Researchers and Extensionists Recognized in Gabi ng Parangal

USM personnel involved in research and extension received special awards during the Gabi ng Parangal held on September 27, 2024 at the USM Auditorium.

Dr. Tamie C. Solpot was declared the OUTSTANDING FACULTY RESEARCHER, an award granted to a faculty member who has introduced/ applied at least 1 research finding or discoveries with significant impact. Dr. Solpot led several projects in coffee, cacao, rubber, and banana, and the most recent is the DOST-PCAARRD-funded project that evaluated the prevalence of major foliar diseases affecting rubber tree in Cotabato province and identified promising biological control agents against key pathogens. The project also aided LGUs and farmers in validating and monitoring Pestalotiopsis leaf fall disease. Incident reports led to policy measures such as quarantine regulations and a state of calamity declaration in Basilan, prompting significant government intervention and ongoing research into the potential utility of biocontrol agents identified in this project. Dr. Solpot has authored and co-authored numerous research papers on topics such as rubber, cacao, and banana pathology. Dr. Solpot presented his research results and received recognition and awards during institutional, regional, and international symposium and conferences. He was already shortlisted as one of the three finalists who will be presenting his research during the National Symposium on Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development.

This year’s awardee for the OUTSTANDING EXTENSION PROJECT is given to  BIOnihan Para Sa Kalikasan 2.0: Community Empowerment Towards Conservation. The award is granted to an extension project that has introduced/ applied at least 1 research finding or discoveries with notable outcomes. The BIOnihan project facilitated the implementation of an ordinance protecting and conserving bats and other wildlife species in the Municipality of Columbio. The project enhanced the community’s understanding of wildlife species through surveys and capacity building activities. Through this project, changes in perception of beneficiaries on biodiversity conservation was observed.

Other special awards include the Gawad Tagumpay, Gawad Saliksik, Gawad Lathala, and Gawad Likha.

The Gawad Tagumpay Award is given to USM personnel who obtain national recognition in the area of research. These awards are a concrete demonstration of excellence in research, affirming the recipient’s role in advancing the University’s reputation for producing high-quality, impactful work that contributes to both academic knowledge and community development. There are three Gawad Tagumpay awardees.

•   Elorde Jr. S. Crispolon – Stephen G. Reyes Memorial Award for Insect Systematics, awarded by the Philippine Association of Entomologists, Inc.

•   Krizler C. Tanalgo – Elvira O. Tan Award for the Natural Resources Category

•   Dr. Edward A. Barlaan – Best R&D Paper for the Research Category awarded during the National Symposium on Agriculture Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development 2023 (NSAARRD 2023)

The Gawad Saliksik Award is given to projects that successfully generate funding or support for research or extension activities. There are 31 awardees in 2024, and most notable are those projects that have generated at least 5 million pesos in funding. These are:

•   Regional Agri-Aqua Innovation System Enhancement (RAISE) Program in SOCCSKSARGEN (Josephine R. Migalbin, Julius Jerome G. Ele, Pia Amabelle Flores, Queennie Rufino, Ronald Z. Pascual, Cyrelle Besana)

•   Developing Land Management Options for Diverse Cacao-Based System in Mindanao (Mel Chrisel Sales)

The Gawad Lathala Award is given to USM personnel who published their outputs in legitimate journals. There are 46 awardees—32 who produced at least one Web of Science or Scopus-indexed article and 14 who published in other peer-reviewed journals. Among these authors, four authors received special awards for generating more than 50 citations in the year 2023. This year, they are:

•   Krizler C. Tanalgo

•   Gwen Iris Descalsota-Empleo

•   Jurhamid C. Imlan

•   Ma. Teodora N. Cabasan

Further, a special award is given to USM personnel who successfully published the output of a locally funded research. The research entitled “GERMPLASM COLLECTION, PROPAGATION AND FERTILIZATION OF ANTHURIUM IN USMARDC” funded in 2022 was published in 2023. The research team and co-authors are Mark Al-Jamie J. Muttulani and Lorelyn Joy Turnos-Milagrosa.

Finally, the Gawad Likha Award is given to the 24 USM personnel who produced an Intellectual Property Asset that had been utilized.