Ateneo’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology co-hosts the Philippine Sociology Roadmap's National Visioning Workshop

Ateneo de Manila University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology (DSA) co-hosted the National Visioning Workshop for the Philippine Sociology Roadmap with the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) held on 26-27 May 2025 at the Holiday Inn Newport, Pasay City.

Fifty-eight participants, consisting of representatives from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), members of the CHED Technical Panel for Sociology,  members of the Philippine Sociology Roadmap Team, as well as chairs, directors, and faculty representatives of Sociology departments and programmes of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the Philippines, attended the workshop. The National Visioning Workshop is the culmination of the two regional workshops separately attended by participants from the National Capital Region-Luzon and Visayas-Mindanao last April 2025.

To provide insights for the drawing of the Roadmap action plans, four sociologists delivered keynote addresses about the practice of sociology in their respective fields.

Dr Mary Racelis, Research Scientist at the Institute of Philippine Culture, and a key figure in Philippine Sociology, spoke about sociology in the context of people’s organizations and marginalized communities. In doing so, Dr Racelis talked about the importance of participatory research and its implications in decolonizing frameworks. She reflected on her personal journey in reimagining her practice of sociology, within the entanglements of social justice and lived experience. Dr Racelis also emphasized the importance of mentorship in her academic career, acknowledging Fr Frank Lynch SJ (1921-1978) as an esteemed mentor. She concluded with a call for social transformation from the grassroots. Dr Racelis urged fellow sociologists to engage and journey alongside marginalized communities.

Dr Leland dela Cruz, the president of the Philippine Sociological Society (PSS) discussed the merits of public sociology. In that regard, he discussed the potential of integrating the vision of the Philippine Sociology Roadmap with the institutional capacity of PSS. Thus, in response to the Roadmap findings, Dr Dela Cruz mentioned the ongoing recalibration of research ethics through the Research Ethics Guidelines in the Social Sciences (REGISS) initiative of the PSS. He also proposed that the PSS be at the forefront of micro credentialing, as a proactive stance to the Roadmap findings pertaining to the licensure of sociology professionals. At the same time, he advised that fresh PhD Sociology graduates undertake a Socio Caravan, which seeks to build and inform our community of practice. On the Roadmap’s findings on employment, Dr Dela Cruz proposed the creation of a Meta (formerly known as Facebook) job search group. Notably, he mentioned that the creation of a similar platform in their Department benefited their students’ employment search as well as boosted student enrollment. Dr Dela Cruz tied these interventions with the call for a more public sociology, beyond the academe. He drew attention to the current era of rapid social transformation and urged sociologists to go beyond critique, but to contribute to more concrete solutions in the areas of policy, grassroots communities, and even industry. 

Ms Camille Tigas, a management and finance practitioner, credits sociology with her success in the corporate world, noting her background became invaluable as she advanced into leadership roles. 

She shared: “As I took on broader responsibilities and led diverse teams, I found myself drawing on my academic foundation to understand group dynamics, motivation, resistance to change, and organizational culture. Sociology helped me recognize patterns, manage people with empathy, and implement change in a way that accounted for both structure and behavior.” 

In closing, Ms Tigas reiterated the relevance of sociology in corporate work. To gain greater recognition in the corporate world, she suggested offering relevant sociology micro-credential courses pertaining to team management, leadership change and transformation, and applied social statistics.

Lastly, Dr Mario Aguja, the chairperson of the CHED Technical panel for Sociology discussed his journey with the discipline in the context of Mindanao. Dr Aguja recounted his practice of sociology as a young student under martial law to his professional life. 

Led by Dr Melissa Quetulio-Navarra (Ateneo) and Dr Amabelle Embornas (MSU-IIT), the project team is currently drafting the Philippine Sociology Roadmap. The Roadmap will outline pathways to five priority areas: 1) reimagining and redeveloping sociological training, 2) enhancing the employability of sociology graduates, 3) strengthening research and analysis, 4) harnessing new technology, and 5) empowering the sociological community. It is guided by principles focused on transforming sociology through lessons from the past, present nuances, stakeholder needs, and a clear prioritization of objectives.

The Philippine Sociology Roadmap project is funded by the CHED.