Naga College Foundation, Inc. (NCF) secured top honors, formalized a strategic institutional alliance, and assumed a key regional leadership post during the regional capacity-building training, “From Proposal to Impact: Building Research-Based Extension Excellence in Bicol HEIs,” held from October 6 to 8, 2026, at the Nativity Function Hall of the Divine Word College of Legazpi (DWCL).
Highlighting NCF’s participation, the institution earned Second Place in the Best Evidence-Based Project category for Project PAG-ADAL (Promoting Access to Growth through Academic Development and Lifelong Learning), a flagship 26-week community intervention spearheaded by the College of Teacher Education (CTED) and the College of Computer Studies (CCS) for elementary learners at San Jose West Elementary School (SJWES) in Canaman, Camarines Sur.
Designed to address community-identified challenges in literacy, reading comprehension, and foundational numeracy, Project PAG-ADAL integrates weekly Saturday guided tutoring with K-Go QUEST—an innovative learning and progress-monitoring application built by CCS student developers Jovanny E. De Leon, Sophia L. Jaucian, and Francis Kyle D. San Pascual.
Meanwhile, NCF formalized a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) designated as an Official Partner Lifetime Institutional Member of the Philippine Association of Extension Program Implementers, Inc. (PAEPI) on October 8, 2026, with Dr. Nico A. Ogarte, Assistant Vice President for Research, Innovation, Extension, and Sustainability (RIES), signing on behalf of the institution.
It can be recalled that PAEPI formally granted Lifetime Institutional Membership to NCF on August 3, 2026—as confirmed by the RIES Office on August 6—a strategic partnership designed to provide the institution with expanded access to networks, resources, and collaborative opportunities supporting sustainable extension programs across partner communities.
Adding to the institution’s milestone achievements, Mr. Nikko N. Ricafrente, Coordinator for Community Extension Services (CES), was officially elected as the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the PAEPI Region V, assuming his post to help steer regional communication, inter-institutional collaboration, and professional advancement among extension implementers across Bicol.
The three-day regional training, hosted and organized by PAEPI–National and DWCL, gathered higher education institutions (HEIs) from across Bicol region to enhance practitioner capacities in translating field research and data into sustainable, evidence-informed extension programs.
Representing NCF in the capacity-building program was a multidisciplinary delegation led by Mr. Ricafrente alongside Engr. John Roy V. Galvez, Technology Business Incubator Coordinator for CCS; Mr. Joelar Ivan Barde and Ms. Ma. Estefannie R. Escaro, CES Partners for the College of Criminal Justice Education (CCJE); and Ms. Meljoy Adela G. Carrido, CES Partner for CTED.
Through rigorous training modules covering participatory planning, logical frameworks, results-based management, and strategic resource mobilization, participants were equipped to build scalable and sustainable community outreach models.
Such an initiative empowers NCF to continually bridge academic research, digital innovation, and grassroots engagement while solidifying its stance as a transformative institution dedicated to driving meaningful, evidence-informed social impact across the Bicol region.