Demonstrating a commitment to research excellence, the School of Agriculture and Fishery (SAF) and the School of Agri-business and Forest Resource Management (SAbFoRM) of Biliran Province State University Biliran Campus (BiPSU-BilCam) successfully held the 2nd Joint SAF and SABFoRM In-House Review and Concept Proposal Hearing 2025 on February 26.

Held at the Research and Academic Building, the event provided an avenue for faculty members to present 30 completed research studies, which included eight papers from Agriculture and Food Sciences, three in Fisheries, and 19 in Forestry, alongside nine concept proposals in Agriculture. 

Moreover, three esteemed evaluators provided expert assessments, including Dr. Angelica P. Baldos, head of the Department of Forest Science at Visayas State University (VSU), who reviewed the papers in Forestry; Dr. Ian A. Navarrete, head of Research, Innovation, and Extension Services at Southern Leyte State University-Hinunangan (SLSU-Hinunangan), who conducted the evaluation for Agriculture papers; and Asst. Prof. Rizalyn G. Gonzales, dean of the Faculty of Fisheries and Aquatic Science at VSU-Tolosa Campus, who reviewed the submission in Fishery. 

The event featured awards including “Best Paper” and “Best Presenter” in various categories. In Forestry, Dr. Ruffy O. Rodrigo was recognized for his work titled, “Past Disturbances Shaped Stage-Age Distribution in Temperate Primary European Mountain Forests”. Meanwhile, Dr. Marlon S. Alejos received the awards with his study “Continuous Illumination Accelerates the Metamorphosis of the Late Larval Stage of Snubnose Pompano, Trachinotus blochii Lacepède 1801” for the Fishery category. 

For the Agriculture and Food Sciences category, Ms. Judife N. Magallanes won Best Paper for her paper “Production and Sensory Acceptability of Garlic (Allium sativum L.) and Chayote (Sechium edule) Biscotti”, while Mr. Jeruel A. Espinazo was recognized with the Best Presenter award with his paper titled, “Mapping the Landscape of Rice-Based Food Products in Biliran: An In-Depth Inventory and Profiling.” 

Among the concept proposals presented, one notable study set for submission is the “Community-Based Agriculture for Cacao Advancement and Optimization (CACAO) Project in Biliran Island, Philippines,” led by Mr. Rhelivyn M. Rosendal.

Notably, this year’s in-house review saw a significant increase in completed research studies, surpassing last year’s total of 14—marking a strong progression in BiPSU’s research initiatives.

#WoWBiPSU

[This article falls under SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.]