In his closing message, Vice President for Research, Extension, and Production Affairs Dr. Roberto B. Barba, Jr. thanked and commended the participants as well as left a thought-provoking reflection.

“What if the far greater purpose of conducting research is not to give a direct answer, but to instill questions yet to be answered by future generations, or future endeavors? That is only for us to keep moving on our track,” Dr. Barba said.

Research outputs of Catanduanes State University (CatSU) faculty-researchers covered a wide range of fields including agriculture, aquatic and natural resources, engineering, industry, and emerging technologies. Other studies delved into social sciences, humanities, business, education, and institutional productivity.

The conference, organized by CatSU’s Research and Development Services (RDS), carried the theme “Collaborative Pathways to Sustainability: Accelerating Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) for the Future.”

A key highlight was the Search for the Uswag Award, which recognizes outstanding research papers.

The winners will be announced via official Facebook pages of the University and RDS, and formally awarded in the upcoming 13th University Charter Celebration’s Gabi ng Parangal this October 2025.

Evaluation is based on relevance and contribution to national development (45%), organization and reliability (30%), and quality of presentation (25%).