Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) joined as a founding member of the Multi-Sectoral Advisory Council (MSAC) for the Local Governance Regional Resource Center (LGRRC) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Negros Island Region (NIR), during the Council’s Inaugural Meeting held at Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City on August 19, 2026.
Representing CHMSU at the inaugural gathering was Director Rhoderick Samonte of the Center for Internationalization and External Relations, who joined fellow local government leaders, academic partners, and regional stakeholders in aligning shared goals, exchanging knowledge, and setting the strategic direction for local governance excellence throughout Negros Island Region.
The meeting was convened by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Negros Island Region (NIR), led by Regional Director Lailyn Ortiz, which spearheads the LGRRC as a regional hub for learning, innovation, and evidence-based local governance.
Central Philippines State University President Aladino Moraca and CIER Director Rhoderick Samonte at the inaugural meeting of the Multi-Sectoral Advisory Council (MSAC) for the Local Governance Regional Resource Center (LGRRC) of DILG-NIR
CIER / Rhoderick Samonte photos
DILG-NIR photos
As part of the inaugural proceedings, CHMSU joined fellow MSAC members in formally signing a Pledge of Commitment, affirming the University’s partnership with the LGRRC and its dedication to responsive, accountable, and excellent local governance.
Through the pledge, CHMSU and its co-members committed to actively contribute their knowledge, expertise, experience, networks, and resources to strengthen the Center as a dynamic hub for learning, innovation, collaboration, and evidence-based local governance. Through this commitment, the council members pledge to helping ensure that valuable knowledge and proven practices from their respective sectors are transformed into practical solutions that reach local government units, leaders, public servants, and communities.
By signing on, CHMSU also pledged to help promote a culture where knowledge is shared, partnerships are strengthened, innovations are nurtured, and good practices are sustained. This is through supporting capacity-building initiatives, encouraging cross-sector collaboration, and helping bridge the gap between knowledge and action for local governments across the region.
CHMSU’s membership places the University alongside a broad cross-section of government agencies, academic institutions, and civil society organizations that make up the founding roster of the MSAC, including the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas, the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), Central Philippines State University (CPSU), Negros Oriental State University (NORSU), and STI West Negros University.
With its inclusion in the MSAC, CHMSU affirms its continuing commitment to public service and regional development, extending its academic expertise and institutional resources toward strengthening local governance across Negros Island Region.
