In a bid to bolster international scientific collaboration, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) and the DOST-Science Education Institute (SEI) conducted a week-long mission to the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and top Australian universities from May 5 to 11, 2025.

The visit was part of the ongoing PhilDOST-ACIAR Fellowship Program, which includes the John Allwright Fellowship – Philippines (JAF-Ph) and the International Graduate Research Education for Agriculture and Technology (iGREAT). These programs support Filipino doctoral scholars pursuing research at leading institutions such as James Cook University, Southern Cross University, the University of Queensland, Griffith University, and RMIT University.

Eight Filipino scholars presented their research contributions addressing key national issues—from agribusiness and food safety to marine ecosystem restoration and public health. Their work underscores the alignment of Philippine research priorities with global sustainability and innovation goals.

“This mission goes beyond monitoring progress. It’s about reaffirming our commitment to scientific excellence, scholar support, and long-term institutional collaboration,” said Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, Executive Director of DOST-PCAARRD.

The delegation also held strategic discussions with faculty from James Cook University, UQ’s School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, and Queensland University of Technology, exploring future partnerships in agriculture, aquatic sciences, environmental management, and digital innovation.

The mission concluded with a wrap-up meeting to chart the future direction of the fellowships, further cementing the shared vision of DOST and ACIAR in developing globally competitive Filipino scientists and impactful, solutions-driven research.

In celebration of the National Women’s Month in 2025, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) launched a month-long series of activities to honor women in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) sector. This year’s sub-theme, “Babae sa Lahat ng Sektor, Aangat ang Bukas sa Bagong Pilipinas,” served as a powerful call to reinforce gender equality and women empowerment across various sectors in the country. 

During the campaign kickoff, DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Reynaldo V. Ebora highlighted the gender and development (GAD) efforts of the Council and its commitment to gender integration in its programs, projects, and activities. 

Dr. Ebora proudly shared that the Council has achieved Level 4: Commitment Enhancement and Institutionalization in the Philippine Commission on Women’s (PCW) Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework (GMEF) — a testament to the Council’s continuous efforts to ensure long-term sustainability, impact, and success in responding to gender issues and concerns.

Power Talk Series: Women Empowerment in the AANR Sector

One of the highlights of the celebration was the Power Talk Series: Women Empowerment in AANR, which focused on gender mainstreaming strategies in the AANR sector. Held every Monday throughout March, the hybrid event featured distinguished GAD resource speakers. 

Dr. Thelma R. Paris, former Social Scientist and Gender Specialist, shared her research experiences and highlighted the gender issues in the agriculture sector. On the other hand, Dr. Mary Barby P. Badayos-Jover, S&T Consultant and Associate Professor of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), discussed the gender-related issues in the aquatic sector and emphasized the importance of gender equity and social inclusion in fisheries and aquaculture. Meanwhile, Dr. Melanie P. Tolentino, S&T Consultant and Associate Professor of Central Luzon State University (CLSU), provided insights on gender issues, the roles of women, and opportunities for women empowerment in the natural resources sector. 

The Power Talk series gathered DOST agencies, PCAARRD staff, and PCAARRD Regional Consortia members, creating an avenue for discussing the relevant lessons and relatable stories of gender empowerment across the sector. Moreover, this activity highlighted gender mainstreaming strategies and the roles of each resource speaker as GAD champions of women empowerment in the AANR sector.

Orientation to Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG)

In its efforts to strengthen gender integration further, PCAARRD also conducted an online seminar on Bringing Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) to PCAARRD Divisions. The session, led by Mr. King David Agreda, a National GAD Resource Pool Member from the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), emphasized the importance of applying a gender lens when crafting and evaluating project proposals. The activity also introduced the roles of Industry Strategic S&T Program (ISP) and project managers in the Council’s GAD streamlining process. Agreda mentored participants on using the core elements of HGDG to design and implement gender-responsive programs and projects.

Through this capacity building initiative, DOST-PCAARRD aims to ensure that all its R&D and non-R&D programs are inclusive and equitable.

The Council also initiated a series of activities such as “Purple Wednesday,” a GAD information drive, and the “Purple Your Icon” campaign, to celebrate women’s month. This year’s activities were conducted through the initiative of the GAD Secretariat under SERD to show PCAARRD’s continuing support for an inclusive workplace and equal opportunities in the AANR sector.

Moving forward, DOST-PCAARRD plans to be more proactive in GAD concerns through the conduct of capacity building activities to continuously streamline gender mainstreaming, scale up gender responsiveness, and ensure GAD integration into PCAARRD programs, activities, and projects.

A new low-sodium food ingredient derived from green mussels (Perna viridis) is in development, promising to enhance flavor while addressing health concerns related to high salt intake. 

Mussels or “tahong” is a staple Filipino cuisine due to their affordability and widespread availability, especially in coastal communities where mussel farming is a key livelihood for both small and large-scale farmers. During peak harvest seasons, an oversupply of fresh mussels is often observed. This prompts efforts to explore and utilize the excess harvest for alternative applications. One of these applications is the production of low-salt fermented sauce, which adds value to the excess harvest and is a healthier ingredient.

With the adaptation and modification of the fermentation process, green mussel was transformed into a low-salt fermented sauce rich in amino acids, minerals, and other beneficial compounds. Although still in the research and development (R&D) phase, the sauce shows potential as a healthier alternative to traditional fish sauce. 

The sauce contains significantly less sodium than commercially available fish sauce which aligns with consumer demand for health-conscious food options. 

This technology was explored for upscale production through the project, “Product Process Optimization at Up-Scale Production and Marketing Plan for Low Salt-Fermented Mussel (Perna viridis) Sauce.” The project generally aimed to evaluate the process efficiency, product cost, and market promotion strategies for the low-salt fermented mussel sauce. This was funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).

A critical component of the project involves scale-up production, enabling effective transition from laboratory production to larger volumes to ensure that the product can withstand the rigors of processing. Test runs were conducted to understand process dynamics and provide base information so the technology can be safely implemented. This study was conducted together with industry partners to ensure that the product is within the industry standards. 

Project findings demonstrated the need for effective pricing policies and strategies, as well as cost-efficient production methods to ensure the product’s financial viability. A detailed market validation study across consumer segments will support these necessities to efficiently guide pricing decisions without compromising the product quality. 

With the development of the sauce from locally produced Philippine green mussels, a recommendation on the necessary data and information was initiated for the government food regulating bodies to craft the country’s quality standards for the product.

The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), through the Technology Transfer and Promotion Division (TTPD), collaborated with the Association of PAQE Professionals, Inc. (APP) in hosting the “Regional Agri-Aqua Innovation System Enhancement (RAISE) Spin-Off Policy Training Workshop” from April 22 to 24, 2025.

This is the first spin-off policy development workshop conducted at the national level. It aimed to empower institutions under the RAISE Program to design responsive and strategic policies and agreements that can transform agri-aqua outputs of researchers into real-world solutions through successful spin-offs.

A total of 91 agencies involving state universities and colleges (SUCs) and research and development institutes (RDIs) from 14 regions under the RAISE Program participated in the workshop.

During the opening of the workshop, DOST-PCAARRD Executive Director Reynaldo V. Ebora expressed his gratitude to APP and TTPD for their effective collaboration and implementation of valuable initiatives. He also mentioned that establishing a well-defined spin-off policy is key to unlocking the commercial potential of research outputs. Meanwhile, APP president and chief executive officer (CEO) and managing partner of Hechanova Group, Inc. (HCI) Atty. Editha R. Hechanova mentioned that APP had great hopes that the vision of SUCs and RDIs in having a spin-off policy will come to fruition.

Atty. Jerry C. Serapion, manager of the Intellectual Property Management Office (IPMO), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and APP Trustee, led the workshop. He also crafted and provided the spin-off policy template used by the agencies during the workshop.

The facilitators of the workshop were Atty. Hechanova; Atty. Misael F. Costes, APP vice president for externals and HCI consultant; Director Noel A. Catibog, APP vice president for internals and TTPD chief; and Engr. Theda Mae S. Dumali, APP member and Project Director of De La Salle University Innovation and Technology Office (DITO).

The three-day online workshop featured a series of sessions and discussions covering the legal framework and foundations of spin-off policy, criteria for meritorious cases and researcher eligibility, identification of valuable intellectual property (IP), and institutional support and governance structures. It also includes a focused discussion on the essentials of spin-off agreements. Participants engaged in writing sessions aligned with these topics, receiving real-time feedback from expert resource persons.

Dir. Catibog reminded the participants that the most effective policies are those that are responsive to the unique needs and contexts of institutions. “Take the time to customize and align them with your organizational priorities, resources, and innovation goals,” he said.

At the end of the training, each participating institution drafted a spin-off policy and a spin-off agreement tailored to their specific needs. Additionally, an action plan for policy approval and implementation were prepared. 

DOST-PCAARRD and APP continue to collaborate on future RAISE training initiatives, including upcoming workshops on IP valuation and patent mining. These workshops will equip RAISE-implementing agencies with the skills to assess the monetary value of intellectual property assets and extract valuable insights and opportunities from existing patent data. These capabilities are essential for effective technology transfer and commercialization.