, relationship skills, global mindedness and new media literacy; shepherding component; and leadership tour to a partner university and agency.
PA3i Southern Tagalog Chapter
Nathaniel Bantayan | Alvaro Calara | Joey Baril | Susan Aquino-Ong
Earth Warriors for Biodiversity: An Interactive Leaning Program for the Youth
The project mobilised young people for a hands-on experience on the importance of biodiversity. This included an interactive learning activity on tree nurturing at the Mt. Makiling Heritage Park where participants experienced the various steps in tree nursery operations: soil preparation, seed treatment, seedling handling and care, among others. The participants also went on an interactive biodiversity learning trail in Los Baños Laguna’s Mudspring Trail – a 670m route that traverses the natural forest of the mountain.
Marikit Soliman
Development of Education Strategy and Sustainability Plans to Adopt Clean Processing Technology for Small Scale Mining in the Philippines
The project facilitated the adoption and integration of sustainable processing technology for small scale mining in the Philippines. It also educated small-scale miners and other stakeholders on the benefits of shifting to the cleaner technology of gold extraction.
Milton Medina
Indigenous Women’s Livelihood and Plastic Recycling Towards Conservation of Endemic Species in Mindanao
The project established an ex-situ propagation site for endemic species of plants in Mt. Talomo, re-using the plastic wastes in both the University of Mindanao and Manobo-Clata village as material for ex-situ propagation. The project tapped the indigenous women of Manobo-Clata Tribe in Mt. Talomo Davao City who were trained in the conservation of endemic plant species.
