The Iligan Medical Center College (IMCC), through its Center for Research and Creatives, successfully hosted the R&D Leadership (RDLead) Training Program on Proposal Writing on July 16 and 17, 2026, at the IMCC Review Center. The two-day training-workshop drew 53 participants, including deans, faculty members, and administrative staff across IMCC’s colleges and departments, and formed part of a six-month RDLead engagement designed to strengthen the institution’s research and development capabilities through mentoring, proposal development, and capacity-building initiatives.
The program was made possible through the continuing support of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP), represented on-site by Mr. Marfy H. Lita, RDLead Project Senior Technical Specialist, and Engr. Ivy A. Sacapaño, RDLead Project Technical Assistant VI. Sessions were facilitated by Dr. Mark Tristan J. Quimque, RD Leader from the Mindanao State University, Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), who guided participants through the full arc of research writing, from crafting publishable journal articles to preparing fundable research proposals.
Day 1: Foundations of Publishable Research
The training-workshop opened on the morning of July 16 with a courtesy call and meeting between the visiting NRCP team and IMCC leadership from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. The formal registration and opening program followed shortly after, starting at 10:20 a.m., about twenty minutes behind the original 10:00 a.m. schedule as the courtesy call ran long. Dr. Helen S. Tejero, Research Director, led the opening prayer that, by all accounts, “set the inspiring tone of the whole proceedings.” IMCC President Dr. Royce S. Torres then delivered the Welcome Remarks, underscoring the training-workshop’s importance to IMCC’s Adaptive Roadmap toward university status, and welcomed the presence and continuing efforts of the NRCP delegation.
Dr. Mark M. Alipio, Dean for Academic Affairs, formally introduced the visiting NRCP monitoring team and the RD Leader, namely Mr. Marfy H. Lita, Engr. Ivy A. Sacapaño, and Dr. Mark Tristan J. Quimque, before the training proper began.
Scenes from the opening program of the RDLead Training Program on Proposal Writing, Day 1, July 16, 2026.
Writing for Peer Review: Principles of Publishable Journal Articles
Dr. Quimque opened the technical sessions with a comprehensive discussion on the fundamentals of the research process: identifying the problem, planning the research design, collecting data, analyzing results, and reporting findings. He stressed the importance of using credible evidence, communicating findings clearly, and ensuring journal fit when preparing a manuscript for submission, noting that a well-written paper tells “a story of evidence” where methods are presented in an accessible way and conclusions remain firmly supported by the findings.
He also outlined the most common reasons manuscripts are rejected by journals, which participants were reminded to take seriously in developing their own papers:
- Overly long titles
- Unclear contributions to the field
- Poor fit with the target journal
- Methods that do not adequately support the study
- Unresolved ethical concerns
The session closed with three guiding principles for research aimed at publication: focus and coherence, alignment between the manuscript and the target journal, and respect for the reader.
Workshop and Initial Departmental Pitches
The afternoon session moved into a hands-on workshop covering five areas: selecting the best research to publish, publishability diagnostics, manuscript mapping, choosing the right journal, and reverse planning on a six-week timeline. Participants worked in college- and department-based groups, culminating in initial pitches at 3:30 p.m. from eight units: the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Criminal Justice Education, Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Medical Technology, plus the Basic Education Department and the Graduate School. Each group proposed a research idea addressing a real institutional or community need, ranging from a breast-cancer cytotoxicity study to a tourism initiative reviving Iligan’s horse-drawn carriage transport to a breath-based diagnostic concept for diabetes from the College of Medical Technology. Dr. Quimque provided comments after each presentation to help sharpen the studies for eventual publication, and by the end of Day 1, all eight groups had articulated an initial research direction to carry into Day 2.
Participants working through the Day 1 afternoon workshop and initial group pitches.
Day 2: From Proposal to Funding
Day 2 began on July 17 with attendance-taking, an opening prayer led by Dr. Elizabeth Alagar, Dean of the College of Nursing and Midwifery, and the Philippine National Anthem. Dr. Ernesto Ilago, Dean of the Graduate School, delivered a recap of Day 1, describing the previous day’s proceedings as “an exciting and engaging exercise among the participants, deans, faculty, and admin staff,” and reaffirming IMCC’s aspiration to build a stronger research culture as it moves toward its Adaptive Roadmap.
Dr. Quimque then led a workshop on Preparing Research Proposals for Funding, walking participants through the elements funding agencies look for in a competitive proposal, from clearly framed problems to well-justified budgets and work plans.
Day 2 proceedings, July 17, 2026: recap and the workshop on preparing research proposals for funding.
Reporting of Research Project Proposals and Critiquing of Outputs
In the afternoon, Dr. Mark M. Alipio facilitated the reporting and critiquing of refined research project proposals, giving department representatives the opportunity to present more developed versions of their research ideas before Dr. Quimque and the NRCP team for feedback. Notably, this session also introduced a proposal from the College of Radiologic Technology (CRT), a unit that had not been among the eight initial Day 1 pitches, alongside further-developed versions of proposals from CAS, CHTM, and BED. Among the proposals reported were:
- College of Radiologic Technology (CRT), in collaboration with the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Medical Technology, presented a proposal to develop a radiosensitizer derived from fucoidan, a compound extracted from Sargassum seaweed abundant in Mindanao, to address the radioresistance of liver cancer, the third leading cause of cancer deaths and currently treated only through surgery and targeted drug therapy. Presented by Prince Errol Reyes, the study noted that existing synthetic radiosensitizers are toxic and expensive, and that natural alternatives studied so far do not bind specifically to liver cells. The team identified potential funding through DOST-PCHRD, DOST Regional Office X (NorMinCoHRD), and the Department of Health, and proposed drawing on IMCC’s radiologic technology expertise alongside testing support from MSU-IIT.
- College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) presented a refined study on the cytotoxicity activity of Katmon (Dillenia philippinensis), Tibig (Ficus nota), and Binunga (Macaranga tanarius) plant extracts against MCF-7 (human breast) and HCT116 (colorectal) cancer cell lines, led by Dr. Princesita G. Timonera and Dr. Klent Bryan P. Paredes together with faculty from the Chemistry, Biology, and Science Education disciplines. The team grounded the study in global and national cancer burden figures, noting that breast and colorectal cancers remain among the leading cancer types in the Philippines, and positioned the combined three-plant screening as addressing a gap in the local literature, which has so far looked at these plants individually rather than in combination.
- College of Hospitality and Tourism Management (CHTM) presented “From Waste to Worth,” a proposal to develop a sustainable waste management model converting used coffee grounds from Iligan City’s coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants into organic compost, plant fertilizer, natural deodorizers, coffee scrubs, and eco-bricks. The team identified alignment with DOST-PCAARRD, DOST Regional Office X, DENR, CHED, and the Iligan City LGU as possible funders, and scored the proposal 38 to 39 out of 40 on their own readiness assessment, rating it a perfect 5 out of 5 on importance, DOST alignment, institutional expertise, publication potential, community impact, and funding potential, with slightly lower marks of 4 out of 5 on novelty and available facilities.
- Basic Education Department (BED) presented Project S.A.F.E. (School Artificial Intelligence for Emergencies), an AI- and IoT-enabled disaster-preparedness and emergency-response system integrating smart attendance monitoring, hazard-detection sensors, digital evacuation mapping, automated notifications, and a centralized dashboard. The proposal was grounded in the reality that IMCC’s Basic Education campus sits in an area prone to earthquakes, heavy rainfall, and localized flooding, and that current preparedness still relies on manual attendance checks and paper-based evacuation plans. The team proposed piloting the system at IMCC-BED, with alignment to the Human Security R&D priority area of DOST-PCIEERD.
These were among several proposals reported and critiqued during the session, reflecting the breadth of research interests across IMCC’s academic units, from public health and biotechnology to sustainability, education, and community safety.
Departments reporting and defending their research project proposals before Dr. Quimque and the NRCP team, Day 2.
Synthesis and Closing Remarks
The program closed with synthesis and closing remarks from Dr. Helen S. Tejero, Research Director, who expressed the IMCC research community’s gratitude to the National Research Council of the Philippines and to Dr. Quimque for their leadership and expertise, and commended participants for showing what she described as “100% commitment” in developing their research proposals over the two days. She reaffirmed that the program’s goal was to prepare IMCC’s faculty and staff to submit high-quality, fundable proposals to DOST, NRCP, and other funding agencies in alignment with national research priorities, and expressed confidence that the proposals developed during the training would go on to secure funding and create meaningful impact for their communities.
Dr. Tejero also acknowledged Dr. Mark M. Alipio, Dr. Ernesto O. Ilago, and Mr. Marlou Rentucan for their key roles in the program, along with the Food Committee, Ms. Lorena Carla Silao and Ms. Via Salongan, and documentation support from Mr. Leebert Robiato.
The RDLead Training Program on Proposal Writing was attended by 53 participants representing IMCC’s academic and administrative units, with Mr. Marlou Rentucan serving as Master of Ceremonies and Dr. Ernesto Ilago as Officer of the Day across both days of the program.