ISSAAS-Philippines holds 1st ISSAAS Bicol Regional Conference

17-September-2009

The International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences-Philippines organized the 1st ISSAAS Bicol Regional Conference in collaboration with Bicol University (BU) last September 17, 2009 at BU College of Science Auditorium. The theme for the conference was “Securing Food for Today and the Future”. 
 
The conference was attended by 119 delegates from University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Bicol University (BU), Bicol College (BC), Camarines Norte State College (CNSC), Camarines Sur State Agricultural College (CSSAC), Catandunes State College (CSC), Partido State University (PSU), Sorsogon State College (SSC), Department of  Agriculture (DA), Department of Education (DepEd), and Department of Environment and Natural resources (DENR). Thirty-eight research papers were presented in five simultaneous sessions. These papers addressed the following thematic areas: Climate Change and Food Production (6 papers); Food Supply, Nutrition, and Population (8 papers); Food Security and Biodiversity (10 papers); Food Safety and Food Technology (9 papers); and Food Supply Chain Efficiency and Responsiveness (5 papers). The five sessions were facilitated by the personnel of BU which include Mr. Nestor W. Dullesco, Mr. Angelo P. Candelaria, Prof. Corazon V. Caputan, Ms. Ida Francia H. Revale and Mr. Michael Montealegre. Six posters were also presented in the conference. 
 
Dr. Roberto F. Rañola, Jr., the Vice-President for ISSAAS-Philippines introduced the organization and the Philippine Association of Agriculturist (PAA) to the delegates. He elaborated the main objective of ISSAAS which is “to encourage the holistic approach to problems and to promote the progress and development of science and technology through research and publication, and the outcome is to be for regional agricultural development”. He also enumerated the activities of ISSAAS, Dr. Pricilla C. Sanchez Awards, membership to ISSAAS and the officers of ISSAAS-Philippines.
 
The first plenary speaker was Dr. Rogelio N. Concepcion, the former Director of the Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM) and currently a consultant of the Water and Sanitation Coordination Office of the National Anti-Poverty Commission. His plenary address was entitled “Climate Change and Food Security”. He tackled the specific issues on each of the six thematic areas of the conference and posted challenge to the researchers to pursue studies on these identified issues. Dr. Pricilla C. Sanchez, a retired professor at the Institute of Food Science and Technology (now Food Science Cluster) at UPLB delivered the second plenary address entitled “Food Safety in the Philippines: Challenges and Strategies”.
 
The conference was followed by the induction of the 70 new members of ISSAAS-Philippines. ISSAAS-Philippines is planning to hold the 10th ISSAAS Philippine National Convention and Annual Meeting in the Bicol Region in 2010. (EET)