The governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 (RA 9155) would require the continuous improvement of the delivery of quality basic education and one of the responsibilities of the Department of Education across all governance levels would be the undertaking of "educational research and studies that would serve as one of the bases for necessary reforms and policy development.

In accordance with the implementation of D.O. 39, s. 2016 otherwise known as the "Basic Education Research Agenda", the Policy, Planning and Research Division (PPRD) has committed to creating Region XI Contextualized Research Agenda as part of its advocacy of embracing the culture of research in basic education. It will guide all levels of governance and its stakeholders in gathering and examining evidence that can make informed decision making in the Agency's planning, policy, and program development.