Partido State University (ParSU) and the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD), through its Asian Institute of Tourism (AIT), have formalized a three-year partnership to advance the Harmony. Innovations. Knowledge. Outskirts for Tourism (HIKOT) : ParSU-UPD Sustainable Coastal Tourism Project, sealing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on May 5, 2026, at the UP AIT Building in Quezon City.
The agreement, signed by ParSU President Dr. Arnel B. Zarcedo and UP Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II, institutionalizes collaboration between the two state universities in key academic and extension areas anchored on reciprocity and shared expertise.
Under the MOU, ParSU and UPD-AIT will jointly undertake capacity-building and training programs, collaborative research, lectures and symposia, and the exchange of academic materials and information, along with other forms of academic cooperation in support of the HIKOT Project.
UP-AIT Project Lead Dr. Gina Alcoriza presented the strategic direction of Project HIKOT during the ceremonial signing, noting that โhikot,โ a bicol term for fishnet, symbolizes the projectโs collaborative approach in strengthening coastal tourism communities along Lagonoy Gulf in Camarines Sur.
The initiative focuses on coastal tourism research, resource mapping, and the crafting of sustainable tourism development plans while advancing research collaboration, community extension, and tourism capability between ParSU and local stakeholders in the municipalities of Sagรฑay, Tigaon, San Jose, Lagonoy, and Presentacion.
The event was witnessed by officials, faculty, and staff from both institutions, signaling strengthened inter-university cooperation in advancing research, extension, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
