15/08/2026
SorSU Rises in THE Impact Rankings, Emerges as Bicol Leader in Poverty, Hunger and Marine Sustainability
LEGAZPI CITY โ Sorsogon State University (SorSU) has emerged as one of Bicolโs strongest performers in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, making a significant climb from the 1001โ1500 global band in 2025 to 601โ800 in 2026 and strengthening the regionโs growing presence in international higher education rankings.
SorSUโs rise forms part of a broader positive picture for Bicol, where six higher education institutions (HEIs) made it to the 2026 THE Impact Rankings. Four institutions with previous rankings advanced to higher global bands, while two entered the rankings for the first time.
For SorSU, however, the numbers reveal more than an improvement in overall ranking. Its performance shows a distinctive institutional strength in poverty reduction, food security, marine ecosystems, and partnershipsโareas closely connected with the realities and development needs of Sorsogon and the Bicol Region.
A Strong Blue Bicol Story
Particularly noteworthy is SorSUโs performance in SDG 14: Life Below Water, where the University demonstrated strong results in several indicators.
SorSU obtained a perfect 100.0 in Supporting Aquatic Ecosystems through Education, 87.5 in Supporting Aquatic Ecosystems through Action, 68.0 in Water-Sensitive Waste Disposal, and 91.7 in Maintaining a Local Ecosystem.
Taken together, these results point to the ingredients of a compelling โBlue Bicolโ impact narrativeโone that connects coastal communities, fisheries and aquatic ecosystems with education, research, institutional action, and community engagement.
Its strengths in No Poverty, Zero Hunger and Partnerships for the Goals further demonstrate how a university can connect its academic mandate with the social, economic and environmental needs of the communities around it.
For SorSU President Dr. Geraldine F. De Jesus, however, the motivation for internationalization goes beyond institutional recognition.
โWe are doing this for our students,โ De Jesus said, emphasizing that participation in global rankings should ultimately translate into better opportunities, stronger programs and a better educational experience for learners.
She attributed SorSUโs achievement to the shared commitment of the University community.
โWe are united in purpose; through this, the impossible becomes possible,โ she said.
Despite the significant jump in its global standing, De Jesus said the University is not resting on its gains and hopes to perform even better in the next ranking cycle.
Rising Together
De Jesus also underscored the relevance of RISE Academy and CHED Regional Office Vโs other internationalization initiatives in helping Bicol HEIs better understand global benchmarks, strengthen documentation, identify institutional strengths and translate their work into measurable impact.
RISE AcademyโRankings, Innovation, and Sustainability for Global Excellenceโprovides mentoring and capacity-building for HEIs preparing for WURI and THE Impact Rankings.
For SorSU, the initiative also presents an opportunity to share what it has learned with other institutions.
De Jesus considers RISE Academy a platform through which experienced and better-performing HEIs can help mentor promising Bicol institutions, creating a regional culture where institutions do not merely compete for rankings but learn from one another and rise together.
This peer-mentoring approach is particularly significant as CHED Bicol seeks to widen the circle of internationally engaged institutions while helping those already ranked move even higher.
From Ranking to Regional Impact
SorSUโs performance also provides an important lesson for Bicol higher education: institutions can become globally visible by addressing challenges that are deeply rooted in their own communities.
For a region surrounded by rich coastal and marine resources, vulnerable to climate-related hazards, and home to communities dependent on agriculture and fisheries, areas such as food security, poverty reduction, marine sustainability, climate resilience and community development provide Bicol HEIs with opportunities to generate both local impact and globally relevant knowledge.
The challenge is to ensure that these initiatives are not only implemented but also measured, documented, researched and communicated with credible evidence.
CHED Bicolโs assessment of the 2026 results points to areas that require further strengthening across the region, particularly Quality Education, health and well-being, SDG-related research, sustainability reporting, impact measurement, and evidence documentation.
The region must also address the gap between strong community and institutional programs and their translation into research outputs and internationally visible evidence.
Still, the performance of the six Bicol HEIs provides a strong foundation for the next phase of the regionโs international
