The Department of Sociology & Anthropology at the College of Arts and Sciences is thrilled to announce the outstanding participation of two (2) Bachelor of Arts in Sociology students who served as plenary speakers at the 2024 Regional Conference for Family Planning organized by the Commission on Population & Development – Region X. The 13 – 14 June 2024 conference was attended by representatives from local government units, as well as demographers and researchers in the region. At this event, Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan has been proudly represented by Oasia S Pamplona (AB SOC 4), Clydesdale T Angcla (AB SOC 4), and Mr Don A Velez who served as their undergraduate project supervisor and research adviser.
OASIA SOLATORIO PAMPLONA author of “(Trans)cending Norms: An Exploration Of (Trans) Women's Experiences Through The Lens of Symbolic Interactionism” presented an interactional discourse on cognition, emotion, and behavior of select trans individuals and advocated for gender sensitive family planning and health care. Pamplona emphasized that traditional Family Planning often focuses on a binary reproductive roles and views on health thus excluding transgender people who may have different desires for pregnancy, parenthood, sexual health, or fertility control.
CLYDESDALE TEJERO ANGCLA who wrote her undergraduate thesis on “Religious Affiliation and Variations in the Perception of the Acceptability of Taboo Behavior” explained the importance of how understanding factors of attitudinal variations towards desired behavior may help assist social programs develop a targeted path of encouraging Family Planning among the youth. Angcla pointed out that relying on religious affiliation may no longer be the best way to make the case for Family Planning in the Philippines.
Their presentations were met with great enthusiasm and resulted to insightful discussions. “By encouraging our students to present and share their insights from research findings at the conference, Xavier Ateneo Sociology demonstrates the program's and the university’s commitment to fostering critical thinkers who engage with real-world issues,” says Velez.
Incidentally, both papers were also among those who received the Kinaadman Student Research Award (KSRA) during this years’ Research Week Awards Night. The department is incredibly proud of our students' dedication to sociological inquiry and their passion for contributing to meaningful social dialogue. Their participation in this regional conference is a testament to the exceptional caliber of our AB Sociology program and its graduates.