CSSAC Mentors, Researchers Awarded

Goa, Camarines Sur. A faculty researcher of the main campus of the Camarines Sur State Agricultural College won first prize in the recent Regional Symposium on Research & Development Highlights at the Partido State University here.

"Winning is sweet especially when you don't expect it," said Prof. Marilyn B. Balderas, who competed under the Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resources (AFNR) Category, on her winning entry, "Pollen   Sources of Stingless Bees (Trigona biroi)."

Balderas received a Certificate of Commendation from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) and its regional consortium, "Bicol Consortium for Agriculture and Resources Research and Development" (BCARRD), the host-organizers of the said Symposium, for her work, which is a part of her ongoing CHED-funded dissertation research.

Aside from Prof. Balderas, the other winners from CSSAC included Dr. Dulce J. Mostoles who won second for her paper, "Pollination of Physic Nut (Jatropha curcas) Using Stingless Bees (Trigona biroi)" and also second in her poster presentation with the same title.  The poster, which was entitled, "Spider Diversity in the Bufferzones of Mt. Isarog" prepared with her (as adviser) by her student-advisee, Leo L. Regalado, garnered the first place in the said category. More so, Rowel M. Castuera, a faculty-researcher from the CSSAC-Sipocot campus, won second place under the Technology, Engineering, Architectural, Natural & Physical Sciences category, with his research entry, "Motion-Activated Sensors for Male Urinals (MASU).  Dr. Mostoles and Mr. Castuera also received each a Certificate of Commendation.

Two other CSSAC faculty members also presented their respective papers under the AFNR category. Dr. Fe B. Perlas, the current director of the Research Division, presented two researches, such as, "CSSAC Nursery Management Practices for Physic Nut (Jatropha curcas) Production," and "CSSAC Organic Fertilizer Research & Development Project."  On the other hand, Dr. Celerino B. Llesol presented his paper which was entitled "Dendrological Characterization of Jatropha Areas in Nursery and Plantations in Camarines Sur."

The CSSAC delegation, which included faculty-researchers from its main campus, Sipocot and Calabanga campuses and two staff members of the Research Division, was headed by Prof. Joel L. Batanes, the Vice President for Research, Extension, Production and Entrepreneurial Development (REPED).