USM-ESO, MENRO Columbio Empower Cacao and Coffee Farmers through Bionihan Para sa Kalikasan Phase II
November 10, 2025
University of Southern Mindanao (USM) Professor Dr. Rowell P. Nitafan, together with co-authors John Ryan F. Fernandez and Karshyll Zyeaih E. Bilbao, won the Best Research Paper Award during the 5th Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) Peace Research Conference held on November 4–5, 2025, at Corporate Finance Plaza, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
Carrying the theme “From Insights to Impact: Bridging Research and Action for Peace,” the two-day conference gathered peace researchers, policy experts, and advocates from across the country. Out of the numerous entries submitted nationwide, only 15 outstanding research papers were chosen for presentation, showing the event’s high standard for quality and relevance in peace studies.
Dr. Nitafan and his team’s study, titled “Resilience in the Crossfire: How Adverse Childhood Experiences and Access to Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Programs Shape Positive Youth Development of Bangsamoro Adolescents in Conflict Zones,” was among the selected papers under the theme “Reintegration, Resilience, and Human Development in Post-Conflict Mindanao.”
The study used a mixed methods convergent parallel design to examine how adverse childhood experiences and community-based violence influence the positive youth development of Bangsamoro adolescents in violence-prone areas of Maguindanao del Sur. Results from the correlational-causal analysis showed that both adverse childhood experiences and access to mental health and psychosocial support programs significantly predict positive youth development— with access to these programs emerging as the strongest predictor.
In the qualitative phase, the research identified three main forms of community-based violence as experienced by Bangsamoro adolescents: personal and collective violence, physical and emotional violence, and structural violence. The findings point to the need for trauma-informed interventions and stronger access to psychosocial support programs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to lessen the effects of adverse experiences on youth development.
The OPAPRU Peace Research Conference also featured panel discussions such as “Research in Motion: How Agendas Guide Transformation Across Sectors” on Day 1 and “Peace Dividends: What the Data Tells Us Across Fronts” on Day 2. The event presented studies across four major themes namely, Reintegration, Resilience, and Human Development in Post-Conflict Mindanao, Policy, Institutions, and Structural Foundations of Peace, Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) and Inclusive Peacebuilding, and Localized Peacebuilding and Community Security.
Dr. Nitafan’s recognition demonstrates USM’s strong involvement in peace research and policy development and its continuing commitment to producing studies that contribute to lasting peace and development in Mindanao.
