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DOST-PCAARRD sustains COELs mentoring program to strengthen R&D leadership

Hannah Lyn E. Carandang, Annette M. Tobias, DOST-PCAARRD S&T Media Services 12 February 2026

Commemorative photos taken during the simultaneous online project mentoring sessions with the mentors and mentees (Image credit: Hannah Lyn E. Carandang, SERD, DOST-PCAARRD)

As the research and development (R&D) landscape in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) grows more complex, the need to equip emerging project leaders beyond conventional training has become more evident. Recognizing this, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) continues to strengthen its intergenerational mentoring through the Council of Elders (COELs), a non-executive body that harnesses the tacit knowledge and long-standing experience of seasoned experts to guide the next generation of R&D leaders.

Now in its second year of more structured program implementation, the COELs mentoring program has demonstrated the value of targeted one-on-one mentoring in R&D management competencies. Following the plenary session conducted in July, the program sustained its momentum through individualized mentoring sessions from October until December 2025. These sessions focused on the approved Grants-in-Aid programs and projects, addressing real-time technical, administrative, and leadership challenges encountered along the project cycle.

Over a three-month period, carefully matched mentees and mentors were given a maximum of five non-consecutive days to carry out the activities, guided by their personalized mentoring plans. This focused yet flexible mentoring approach enabled mentees to receive context-specific advice rooted in actual implementation realities.

Thirty mentees, who are emerging project leaders and their team members, from 10 institutions: University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Benguet State University (BSU), Mountain Province State University (MPSU), UP Institute of Small Scale Industries (UP ISSI), Cavite State University (CvSU), Partido State University (ParSU), Visayas State University (VSU), Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology (ZCSMST), Misamis University (MU), and Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology (DEBESMSCAT).

Experts of the COELs are retirees and senior-level professionals who generously shared their time, knowledge, and experiences to ensure that the mentees could truly benefit from the mentoring activities. These distinguished mentors were Dr. Marcelino U. Siladan, former PCAARRD Supervising Science Research Specialist; Prof. Valeriano L. Corre, former UP Visayas faculty member; Dr. Nerlita A. Manalili, owner and Managing Director, Nexus Agribusiness Solutions; Asst. Prof. Thaddeus R. Acuña, UP Mindanao faculty member; Dr. Antonio P. Abamo, VSU faculty member; Dr. Andres M. Tuates, Jr., DA-PhilMech chief; Dr. Asuncion B. De Guzman, Independent Researcher and Constant, Gaia Resource and Environmental Consultancy Services and MSU Naawan Foundation for Science and Technology Development Incorporated; and former and current faculty members from the UPLB namely, Dr. Blesshe L. Querijero, Dr. Sheryl A. Yap, Dr. Wilma A. Hurtada, Dr. Rosario V. Tatlonghari, Dr. Canesio D. Predo, and Dr. Lotis E. Mopera.

Some of the free seminars delivered by Dr. Asuncion De Guzman during the mentoring sessions of Misamis University’s project team on developing an effective management plan and writing a policy brief. (Image credit: Hannah Lyn E. Carandang, SERD, DOST-PCAARRD)

Key outputs of the mentoring activities included the development of new proposals, effective plan and policy brief development, technology transfer communication plans, operational process efficiency, technology product awareness and promotion concepts, project methodology improvement, gender integration exploration, and effective report presentation to stakeholders, among others. Majority of the activities provided valuable shared experiences, technical and administrative-related guidance to achieve the project deliverables accordingly. Several mentees also reported improved confidence in presenting reports to stakeholders and in navigating administrative and compliance requirements. In some cases, mentoring extended beyond virtual sessions, with mentors conducting site visits, on-site demonstrations, and face-to-face discussions to better understand the project contexts and provide more grounded recommendations.

[LEFT] Mentoring beyond the online sessions with Dr. Wilma A. Hurtada’s visit and [RIGHT] Prof. Valeriano L. Corre, Jr.’s on-site demonstration of sex-identification of tilapia. (Image credit: Dr. Arlan D. Rodeo and Dr. Maila V. Pan)

At the end of the activity, both mentors and mentees emphasized the distinct value of one-on-one mentoring compared to traditional classroom-based training. The personalized nature of the sessions facilitated open communication, mutual learning, and trust, enabling mentees to address leadership and management challenges more effectively. The program also reinforced the importance of inclusive and collaborative approaches in R&D management, as mentoring discussions often touched on team dynamics, shared decision-making, and gender-responsive considerations in project implementation.

By leveraging intergenerational knowledge through a more targeted yet flexible approach, the COELs program has proven to be a sustainable and impactful capacity-building mechanism. Moving forward, DOST-PCAARRD will continue to refine and strengthen this mentoring model, capitalizing on the tacit knowledge of seasoned experts to ensure more effective implementation of R&D programs and to nurture a new generation of capable, reflective, and responsive project leaders in the AANR sector.