Saint Mary’s University (SMU) actively participated in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing of the AMIANAN Consortium held on May 19, 2026, at Admirals Farm Park, Cordillera Career Development College, La Trinidad, Benguet.

The AMIANAN Consortium brings together higher education institutions from Regions I, II, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to strengthen collaborative scholarship and academic engagement on Northern Philippine cultures, indigenous knowledge systems, peace education, and cultural heritage preservation.

The initiative likewise supports national higher education directives under CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 1, series of 2019, on the Integration of Peace Studies/Education into Relevant Higher Education Curricula, and CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 2, series of 2019, on the Integration of Indigenous Peoples (IP) Studies into Relevant Higher Education Curricula. These policies promote the institutionalization of Peace Education and Indigenous Peoples Studies across higher education institutions in the Philippines.

SMU was represented by Dr. Christopher Allen S. Marquez, Director of the Community Engagement and Indigenous Peoples Studies Center, and Dr. Melanie G. Sarmiento, Director of the University Research Center. Their participation reflects SMU’s continuing commitment to research collaboration, cultural engagement, and community-responsive academic initiatives.

During the same occasion, the consortium also conducted the election of officers. Dr. Marquez was elected as Deputy Director for Region II, further strengthening SMU’s role in advancing regional research collaboration and indigenous knowledge scholarship across Northern Luzon.

Anchored on the provisions of the MOU, the AMIANAN Consortium is expected to undertake a series of collaborative initiatives aimed at strengthening academic synergy among member institutions. These initiatives include the conduct of conferences, symposia, forums, and academic assemblies focusing on Northern Philippine cultures and indigenous knowledge systems; capacity-building programs such as seminars, trainings, and research development workshops for faculty members and researchers; collaborative research and development projects involving interdisciplinary and multi-institutional studies supported by local and international funding agencies; joint publication initiatives, including research journals, books, instructional materials, and other scholarly and creative outputs; curriculum and policy development support on Indigenous Peoples education, peace studies, and culturally responsive curricula; and the exchange and dissemination of research outputs to promote knowledge-sharing across institutional networks.

The AMIANAN Consortium is envisioned as a sustainable platform for academic cooperation, research innovation, and cultural preservation among participating higher education institutions in Northern Luzon.

The AMIANAN Consortium is envisioned as a sustainable platform for academic cooperation, research innovation, and cultural preservation among participating higher education institutions in Northern Luzon.