Students receive grants for AGORA research

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA) announced the first recipients of the AGORA Research Grant during their 62nd anniversary celebration on June 30. The grant program is in-line with UPLB’s research and extension agenda, Accelerating Growth to One Research and Extension in Action (AGORA), and was awarded to research that addresses problems in AGORA’s four focus areas: Food Security and Sovereignty, Resilience and Sustainability, Future Communities and Institutions, and One Health. Through OVCSA, UPLB bestowed the AGORA Research Grant worth Php 75, 000 to the students with the best research proposals. For Future Communities and Institutions, the grant was given to Renz Ronald R. Prieto and John Robert H. Parlan, both BS Applied Physics students, for their research proposal “Superhydrophobic Molecular Coating on Wood and Metal for Anti-Adhesion and Self-Cleaning Properties with Attained Natural Value.” They are guided by their adviser Dr. Marvin U. Herrera, a faculty member at Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics, CAS.

Two proposals qualified for both the Food Security and Sovereignty and Resilience and Sustainability focus areas.

First is the research titled “Community-based Organic Agriculture as a Driver for Community Resilience and Sustainable Development: A Case Study in Laurel, Batangas, Philippines,” by Ferdinand G. Isla, III and Jaffa Raine V. Laminta, both BS Human Ecology students. Their research adviser is Dr. Emilia S. Visco, a faculty member from the Department of Social Development Services, College of Human Ecology (CHE).

The second research is “Factors Affecting Decision to Adopt Organic Farming Practices Among Vegetable Farmers in Buguias, Benguet,” by Lee Andrea Baracol, BS Biology, Rosalie Arcillas, BS Human Ecology, and Mariel Katrina Miranda, BS Agricultural and Applied Economics. They are guided by Ceptryl S. Mina, a faculty member from the Institute of Cooperatives and Bio-Enterprise Development, CHE.

The grant for the One Health focus area was given to the research “Microbial Water Quality Analysis of Surface Water in Different Segments of Molawin River in the University of the Philippines Los Baños Campus,” by Roesyvette V. Hernandez, Angelica D. Magtagñob, Daphne Rose M. Cunanan, and Gabrielle Marie L. Cruz from the BS Biology program. They will be guided by Dr. Ronilo Jose D. Flores from the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS), CAS.