Written by: Kennu Poyaoan and Zhekianah Ordonio
BAGUIO CITY, October 15, 2026 – Undergraduate research can contribute to more responsive communities when it examines how public institutions and local stakeholders address pressing social concerns. Demonstrating this role, student researchers from the University of Baguio’s (UB) School of Criminal Justice and Public Safety (SCJPS) earned Second Place in the Best Research Paper Award under Cluster B: Social Sciences, Education, and Criminology during the 4th Regional Student Research Colloquium.
The colloquium brought together student researchers from across the region to present their studies and exchange academic perspectives on issues affecting communities and institutions. The recognition placed the SCJPS research team’s work among the awarded studies in its cluster, highlighting the value of undergraduate inquiry in examining practical concerns in criminal justice and public service.
Titled “PROTECTING CHILDREN: BARANGAY IRISAN’S INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILD IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW AND CHILD AT RISK IN BAGUIO CITY,” the award-winning study examined community-based initiatives and protective mechanisms implemented in Barangay Irisan for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) and Children at Risk (CAR).
By focusing on a specific barangay, the research brought attention to the community as an important setting for child protection and juvenile justice interventions. Its subject matter highlights the need to understand the circumstances that place children at risk and to examine how local mechanisms respond through prevention, rehabilitation, protection, and reintegration. These concerns are particularly significant because interventions involving children require coordination among the community institutions and professionals responsible for their welfare and protection.
The study was authored by six SCJPS student researchers: Kian Earl Juliano Isnada, Xyzerlyn Balanay Langcao, Jamaica Paz Necesito, Dren Tiffany Rivera Panay, Grace Anthonette Gamalong Pido, and Francis Cao Uban. They conducted the research under the guidance of their adviser, Dr. Warren Moyao, whose mentorship supported the team throughout the research process, including data collection and research defense.
With Barangay Irisan identified in the source material as Baguio City’s largest barangay, the study provided a local context for examining how child protection and juvenile justice interventions are carried out at the grassroots level. It also underscored the importance of coordination among barangay officials, social workers, and law enforcement personnel in responding to the needs of children who may require protection, intervention, or rehabilitation.
The achievement reflects the contribution of SCJPS in developing students who can apply research methods and evidence-based inquiry to issues relevant to criminal justice and community welfare. Beyond academic recognition, the study demonstrates how undergraduate research can examine local practices and generate insights that may help inform discussions on child protection, local governance, and community-based responses to juvenile concerns.
The research also supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, particularly Target 16.2, which calls for ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children. Its focus on protective and rehabilitative interventions for CICL and CAR is directly relevant to the broader objective of safeguarding children from harmful circumstances. The study may also contribute to Target 16.6, which promotes effective, accountable, and transparent institutions, insofar as its findings provide evidence that can inform the improvement of local child-protection mechanisms and coordination among responsible stakeholders.
Through this recognition, UB-SCJPS affirms the importance of research as an academic and community-oriented undertaking—one that equips future criminal justice professionals to examine social problems critically and contribute evidence-informed perspectives to the protection of vulnerable sectors.
Keywords: uvenile Justice; Community-Based Interventions; Barangay Governance; Undergraduate Research; Sustainable Development Goal 16