I welcomed 2018 with a surprise appointment as Institute of Social Research and Development (ISRD) Director which was not welcome at all. But I had no option but accept it with a promise that if I tried and I really don't like it then I can resign after six months. I gave it a year before deciding I am not cut for leadership. I gave it a further few months, and almost three semesters into it, as early as May of 2019, the final triggers came and I filed my irrevocable resignation as director.
I am not sure where my original approved resignation letter is because it did not reach me, but I found a copy in the Records Office anyway. "Approved, holdover until new director is assigned," it reads. Anyway, since our VPRE was retiring December 2019, I just finished the year with him when he talked to me about it.
As in any work assignment, we gain experience, we learn important lessons, we contribute some, we fail some. It is not any different with directorship of an R&D center in a State University. I wrote some few reasons for resigning in my resignation letter, and these are true to some extent. Of course my real reason is I proved that I am not cut to be a leader (eventhough my acupuncturist and our church missionary say my body type colonotonia is the "leader type" hehe, but he also did say that we are the "stubborn type" which is vkind of contradictory). Also, the "trade-off principle" in economics is just so evident at least in my circumstances. As I would normally reply to the "why" queries, "BSU is better off with me as a pure researcher."
Of course, I had small dreams for ISRD, for BSU. For one, I sooo dreamed that I can steer it to a social R&D center that responds to immediate needs of clients particularly decision-makers and policymakers, the level of which local line agencies, LGUs or barangays who have research or policy questions would collaborate with your center, or use your research outputs to inform or as input to their policymaking or consider best practices founded on rigorous research. For as social researchers, we really have no hard "technologies or products", we only have information to share. And as my favorite teacher Dr. Abastilla always pointed out, it is important that information from research reach those who should read them or apply them. I sure hope the production and publication of the "Informing Policy and Practice" policy brief series will continue, however, difficult it is.
Secondly, I also hope that eventually my wish that ISRD sections be turned into responsive R&6th 0D programs and section heads as program leaders be achieved in the future. The Adoption, Evaluation and Impact studies, IKS studies, K12-related studies may have enough to constitute research programs. While individual studies are common and fine, "the force might not be with us, our results". I just hope more external funding agencies fund pure social research programs though.
Thirdly, I dreamed that I can start the collection of panel socioeconomic data for highland farming systems. At least in the field of agricultural economics nowadays, use of panel and spatial data is the gold standard for any rigorous analysis. Similarly, in other fields like health research, cohort studies are most useful; and as I always tell the organic agriculture researchers, it is high time, BSU should invest in long-term field experiments in organic farming. I hoped that an information system can be developed where all these long-term data can be housed with proper documentation of raw, processed and publications. I sure hope after 5 or 10 years I maybe able to get another fund for another round of data collection.
Fourthly, adoption and impact evaluation is always a question at BSU. I dreamed of ISRD contributing to the monitoring and evaluation somehow in support of the other technical R&D centers. We did for example the case of Trichoderma and it was not easy first because it was difficult to track where the adopters are, and secondly there is an ownership issue so that it was difficult to get data from other concerned agencies. When we presented in an international economic conference, somebody questioned the validity of the analysis considering that we are also from BSU, and the technology was BSU-developed. I replied that to some extent ISRD is external from the colleges or other R&D centers.
Fifth, on indigenous knowledge and gender-based studies which have become the focus of ISRD in the decade past, I dreamed that all these efforts on documentation of IKSPs result in sustainable systems of conservation or preservation, or at the least efficiency and sustainability of current systems. My challenge to researchers always is what to make of these documented IKSPs. I always cite the example of the "tea ceremony" and "origami" and "odon-cooking" in Japan, where as young as the kinder are exposed to these cultural activities, because they do "tea ceremonies" and learn "origami" in kindergarten schools, do tea ceremonies and origami for foreign students and foreign visitors, do tea ceremonies and origami among senior citizens. I also always cite the example of the "lalapet" or "linapet" which the i-Agawa people normally practice every September 30 or close to that date around Baguio city and La Trinidad. I wonder if the elementary and high school students now in Agawa know about "linapet" or do that also in their classrooms every September as a built-in activity or part of IPed. Or what do we make out of the documented indigenous governance systems? Are they to be upscaled and how?...
Finally, we got ourselves a server for easier networking and to support database and support ISRD website, but because hiring of programmer who need not do "biometrics" is impossible at BSU, the project was taken by an ICT instructor and it is not easy. Information on what the ISRD does, what projects they engage in, who their researchers are and what are their profiles is important if collaboration with international researchers is so desired as a metrics. The founding director of ISRD (originally named Highland Socioeconomic Research Institute) said ISRD should have a website. "Before, we didn't have a website because it was not easy before, now ISRD should really have a website," Dr. Francisco commented. Anyway, it was started already but not yet populated with information. ISRD directors will come and go and whatever report, database, output ought to be more stable with the center.
Two years into this experience and I have learned many lessons that can't be had in any other setting. I treasure the experience, and to some extent, I have enjoyed it. I remember running away from "division head" thing at PhilRice, always resigning after six months whenever I do accept for lack of choice.
So what now? Well, I will always be a researcher at heart so I hope I can still work with ISRD for the rest of my stay at BSU. I still have two externally funded projects due to end this year and I have yet to have one respectable working paper from all the data we have gathered. Maybe those two projects are top priority for now. Of course, we each have our role in life, and mine, by choice, is to support my husband in his calling, and part of that is to earn enough bread for the family, and ensure financial security for them enough for them not to curse our noble calling. And so, when opportunities come, I will keep trying to try and upgrade my position, keeping in mind that at the end of the day, where we will be will always depend on God's sovereign will.
Thank you ISRD team for the support and the help. Thank you for making things very easy for me. Thank you section heads and researchers for trying your best considering your circumstances. I hope I have imparted even just a little inspiration and motivation to you not just for R&D and impact, but work ethics and integrity as well. And may this bloom and grow as you continue finding yourselves your place in this world. Shalom.
