Benguet State University (BSU) successfully hosted the Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences (ISSAAS) National Scientific Congress 2024 on September 11-13, 2024.

With the theme “Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture: Uniting Science, Technology, Innovation, and Policy,” the event brought together researchers from various Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and National Line Agencies (NLAs) across the Philippines.

The keynote speaker Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. was represented by Jennilyn M. Dawayan, Executive Regional Director of the DA-Cordillera Administrative Region.

In his message, Laurel emphasized that the ISSAAS conference provides a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and build partnerships to shape the future of agriculture in the country. He highlighted the significance of the event to help reduce food insecurity and ensure food availability and affordability of safe and nutritious food.

Laurel also urged participants to focus on applying research and bridging the gap between research and practice. He emphasized the need to translate innovation into real-world applications to create a resilient agricultural sector in the country.

“We need to bridge the gap between research and practice to translate our innovation into real world applications. Let us collaborate, innovate, and implement to create a resilient agricultural sector for Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas,” Laurel concluded.

The congress featured a total of 90 research presentations covering a wide range of topics, organized into four plenary sessions: Cutting-Edge Science, Technology, and Innovation in Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources (AANR); Agroecology Strategies for Climate Resilience and Sustainable AANR; Post- Production Innovations, Nutrition, and Food Science; and Socioeconomics, Policy, and Culture.

Distinguished plenary speakers were Reynante L. Ordonio of the Philippine Rice Research Institute; Bernardo N. Sepeda of the National Research Council of the Philippines; Corazon L. Abansi of the University of the Philippines Baguio; Amparo M. Wagan of the UP Los Baños; and Junel B. Soriano of the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Agricultural Research.

On the last day of the congress, participants explored the Northern Blossom in Atok, the Living Gifts in Bahong, La Trinidad, and the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) in La Trinidad, Benguet.

BSU VP for Research and Extension and Co-Chair of the 2024 ISSAAS National Scientific Congress, Roscinto Ian C. Lumbres said that among the significant benefits of the event was the generation of interest from external agencies in collaborating with BSU such as the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and other State Universities and Colleges (SUCs). He also said that the plenary speakers were impressed with the different papers presented by the BSU researchers.

“One benefit we gained from the event is that there were interested agencies  to collaborate with BSU and hopefully that would result in research funding from other agencies. We learned a lot, especially from our researchers. We were able to learn what research activities are being conducted by other institutions, and we would like to explore a partnership with them,” Lumbres said. He added that as the host of the national congress, BSU could potentially collaborate with other SUCs on future national and international conferences.

Lumbres also looked forward to the commercialization of the researches presented during the congress to benefit the broader community.

“We hope the BSU researches presented will be commercialized. This commercialization aligns with BSU President Felipe Salaing Comila’s advocacy on entrepreneurship. By commercializing our research, we aim to benefit the community and make our innovations more widely accessible to the public,” he added.

The conference aimed to follow up on the success of the 2023 Conference and to advance ISSAAS’ objective to encourage the holistic approach to problems and promote the progress and development of science and technology through research and publication for regional agricultural development.

BSU is hoping to send a representative to participate in the upcoming ISSAAS International Congress in Japan this November 2024.//EBawayan