The Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS) faculty and students won awards in the 3rd International Conference on Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management (INREM 2021) held online last November 17-19, 2021.
The conference, with the theme “Advancing Ecosystems Restoration, Resilience and Sustainable Development Through INREM,” was hosted by the UPLB Interdisciplinary Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management. Academics, researchers, and practitioners from Southeast Asia, Europe, and America participated in the conference.
Plenary talks, workshops, parallel sessions, and poster presentations tackled knowledge and experiences on mainstreaming INREM in local governance and sustainable development.
Dr. Charina Gracia B. Banaay and Dr. Virginia C. Cuevas, Professor Emeritus, bagged the Best Paper Presentation for their paper titled “Promoting Sustainability, Resilience, and Environmental Rehabilitation in Copper-Contaminated Lowland Rice Fields in Mogpog, Marinduque Using Trichoderma Technologies.” Students who won awards include Dr. Damasa B. Magcale-Macandog’s advisee, Fatima A. Natuel and Dr. Victor S. Ticzon’s advisees, Jesus Gabriel C. Fetil and Marion Michael A. Bacabac. Ms. Natuel won 2nd Best in the 3 Minute-Talk (3MT) Competition with the paper titled “Microplastics Characterization and Concentration in Surface Waters of Lakes Sampaloc and Yambo in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines” while Mr. Fetil won 3rd Best in the same competition with the paper titled “Assisting Coral Recovery in a High Energy Offshore Environment. Mr. Bacabac won the Best Poster award with study titled “Finding Effective Management Strategies to Enhance Resilience of Apo Reef Natural Park, Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
After the awarding ceremony for winners in the poster, undergraduate student research, 3MT, paper, and LGU INREM Champions, the conference was capped by a closing message from Dr. Nathaniel C. Bantayan, Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, UPLB. The next INREM conference will be held in 2023.
— JG Campang
