Panalawsaw 2026

𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 | 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐕𝐒𝐔 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Students from the Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages (BAFL) program of West Visayas State University (WVSU) gathered scholars, researchers, and invited guests across the country to celebrate Panalawsaw 2026 at the WVSU Rehearsal Hall on Wednesday, April 29.

Foreign Languages Students’ Society (FLSS), the premier course organization of BAFL, organized the event with the theme “Borderless Unbound: Weaving Words Across Worlds,” in partnership with UP Korea Research Center (UP KRC) through the Korea-Philippines Next Generation Koreanists Exchanges, Collaborations & Trainings (KONECT) Program.

The two-day activity featured studies ranging from local to foreign languages, literature, and culture, with students, alumni, and professionals coming together to indulge in diverse academic interests and dynamic discussions.

Dr. Eleonora Padilla, the Student Research Coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), formally opened the event with welcome remarks, highlighting the importance of collaboration in community-building.

“[In] these two days, you will be subjected to research works, and kindly learn a lot from them. See the beauty in them,” Dr. Padilla said. “May everything that you learn here [will] eventually be used to make the lives of others beautiful and wonderful.”

CAS Dean, Dr. Bonna Palma, also welcomed the guests and acknowledged the event organizers, all of whom were vital in fostering a venue for exchanging and strengthening ideas.

“Once I read an essay that says: research and colloquia are integral components of academic and professional development. While research generates knowledge, the colloquium ensures that this knowledge is examined, enriched, and shared within a scholarly community,” Dr. Palma stated. “And this colloquium now serves as a platform to all of you for that purpose.”

The morning session of the first day featured two special researches from invited presenters.

Dr. Kyung Min Bae, the Director of UP KRC, discussed a topic entitled “Weaving Connections Across Boarders: The Role of UP Korea Research Center in Korean Studies,” wherein Dr. Bae emphasized the significance of moving beyond their institutional borders to involve regional scholars in the growing academic initiative.

Highlighted was the success of the recently-concluded KONECT Program, which allowed Filipino delegates to engage in a two-week immersion and interact with peers outside the nation, providing them with professional-grade field experience.

Among the chosen delegates was Krizza Cañete, who later presented a study on intercultural history.

“Krizza [didn’t just] represent West Visayas State University, but she also represented Visayas because we had Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao participants,” Dr. Bae mentioned. “The dynamics of KONECT delegates was quite pleasant to see because their ages, their experiences, and their [majors]—all different.”

Dr. Bae ended the presentation with a call to action, encouraging the next generation of WVSU graduates to come back and inspire young learners with their acquired knowledge, ensuring both the longevity of the program and the continuous pursuit of challenging the status quo.

Meanwhile, Krizza Cañete, both a KONECT 2025 and WVSU-BAFL program alumna, presented a study entitled “Sign of the Times: Exploring Historical Consciousness through Landscapes and Languages in Iloilo City, Philippines and Seoul, South Korea.”

The research exhibited the contrasting ways Iloilo City and Seoul preserve and perceive their histories, characterizing Iloilo’s approach as historical accumulation, where the past brings in a legacy reflected in the present, while Seoul represents historical reclamation, where history is intentionally reconstructed.

“Iloilo reflects the memory of the hand, and Seoul reflects the memory of the eye,” Cañete noted, with the former’s history being felt through “use and continuity” while the latter is experienced through “visual framing and performance.”

The talk also focused on the ongoing utilization of historical sites at present times, specifically Iloilo National High School being a former garrison of the Japanese army, as well as observations on language stratification, resilience of archives, and historical narratives.

An open forum concluded the morning session, which granted the presenters an opportunity to answer questions from attendees, ultimately collaborating in the exchange of meaningful discussions and broader cross-cultural understanding.

| by Lara Danielle Malayang
| Photos by Lowell Xandryx Espinosa

x 🇰🇷🇵🇭 | Panalawsaw 2026

The Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages (BAFL) Program of West Visayas State University (WVSU) organized , a research colloquium on languages and literature at the WVSU Rehearsal Hall.

The two-day colloquium on 29-30 April gathers WVSU students, alumni and invited presenters for the presentation of studies on local and foreign languages, literatures and cross-cultural communication.

Ms. Krizza S. Cañete, 2025 KONECT delegate, gave a Special Research Presentation entitled, "Signs of the Times: Exploring Historical Consciousness through Landscapes and Languages in Iloilo City, Philippines and Seoul, South Korea," and discussed comparative perspectives on language use in heritage and public sites, and how historical memory is preserved and communicated through encounters; whether it be intended, staged, unstructured, or institutionalised.

Well done Krizza and we look forward to your study's progress! 💐 And we thank everyone who organized this colloquium segment as well as Panalawsaw 2026 - student organizers Michaela P. Del Rosario and Eic Jan N. Gabales; BAFL Course Facilitator Dr. Eleonora B. Padilla; CAS Dean De. Bonna S. Palma; FLSS Advisor Ms. Arizza Julia; and King Sejong Institute Iloilo Ms. Ree-Ran Park! 🥰

𝗜𝗭𝗡 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Panalawsaw 2026 highlights international studies on language and culture at WVSU

Driving focused international research dialogue in languages and culture, West Visayas State University (WVSU) brought together students, alumni, and partners for “Panalawsaw 2026: Borderless Unbound – Weaving Words Across Worlds” on April 29 at the Rehearsal Hall.

The colloquium was organized by the College of Arts and Sciences – BA Foreign Languages in collaboration with the UP Korea Research Center and supported by the Korea Foundation.

Opening messages were delivered by Dr. Eleonora B. Padilla, Student Research Coordinator, and Dr. Bonna S. Palma, CAS Dean, who emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and global engagement in advancing higher education.

A key highlight of the event was the presentation of Dr. Kyung Min Bae, who underscored the role of the UP Korea Research Center in localizing Korean Studies in the Philippines and fostering meaningful international academic partnerships.

The program also featured a research presentation by Krizza S. Cañete, UPKRC-KONECT Alumnus, which offered a comparative analysis of how language and landscapes shape historical consciousness in Iloilo City and Seoul.

Panalawsaw serves as a platform for intercultural exchange and collaborative research in language and culture, strengthening WVSU’s global engagement, with the colloquium set to conclude tomorrow.

𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗦 | Panalawsaw 2026 opens at WVSU

The Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages (BAFL) Program of West Visayas State University (WVSU) is currently holding Panalawsaw 2026: Borderless Unbound: Weaving Words Across Worlds, a research colloquium on languages and literature, April 29–30 at the WVSU Rehearsal Hall.

The two-day colloquium gathers students, alumni and invited presenters for the presentation of studies on local and foreign languages, literatures and cross-cultural communication.

Serving as an academic platform for scholarly exchange, the event highlights the role of language in fostering understanding across cultures and disciplines.

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖 | 𝐁𝐀𝐅𝐋 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐰𝐨-𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages (BAFL) scholars and alumni from West Visayas State University (WVSU), along with invited professionals, gathered at the WVSU Rehearsal Hall today, April 29, in celebration of Panalawsaw Research Colloquium 2026.

With the theme “Borderless Unbound: Weaving Words Across Worlds,” the event is co-presented by the Foreign Languages Students’ Society (FLSS) to promote research on languages, literature, and culture, and cultivate cross-cultural communication.

The event commenced with welcoming remarks from Dr. Eleonora Padilla, Student Research Coordinator, and Dr. Bonna Palma, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Now on its second iteration since its establishment in 2024, the first day will feature presenters from the UP Korea Research Center (UP KRC) and 2025 Korea-Philippines Next Generation Koreanists Exchanges, Collaborations & Trainings (KONECT) program.

Special presenter Dr. Kyung Min Bae, the Director of UP KRC, demonstrated the role of the academic hub in advancing Korean studies in the Philippines, while 2025 KONECT alumnus Krizza S. Cañete discussed how landscapes and languages shaped the history of Iloilo and Seoul.

Meanwhile, the afternoon activity will exhibit four more local and foreign languages research studies from alumni and guest attendees.

Panalawsaw 2026 runs until tomorrow, April 30, at the same venue wherein graduating BAFL students will be having their final thesis defense.

| by Lara Danielle Malayang
| Photos courtesy of Carmela Jade Cortez and Paul Siegfred Padios

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗦 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗘.

Presenting the last three presenters for the BAFL 4A Final Thesis Defense, bringing together studies that bridge language, history, and global discourse.

From comparing writing systems across cultures, to examining the experiences of Korean language learners in Iloilo, to analyzing diplomatic rhetoric in Philippine–Korean relations, these works reflect the depth and range of inquiry within the BAFL program.

Here, language moves from symbol to strategy, from learning to diplomacy, completing the weave of this year’s research narratives.

𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗗.

Introducing the next three presenters for the BAFL 4A Final Thesis Defense, whose studies engage with transition, adaptation, and learning in evolving spaces.

From post-graduation language proficiency exam experiences and resilience, to cultural negotiation in virtual work environments, to language learning preferences among Korean language students, these works offer grounded perspectives on how individuals navigate and make sense of changing linguistic and cultural landscapes.

𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠.

Meet the first three presenters for the BAFL 4A Final Thesis Defense, where language, culture, and lived experience converge into research that speaks across contexts.

From tracing graduate pathways, to examining media influence, to exploring linguistic adaptation in transnational spaces, these studies reflect how meaning is shaped, negotiated, and lived across Filipino, Korean, and Japanese perspectives.

𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗘𝗦S 📢

Panalawsaw 2026 is a research colloquium that brings together emerging scholars, alumni, and invited presenters to share studies and insights grounded in language, literature, communication, and cultural studies. Anchored in the theme 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝: 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬, the event aims to bridge local roots and global perspectives through research and dialogue.

Join us as we explore diverse topics, engage in meaningful discussions, and celebrate the role of language in shaping understanding across borders. Whether you are a student, researcher, or simply curious, Panalawsaw offers a space to learn, connect, and be inspired.

Open to all WVSU students and alumni interested in language, literature, culture, and cross-cultural communication.

𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝗥 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸:
https://forms.gle/2p7eQnabhMFgwTrJ6
https://forms.gle/2p7eQnabhMFgwTrJ6
https://forms.gle/2p7eQnabhMFgwTrJ6

See you there!

Co -Presented by Foreign Languages Students' Society
Special Presentation by UP Korea Research Center
Supported by The Korea Foundation