Office of Research Integrity Awards ‘SulatSikha’ Winners

October 28, 2025

Text by: Charmaine Lingdas
Photos by: Sarah Hazel Moces Pulumbarit

Winners of the ‘SulatSikha’: Short Essay Writing Contest pose for a group photo with (from left) Chancellor Michael Tee, Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Dr. Leslie Michelle Dalmacio, and (right) Office of Research Integrity Director Dr. Jean Anne B. Toral during the flag ceremony hosted by the Office of Research Integrity on October 27, 2025, at the Joaquin Gonzales Compound.

The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) of the University of the Philippines Manila recognized the six winners of the ‘SulatSikha’: Short Essay Writing Contest on Oct. 27, 2025.

Themed “Promoting Research Integrity – A UP Manila Commitment,” the event underscored the university’s continuing advocacy for ethical and responsible research, the SulatSikha competition drew 24 entries across the UP Manila community—including administrative staff, students, faculty, REPS, and PGH nurses—each reflecting on the importance of integrity in research and scholarship.

Here are the winners of the competition:

Entry #3 (WINNER: ADMIN CATEGORY)
Martin R. Racza – Supervising Administrative Officer – Procurement Management Office

Entry #20 (WINNER: STUDENT CATEGORY AND DIRECTOR’S CHOICE AWARD)
Representative of Abraham C. Sianoya – College of Medicine Student

Entry #23 (WINNER: PGH-NURSES CATEGORY)
Juanito H. Formos Jr. – Nurse VI, Chief Nurse ; Division of Clinical Nursing Operations, Nursing Services UP-PGH

Entry #8 (WINNER: REPS CATEGORY)
Julius J. Carangian – College Librarian I ; University Library – College of Dentistry Library

Entry #7 (WINNER: FACULTY CATEGORY)
Ma. Sergia Fatima P. Sucaldito – Clinical Associate Professor ; College of Medicine

Entry #4 (WINNER: PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD)
Lourence A. Salvador – Junior Office Aide – Research Assistant ; UP-PGH, Integrated Training and Research Unit

“I would just like to remind everyone of the vision of this office: to create and nurture an environment where ethical research is not only expected but embraced, leading to breakthrough discoveries and improved public trust,” Dr. Jean Anne B. Toral, ORI Director said.

Dr. Toral shared milestones achieved by ORI over the years, beginning with its inception in 2019 and its adoption of the Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research across the UP System, the implementation of authorship guidelines, and the launch of the online research integrity module. She also announced the upcoming Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) 2.0, which will cover topics such as open science, diversity, reproducibility, and the ethical use of AI tools.

Delivering the inspirational message, Dr. Jacinto Blas Mantaring III, ORI Coordinator for Education and Training, spoke on “Research Integrity: The Integration of Science and Conscience.” He reminded the audience that “Research integrity is the commitment to honesty and rigor in all the stages of scholarly work.”

He warned that fraudulent and questionable research practices such as plagiarism, falsification, and data manipulation undermine both science and society. “It is about doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. Because the stakes are not just a paper or a grant, the stakes are human lives.” He urged faculty and students alike to model ethical conduct and report misconduct when observed.

Dr. Mantaring drew parallels between scientific and national accountability, stating, “Those who commit scientific fraud are as guilty as those who commit fraud in our public programs. In both cases, people die,” he said.“Let our commitment to research integrity be our commitment to national integrity.”

“Faithfulness in small matters predicts faithfulness in larger ones. And being dishonest with little things leads to dishonesty with big things,” he added, quoting a passage from Luke 16.

UP Manila Chancellor Michael Tee expressed his appreciation for ORI’s efforts and stated, “Congratulations to the Office of Research Integrity para sa inyong anim na taon na pagtataguyod ng ating kultura ng honor and excellence lalo na sa research.” He also commended the winners of SulatSikha for inspiring the community to uphold ethical practices in research and scholarship.

Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension Dr. Leslie Michelle Dalmacio encouraged the community to carry integrity beyond research. “Nawa’y hindi lamang ‘yung integrity sa research ang ating i-uphold, kundi integrity sa lahat ng ating ginagawa.”