Benguet State University participated in the Luzon Cluster of the 1st Workshop on University’s IQA Implementation in the Philippines Utilizing the AUN-QA IQA Management Toolkit Version 1.3, held on July 14–16, 2026 at Marikina Polytechnic College.

The workshop is part of a nationwide capacity-building series designed to strengthen the Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) systems of higher education institutions in the Philippines. It was jointly organized by the ASEAN University Network (AUN) Secretariat, the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development (SEAMEO RIHED), the ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN), and the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP).

Centered on the AUN-QA IQA Management Toolkit Version 1.3, the workshop equipped participants with practical strategies for strengthening institutional governance, promoting evidence-based decision-making, and building quality assurance systems that respond to digitalization, internationalization, and the evolving needs of higher education and the workforce.

Throughout the three-day program, participants explored the Philippine higher education landscape, gained a deeper understanding of the eight building blocks of the AUN-QA IQA Management Toolkit, and engaged in working sessions, peer learning, and action planning to develop customized Internal Quality Assurance plans for their respective institutions. The workshop also featured learning sessions led by quality assurance experts from the ASEAN University Network Secretariat, SEAMEO RIHED, the University of Santo Tomas, Mahidol University, and the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, along with a special address from Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Dr. Shirley Castañeda Agrupis.

Representing BSU were Dr. Janet P. Pablo, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Imelda G. Parcasio, Dean of the Graduate School and Special Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Joanna I. Alafag, Director of the Office of Quality Assurance and Accreditation; Dr. Evelyn D. Rosario and Jacelle Grace M. Maidun from the Office of Quality Assurance and Accreditation; Racquel M. Fatog and Jeric Raye Bayating from the International Relations Office; and Janice P. Balangen, faculty member and International Relations Office Coordinator of the College of Natural Sciences.

BSU’s participation in the workshop reflects the University’s continuing commitment to strengthening its culture of quality and aligning its academic and institutional practices with ASEAN and international quality assurance standards in support of academic excellence and continuous improvement.