Aldersgate College Inc. (ACI) proudly participated in the three-day ladderized training organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 02 under its TECHGROW Program—Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship Collaboration and Harmonization of Growing Regional Opportunities on Wealth Creation—held from May 6 to 8, 2025, at Las Palmas de San Jose, Bagay, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. The training aimed to strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurial capacities of researchers and institutions across the region, with a focus on ideation, design thinking, feature-benefit-value analysis, prototyping, and value proposition development. Representing ACI were Ms. Ruth Charlyn D. Ramel (Knowledge and Technology Transfer Officer), Ms. Chelsey Joy P. Dacumos (Research & Development and Entrepreneurship Specialist), Mrs. Maricris B. Romero (Technical Project Officer from Bridge Hub, CBMA), Engr. Carlo JD D. Melegrito (Project Development and Management Officer), and Ms. Gielliane Joy R. Guillermo (Editorial Assistant).
The program opened with welcome remarks from Ms. Jenny-Rose G. Masocol, Project Technical Assistant IV of DOST Region 02, followed by an inspiring message from Dr. Laila A. Taguinod, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Operations Services. The first session, “Ideation and Innovation,” was facilitated by Dr. Arnel C. Fajardo and Dr. Jesus M. Lindo from ISU-Cauayan and introduced participants to innovation frameworks and techniques for developing creative, impactful solutions. ACI actively contributed to the discussions, with Ms. Ramel presenting the team’s initial ideas. In the afternoon, the “Design Thinking” session encouraged a user-centered approach to innovation, where participants developed empathy maps and refined their ideas based on insights from end users.
On the second day, May 7, the training emphasized prototyping and iterative development. Ms. Dacumos presented ACI’s refined concept, highlighting how the project evolved through a deeper understanding of user needs. Participants built low-fidelity prototypes and gathered initial feedback for improvement. Engr. Melegrito introduced ACI’s prototype and demonstrated how it addressed key user pain points. Later, the Feature-Benefit-Value Analysis session guided teams in clearly articulating the distinct features, user advantages, and market value of their innovations.
The final day focused on crafting strong, user-centric value propositions. The ACI team finalized their proposed initiative called AbacaTAP, a project aimed at empowering abaca farmers through early disease detection, treatment assistance, and streamlined market access. During the Final Presentation and Critique, Mrs. Romero delivered a compelling pitch of the AbacaTAP project to a panel of expert resource speakers and received valuable feedback to further refine the innovation. The training concluded with a synthesis of key learnings and a closing program led by Engr. Mark Gil S. Hizon, Supervising Science Research Specialist of DOST Region 02.
The ladderized training provided the ACI team with significant insights into innovation strategy, user-focused design, and entrepreneurial thinking. More importantly, it offered a meaningful platform for engagement and collaboration with fellow innovators and regional stakeholders. ACI expresses its sincere appreciation to DOST Region 02 for this empowering opportunity and reaffirms its commitment to promoting research-driven, inclusive, and sustainable development in the region.
