Four IESM students were among the recipients of the 2026 Siglat Saliksik Spring Development Grant of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur. Mark Joseph William D. Ducusin, and the team of Camille Rafal, Alex Garibay Jr., and Rochelle Paa received grants for two research projects during the Siglat Festival awarding ceremony on 7 August 2026 at the CHAVIT Coliseum in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. Each selected project received ₱100,000 in research support.

Ducusin’s project, “Accessibility and Multi-hazard Assessment of Evacuation Centers in Ilocos Sur,” will assess evacuation centers using accessibility and hazard information, with the goal of developing a web-based tool for local government and disaster risk reduction and management offices.

Meanwhile, Rafal, Garibay, and Paa’s “Flood Susceptibility Index Mapping in Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Using a GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) Approach” will develop locally informed flood susceptibility maps and support LGUs in using GIS tools for local hazard assessment.

The two projects are among five research initiatives supported under this year’s Siglat Saliksik Spring Development Grant, which provides financial and institutional support for research addressing development challenges in Ilocos Sur.