Representatives of the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) met with officials of Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) Alijis Campus to explore collaboration on satellite data applications, academic research, and community extension across the Negros Island Region (NIR), October 13, 2026.
PhilSA Project Technical Specialist Emmanuel Ganancias and Aeron Mark Hernando of the PINAS Project met with Alijis Campus Executive Director Glen Peter Garcia and College of Computer Studies Dean Joe Marie Dormido to discuss the potential partnership. They were joined by BS Computer Engineering Program Chair Engr. Ronn Elly Pedregosa, BS Electronics Engineering Program Chair Engr. Ruel Malapitan, CIER Coordinator Charmaine Sabio, and faculty of the College of Engineering at the Alijis Campus.
The engagement aims to position CHMSU as a strategic academic and geospatial partner across Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor under the PhilSA Integrated Network for Space-Enabled Actions towards Sustainability (PINAS) initiative.
CHMSU-A Multimedia Club photos
The proposed partnership centers on the Research and Development Center for Applied GIS located at CHMSU Alijis Campus, according to PhilSA.
Both institutions will explore integrating national Earth observation data, including imagery from the Diwata and Maya satellite series, with regional ground-truth datasets.
Joint efforts may include training university researchers in remote sensing and radar processing, and co-developing mapping tools to help local government units with climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, and land resource allocation.
The collaboration also covers community extension, environmental research, and space education. Possible joint studies include coastal management along the Visayan Sea and Tañon Strait, flood hazard modeling, and agricultural monitoring, with faculty and students taking part in the PINAS Citizen Science Network.
The PINAS Caravan will serve as the main venue for initial discussions, featuring presentations, mapping demonstrations, and talks on a possible Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Students will also learn about careers in space technology and PhilSA’s AD ASTRA graduate scholarships.
