Our Daily Fish: Fisheries in the Philippines

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Report

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Students, partner institutions, and government organizations from Mindanao attended “Our Daily Fish': Fisheries in the Philippines—Past, Present, and Future,” on 24 February 2023, at the UP Mindanao CARIM Building. The event is one of a series of Kape-Talks organized by the UP Mindanao Office of Research in partnership with the Coral Reef Resiliency and Ecology Studies (CRREST) to continue regional efforts to expand knowledge transfer and acquire new information through cooperative research projects.

The discussion was led (in the above photo, left-right) by Prof. Cleto L. Nañola Jr. of the University of the Philippines Mindanao, Prof. Kent E. Carpenter of the Old Dominion University, with Dr. Mudjekeewis Santos of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, and Prof. Richard Muallil (not in photo) of the Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi. Dr. Santos, in his talk, discussed the importance of having more research about fish biodiversity in establishing better protocols.

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The discussion was followed by the soft launch of “Data Collection and Analyses for Reef Fish Biology,” a book edited by Dr. Cleto L. Nanola Jr. and Maybelle Fortaleza, which hopes to guide independent researchers in their own academic ventures.

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Later in the event was the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement for Educational and Scientific Cooperation between UP Mindanao and Davao del Norte State College. The partnered institutions, through the MOA, aim to implement the Applied Biodiversity Research for Holistic Advancements in Mindanao (ABRAHAM). The said program aims to develop an information and database system for Fish Morphology and DNA information about the Marine Fisheries in the Davao Region. This program also aims to create an open-access information system that will house and feature marine life information of studied organisms by local experts through the Marine Biodiversity Database (MaBiDa) Project.

By James Edward Pangan

UNDP's ISIP in UPMin

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Report

Executive Dialogue UP Mindanao is one of the Higher Education Institution (HEI) partners of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Innovation for Social Impact Partnership Project (ISIP Project). As such, it is one of the Universities to undergo a Visiting Professor Program organized by ISIP. The objectives of the Visiting Professor Program are to further capacitate HEIs as strategic hubs for innovation and social impact and to support the growth and improvement of University-based startup enterprises with a clear social impact.

The Visiting Professor Program is an online engagement organized by ISIP. Asst. Prof. Miguel Guillermo is UPMin's faculty focal person. The 2-week engagement, on Feb. 27 to March 3, and March 13 to 17, will feature activities such as dialogues, teaching clinics, and workshops for students and the TBI staff. Activities are from Monday to Friday from 8-11 am for the 2 weeks.

For February 28, 2023, the Visiting Professor is Dr. Esther Obonyo. She will gather insights into UPMin's strategic direction towards Innovation and Social Impact.

Dr. Obonyo's CV: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rWiQBF14UTeCD8I_qeFF5iaJLbjhdfa8/view?usp=share_link

Download the UPMin StrategicPlan: https://bit.ly/3WbH02s

Former chancellor de Ungria publishes book on Mindanao literature

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Report

RMU Former UP Mindanao chancellor and retired Department of Humanities professor Ricardo M. de Ungria has published a book, “Kalandrakas: Stories and Storytellers of/on Regions in Mindanao, 1890 – 1990. A Preliminary and Continuing Survey and Literary Mapping.” MindaNews announced the book in a news article on February 25, 2023, in conjunction with the book launch on February 27, 2023.

Read the news article here: https://www.mindanews.com/arts-culture/2023/02/rare-monumental-book-on-a-century-of-mindanao-literature-launched-on-february-27/

Vegetable Juice Beverage, 2023

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Report

The Technology Transfer & Business Development Office (TTBDO) hosted a demonstration on February 6, 2023, by Ms. Diane Rose G. Castillon (in photo below) and Dr. Dann Marie N. Del Mundo (Dept. of Food Science & Chemistry) for a technology developed for a juice beverage (not from concentrate) with the use of nutritious vegetables that are locally available in the Philippines. According to the demonstrators, this juice product could offer a more affordable option with the same benefit as that of juice blends in the market, making it more acceptable to the local market. 

"We are excited by the possibilities that this research could bring," said TTBDO head Lynda Buenobra. At the conclusion of the demonstration, the team identified several opportunities to further improve the quality of the product. "We aim that this research will be successful in delivering a more accessible and nutritious beverage option to the local market," said Prof. Del Mundo.

ACIAR-funded research AGB/2018/196

Written by Rene Estremera. Posted in Report

An agribusiness-led multi-agency research team arrived in Davao in January to study how to enhance aspects of value chains for smallholder Filipino farmers. Chancellor Lyre Murao met the team at a welcome dinner in Davao City and a courtesy call on the UP Mindanao campus.

The project is named “Inclusive value chain development for smallholder farming systems in the Philippines (IVC Philippines) AGB/2018/196.” The research project aims to enhance the design, implementation, and adoption of inclusive value chains in smallholder farming systems in the Philippines. The team will do this by exploring roles, conditions, and specific value chain interventions that improve engagement and benefit the livelihoods of farmers, their communities, and their chain partners.

Welcome Dinner (Jan 23) of the project Team with School of Management Dean Prof. Aurelia Luzviminda Gomez (Seated, Left) and UP Mindanao Chancellor Lyre Anni Murao (Seated, Middle). Leading the Visayas State University team is Prof. Antonio Abao (Seated, right). Leading the UP Mindanao Team is Ms. Marilo Montiflor (Standing, 5th from the right). Also joining the team from the private sector is Ms. Suzie Vanidad (Standing, 4th from the right) from Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA).

Photo 2 (courtesy of PRO) Courtesy call to UP Mindanao Chancellor, Jan 27, 2023 Seated- Left to Right Ms. Marilou Montiflor (Coffee/Coconut Case Study Lead, UP Mindanao); Dr. Wendy Merrit (Collaborator, Australian National University); Dr. Michaela Cosijn (Project Leader, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) - Prof. Lyre Anni Murao (Chancellor, UP Mindanao). Standing Left to right - Prof. Gideon Neil Tan (Collaborator, Visayas State University), Prof. Caroline Piñon (Collaborator, UP Los Baños); Mr. Anton Palo (Project Coordinator, Foodlink Advocacy Cooperative); Prof. Hadasha Bongat (Collaborator, Visayas State University); Ms. Ella Angeline Vaquilar (Research Associate, UPMin)

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is funding the research project which is a collaborative effort among the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UP Min), Foodlink Advocacy Co-operative (FAC), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the University of Queensland (UQ), UP Los Baños (UPLB), and Visayas State University (VSU).

The team held the welcome dinner on January 23, conducted a project workshop on January 24-26, 2023 in downtown Davao City and visited UP Mindanao on January 27, 2023.

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