Research journal editors, scholars, and publishing professionals from across the country gathered for the 2026 Philippine Journal Editors Forum held on May 8, 2026, at The Heritage Hotel Manila in Pasay City and via Zoom through a hyflex format.
The forum brought together editors of Philippine scholarly journals to exchange insights, address common challenges in journal management, and develop collaborative strategies aimed at strengthening editorial standards and enhancing the quality of Philippine research publications.
A total of 82 participants attended onsite, while 162 joined virtually, reflecting the growing interest in advancing scholarly publishing in the country.
The event featured discussions from experts in research publishing and editorial governance. Mr. Alexander van Servellen, Strategic Engagement Manager of Elsevier, delivered a presentation titled “Pathways to Scopus Indexing: Preparing Philippine Journals for Global Visibility,” where he highlighted the importance of journal quality, consistency, and international relevance in achieving global indexing standards.
Meanwhile, Dr. Christian P. Gopez, Associate Member of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) Division of Social Sciences, discussed “Grounding Scholarly Evaluation in Philippine Contexts: The State of Philippine Journals and the Role of the AGPCI.” His presentation emphasized the need to align global scholarly standards with local academic realities and contexts.
Dr. Marie Paz Morales, Regular Member of the NRCP, presented “Strengthening Scholarly Publishing through Open Journal Systems (OJS) and the Journal Editors Association of the Philippines,” focusing on the role of digital platforms and collaborative networks in improving journal operations and accessibility.
Addressing ethical concerns in modern publishing, Dr. Jose Isagani Janairo, also a Regular Member of the NRCP, discussed “Toward Ethical Editorial Governance in Philippine Research Journals in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” His presentation underscored the growing need for ethical guidelines and responsible AI integration in scholarly publishing.
The forum also included an interactive question-and-answer session participated in by both face-to-face and online attendees.
Among the key takeaways highlighted during the forum were the importance of grounding global publishing standards within Philippine academic contexts, crafting compelling and specific journal aims and scope, and ensuring journals remain relevant to international audiences. Participants also learned about the recommendation of the AGPCI as a national platform for scholarly journals and its initiative to create a centralized directory or database of reviewers.
The 2026 Philippine Journal Editors Forum served as a significant platform for collaboration, innovation, and continued development in Philippine scholarly publishing, reinforcing the shared commitment of journal editors and academic institutions toward research excellence and global visibility.
The institution was cordially invited to join this national event for consistently publishing Augustinian and Scientific Augustinian, two respected scholarly journals. The editors-in-chief, Ms. Rhounella Rhane Magpantay (Augustinian) and Mr. Arvin Zulueta (Scientific Augustinian), participated in the forum. RPS-VPRI served as the requesting office.
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