Makati City, — The Negrosanon Young Leaders Institute (NYLI), West Visayas State University (WVSU), and Visayas State University (VSU) formally marked their tripartite collaboration through a ceremonial signing on 22 January 2026 at Berjaya Makati Hotel, solidifying a partnership for the implementation of formative research and Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) initiatives under the Sagup Food Circles Project.
The partnership brings together a youth-led civil society organization and two academic institutions to jointly undertake research on food circularity, food loss, and waste across Negros Occidental, Leyte, and the Dinagat Islands. Through this collaboration, the institutions aim to generate evidence that will inform community-based, inclusive, and sustainable interventions addressing food insecurity.
We return our learning to the community by translating research into action, because addressing social and behavioral challenges requires the collective efforts of the academe, government institutions, and civil society organizations,” said Dr. Rona Dhel Alingasa, Dean of the College of Communication, WVSU.
Sagup Food Circles, funded by the European Union in the Philippines, seeks to reduce food loss and waste by strengthening circular food systems and transforming recovered food into community-managed food banks. Central to the project is the use of SBCC formative research to better understand the behavioral, structural, and systemic factors shaping food practices at the household, market, and community levels.
The research will guide a campaign reaching 5,000 individuals through workshops, materials, and community events. Targets include a 70% reduction in food waste, improved sustainable practices, adoption of community food waste rules in at least 80% of target areas, capacity building for Sagup Center staff, and at least one filed policy per local government unit supporting food loss reduction and small farmers and fisherfolk.
“Conducting grounded, evidence-based research on food circularity aligns strongly with our Global Green University aspirations and our commitment to sustainable development. This enables us to develop people-centered solutions that reduce food loss and waste while strengthening community food security,” said Dr. Uderico Alviola, Department Head, Department of Development Communication, VSU.
The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has completed institutional review and will be forwarded to the respective heads of WVSU and VSU for final approval. NYLI will lead community engagement and SBCC integration, while WVSU and VSU will provide technical expertise in development communication, research design, and tool development.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to grounding solutions in evidence and community realities,” said NYLI Executive Director Kevin Gaitan. “By collaborating with academic partners, we ensure our food circularity interventions are both innovative and responsive.”
The MOA signing coincided with the Sagup Food Circles SBCC Formative Research Tool Development Workshop, where representatives from the three institutions worked together to develop research tools, identify behavioral endpoints, and align communication strategies for project implementation.
The tripartite partnership highlights a shared vision of leveraging research, youth leadership, and strategic communication to build resilient, circular, and people-centered food systems in the Philipines and beyond.