“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” — John F. Kennedy.
These words moved the Sultan Kudarat State University Faculty Association, Inc. (SKSU-FAI) to carry out a four-day institutional benchmarking visit among six state universities in the Visayas and Mindanao from September 29 to October 2, 2026. The visit gathered practices on faculty welfare, fund management, organizational structure, research and sustainability that its peer institutions have put into operation.
The delegation departed on September 27, 2026, and began the benchmarking visit on September 29 at Guimaras State University (GSU) in Buenavista, Guimaras. On September 30, the team traveled to Iloilo City, where it was hosted by West Visayas State University (WVSU) and Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U), both in La Paz. On October 1, the delegation visited Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, and Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) in Dumaguete City. The tour concluded on October 2 at Jose Rizal Memorial State University (JRMSU) in Zamboanga del Norte.
The delegation included SKSU-FAI President Eulogio O. Apellido Jr.; Dr. Rosita T. Rizaldo, the association’s treasurer and SKSU Director for Resource Generation; Evora H. Dioneza, association business manager; and Leonard Ibot, chair of the Faculty Development and Welfare Committee. Campus faculty association presidents also joined: Dr. Christine P. Abo (ACCESS) and SKSU ACCESS Campus Director; Hessan Talapas (Palimbang); Cresencio Antonio (Bagumbayan); Donald Cogo (Kalamansig); and Samuel Salvador (Lutayan).
Host universities shared their provisions and systems of support for faculty, from emergency assistance programs, leave and service credits to flexible work arrangements and benefits negotiated through collective agreements. Discussions also covered how institutions pool and realign funds, generate savings, structure student fees and distribute benefits across campuses. The hosts also explained how they plan programs across campuses, organize offices and structure their faculty associations.
In addition, the universities presented their research centers, workload deloading for approved projects, and efforts to turn research into creative and market-oriented outputs. Host schools also showed how green governance and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are built into university policy and instruction.
This benchmarking visit is not about imitating what works elsewhere; it is about learning what is possible so that what is right can be built at home. From Guimaras to Zamboanga del Norte, the SKSU Faculty Association gathered practices that can inform stronger, fairer and more responsive policies for the university. When leaders learn from one another, policies are better made, and the university and its faculty are better served.
