The Institute of Philippine Culture (IPC) welcomes two new research projects in April 2008. The first, Preserving and Protecting Philippine Architectural Heritage, is a three year project that encompasses a systematic strategy to preserve outstanding architectural achievements of Philippine society, particularly in Manila and the rest of Metro Manila. The project is directed by Dr. Fernando Zialcita and Dr. Czarina Saloma of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology of the Ateneo de Manila University, with Mr. Erik Akpedonu, an architect, as the Project Research Associate (for the project's architectural inventory component) and Ms. Patricia Gonzalez, who is working on her M.A. in Anthropology, as the Project Research Assistant (for the compendium component). The project is being supported by the Society for the Preservation of Philippine Culture, Inc.
The other new research project is a joint undertaking of the IPC and the Office of the President of the Ateneo de Manila University. The project, Understanding the Origins and Nature of Social Change, aims to provide a better understanding of “what works” in the context of transforming public education. Using process documentation research, it seeks to gain insights from the Ateneo de Manila University (Ateneo) approach of introducing social change in public education and governance, and to help Ateneo and its partners learn from their own experience. Dr. Czarina Saloma is the Project Director, with Ms. Leslie Advincula-Lopez of the Ateneo de Manila's Department of Sociology and Anthropology and Ms. Melissa Jayme-Lao of the Department of Political Science.