UDM’s Dr. Herrera Presents Pillar-Based Framework for Sustainable Extension at Namnama Ken Garaw 1st Conference

By: Dr. Leila R. Gano

On June 11, 2025, Dr. Ronald A. Herrera, Vice President for Academic Affairs of the Universidad de Manila (UDM), presented a groundbreaking paper at the Namnama Ken Garaw 1st Conference held at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM). Organized by PLM’s Center for University Extension Services (CUES), the conference provided a platform for showcasing impactful, research-informed extension initiatives. Dr. Herrera’s presentation stood out for offering a strategic and scalable approach to sustainable community empowerment.

Titled “Toward Sustainable Extension Program: A Pillar-Based Framework for Long-Term Community Empowerment through Healthy Habitat,” the paper outlined a comprehensive sustainability framework anchored in the Healthy Habitat: Sustainable Community Solutions for Vector and Domestic Animal Management platform—an extension initiative spearheaded by UDM and piloted in Barangay 790, Zone 86, Sta. Ana, Manila.

The research responded to urgent local concerns identified through a needs assessment: unmanaged pet waste, proliferation of stray animals, and rising cases of vector-borne diseases. In addressing these, Dr. Herrera proposed a four-pillar model consisting of community ownership, institutional partnerships, policy and governance, and financial and technological support. This framework is structured around a five-year implementation roadmap that empowers communities to gradually take full ownership of solutions.

More than a technical proposal, the presentation emphasized the ethical imperative of involving communities as equal partners in the change process. Dr. Herrera’s model repositions extension work as a collaborative, long-term investment rather than a one-time outreach. It also affirms UDM’s leadership in developing academically grounded, socially responsive solutions to urban challenges.

Through this presentation, UDM reinforced its role in promoting research-based, locally anchored extension programs that align with national development goals. Dr. Herrera’s contribution to the Namnama Ken Garaw 1st Conference not only showcased institutional innovation but also offered a practical model for other universities committed to building sustainable, empowered communities.

Co-authors of the paper are Dr. Ma. Felma Carlos-Tria and Dr. Leila R. Gano.