The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) joined the 1st International Conference on Responsible Fisheries and Aquaculture (ICORFASA) held at Limketkai Luxe Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City on July 3-5, 2024.
Chancellor Clement C. Camposano, vice chancellor for research and extension Prof. Encarnacion Emilia S. Yap, and dean of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS) Prof. Dr. Harold M. Monteclaro led the UPV participants to the three-day conference, which brought together experts, researchers, academe, industry, and policymakers from around the world for an engaging discussion on the future of responsible fisheries and sustainable aquaculture.
Themed “Navigating the Currents of Change: Sustainable Practices and Innovative Solutions in Fisheries and Aquaculture,” the international conference likewise addressed different issues confronting these key sectors on the following topics: aquaculture sustainability and innovation, responsible fisheries management, aquatic health and disease management, environmental conservation and biodiversity, and socio-economic and community aspects.
Fourteen participants from CFOS and four from the Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences (DBS-CAS) shared their research findings as oral and poster presenters in competing and non-competing categories and served as moderators in several conference sessions.
Two papers won the oral presentation competition and one for the poster presentation.
The paper presented by Karie Mae Tolones titled “Innovation Meets Conservation: A Response Surface Methodology Approach for the Optimization of Carrageenan-based Bioplastic” won first place for oral presentation.
The study examined the optimal use of a carrageenan-based bioplastic utilizing a response surface methodology approach as an alternative packaging material for dried food and non-food items. The study is co-authored by Yap, Asst. Prof. Lhumen A. Tejano, and Raymund Parcon, who also participated in an oral competition for his paper titled “Enhancing Disaster Response: A Comparative Physicochemical Analysis of Ingredients in Filipino Emergency Seafood-based Products.”
Francis Harry Shone Leonora’s study titled “Slimy Solutions: Harnessing the Gill Mucus of the Asian Swamp Eel for Potential Probionts” was the second best oral presentation.
Kathleen Joy Aruta was adjudged first place for poster presentation for her study titled “Isolation and Screening of Environment-Sourced Probiotics in Biofloc Technology for Whiteleg Shrimp, Panaeus vannamei.”
Meanwhile, Monteclaro moderated the oral competition while Asst. Prof. Dr. Sanny David P. Lumayno and Dr. Mary Jane A. Amar moderated parallel sessions 1 and 6, respectively, on aquaculture sustainability and innovation.
Lumayno and Amar presented non-competing poster and oral papers, respectively. Lumayno’s poster presentation was titled “Fecundity, Egg Size, and Meristic Variations of XX Female and Sex-Reversed XY Female UPV Spin Tilapia Strain: A Preliminary Study while Amar’s oral presentation was about her research “Green Mussel Seed Production in the Philippines,” which she co-authored with Dr. Lily Anne Piñosa, and Ma. Novem Ylayron.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Christopher Marlowe Caipang of DBS-CAS, on the other hand, served as moderator for parallel session on aquatic health and diseases. He also presented a non-competing poster presentation for his study, “Gearing Towards Precision Aquaculture: Use of Biofloc Calculator During the Nursery Production of White Shrimp, Panaeus vannamei in Tanks.”
Other non-competing participants from UPV-CFOS were:
-Anne Brigette Ledesma, poster presenter for her study, “Between Transparency and Uncertainty: Mapping and Understanding Information Flows within the Angelwing Clam Pholas orientalis Value Chain;”
-John Ray Moleño, oral presenter for his study “ Population Dynamics of the Non-Indigenous Charru Mussel, Mytella strigata, in Batan Estuary, Aklan, Philippines;”
-Irvin Michael Palmos,, oral presenter for his study “Responses to the Occurrence of the Non-Indigenous Charru Mussel, Mytella strigata, and its Utilization in the Philippines;”
-Asst. Prof. Lhumen A. Tejano, oral presenter for his study, “Assessing Public Perception and Acceptability of Novel Instant Seafood Packs for Emergency Situations in Calamity-Prone Communities of Western Visayas;”
-Leannah Andrea Toroy, oral presenter for her study, “Growth Performance of Two Novel Kappaphycus alvarezii Tetrasporophyte Strains in Tissue Culture;” and
-Eunice Valad-on, oral presenter for her study, “A Preliminary Study on the Laboratory and Tank-Based Cultivation of Ulva from the Philippines by Germling Cluster Technique;”
Student presenters from DBS-CAS were the following:
-Hans Gabriel Gabuat, oral presentation (competing) for his study titled “Chitinase-Producing Bacteria Associated with Loose Shell Syndrome in Mangrove Crabs (Scylla sp.);”
-Gabuat also presented a non-competing poster presentation of Joshua Servidad for his study “Shell Struggles: Dominant Vibrios in Mangrove Crab, Scylla spp. With Loose Shell Syndrome;” and
-Ma. Patricia Villarias, non-competing poster presentation for her paper “Antibiotic Resistance of Pathogenic Vibrios Isolated from Mangrove Crabs (Scylla sp.) with Loose Shell Syndrome in Capiz, Philippines.” Dr. Caipang presented the paper on her behalf.
UPV was one of the partner universities for the international conference, which was organized and hosted by Mindanao State University (MSU) – Naawan and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), in collaboration with 11 other universities from the Philippines and Turkiye.
Chancellor Camposano, along with presidents from partner universities in the Philippines namely, MSU-main, Western Philippine University, Southern Philippine Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology, Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology, and Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology, pledged his support for the future programs and undertakings of the Philippine-Turkiye project. (With sources from Anne Brigette Ledesma and Assoc. Prof. Christopher Caipang)