THE SECOND Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) and the Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) have forged a research partnership aimed at producing evidence-based policy recommendations to improve education in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The Memorandum of Agreement was signed by EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee and MSU-IIT Chancellor Atty. Alizedney Ditucalan during the university’s Learning Innovation Summit.

Under the agreement, MSU-IIT will supervise researchers and serve as the primary funding institution for the studies, while EDCOM 2 will provide coordination support, facilitate data access within its mandate, and review research outputs to ensure their alignment with the commission’s policy agenda.

The partnership will focus on six priority areas: nutrition and early learning; higher education; technical and vocational education; peace education and conflict transformation; Madrasah education; and issues affecting non-Moro and minority Indigenous Peoples communities.

Research proposals are expected to be completed in August 2026, with initial findings targeted for November 2026. Final manuscripts are scheduled for completion in May 2027, followed by publication in July 2027.

Yee said the collaboration will help ensure that education reforms in BARMM are grounded in rigorous, locally led research. He added that MSU-IIT’s close ties with Bangsamoro and Indigenous communities make it a vital partner in developing policies for underserved learners.

The initiative supports EDCOM 2’s mandate under Republic Act No. 11899, as extended by Republic Act No. 12315, to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the Philippine education sector and recommend transformative, evidence-based reforms through partnerships with academic and research institutions nationwide.