The University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) College of Agriculture and Related Sciences (CARS) faculty members and research assistants participated in and presented their respective research outputs during the 55th Anniversary and Annual Scientific Conference of the Pest and Management Council of the Philippines (PMCP) held at The Ritz Hotel, Obrero, Davao City last July 4-7, 2023.
Delegates from USeP-CARS were led by the College Acting Dean, Dr. Cecirly G. Puig, who presented the paper titled “ROSANNA: Remote Online Surveillance for Banana Black Leaf Streak” in the concurrent session of the Philippine Phytopathological Society, Inc. Together with her was Dr. Merlina H. Juruena, CARS Research Head, who also presented a paper titled “Microbiome of Banana Soils: A Key in Understanding the Response of ‘Cavendish’ Banana to Foc TR4”.
Other faculty members present during the conference were Dr. Larry V. Aceres, Mr. Fernan Rhean A. Ramos, and Ms. Sheryl S. Bayang, while the research assistants of the USeP-Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Banana project included Christine Rose C. Ansale and Loren U. Banayag.
This year’s conference theme, “Strengthening Science-based Innovation and Legislation: The Key Towards Sustainable Post-Pandemic Pest Management”, was crafted by a USeP-CARS alumnus who won the PMCP Theme Award in the person of Karl Fritze S. Sampiano.
According to the PMCP President, Mr. Narendra Sagrolikar, the PMCP Annual Conference serves as the premier gathering of scientists, researchers, the Department of Agriculture and attached agencies, pest control operators, and other players in the field of Philippine pest management. It is a platform that fosters close interactions among members, facilitates the exchange of information, and stimulates discussions on the latest issues and trends in agriculture. This year showcased a wealth of technical innovations, discoveries, and policies through the plenary and scientific sessions, where experts, researchers from various member societies, academic institutions, research organizations, and both local and international chemical companies in the pesticide industry shared their insights.
