The UP Asian Center will be hosting SANAYSAYAN: An Onsite Thesis Writing Bootcamp on 12 and 19 September 2026, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, PHT (GMT+8) at the ASEAN and Japan Halls, UP Diliman. The event is free and open to AC and TriCollege Students only (Priority is given to AC Students). Meals and refreshments will be provided during the bootcamp. LIMITED SLOTS ONLY. The deadline for registration is 7 September 2026.

    I WANT TO PARTICIPATE! (ONSITE)  

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

The Asian Center continuously seeks to provide academic support programs that enhance graduate students' learning experience and promote timely completion of their degree requirements. One of the common challenges faced by graduate students is maintaining consistent progress in thesis writing while balancing academic, professional, and personal responsibilities.

To address this need, the Asian Center will conduct SANAYSAYAN: A Thesis Writing Bootcamp 2026 on 12 and 19 September 2026. The two-day bootcamp aims to provide graduate students with a structured and supportive environment where they can focus on thesis writing, receive guidance from faculty members and resource speakers, and engage with fellow students in a collaborative academic setting.

ELIGIBILITY

1. 1. Must be a Student of the Asian Center or TriCollege Ph.D. Philippine Studies only. Priority will be given to Asian Center Students.
   2. Can commit to attending the two days of the Writeshop
   3. Can participate onsite at the Asian Center 

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

"How to Structure a Paragraph, Flow, and Clarity in Academic Writing."

JOSE WENDELL P. CAPILI, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Dean for Public Affairs, UP College of Arts and Letters

Jose Wendell P. Capili completed degrees from UST, UP Diliman, the University of Tokyo, the University of Cambridge, and the Australian National University, culminating in a PhD focused on Literature, Screen, and Theatre Studies. Currently, he serves as Professor 12 and Associate Dean for Public Affairs within the College of Arts and Letters at UP Diliman. His scholarly output includes eight books and over 300 articles, earning him distinctions such as the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Essay, the Cultural Center of the Philippines Award for Poetry, and the National Book Award for Literary History and Literary Criticism. A Life Member of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, he participates on international advisory boards for various academic journals. His leadership roles include serving as an elected Member-at-Large for the DOST-NRCP Governing Board (2024-2026) and as Chairperson of the CHED Technical Panel for Literature (2025-2028). For his contributions, he received the DOST-NRCP Achievement Award in the Humanities in 2021 and was honored with the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas by UMPIL in 2026 for his poetry and essays in English.

"The Reality of Writing and Overcoming Blocks"

CHARLA ROCHELLA S. SAAMONG
Associate Professor and Department Chair, UP Department of Family Life and Child Development

Charla Rochella S. Saamong is an Associate Professor and currently the Department Chair of the Department of Family Life and Child Development, College of Home Economics. She earned both her Bachelor's degree in Family Life and Child Development and her Master's degree in Psychology from UP Diliman. Charla completed her PhD in Education from the Education University of Hong Kong under the Belt and Road Scholarship in 2024. Her research and extension work centers on promoting movement and physical activity among young children, teacher agency, home-school collaboration, and promoting constructivist practices in early childhood care and development programs. She has also actively participated in various government and non-government projects on parenting, teacher training, storybook writing, curriculum development, and research on child development. Some of these institutions include the ECCD Council, the DOST-Science Education Institute, and UNICEF.

"Academic Writing Tips and Techniques"

NOEL CHRISTIAN A. MORATILLA, Ph.D.
Professor and Dean, UP Asian Center

Dr. Noel Christian A. Moratilla is the current Dean and a Professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. He earned his Ph.D. in Philippine Studies in 2015, after completing an MA in Education from the same university. Before he was appointed Dean, he served as Deputy Director of the UP System Office of International Linkages. He is an advocate for the rights of Filipino migrant workers and promotes the alignment of internationalization initiatives with national priorities. Dr. Moratilla's academic interests lie in resistance literature, Marxist and postcolonial theory, testimonial narratives, and diaspora studies.

"Building a Sustainable Thesis Writing Habit for Asian Studies Topics/Perspectives"

ALIYA PELEO, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, UP Asian Center

Dr. Aliya Peleo earned her Ph.D. at the Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies, National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She has an MA in International Development from the Graduate School of International Relations at the International University of Japan in Niigata, Japan. She has worked on a number of development projects in Central Asia with UNESCO, the Peace Corps/Kazakhstan, USAID, and ADB. She has also taught economics and management at the KIMEP University, International Academy of Business, and Suleyman Demirel University in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

"Building a Sustainable Thesis Writing Habit for Philippine Studies Topics/Perspectives"

MARK IÑIGO M. TALLARA, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, UP Asian Center

Dr. Mark Iñigo M. Tallara is an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines Asian Center. He holds a Ph.D. in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore, and an MA in Philosophy from the University of Santo Tomas. His research interests include Southeast Asian Studies, Philippine Studies, Ibero-Latin American–Southeast Asian relations, history and culture, and philosophy and religion. His scholarly work examines religious practices, sacred spaces, cultural encounters, and interreligious relations in the Philippines, with particular attention to Catholicism, popular devotion, and the historical and cultural connections between Southeast Asia and Latin America. His publications have appeared in journals and edited volumes, including studies on Filipino Catholicism, the Black Nazarene devotion, Maranao-Muslim food culture, and virtual Catholicism.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

The workshop is organized by the UP Asian Center. For inquiries, please contact us at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 891-8500 loc. 3578.